One More Thing....

Oh, and by the way, Stef's eyelashes are still ticklish, even after two years.

Not a party, a gathering.

I had a gathering of friends today. Let me start off yesterday. I got a couch finally, which fit wonderfully in the back of Justin's truck, and in getting, saw my Grandma and Grandpa Berg, then went and visited my dad, saw my Grandma and Granddad Gibb, then lugged the couch in to the apartment. It was rough, and my arm still hurts from the lifting. I went to work, got home just after we closed, and thought I was going to relax. Christina took my router (which I had said she could do, since I only have one working computer anyways), but she couldn't get it to work. I went over there, fixed her internet, and came home, where Justin shortly after joined me. I had gotten Justin hooked on Coupling already, and we decided to watch more of it. Let me tell you, I had never seen this boy ROLL on the floor laughing. We watched it till we fell asleep around 5:30 or 6am. Woke up around 11:30, got Drew over here, and we watched anime till about 2. Then I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, went to Sam's Club with Christina, and people showed up. With everyone shown up, it was Bud, Jason, Rob, Paul, Danny, Chris, Stef, Erin, and Kristen. With me, it made 10, the most I have had in this apartment. I hadn't seen most of these people in around 2 years, and it was good to do so. It was no drunken frat-house style orgy. Wait, don't leave! It was a night of hanging out, drinking some beers, making some others, and hanging out. We started with some stories, and then after Jason and I had a shot of tequila (Cuervo 1800), I was going to make a drink for Stef, who had been obstinantly sober thus far. The ladies remaining (Kristen had already gone home, tired) joined us in the kitchen. Jason decided to get out of the way, and sit upon the counter. He, however, sat in the sink. I got a picture of course. When he got up, he said, "Eh, muffin tin." I said, "Yeah, and chopsticks... Wait, one is missin---" No sooner did I say that, but the remaining chopstick fell from --I hope-- the BACK of his pants. We ALL found this utterly amusing, and he was lying down laughing for a while. I enjoyed it. By this time, I had already made the ladies a drink that I quite enjoy. They liked it too, from what I got. I call it a Drunken Stef. In a rocks glass, with ice (3 large cubes) 1 part Hazelnut Liqueur 1.5-2 part Carolan's Irish Cream stir, and enjoy until Stef is drunk. Or, in the case of tonight, until Erin and Stef are drunk. No, neither of them drank much, and they even didn't finish the drinks to get home safely. It was time for Bud Story Time. He told the stories of his sexual misadventures, which I will not repeat here. Let me say that they are funny, but in that 'Man, that is horrible, how did you put up with it?' funny. When the ladies left, the guys left. But when they got home safely, Bud, Jason, Stef, and Erin talked with me before going to bed. Good to know they're home safe. I've already started planning a night wherein everyone over here does not leave till they've had sleep. This will remove the "I have to drive" excuse, and people will relax a bit. It will be fun. More on that, when it happens. David out, to sleep, then go back to work at 4. Whoopety-doo! I am so happy I got to see EVERYONE these past two days. It was a good couple days. Tonight especially.

Tagging.

So, tonight was the second ever Trainer Outing at Famous Dave's. We, again, went to Laser Quest next to Malarky's, the Irish Pub I like, though it is a bit pricey at times. Before the outing, we met at Cheryl's place for a beer or two, and to just hang out. She has a 50" tv... It was impressive in her little apartment. Don't know how she managed to get it up 4 flights of stairs, though. After a couple drinks, we went to Laser Quest to shoot each other. The first round was the Free For All match. It seemed like I kept running into the same people, since I shot Linda (a Manager's Assistant) 6 times, and every time someone would appear out of the darkness, Kelly would scream. Jason, the manager, was a crazy, out of breath, bat-outta-hell. He would bolt past you, turn around, panting, and shoot, and laugh when he hit. He ended up in 12th out of 15. I, however, with my pseudonym Oni (demon) came in first! Since Linda and I shot each other all the time, we came in the top two spots. Or that's how I look at it. Between games, we ate pizza, and we officially got out Certified Trainer Pins, which I already had (I'm so sneaky). It was time to relax a bit before going in for our second round. We played Boys vs. Girls. The final score was 2720 Boys, 1986 Girls. In this round, I was Maguro, which is sushi-talk for Tuna. I found it amusing, and so did Monty, the KA (Kitchen Assistant) who wants me to teach him Food Japanese. Oh, by the way, I dominated THIS round, also! I was a killing machine tonight! My scores were 410 as Oni, and 521 as Maguro. Man, oh man. I think the Tuna kicked the Demon's butt. Afterwards, people went to Chatter's for a beer (or 10 in their case). I stayed for one, and watched Linda play the Video Poker. She did well, and then Eric and Patty sang Love Shack, so we left. I came home and watched some Oruchuban Ebichu which is a raunchy anime that is deceptively cute and simply drawn with LOADS of sexual humor, and, in fact, sex. But it's not porn, it's too silly and unrealistic to be anything except for mildly amusing. I am enjoying One Piece so much more. It's a slapstick pirate anime with a feel-good style, and everyone seems to have some Distinguishing Characteristic. For instance, Usopp, part of the crew, has a really long nose, ala Pinocchio. Uso means lie. Usopp is a HUUUUUUUGE liar. Therefore it all fits. Okay, tired of typing. I get a couch tomorrow, yay! I hope.

