Wheeeeee, more storms!

I took 230 bottles back to Wine Castle yesterday. It filled my trunk, and I have the cool picture to prove it. I still have more, though. Ick. Kevin and I got a late start, so we didn't get all that much done. The bottles was an ordeal, then when we got going, my car wasn't shifting properly, so I couldn't hit 70mph without my car being at 4000rpm, instead of the normal 3000rpm. After returning the bottles, it got better, though. In Royal Oak, I sat out back with Donna and Kevin for a bit, on the concrete slab where the hot tub used to be, looking at the dirt where the pool used to be, and I was sad how the backyard of my childhood had disappeared, but the garden that Donna is planning are going to look cool. Ginger didn't freak out and run away from me either! I went to visit my dad to drop off grandma and granddad's freezy bottle thing, but I missed them by 5 minutes or something. Dad and I talked Japan over a beer. Good times. I didn't get home till 530 or 6. What a day. I still have tons to pack, but no motivation to do so. My cable and internet are disappearing today, so my rhodry@comcast.net is disappearing for good. I still have david_gibb@yahoo.com so email me there if need be. And I am trying to get a Photogra account running, and trying to see if I can get it set so that I can just make it public instead of sending invitations. We'll see. I am starting to think that JapanDave isn't going to happen, since the two companies I was looking at to host the site have gotten nothing but abysmal reviews. They say things like the server decided to eat all the files and you have to reupload them, the site is frequently unavailable, they kick puppies in their spare time, and the customer service is non-existent. So I think I will continue solely on my livejournal here, and find a good photo uploading site.

Ugh, Fun day. Not Productive.

Well, I didn't get everything done that I wanted to get done. I had a great time at Maybury, playing frisbee, drinking Woodchuck Ciders, eating kielbasa, and hanging out with the Gibb family. Afterwards, Kevin, Jason, Susie, and I went and saw Shrek 2. Let me just say that you have to see it. I have never seen an opening montage reference so many other movies so well. And it was much funnier than the first. Even though there was a joke that I laughed at that nobody else did. Stupid people. Kevin spent the night also. We had a good time, watching American Wedding and drinking lots of Vanilla Coke, eating Doritos. But I didn't pack, except for my books. I still have to pack up the computer and tv, pack the kitchen, dismantle the table and take it to mom, and take back the bottles and coins. I am going to take back the bottles with the aid of Kevin. And miles to go before I sleep. Ugh. And I sleep on the floor now.

Friday's List

Well, last night Jason and Justin came over and we enjoyed ourselves with a dozen beers. Split between us, of course. We actually spent most of the time outside under the overhang of the complex because of this amazing thunderstorm we had last night. It was raining sheets, and the lightning and thunder was on top of us. It was awe inspiring. We were out there for the duration of two beers. Justin crashed here last night, and he's coming back after work today. When I got up this morning it was raining. It only got worse. It got dark, nighttime dark, at one thirty pm, and the rain was pouring down harder than it was last night, and the wind was whipping it around even harder. Also, add hail into the mix. Now, four hours later, the rain has stopped, and I am trying to stay motivated. I couldn't get the bottles returned today because by the time I got them into the car, I would have refilled them with rain. I did, however, get the trash taken out, and the chairs out also. Packing the clothes up and disassembling the bed for transport to Christina's has also begun. Now on to the irritation part. I got things taken care of with Comcast and set up for a Monday shutoff. All good there. I called the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit today, and after spending more than 10 minutes navigating a wordy and poorly designed menu system, left a message about wondering when my visa would be ready. I got a call back and the answer wasn't good. They are currently processing my application in Japan, and the guys here in the US don't know what's happening. Left hand not knowing what the right is doing. Lovely. My passport is in Detroit, so if all else fails, and I don't get it before the 28th, I go to D-town and get the passport from the Consulate, go to Japan, and spend 90 days in Japan, then swing over to Hong Kong, Guam, or Hawaii for a weekend or something. but it isn't the best thing. More money needed because the stupid governmental process. I've since fired off an email to Jeffery Johnson and Martin Stack, who are involved with JCMU (Martin being the head of JCMU in the states, and Jeffery being the Resident Director at JCMU), and am hoping for a speedy reply.

To Do List:

I have a lot to do before I am off for the half year. I am yet unmotivated to pack up my apartment, as it seems like I am not going to be across the world in a mere 8.5 days. In any case, I have put together a To Do List to which I should learn to adhere. Here goes! Friday, 21 ~Return bottles to Wine Castle and deposit spoils and coins to bank. ~Pack clothes ~Get the bed to Christina (and possibly Myst, but I think I will hold off on that, I will miss her!) ~Cancel cable/internet ~Check status on visa/passport at Japanese Consulate ~Hang out with Jason and Justin (bar or movie suggested) Saturday, 22 ~Family party at Maybury Park ~Pack up computer and tv (and possibly ship it over to Kevin) ~Work on packing kitchen ~Dismantle table and put into mom's garage ~Finish packing books Sunday, 23 ~Finish kitchen ~Clean/empty bathroom ~Gut the bedroom ~Final trash run Monday, 24 ~Probably move to dad's place ~Get rid of car ~Work on the website ~Take care of cell phone details That's the plan at least. Let's see how well it works.

