Hashizume Family Album

2009-12-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

Chester visiting over Christmas 2009

2009-08-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Providence Bridge Pedal - August 9, 2009 This is the third year Michael and I rode this 8 bridge 24 mile ride. It was a nice, overcast day that was not too humid. I wanted to catch Michael with the Lucky Devil (strip) Lounge sign in the background, a double entendre sort of thing as well as having the "Go By Train" sign tower of the train station in the background.

2009-07-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Our family trip to Seattle.

2009-07-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Willamette jet boat ride July 03, 2009 Chester's visit plus Michael during Independence Day

2009-06-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2009. It was a WONDERFUL day! I got to get some rest and slept for 10 hours (until 10 am!). The kids and I went out to Genies for breakfast. Free mimosa for dad! AND the Big Guy paid! We decided it was a good day to weed our front lawn and the kids broke in my weed wacker in the back yard. We ate leftovers and had Dairy Queen treats afterwards. I got to meditate afterwards. A blessed Father's Day all around!

2009-06-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Michael's 20th Birthday May 2009 at Murata Japanese restaurant, Portland, Oregon

2009-03-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel in her new dress she bought for her friend's 16th birthday party.

2009-01-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

Our Saturday trip (January 17) out to Multnomah Falls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multnomah_Falls, the tallest waterfalls in Oregon and the most visited attraction. As you see it was coldddddddd and windy which we did not expect since it was upper 40s, lower 50s and sunny when we left Beaverton. As you see we still enjoyed our albeit short visit. The last picture is of a tugboat pushing a barge up the Columbia River with the whitecaps (illustrating the windiness).

2009-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve & Christmas 2008

2008-12-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sandy and I walked through Peacock Lane, a Portland neighborhood that requires all the residents on that street to decorate their houses during Christmas. I took some pictures of what I thought was the best one.

2008-12-23T01:48:00.000-08:00

Here is what the Pacific Northwest's version of a snow storm looks like. 8 to 10 inches worth over a week of on-and-off snowing so there is ice mixed in there as well. Monday they closed my office so I got to walk around to capture my house and neighborhood on camera.

2008-12-20T23:35:00.000-08:00

Today was the culmination of a week of wintery weather. Very unusual for the Portland metro area. Rachel, Chili and I got to go out and enjoy the 4 inches or so of snow today. They are expecting 10 inches before the weekend is done. The snowy trees are shown outside my bedroom window.

2008-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

These annual letters have helped me to reflect on the past year and to share myself with those who I don't really see or talk to.

I make it my spiritual practice to live in gratitude and to explicit acknowledge my blessings on a regular basis. I would rather focus on the positive.

This year I completed my first year at Providence Health Plans, a Catholic-based, non-profit health insurance company. I feel blessed that I am here because the values practiced there (respect, compassion, stewardship, justice and excellence) are actually practiced. I do hope I can stay with this company for the rest of my working life for the ups and downs of the technology industry has been too much of an economic and emotional roller coaster for me.

I and my beautiful children continue to stay healthy. I did get tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in my right ear. I got it from being at a B-52s concert in March and it does not look like there is a cure or treatment for it. It is like a swarm of mosquitoes in my head all the time or a constant TV hum. I hope this will abate over time but in the meantime this malady has affected my concentration and my mood sometimes.

Overall I do feel lucky to have such good health especially as I age. This year I made it to 55 which I am embarrassed to admit and somewhat shocked. I re-started bicycling this Summer, inspired by a woman that I started dating this year. I went from struggling to do 15 miles in June to completing a 104 mile “Century” ride in September. It was also nice that I was able to do a couple of family 15 mile rides with my children as well.

I am also blessed that the woman I met is someone I can see creating a long term relationship with. I view the people I attract in my life are a sign of my spiritual health. I am happy that I have such caring friends and family in my life.

Rachel has turned 15 this year and Michael's last year as a teenager started this past May. I sometimes get melancholy as I experience my children moving into their independent lives. They are amazing people who are confident, responsible, smart, and social. I feel reassured that they'll do as OK as they grow as they are doing OK now.

This is the first year that Michael was eligible to vote in a presidential election. It was quite an amazing, emotional and historic moment for us. I cried not only from Obama's acceptance speech but also when Michael called me up from school to share in that celebratory moment. I felt so very touched to have my son wanting to share that with me. I never heard Rachel so excited in my life when I talked to her on the phone that night when she shared her joy from a friend's house.

