Fighting Mad

I was running on the treadmill a couple of weeks ago when I realized how angry I was. It came out of nowhere, really. I was running along and I felt like I was about to come out of my skull. I don't want to grow up to be like my mom so I figure I should do something about the anger that I have. I yelled outloud that I wanted to be cage fighter and a scarred and bald black guy steps out from behind a door. He says "I can't do nothing about the cage but I can make you a fighter." Little did he know at the time I already was, which is part of the problem. Two days later, I was jogging around the gym (not inside the gym mind you...treadmills are for pansies) and there was music blaring from the AMC theatre next door. It was the Rocky theme music since there is yet another Rocky movie coming out this Christmas. So here I am...with a orange hoodie on jogging with Roc...yes, that's his real name. I guess it's meant to be.

Then I strap up. I have to tape up my hands and get laced into some profighting gloves that smell like sweat that obviously doesn't belong to me. Roc stands in front of me with these round red pads with big black dots in the middle of them...looking like a bullseye. He tells me to go for it. I don't know what happened. I powered up and came forward with my right hand and barely missed Roc's already scarred face. He took the pads off, shook his head a little and proceeded to the far corner to get his headgear. He underestimated me. When I told him I was angy I was serious.

"Raschelle, we are going to have to wrap your hands tighter. If not, you are either going to break your hand or break somone's face."

I guess in a weird way that's the plan...to break something. I held the glove to my face and he tapped my glove which in turn hit my own face and I lit up. Double right, left. Weave. My mouthpiece keeps me from compressing through my teeth. I can only breath through my nose and its not enough because I can't stop. I hear him yell "Come on'" and I can't stop. For every person that has played with my emotions, for every person I gave consent to make me feel bad, everytime I got used, everytime I have had to hold back what I wanted to say to somebody, for everytime I was called cute and patted on the head, for the situations I can't do anything about but be a intuitive bystander...they get it...everytime I hit that bag. I fight so hard sometimes I fall to my knees and cry afterwards. Its hard to tell tears from sweat sometimes. They are both hot, salty, and come from a place that's so deep it's almost too personal.

The bad part about this training is now my anger sits even closer to the surface than it ever did. I am ready to fight at the drop of hat. I am actually waiting on a particular person to come along but for everything/everybody else in between....it's just as bad. I feel like a machine. I am not an even match for most, and it's not fair. I get tired but can't even pay any attention to it because all I am thinking about is the fact that I am not done yet.

I picture some mouthy girl/guy saying the wrong thing to me, and it takes three men to hold me back. I am not talking about hair pulling, swinging windmill arm girl fighting. I am talking about the clean kind. There is a punch and a target and that's all. I am fast and what's worse when I am mad I don't say a word. Sounds awfully close to an assassin...some strange sense of moral flexibility. But you know, the best part about a hitman is that you never feel bad for what you do to them.

Smirk.

Story of my life

I'm rich bitch!

So Halloween at Backwoods rocked. I got $300 big ones in the costume contest. Bad shoutouts for all those crowd responses :)

































So going as Gogo turned out to be a very lucrative decision. What can I say....I get by with a little help from my friends.

Halloween Costume 2006

I am going to be a mothafuckin' crazy 88.

Soundtrack to my life

Soundtrack of My Life

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?So, here's how it works:1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)2. Put it on shuffle 3. Press play4. For every question, type the song that's playing 5. When you go to a new question, press the next button 6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...


Opening Credits:Sugar-Ludacris

Waking Up:Check up on it-Beyonce

First Day At School:Crazy-Gnarls Barkley

Fight Song:Dark Alley Girl-Red Rocket Deluxe

Breaking Up:I am coming over-X

Prom:We're Desperate-X

Getting Back Together:Let me blow your mind-Eve and Gwen Stefani

Wedding:Hold you in my arms-Ray LaMontagne

Birth of Child:I can't do it alone-Chicago Soundtrack

Final Battle:Angel-Aerosmith

Death Scene:Somewhere Out There-American Tale Soundtrack

Funeral Song:Brush Your Shoulders Off- Jay Z

End Credits:Dude looks like a lady-Aerosmith

No Opportunity Wasted

The things I will accomplish before I take a dirt nap.


