Christmas is here!!

Now I am settled back at home here in the US. I went last night to a place downtown to see the Christmas lights. It was a perfect night with no clouds. But cold cold and cold... still perfect!!

Today is Christmas eve.... I am in Utah and going to a family party to see some relatives I have not seen in many many years. It should be good. For Christmas I bought myself a new Volkswagen... I like it so far and the heater in the cold weather works great!!

Well here are some pics I took... I also took one of my new dog Bee-Bee ready for Christmas!!

Salt Lake City Temple:

Downtown Salt Lake Reflection Pool

Bee-Bee!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Welcome Home!!!

Its been a long time... a long long time... As usual I have been busy.

I spent November preparing to move back to the US. I moved back on 11/22 just before Thanksgiving holiday. It was a crazy move and I have too much stuff!! But I was able to pack all my things and move back without any problems.

After moving back to the US I got a new girl friend. Below is her picture. She is cute!!

I was only home for a week and decided to get a dog. She is a Dalmatian and I named her Bee-Bee. So she is my new girl friend. (Not "girlfriend".) I guess because she is just a puppy at 7 weeks old she is more like my new daughter. But anyway she is a good dog and will be a great friend. But I am busy now with my job here and trying to take care of a dog. But its a good thing.

After moving back and getting Bee-Bee we had a huge wind storm here in Utah 4 days ago. My house received a lot of damage and I was not able to go to work because I needed to stay home and watch my home during the wind to make sure it was ok. Our city had a lot of damage and it was like a tornado came here. Some pics are below.

This is the side of my house.... My siding was blown off.

 Behind my house you can see my fence.. it was completely blown down and needs to be replaced..

 Many large trucks on the freeway were blown over.. it was a very strong wind..

So I have been busy now arranging to have my house repaired. I had damage to my roof, siding, fence and lost my barbeque... So I guess I get to have fun getting new things for my home. But everyone in this neighborhood had the same type of damage... not fun...

Well I think I have caught up for now. Its been crazy since I came back. I will only be here for 3 years and then will move back to Japan. So I will enjoy these 3 years and Bee-Bee and I will return back to Japan...(I will travel much back and forth for business though... I will return just after New Years...).

Ahhh life is fun!!

R.I.P Steve Jobs......

 
 Well the news that Steve Jobs died was sad. We all knew it was getting close but to lose such an icon like that.... I live just about 2 miles from Apple Headquarters and I can say it seemed and even felt like every time I drive by the place its electric. Something in the air. Steve Jobs may have been be the most valuable asset the United States had. He was probably the smartest guy around and meant so much to the country and industry he lead. Hate to see him go... Thanks to Steve I enjoy watching movies like "Toy Story" or playing Atari video games and now listening to music, watching movies, and talking to my friends all over the world on my iphone and ipad. I hope apply can keep its mojo.... I think they can since he surrounded himself with the best. Rest in Peace Steve.

In other news I am getting ready to move back to the States in a few weeks. Time is flying and I am ready to go. I will be back in Japan a lot but will live in the States for the next few years. Well I agreed to stay for 3 years and then I have to come back. So I will enjoy the next 3 years but like my life of going back and forth. For me its the best situation. But right now its just crazy getting things ready to go. Having a house in Japan and another one in the States is a big benefit though. i never really have to completely move. Just move some clothes...hehe.

September 11th. I can`t believe its been 10 years. I remember 10 years ago when this all happened. Time really flies. America is completely different than what it was 10 years ago. Its too bad things have to change. But no choice I guess.

Its Sunday night I am sitting here in my home in Nagoya watching the anniversary of the 9/11 attack on CNN. Its also the 6 month anniversary of the Earthquake here in Japan. What a day.

