Vaacaaation's all I ever waaanteeed . . . vaacaation, haaaave to geeet awaayy!

ONE MORE DAY TILL UNEMPLOYMENT!!!!

AAAAAHHH I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Andy and I already have plans to do some sightseeing. Starting Saturday we're gonna drive up to the San Francisco area and go to a few state parks to see some costal redwoods and one of the overwintering grounds for the western population of monarch butterflies. Then we're gonna hit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which according to our roommate has one of the best jellyfish displays ever. Oh boy oh boy!!

But before we go, tomorrow after work I have to go to the pub w/ my coworkers and get shit-faced stumbling drunk--might as well leave my supervisor with a good impression of me, eh?

Sari whinings and the like

SO TIRED!!!!! I don't want to go to kendo even though kendo rocks. I want to go to sleep!! Having my Bri here was SOOOOOOOOOO amazingly incredibly wonderfully awesome, but I'm just worn out. I have a LOT of manga and anime now though. (Psst..Steph, Yami no Matsui box set...when you coming to watch). And I've got a giant backlog of Shojo beat to read. Yes yes, and school. And, well, it's nice to have all this time where I am able to work on projects for everyone, but I suppose I better find a job too. Also, if anyone is up for studying anywhere (cafe, etc.) let me know. I only have 2 classes really, no reason I shouldn't do the readings.

Website making is also in the works so if anyone wants to provide input on layout that would probably be helpful.

Also, Brian is in TC again, but don't count on me being around much...I think I need some Sari seclusion time for a while.

And, finally......THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY SUGOI!!!!!!!! DAISUKI TO ALL OF YOU!! MY FRIENDS ARE ICHIBAN!!!!!!

Is life passing me by?

How is everybody? Who are all these new people on this blog? Has everybody moved on to bigger and better things in their lives, while I am stuck here working in a stress filled environment with little pay?

In the past year, I have been thinking extremely hard about my future and where it is going. As most of you guys know, I work for my brother as an IT/Test Engineer and I do believe some day DMS will hit it big, but at what cost? I am working insane hours every since May of 2004 with no vacation, including no holiday time in 2005, which is why I miss seeing Jess this past December. Some times, I just feel life is passing me by. Maybe, it is time for me to move on and do better things. What do you guys think?

Dutch guys are hott

The 2 hot dutch guys from my lab have been replaced by another Dutch guy--also totally hot.

His aftershave (or whatever it is he's wearing) smells really good too . . . *sigh*


Man, it's lucky for Andy that he's so fucking awesome, or I'd be hitting on dutch guy #3 right about . . . NOW.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARI!!!! and 1 more week till unemployment!

This picture is being made the blog background in honor of this very special joint occasion . . .

well, it's really all for Sari, but I can't help it if i like it too, right?

;)

[...] (hi there)

Hello all of you who comprise y'all.

[Long uninteresting stuff removed.]

...As I said, hi everybody.

THE phone

this would be my phone ^^ yay! the slimmest slide phone in the world~!

Well...the inevitable has occurred.....and it made me slightly more nostalgic and teary-eyed than excited

A Tale of Epic Adventure

I was at the DMV today getting a new license. And I wanted to see what time it was so I took my phone out of my pocket. And I had missed a call and I wanted to make sure that magically it wasn't Brian and he'd gotten home early. So I opened my phone.......and the top part fell off. And I just stared at it for a while. I just stared.