Super Wacky Plus!

Just so everyone can know my flight info, keep up with this! Saturday May 29th 2004 D - 6:00am Detroit A - 7:18am Toronto Flight Time: 1:18 D - 9:45am Toronto A - 11:44am Vancouver Flight Time: 4:59 D - 1:05pm Vancouver A - 3:30pm Nagoya (30 May 04) Flight Time: 10:25 Total in-air time to Japan: 16:42 Return Flight info: Thursday, 16 December 2004 D - 12:30pm Nagoya A - 1:35pm Tokyo Flight Time: 1:15 D - 5:15pm Tokyo A - 3:30pm Toronto Flight Time: 12:15 D - 5:00pm Toronto A - 6:27pm Detroit Flight Time: 1:27 Total in-air time: 14:47 Crazy stuff, eh? I should eat today...

A Day in the Life

I currently have three cars, an apartment, a car, a cat, and a dog. I am watching my brother and Susie's dog, Shiva while they are a-cruisin' in the Caribbean. Hope they don't meet up with pirates. ...... Yarr. So I have been watching the dog, driving lots between places, and not packing as much as I should be. I have only packed a few boxes, and I have to get the heck out of there to get ready for Japan. Today is my first Shield Day alone. Jason has to work, Justin has class, and Bud is tired. That means I get The Shield on the big screen all on my own. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Quickie

Just a quick update. Friday was both my little bro's birthday and my "Offficial" last day of work at Famous Dave's. Everyone there is so sweet. Someone arranged a cake for me, with Mt. Fuji and a Tori (entrance thingy to a Shinto shrine) on it, as well as two cards that everyone (I mean everyone) seemed to sign. Also, I got a free flamin' hat (FD on it of course) also. I know that they don't do this for many people, and it made me all warm and fuzzy inside to be counted among those who were so priviliged. I also ended up closing my last night, and Kelly and I had to share a 16-top, and it was hell. The guys and girls were segregated, the men ordered, and not from Kelly, but only talked to me. They ordered enough for about 25 people, getting 2 Feasts for 4, 2 Rib Tip Feasts, and 6 Pork Sandwiches. Technically, it would feed 18, but accounting for the fact that a feast for 4 serves 5-6, and a rib tip feast will serve 3-4, not 2-3, I am pretty spot on. But it all worked out in the end. And now I am watching my bro's condo while he and Susie are in the Caribbean on a cruise, those assholes. I am taking care of Shiva, their happy white schnauzer. Awesome dog. If ever I got one, it would have to be like her.

Airfare Woes

Okay, airfare to Japan blows. First off, since I am staying for over six months, the normal group airfare of 1100 dollars does not apply to me. The first option was to get what was essentially two one-way tickets piggybacked on one another. It would have cost me 2994 that way. It would have been cheaper to go to Japan, come back in August, then return, and come back in December by 550 dollars. How crazy is that that I could have ridden four airplanes for cheaper than it would have been for two? I ended up getting tickets that would make me go much further, but for much cheaper. By flying Air Canada, I leave on the 29th instead of the 31st, and go from Detroit to Toronto to Vancouver to Nagoya. Upon my return, I go from Nagoya to Tokyo to Toronto to Detroit. All of this for 1100 dollars. Finally, something is working out! But it's still rough. I have to get a lot done still. And miles to go before I sleep....

