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).