Trip to Ventura for fun and to use a van for Nostalgia

 Won a VW Westvalia van in a silent auction last year and finally took it on a trip. It looked like the one I grew up with. So we took a trip. A brief trip. A one-night trip to Ventura.

I picked up the van on a Thursday night, and on the drive home from Monrovia it died at a stoplight. Then the windshield wipers didn't work (well, they worked, but one went haywire..the driver's side one) but luckily there was only light rain. On Friday afternoon, when getting gas to get ready to go on the trip, I didn't really know how to get the locked gas cap off, so I inserted the ignition key when the other keys didn't work, and well, the key tore. I pulled it out and then it completely fell apart. So, I was stuck at Walmart gas.

Called the owner and he came by with a spare key! The last spare key. Walmart was cool, letting me hang out in the gas station for 45 minutes or so. 

Then we packed up the van and were going to go on the adventure...before it started to rain a little. Decided to then leave the next morning, because of the windshield wiper situation.

Got away a little later than usual in the morning. I knew the van was slow, but it was loud and humming at 60 mph, so the whole game of driving was finding large semi-trucks to follow so I wouldn't be the (only) one holding up traffic. When I used to drive a van like this 30 years ago were people driving slower (were cars slower?), or was it because I was in Central California and people were, well, driving slower? Or was our stick-shift van with no power steering faster than this automatic van with power steering and AC? 

We made it, did our usual Vons fried chicken then Jolly Oyster, and that was fun. So nice that the boy eats some oysters, and the mom and I love them of course. Drinking less, so it was sparkling cider, which was delicious.

Cubing Competition - August 2026

 Did I talk about this yet, that we've been into speed cubing for the past 2 years? 

And by "we" I mean "we."

Well, not at first. First it was the boy and his friends - his friend Sean, actually, started doing it, then he and Konnor joined in. He watched videos and practiced and got really into it.

We've done competitions in Rhode Island as an excuse to go to Rhode Island and visit Liz, and went to a cubing camp in Orlando before Thanksgiving, and were able to then have a nice long Thanksgiving break.

Luke started a cubing club at school last year - the first of its kind in the history of the school (well, probably - not sure they have records from the 1980s about which clubs were there) and I taught a cubing class at the local community college for 3rd-5th graders, which was challenging at first (first session, 19 kids - 19! But second session was much more calm and collected and I think more successful and less time was spent on classroom management. 

Now we've been do almost 20 competitions which, if you do the math, is about one a month for the past 2 years, which, I guess is a lot, though it's slowed down - we went to one this weekend but that was the first time since May, and May wasn't a real competition day, as we only stayed for one event.

Yesterday reminded me of why we do competitions, though. New Dad (me) even competed. And I did pretty well - 40 second 3x3, and a skewb time of 15 seconds, which is bad for serious cubers, but good for me! Lol.

Luke did alright, though he only improved on his skewb average record, even though he had been practicing mostly megaminx, which is his "main." 

Yes, I know all the terminology.

And we started our own YouTube channels this year. Did I mention that?

But it's been a while since we posted. And it seems like it takes a lot of work to post. Maybe I'll post again, get some more videos up. We'll see.

Ah, but the competition was down in Temecula, so I took all three boys in the car, and we headed down there at 7am, geez, I know, on a Saturday, but hey, we wake up every day during the week at 6 am or so, so leaving at 7am is just a normal day. Didn't get tired till the afternoon, as is usual, but I was a little nervous for my first few solves in each event - which didn't fare well in Clock as you needed to get under 25 seconds in one of your first 2 solves and I didn't make it by half a second! Lol.

The boys had a good time sitting at a table all day, and I met parents from Canada and La Mirada, which was cool, and talked to some other parents that I knew; and a kid from my cubing class even made the trek down, and he did really well! 

Oh, the dad from Canada said to me, "I don't see any downside to this (cubing)." which I thought was awesome, and very French (he's from Belgium, actually). 

The more I think about it, the more he's right, I mean, it's a safe, friendly environment, probably good for your brain, and the kids are just hanging out and cubing all day. It's good stuff. 

I don't see any downside either, except maybe getting up early on a Saturday, but it's not that early, and once you've gone through the years of changing your kid's diapers, these later year stuff seems like cake. And also, I competed and had fun as well. 

Seriously.

-ND

Thursdays since Mt SAC

 It's Thursday, late August, 2026.

Since Mt. SAC over the summer - where I taught Cubing for Kids for the first time, wow that class of 19 kids in the first session was tough; the 11 in the second class were a lot easier - maybe I need a post about these takeaways? Or do I have an email about them, a draft? Will look! - on Thursdays, the kid has been coming with me to work out with Ryo. 

We used to go to a meat-pie (chinese thing) place near the college, with their delicious cold tea drinks, and take those to go. Eat them and drink their cool, sweet tea drink on the way to the Diamond Bar Library. 

Turns out, that's an amazing library. I randomly picked up two different books there - Up in the Air and A Single Man - and read them both completely, which, if you know the stacks of books I have lying around, is not a regular thing. Read the first few pages, got hooked, kept reading. This turns out to be a good way to decide if you're going to finish the entire book.

And the kid finds some manga (Haikyu!! or maybe One Piece that he's read, or a new one to check out) or finishes the Keeper of the Lost Cities book he has been reading - man, those are thick books.

There's a patio at the library, with two rocking chairs, near a very artistic wall that helps you forget this is a patio that is extended into the parking lot . Sometimes we sit in those chairs and read next to each other. Sometimes I take out a 3x3 cube or skewb and practice a little, and Luke eyes me with concern at my slow method.