More on Last Saturday

Yes, when I awoke on Saturday morning, I had to shower and head off to the International Center for the JCMU Orientation. I emerged from the bathroom, with my black Amerikilt, a black Jethro Tull shirt (with the logo from Broadsword and the Beast on it), and went to put on my new Birkenstocks to get going. Nick was amused at my outfit. He said that the Tull shirt was the icing on the cake. The Orientation itself was fairly pedantic. I was invited to open my yap and contribute any information I had to share, since I was the only one in the audience who was a returning student. I enjoyed everything that they had to say. When we broke for lunch, Erin came up to meet me for lunch, and for the second time in as many days, I had Toxic Hell. Mainly because Erin doesn't like subs and tehe line was twice as long there. Orientation continued after lunch, and it figures that the person I sat with and talked to was only going to be there for the May Short Term. Not the Summer Semester. Oh well. Upon returning to Van Hoosen, Erin and Stef's apartments, Stef's mom showed up with food (I didn't partake of it much, since I had recently consumed doom on a tortilla). We sat and watched the Wings game, and I heard Stef burst out yelling a few times. But since I am not a hockey guy, and had gotten only a bit of sleep the night before, I was kinda dozing a bit. At one point, I opened my eyes to see Stef, Stef's mom, and Nick all standing and inching towards the tv as if trying to corner and pounce on a mouse during a breakaway that some Wings player made. It was quite odd, and I was fairly disturbed by it until I figured out what the hell was going on. After the game, I decided to brave the drive home, since Myst needed to eat eventually. On the freeway, I came up to the sign that pointed me to the Michigan Brewing Company, which I passed every time I went home, and never stopped at because I had to get to work or I had no money, or some other excuse. However, I had $10 left in my sporran, and I did not have to get to work, for once. I stopped there, and instantly liked it. There were peanut shells on the floor, an 8 seat bar, two tables inside, and seating area outside. They also had all of their beers on tap. I would say there were 10 or 12 beers there set up. I asked one of the regulars what his favorite was, and he said it was the Sunset Amber Lager. I went with his suggestion, and was not disappointed. It was a gorgeous amber hue, like a dark honey, with a rich, malty flavor. It still kept the lightness and crispness that lagers are known for, but just had more body. Yeah, I'm a beer nerd, so what? What are you going to do about it, eh? The pint was $3.50, but I paid $5 for it to tip the bartender. She seemed busy but was around when you needed her. I bought another pint eventually, having struck up conversation with another regular, coincidentally also named Dave. He seemed to be a real cool guy, and suggested a few places to try beers at. I told him I would buy him a beer, but he declined, since he got a discount and instead bought me a beer. We kept talking, and when my third was empty, I made to get up, but I had a fourth beer in front of me, and how could I tell the bartender or Dave no, I do not want a beer? You can't. When I did get home, I was able to drive well. I was careful to not get pulled over, though. You know, just in case. I'll detail my lovely Airfare Woes next. Tune in, Same Kilt Time, Same Kilt Channel!!

A Week at a Time

You know, I am really bad at updating right now. I've been quite busy. But here I shall attempt to relay my past week for all to enjoy. Last Thursday, Jason and Justin came over and we drank some beers, ate some food, and watched Kill Bill, Volume One. It was good fun. I had Friday and Saturday off to go to MSU for my JCMU Orientation. Let's start with Friday. I spent most of the early afternoon Diablowing with Erin, Stef, and Nick. We killed many, many beasites of the Underworld. Good times were had by all, as well as treasure amassed in quantities unknown. Wow, what an awkward sentence! We stopped playing when Erin mentioned that it was getting late and I had about an hour to get up there, and I had yet to shower. Ugh. But scrub I did, and flew my way up to EL to meet everyone up at Toxic Hell. I mean, Taco Bell. Friday night there was a party for Marcie's boyfriend, Jason, who was to turn into a pumpkin, er, no, an adult at midnight. I proceeded to amaze the few there by inhaling 3 tacos and two meximelts in record time, whereupon we crossed the street to acquire alcohol for consumption at the party. I felt like consummate college students, leaving Meijer's with a case of Labatt's Blue, a fifth of Malibu and a fifth of Absolut Vanilla. After some further fennagling, we got to the house party at Leyna Kasparek's house. I think that's how you spell the name. It was a beautiful night, so most of it waws spent outside talking, going inside for more drinks where it was really, really hot, and then coming back out where it was quiet sometimes. Then in, then out. I had a few drinks, about 6 I would say, but no buzz at all. I believe it's because I packed myself full of Toxic Hell. Erin and I people watched a while, and got to talk.I find it most amusing that people would come up to her and act as if they were her best friend, and say "HI! So great so see you!" and walk away. Eventually, as the night wore on and the music droned on, Erin and I were sitting on the couch and saw Nick tell Marcie and Stef to kiss. So they did. And even when the guys looked away, they were still kissing. They didn't know when to stop! In any case, a little bit later they got all three lovely ladies to smooch. Erin, Marcie, and Stef. I am disappointed to say that the pictures did not come out. :( Oh well. Once again outside, a buzzed Stef asked Erin for a drink of her Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat and tipped it back up so fast that it overfoamed. She said something like "Who wants to lick this off of me?" and about 10 people licked her hand. Myself included. Hey, when a lady's beer covered hand is presented, one does not snub it! The evening had wore on, and Erin and I decided to get away from the party, so Nick, who was in no driving state, gave me the keys to his convertible. No, I did not abuse it, I took it gently to the parking structure. Erin and I, upon reaching the apartment, watched Kill Bill. For those keeping score, that's twice in as many days. It was good again. I slept the sleep of the dead for about 4 hours before getting up and going to my Orientation, which will be the next installment, tomorrow. Suffice to say, it involves me in a kilt, and beer.

Last Night was Fun

{{Dual Posted at My Other Website}} I went and picked up Kevin, the coolest 14 year old little brother I have yesterday to have him crash over at my place. We ate at Famous Dave's, saw the Rurouni Kenshin Reflections DVD, Lost in Translation, played video games (Super Smash Bros Melee, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and I showed him Diablo II) Kev was trouncing me in Smash Bros so I called Jason over, and he came and schooled Kevin. It was good. I liked watching (because I would have just been cannon fodder if I were playing). This morning, I woke up the kid, we played more Mario Kart, then we headed to take him home. Donna got me a pair of Birkenstocks, so I am exceedingly happy that I will have some comfy sandals to take to Japan. Unfortunately now, I have to go to work. But, on the plus side, my Papa and Aunt Deets are going to come up and eat! So I get to see them even though I have to work Saturday night and Sunday morning, thus missing the Easter Festivities. Oh well, time to scrub up and get ready for work.