1. Visit all 50 states.
2. Work in a strip club.
3. Meet Shelia Kelley and be trained as a strip aerobics instructor.
4. Dance in a burlesque show.
5. Ride on the back of a motor cycle.
6. Watch Matthew Nylund jump out of an airplane.
7. Learn how to twirl a set of drumsticks.
8. Take a bartending flare class.
9. Restore a 69 Camaro with my dad.
10.Graduate from Dental Hygiene school (sweet jesus)
11. Sing in a rock and roll band, even if it is only for one song.
12. Go out of the country with a group of friends.
13. Get my Japanese people to the US.
14. Go camping with a group of friends.
15. Go snowboarding.
16. Hold a chimp.
17. Go up in a helicopter.
18. Take my mom to Alaska on a cruise ship.
19. Play one real song from start to finish on piano in front of people (eeekkk!). I might even sing.
20. Get a tattoo.
21. Rent a cabin in the woods with a group of friends (its been a long time coming)
22. See Niagra Falls.
23. Sleep in a tree house.
24. Drive across the country.
25. Meet Oprah.
26. Dance in a cage.
27. Go back to Italy.
28. Go to Ireland.
29. Revisit Japan.
30. Sleep on the beach with my honey....whoever that ends up being.
31. Conquer my childhood fear of firepoles and actually not get stuck on one.
32. Make out in a vintage car with do-op music playing (blush)
33. Witness a real life white Christmas.
34. Go on an adventure with real life ghostbusters.
35. Make cheese.
36. Cast a spell.
37. Go skinny dipping in a place that isn't my back yard pool.


More to come....I will add more as I think of 'em.

I HATE TEETH

You guys. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I decided that I wanted to go back to school for this shit. I am so tired and mentally exhausted I could scream. On top of that, I am working two jobs and trying to make time for a personal life. Sometimes I just wish I could have people hug me all the time because that is how pitiful I feel. Boo.

Also, not that I have time for a boyfriend, but I can't help but be envious of those who have one. I need something to look forward to, damnit. I want to cuddle up in the arms of someone who isn't a fucking idiot. It would be nice if they were hot, but I am not shallow. Cute would do. I am easy to please in that department. That isn't a whole lot to ask.

If I get a wild hair up my ass like I think I might be....I am going to drop out of school and become a stripper. I am half serious. That's the scary part. More on my ideas about stripping later. It's important.

New editions to my life....my sweet black bitch. This is the name I have given to my NEW 5th generation 80 GB IPOD. It's what keeps me sane. When I take a test I get up and dance down the hallways with it just like off the commercials. Sure people stare...but I don't give a DAMN. It beats talking to my fellow classmates about the test I just took. Enough of that...I need to shake my rump. My next investment will be the little mynx dance pole for my house.

Howdy ho'.

Wow! I haven't typed on this thing in awhile. So as requested here goes....

Got back from Japan and started dental school ten days later. Yeah, I don't recommend that. I have been in school for a over a month now and have plenty of new things to report.

1. I have a new friend. His name is Typodant. I will take pics so all of you can be properly introduced.

2. Dude, don't get a dell. About two weeks into the semester my laptop decides to burn through a motherboard. Yeah..that totalled a whooping 400 bucks.

3. I had SIX tests last week. Oh yeah, did I mention that I am taking 17 hours worth of class. Can I get a goddamn?!

4. Oh so I finally got some hair...and you can't tell me shit. I look fly as hell. Pics to be posted soon. My little experiment has worked. It's true...people do treat you differently. Not all of them...just most of them.

5. My mom spiked some cranberry juice that I accidently took to class this morning and sipped on while suffering through a six hour lecture on power tooth brushes. I thought it tasted funny and didn't realize exactly what was going on until I was a wee tipsy....smelling like rum..in the front row of my intro to clinic class. Rock and Roll.