I believe we are all connected in spirit. I would love to hear about what you are grateful for and how you are making your lives wonderful.

Peace,
Mark

2008-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

A variety of photos: The first set are from Rachel's friend's 16th birthday party. The friends are posed in front of the limo that was rented for the party.

Here are a couple of pictures of me and Sandy on the Eastside Esplanade, on the banks of the Willamette River with the city of Portland skyline in the background and the Hawthorne Bridge.

The kids and I posed for our annual Christmas card picture as well. You see Rachel, Chili, and I waiting for the train to come.

2008-11-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, Rachel and I decided to have this dish as a brunch. Rachel found the recipe and thought it would be good as a breakfast dish. Unfortunately she had a low grade stomach flu so was not too hungry for it.

2008-10-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight Rachel did another recipe out of the vegetarian cookbook I got for my birthday from my friend Linda. The results were delicious. Note: make 50% more sauce for the amount of pasta specified.

Oh by the way, last weekend I biked the Harvest Century ride which was 104 miles in 6 hrs 27 min which averaged 16.1 mph. I was very proud for that was my first century and did not train for it. It was like running a marathon.

2008-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

October 2, Thursday was Sandy's 50th birthday. We (Rachel was with us) went to this nice Mexican restaurant "Por que no?" Clara is her just-turned-thirteen year old daughter. I've been with Sandy since mid-June.

2008-09-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

Rachel made a chickpea and vegetable stew out last night. She is practicing how to cook. We used my Cusinart to help chop the rutabegas (turnip substitute) and the carrots. She also got to use my new measuring spoon set which I got just for this. She learned to adjust the recipe since we had way too many vegetables for the pan and for the amount of tomatoes that the recipe called for. It was a good dinner.

2008-09-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday an estimated 45,000 participants, 1,000+ volunteers, and over 3,200 breast cancer survivors joined forces for the 17th Annual Komen Portland Race for the Cure®- the largest Komen Race on the West Coast! Everyone who walked, ran, volunteered, or contributed this weekend, brought us one step closer to our vision of a world without breast cancer.

---

Rachel and I did the 5 Km walk. We took the MAX (Portland's mass transit train) in to downtown where the race was. We were both tired from not-so-much-sleep this weekend so after our walk we went for a late breakfast/early lunch and home to rest. We also volunteered at the Race for the Cure Health Expo the day before where we greeted the RFTC participants and gave out bags. We got nice looking blue volunteer Tshirts this year. Again we did this in honor of Asa Munekiyo, Mom and Rachel's Bachan who died a week before Rachel was born. We also did it for Mom's mother, Kayo who also died of breast cancer while she was in Heart Mountain Internment camp. Rachel's middle name is Kayo.

2008-09-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Some random pictures of these past weeks...

My girlfriend Sandy and I at Scio, Oregon (about an hour south) near Salem) where we did a 41 mile bicycle ride through 5 covered bridges. Oregon has the most covered bridges in the Western U.S.

Chili through the new cell phone camera of Rachel's

Me (2nd from the left) going down the Descutes River on September 1st.

2008-08-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Chester found that there is a town in Japan with the same name as our surname.
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/JA/22/Hashizume.html

2008-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

We spent 5 days with Uncle Chet in Southern California for our annual visit. This time we missed the family reunion in July with our cousins.

Chester took us to San Luis Obispo at the luxurious La Cuesta Inn. We also got to visit some wonderful Southern California coastal towns. You see surfers and the starfish on the pier.

We also got to visit the Hearst Castle. It's basically a museum. Michael wanted ot see the Nixon Library where the it was located at Nixon's childhood home as well as where Richard and Pat were buried. The grounds were beautiful You see Michael conferring with Winston Churchill, Great Britain;Konrad Adenauer, West Germany; Charles deGaulle, France

We also stopped by Harmony, California where they had a great pottery shop and a place where they made nice glassware.

We stopped by Solvang where it is a replica of a quaint Dannish village. Here Michael, Rachel and Chester were imitating the famous Hans Christian Anderson.

We visited our parent's grave site as well as our Mother's parents' grave site. I try to share with my children what my parents were like so they can have a better idea of where they came from.