I got back from China again and it feels so good to be back. But things in Japan are crazy busy right now. So I find myself coming home every night just dead. I have no energy and basically end up being a couch potato. No energy to even get anything good to eat...hehe. I seriously need a maid or something...hehe. I am kind of getting sick of living alone now. I guess maybe its time I change my life from one of work work work to one of more play and spending time with someone special. I will go back to the US next week for a week. I can at least get something to eat there.... then back here. So more business travel and no time to even spend anytime with anyone.... That is going to change...!! I was never the type of person who put work in front of anything. Work was always last on my list. Now when you are alone somehow work has a way of becoming number 1. I guess when you have nothing but work thats natural. But its going to change. I am going to change it...

Oh my gosh....!! Its August... well now September... where does the time go??

I spent some more time in China then was back in the US for a couple of weeks. Now back in Japan... so I am a little tired. I returned last week but I have been so tired everynight I haven`t even had the energy to turn on the computer. I guess I was just too busy going places. Finally tonight I am feeling like the old Todd...

Well I will transfer back to America in November... pretty crazy. It will not be permanent. I will return back here to Japan in a couple of years. I will keep coming back many times during the years too on business. But will just live in the US now and not Japan for maybe 3 years. Long enough to get Andy out of high school. Its his important time now and he was able to go back to America. So he was so excited to start American High school.

I took him to the first day of school. I picked him up when it was over. I asked him how it was and he told me, "Just like a movie..." I don`t know if thats good or bad but kind of funny. Now he is in the US doing tennis 50% of the time and School the other 50%. A busy kid. I guess we are all busy.

The weather in the states was really nice. Back in Nagoya it sucks... more heat, wet air... I hate Nagoya summers... Well I will post later...

Fuji Rock Festival!!

I am ready to rock with about 40 thousand Japanese hippies. Its the Fuji Rock Festival !! 3 days of music, hippies, and drinks. Well its not that bad. But a great time to get out of Nagoya.

Tomorrow is Coldplay, Jimmy Eat World and Big Audio Dynamite!! I am stoked!!

Coldplay has a new album coming out. The new single was released and its awesome!! I have linked it below. This band just makes great music... makes you want to get up and jump around..




On other news... Andy is back in America. School is out in Japan. He is old enough now to start high school back in the states and that is where he has decided he wants to go. So he left last week. We spent out last weekend in Tokyo. He wanted to stay at a capsule hotel. He has never stayed in one and wanted to try it out. So I took him to Tokyo and we stayed near Ueno. Then we hit all his places for his final shopping Shibuya, Harajuku, Ueno, Okachimachi, Akihabara, and finally Shinjuku. It was a busy couple of days. But he got all the stuff he wanted and I put him on a plane back to America. This Dad is sad to see him go. But the good news!!! I am going back. I have worked it out I can go back and live in America for a couple years at least until Andy is out of high school. So I will be heading back to be with him possibly in October. I am going back next week but only for a couple of weeks. Then its back here. Actually the next 3 years I am going to be between Japan, China, Brazil, and the US. So my life will be a little crazy. But I will basically live in the US and here in Japan. So its kind of an exciting time and I am happy Andy can go back to the US. Thanks to his mom who agreed to let him!! Anyway, as we were getting ready to leave Tokyo we met Bob Sapp at the Tokyo Station. Here are some pics...

It`s been a long time. I have been gone. I spent some time in China. It was a good trip. Now I am finally back in Japan and it feels nice. China was great but after a while the food started to get to me. I found myself at pizza hut a couple of times eating pizza. But the food there was good and people great. Shanghai was a great city with tons of good shopping. The problem is some things you never know if you got a fake or the real thing. But I think I did good.

So this morning I woke up at 3:30am to watch the womens world cut final.... One word... DAMN!!! I am happy for Japan but of coarse cheering for the US. Japan did well. I can`t say the better team won but congratulations to Japan. Still I am upset the US blew it. They should have won. But it was a great game regardless. Both teams deserved to win and Japan really deserved to win. They never gave up!!

I am on a train now headed to Nagoya. The weather there is hell!! Hot and wet and terrible. If you are a bad person and die I think you go to hell. That place must be like Nagoya in the summer. I don`t like Nagoya summers... But in just 2 weeks I am back on another plane to the US for a couple of weeks of rest. I am really looking forward to it.