Chicago and Back....

In less than 27 hours. WARNING!!! Ultra-long post!! WARNING!!! So, my Japanese Language Proficiency Test was today in Chi-town. After realizing that I am broke and couldn't afford to stay in Chicago for the weekend like I had hoped, I ended up going only for Saturday night. Let me start off with the whole day Saturday. After seeing The Last Samurai, which was good DESPITE having Tom Cruise in it, I put on my Zen tunes and crashed on the couch-bed. I woke up at 8 to feed the kitties, who were starving to death.... Then I promptly went back to sleep until 10:30. Christina calls me and asks if I wanted to go to Fenton with her to see her aunt Barb and uncle Bart. I said yes because, hey, I had nothing else to do, I get free cookies, and I always got along really well with Barb and Bart, as well as their kids, Jessica and Julie. So we go up there, Christina driving since I was going to Chicago that night, and we get there as they are cookie-ing. As a matter of fact, there is an extra aunt up there. Her aunt Linda was there also. They are looking at these cookie-like decorations, where you make a tree out of increasingly smaller (is that right?) stars of gingerbread with spacers. It looked great in the book, with the icing around the edges of it to be snow on the branches. Since I knew how to use a piping bag and icing (Thank you Food Network), I got roped into doing it. It was actually kinda fun. Later on, Bart got home and we talked a bit, Christina lost at both Chess and Checkers to Jessica, who is about 9 or so years younger than us, and we got dinner. Bart made a tasty spaghetti for dinner, with the rest provided by Barb. It was around 5:30, and I was planning on leaving around 7ish, so we headed home. We almost ran out of gas, but didn't, thankfully. Jason got there right as we did, and he came in, I grabbed a quick shower to revitalize, and we were off on the road. Jason was kind enough to join me on this road trip since I would have had to drive to Chicago alone, and 4 hours in the car alone not knowing exactly where I am going would not have been good the night before a big test. As we're heading out, he gives me my Christmas present (a bit early, yes, but he'll be out of town) which is a piece of self protection that one hopes to never have to use. The drive out there is fairly uneventful, but now I know how much toll cash it costs to get to Chicago using the Indiana Toll Road. It costs $2.80, exact change preferred. Eventually we got to the hotel, a Holiday Inn. We were surprised by the nudity on the tv, but it was HBO and something like Real Sex, but not. Apparently there is a restaurant in Bavaria where they paint the menu on the waitresses' nude bodies. No complaints here. We decided it was time to hit the lounge and have a brew. Unfortunately, it was a ghost town, and there were maybe 4 other people there who were heading home. Jason had a Labatts as per normal, but I got a Boddington's Pub Ale, which was nice and creamy and smooth. First time I had that on draft! Around midnight, Jason mentioned he was hungry when I was flipping through the courtesy book they leave in the rooms. It turns out everywhere closes AT midnight, except for this one diner we were directed to. This place was a 24 hour diner that had alcohol. Not only that, but the food was homemade, and really good. The burgers we got were 1/2lb burgers served with fries, coleslaw, AND homemade soup. All under $7.50. Not too shabby. Jason also got an MGD, since, when else was he going to get the chance to get a beer at a diner? I decided to stick with water, since I had a big test coming. Back at the room, we were both insomniacs, so we watched True Lies on tv. Always a great movie. At 9am, we were woken up when housekeeping came in. She opened the door, and I said, "Sorry, we're still sleeping!" and didn't get up till about 10:30. We checked out and got breakfast right next door. We got skillets of food. They were pretty good, but I think I should have gone with simple pancakes. Theoretically, if the directions we had were accurate, I was going to get to my test with about 20 minutes to spare. Alas, that was not to be. Construction that rivals Michigan work held us up for 5 miles, and the directions ended at the stadium, which, like Eastern's, is about 5 miles away from the campus. We turned around multiple times, asked a few people, then got to the designated parking area. Using a handy map (How handy!) we got to the correct building by jogging. Where did I have to go? The fourth floor of course, by foot. Jason and I hustled up there, and I went to take the test, and he wandered for three hours. My test was to begin at 12:40, and I got there just at 12:42. Not bad with all the mix ups. The first part, the grammar, was rough, with the kanji. The second part was listening, which I did well at, as usual. The third part, Reading Comprehension was Ultra-Kanji difficulty. I'll know in March if I was able to pull a win out of my ass or not. I am hoping yes, but guessing not. At this time, I asked yet another co-ed for directions, and we were on our way to the freeway, after gassing up. The drive home had more traffic, but was yet fairly simple to navigate home.It took under 5 hours to get back, so I was pleased with it. Jason said that if we got to Famous Dave's before it closed, then he would buy dinner. We got there with 20 minutes to spare. So, I got back safe and sound, and all under 27 hours. It was crazy good times, with a numb ass on the car seat, but it was worth it. And if I passed the test, it was WELL worth it. I think I am going to sleep soundly tonight!