Nap Time

{{{Transcribed from my website, which I will continue to do until I get JapanDave up and running}}} All righty. I have had some good times lately, and some not so good times. Let's start with the good times. I got to go to BDub's with Erin, Stef, Marcie and Nick again, and that was a good time. Got up in the morning on Friday, felt really, really warm, but shrugged it off. I got home, was going to get ready to take a shower and go to work, but decided to curl up in a huddled mass on my bathroom floor instead. It wasn't pretty. So I missed work Friday and Saturday nights, which really hurt. Now this week has been much better, health wise. No illnesses, nothing of the sort. Just lots of hanging out. Lounging. Drew and I went out for some belated birthday pie. I love birthday pie. Went to the EMU Orientation for the Study Abroad programs. It was fairly pointless. I knew everything they were saying already and just droned for a while and then told the JCMU people to go to MSU's Orientation Meeting on the 17th. My reaction: DUH. I closed at work Friday night, got home around 1am, had the orientation at EMU from 10-1, then worked 4-1 (closed again, yay me!), then I LOST AN HOUR thanks to stupid Daylight Savings Time, and had to work 10-5:30. It felt like 9-4:30. Now I am back to realxing. Jason is supposed to be heading over, but he seems to actually be driving slow for once. He said he was on his way 45 minutes ago when it only takes 20 minutes to get here. Curious...

Updates where?

Hey all. I am updating mainly on my new wesbite so I can get a feel for it, since that's what I am mainly going to use while in Japan. The current URL is www.geocities.com/david_gibb for the website, but I will be purchasing www.japandave.com soon. So check there from time to time. Comment here though. I don't have the forums up over there yet....

A Really Good Week

Well, let me start with last Wednesday, the 10th. I turned 23! Buit that wasn't the highlight. I got to see Erin when she took me to lunch at Akaska, my favorite Japanese restaurant, and also the first place we went out to eat together. Later that night, it was dinner time. Did I cook for myself? NO! Jason and Susie took me to J. Alexander's where I had lotsa prime rib! Afterwards, we watched the World Poker Tour and South Park at his place. I went home, and slept after starting playing Diablo 2. Thursday, Bob, Christina's new guy, came over and hung out. He was awesome and helped me out with dishes. While we were hanging out, my kilt arrived! I won an auction on eBay for a black Amerikilt. After he left, I tossed the kilt on and headed out to Meijer's for groceries. I was making dinner for Erin and Stef! I got lots of looks at Meijer's, and one woman asked me what type of kilt it is, since it wasn't a tartan. I made a Paradise Pumpkin Pie (bottom is cheesecake, top is pumpkin pie), Hot and Cheesy Balsamic Spinach Salad and Mediterranean Chicken. It was really very good, and, more importantly, the girls liked it. Jason showed up and hung out also. Friday, Saturday, Sunday I worked. Oh, one thing. Saturday night I went to a little party. Chris, the bartender I hang out with was quitting, and his last day was Sunday. So we were going to get a beer after work Saturday, but his friends got a keg, so we went there, and people were drinking and playing Euchre. It was a good time. Then some very drunk obnoxious assholes showed up and were eventually asked to leave. Things got heated up, and they almost got their asses kicked. But they eventually left. After yelling. Lots of yelling. I got to sleep at 4am, and had to be at work by 10am. Yeesh. Sunday after work, I went to visit my mom and everyone to show off my kilt and give David Carter some anime. They also gave me my birthday present! It was a delicious 6 pack of Leinenkugel Honey Weiss, some Germack Dried Cherries, and a Kwok. What's a Kwok? It's a little glass that when you drink it, goes 'kwok kwok kwok.' We had tacos, and they were yummy. Dave was the first one to ask me what I wear under my kilt. I answered honestly. Socks and shoes. I headed home around 845 or 9. Jason came over Sunday after dinner, but I fell asleep on the couch while he played Diablo 2. Point. Click. Kill. Amass Treasure. Repeat. FUN GAME!!! Today, Monday, I worked the morning. I had to get out early, which I did, in order to get to Ypsi to check on my JCMU application and get the letter of reccommendation from Tabuse-sensei. Before I went, I decided to call MSU to see if they even had my application. They asked for my name and put me on hold. They came back and quite calmly said, "Yes, we have you application, and you have been accepted." I am officially going to JCMU again!!!! I can't frigging believe it! I immediately called everyone and told them, and now the real planning begins. I have to transfer the leases of my car and apartment, have Christina watch Myst, get another kilt, pack my stuff into storage, set my phone to the lowest plan and prepay to save the number, get a digital camera, get a domain name (I hope for www.JapanDave.com which leads nowhere now), and try to say my goodbyes in the next two months. Tonight, I am hanging out with Justin after Jason went home (has to work at 7am). By the way. It has been really windy lately. Windier than it has been in the past few weeks. I think this is weather getting back at me for going kilty. Curse them. I am surviving, nay, thriving! What a fun-packed week! Now comes the hard part: not going insane before I leave for the other side of the planet!!

