This is what my new chair looks like. Aside from computers, this is my biggest work expense ever. $600 big ones. I saved quite a bit of money, though, because I found it in an Office Depot catalog which came with a 10% off coupon (thanks, Kaori). I liked it when I tried it out at Yodobashi Camera, but they were selling it for around $800. Finally, a chair that can support the weight of a 6′ tall alien. My last chair was nice, but it had some hard plastic under the cushion on the backrest, so it always poked me when I leaned back toward the end of the day. I had to put a pillow behind me. Anyway, now I have a great chair to sit in all day!
Today Kaori and I went with Assis to a Brazilian festival in Tokyo (Yoyogi Park). They had lots of Brazilian food, entertainment and souvenirs. There was one stand there, however, that was selling Hawaiian doughnuts. Hawaiian doughnuts at a Brazilian festival. The strangeness did not end there, however. The advertising spokesperson was none other than Billy Blanks of Boot Camp fame. Even more strange was the fact that they had a sign up that said if you bought some doughnuts you could get your picture taken with Billy Blanks. We waited in line for about 30 minutes, and sure enough, Billy Blanks arrived! So I got to shake his hand and get my picture taken with him. He also commented that he liked my t-shirt.
Hurricane Clay has come and gone. Got here on the 13th at around 7 p.m. What do you think was the first thing he did?
He got onto his computer and started checking his work e-mails. The next day he went on a trip to a place called Izumo in Shimane and spent some time practicing jujutsu with a friend. He came back a few days later, and what was the first thing he did?
If you said, “Took out his computer and started checking his work e-mails,” you are correct. During the day he’d go out and meet friends, and when he got back he’d be right back on the computer checking e-mails and giving his subordinates instructions.
I think if you look in the dictionary, you might one day find one of the pictures above next to the definition of workaholic. Guess that’s an indication of just how important he is at his workplace. I’d venture a guess that he’s pretty good at what he does, too, considering he’s already got a management position in such a short time with the company. Makes his big brother proud. Just wish he didn’t have to work so much (even on weekends, he told me).
While he was here we did get to do some stuff together. First we went for a weightlifting session at my Taekwondo dojo with my Taekwondo instructor (a former Olympian).
The next day he went with me to the Taekwondo class.
In the middle is Shinkai, and on the right is Takashi.
On the last day before he left we went for a jog around the neighborhood.
There was a total solar eclipse today. Apparently these things only happen once in a lifetime–every 50 years or so. Wouldn’t you know it, the skies were cloudy. Here’s what I was able to see:
Around the beginning of this year I rediscovered Michael Jackson’s music. I got hooked on all my old favorites again like Billy Jean, Beat It and Man in the Mirror. Since the news of his death I’ve been listening to all of his music. He really did have talent. It’s too bad he had to die so young without getting his life together. There’s a hole in all of our hearts that only God can fill. Unfortunately many people find that out too late.
I’ve uploaded pics from Mom’s trip to Japan. Unfortunately, because there are so many and they were taken by 3 different cameras, there was no way to put them in order. The pics are here.
I never really cared for Doraemon, the cat-robot from the future, but he now adorns my mobile phone, thanks to an experience at the Movie Village in Kyoto. Mom and I went on May 8, and I was hoping to see the “Super Samurai” show that I’ve seen twice now. It’s really cool with acrobatics and stuff, but they didn’t have it this time. Instead, we went to a little show where a guy was demonstrating a sword and frog oil. I got called up onto the stage, and he pretended to cut my arm and then “heal” the wound with frog oil. He gave me a mobile phone strap with Doraemon on it for being such a good sport. The best part was him asking me how old I was and then misunderstanding my reply. I said I was 31 in English, and he said, “Oh, 21?” in Japanese. Then I said, “No, 31″ in Japanese. He and the audience acted surprised, so I guess I could have passed for 21. I was happy.
If you’re reading this in your e-mail, you’ll have to go to my blog to view the video.
So I’m here at Kyoto Station and this elderly Japanese lady comes up to me and asks me how to get to Tokyo. There are about 5 million people at the station and she asks the foreigner. I had no idea, but I looked around and found the sign, so I told her in a confident tone, “Tokyo? That’d be lines 11 and 12.”
Mom’s flight arrived safely at Narita, but unfortunately she had to wait on me for two hours. I was waiting on her, too, though. The stupid signs at the airport were never updated to say that the passengers were going through customs. I had heard on the news that people were having to wait on the planes for hours being checked for swine flu so I didn’t think anything of it. When the sign finally changed I got up to make sure I’d see her come through the arrivals gate, but to my surprise I heard a familiar voice from behind me say, “Mr. Carmical!”
Well, I took Clay up on the challenge. I couldn’t do 5k in 25 minutes. It took me 28 minutes and 25 seconds. I think I probably could have done it in a little under 27 minutes, but I didn’t notice that my pace was too slow until a little over halfway through.
September 28, 2009 
