Skating with Scooby Doo in Mitaka

Thursday was another eventful day as I went to a skate park in Mitaka on the Chuo Line for the first time with an office friend, Derek. He is a new face in the office after his school shut down across the way, Shibuya M, and has some really interesting stories. For example, he was a sponsored skater in Australia and he was the stunt skater during the intro in the first Scooby Doo film. Crazy.

A day at the park: Asakusa

Wednesday I had organized a final touristy outing for my UCF friend, Shari, whom I had never even actually met in Florida. Kotone met me at Futako Shinchi and then we met Shari in Asakusa. We decided to eat before we went to see the Sensō-ji, so Kotone called one of her friends who said he would meet us there later. We went ahead and visited the temples and then met her friend (who is actually he father's friend) and his patient (he is a dentist) for a well earned lunch of monja. He treated us to that and then suggested that we go to Hanayashiki, the oldest amusement park in Japan (since 1853), to which he also treated us. It was awesome to spend some quality time with Shari before she leaves. Her farewell party is going to be this Sunday evening and I am looking forward to that.

After I returned home that evening I had to turn back around to meet Kumiko and Dave in Shibuya for dinner & drinks with a few of Dave's Australian Navy friends. Those guys were loaded with cash and trying to pay for everything for us, but I had to refuse and pay my own way because I had hooked up so graciously earlier that day. Karma will catch up with you.

I caught up with them next morning on the way to Shinjuku to meet Derek. They were still visibly and olfactoribly (it's my new word for 'capability of being smelled') wrecked. Good luck on the boat, boys!

I am Bob

This is some of Miho's recent work. It' s a project she is working on, with her drawings and some of her friend's photos. This is mine. I am Bob.

Omedetou Kotone & Taka! Wedding Night

Saturday night, after Keiko's final farewell party at Kumicho's house in Mizonokuchi I headed to Shibuya with Paul for Kotone and Taka's wedding after party. There were about 50 people in attendance and they all were just as friendly and the bride & groom, we were instantly welcomed. We drank or a few minutes before the hamburger eating contest began, which Paul and I had reluctantly agreed to. There were 7 guys with 7 hamburgers each and the first person to finish was the winner. I got down 5 and 3/4. It went downhill after that.

The Hamburglar

Another Farewell: Keiko for New York

The last few weeks have seen the seasons change and it seems like instead of summer transforming into autumn it got all confused and turned into a new season, 'farewell.' The latest casualty is an old Futako friend, Keiko. She left for New York with her daughter after her husband got transferred there. Just one more friend to add to the list....

Getting Lost & King Karl's Krib

Since Yuko gave me her bike I have been extremely mobile, getting lost and the like. Yesterday I got lost and ended up near Musashi-Kosugi and today I got lost and might have been near Setagaya station. Anyway, with all the cycling I worked up quite an appetite, so it was a good thing that 'Karl' Louis invited me over for another of his wife's delicious meals. We feasted and talked business. Then I got lost again trying to walk home from his place in Youga. What a fitting end to great 'weekend.'

Wild Horses

Toshi as "the Wild Horse"

Wednesday night Manu invited me to to go out with him, Helene, and a few a Helene's friends for a drink in Shinjuku. Helene took us to a really cozy little Australian bar called 'Draku' in the 'Golden-Gai' district. They served Vegemite on toast and, boy, it was tasty, but I had to bounce fairly quickly to meet meet an old pal, Toshi, and his cohorts in Ebisu at 'What The Dickens!'. Upon arrival I realized Toshi was already fairly smashed and it definitely added to to the good atmosphere; at one point Toshi and his bandmate, Alister, requested (yelled) a Rolling Stones song and their friend who was playing decided "Wild Horses" fit the description. As he got into the song one of the ladies in Toshi's entourage pulls out this horse mask she had just purchased for her Halloween costume. It was immediately slapped on Toshi's head and he trotted around in the pub screaming and making horse sounds. It was a perfect coincidence and everybody there thoroughly enjoyed it.

1 & 1/2 airports in 2 days

I got up early this morning to meet Ozzy Jimmy in Shibuya for his trip to Narita International. We exchanged news on the previous days happenings that included him kicking Cam's head in, which required 7 stitches, and the ominous NOVA news, then we boarded the Yamanote Line bound for Nippori. I decided not to go all the way to Narita, so we parted ways in Nippori station; James for Costa Rica and I for home. On the way back I did a fair amount of contemplating about my life in general, the recent events, and the last 4 or 5 years of my life. James asked me something as we were getting on the Yamanote line, something that I have been asked a lot recently, "So, what's your plan?" For some reason it really hit home then, maybe because so many people are leaving or maybe because my job is in jeopardy or maybe who knows. But, for whatever reason I guess I don't have a plan, and I guess I haven't had one for quite some time. Another thing that came to mind was the idea of parting with friends. Over the years I have had to part ways with heaps of friends and have subsequently become very much desensitized to the whole experience. I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not, but I remember when Gabriel first left Orlando and then leaving my family for Sicily, and how emotionally distraught I was both of those times. Now, I pretty much live alone with little contact from my old friends or family. It's pretty lonely sometimes and I miss them all, but I get along alright. Who knows where this life is taking me, or any of us, but one of my friends, Matt, recently wrote a blog on the topic. He wrote about finding life's path and that some people never find their path. I think that is a fairly accurate description, but I would have to disagree with the latter portion. Your path is what you chose and maybe some people don't realize it, but you make you own path. Sometimes it is an easy stroll through a meadow, but sometimes one might have to blaze a trail through thick underbrush and rough terrain. More importantly, it's impossible to be on the wrong path, because there is only one way; there is only one you.

the final farewell Robot Yuko

I saw Yuko off at Haneda International today. It sucked, to see her go, but I think she will be having a lot of fun in Australia, the US, and Ireland. Good Luck, Robot Yuko!