We're gonna play a little game of run an' gun...

Damn Bud! He's gotten me hooked on The Shield, which is quite entrancing. In the first episode, so much happened, that it seemed like it could have been a full length feature film. The characters are endearing, and though there are crooked cops, and do-gooders, there is no clear cut good and evil in the main characters. The camera work is amazing also. So yeah. Bud brought over the first season on DVD, and I have only so far watched the first 9 out of 13 episodes. The second season is out also, but I don't have enough cash to pick either up. Then the third season starts one day before my birthday, on the 9th. In other news, I hung out with Joe and his girlfriend Jocelyn last night, whom I just met. It was a good night indeed!

Everything's Comin' Up Milhouse!

I had quite a wonderful week this week. First off, it was Spring Break, no school! On Tuesday, I was a busy monkey. I went to my dad's in the afternoon to hang out a bit, pick up my new Jethro Tull DVD (complete with The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles!!!), and play some pool. It was rough, shooting pool, drinking beer, and watching Tull. I even had to endure a tasty dinner. Oh no, whatever shall I do? As you may have figured, I survived. After dinner, I scuttled off back to my apartment to consume Paczki with Drew and Jason, and that we did. We had moo juice and custard Paczki while watching some Naruto. Wonderful end to the day. To make things better, Thursday I went up to Lansing earlier in the day to hang out with Erin and Stef before going to BDub's. Erin was a little tired, but we still had a good time. It was the full complement of BDubs crowd (for me at least). It was Erin, Stef, Marcie, Nick, and me. One of their friends Ryan was also there, trashed beyond belief, but at least he was taken care of. He got a ride home safely with a friend. After BDub's, Marcie headed home eventually after a bit and Nick, Stef, Erin, and I watched Bruce Almighty, which I thoroughly enjoy. "Back to you, fuckers!!!" Great line. When the movie ended, we kept talking, and talking until about 6am. Yeah, we were up late. After a 4 hour nap, Nick woke up the girls by climbing into Stef's bed. Alas, I couldn't stay long, for I had the vile instituion of work to attend to. Stupid work. But then again, I had a good night Friday night, Saturday night, and although today (Sunday) dragged, it was still a good day. So I can't complain... too much. So I have to go to EMU and jump through a few more hoops to insure some JCMU goodness for David. I don't think I will find out from JCMU if I am going in the next few days, but I will have EMU's endorsement, which is pretty much as good as going myself. At least that's what they told me so far. On the pants front, I am going to take a step to rid myself of the tyranny of pants soon. I measured myself for my first kilt. I am going to get a USAKilts Victory Kilt complete with a beer holder pocket on the side. It will be Navy Blue. Hell yeah. Christina is completely off the lease and moving her stuff into her new apartment with Robert as I type. Well, she is passed out on my bed because she decided to move stuff now, though she has a hangover, so he's doing the moving, and she's doing the sleeping. Poor guy. All in all a good week.

A Couple of Days Pass

And I am still killing myself over my JCMU application. All of the assurances from everyone that I will be going will not assuage my fears that I will not be allowed to return to Japan. Yeesh. I am planning what I would bring already! (I would need hot sauces, minimum two frisbees, need to get a digital camera, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, and, hopefully, 2 kilts, for starters) Enough of my pity party. Last night, Jason, Justin and I went to a bar. We went to The Box Bar in Plymouth. Its biggest selling point was their beer selection. They had 650 beers available, 40 on draft. They weren't messing around. Their beer menu was in a binder and took ten pages. It was organized by country, then alphabetically! I enjoyed a Double Diamond Amber Ale, a Yebisu (favorite Japanese beer ever), Celebrator Doppelbock, and an Anchor Steam beer. I enjoyed them all. They were all varied types, and it made for a pleasant night of sampling. The burger and fries we got there were standard bar fare, not too great, but still okay. The thing that was absolutely abysmal though, was the service. Our waiter actually disappeared for a while, and in that time my beer disappeared. I wanted more. So I got sick of waiting and went to the bar for it. As I was walking back to the table, he came out of the back room and said, " Is there anything I can get you?" My only answer was, "You're too slow." He responded, "I was smoking." Now, if you have guests that you are trying to take care of, you make damn sure they are set before you go suck on a cancer stick or three for fifteen minutes. When I reached the end of that beer, I was still getting restless. All three of us were done, and no waiter to be found. Justin was just letting me up to go to the bar when he emerged from the back room. Just in time to keep me from going to the bar, but still too late. Half way through the third round, he comes up, drops the bill off and says, "Hey, can you guys cash out? I want to go home soon. You can still drink." Okay, rudest check drop ever in the history of my experiences. He got a three dollar tip on a $73 bill. I also left him a little note saying why he didn't get a real tip. I got the fourth round from the bartender, who paid attention to people. I also watched Lost in Translation, which I thought was a very well-filmed movie. I could identify with it on many levels. I have been the lonely, homesick person staring out the window over the town. I have been living in Japan where I am the only person I can talk to well. I know the strong bonds that form between people like that. I felt that movie, and I truly enjoyed it. Now, some people would say it was slow and boring, but I really enjoyed it. I've lived it before, but not with a female lead next to me. Tonight I went to work and was expecting a couple people to come in and visit. Drew and Nissa came up and made my evening. I got to see them for the first time in months! Thankfully we weren't busy when they came in so I could sit and chat with them a bit. Hopefully I will get to see them again soon. Honestly, I shouldn't be writing this now. I should be asleep because it is 2:00am and I have to be back at work at 9:00am for a silly meeting, then back to work for the night at 4:00. Oh well. I should go rest my weary head.