We got to see my 93 year old uncle Mas and his 89 year old wife, Helen.

We also got to see my favorite 88 year old aunt, Yoshi. She stayed with our Mother when she was dying of breast cancer 15 years ago.

All-in-all we had a wonderful time. Chester was, as always, a wonderful and generous host. He planned the entire stay so we could just enjoy more of his adopted state.

2008-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today was our third Providence Bridge Pedal ride of 24 miles over 8 bridges of Portland. They closed some of the bridges off entirely to car traffic and the rest we had several lanes to ourselves. The Pedal attracts thousands of riders which makes it fun and crowded but this year it was not as backed up because of better planning by the event organizers. The weather was perfect for riding, 70s and overcast. I got up at 5 AM to make it in time to park and start at 7:30 AM. Somehow Michael made it as well. It was a bit disappointing this year for they did not have the live music on the bridges like the previous years. The plus side was that we did not linger as long on the closed-to-traffic bridges and therefore finished earlier.
Here we are at the Broadway Bridge (red steel girders).

17,000 turn out for Providence Bridge Pedal
07:42 PM PDT on Sunday, August 10, 2008
By kgw.com Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland merged its twin reputations as 'Bridgetown' and as a bike-friendly city on Sunday during the 13th annual Providence Bridge Pedal. More than 17,000 cyclists took advantage of the opportunity to ride across Porland's bridges car-free.

The annual event has grown to become the second largest community bicycle ride in the country and the third largest in the world.

kgw.com/Providence Health System

Bikers head over the Steel Bridge.

This year, a new longer route crossed 11bridges along a 37-mile route, with shorter and family friendly options for recreational cyclists serious cyclists.

A portion of the proceeds from the event were to be used to buy automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and donate them to selected gathering places in the community, such as stores, schools and libraries. An AED is a portable device used to restore normal heart rhythm to people experiencing cardiac arrest..

2008-08-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today was the "Hottest Day of the Year Ride." It should have been called "Coldest Day of the Summer Ride." Cloudy and in the 50s. It was a 15 mile loop that had two stops in between. You see Michael doing a water slide at our first stop in his sweatshirt and bike helmet. I could not imagine being that wet and biking for another 10 miles in that cool, breezy weather. He not only managed to do that but to do that without suffering any real shivering consequences. Ah to be young with a metabolic rate! At our second stop they had a watermelon eating contest (see the Melon cuties and the contestants from another round). I decided to enter and in the tradition of Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi I gobbled down my slice using his technique and won! See my prize glasses. At the end, we finished where they gave out water pistols and free ice cream sundaes. The sun finally came out after our ride and the temperature rose to 80.

2008-07-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

Today was one of tme more wonderful birthdays I had in a long time. We did it at Sellwood Waterfront Park with live music provided by the Portland Parks and Recreation Department. It was great because those people in my life who made a positive difference came out to celebrate with me plus others from the Meet In Portland group. I really felt I "belonged" and loved. Plus my dear children made me THE GREATEST PRESENT EVER. I will frame it along with their pictures (maybe I'll use the ones they took of themselves here). I am truly blessed.

2008-07-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

My pre-birthday celebratory brunch at our favorite place, The Tin Shed. We sat outdoors to not only to take in the nice warm, sunny weather but so Chili could join us. Their smoothies are the best (albeit late).

I decided for my milestone (my children dispute that 55 is a milestone birthday for they contend it has to be on the decade mark) birthday is to acknowledge the people in my life that made a positive difference. I want to do this as my birthday gift rather than waiting to be on my death bed to do this with the people in my life. First and foremost, my children are the ones that I wanted to acknowledge. My birthday letter of appreciation: "July 14, 2008

To Michael & Rachel,

Ah how can I speak of my greatest loves without speaking in two? You, my children, are one. Separate and distinct, yet together. You are joy incarnate, spontaneity epitomized, fun energized, and affection without end. Michael, you are my first born, my favorite son and the foundation of mirth for the two of you. Rachel, my manju, you are my favorite daugther, the foil of fun. I treasure your deep caring and outspoken fiestiness. You are proof that there is a God. I am blessed. Love, Dad

2008-07-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was the annual Portland Night Ride where hundreds if not thousands of bike riders get dressed up in different costumes or in their PJs and ride from 9 pm to 1 am. Along the way we stopped at an outdoor movie with popcorn provided, a passed a bagpiper, another stop at a disco with rotating mirror ball and hula hoopsters, and free donuts with a miramba band at the end. The woman in the pink shirt with the cup and the 12 yr old girl there is Sandy, my new sweetie and her daughter Clara who enticed us into doing this ride. Sandy is the one in the bike goggles as well. We did not dress up because it was just too darn hot plus Michael and Rachel were just too "cool" to lower themselves to look silly (they just acted silly to make up for that). We ended the 15 mile route at midnight. It was very fun and very tiring.

