Circus Sheets and God

I think my new sheets are too loud...They're keeping me awake at night. I bought them about a week and a half ago, and I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since. I had been looking for some funky sheets, besides the gross blue ones I had, and found some Tommy Hilfiger ones that were striped blue, pink, white and magenta. They were 50% off, so I bought them. The morning after I'd slept in them the first time, I looked at my bed...It looks like a circus tent! It's horrible. I'm gonna keep them because I like the color, but...I don't know what to do about my sleep pattern. I don't understand the logic of my command team. Labor Day weekend for the Army, is a four day weekend. Which is good for the rest of the Army, because they don't work on the weekends. The band on the other hand works almost once every weekend. And, this weekend is like every other. We usually have comp days, and this time it was going to be: Friday, Saturday off, work Sunday, Monday, Tuesday off. Which is still retarded because, yeah, you have four days totally, but they're not all in a row. So, this morning chief tells everyone that they are taking Tuesday away, and giving us a three day the next weekend. I don't want a three day! I was four days! I want to have time to travel Japan. I want to go and see Kyoto, I want to see the big Buda...And how am I supposed to do that if I'm not getting the time off! Grr. I can plan as best I can this time, I know I'm gonna have three days...I'll see what I can dig up. I'm watching the news about Hurricane Katrina, and I feel bad, but it reminds me of this story: There was a man, Steve, who lived in Florida and he heard that a hurricane was coming. He decided that he didn't need to leave, that God would look out for him and he would be fine. So, there was about an hour or so until the hurricane was going to hit and there was a knock on Steve's door. There was a man standing there whom Steve had never seen. "Come on!" the man said, "I have a truck and we can get out of here before the storm hits. Come with me!" Steve thanked the man but said, "I'm not leaving. I'll be fine. God will take care of me." "Suit yourself," the man said, hopping in his truck and driving off. The hurricane hit, and there was lots of flooding. Steve was standing in his window sill, trying to keep dry, when a man in a row boat sailed by. "Come on!" the man in the row boat said. "I can take one more with me." "No, thank you!" Steve said. "I'm going to stay here. God will take care of me." The man shook his head, but rowed away. Finally, Steve was standing on his roof. The water was rising even higher, and a helicopter flew by. A man on a rescue line, came down. "Come on!" the man said. "Grab hold, and we'll be on our way." Steve refused. "I'm not leaving." he said. "God will take care of me." The man gave a signal to the others in the helicopter and flew away. The water rose and rose. It was over Steve's head and he fought as much as he could, but couldn't keep his head above the water. Eventually, Steve passed away. He arrived in heaven and was angry. "What is this?" He asked himself, "God was supposed to take care of me. If he had been why am I here?" He heard a great voice behind him, and spun around. He was looking God straight in the face. God said. "I did take care of you. I sent the man with the truck, the man with the row boat, and a whole crew in a helicopter, and you refused. As far as I'm concerned you deserved to die. You're a fool." The end. Have a nice day!

Babble (No. 1)

