Monday, June 29, 2026

Hotel California

Posted 5:30 AM by Gerald So

Classic Pontiac Firebird in a Los Angeles parking lot
Photo by Ritesh Singh from Pexels
My brother and I flew to Los Angeles last Thursday for our cousin's wedding Friday and back to New York yesterday.

I would've liked more time to see the city, not just the bit by our hotel in Buena Park. Thanks to another cousin, dinners for forty-two at two Vietnamese restaurants did come together in a flash.

Our travel on JetBlue was smooth. Packing light, I didn't bring a change of shoes; however, my decades-old nobuck Rockport World Tour Classics held up to sitting in a plane for five, six hours, walking Downtown Disney, and the wedding's unique dress code.

It also helped that I adapted my exercise routine to five rounds of five pushups against the hotel room sink, five air squats, and fifteen swings as if my hands were holding a kettlebell. I don't think my brother heard or saw at all.

Sunday, June 14, 2026

The Knicks of Time

Posted 12:00 M by Gerald So

Following up Wednesday night's 29-point comeback win, the New York Knicks closed out the 2026 NBA Finals tonight 94-90. It's been so long, I didn't want to post until all was said and done.

Orange lettering on a blue banner: KNICKS WIN!
Banner by Gerald So

This playoff run reminded me of the dominant 1998 Yankees and the breakthrough 1996 Yankees, even-keel Mike Brown taking over for Tom Thibodeaux as Joe Torre succeeded Buck Showalter, OG Anunoby giving us an improbable win as Jim Leyritz homered off Mark Wohlers to turn the World Series.

I also thought of how the 2025-26 Knicks avoided some past contending Knicks teams' downfalls: Ewing's missed finger roll, Charles Smith's missed tip-ins, John Starks going cold from three in Game 7, all ghosts put to rest.