SCANDAL!

On the verge of the Tour de France, several of the pre-race favorites have been suspended for suspected drug use. Wow. It's like a Lakers-Celtics Championship (back in the day) without Magic, Kareem and Bird.

This still will be one to watch, with Lance retired after 7 straight yellow jerseys, and now the suspensions, the race is wiiide open. I'll be rooting for Americans George Hincapie (Lance's buddy) and Floyd Landis for the overall. (sidenote: even with Lance retired, I still see so many people wearing their yellow LiveStrong wristbands. It's not a fad for them, or me.)

Imagine, three weeks of racing covering over 2261 miles throughout France and Europe, with only two rest days. I'll be glued to my set. I love the suffering, the drama, the courage, the savvy tactics and race strategies, the mosh-pit sprints, the delirious climbs, the obssesive fans. Yes!

I read these two sites for all the stage previews, recaps and general info on the race: www.olntv.com/tdf and www.coachcarl.com.

Gotta go ride...

MAN IN TIGHTS

Went to the opening night showing of Superman Returns last night. I went by myself since everyone else had other things like sleep in mind. I don't think I've done a midnight showing since one of the latest Star Wars. The best part of opening night is the energy from the crowd, usually full of fellow-geeks. I felt left out that I didn't have a Superman t-shirt, hat or pajamas to wear. Actually, I was wearing my uniform under my suit...oh never mind. But, you know the feeling, 500 hundred of your newest friends who go into near hysteria when the lights dim and the opening credits start rolling. Love that.

The movie: I really enjoyed it. Lots of the same beats from Donner's Superman (with Christopher Reeve). It was actually more of a love story than a summer action popcorn flick, but that's fine with me. (I think "Pirates" will fit that bill.) Singer and cast came through with a modern re-telling of the 1978 classic. Go see it, you'll love the end.

PRODIGY

Saw Jake Shimabukuro at Yoshi's Jazz house last night. I just love the vibe of this club, I would see practically anyone there as an excuse to take in the music and the energy. And pretty much everybody who's anybody has played there, all the heavies. If you're in the Bay Area and never've been, then go, and tell them Roman sent you. They'll say, 'who?' After I saw my first show there, I actually went home and researched the architect and designer so when I'm ready, they can design my home theatre or new restaurant, or both.

Did I mention that Jake is from Hawaii and plays the ukelele? Not the 'Tiny Bubbles' variety of course, more like Hendrix, Paganini, Chick Corea, Bach, Bela Fleck. During Jake's energetic and passionate two-hour solo set I found myself mesmerized, holding my breath, and on the edge of my seat by both the musician and the music. During the encore Beatles cover, "Here, There and Everywhere" I was actually on the verge of tears, I was so overwhelmed by the song's beauty. True art, no matter what the form, has the ability to do that.

MEGA-PHILANTHROPHY

Wowza. Warren Buffet, the world's second richest man, has taken his philanthropy to an other-wordly level, earmarking over $30 Billion dollars or 85% of his wealth, to the charity of the world's richest man, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda. Gotta love that.

In a fascinating "Billionaire Buddies" Fortune magazine interview with the both of them, there were a couple of things that Warren Buffet said that really stood out and have stuck with me.

1. CHOOSE the things that really make a difference, not meaningless activities. My take: You'd think that a mulit-billionaire would have places to go, people to see, things to do. But Buffet's calendar is mostly blank. He's learned how to say yes to the important things, and no to the meaningless things. Clear your calendar. Lance Armstrong says your schedule is how you make your intentions manifest in the world. I say it this way: It's YOUR life. Do what energizes you. Avoid what drains you. No guilt trips, no regrets. Don't just 'jump' when something comes up. If I feel I 'have to' or 'got to' do something, I'll usually decline. I'd rather 'want to', 'get to', or 'choose to' do something. Big difference.

2. Your INNER scoreboard is more important than your outer scoreboard. My take: don't care what others think about you or what you do. Of course don't be unkind or irresponsible, but live life your way, make decisions based on your values. Honor your own preferences, be true to yourself. It takes too much energy to do otherwise. Besides, you can't control what other people think anyway. Just be yourself, at your best, unapologetically.

3. A SUCCESFUL life is defined by the people that you hope love you, DO love you. My take: at the end of one's life, that's what life's all about, isn't it? Not the 'stuff' you've accumulated, but the relationships and experiences you've shared, the person you've become, the people whose lives you've touched.

Thanks for the sage advice Warren, we seem to think alike. Well, at least those things in common. Now let me get back to working on that billionaire thing... :)

- R

An excerpt of the interview (Fortune, Oct. 17, 2005):

FORTUNE: What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given, and how has it impacted your personal or professional life?
BUFFETT: (Turns to Gates.) What did I tell you that impressed you the most? (Laughter.)
GATES: Actually, I can answer that. When I first met Warren, we were talking about getting together and doing something again, and he pulled out his calendar and the pages were so blank. I said, 'Wow, you've managed to avoid getting tied in to a lot of kind of meaningless activities.' And Warren said, 'Yeah, you have to be good at saying no and picking the things that really make a difference.' And that's one of many things I've learned from Warren, and so I can blame it on him whenever I'm turning things down.
BUFFETT: The truth is I don't get invited anyplace. (Laughter.) I got an awful lot of good advice from my dad, and he didn't lay it on me, meaning I picked it up from him but there was never any of this 'do this, do that' type of thing at all. But he really taught me that what's on your inner scorecard is more important than your outer scorecard. Some people get in a position where they're worrying all the time about what the world is going to think of this or that, instead of considering what they themselves think about it. The people who ascribe too much to the outer scorecard sometimes find that it's a little hollow when they get all through.