6. So for money (not pleasure) I am nannying some rich white kids. Their house is straight off of Cribs and I will be taking some pics. I have to be careful though. This job has got me feeling like Corrina Corrina minus Ray Liota. I love telling those little honkies whats what.

7. I am FINALLY getting an ipod. In honor of Christopher, I will refer to it as my "sweet black bitch" because it's pretty sweet ...and black....I need to wring out my panties.


So I will be trying to keep up with this thing a whole lot better since I have a laptop now. So watch out.

Big for my britches

Left the house around four to travel to Osaka city to the Tenjin (spelling?) Festival. Very crowded. Try to imagaine Marta on a Braves home game day...except everyone is wearing Kimonos and wood sandals. I decided to embrace how different I was that day and rock an afro puff.

The festival was basically a parade on water..same premise just not on the street since the streets are so narrow here. Riding in a taxi is enough to make you want to take a shot of SAKE and put a blindfold on. Me and the family got there about 5.30 with everyone else. I was looking for a place to sit amongst the army people everywhere. Little did I know, my host mom had made reservations to have dinner ON one of the boats. Hell, I was sitting next to the major of Osaka. The festival was rounded out with a fireworks show.

On to the "Betty"... a drag queen club. These were the most beautiful women I had ever seen... not to mention I size I was used to...over 5'6 and curves. All these women were post-op. I know this because I took pictures..and I was sitting up front in the VIP section...

Living La Vida Kyote

Monday I went to Kyote, the old capital of Japan. Kyote is a very historical place with tons of temples and places where shoguns would chill with their posse. Very cool. One place had hummingbird floors so when you walk on them they chirp (pre ADT). I saw a Geisha...actually I saw three. The first one I thought "Wow! She is so pretty!" and then my host mom smacked me with excitement and said "Geisha! Do you know?". Of course. How could I have been so dense. In my defense, they don't dress the same way during the day as they do at night. They didn't have the painted face and lips going on...but beautiful none the less. This story would be better with pictures....very sorry.

Then lunch...up until this point I haven't really had any issues with food. Everything for the most part has been within my comfort zone. The resturant we went to was very beautiful. We had to ride halfway up the side of a mountain to get there. This place was pretty swank. The view was fantastic...the food...oh dear lord...

It came in a box that you uncap. I didn't recognize anything in there except for a small crab and a fish with the head still on. I tried all of it...that's all I can respectfully say.

Catching Up

Wednesday 7/19/06

I waited out the whole day for my sushi dinner that has been in the making since I arrived. In the afternoon, I took Diki out for a walk. Then we ventured to the city for SUSHI. It was a very small and elegant resturant. My host family says its the best sushi in Osaka. I tried things that were not on the menu and things that did not even have a name. Name or no name...it was damn tasty. Afterwards, we picked up some cream puffs and ice candy (ice cream). When we got back to the house to eat the goodies, Eri, my host sister put some dry ice in a bowl of water while we feasted on the sweet goodness. I do not know what the dry ice was about but it was pretty awesome. It felt like my birthday.

I also went to the 100 yen store (its the dollar store) and bought some soop. My body wersh will not lather here.

Thursday
Rain
Rain
Rain

next....

Friday

I watch CNN at breakfast (CNN and FOX are the only stations in English) and in southern Japan there are some pretty damn freakish mudslides going on. I am just glad it aint here.

Bright and early-7 am, Diki's trainer drops by for a session. Poor Diki. He has selective memory like I do. Later in the day we had a LABO function at the house. I felt like Joan Cleaver. We sang songs and made crafts. No comments from the peanut gallery. Anyhoo...while the chil'ren were making oragami I was partaking in a Tea Ceremony. It's very similar to that scene in the Karate Kid where Daniel-san is in Okinawa and he's crushing on the cute Japanese girl. They have this tea ceremony and turn the bowl three times. I digress. The tea in this tea ceremony is a big thumbs down. It's green AND opaque. There was some kind of gummy shit at the bottom of the bowl. I just couldn't do it folks. No offense...I just couldn't.