It's been a while

Well, I have gone and neglected my LiveJournal for a while again. I woke up this morning and checked my computer and I had an IM from Stef telling me to update my journal. So here I am. I just let it get out of hand and things build up, and I just don't update. I'm lazy, is what I am saying. I've been fairly busy with work and school, but I've been having much more fun going to Lansing and visiting Erin and Stef. We've gone out to B-Dub's a few times, and Jason and Bud have joined us a few times also. I have some pretty good pictures from the last time we went there. This Valentine's Day was a fairly different one for me. I woke up and went to go play laser tag at Laser Quest which is right by Malarkey's, the Irish Pub I like. It was for my family's quarterly birthday party. We played two games and I came in 5th for both games. I also had to leave a bit early so I could scrub up for a little lunch date I made with Erin. We went to Carrabba's which is an Italian place that had pretty darn good food. Unfortunately, I had to cut everything fairly short, because I had to go to work, but getting to take Erin to lunch made my day. Work was busy, but filled with cheap people. Sunday I worked until 5 and was busy all day. After work, I went to my mom's for Diana's 9th birthday, which went well. We ended up getting Famous Dave's for dinner (though I had just left there) and having bundt cake. My brother and I discussed the bundting process. For instance a bundt cake is bundted when it is removed, or debunted, from the bundt pan. Also called the Debundtification Process. It was very informative. Today I went to lunch with Jason to the new Max and Erma's and it was obvious that the waitress was bored, had a small section, and was new to waiting tables. She checked up on us way too much, but was at least good natured about it. Then we went to EMU to turn in the hard copy of my JCMU application. Now comes two and a half weeks of waiting to find out if I get to go to Japan again. Oh well. So, happy? I'm updating my journal again! To review, my highlights lately: visiting Erin, hanging out with Stef, Jason, Bud, and stuff. Lowlights: constant work for not so good money and silly school getting in the way. David, signing off.

One more thing...

I forgot to mention that there was a Southern Comfort party at B-Dubs, and we all got beads! I could have gotten a feather mask or a jester's hat, but I would have had to buy a drink for $3, and I really don't like SoCo. So there. BEADS!

EL and Back Again

So, I was invited to East Lansing again to go to Buffalo Wild Wings (B-dubs) with Erin, Stef, and Marcie (one of their friends) this Thursday, so I got out of class early and headed up for the night. It was awesome. First off, B-dub's had about 15-20 beers on tap. Perfect for David. They had good wings, and it gets better. We got a table right next to the dance floor (they have a DJ there on Thursdays). So I sat down by Erin, and Nick, another MSU friend shows up to the bar. I buy the second round for everyone, and we are having a good time. Stef and Marcie are dancing away, while Erin and I (sometimes Nick, too) would chill at the table. Eventually, I told Erin that if she wanted to dance, then I would gladly go with her (the closest I have ever been to asking someone to dance. Was it because of Bud and his damnable DDR? Was it because I was drunk? No, I just wanted to dance with her, so there!). Let me just say I *really* enjoyed dancing with her. After dancing for a while, it gets really crowded, and we head over to Harper's, where Jerry Sprague (who used to play at Theo's) was playing. We went in to relax a bit before going home, and listened to tunes for about a half hour before heading out. Marcie dropped us off, and we watched some X-Files, ordered more Menna's and had Bud deliver it, which was cool to get to see him, even if he was at work. In the am, Erin and I moved my car to the commuter lot, which was cold, but not much of a problem. Then we came back, the ladies studied (Stef had an 8am class, ugh!), and I napped a bit. We discussed some things, and generally just chilled. I had to go to work at 5, so I left at around 1:55, which was, I thought, plenty of time. Well, it took 25 minutes for the bus to the commuter lot to show up, it took forever to get there, because a train was in the way, then I got into my car after 2:40. With the weather, snowy and slick, I got to my apartment with just enough time to shower, shave, and skedaddle. It was rough, and I got to work at 5:08, because when I went to work, there was a 3-car accident at Warren and Newburgh, and I had to go through the rubbernecker traffic, so I was late. Hey, traffic, accident, and stuff got me a no-problem tardy. Work sucked today, because every cheap idiot was out with their belligerent significant other. One, we were dead, so nobody made money. Two, the people were horrible tippers (5-10% was standard today!!!). Third, there were three arguments/fights. I took care of people who were having an argument (it was horribly tense), and didn't eat any food, just got up and left, their food untouched. Didn't pay, either. So I didn't, thankfully, since it wasn't my fault. One woman threw all the jewelery her guy bought her on the table and stormed out, while the guy paid. We have her jewelery in the office now. Two people came in and ordered a beer, and had two young teenaged kids with them. By the time the beer got to the table, the couple of adults seemed blitzed, like it all just hit them at once, and because of this, everyone double and triple checked on them, making them uncomfortable and, therefore, belligerent. They were grumpy prats who should *NOT* have driven home. That, and even though it was dead, we didn't get out of there till after 1, because of the new, stricter check-out process, making sure every little thing is perfectly clean. Not a bad idea, we were just all cranky and tired. And so am I tired, so I shall sleep now. Good night to all, and to all, well, you know the rest. And if you read this, Erin, thank you once more for inviting me up, and I'll try to come back soon, or at least to get together. Had yet another wonderful time. :)