Well since I woke up early this morning I guess I will have no problem sleeing tonight. I just want to quickly get home under my A/C, open a coke and rest.

So its been a while... a long while... a long long while...

The last month has been crazy fun. Work is always crazy but at least I have had some fun in the process...

First.... Easter Sunday.. In Moab Utah my favorite place to be was the Jeep Safari. My family and friends were all there having a great time!! For those who don`t know. I love 4 wheeling. I love jeeps and really basically anything with an engine and 2 or 4 tires. So I have always had a jeep or 4 wheel drive vehicle ever since I was 15. But not just me, my friends and most family is the same. We love to 4 wheel. Moab Utah is the biggest 4 wheel festival in the United States. Its really an event!!

Check out some video from this year below.






Moab is a beautiful area. I have been going there ever since I was born. I love the area and I love playing with jeeps. So its a perfect marriage.

Then its on to Golden week. Back in Japan, I decided to drive down to Shikoku and see that island. Then over to Onomichi and up to Wakayama / Taiji and back home. A GREAT TRIP and beautiful. I had a really good time and it was such nice weather. I got sun burned. Loved it. Here are some pics.











Its been a great month. I guess I am almost ready to go back to work. But its been a really good time not worrying about work too much the last few weeks. Nagoya weather is beautiful now and getting hot. I am not looking forward to the rainy season which is coming up soon.

Well Sunday night... Where did the weekend go?? I have been busy since the earthquake. My company like many companies has been affected. But we are slowing coming out of it. In the last couple of weeks I have spent some time with our president in Sweden. So its been kind of a nice break. But now I am back. Andy decided to go to the US for spring break and get away from all this earthquake and Fukushima news. So he has been able to refresh also. Spring is in the air and a new season has begun. Here in Nagoya the cherry blossoms are out and its beautiful. The weather is getting a little warmer. I think now winter is finally over.

Tonight I am just relaxing. Mr. Big is on wowow in a concert. Why was Mr. Big so popular in Japan. Really why are they big in Japan?? I mean they are good but I wonder why so big? Eric Marin their singer looks like he has had a few plastic surgeries done on his face.... My boys from Rush would never do that!!! hehe... Me??? Well I don`t think so either. I am just going to naturally get old and enjoy being old...

So on Friday I had to drive to Kanto which is out past Mt. Fuji. I bought a new little video camera and since I was with my new camera and car decided to check them out. The Crown is a nice car. Its a car for old guys I think though...hehe. But this is the Hybrid and its pretty sporty. Has good smooth speed and pretty luxury. I like it. But it looks like a Japanese undercover patrol car. A lot of cars slow down when they see me thinking I could be the police. Kind of funny and fun.




Well tomorrow is Monday. The weekend is gone... just 5 more days and I can play again.... I will return back to Mr. Big now...

Wow.... all I can say is wow. I can`t believe what has happened in the past 48 hours. I am in Nagoya and luckily not in center of the area that was hit hard. But still we got a few really good jolts and I really got my attention. I was supposed to be in Ibaraki that day but decided not to go the last minute. I am glad I stayed here in Nagoya.

My heart goes out to Japan and especially those in the North East. I have some family up North and a lot of friends up there in the Sendai / Fukushima area. So I have spent the last couple of days contacting everyone I know. I also have family near there and have been able to confirm they are all ok. But getting through is tough.

Thanks everyone around the world for checking in on me. I am fine and just watching now with great interest how things unfold now. I just pray for those who have lost ones and have lost everything. I hope they get some comfort soon. Japan will have a lot of support around the globe to help them get through this challenge. Its going to be a long time before anything gets back to what would seem even a little normal.

Thanks everyone and cheers.

The Superbowl is over. A great game and I was glad Greenbay was able to win. My Broncos had a bad season so maybe next year. Anyway the game was good and a few of the commercials were good too. Every year the biggest commercials on American TV are shown during the Superbowl. Some people get more excited about the commercials than the actual game.