So to introduce myself to the women, my host mom suggested I show them my photos off my laptop. These 30 something married with children women kept wanting to see more pictures of Christopher and Matthew. They were very disappointed to find our their age. Also, having a pool like I have translates into me being very rich. Someone forgot to send me the memo.

Something my host mom said that was interesting:

"American women seem to be very proud of their chest."
(We were watching 90210)

I am going to leave that one alone.

So I was trying to get to bed Friday night after all the festivites when I heard this noise. At first, I thought it was crying babies (not a dead crying baby, Matthew. I am sorry, hon, I just couldn't resist). OF course I freaked out because I was thinking about this time that I read about a serial killer in the US who used a recording of a crying baby to lure women outside of their house. Then I thought back to all the horror movies I had seen. I did some statistics in my head concerning black people in a foreign country with big curiousities for the unknown, and I decided to stay put. If I decided to be dumb I could end up on CNN hanging from a cherry blossom tree gutted like a fish. I looked around for a feasible weapon... a liter of coke and a hairdryer. Unprepared yet again. So I laid there with my eyes wide open for awhile. Then something hit my window. I jumped up...hit my head on the hanging lamp and running my shin into the low table. FFFUUUUCCCCKKKK. So I fell to the ground and listened for awhile....

.....
.....
.....

Two CATS. Doing to the do. Apparently Japanese cats having sex sound like American crying babies. Where was Diki in all this?

Don't laugh.

One Week Down

Monday

I took the subway to the city to go to the LABO Party. On the way, my host mom and I had Japanese pizza. Not so good. While I was eating, this little old woman grabs me and is talking to my host mom in Japanese. The woman is touching all over my hands and arms. She was asking my host mom why was I in Japan, where was I from, and she was making comments on how fit I was. Yes, I made sure she said fit. If not, I was gonna pop some poor old lady. She kept grabbing me and saying how strong I was. Maybe she wanted me to carry her groceries. I do not know. Once the old lady left my host mom starts screaming SEXUAL HARRASSMENT. It is so funny the words she knows in English and the ones she does not. I told Yoshi about it over dinner and he asked me if the the old woman was "a resbian". I choked on my salad.

The LABO party was pretty fun. I took lots of pics. Basically the party is a youth gathering for all the kids in LABO program. That would be some of the kids I am in charge of and their host brother or sister. There were about 40 of them and it lasted about three hours. Then we had "tea time" which is where all the kids bring snacks and set them on four long tables and it is a damn free for all. Did not get pics of this. Lesson I have learned: rechargeable batteries suck and you should always have extra.

Rock, paper, scissors is a VERY big deal here. It is how most decisions are made. I am thinking about instituting this when I get back. Smack a bitch? Rock, paper, scissors.



Tuesday

The day came for ME to cook dinner. HOLY CRAP. So me and my host mom ventured to the mall/market thingy and the post office. What an ordeal just to get some stamps and postcards. They only had Tiger (baseball team) postcards, so for my faithful readers this is what you will probably be getting in the mail soon. Find the humor. I know I did. I bought everything I needed to make chicken parmesan for my family. At the market I was armed with a shopping cart and a dictionary. WOW. Dangerous. In the process of fighting over a chicken breast I lost my umbrella. I got the chicken breast, though. I cooked this meal in a kichen with no AC, standing over boiling noodles and steaming sauce, next to a counter that reaches about 3/4 up my thigh. Pics of this to come when I get back. I am typing this blog on my host sisters OLD Imac. I am not trying to push it.
My mother would be proud. My adventures in the kitchen were a hit. They asked me where I learned such mad skills. I told em, "my mama". Yoshi was eating and he kept yelling, "Rae Number 1!"

I got a headache after all that. Went to bed with it....woke up with it...it almost landed me a trip to the hospital. Not to panic...Japanese people go to the hospital for a cold so it is not near as serious as it sounds.