Finally, I can say I know what the difference between a kimono and a yukata are. I thought they were the same. I’ve been reading “Memoirs of a Geisha” (actually, I finished last night) and I saw a woman walking down the street wearing a Japanese robe. I didn’t think it was a kimono, but I didn’t know what the name for it was. I mentioned to Shawnee that I wanted to learn more about kimono and when and where they wear them. Well, Shawnee pointed out that the robe wasn’t a kimono, but a yukata…whatever the hell that was... Then, Friday, at the Fire Festival we saw tons of people wearing robes, and I decided once and for all to know the difference and all about traditional Japanese dress. And here it is: http://www.japanesekimono.com/ . A yukata is a summer weight robe, which is a lot like a kimono is the way that the top layer is worn. A kimono is extremely elaborate, and is worn for extremely special occasions. It’s all spelled out in the link. It’s really interesting to read about. Yeah, “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden is an excellent book, especially, being in Japan while I was reading. It had the same effect on me as “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons” did while I was in Germany. I probably never would have visited the Louvre if I hadn’t read “The Da Vinci Code”. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to see Rome while I was there. I was in Japan when the Pope passed away or I probably would have hopped a plane and made it down there. I hope to visit there one day though, along with Venice. Ahhhh…..but that’s another dream. So…yes, I so much want to visit Kyoto now after reading this book. I’m sure I’ll be disappointed to some extent, because the Kyoto in this story is a Kyoto of pre-WWII. But, it should be fascinating all the same. And, speaking about great books…I’m also going to speak about bad movie renditions. I really do not like watching movies of books I love. There is only one exception and that is “Clan of the Cave Bear” because I saw the movie years and years before I read the book. However, every movie I have seen about a book I love has been absolute trash. For instance, “White Oleander” the book is amazing. It goes deep into the struggle of a young girl who is pulled from one foster family to another and how she learns more about herself in the process. The movie hit on the couple of horrify experiences, (i.e. her affair with a foster father, her real mother talking her favorite foster mother to commit suicide) then makes a total false love story between her and a boy she meets in a youth center. It was horrible. Right now, they are making “The Da Vinci Code” and “Memoirs of a Geisha” into movies. I’ve done some research on both, and of the two “Memoirs of a Geisha” will be the better. The casting seems great. I don’t know about the story, but I’m sure it will be fine. “The Da Vinci Code” on the other hand has horrible casting for the male lead (Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon? I’m sorry, but…no.) They do have the girl who was Amelie as Sophie, which I think is a great choice, I do wonder if she got the part because she is probably the most famous French actress that the US knows…She’s great, but was there anyone better out there? Oh, well, we’ll see how it all turns out. Another, movie I’m waiting for is “Rent”. They cast most of the original Broadway cast, except Joann and Mimi. (I like their choices though. Kudos!) Let’s see if a Broadway play of the magnitude can hold it’s own on the big screen. My fingers are crossed. It better be good…I cried the first time I saw the trailer. “The opposite of war isn’t peace…its creation!”

Survey...Once and For All!

Time for this one again! I just got this from Beth, so instead of sending it to everyone, I'm just going to answer it on here. Enjoy! 1. What time did you get up this morning? Which time? 645 and then at 1300 2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Island 4.What is your favorite TV show? Will and Grace and Medium 5. What did you have for breakfast? Popeyes 6. What is your middle name? Jo 7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mom's 8. What foods do you dislike? Unmelted Cheese 9. What is your favorite Potato Chip? Salt and Vinegar Chips and Salsa Doritos 10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Flogging Molly "Within a Mile of Home" 11. What kind of car do you drive? What car? 12. Favorite sandwich? Rubeun 13. What characteristics do you despise? Arrogance 14. Favorite item of clothing? Blue peasant skirt 15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia 16. What color is your bathroom? Pink 17. Favorite brand of clothing? Charlotte Russe 18. Where would you want to retire? Not sure yet. 19. Favorite time of day? When it's time to go home from work. 20. Favorite sport to watch? Nothing. 21. Where were you born? Grand Rapids, MI 22. Who do you least expect to send this back? No one, since I'm not sending it. 23. Person you expect to send it back first? Ditto 24. What laundry detergent do you use? Tide 26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning 27. What size shoe do you wear? 8.5 28. Do you have pets? Lucifer, my pretty kitty! Oh, and I just adopted Shushi the band fish 29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? nope 30. What did you want to be when you were little? An author 31. Favorite candy bar? Reeses Peanut Butter Cups 32. What is your best childhood memory? Mom reading "James and the Giant Peach" to me when I was sick one night. 33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Store Clerk, Army 34. What color underwear are you wearing? no underware 35. Nicknames? Ba-dunk-a-dunk (Thanks, Danny!) 36. Piercing? Yup....ears. 37. Eye color? Hazel 38. Ever been to Africa? no 39. Ever been toilet papering? Yes....we "tried" to tp Alex's house once when we were in Ninth grade. 40. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes (He knows who he is.) 41. Been in a car accidet? Only one, thankfully. 42. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon bits. 43. Favorite day of the week? Comp days. 44. Favorite Restaurant? Outback 45. Favorite Flower? Lilies 46. Favorite ice cream? Mint Chocolate Chip 47. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney 48. Favorite fast food restaurant? Wendy's and Taco Bell 49. What color is your bedroom carpet? Blue and Leopard print rungs. 50. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None 51. Before this one, who did you receive your last e.mail from? Mom 52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Ikea 53. What do you do most often when you are bored? Play Spogg.com 54. Bedtime? 10:00 55. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? It's always nice to learn about friends, so anyone. 56. Last person you went to dinner with? Shawnee and the crew....Sushi!! (The food, not the fish.) 57. Ford or Chevy? Don't care. 58. What are you listening to right now? What Not to Wear. 59. What is your favorite color? Blue 60. Lake, ocean or river? Lake 61. How many tattoos do you have? Two, a fairy and shamrock that my brother drew and a shamrock with an American Flag motif. 62. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Don't give a shit. 63. How many people are you sending this e-mail to? I'm not. 64. Time you finished this e-mail? Whatever the posted time is.