2008-07-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

Independence Day 2008

2008-06-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are for Father's Day at a Cuban restaurant for Brunch. We were blessed with sunny and warm weather so we ate out on the sidewalk. I love being a dad. We later weeded (Michael's idea) so we had a productive and nice day.

2008-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

June 7 was Rachel's annual recital. Just another occasion to take pictures of my beautiful daughter.

2008-05-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 29 was Michael's 19th birthday. We celebrated the next night at one of the best Japanese sushi restaurants in the area.

2008-04-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a great Spring day so Rachel and I went to the Rhododendron Garden next to Reed College. We discovered we could have brought Chili but just as well for we got to not have to worry about her pooping on the meticulous pathways and peeing in the bushes. It was beautiful there. A great afternoon in Portland.

2008-04-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yasuko's 60th birthday was in February but she came out to Portland to celebrate with her friends in April The guy with her is her boyfriend who flew out to Japan for her birthday. The woman is our friend Linda who spent her early years (her 20s?) as an English teacher in Japan. The guy with me is James. We use to be running buddies at Sequent Computer where we met Yasuko back in the early 1990s.

2008-04-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

We went to the Rose Garden Arena to see Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good tour, Rose Garden Arena with Taylor Swift for Rachel's 15th birthday. Her Best Friend Forever (BFF), Tayler came with us.

2008-04-03T20:13:00.001-07:00

These are Rachel's creations from the Southridge High School Fashion show.

2008-03-19T07:29:00.001-07:00

See the next blog post.
Michael got a picture he took at Portland State University published on The Nation's website.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghindo/2345255944/
The above is Michael's Flickr site which gives a bit of the background of the photo.

===

Michael's comment: I was recetntly contacted by an editor of The Nation, asking if The Nation could use one of my pictures on their website. I agreed (why else would I have all of my pictures licensed under Creative Commons?) and sure enough, they put my picture on their site. Not only that, but it's on the front page and fairly high up. Neat. Especially considering I took that particular picture with my cell phone.

2008-03-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

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2008-01-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

Rachel's Piano Recital. I missed her playing but got to at least get a good photo op. Of course Michael's mug had to be included for no other reason than to demonstrated his great bite. The last two pictures are random and I'd grab any opportunity of getting pictures of the two kids together since Michael is away at college.

2007-12-29T23:47:00.000-08:00

Rachel's homecoming dance pictures from September 2007

2007-12-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007 - Yasuko came to visit from Japan so that was a nice treat. Here we are on funky Alberta St in Portland for a yummy brunch at the Tin Shed. We have known each other for about 16 or so years. I view her as family. The next set of pictures are of us opening up Uncle Burt's gifts. Rachel (with her great funny face) is showing the fluorescent lights I gave her for the paper lantern for her room. The crazy hat Michael is wearing is actually the paper lantern which I got at the Portland Saturday Market. Michael is showing off the usual generous gift (Amazon gift card) that Uncle Chet gave him. Michael immediately went online to spend it all. It was great as usual to have Uncle Chet here with us. It was fun playing Scattergories together. For the letter "C," Michael came up with "cerebellum" for the word for "tool." Rachel came up with "cannibal" for the word for "disease."

2007-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007

Last Christmas I was not up to do a card and a letter because I got laid off from Intel in October. I had a great run at Intel for the 2.5 yrs I spent there. I got my largest raise I had ever gotten in my entire career. I really liked working with the people there and enjoyed my work. I felt pretty much at peace with my life. Then things changed at the end of the Summer in 2006, when Intel decided to cut 10% of it’s worldwide workforce.

Even though I was in a better emotional place than my previous out-of-work experiences, I was still not up for much celebration and felt more internal in myself during this time last year.