The Last Samurai

Go see The Last Samurai right now! You know how some movies like Gladiator or Braveheart will evoke emotions and make you feel proud and you tear up a little? The Last Samurai blows them out of the water. It is absolutely amazing. Ken Watanabe was excellent, and, I think, definitely better than Tom Cruise. The Last Samurai does not refer specifically to Tom Cruise, but to the group. It takes place during the Meiji Reformation, wherein the Emperor Meiji decided that Japan should go modern. Unfortunately, ths also meant that the samurai were becoming outdated. A shame really, since they were the embodiment of what the Japanese people stood for for hundreds of years. I must return to Japan, to breathe that air, to see those mountains, to find the perfect cherry blossom. I felt nostalgia and pride. I felt loathing at the opposing force that would willingly wipe out a living, breathing part of the Japanese culture in the name of modernization.

Count the Spots on the Ceiling Again....

Living alone is boring when you have nothing to do. I have also found that I cannot sleep at night again. My insomnia that I thought I had gotten rid of is back. I have to watch or read something until I am exhausted to be able to go to sleep. For instance, yesterday I watched An Evening With Kevin Smith until about 4:30am. Kevin Smith is the guy who wrote Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and was Silent Bob. This was a college Q&A tour, about 3 hours of him telling stories. I almost choked to death on a Swedish Fish because I was laughing so hard. Funny stuff. But I still had a hard time falling asleep. I seem to watch a movie every night to put myself to sleep, but I enjoy the movies at the time. ARGH! I need something to do right now, but nothing is coming up. Artemis and Myst and all snuggly nowadays, sitting on top of the cat tower with each other and cleaning each other all of the time. Now, Artemis is eventually going home with Christina, and Myst is staying here. Artemis and Myst initially hated each other, but Artemis decided that the little 1 pound grey puffbal of a girl kitten was no threat to this 18lb small black male panther's territory, and they became friends. This was well over a year ago, and they are about to be separated. I feel bad for them, because Artemis has to deal with Charlie, a big dumb Cocker Spaniel puppy who won't leave anything alone, and Myst will have no playmate that she's had ever since I brought her home. Poor kitties.

Day 2...

Well, today is the second day on my own, with Christina officially living at home again. Last night we moved 2 car loads of boxes back to her place, but her stuff is largely over here, since her dad says she can't move her furniture back yet. Odd, he thinks we're going to get back together again. Can't say I blame him, we always did reconcile, but it's different now. I have never felt so alone in a bed. Not only did I first get used to sleeping in a twin sized bed with Christina, but then got used to another body in the queen sized bed I have now. Sleeping in it alone for the first time, actually knowing that nobody was going to join me soon really made me feel lonely. I hadn't ever felt like that before. I grew up, of course, sleeping alone, then I was with Christina, and now alone again, bedwise. Thankfully, Myst snuggled with me. I love my little kitty. So this weekend, I have to find some way to go to Chicago to take my Japanese Language Proficiency Test so I can attempt to get certified. I have $60 to my name and absolutely cannot spend it, what with having bunches of bills to pay and to try to get Christmas presents. Ugh, what a way to start the month. Alone and broke.