A Wee Bit o Time Passes

So, classes start, and there's nothing exciting about them except that two of them changed rooms and didn't post notices, and that means that David was late for a couple classes. No biggie. I also went to visit Justin Mielgaard, who is the study abroad advisor at EMU who sent me to Japan the first time. It turns out that I was one of the first students he sent abroad here, and thinks I should definitely go back. Just have to get that pesky application and reccommendation letter done... In other news, I had an excellent night recently. I went up to East Lansing to visit Erin, and keep her company, and Stef came home too, so she was there. I figured, well, why not see if Jason is free? and he came up, too. We mainly hung out, playing Super Smash Bros Melee, Mario Kart, watching the Robin Williams Live on Broadway, and Raiders of the Lost Ark before crashing. We also got Dubs and CHEWY COOKIES delivered to us from Menna's Joint, which is a tasty sandwich wrap place up at State. In the AM, we woke up, slowly, and relaxed a while before deciding we had to do something to get away from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (what's with those belt buckles, anyways?), so we went to Harper's, which is a little brewpub close by. Had a pint of stout (there's a breakfast for ya!), and it had a nice, hearty roast flavor, with tones of chocolate, espresso, and toast in it, a moderate bitterness, and it retained a frothy head for about 2 minutes. Not a bad little beer! Jason tried the Raspberry Wheat, which surprised us by being pink beer. Now, we got over the shock, and it had a very strong raspberry flavor. Like a light wheat beer overpowered by the raspberries. It was still good, and Jason and I each brought home a growler of it. When food was done, I carted Erin, Stef, and Jason to Menna's to meet up with Bud, where I thought we were going to hang out a bit, but veryone had to part. Bud wanted to give me FZero to play for a while, and who am I to argue? I had to follow him home. But not before going back to Erin & Stef's to get my stuff together. Hugs all around (and let me tell you, I didn't want to let go), and we parted off to our separate ways. I followed Bud home, watched an episode of Charmed because his roommate was watching it, ate Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, then he got me up on the DDR pads. Dance Dance Revolution. Ugh, I can honestly say I do not like this. I couldn't keep my weight distributed properly, then the arrows would confuse me and I looked like I was dancing on hot coals, poorly. They kept saying, "You'll only get better," but I'm not going to have that option, will I, since I don't live there. It has been expressed to me many times that I am always welcome back up at that apartment, and I think I may have to abuse that. I mean, I want to go up there and spend time with Erin, so why not? Now I just have to figure out if I can afford to go up there tomorrow night...

Smashing!

Must..... Play.... Smash Bro.s.......... I played it all night for the past two nights. It's good to get it out of the way before I get back in classes. Yes, school started on the 5th, but I couldn't get into classes, and had to troll the registration watching people drop and add, creating spaces. Stupid new system. So, Jason and I opened up every single one of the 25 characters on SSBM. It was quite fun. When I woke up in the am, I decided to check up on the class situation. I sat for over an hour, wrestling with classes anf got it all settled. So, without further ado, here is my Winter 2004 Schedule (TM) ECON 202 - Principles of Microeconomics 200-315 Tuesday and Thursday SOCL 105 - Introduction to Sociology 700-940 Tuesday HIST 102 - Western Civilization: 1600-present 715-955 Wednesday MGMT 384 - Human Resources Management 630-910 Thursday MGMT 202 - Introduction to Management Independent Learning So I have 5 classes, 15 credit hours, plus work. That's gonna be rough. ON the plus side, Jason is going to move in. He took his application home tonight. I also pitched the idea of Japan Dave II: The Amazing Return today, and he liked the August visit to Japan idea, since his Chilean ski trip isn't working out. I have an opening! Woo! I also got to go out to dinner with Erin again yesterday. We went to Ruby Tuesday's and rented X2, which neither of us had seen. After the movie and almost all of the extras, we were both tired. She headed out, and Jason came over around 2, where we played until about 630, and he stayed up till about 10. Mind you, this should be at the top of the post, but I am too lazy/tired to move it.