This year I feel that I am at this blessed place in my life. I truly feel it is Providence to be at the job where I am at now. I am a project manager in the computer area for the health insurance branch of Providence, a non-profit, Catholic-based company. The people and the company truly walks their talk. They do practice the company’s core values of respect, compassion, justice, excellence and stewardship. I love the people and the company and hope to retire here.

I am the fittest I have ever been in my life (it certainly helped me spending my out-of-work time in the gym). I am healthy and am at peace with my life. I still would like to have a partner in life and open to someone but right now I am chugging along with the life I have.

I am grateful that my children have made their change of school transition smoothly. Rachel has adjusted well as a freshman in high school and with her favorite brother going off to college. Her two favorite classes are ceramics and Mandarin Chinese. She already have been to the Homecoming dance. Right now she likes hanging with her girlfriends so I can keep my shotgun in the closet. All-in-all, I love how she is continuing to be this happy, caring girl who is solid in herself and (so far) not being the all-too-typical rebellious, surly teen.

So right after Michael’s high school graduation, I found myself feeling the empty nest syndrome despite the fact he was still around and he lived with his mother. I really felt the loss of my son moving on in his life. I would see him weekly and talk to him nightly. I am so happy what a solid young man he is and his growing independence despite my initial feeling of loss. I see him confident, smart, grounded with common sense and great values, happy and funny, and someone who is taking life as it comes. Who could predict how our children grow up to be?

Michael has really embraced college. He is going to Willamette University which is located in our state’s capital city of Salem, 1 hour south of me. The undergraduate population is the same size of his high school of 2000. This makes it a more intimate setting and a great 12 to 1 student-teacher ratio. Michael is making it to all his 8 am classes and seems to have moved on from his senior slump from high school. I love that how he has integrated with college life by getting a job with the campus computer tech support help desk, joining an intramural soccer team, co-hosting an online campus radio show, and becoming part of his dorm government.

Peace to you and your loved ones.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie

2007-11-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

Cathedral Park, under the St. John's Bridge. In the movie, Pay It Forward, this is where the person who wanted to jump was filmed.

2007-10-28T20:54:00.001-07:00

We did nothing special this weekend but it was everything special. And oh yeah, Rachel allowed me to take a picture of her in her braces.

I want to share how I feel about my daughter and how I see her.
--

My Daughter 2007

Now that Michael is gone and away at college, it’s just me and my Rachel spending time together every half weekend. I find the energy more subdued when it is just my son or just my daughter and myself for Michael is The Party and gets his sister going, whether in laughter or just plain badinage. Their interaction is a joy to observe and to experience.

If I have to characterize my 14 year old daughter with a few words then they are sassy, helpful, caring, social, knows herself,

I stole this off her MySpace April 2007 blog. I find her self perception accurate. She IS a girl with a head on her shoulders who is trusting and NEEDS to laugh and smile. And of course, who doesn’t need love?

Rachel’s blog, April 2007

who am I? i'm a girl with a head on her shoulders. i'm a girl who wont stop at anything to get what she wants. i'm a girl who loves to talk all the time. i'm a girl who yells at the person right next to her. i'm a girl where she doesn't just like music;; it's her life. i'm a girl just trying to get through life. i'm a girl who is trustful && will trust you unless you give me a reason to otherwise. i'm a girl who needs to laugh && smile. i'm a girl who treasures lifes' precious moments. i'm a girl who loves my family. i'm a girl who's best friends are parisa && willow. i'm a girl who will cry at a movie theater. i'm a girl who is creative. i'm a girl who is sad no matter who broke up with who. i'm a girl that needs lovee

I got to take her to see the Monty Python Broadway musical Spamalot. It was sweet that she reached over to hold my hand during some of the play. That weekend I hung out with her where we had a nice New Seasons dinner and then browsed at Powell’s Books. I got pasta and she got a tuna sandwich. I wanted something sweet but since I did not work out I did not want to indulge too much so I got a fat free apricot oak cake while Rachel got an orange-mango gelato. Of course she readily shared. This epitomizes what I love about my daughter. She is so ready to share.

What else I love about Rachel is that when I call her and ask how her day went, she would start at the beginning, “Well, I woke up and…” and go into every detail of her day to share with me. That makes me smile big inside.