Today was a Good Day

Well, first of all, I am an Official Beer Drinker. I got my American Homebrew Association kit, giving me a bumper sticker that says "I Make the Beer I Drink" a leather coaster, some info, and a membership card that has my name on it. It gives me discounts at some pubs. Yeah! Also, I went to lunch with Jason and Justin, and had some tasty grub at Logan's Roadhouse. They had burgers, I had some Baby Back Ribs. Also got some of that Michelob Amber Bock on draft. Good brew! Next, I got a phone call telling me that I will know 100% tomorrow what my employment status at Musashi is. My recruiter is going to meet face to face with him at 1pm. I should know as soon as she gets out; meaning before work. At work tonight, I had two excellent people come in. One guy had recently attended a Managment Seminar where the speaker told them to go to my restaurant to see how a REAL TEAM operates. Bonus one. They also said that I took exceptional care of them. Hey, just doing what I can! The other guy was Harry from George and Harry's, a Blues Bar in Dearborn. He talked with the Manager, because he loved the food, the presentation, the atmosphere, and, of course, the SERVICE! I was on fire tonight! Top it off, I brought home almost $110 tonight. Been a while since I have done that on a Thursday. Heck yeah! Signing off, while still happy.

What the hell is going on?

Isn't this the normal time when I should be throwing stuff, yelling, and crying? Christina have moved, after some... discussions, to a new phase of our relationship. Well, we have regressed to being friends. It is not an easy thing to get my head around, especially when we still have one bed. I sleep in the living room mostly, now. We went out grocery shopping today, and it was easier than it had been. We didn't argue, we were friends. While walking down the International Food Aisle in Meijer's, she came out of the blue and told me that I should get me a Japanese woman. . . . . . . . Let me say this again. The woman who was my fiancée less than two days ago told me, not in a mean way, but in a suggestion like a good friend to another, to get a Japanese girl. And I don't think she means to get her to cook for me. It took a while to register the shock. But just the idea that my relationship with her has changed to this is both good and bad. It is good because it shows we are fairly mature in this, and can get past the bitterness, but the fact that we came to this so quickly makes me wonder how strong the relationship was, on a romantic scale. We must have been slipping for a while. On the other hand, I got a number. Not like that! I got a number from a friend at work who told me to call her if I need to talk, because I have helped her through things also. I just had to mention that, to string you along. All two of you who read this. So, tune in Next Week. Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

A Busy Day

I got a few things done today. I finally got the game that David Carter (lil bro) wanted to him and on his computer. I got to see my mom and pick up some beer. I had wanted the Sam Adams Winter Lager, but I didn't have enough cash on hand, so I got a 6 of Local Colors Tomboy Red. Nice malty red lager with a smooth and crisp edge to it. Best drank slightly chilled. Too cold, and it gets bitter. I am a beer nerd. I also got to get the curly-dos off of the little ottoman I have, to make it less shin-friendly. A deposit at the bank rounded out the day, where I found an extra $30 more than I expected! Woo hoo! Tomorrow I am going to go to lunch with Drew and Jason at Famous Dave's because I won a free Feast for 2 by selling the most Bread Puddings on Sunday night. Well, it was supposed to be a Feast for 4, but two of us tied. I am okay with that. A F/2 contains, by the way: 6 Award Winning St. Louis Style Pork Spare Ribs 1/2 Roasted Chicken 1/4lb either Texas Beef Brisket, Georgia Chopped Pork, or Double Smoked Ham 12oz Shack Fries 8oz Creamy Coleslaw 8oz Wilbur Beans 2 Honey Buttered Corn Bread Muffins 2 Corn on the Cob Somehow, I think that is going to be enough. Sitting and drinking a few Tomboy Reds and watchin the tube made it a relaxing evening. I am listening to the Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Quite excellent.

Relationship? What's that?

Things are falling apart once again with Christina. She is in one of her phases, and this one may be the straw that broke the camel's back. She is in the midst of figuring out what will make her happy. The way she is treating me, well, I am not what makes her happy. She won't tell me about anything until she figures herself out so she doesn't make me sad. Great. Things look good for me. Let me give a bit of backstory. On Star Wars Galaxies, which she plays about 3000% more than me, she is in a guild, surrounded by guys, who are states away and don't exist in this apartment. When she plays, it was Ignore David time. Then she got a headset so she could get on Teamspeak to talk with the guildies. This was good for organizing raids and tactical, but she got to talking with some of the guys. Now, almost every night she is talking to one of them in particular. And she is giggly and happy. When she talks to me, IF she talks to me, it's in one word sentences with her eyes lowered and quiet. One day, I was trying to have a fairly important conversation with her and the phone rang, and she disappeared for the rest of the night and talked to him. The same thing happened the next day. The day after that, I got home from work, and she was in the bathtub, and she is relaxing with some candles lit in there. No problem. Her phone rings and she talks to him while in the tub with candles lit. It felt like a slap in the face and a kick in the groin. I still want to be with her, but I don't know how to act around her any more. She doesn't respond to anything, and it seems like I have a roommate and not a fiancee. What did I just hear? Did the Death Bell just ring on this relationship? I'll have to wait and see. Wait and see.

