It's Cold in Our Nation's Capitol

I'm originally from Hawaii. I now live in the desert.

In other words, I don't like cold.

And so wouldn't you know that Washington, DC would be under a snow emergency exactly 24 hours before my arrival in this fair city.

Actually, it's not that bad. It was a few inches of slush, and with temperatures in the upper 30s today, patches of this stuff is mostly what you find...



Of course, I still hate it.

The upside is that I get to wear my brand-spanking new leather jacket!



I seem to travel to colder climates a couple of times a year, and this little baby can be casual as above, or can be worn over a suit coat. Okay, maybe it's not quite perfect over the coat, but I still like it!

The real reason for my trip doesn't begin until tomorrow, so I spent this evening visiting with Dan Goodwin, a very old friend from Tufts with whom I shared an apartment after we graduated from college...



We were definitely younger and more fit some 15 years ago.

I guess that's the great irony of getting older. I now can afford a really high-end leather coat, but that coat has to cover a bigger belly than ever before. I can buy expensive imported beer, but drinking more than one leaves me drowsy.

It's not that youth is wasted on the young. It's just that the young can't afford any of the really cool toys.

Anyway, Dan has his own consulting company which designs and implements fundraising software systems - although Dan, being Dan, his clients are always raising money for conservative issues. We were an odd couple, me the liberal, and Dan the conservative.

But, the older I get, the more libertarian I become, so who am I to talk. Maybe that's why I love where I live - the ultimate libertarian paradise - Las Vegas. I've seen people walking through the grocery store pretending to be Elvis, and nobody cares. I've seen men dressed up in high heels walking down the street, and nobody bugs them. Live your life in a way that makes you happy and as long as it doesn't impinge upon my rights, enjoy. Viva Las Vegas!

An Invitation to the Bicoy Academy Awards Party!

Last year our family began what appears to be a new tradition... the Bicoys go to the Oscars.

And so we are here again hosting our own little cocktail party in honor of the 2007 Academy Awards...



The kids always wondered what Mommy and Daddy do when they're off to one of their many charitable dinners, so the kids found out by putting on an event of their own. Bretty entertained Nalani with one of his many funny stories...



While Kekoa and Nalani touched glasses in a toast...



And David regaled his mother and elder sister with an amusing anecdote...



Of course, perhaps the best part of the evening was the exceptional hors d'oeuvres and sparkling apple-grape cider...



It was Daddy who made and served all the guests to our little Oscars cocktail party, only to leave before the festivites began (I had to run upstairs to watch my 47th hour of the intriguing and totally engrossing NFL scouting combine).

All the kids had fun dressing up, but it was Kekoa who couldn't get over how he looked -- specifically, how presidential he looked...



He has already compiled a political campaign fund of a whole seven dollars! Watch out America, here comes Kekoa Bicoy for President.

Countless Relatives, a Tea Party, and Sixteen Candles...

To note that ours is a crowded house is certainly nothing unusual. On most days you can find two grown-ups, one teenager, five other children, two cats, a dog and a fish living under our roof.

Such is everyday life in the Bicoy home.

But even for us, this weekend was a bit more frantic than most.

Consider the events of Sunday. We awakened early and headed downstairs to make breakfast. But today that was breakfast for 17 people!

In addition to our six children, Cari's parents are also visiting us from Green Bay. Then my cousin Thekla, her husband Kevin and their three sons stayed overnight on the way from San Diego to skiing in Brian Head, Utah. All those people made for a very busy breakfast...



Thekla's three boys are almost exactly the same age as our three boys, and we squeezed them all on the couch for a Bicoy-sized picture...



Bacon, eggs, pancakes, and more bacon. Exactly what Thekla and family needed before sitting on their rear ends for hours more of driving! Ah, nothing makes a road trip complete like a stomach full of greasy food.

We also just realized that Thekla is our Nalani. Thekla is the 5th of my Uncle Fred's six children -- three boys and three girls just like us.

Shortly after Thekla and her family hit the road, Cari headed off to a tea party with our little girls...



Our neighbor's daughter is the same age as Nalani, so she invited a whole collection of girls who got all dressed up for high tea...



But my girls have more taste than to wear hats like that for too long -- our nation fought a revolution so that American children would never have to wear ridiculous British hats. Ultimately, they found a style all their own...



