KIND OF BLUE

BOYS

A child after my own heart. Little One loves flowers that smell and/or taste good. I wish he had a garden to sniff around in!



Mom!! They're fantastic!!



Best friends.



Not even moms are allowed inbetween something as sweet as that.

APPETIZER

Fresh scallops wrapped in bacon: shimeji mushrooms sauteed in the leftover grease.

YES

HERE WE GO!

WISHING ON THE MOON

A BIG WISH.

SAKURA

WE ARE GETTING THERE.

SUNRISE

XOXO, BOYS

SO CUTE.

THE OFFICE

THE OFFICE SURPRISED ME WITH PINO GRIGIO AND MIMORETTE AND THIS CARD. POPPO AND CHU CHU GOT ME ONE, TOO!

SAKURA

Definitely a few more days to go til the town is painted pink.

RAIN'S GONE

It's gonna be a bright, bright, sun-shiney day.

TOKYO TODAY

Cloudy with a chance of rain.

I'M BACK

I had the shortest birthday ever--12 hours long, in fact. I was in-flight and landed on Japanese soil as a 29 year old. So I'm back and a year older. Whatchu got for me this year, Tokyo? Make it good! Let's make it good (^^)b!!

FAMILY

East Coast style...

First Generation & Her Girls


First Generation & Her Boys


Third Generation


Mac

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Birthday Girl--aka Grandmom--had the ultimate 80-years-young birthday party planned by her two daughters: an old-fashioned girl's birthday party, the theme executed to the T complete with balloons, streamers, party favors, games, a huuuuuge cake, primroses, punch (OK, this had lots of Champagne in it) ...













...and even a magician! The magician was a friendly British man who had spent time in Shikoku teaching English at a GEOS in Takamatsu, which was a rather similar situation that mom was in when she was teaching at a high school just across the Seto-Ohashi bridge years ago (when there was, in fact, no bridge). Small world, isn't it?

The inspiration of the party started from this picture in a little girl's storybook.



Watch out Martha! The Neuhauser women have more than a little talent.

CELEBRITY?

Birthday Girl looking like a celebrity at a press conference:

USA

USA are my initials spelled backwards.
Do I look different in the USA than in Japan?

RECENTLY

Other than taxes, the other big thing I did last week was get a Japanese driver's license at Samezu DOL.


With a valid US license and proof of stay within the US for at least 6 months, potential J-drivers can take two half-day written and driving tests at a DOL to get their Japanese licenses, as opposed to signing up for expensive and very time-consuming driving schools (which are inevitable if you don't already have a license). FYI For non-American license holders (i.e. Canadian, Australian), you may be eligible to get Japanese licenses by just presenting a valid license to people at the DOL here.

Ninapod and I went to a Washington State wine tasting event at the Tokyo American Club last Tuesday. It was really crowded, filled with young international men and women. Some women were wearing what appeared to be prom dresses, giving the event a singles' party vibe (not necessarily bad, just unexpected). The wines were good and we tasted many from wineries we knew about near Seattle. There was a dinner buffet for which we all lined up like obedient cattle, ate and repeated. There was a German guy who was talking to different J-women every time I saw him (so it was a singles party!). There was a really beautiful Japanese woman there, who did not talk to the German guy because she was with her own guy. Ninapod and I took a coffee break at some point, and I ate a piece of home-made fudge which was given to me by a friend for White Day (Valentine's Day here is when women give presents to men, and White Day--March 14th--is when men reciprocate).





Here's Ninapod outside after the tasting, with her signature numeral ("2", because 2 in Japanese is pronounced "Ni").



The following morning I woke up with a cold. I was feeling a bit under the weather recently and I think the early mornings going to Samezu, the late nights working (or drinking wine, depending) and the sudden relapse of wintery winds in Tokyo threw my body off guard. So it was Vitamin C time.





While Chu Chu loves the vitamin C, Poppo doesn't really care whether he gets any or not.



And then the Vitamin C didn't work so I had some Nyquil. Mmmzzzz....



Which I usually take sparingly, for I purchase them one box at a time at American drug stores. But I had no reason to hold back on this day, as we will be visiting and purchasing drugstore items all weekend long while in the US celebrating Grandmama's 80th birthday with the whole family. Stay tuned!

ON-THE-GO

"On-The-Go" is a setting in iPods!! Golly!!
Here I was thinking it was Ninapod's clever title for an upbeat compilation.

Here is a photo of my 'pod, on-the-go, feeding me lots and lost of music.

BREAK

Yet another form of taking a break.
Although this is strictly it's-the-weekend-and-basically-time-to-go-to-bed kind of a break.

FYI, Kirin Chilled Beer is good.

BONUS

The singer-songwriter's bonus... tax returns!!!

Thanks to HK's help, all done.
That's my post-scale-man weighing my returns for me. Hmmm, a billion trillion dollars for you this year, perhaps, Miss Ai? Indeed, Mr post-scale-man, perhaps.

Now it is movie & beer-time big time, to commense immediately. I'm going to walk over to the Tsutaya video rental and get me some good new releases. Plus a few cans o' cold ones at the conbini few stores down.
Yoopeee!

One feat down, one more to go.

COOL?

Am I cool now?

(My ride to the office this morning was SO exciting because of this little thing. Music... I feel like I found you again!)

Many thanks to the Ninapod and the Mothership.

BAGUETTE

Chu Chu loves bread, real and otherwise.
French and otherwise.

MANGO COCKTAIL

Not a bad way to take a break.

LICENSE

I'm 2/3 on my way to getting my first Japanese license.
Today I went to Samezu department of licensing to take the basic knowledge test and in a few days I will be taking the driving test.

It's A Small Tokyo update:
I have not totally forgotten about this although I don't post them anymore.
A few days ago, Ricardo from Nina's former work (whom we were *just* talking about 20 minutes beforehand) dashing out of the car of a train I was dashing into. And we had time to chat!
Today, Cloudy Bongwater at Samezu DOL, as he was leaving and as I was entering. Kiss Kiss to Ninapod!

INDEPENDENT

Midnight walk through the alleys of Akabane.
A 30-minute break with my boys after an argument then back to a bit of work.
I'm gonna nap in the office then get started on getting my Japanese license (converting what I have now, to--) tomorrow morning.
Maybe I'll asa-mac. That's "morning McDonalds" in the vernacular, in Japanland.



Little One doesn't need me to hold his leash if we're in the little alley by Akabane Hills.
He tots along at his own pace, every so often turning back to make sure we're still there.
If you whistle and call his name, he'll totter back toward you.
Next challenge: sit and stay sitting while people who smile, wave and/or stop to pet him walk by.

BATTLE

Sassy and intelligent?
Yeah, that's Chapter 11...

Japanzine included us in the Battle of the Gaijin bands! Maybe we can make it in the top 10 next year.

TCS

Wrapped up a series with TCS for our website today.
This was the last skit played, at Hinaya in Akasaka.
(sorry for the low res.)

LOVE ANGEL