Summers's Last Hurrah

Today got up to 75 degrees. The hottest is has been on record is 72 back in 1978. I tried to take advantage of the day after watching a bit of tv. I ran out to the bank to make a deposit, to buy Finding Nemo, and to just putz around town. When Christina got home, I got no response about whether she was pleased that I bought Finding Nemo for her. She just said, "How did you pay for that?" Sigh. I have been bored to tears lately. I am downloading anime and movies like crazy, I beat Jedi Academy already, and Quidditch World Cup is way too easy. I need something else to do, especially at night when Christina turns off her responses to the outside world. I'm going to go crazy. It really was a beautiful day today, and I really enjoyed the weather, but that wasn't enough to pull me out of my funk. I am really feeling lonely. I know that Christina is right on the other side of the room, but not in this world. It is kind of awkward. I think I am going to go to bed early again tonight.

Ima, Matamata Matteru no...

Translation: I am STILL waiting. I am on the end of a chain. A chain, I tell you. And it is being jerked. Constantly. I leave a message with Kathy, asking her if, please, will I know if I am employed before the next Ice Age (set to occur in Sooner Than You Think). She replies via email and tells me, nay, assures me, that they are having trouble getting everyone together to make a decision. And promises me, yet again, that I will know by the next day, Thursday. Guess what? It's Saturday, and no further word. I really am starting ot give up on it. Christina has a new job here, I have the outline of what classes I plan on taking next semester, and I cannot do that if I am to move to Battle Creek. I know this is a huge opportunity, but since the interview, a lot has cropped up to hold me here. I don't really think I am *supposed* to leave this area yet.. (Sorry, kinda profound statement from me now.... ignore that if you wish) Well, on to Halloween. It was really, really dull at work, what with us all dressed up and having no guests to serve. We ate candy for a few hours, and then people went home. Afterwards, I went to a party at Josh Hunt's house, who is a guy I have known since High School but never really hung out with. He's a good guy, and we had a good time, making piles of people on the floor :) and just talking. One of the guys there, Josh's roommate Matt, had a little panic attack, but that was straightened out, and he felt better. I am glad that I could be there for him, even though I had only met him once before. Alrighty then, I have to go to work now and make the big bucks, provided that it is busier than the past two days, otherwise I will make the tiny bucks.

One Nail-Biting Weekend

I had to sit and wait for the weekend to end to hope to hear about anything from Musashi. Everybody at work constantly asked me if I had heard anything. I really did get sick of answering no to them, but I guess I have to deal with it. On Sunday, I got to go to my Quarterly Gibb Family Gathering. I only got to be there for an hour or two, but it was good to get to see them all again. I also stole Kevin after the party and got a coat I thought I lost two years ago! So, I brought Kev and his computer over to my apartment where he and Christina played lots of Galaxies and stuff. When I got home from work, we watched movies and played more games, then fell asleep. Sunday I had to work during the day, and the internet was down, so more anime was watched. I got home and I did a dance to appease the Internet Gods (read: The Chicken Dance), and was able to play a bit of Galaxies myself before taking Kev home. It was pretty cool having the kid over for a while. So, along came Monday, and no word from Musashi. I am pretty much giving up hope. It would be cool, but moving would be a pain. I just want to know.

Shin Anime Get!

Okay, in the past two days, I have been a pirate to the extreme (Yarrr.....) I have been downloading copious amounts of new anime. I have the first episodes of a bunch of new shows. So, without further ado!

Bottle Fairy - 12 minute episodes, ultra cute. It seems like these little superdeformed chibi fairies who live in these bottles are naive little kids, learning about Japanese culture and aimed at little kids to boot. Still, exceedingly cute and think I will follow it.

Gunslinger Girl - I have the first 2 eps but nothing else yet. I have yet to watch them, but the same designer who worked on Noir is back for this one. It is promising, but it looks kinda, uhm, REALLY dark. We'll see.

Maburaho - Imagine you are in a private school (high school in modern Japan) that specializes in teaching you how to use the magic in you. The catch is everyone can only use magic a certain amount of times, and then it's all used up. You turn into dust then, I hear. Some people, the powerful ones, in the school have around 10,000 to 14,000 uses. You, however, have 8. Yes, only eight, and you feel like a loser. Then, all of a sudden, you are told (after the girls know) that you come from a line of great magicians and your child has the potential to be an amazing wizard. Now all of the girls in the school, who, let's face it, it's anime, they are all made to be super-cute, all want your sperm. I'll leave it at that, but it looks wacky and funny and I will watch it.