Fire and Alcohol Don't Mix (No Matter What the Pagans Say...)

Wow! What a blast! Well…after we figured out where the hell we were supposed to be. The bus drivers dropped us off outside the shrine, gave us a map that was almost all in Japanese and said, “We’re leaving at 830.” Oh, great. Shawnee and I checked out the shrine first it was beautiful, and so serene. While we were there we participated in a tea ceremony. We were just going to watch, but the women were pointing at the seats and saying, “Dozo” which means, “Go ahead”. So, we did it. I think we managed to not make absolute fools of ourselves. We watched as a Japanese version of Rhea Perlman did the actual ceremony, which is really just making the tea out of a sort of tea leaf powder. The tea is very frothy because of the whisk they use to make the tea. It’s very strong. Think of it as a shot of espresso only it’s green tea. http://www.easterntea.com/teaceremony.htm After the shrine, Shawnee and I made our way into the direction we thought the mass of the festival would be. We ended walking down the wrong street, but eventually found a police woman who we asked to read the map. She signed directions to us, and told us that the festival didn’t start until 1900. Uh, it was only 1630. When we found the street we were supposed to be on, most of the vendors were still setting up, so we went into a high speed ramen shop and had a beer. (Of course, that was the only logical thing to do.) We had beer and gyoza and complained about the why this outdoor rec trip was organized. Shawnee had told me that usually there is a guide who tells you where you should be at what time so that you don’t miss any of the cool stuff. This trip was really unlike that. We had arrived way too early, and if they didn’t start until 1900, the busses left at 2030. That only gave us an hour and a half. We found out later that that was more than enough time, but it was something to complain about at the time. After our second beer a group of people that Shawnee knew from other trips she had been on came into the restaurant. We had another beer with them. They are some cool people. I’ll defiantly be going on more trips if they’re on them. Finally, we said good-bye and went to check out what was going on. The street had been totally transformed. There were towers of wood for burning about five feet apart all the way down the street, it smelled so good like pine. As I was taking a picture of one, we met Neil and Alyssa. He and Shawnee hit it off right away. They were both photographers, so they babbled on about pictures the entire time. It’s a good thing that we started at the end and walked up, because if not me and Alyssa wouldn’t have gotten them anywhere. They were a great couple to spend time with though. What a bunch of fun they were. So, what is the Fire Festival you ask? Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am here for the soul purpose to answer those questions…the truth, I have no idea. Here’s a link that I found that explains it the best: http://www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp/div/english/html/festivalfire.htm Basically, it’s just the end of the Japanese summer and the end of the hiking season up Mt. Fuji. Speaking of Fuji-sen, while we were waiting for the fires to start if you looked down the street all you could see was Mt. Fuji shrouding the town. You could see the lights from the climbing stations. It was magnificent. I know why they worship the mountain like they do. It’s outstanding. So, have you ever walked down a flaming street? It’s crazy! It smells so good! It feels like an inferno! I’m surprised no one gets hurt. There are so many people on the street! And it’s hectic and absolutely nuts! The night was great. I bought a semi-automatic rubber band sling shot. It shoots ten rubber bands consecutively at any unsuspecting person. I also bought a small painting of the Moulin Rouge. I know it was a strange buy. Why didn’t I buy something with Japan on it? Well, first I just liked the look of it, and second I had had about three beers and the same amount of Chu-hi at that point. So, yeah… The bus ride on the way back was not good. If Alyssa hasn’t given me those French fries I would really have been sucking wind. I’ll have to remember that for the next trip.