So..slightly fortunately I was at Westgate where there is a RadioShack and they carry Cingular products. Even more fortunately I had just gotten a fat refund check from FinAid. But....since I was still behind in my payment cause I hadn't gotten around to USING the refund check to PAY my bills yet...RadioShack couldn't give me my phone upgrade. So I had to go to West Towne. BUT! I was at Westgate. This meant that the West Transfer Point where I could easily catch a #6 to West Towne was well within my reach. It was also about 5 minutes to 12...and I knew the bus would leave the transfer point at 12...because I carry a bus schedule whenever I leave home! So...I hurried on my way to the transfer point, and I didn't see any 6 busses leaving at all. But, when I got near there was no bus to be seen save an eastbound 6. I thought about going to East Towne...then I thought, but I'm so damn close to West Towne I can taste it! Never give up!! The next bus was scheduled to come in the distant future of 30 minutes from that time, but I was thankfully prepared for a long wait in line at the DMV "Express" (where you get to stand up and wait instead of sitting down to wait), so I had reading materials aplenty. It began with finishing the first section of my book "The Mapmaker's Opera" which was acquired from the library on a whim and for little more than it's title. I turned on my trustworthy Japanamania mix on the mp3 player and set to work occupying my time until the next but came. This worked marvelously, and in seemingly no time I was on my way to West Towne. Upon arrival I paid my dues to the wireless companies, and chose my new weapon. Though it was not the beautiful and miraculous Motorola Razr...and it wasn't even made by the wondrous company that is Motorola, but by their slightly lesser craftsman Nokia (because after you give someone $150 for the bill you owe them, spending another $150 on a phone hardly seems justifiable...even if the University did give you $1200). It's not beautiful, but it has a camera and will let me create ringtones of YOUR favorite songs and show me your picture when I call....which are features that my trusty companion of old were lacking. As I was waiting the painfully long time that it takes one to set up a new phone at a mall kiosk...I admit that I did begin to feel sadness over the loss of my companion. Even though it's health was failing of late and it's sharpness was becoming slightly dulled with age...it had been there with me through good times and bad, through highs and lows, and had never really let me down....even the multitude of times I dropped it to the pavement.

With my new friend, faithful readers, I will be armed with a weapon to be feared, no doubt...but I just will not be complete without my blue beauty.

Also...I don't know if the numbers that were in said blue beauty are recoverable...unless I can get it to turn back on (I did successfully make a call to my mom with it after it broke though). My number is the same, so if you want me to have yours.....you should e-mail it to me at hanako.noriko@gmail.com or call me if you know my number.

And thus ends my adventure. Except for not knowing how my voicemail works...but that shouldn't be a problem now that the phone rings.

Sari

It's 9am and I've already been awake for 4 and a half hours.....

Greetings from the wonderful internet cafe in Incheon International Airport. I really having nothing of note to say over that 3,000 won isn't bad for in airport internet service, and helps preserve my reading material and mp3 battery life for the plane. This makes me most happy. Anyways those of you home i'll see ya soon, if I'm gonna miss ya sorry.

Choose Your Own Adventure! part 2

Andy chose to lead Texas guy on till the very last minute, when he bailed.

"Now that I'm not going to Texas," says Andy, "I don't have to worry about dragging you somewhere you don't want to go, but who knows what the consequences will be for me not following through on my promise to go there? I'd better take a break from school for awhile."

"That sounds like a great idea!" you jump up and down excitedly. "Plus, that means you'll be able to come home with me and come to my birthday party . . . right?"

"Well," Andy looks down at his shuffling feet, "there's still the problem of me giving my dissertation. I wanted to give it next week before my major professor leaves the country, but one of my committee members is MIA, so I don't even know if he's read the copy of my thesis that I emailed to him. Even if he does return by next week, he may not be willing to do a rush dissertation, especially if he hasn't read the paper."

"When does your major professor return?" you ask, fearing the worst.

"That's the problem--he won't be back until February 13th--two weeks after your birthday. In the unlikely event that my other committee member returns, approves my thesis and is present for my dissertation, this probably won't matter. But if he doesn't return, I will have to wait for my major professor to get back from his trip, which means I won't be able to come home with you as planned."

"Awww maaan," you whine. "That's crap. I guess I could drive home without you, but what about our plan to go see all the creationist museums between here and home? And if I leave, how the hell are you going to get back to Wisconsin??"