Another thing that makes my heart ache and grow for her is how she is willing to give up her Friday night with her friends (a night when she stays over with me) just so we can spend more time together. I am so touched how she tries to balance her mother’s demand on her time and her desire to be with her girl friends with time with her dad. I just got off the phone with her. She was in tears because she was trying to arrange time with me and could not do so because of her mother. She was trying so hard to make it so we not have that quality time together but that quantity as well. She such a caring, loving girl. I’m so so blessed!

2007-10-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a weekend of many blessings. One of which was that Michael came up from school. One of things we did was shop for his Halloween costume. What you see is his version of this rapper Flava Flav ...

2007-09-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the Race for the Cure, http://www.komenoregon.org/, where I walked 5 km with about 48,000 other men, women, and children. I am doing so to honor my mother Asa Munekiyo Hashizume who died of breast cancer despite her two radical mastectomies thirty or so years, ten years apart.

I walked with the massive crowd, we were buoyed by the music they had along the way; the marimba band, the marching band, the drumline band, plus all the cheerleading squads with the chants “We are the Cure.” So many of the walkers were wearing their “In Celebration of…” breast cancer survivor tags and “In Memory of…”

This was an emotional walk for me. Maybe because I walked without my family this year (I ran the 5 km run with Michael last year). Maybe because it was because I missed my Mother. There was joy and hope today. I saw the women with heads wrapped in (usually pink) scarves or uncovered ones that started hair just growing out.

These are women who have their mortality and all they have to lose in this life facing them on a daily basis. I know we all have that but nothing like an illness, especially an illness that strikes to the core of one’s gender identity. I was in awe of their presence and their fierce hope for a long life with those that they love and who were supporting them there in the Race.

My dear daughter Rachel Kayo was with me volunteering for The Race for the Cure the day before the race. Kayo was her Great Grandmother’s name who died of breast cancer when she was imprisoned at the WWII Relocation Camp in Heart Mountain, WY (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Mountain_War_Relocation_Center). This was important for me to have her do this both in terms of giving service, awareness of an affliction that has taken the lives of her grandmother and great grandmother, and for a reminder of that she has a grandmother that died a week before she was born.

Life is precious and a healthy life is even more precious. I take neither for granted for myself and for the loved ones in my life. I feel the best way to do that is to express and show appreciation for them, to let them know how much they enrich my life. This is each of legacies isn’t it? To enrich our own life as well as do that for others around us.

2007-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

To Michael on his way to Willamette University, August 22, 2007:

My Dear Son. My Big Guy. I want to acknowledge this time in your life that marks many significant life transitions. I see this as a passage into adulthood. You are leaving many things and people behind as you begin this new phase of your life. You are leaving your alma mater, the place you grew up, your friends, family, and your homes. I am excited and happy for you in this time of growth in your life. I am also sad. I am sad for not having my Big Guy around to bring that laughter, sharp wit, humor, intelligence, kindness, curiosity, patient caring, maturity, and grounded presence.

I am proud of you not for not so much what you have done but more so for who you are. You are my hero and teacher. I have seen and experienced you doing life your own way. You knew who you are and what you wanted and acted accordingly. I admire that.

I will miss you as the brother of Rachel. I absolutely loved how you are the one who can bring her to laughter (and tears as well) with your own brand of goofy silliness. I loved how she and you played off each other with only the way blood-close siblings of the best kind can do. I will miss how you get your sister to be in cahoots to make fun of me in that sly yet open way with gentleness and warped kindness.

I enjoyed how you blossomed into this leader when you took on being the BHS clarinet section leadership. Your conscientious focus on the group's performance helped you grow in ways that will serve you for life. I envy and admire that part of you as well. I saw how you worked hard to help your fellow clarinetists. I saw how you brought your fun energy to the group as well. I was touched how you included someone who was not even part of your section because she did not have her own group to belong to.

Michael Toshio Hashizume. You are my son, you are Toshio's grandson and you are part of this lineage of hard working, intelligent, and funny men of Japanese descent. You have samurai and peasant blood in you. Each brings it’s own strength and character. Your ancestry is part of your DNA and makes who you are today. Carry this forward and make your own mark in this world.

I love you My Big Guy.