And they sat down for quite a little tea party...



Of course, the illusion of a high society tea is ruined a bit when the hostess is a rather loud lady wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Oh well, the girls were having way too much fun to notice.

Ultimately, though, this is the birthday of our eldest daughter. But our son Kekoa couldn't quite figure out why on Alyssa's 16th birthday we put up signs saying "Sweet 76"...



As is our family's tradition, the birthday girl or boy gets to pick whatever they want for dinner. And since Cari's parents were visiting, we offered to take everyone out for Alyssa's birthday dinner.

We suggested a few different restaurants to no avail. We even offered to go to a buffet of Alyssa's choosing so that she could have a wide range of foods from which to sample.

But no, Alyssa apparently isn't into variety...



Yes, Alyssa picked fast food. In-N-Out Burger, to be precise. If you've ever been there, then you know this burger chain prides itself on ridiculous speed. That quick service is possible because they have only four menu options: hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and french fries.

That is totally it for food choices. Really.

But that's what Alyssa wanted, so that's what she got on her birthday.

Then again, she also got something she clearly didn't want on her birthday...



She wasn't too excited about following in her sister's footsteps and wearing her own hat -- in this case a birthday tiara -- even for a moment. But she did get the really big cookie she wanted for a cake...



Among her presents, Alyssa got that "really, really old" movie Sixteen Candles complete with a few new sets of women's underpants from her Aunty Chrissy (held up here by my lovely wife)...



But if you know the movie's story you have to wonder if this really is an appropriate gift for a sixteen year-old, but oh well.

Then again, speaking of strange gifts, the boys picked out a box of candy wrapped in jeans and shaped like a heart or butt, depending on your perspective. As Bretty put it, Alyssa really needs a butt, which had Alyssa bending over with laughter...



And lest anyone be embarrassed by a candy butt, David took care of that...



He made sure it was covered with Alyssa's new polka dot underwear.

Such is another birthday in the Bicoy home!

Dash!

There is great joy and jubilation in the Bicoy home today.

After almost two and a half years, our family is finally relieved from the burden of our old mobile phone contract.

By our count, out of 29 monthly cycles, we have found errors on 18 of their bills. Yes, each and every time the phone company gave us a credit to correct for their mistake -- but it was almost as if it was a corporate strategy. Overcharge every customer, and if 75% of them complain and demand their money back -- give it quickly, but you still managed to rip off the other 25%.

But the worst part of all? If we used the mobile phones in either our home or my office, the calls would keep cutting out!

So finally, our contract is fulfilled and we can get rid of that horrible, terrible mobile phone company. What is that phone company? Well, just follow this link to find out.

But now, we have been welcomed to the one company that is rated the highest for customer service... T-Mobile.

So Cari and Alyssa both picked out brand spanking new Motorola Razrs -- each with its own camera and unlimited text messaging.

For me, I picked out the T-Mobile Dash, a remarkable smartphone and here are a few of the very first pictures taken.

First, my baby girls, right after Nalani finished her dance class...



And the younger boys coming inside quickly to pose, only to head back outside shortly thereafter...



And my oldest boy David mastering the yo-yo...



As an interesting aside, did you know that the yo-yo was originally invented by the Filipino people as a weapon of war? Seriously.

Now, how does one use an object that is designed to fly back at the person flinging it as a weapon? Hah, only those of us with the Filipino mind can figure that one out!

And finally here's Cari, Alyssa and her friend Ninfa.



I'm a brown guy who's related to the pale ones.

And finally, here's a picture of the coolest mobile smartphone I've ever seen (and goodness knows we looked at darn near all of them)...



It wirelessly synchronizes with my office's server so I can get my email. I can access my office calendar, address book, and tasks wherever I may be. I can surf the internet. I can take pictures. I can read MS office documents and pdf files. I can listen to music. I can take videos.

Oh, and I can even make phone calls too!

Ironically, if you've ever been to our house, you may have noticed that every one of the pictures above was taken from the exact same blue recliner in our living room.

It's because I'm on crutches with my achilles tendon wrapped up like a big water buffalo...



Kinda makes it pointless to have an incredibly powerful mobile phone if I'm not going to be very mobile any time soon. Oh well.