This year I thought the commercials were just so-so. But below are a couple of my favorites from this year. My favorite was this one from Volkswagen. This little kid was pretty cute.



Another one that was kind of funny from Doritos.



Also I liked this one with Eminem for Chrysler. I thought it was a pretty power add for not only the company but the whole city of Detroit that has been to hell and back a few times. I was really impressed with this and I think a lot of Americans felt a little proud about it. I thought it was a good message to say Detroit is coming back. (Whether or not thats true I don`t know. But for the auto industry and the American people we should all hope so).

Nabana no Sato:

I went to Nabana no Sato and enjoyed seeing the illuminated lights. It is the place to go in Nagoya to enjoy the winter atmosphere with the lights. Below are some pics. I was impressed. After seeing the lights I went to the onsen (hot springs) that are there at night. A really nice onsen. Maybe ranks in my top 10 of onsens I have been in Japan. Just really nice and the perfect way to warm up after walking in the cold for hours to see the lights. Pictures taken with Canon 50D, Tokina fish eye, 10-17mm, F3.5-4.5.

Wow its been a really busy couple of weeks since I got back from Hokkaido. Business trips and long hours... starting a New Year is sometimes no fun. But at least tonight I can relax on a Sunday night and get ready for the new week ahead.

Nagoya has been a little cold. My heater broke and I have been a few days without one. But finally had a new one installed yesterday. My house is much much better.

Andy gave me these pics from the New Years I thought I would share.





Andy was able to go down to Obihiro for a few days and visit his grandmother and grandfather. Of coarse any visit requires a game of tennis. Here he is with his grandmother he hasn`t met in a while.



Here is a good picture he took while we were skiing. The view was beautiful and the skiing was excellent. We went skiing I think about 5 or 6 times while we were in Hokkaido. The other days we played some tennis in Sapporo.



Coming home a nice pic of Mt. Fuji....

ohhhh back from the snow paradise...

I was in Hokkaido for the winter holidays. I got back and I am dead tired. But had a great time. Went skiing / snowboarding 5 times and played tennis 5 times. So it was a very active holiday for me. I was able to relieve a lot of stress. But my body is sore... its been a long time since I was so active everyday. Basically in the day was hard play and at night was good food and movies. A great holiday and I was able to meet some friends and have some great conversation. Just loved it!! I will post some pics.

So while I was there I watched the american music awards one night. Wow I must say Pink was awesome. She is really good and I really liked her performance. I have found it on youtube and attached below. Its really good.



She rocks!!! Here she is at the Grammys... (Not the best quality but you can see... I think the best performance at the Grammys in a long long time...)




So I would say there was a lot of great music in 2010.. loved Eminem and Train too! But fell in love with Pink again...... She always kills me...

Enjoyed a ton of good food in Hokkaido. It was funny as I arrived at Chitosei I was getting my luggage and 2 police officers came and grabbed me. They took me over to a corner and started asking all kinds of questions. Where I am from, and why I am in Hokkaido, and asked for my passport. Well I got upset at them and told them I live in Nagoya but also live in Hokkaido at times and I went to University in Hokkaido and have family there. They were really embarrassed. They thought I was someone else and I guess they were looking for a gaijin from AU. I must have looked like him a little. They had a picture. So they thought I was him and I guess bringing drugs or something in the country. Anyway they really apologized to me and I told them to take care and don`t catch a cold because Hokkaido needs good healthy cops. It was kind of funny. At first I was upset but then I cooled down... they were young cops anyway. Nice guys and I asked to see their badges again and told them they looked good. They seemed proud of their badges and told me that Hokkaido copied the same shape of badges as the New York police department. I thought that was funny... I guess its something to be proud of...

So anyway I guess thats my 2010. Great year for many things and a tough year for other things. I completely lost some loved ones this past year and thats always tough. But hopefully 2011 will be at least as good as 2010 and even better.