Dad

2007-08-12T11:55:00.001-07:00

24 mile ten bridge Providence (my company!) Bridge Pedal. Michael and I second year of doing this. Both of us have not been bicycling much this past year but we managed to get through it and actually had fun! It was a cool, overcast day which was perfect for a bike ride. Portland is called Bridge City (along with Stumptown and the Rose City) and you can see why. We have some beautiful bridges. I have some pictures of Mount Hood as well.

2007-08-05T20:25:00.002-07:00

We spent the weekend at the Oregon coast for Michael's last hurrah before he goes off to Willamette University in Salem. We went to the Oregon Aquarium in Newport. We stayed at Seaside where there is a Lewis and Clark statue (Michael pretending to be Meriweather Lewis).

2007-07-27T23:45:00.001-07:00

I was sent to Seattle for a two day meeting. I have been to Seattle about 3 times since I moved to Portland 18 years ago even though it's a 4 hr drive. I think it's a great city but never had the company to go there. Here are random pictures of my visit. I hope to go back with my kids and/or a partner.

I had fun (which was a surprise) at a Mariner's game for I don't like spectator sports as a rule especially baseball. However it was a *suite* with catered food and drinks so even though Seattle lost I had a good time and a good view.
See the moon over Safeco field.

2007-07-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today we went with Michael's Portland State University freshman girlfriend to the Geek Festival (it's as bad as it sounds) and then to our "family tradition" Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. It sprinkled but we managed. The pig picture with Michael and Lucy was after the festival where we had gelatos.

2007-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2007 was my 54th birthday. How I celebrated was to take the kids out to the Mississippi Street Festival. It's quintessential Portland. It was hot and Rachel wilted in the heat so we did not linger at the festivities. Afterwards we went off to my Men's Group friend's 50th birthday party. He co-celebrated with his wife who also turned 50 this year. Sunday, the kids and I went out for a post-birthday brunch.

I really feel blessed to have my family, my health, my job, and all those other people in my life who make it so much richer. I look for attracting a life partner soon to even further enhance my life.

2007-06-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

We visited the OHSU Tram. The view is of Portland's KOIN tower plus a couple of artsy photos thrown in. Plus we got to see Michael doing his thing at his very first real paying job at Albertson's grocery store.

2007-06-17T21:59:00.001-07:00

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We got off to a later start for Father's Day than I wanted to. Something about dealing with teenagers who sleep in can be a challenge if I want to go somewhere before the morning ends. We finally got off to our favorite Portland brunch place, The Tin Shed (where we went to last year) around noon. It was an hour or so wait but we got to explore Alberta Street while we waited. The food and especially the smoothies were great. The rest of the day we just crashed and later had a nice fried catfish, rice, broccoli, and salad dinner that Rachel made. I got a great CD from Michael, Beriut by Gulag Okrestar which is "world music" which he knows that I like. Rachel got me this nice stuffed otter (she got herself an elephant). My former login ID was joyous otter, which is my Native American power animal to remind myself to be playful like the otter. I am blessed to be the father of two such wonderful spirits.

2007-06-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

Michael's Beaverton High School graduation... wow. I am so amazed that my son has moved on and graduated. I am still dealing with that realization that he's moving on in life. I still clearly remember his birth and now this grown up, young man is confidently embracing this next phase of life. I am so glad. Uncle Chet made it up from Pasadena for this milestone event which made Michael's graduation even more special. I love that Rachel and her friend Angela made it to round out the fun along with Michael's girlfriend Lucy.

2007-06-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a rainy, cool day at the Portland Grand Floral Parade, Rose Festival. Michael's Beaverton High School Marching Ensemble marched in it today. It was his last ever high school activity before graduation. He will be off to Willamette University in Salem in the Fall. It's an hour south of here. He'll be majoring in International Relations. Next Saturday he'll be starting his first ever job at Albertson's grocery doing bagging for $8/hr.

Uncle Chet flew in this morning and got to be with his so we can watch.

2007-05-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

2007-05-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

Michael's last track meet of the season and of his high school career. He did the 4x100 meter relay and the 100 meter dash. He probably did more but Rachel and I left early so she can get her homework done so she can watch American Idol. It did not help that it started to rain too.

2007-04-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

2007-04-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight I gave Michael his high school graduation gift early because he is going to his Senior Prom tomorrow night and the digital camera would be of use then. Here are some first practice shots.