The 4th

So, who asked for the snow? I mean, the day I am getting ready to have my pile of people over, it gets nasty out! I went to go get Super Smash Bros Melee (nobody rents it anymore, so I just bought it at Gamespot), and by the time I got the game and got back to my car, a half inch had fallen. Of course, by the time people showed up (even though one person wussed out, Danny Bumford), the snow had stopped. It was still nerve racking, thinking that nobody was going to come. Jason, Justin, Joe, Rob, LaGory, Stef, and Erin all showed up. We played bunches of SSBM, then busted out Euchre. I was pretty much starting to teach Erin and Stef was getting a refresher, when we ran out of Irish Cream. I had had one drink by this time, so I invited Erin to join me on a trip to Meijer's to acquire said Cream of the Emerald Isle, plus other snax such as potato skins as per Stef's request. That taken care of, I was back to the little gathering. LaGory put in Fight Club in the background, played bunches of Euchre, and I got a video of LaGory and Grabowski rocking out to Iron Man (sung themselves). Eventually, Grabowski got tired, and took LaGory and Stef with him, since he drove them in the first place. Jason and Justin left because they had to work in the am. That left Joe, Erin, and myself. We watched the rest of Fight Club, watched tv, then played Melee until the wee hours of the morn, around 430am.Joe was asleep on the floor, and Erin stretched out on the couch, her legs over my lap. I kept dozing, almost falling asleep on her. Personally, I wouldn't have minded, but I decided to do the better thing, and give her the couch and move to the floor just there. I offered to open the couch, but she said no. I woke up at 7, 8, 930, 1030, and 1130. 1130, I stayed up. Erin soon woke up, followed by Joe. We talked, played more SSBM, then people went their separate ways. It was a good night.

Nihon ni kaeritai yo...

Three years ago today, I was on my way to JCMU in Hikone, Shiga, Japan. I am jealous of those headed there today. Perhaps I will get to go this summer/fall. But who knows?

2004 and Beyond!

So I had some people over on New Year's Eve, and it was pretty cool. Before everyone came over, lil Rach stopped by and confused us. Erin, Stef, Rita, Joe, Aaron Engi, and Jason were all over. Engi brought a pile of liquor, most of which wasn't touched, because it was really only Jason, Engi and myself drinking. Joe had a drink and Erin had a Killian's, but that's about it. Rita doesn't drink (from what I gathered), and Stef didn't because she was driving Rita home. Erin only had one, and early on, so she was fine. We decided to watch Pirates of the Carabiner (Yarr... Click), uh, I mean Caribbean. More than halfway through it, it was New Years, so we stopped the movie for a bit, and watched the ball drop. At this time, however, Jason was out on the stairs, all the tequila and beers having hit him by then. He had had around 5 shots and 4 beers by then. And they all decided to punch him in the face at once. (for the record: Jason had also had quite a bit by the time he fell in the sink, not just the one that I had) We heard disjointed counting from the apartment of "10...9...8..... ..... 10...9...8....4....3.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" So, though they were sober, they still couldn't count. Within the half hour, Rita and Stef took off, to beat the bar rush traffic, and Erin, Aaron, Joe, Jason and I finished Pirates, and then, sadly, Erin left. Jason fell asleep on the couch, snoring, and the remaining conscious people played Mario Kart until about 430am. I woke up around 7 to feed cats, and Jason was kinda awake. So we all got up at 930 and played, what else? Mario Kart! until about 130, when we went to get food at a nearby Coney Island. Shortly thereafter, after more games, of course, they all left me to my silent apartment. That was my amazing New Year's Eve. It was great to get to see Rita after 3 years of not seeing her, and being able to find out that she was okay, and safe, doing more with her life than I am now. It made my night. On the 2nd, I went to lunch with Jeanette, and saw her for the first time in years. We went to Olga's, then walked around the mall. It was also really good to get to see her again, and find out first hand what's going on in her life. Despite all her own percieved shortcomings, he is lucky to have her, she really does miss him, and wants to be there to take care of him right now. And, damn it, she's doing more with her life than me, too! I feel so slow. But, hey, tomorrow, I will have a pile of people over. It's going to be 7-12 people if I counted correctly. That's going to be fun, where am I going to put all those people? I have my queen bed and a pull out bed, and pillows and blankets galore, so that *should* work. Let's hope it does as well in practice as in theory.