Then we go work out with Ryo together. Kid seems to like it, hardly says he doesn't want to go. I think it's the comrarderie, Ryo not talking down to him, but just like another client, it's like hanging with the adults, doing adult stuff. 

These are my favorite afternoons of the week.

Update from late August 2026

Monday, 7am

Up because we drop kid off at school before 7am

Kid had a water polo tournament yesterday. two games, one started at 8am, one at 12pm Still better than swim meets. He scored a couple goals, and played goalie half the games. Most importantly, had a great attitude and the older kids encouraged him.

This is all a county league, at $25 for 3 months. Look, I like a good deal and all, but I would have signed him up if it were $200 a session as well. 

At one practice, I heard an older kid say to him, "how old are you?" and when he said "twelve" they said, "You're going to be a beast!" Lol.

Also, last week kid made the volleyball team for 7th grade. Two rounds of tryouts. Has been going to clinics on the weekend on and off last year, sometimes practices in the back yard by himself, hitting it against the hill. Yeah we have a side hill and a back hill.

Goes to school before 7am for zero period. That's early. But that's also why I'm writing this.

We went to Paris in April. Guess I didn't write about it. Good times. Played ping pong in the park with the kid a decent amount because hey, might as well fly thousands of miles to do something we can do at home. Lol. Kidding. But yeah, we did that. It's different in Paris, though, and we found people to be pretty friendly. Maybe because New Mom speaks French?

So, this is the start of the writing every day thing, but will it last? Lasted 10 minutes so far; but not journaling or this blog every day.

New Dad (me) taught a cubing class over the summer. Tough for the first 3 week session, but easier for the second 3 week session. 

Not sure this is the best place to dump random thoughts, so I may open up another blog or use an email. What else with the kid..

He's 5 feet 9 inches. Not sure when that happened. His voice hasn't changed yet, so that's interesting in the way that he's still a kid and we're wondering how tall he'll get.

Cool in the mornings, New Mom was just outside doing yoga. That's pretty nice. Can meowing to get out while she's doing it - not as nice.

Speaking of new kid, Mom's brother had another kid, so now that's's two daughters and it's been a week and they seem pretty darn tired. I'm not saying I don't wish we had another kid, but... yeah, sometimes I'm pretty glad.

Plus, new mom's health is not 100%, with the fibroids. 

This has turned into a family blog.

I guess that's what happenes when new kid grows up, he eventually becomes part of the contributing family, where we don't just keep track of things, he does things, adds to things, and that's already happening as we all do our own things often, and I wonder when he'll know that we never really stop trying to do our own thing or figuring out what our own things are, as so many things vie for our attention, not just distractions but life, daily life, and work, and other people, and responsibilities, and time moves on.

Updates from October, 2025

 Had a birthday party for New Dad (who I'm not sure should be called New Dad anymore as he has an 11 year old. And should I still be talking about myself in the third person?). Here's some reflections on the party and the current state of things...   

Party was lots of fun. Started the day by opening presents in bad (family tradition), then went to Spo-Cha with son which was awesome as usual - ping pong, batting cages, volleyball, and a little video games. Season pass just ran out. Should get one next year. Calendar reminder - go!

Kid Updates

-Had a swim meet Sunday morning, day after my birthday. Didn't start until 9am but they want the kids there by 7am which makes no sense, but wife was willing to take him since she gets up early and it was the day after my birthday, which I may have drank a bit. Got there by 9am to be the announcer because it's with the YMCA and mostly volunteer run it seems, though I swear we pay over $100 a month to belong, so I'm not sure where that money goes... (Chlorine in the pool?)

-Kid still requests to "be DJ" in the car. Current playlist includes "Delirious" by Prince," "Soda Pop" in French, from KPOP Demon Hunters Soundtrack, "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, "When Doves Cry" by Prince. Recently, it had been Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" every day to school. I mean, every day. And to be honest, I only got a little tired of it. Freddy Mercury, man, that guy had the pipes. (Though the lyric "I'm a sex machine, ready to reload..." explains why I hadn't heard it on the radio growing up...and why it's questionable to let your 11 yr old listen to it EVERY DAY)

New Dad Updates

-Started investing in stocks b/c of Andy, but not too much because I'm a wimp butI don't like to admit it nor write that word so I may go back and delete what I just wrote, but if you're reading this then I haven't...

-Been working out with Ryo for a few years now, and was described by my sister as "buff but just lose that belly" a few months back, which seems accurate. 

-Recently Hired A at work, taking a load off our day to day.

-Went to Rhode Island family trip. Great time. Competed in Cubing. Should update that blog. (Cubing Dad). Had a teen judge watch how slow my Skewb solve was and comment, "Are you here with your kid or something?" Funny stuff. Also, people were very consulatory when I didn't make the cutoff for Clock.  It's alright, kids, I don't base my whole identity on my solve...but it was sweet.

-Watched the second-longest world series game (Dodgers-Blue Jays, Game 3). Wife came downstairs toward the end, surprised I was still up watching it: "You're still watching this game? It's not even the last game." Sees the score. "Is the score the same? And you're still watching?" Lol. She apologized later, but I'm not sure she should have. It's a reasonable reaction.

11 Year Old - Plays DJ on the way to school

Driving to school, he often asks to play DJ. I hand him my phone in the back seat - though he's 5 ft 4, probably doesn't need the back seat right now.

Some recent tracks he plays off my phone:

Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones

The Passenger - Iggy Pop

Quote - 10 years, 1 month

 "All a kid ever needs is some video games, a book, and a friend." -While chatting with his friend Sean on the phone and waiting to play Splatoon 3 with him.