Mahoujin Guru Guru - One of my favorites from years back. I had seen a few eps when I went to U of M's Con Jya Nai 3 years ago, and fell in love with it there. It is about a "Hero" who is 12, forced on the road by his parents (his dad desperately wanted to hbe a hero, but there was no great evil in his time), with Kukuri, the last remaining magician who uses the Guru Guru magic, and messes up most of the time. It spoofs the classic console RPGs. Characters are introduced with the classic Final Fantasy blue-box with white borders including info such as name, class, level, HP, and MP. Wacky Hijinks Ensue. Most definitely a follower. Mahoujin Guru Guru means Magic Cirlce Guru Guru (guru guru is te sound of swirly circles).

Mujin Wakusei Survive - I don't know all that much about this one yet, as I only have one episode. It takes place on colonies, since the earth is now uninhabitable, thanks to the poor environmental concerns of the people who lived there, thank you very much. It looks like the "School Field Trip" to a planet that is being terraformed is going to turn into their little Swiss Family Robinson meets Lord of the Flies, but no killing. Mujin Wakusei Survive means Uninhabited Planet Survive.

Peace Maker Kurogane - This anime rocks already and I only have the first episode. It takes place at the beginning of the Meiji Reformation (1860s) in Kyoto. If this sounds familiar to anyone, it is because you may have seen Rurouni Kenshin, and remember the Shinsengumi (The Order of the New Way) who were pretty much the Shogunate's personal police force. Saitou Hajime in Kenshin was in the Shinsengumi. In this show, however, there is a 15 year old trying to join because of what happened to his father. Of course, killed before his eyes by the enemy. The animation is clean, the fights were cool, and it still had the kinda funny parts. But, come on! How could I pass up the Shinsengumi?! Kurogane means Black Gold, or Iron.

Tenchi Muyo! OVA 3 Ryo-Oh-Ki - This is the long awaited third OVA series about Tenchi, which is, for once, NOT a new story! It picks up where the first series left off. I only have one episode so far, but it is up to the original standards, and is still very pretty. I am still getting used to the Japanese voices, since I had only seen it in English up until now, with the exception of the second and third movies. Good stuff.

Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito - This is a wierd one. I haven't figured it out at all, especially how these women don't have horrible back problems. There is something about a girl searching for her sister, who is a being who can travel between worlds, and there is demons, and magic, kind of, and trains... Hell, see it for yourself. There is mucho fanservice. You were warned. Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito means Travelers of Darkness with Hats and Books.

I have been busy, as you can tell, and I am trying to make room for it all by burning my other anime on to disc. I have Kokoro Library and Scrapped Princess almost all burned by now. Woo, let the CDs pile up!

More Work Stuff

Well, Christina and I both went to our respective interviews in opposite directions on Monday. It was kind of weird, driving for 2 hours only getting to the place and interviewing for one hour, and then turning right back around to drive home. On the way there, there was a huge accident on 94, 5 cars and a semi, so I had to get off the freeway and drive through exciting Jackson for about 7 miles and then get back on. No biggie. On the way back, I found the St. Julian Winery, where I stopped and had a few samples. I also bought a bottle of their newest label, Blue Heron, a semisweet white. While at the interview, however, I was not nearly as relaxed. I got there, and all of these people in white jumpsuits were passing by. Apparently, you wear white pants and a white long-sleeved shirt to work. Everyone from lowly grunt to upper management does. The interview started normally, with a guy asking me about my work experience and so on and so forth, and then the Japanese started. It was a half hour of Japanese wherein I was told what my responsibilities were going to be, what was expected, and so on and so forth. I was asked to read a magazine article, which had lots of impossible kanji. I think I did well, and so did the recruiter, Kathy, because when I talked to her an hour and a half later, she hadn't heard anything, so that was good. By the time I had gotten in cell phone range and bought the bottle of wine, Christina had left me a message telling me that she got the job! Woo Hoo!!! I am so proud of her! After the interview and lazing at home for two hours, I had to go to Ypsi to take a Japanese exam, even though I felt like I had already gone through one. It was pretty easy, though. Skip ahead to Tuesday, I get an email from Kathy saying that the interviewer was out of town and would call her in the AM with details, and she would call or email me in turn. Good, a response. I hadn't expected one immediately, of course, but I want it now! I wake up in the morning, and I have an email. From Rent.com where I had been browsing the night before. So I leave my monitor on and try to ignore it using the "Watched Pot Never Boils" theory. I get another email! Woo! It's my American Homebrew Association newsletter. Okay, okay, two emails in one day isn't unheard of... Then while watching new anime (see next post) I get yet more email! This is unheard of. this time it is from a guy in my Japanese class who got a job listing for Viz who is a huge anime/manga supplier in the US. I am starting to break down. I never get three emails in one day, and especially not when I am expecting a different one! So I went to class and had my oral exam, which didn't go so smoothly since I couldn't concentrate on anything. I come back and check my mail one last time. One more new message... Is it it? Nope! My dad emailed me about a family party on Saturday. ::sigh:: I am going bonkers! This morning, Thursday, however, I am awoken by my phone. It is Kathy on the phone telling me she heard back from Musashi. They think the interview went very well, they said it was excellent. But they have to still talk to the Head of HR, and they may have a different position open for me, whatever that means. They said if they don't get a hold of me today, it will definitely be by tomorrow afternoon. So by Friday PM I will know if I have a new job speaking Japanese. Keep them fingers and toes crossed...