FORTUNE: What has been your largest non-business success in life?
BUFFETT: This will surprise you, but I would say that I've never known anybody who got to be my age who had lots of people that loved them who were anything other than a success. I mean, you have lived a successful life if as you get older, the people that you hope love you do love you. That includes your family, your business associates, all kinds of people.
And the converse of that is that I know people who are enormously wealthy--they get schools named after them and they get dinners in their honor, all that sort of thing—and the truth is that nobody thinks a thing of them. And I have to believe they know that, and everything gets quite hollow in their life at that point.

(pic: with some of the team, all cancer survivors, post-ride potluck, Pellegrino in hand :)

TRAINING LOG

Event: Honolulu Century, Team In Training
Ride location: Sonoma, Kenwood, Glen Ellen
Distance: 35 miles
Song: One of my coaches told me to always have a song in your head when you ride. Today it was "Love is the Answer", England Dan & John Ford Coley. Corny perhaps but never fails to put a smile in my heart.

Thoughts: Worked on communication, hand signals and pacelining with the team. Also gear selection and climbing and descending techniques. Climbed Sonoma Mountain Road, my first time tackling this short steep bear of climb, gets you sucking air, legs throbbing, your heart pounding in your ears. Of course the best part of climbing is bombing downhill. Got to paceline with the fast group on the team, pushing myself just beyond my comfort zone, legs burning, grinning the whole time, glad to be on the bike, one of my favorite things to do. I think it has to do with the freedom and fun of cruising the neighborhood on ten speeds as kids, the joy of movement, pushing my limits, and the 'need for speed." I paid for it in the afternoon, I was exhausted, probably a little dehydrated as well, the effort along with the heat.

I saw this line somewhere, I've adopted it as my own, a 'delicious thought': "Biking is my hot fudge sundae."

Yeah baby.

I had a chance to thank all the teams (triathlon, cycle and marathon) at the post-training potluck. It's always an honor to say thank you to the people who are raising money to help fund the research that helps keep me alive.

Most of them are endurance event first-timers: selfless, expanding their limits, relishing the challenge, doubting their doubts. I told them it's not the time, it's the distance; it's not the size of their muscles, but the will in their heart. Team In Training is all about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for extraordinary people who would give anything to be ordinary again. Speaking of, current blood test results come back on July 7, one day before my 3-year remission anniversary.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, waiting to exhale.

-R

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RELIEF

High 90s today.

Remedy: Jamba Juice-Matcha Green Tea Mist.

Doesn't that sound perfect?

Enjoy!

BRING IT

Props to the Miami Heat for winning their first NBA Championship:

-Riles adds another ring.
-Zo and GP get their first.
-Shaq gets one without Mamba.
-Flash gets his first ring and MVP.

NBA fans are lucky. Doc. Magic and Bird. MJ. And now we get to see Dwayne Wade and LeBron battle it out for years to come.

LEGACY

Grandma passed away yesterday. I asked that this be read at the funeral service in tribute:

Grandma was the last of my grandparents. I think about the living link to past generations that's now gone, yet continues on in us.

The time I spent with her was precious, just being in her presence during her last days, made even more so with her great-grandaughter on my lap, the next generation. Even in her weakened state, a caring look and smile connected the two. Those were holy moments to me, holding her fragile hands, seeing decades of life and love and experiences and joys in every wrinkle on her hands and beautiful face.

Those hands loved to work her garden. They wrote me Happy Birthday cards every year up to my 18th birthday with a crisp $5 bill inside. Those hands cradled my dad long ago and I'm sure pinched and pulled his ears when he was a rascal, just like mine were.

She was a radiant, spirited and strong woman who lived a long, full life. I hope my life will be worthy of her memory.

We'll miss you Grandma.

FATHER'S DAY

Small hands shaking me, waking me up. Big bright eyes and laughter. Kisses and hugs. Proud of handmade card. Open my amazing gift, thankfully a gadget, not a tie. Breakfast feast.

Father/Daughter date. Sunday Matinee Movie. Her choice. Her on my lap. Sharing popcorn and M&Ms.

Enjoying the moments. Best Father's Day ever.

There is no one left to walk with now
No small, warm hand within my own
And woods are less enchanting
When explored alone.

- Ruth Bell Graham


(pic: Hilo, Hawaii May 2006)

ON THE ROAD

MY CALENDAR

Here's my race and travel schedule so far this year. We're well into the race season so I'm ramping up my training after a rather dormant and uneventful winter and rainy spring.