Wasted Time

Wow...I can tell already that a lot of my life is going to go into creating this blog...But in the words of my mother..."You don't know how much I don't give a damn!" I just got back from the Fire Festival. (so, yes, Shawnee's jerry-rigging and SFC Weaver's unabated decision making paid off.) What a blast! However, there will be more to follow...I need a good night's sleep first...Too much beer and chu-hi! My stomach is not at all agreeing with me. BTW, I added my mother's blog to the bottom of my page. Make sure to check it out. I'm sure I will be adding more soon. I know Shawnee is going to get into this, and this is definitely something I can see my Aunt Tina doing also. Like I've said...I like to hear what other people have to say also. Remember to keep an open mind...That's the only way to really make it in this world!

About Alarm Clocks and Fish

Uh...I hate waking up. I'm glad today that I didn't have to wake up at 530. I don't think anyone should be expected to get up before 600. That is a good universal wake up time. If you are in a job that requires you to get out of bed by that time...Get rid of it. Unfortunately, I can't, I'd have big bad Uncle Sam breathing down my neck. I finally figured out how to get the alarm on my cell phone to work. Now I don't have to wake up to that incessant *beep* *beep* *beep* of my watch. Now I can wake up and watch Donald making fun of Mickey in the desert. Yes, it doesn't make much sense, but does it have to? I still haven't heard from Shawnee this morning about whether I'm supposed to be in for work early so that we can split for this festival at noon. I should probably go and jump in the shower and go over there on my own accord, but then, what if they don't let me go and I'm stuck all day at the band hall for no reason? Hmm...The questions life throws out your way! *shakes head* I'll probably go over there to feed the fish. Let me tell you about this damn fish. When I got to Japan there was a fish tank sitting in the hallway, and I couldn't tell if there was anything in there. It had a long curtain of algae on the front...It was extremely gross. I heard that Cheif liked to empty his coffee and tea in there every so often. After a day or two I noticed a moving object. It was a koi fish and he was poking his head out around the algae to see what was going on. Finally, about a month ago, I asked if I could take the fish home. They said, "Take it!" The fish tank is still sitting at the band hall, but at least now the tank is cleaned. In the process I found yet another fish (This one is horribly ugly. Like an eel or something.). And realized that there was no food. Who had been feeding the fish? I think it was living off of coffee. So, now, I think the fish is crazy...He swims around like a nut case. It reminds me of Dori off of Finding Nemo. "A boat! I've seen a boat!" I think maybe it has banged it's head one too many times on the clean glass or maybe he's having caffeine withdrawals. I'm starting to like the ugly one better. He just sits there.

My Very First Blog!

Well, then...Everyone was on crack today at work. At about 1400 we all got the giggles. It was so nice...I think it was because of the typhoon. Unfortunately, work doesn't start until 1200 tomorrow, (and according to Fred the uniform is flip-flops, a thong, and a light coat of oil. I asked if the females have to wear tops. He said it was optional.) which normally would be awesome, however, Shawnee and I are going to the Fire Festival and the bus leaves at 1200. She's trying to jerry-rig some plan so that we come into work at the normal time. I hope it works, thankfully, everyone is in a good mood today, so it might just possibly work!

I have no idea what the Fire Festival really is. I guess they build huge bonfires and drink and dance around them...You have to love those old time pagan religions! They certainly know how to party. I'm wondering how they'll keep them lit in a typhoon though. Gasoline, I guess. Lots and lots of gasoline! Good fun!