Tomorrow.. Brain Melting....

Okay, now Christina and I both have in terviews tomorrow morning. I have mine in Battle Creek, and hers is in Troy. Opposite directions, eh? We both have challenges in front of us here, she hasn't had many interviews and isn't as comfortable with the process as I am. I, however, have never had an interview in a foreign language. I think I have all the necessary materials. Suit, check. Resumes/Ref letters, check. Pad/Pen for notes, check. Driections and phone numbers, check. Confidence, getting there. All I need is a tie to match the suit........ On top of all of this, I also have my exam after the interview. Holy hell. Holy hell, Holy hell. Time to watch a movie for us to relax to. Bye!

Can't Wait Until Monday

Ergh. I really, really, really can't wait until I get my interview done. I mean, I know I am the man for the job. I will get this job. At bare minimum, I will make a good impression and make them love me. Any interview experience is a good experience. Preparation Checklist: 10 Resumes on Bond Paper 5 References Letters on Bond Paper Nice Pen to take notes with Good paper to take notes on Professional folder to hold said stuff Suit ala Daddy (hehe, thanks Daddy-O) Confidence in Buckets Remember: You Can Speak Japanese. Deep Breaths.... Deep Breaths.... Jya, Yatte Yaru zo!

Another Job?

I was awoken yesterday morning by my cell phone. I looked at the display and thought "Hell, why would a bill collector be calling me?" because I did not recognize the number. It turns out that it was a recruiter from Monster.com, and to make a long story short, they think they have a job I would be suited for. After talking for a while, I hear that the place is called Musashi Automotive and they would be interested in having me work in either sales or production in a translatory capacity. Holy Crap, eh? David is floored. I want desperately to get this job, they start off at $35000 a year plus benefits at not cost on day one, and tuition assistance, and travel possibilities across the country and to Japan even! Only catch: the job is in Battle Creek, which is a 100 mile commute. Then again, in another two months, I could break lease here and move out to Battle Creek where the rent is cheap (I found a 1400 square foot townhome with 2 bed, 1.5 bath, balcony, patio, yard, et cetera for $650 a month!) and only drive 15-20 miles to work. Visiting would be tough, however.. Had to share. I have the interview Monday morning at 10am. I still need to get my references fleshed out, as well as printed along with my resume, and get a suit. Hm. This is going to be a busy weekend. Not to mention I have to interiew in English and in Japanese. Better not count my chickens before they hatch, eh? David out.

More and More??

I hit post on that one and thought I would mention the few sites I have been frequenting lately. I have been reading posts at many sites about Japan. Since returning to class, and the anime kick I am on, I am kind of pining for the Land of the Rising Sun. Of course, I tie myself here, because I know I can't take Christina or the kitties over with me, I wouldn't want them to be confused with the language barrier, or lonely. (I hear Japanese kitties are stuck-up) Okay, websites.... GaijinPot -- Good for forums, job listings, and making connections. Gaijin in Japan -- All forums. Pretty much just an amusing forum that is posted on almost excusively by people living in Japan. Hen na Gaijin -- It is a fairly amusing site, also has a link to the woman's professional site as a translator. Maybe me in the future? Note how all of these sites have Gaijin in the title.... Hmmmm........ Stupid foreigners....

Update So Soon?