Home In Osaka

The Bullet Train took about three hours and then I was on the subway for about another hour or so. It is so friggin humid here. Sweat was running down places I do not want to discuss. My host mom met me at the subway and we took a taxie to the house. The doors open and shut automatically on taxies. Way cool.

My host family is great. I took a shower as soon as I got there and as soon as I got out I started sweating...just like GA. My host dad, Yoshi is a hoot. When I walked in the door for the first time he was watching the baseball game, drinking a beer, and smoking a cig. I am not sure why that was so funny. Yoshi drinks and smokes but his cute little wife does not. They took me out for a celebratory dinner...Korean. It is all a blur considering all the Saki and beer Yoshi and I drank. My host mom says we are pefect for eachother. They complimented me on my teeth a lot and Yoshi kept saying how much he liked my spirit. Saki is a wonderful thing.

I met the dog...DIKI (translation: strong boy). They were afraid that I would be scared of big dogs so I showed them a picture of Godiva. They understood. At this house the toilets are set into the ground. This is rather intimidating a takes some getting used to. This is probably the only time I wish I had a penis. Although that would only postpone the inevitable dropping the kids off at the pool. Last time I tried to squat to pee, I caught a cramp in my shin.

We have scheduled a cooking contest. My host mom is already claiming she is going to win. Does this sound familiar?

So Raschelle is hard to say in Japanese so they just call me Rae. It sounds more like Lay. I just cannot stop smiling.

Have you noticed that I am not typing contractions? It is because I cannot find the apostrophe key on the keyboard. HA!

Let the Adventures Begin

1. The toilets

They come in all shapes and sizes. They have all kinds of buttons and fountains. Hell, some of then acutally play music. The one in the hotel filled with water when I sat on it. This was a little scary for me considering my deep rooted childhood fear of overflowing toilets.

2. I am Rich Bitch

I exchanged my money at the airport. The rate was 112 yen to 1 dollar.

3. On the way to the hotel...

I saw the biggest damn ferris wheel ever and Disneyland.

4. Convenience Stores

The eptiome of convenience. These stores have it all. It brings back sweet memoires of the QT only better. You can buy hard liquor, real food, send mail and pay your bills. So basically it is a Nylund one stop shoppe.

5. Hotter than a MOTHER

More like humid. Just like GA but without airconditioning.


6. I took a bullet train to Osaka and I am damn glad it was not a plane. I have seen enough of those for awhile. I was on my way to Tokyo Station and spotted a 711. It is the first one I have seen in real life. BOO


7. There seems to be a shortage of chairs here so people just squat. I tried this and I fell.

Overnight In Seattle and Da Plane

By the time I got to Trinity Lutheran for the orientation I was having lunch and dinner at the same time. I ate mashed potatoes with chopsticks. Enough said. I made some last minute phone calls to some friends to get mailing addresses. Julia and her parents dropped by to pay me a visit. Ruth bought some beers at the store and I drank them in the back of a rental car. Do not judge me. When I got back to Trinity Lutheran of course I was locked out past curfew and slightly tipsy. Julia and _i made enought racket to wake a RA so I stumbled to bed. At around two I had to pee so friggin bad. I was sleeping nekkid and had to run down the hall in nothing but a towel barely covering my arse.

I had a dream that all the items in my luggage got misplaced somehow. Lucklily for me it was just a dream. I woke up and had some breakfast minus the chopsticks. The buses actually got there early to get us to the airport. Big change from the day before. I sat on the concrete when I got in Seattle for so long I was scared I was going to get the piles.

By the time we gto seventy some odd kids though security we were at the gate THREE whole hours early. I got a little lump in my throat boarding the plane but I am not a punk I swear.

Did I mention that 70 kids on an international flight is insane? People saw us coming and parted like the Red Sea. I had an aisle seat all the way to Japan. It has its up and downsides. If you are claustrophobic you are in heaven. If you are trying to sleep and every fifteen minutes some kid is asking you if they can get up....well....it is a problem.