"You could stay here with me . . ." Andy looks up and smiles. "You'd have an entire 2 weeks to do nothing except play video games and pack!"

"But, MY BIRTHDAY!!! IT'S EVEN ON A SATURDAY!!! I guess I could fly home for my birthday; plane tickets for that time are around $250 which isn't all that bad. I won't have my car, but I got by ok without it while I was home for Christmas. Plus, I still have a lot of crap to move; maybe it'd be better to bring some more of it home via airplane. You could come too then! You DID promise your sister-in-law you'd be coming home around the time her 3rd child is born . . .

"That's true," says Andy, "but I am really tight on money, and my sister in law will understand if I can't come for another 2 weeks. We'll have to wait and see."

"A third option," you continue, "is that I have had offers from other people to drive home with me. You could stay here with the crap we don't plan on bringing with us, then once you've given your dissertation take a shuttle to the airport and get a one-way ticket to Wisconsin. I really did want to go see those creationist museums with you though . . ."

"Hmmm, " ponders Andy. "Sure is a tough decision."

"Indeed," you agree.


If you think you should wait with Andy until he's given his dissertation, even if it means you'll miss your birthday, comment that you choose choice 1

If you think you should fly back home for your birthday, then return to California and move when Andy's ready, choose choice 2

If you think you should go without him, choose choice 3

#301 and some important news

Yesterday . . .



Andy . . .





FINISHED THE FINAL DRAFT OF HIS THESIS!!!!

YAY!!! WOOOHOOO!!!



*balloons balloons* *confetti confetti*



This means that, so long as he can get his committee members to meet next week for his dissertation, ANDY'S GONNA COME HOME WITH MEEEEE!!!!

CREATIONIST MUSEUMS OF AMERICA, TRY AND STOP US!!!! WE'RE COMIN TO ALL Y'ALL AND RIPPIN YOU SOME NEW ONES!!!

Following said rippings, we will be making purchases at your giftshops. You may thank us for our support.

Some guy's favorite 50 music videos

http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2005/12/top-50-music-videos-of-2005.html

Some are really good, some are ok, and Aphex Twin needs serious mental therapy.

self portrait

The new blog background:

me at work.

So much for night mode . . .

Here's a picture of me, sari, steph and i think joe (I can't remember who exactly was in it bcz i was pretty drunk at the time) on New Years Eve. Note how unbelievably hot we all are.

;)

22-D . . .

. . . is the very worst seat on an airbus and you should never under any circumstances volunteer to sit there. Here are some reasons why:

1. Row 22 is the very last row, which means everybody but you gets to recline their chairs.
2. Beyond the last row is where the stewardesses pepare drinks and don't shut the hell up about their intelligence-impaired children and ritalin for the next 4 hours of your flight--lucky you if you happened to have not slept at all in the last 48 hours!
3. Also beyond the last row is the bathrooms, and with 22-D being an aisle seat and all, every single person who uses the bathroom has to bump into you and/or lean on your seat while waiting for an available lavatory. But why is the passenger in 22-C, the other aisle seat, not affected by this inconvenience? Well, because he smells funny.
4. Since the stewardesses may want to make up for the lack of attentiveness showed prior to Christmas, they they will drive those goddamn drink carts down the aisles every 10 minutes.

"Water? Water? Water? Water? Water? Water? Water? Water? Water? Water?"

GGGGAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! WATCH THE ELBOWS!!!!

5. Getting up to use the bathroom only leads to some person taking over your spot while waiting for a vacant lavatory. And they will stand there for a good 2 minutes staring blankly at you as you try to explain to them that they're standing where you're supposed to be sitting, and that you don't actually want them standing there so you can sit in some other seat nearer the front of the plane. And then they'll say something totally retarded like, "oh . . . how convienient for you!"
6. You realize that 22-E is where you'd really wanted to sit all along-- my god, Mr.22-F is hott . . .