2007-04-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

2007-04-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Michael's Jazz concert.

2007-04-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

The picture of Michael with the baton is when he ran the Varsity Track Invitational 4x200m on Friday the 13th this April. The pictures are from his Wind Ensemble concert.

2007-04-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Rachel had her friend Willow to highlight her hair for her fourteenth birthday. She also got a pedicure.

2007-03-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

This was Spring Break. Michael had a bet with his friend on who can grow the most facial hair over Spring Break. This is the result of not shaving for a week.
I told him that us Hashizumes are not big facial hair type of guys. We agreed that his mother's side has those genes.

2007-03-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the day-before-Rachel's fourteenth birthday. We celebrated at a great Japanese restaurant. We had sashimi and other yummy delicacies.

2007-03-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Chester did the LA Susan G Komen Race for the Cure this year (it's around the Rose Bowl area). Finished 134 out of 2036, 23:09 with a 7:28/mile pace. (http://www.komenlacounty.org/content/2007/CURE5KRS.TXT). Not bad for a 52 year old.(His words).

2007-03-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

This morning Michael and I got up for an early (6 am) Sunday morning 5 km (3.1 mi) run to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. Over 10,000 people showed up to run or walk one of the four events they had here on the waterfront. It was warm (60 degrees) and no rain, both very unusual for a Portland March morning. Note the bagpipers behind Michael. Nothing like bagpipe music to get the day going. Note the contrast on how Michael looks AFTER his race (clue: it's the picture of him sitting down). Michael was spurred on at the end to beat the girl who was gaining on him who was dressed as a banana and I was spurred on to beat this 7 yr old boy who was around four feet tall. We are both proud to say not only we beat the banana, the midget kid, but the twin Guinness beer cans. All-in-all it was great fun and exercise. Now about being sore for the rest of the week...

2007-03-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

Rachel's 8th grade class had a Cultural Fair this week. Every eighth grader had to present something of her/his cultural background. Rachel did hers on her Japanese heritage. Her best friend Parisa did it on her parents' homeland, Parsia aka Iran.

2007-03-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

Michael got a car! His generous mom decided that she rather spend thousands of dollars rather than drive him the four mile trip to school. It's a one year old Toyota Corolla with around 13K miles and sun roof (very much needed in the cloudy, rainly Pacific Northwest).

2007-02-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

Here's Michael in his BHS Rhythm Boys outfit. This is the takeoff from the BHS Rhythm B's (or is it Bees?) which is an all girl dance troupe. Notice his fishnet stockings. Their choreography was fantastic as well as their execution.

2007-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Snow Day! A rare occurrence in the Pacific Northwest. Kids were sooo happy to have a day off from school (on the heels of Martin Luther King Day on the day before). Looks like about two inches or so. Michael took the nice grass clump picture as well as our townhouse. You see Rachels' "happy face" manhole cover and Michael's "grrr face" creation on the car windshield. Michael left his signature of "MICHAEL" on the snow and next to that "ROOLZ." Note the snow angels as well. Of course the kids loved the "Gorgeous Inside" realty sign. All-in-all a great day to hang by the fire, catch up on school work and look for work LOL.

2006-12-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful Christmas with Uncle Chet. Michael enjoyed his new headphones and sunglasses. Rachel stayed comfy and warm. We got to have fun with our Scattergories game. Rachel seemed to like her perfume that I got her.

2006-12-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today we went up to Mt. Hood Mirror Lake to go snowshoeing. It was above freezing and a bit drizzly. It was a nice time. I think that Chili enjoyed it most. As you see Rachel's snow angel has an attitude.

2006-12-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

Today we took pictures for our annual Christmas card. Here is the result of the photo shoot. The Japanese wall hanging was a gift from my Mother's cousin in Fukoyama (near Hiroshima). My Mother and I visited him and his wife about 26 years ago. He had a collection of wall hangings and other antique prints. I expressed admiration of this particular one and he gave it to me! It was over 150 years old.

2006-11-20T01:03:00.000-08:00

Rachel participated in a state wide piano ensemble competition in Newport (coastal Oregon town). She and Nina did well though she was nervous. Michael was the music page turner which helped take her mind off the competition a bit. It helped that Michael wore my canary yellow sweater vest over his Ben Folds Five brown tshirt to please his mother.