No Sleep til' Japan

This weekend was so friggin' awesome. I am so excited that I got spend it with people that mean the most. It started out with Friday being my last day at my job. It felt like the longest day ever. There was tons to do, and my patience was short. I drove to Macon to hang out with Christopher. I saw the new place. It's pretty sweet. I almost had a heart attack when I used the potty. Christopher has a lovely rubber cockroach sitting on the back of the toilet. Ya'll know how I am about roaches. Of course, Christopher was very excited about this. This was the purpose of the cockroach....to scare the hell out of poor people trying to use the bathroom. The apartment is equipped with high ass ceilings and tons of musical instruments. HEAVEN. Spacious and charming, but men still live there. It's great. Stayed up until about five a.m. and the night was not complete until we grilled deer meat with a homemade marinade made of salad dressing, soy sauce, and oregano....on the porch...with a cute little grill. The next day, we (Chris, Scott and I) went to The Bodies Exhibition. VERY COOL. It got really good when Christopher walked up behind me when we were looking at female corpse and says "Hey baby, let me get in those guts." Onward to the Brew House. We met up with Matthew, Robert, and Sharon. Had some pints. Went to the RRD show. Man, I am a party animal. I got drunk off of PBR for the first time. Thank you, Scott. Had some "dasani" with Vinny. Crashed at a sweet house in East Atlanta...cuddled with a kitty..woke up to Christopher in a tree hammock and Matthew air-mailing a blue soccer ball. Had some breakfast with the Nylunds and went on my merry way back home. Whew....good times.

Shannagans Continued

 

Sayonara Bitches

It was fourth of July and it's only a week until I venture off to Japan. Could you need any better reason to throw down? I haven't had a good party like this in a long time. I would like to give a shot out to the sponsors of this party. Without you, it would have been crap. Thank you PBR, Red Rocket Deluxe and Lie and Wait. Your contributions to the fun were greatly appreciated.






Christopher getting his hair did by two lovely young ladies.






In exchange for the hair services he got to ride my niece's inflatable jet ski. It has an eightly pound weight limit.





Randy get your finger out of Chad's hole. I think that jet ski was the most popular thing at my party besides my mom's food.






Nyah's first victim.....I mean "client". Apparently you have to get liquored up for that.


 

Good Times In A Glass (Part II)

So I discovered this wonderful thing called Picassa. You might have heard of it. So I am adding pictures to my previous post. I am so excited I could touch myself.




Why does Christopher's State Patrol hat make people look so damn cool?



Prom at Backwoods. Everyone please take note of the napkin flower do-flichy on the wrist. Compliments of Marlee.

In My Honor

My Other Family

Look! There's a Godiva Jr.

Smile...It's Friday.

This made me smile today. I think I will tape it to my mirror at home.

***You may not realize it, but it’s 100% true.***

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least fifteen people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would hate you is because they want to be like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don’t like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique
8. Someone you don’t even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you…take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget the negative remarks.

Irony of Health Insurance

I am busy trying to get health insurance since this a REQUIREMENT for school admission, and I am on hold waiting for the underwriter who is going to ask me questions that are none of his business. This is what I hear playing:



He said I was in my early forties
with a lot of life before me
when a moment came that stopped me on a dime
and I spent most of the next days
looking at the x-rays
Talking bout the options
and talking bout sweet time
I asked him when it sank in
that this might really be the real end
how?s it hit you when you get that kinda news
man what?d you do

and he said
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu
and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I?d been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying.



How fucking appropriate...all this before Randall asks me if I participate in any risky activities. I asked him to clarify for shits and giggles.

Tim McGraw...Live Like You Were Dying. Yah!!!!

Dude, I don't even know...