Yes, yes, an update only THREE MONTHS after the last entry?! I mean, what, am I trying to kill you guys with too much information about my life? Let's give a quick update about what has been going on lately. I quit Best Buy just after I wrote that message. I haven't been working the 85 hour work weeks like that in some time. I now only sling Que at Famous Dave's Thursday-Saturday nights and Sunday morning. I have my one lonely Japanese class Monday and Wednesday evening. I am looking to do well in this class, take a full courseload next semester, and try to get this damn school thing over and done with so I can get a real job, be it here or in Japan. Christina had some friction at CVS and subsequently told them where to stick it. She has been trying to replace that job as of late, but yet to no avail. I tell you, I know she works hard, I know she knows her stuff, but why will people not hire her right now? Stupid employers. She is a hard worker! Other than work and school, what has been happening? Let's see, I saw Tull twice in a row (Hell yeah, great shows!), I regularly play Star Wars Galaxies (on the Naritus server, name Ajime Kobalis), I hang out with Jason, Drew, and Nissa most, and see Justin once in a while, and bother Christina as often as possible. Since that last thing around the 4th, Christina and I have been doing well. There was a little bit of something, but that's not an issue any more. It worked out for the best, for now. In anime news, I am a major Pirate again (Yarrr....) by frequenting the best anime download site in the world today, AnimeSuki. I am currently obsessed with Naruto which is an anime about a ninja-in training (in the ninja village, of course, at the ninja academy) and he has a demon sealed inside of him. Because of this, he is reviled by the adults who know about this. He takes on the prankster role to get attentiopn, and wacky hijinks ensue. Well, that's not it. It more or less details his school and training progression, bringing in a large cadre of ninjas (and ninjas-in-training) each with their own family techniques, and just is a really cool show. The manga is still currently ongoing, and is up to chapter 188 as of today, and episode 53 of the anime. The anime is about 30 episodes of content behind. There is still no unforseeable end to the manga or anime.

Quick Update

I ended up getting Sunday night off in exchange for working Sunday morning. It was godawful and boring, and I made a mere $45 for eight hours of work. Whoopety-doo. Sunday evening was a giant bad thing. I am not going to go into it but to say that I am sorry that Drew and Jason had to see it, and that it has worked out, for the most part. Anywho, I put in my notice at Best Buy, and my last day there is the 19th, a Saturday not far from now, and I may even be leaving early to help Barb and Bart (Christina's aunt and uncle) move to Fenton. This sucks since they won't be only four miles away... Well, time to go to Olive Garden for lunch and then to work at 4, then work two doubles in a row. My life is so packed with fun, I don't know what to do.

Fourth of July

And I am sitting here alone. Christina is off to her family gathering where she will have a lot of fun going to the belly-flop contest they have every year at Fenton Lake, and forget about me. She is pissed because I didn't get today off, even though I tried to get it off. Too many people had requested it off before me. Why I didn't try to work a day shift instead of evening? No clue. I wasn't sure if I was working Friday at Best Buy, so I couldn't request it in advance, and I just didn't think about it since Famous Dave's is my night job. I am still going to try to get the night off for tonight and Sunday (woo, then I won't make ANY money this week!) because Christina wanted me to. Why can't she tell me what days I should take off in advance? I mean, 4th of July was a no brainer, adn I tried, I really did! She says I am not trying hard enough, and I will be very lonely working my two jobs all of the time. I don't need this, it is not designed to make me happy or try to feel better about myself and make me a better person. It is just threatening and hurtful. Hurtful, the word of the week.

Don't Know How Much Longer

I can take this. Christina is getting extremely pissed off at me for every little thing. I honestly believe now that she is trying to find a reason to break it off with me once and for all. I have to change, I have to become the ideal that is in her head, even though she won't tell me what it is, I have to try harder. Yes, she is a god and very helpful woman, but she is not the be all end all to the world. I am hindered by her, for example: I don't play nerd games any more, I don't talk to Bud, Casey, or some other people because of her. Because she is dissatisfied with the fact that Jess and Dan didn't thank her profusely for the party she threw, she doesn't talk to them. She hates my mother, which nobody can understand. She thinks that our kids (if we ever have any) will never see my mom's family. But I still love her, love being with her, and want to be with her. Am I crazy? Can I make it alone? Do I want to? I don't want to be alone, I don't want to lose her for the good times we share. I don't want to lose her for the lazy mornings, the peaceful evenings, or the trips to Dairy Dan for Cherry Amaretto ice cream. Please, somebody, help me do what I need to do to make her and myself happy.

I Like Pie

I think everyone should love pie. Today was a fantabulous day. I got out of work early, got to see Jason for lunch (we went and had a Happy Meal at Malarky's, consisting of a burger, fries, and a Killians), play lots of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, go out to dinner at Akasaka with Christina, Drew, and Nissa, as well as have pie and then watch the first episode of Rurouni Kenshin: Trust (for the second time today, the first was with Jason). A full day, indeed. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and my belly is very full and needing sleepy time to digest it all. I work a double tomorrow, followed by two nights, a double.... lovely. Must loosen pants, too much pie. I only had 2 slices, Drew had 2 plus the remnants of pie from the ladies. Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeee......