Summer is here!!! But its still the rainy season in Nagoya. I hate this weather. Too hot and too humid. I complain every year at this time though. This is when I really am ready to get up to Hokkaido and enjoy some better weather. Or at least back to the US...

My son flew out last week to Stanford University to the tennis academy there. So its another summer without out him. But he is ready to go and I am wishing I was there later this summer to watch his tournaments. But maybe next year. As for me I guess its just me and my silent partner.... thats my tennis ball machine!! Saturday mornings I love to get rid of the stress by going and hitting balls for a couple of hours. It usually takes me that long anyway before I am warmed up. But I love my ball machine...hehe. I guess in a way its my girlfriend on the weekends. Wimbledon was actually a little boring I thought this year. Kind of disappointing. Andy Roddick was out early and Federer lost too. So I guess I can look foreward to the US Open in September.

I am going to Utah in the middle of August. My favorite rock group RUSH is playing in concert. Its been a couple years since I have seem them. I am so excited. This year in America there was movie / documentary about them. I just bought the DVD and have been watching. I love that band!!!! Here is the preview below. (Wow they were really ugly in the early days!!)

Well I woke up at 3:30AM this morning to watch the USA lose to Ghana.... what can I say??? hehe. Still proud of my team and Congratulations to Ghana. They were the better team. But lots of great soccer left to watch.... Now I am going back to bed!

Ahh yes the World Cup!!

Living in Japan I get all the latest news about the Japan team. I am cheering for them. BUT don`t forget I am American and GO USA!!!

Soccer is not the biggest sport in America but its getting popular. Americans are excited about the World Cup and this time we have done well. The USA is on to the 2nd round which starts for them tonight. I am not sure if they will win. But I am proud of the team and its been a really exciting World Cup for America. If you don`t think American`s are proud and excited about their team..... look at the video below which was made after their last game to put them in the 2nd round....

A friend of mine sent me this. I laughed so hard... I had to share it. The kid who wrote this is my new hero!!! (Click on the picture to make it larger in order to read...)

No time to sleep...

Since the world cup started I have had no time to sleep. Watching soccer and now the NBA basketball finals in America has taken all my sleep time... But I am starting to get weak now. Going to bed late and waking up early to catch the sports is killing me. But hey.... there is nothing else to do. I can just sleep and work or I guess I can watch sports, work, and sleep a little...hehe.

The US did good against England. A tie is a win for the US. A tie was a loss to England. So I am looking forward to the next match Friday night. Glad this time its Friday night so I don`t have to worry about working Saturday. Then Saturday night is Japan again. They looked so so I though. But a good win. Being American we really don`T have that much interest in soccer. But living in Japan I have learned to like the sport. I don`t like it as much as American football but I am starting to like it more. The world cup is exciting also. So no time to sleep.

Andy is out of school now so he can stay up and watch with me which is good. But he is off to tennis academy in America in 2 weeks. So I am alone to watch the games after that. But its ok. I at least have something to do besides work and sleep. Oh I did forget tennis...

Finally May is over!! Its been a tough couple of weeks to end May. I have had to travel everywhere and work the weekends... I am so glad the damn month is over. I don`t think I have ever been so tired. Mentally and physically I am drained. I am not sure how the Japanese do it... I have no interest to live out my life just working until I am dead. There has to be more to life than just work I guess..... so hey there is Tennis!!

Now on to June....

The French Open is here and the NBA finals are set... So I am cheering for Nadal and the Celtics!! Then its the world cup .... The next few months should keep me interested in sports.... Before I know it August will be here. I am planning to return back to the USA for a couple of weeks. The day I arrive in Utah I am going to a Rush concert. They are my favorite band and I got tickets. But I am going to bed dead with jet lag I think. Still the music and friends will keep me awake. I am excited for that. Then its a few days of relaxing, shopping, and tennis at Stanford in CA. I guess my life is a little more interesting than it has been the past month..

GW is over.....

It was a crazy golden week this year. My parents flew in from the United States to spend a couple of weeks with me. It was really good to be with them. We had a good time and went everywhere in the last couple of weeks. Some pictures of the places went are below.

First we went to Nara. I have been there several times but my parents have never been. The green on the Japanese maples was beautiful!! Then of coarse the deer in Nara are always around.After Nara, We headed over to Inuyama Castle. I have never been there before but decided I should go since I live in Nagoya. I was impressed.



After Inuyama, we started our actual GW vacation. We first went to Shirakawa. The scene in this village is incredible. We really enjoyed spending the afternoon there.


After Shirakawa we went to Kanazawa.


From Kanazawa I went to Notohanto and drove down the coast to Totori. We saw some beautiful coastline and beaches. Even got to see the town of Ohbama..."yes we can"!!



On the wat to Tottori we stopped at a bed and breakfast. It was dark when we got there but when we woke up the view from my room was so beautiful!! It was a nice sunrise!!




We then arrived to Tottori to see the sand dune beach and take a cruise around the area to see the rocks and water. I decided I wanted to live there. Too bad there is no job for me though..



Then for the last part of this trip we went back up to Tokyo to Disney Sea and Disneyland for a couple of days. Golden week was over so the parks were not too busy. We had plenty of time to relax and see both parks.

So it was a crazy few weeks and I did a lot of driving. But I love driving so no problem. Now its back to reality... Sometimes I hate reality!!