So I am sitting here chilling on my bed thinking about life and all that hoop-la and I realized audiences are wanting another blog from me so here goes. I should hurry up and write something before I sober up. So here's what is on my brain. First, I have less that fifteen days until I venture to the land of fish and rice. I am not going to lie. I am a tad nervous...okay more than a tad but I am not trying to be a punk about it. I bought some hot pink luggage yesterday so I will be sure to locate my shit in the airport...of course pink is the new black so if I see someone else with my same luggage I will certainly have to reach back into my days of the BKK and bust a cap in someone. What this really translates into is less than two weeks on my job which I have been at for over two years (this is a record for those of you who know my job history)and less than two weeks after I get back I start Dental School. Pardon me while my head spins off into space. It feels like there isn't enough time in the day and everyday that I get up I realize I have one day less to get my shit together. It's enough to make someone want to pick up a serious vice, i.e. crack. I am worried about money (what would we do if no one had money to worry about?) and what I am going to do about a job and such when I get back but I have been working on some stuff so that shouldn't be too bad. I am pissed at this blogspot because it likes to decide which pictures of mine it actually wants to post. I can't decide what I am going to do with my hair in Japan...like I mentioned before money is an issue. I wish I could fit all my friends in my luggage and take them with me...if all my friends were Japanese this would work...which brings me to my next concern. I am going to be fucking huge over there...not to mention nappy headed and tan. I curious as to what will be thought the first time my host families see me. I take that back. I probably don't want to know. It is supposed to be over 100 degrees when I get there, go figure. As long as I don't end up working in a field it will be all gravy.

Things I AM looking forward to ( I am serious about these):
1. Being knee-deep in a bottle of Saki when one of my kids call me and they have gotten in trouble with the Japanese government.
2. Buying the only thing that will fit me...one of those cool cone bamboo hat thingies and a kimono.
3. Sleeping on a futon who-bob in the floor.
4. Taking lots of pictures.
5. Sporting clothes that have English on them. I will be the coolest kid in school.
6. Japanese sword fighting.
7. SUSHI
8. Telling all the people in Japan that my weave is my real hair.
9. Trying out the Japanese I have been learning.
10. The flight....I am going to be drinking and hopefully passing out so when I do decide to wake up I will be in Tokyo.

I am going to be having a few parties before I depart so this ought to be outrageous. They are well deserved since I have a feeling I won't even know how to spell "fun" come this fall when I am scaping someone's teefies. On a serious note, I need a hug. Have you ever felt that way? I take that back. I don't just want a hug...I want to be held...for a long time...no words passing between...just comforting human contact with no explanation...the sad part is that I don't think I am going to get it before I leave.

boo.

Good Times In A Glass

This weekend was nuts. Julia's sister Marlee came over for the weekend, and we had girl time. We laid by the pool, drank, chilled out...so to speak. The evening was complete when we saw Lie In Wait and Red Rocket Deluxe at Backwoods. I love hanging out with those guys, I swear. This is gonna sound all mushy and dumb but I feel like after two years of being out of college I have found my "crew" again. I have a circle of friends or something now. Who knew? After the rock and roll extravaganza everyone went back to my house for a pool party to get sobered up. Went to bed around five and woke up at nine to cook pancakes for the Nylunds and a wonderfully tall German exchange student named Micheal. This boy dives like a swan...or maybe he was just the only sober one. I am not sure.

My New Family

I got my host family assignment for LABO. I will be in Osaka. I will actually have two families. I will be staying with each one for two weeks. Honestly, I don't think they could have matched me up any better. The first family is a little older. They have a daughter my age. The second family (picture above) looks so sweet. The father is actually a dentist. I am SO EXCITED about that. Only me...I know.

Check out Osaka's website. It rocks more than stone.
http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/

This picture is not supposed to be this funny-

Happy Birthday Nyah!

Why do I love these boys? Let me count the ways...

knucklefuckingheads

Uphill Both Ways

Somewhere over Montana.



A quarter of the way up a hill. I had to stop and take a break.



.
The happiest black man on earth. Toot-toot with yo' bad self.



The fist pump...a tribute to the Nylunds.










Some art...


Qwest Field


Cutie Cutie


Someone explain this to me.


Simply Pimpy


Ohh pretty!


I WAS NOT kidding about that uphill both ways business.