June 14-17: Peak Potentials Training Seminar, Pasadena, CA
T. Harv Eker's training, best selling author of "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind." It's the fastest growing personal development company in North America. I saw a keynote of his, and it was amazing.

June 26: Jake Shimabukuro Concert, Yoshi's Jazz House, Oakland, CA
Young ukelele genius, yes, ukelele. Didn't catch him the last time he came to the Bay Area so I'm catching his late show. And I absolutely love this club (www.yoshis.com). Check him out here, jaw-dropping:

video link

July 1-4: Lake Tahoe
Going back to Squaw Valley like last year. I love Tahoe. Plan to read, bike, hike a lot. And the fireworks are loud.

August 5: Marin Metric Century Ride, Marin, CA
A training race for Honolulu, it's 100 KM which is about 62 miles. I'll be riding with some of my friends, their first event. Lots of fun, beautiful ride hitting favorite spots in the Bay Area.

September 17: Disneyland Half-Marathon, Anaheim, CA
I told my sister that I'd train and do this race with her, both first times for us. I'm proud of my sis for stepping up her health and fitness regimen. I told her that running 13.2 miles is no small feat. Plus I want the big, fat bling-bling medals that Disney Marathons are known for. It's all about the 'hardware' (racespeak for race medals.) I'm going to totally chill on this race, I don't want to blow up my legs because my century ride is the following Sunday and I'm supposed to be tapering for Honolulu. Hoo-boy, this is going to be fun and so worth it.

September 23-30: Honolulu Century Ride, Hawaii
The Honolulu Century is the big race this year, the first time I've done this event and Jean's first century ever. I'm doing this with Team In Training as a partipant and honoree to raise money for cancer research. It's a beautiful course starting in Waikiki, around Diamond Head, pass Kaneohe Bay and back. And hello...it's Hawaii. The ride's on the 24th but we'll be extending our stay because, hello...it's Hawaii. www.hbl.org/events_general.html

October 8: San Jose Rock N Roll Half-Marathon, San Jose, CA
I told my brother I'd do this with him, his first as well. Maybe I can ride my bike instead of running it. I need a massage just thinking about it. This is the inaugural race in SJ. I was at the the San Diego RNR Marathon last year, bands every mile, they're a blast. This will be too. www.rnrsj.com/Home.html

November 16-18: XanGo Convention, Salt Lake City, UT

(pic: my ASICS GT 2100s)

YEARS

Tomorrow my cousin Kenny is stepping down from his Associate Pastor post after 10 years. Props to him. That's a long time.

It made me think of these past years and a picture that a friend of ours dug up from the archives, our missionary youth group that toured Asia in 1987. Next year we plan to bring everyone back for a 20 year reunion. With the probable objection of some in the photo (it's a free country, right?), I'm posting it and a copy of my email I sent the team.

For those in the know, see if you can identify everyone (freebie: Beverly is missing.) I'll leave out the names to protect the innocent. Another freebie: I'm the good looking guy in the back but with hair :) And Kenny's in the picture too.

Here's my email, October 2005:

I'm still sooo tripping about this pic. Shook me up a little, out of the unforgiving inertia of my 'daily routine.'

18(!) years ago. Think about that for a moment. From birth to High School graduation, a lifetime in itself.

As I scan our faces in the photo, I think of what's happened in our lives since then-the good, the bad, the indifferent; mistakes and accomplishments-the joyful, painful, regretful, memorable, sublime. Marriage, children, career and locale changes, personal gain and loss (and not just weight and hair, hehe).

What will the next 18 years, 'Lord willing' (sorry, ingrained Christianese superstition) have in store for us, our families? How will we live those years? Will there be regrets of things undone, experiences unexplored, challenges unfaced, dreams unnurtured, love unexpressed. Remember, no regrets. 'I'll do it later,' or 'one day,' doesn't exist. Do it now. How we spend our days are how we spend our lives.

My latest medical tests show that the cancer is still under control, another day of life, so thankful. I often tell others not to let something as extreme and traumatic as a life-threatening illness finally cause you to live the life you've always wanted, the life of your dreams. Do what you love, with the people you love. Life is so short, so precious even in the difficult, numbing times.

Here's a pic of Gilly and I from our family reunion at Disneyland last week. 18 years from now, Lord willing :), this will be a picture of us at Gillian's graduation from Stanford. Heavy rap.

Just my .02. Thanks for the ramble, you all already know I'm philosophically wired.

Life is good. Love you all. Godspeed.

Roman

CLOSE SHAVE

Just got in from Gilly's class which had a pre-Father's Day surprise. The kids gave all the dads their cards, a bag of goodies and lunch amid golf and basketball videos and model cars and trucks. The highlight was that all the kids gave the dads a 'shave' with shaving creme and popsicle sticks. They had actually practiced this earlier on the older students who were their guinea pigs.

Of course all of that was worth a big hug and kiss and the words "I love you Daddy, Happy Father's Day!"

(pic: G at her barber chair. 'Are you ready for your shave?')