Is it wrong for this to be an ego stroke?

Your result for The Knowledge vs. Intellect Test...

9/9 Genius

Amazing! You have an incredible brain (intellect) and a powerhouse of information (knowledge)! Keep up the impressive work-- we all bow to you.

Take The Knowledge vs. Intellect Test at HelloQuizzy

Thanks, high school! Or something. At least we know that if nothing else, I'm a good guesser. Man, though, that was way longer than I was meaning to spend doing stupid memey internet things.

This is a San Francisco International Airport/Millbrae train...

So the other night in the BART, this girl was calling out stops with the most subtle vocal expression imaginable. You could not coax this sort of thing out of an actor, I don't think, and if you did it would probably be award material. It was like she was trying to sound enthusiastic, but had clearly run out of oomph for the day. There are a variety of ways to mix announcer voice and sleepy, but I have never in my entire life heard it proportioned in quite this fashion. It was sort of awe-inspiring, in a "Zomg we live life in real time" kind of way. This wasn't something that could've been pre-recorded if you had tried.

I want a t-shirt

with いつでもＳＭＩＬＥ ＦＯＲ ＹＯＵ on it. And maybe a smile. Like, I want this really bad. Ideally designed by someone with a flair for amazing t-shirt design, but without incorporating any source material. I.e. I'd like the quote taken out of its original context and simply placed nicely with a super happy font on a t-shirt that fits me perfectly. That would be so rad.

Failing that, I guess I'd like to go to bed at some point and wake up at some point and finish reviewing Arkanoid DS. By which I mean go to floor, wake up entirely too early, and...well, I'm definitely going to finish Arkanoid tomorrow. I should really do something (more) about my room. The posters are up, but that doesn't solve the floor space issue. I tried putting together the shelves the other day, but I am a weakling who cannot force the power drill with quite enough umph to get it done.

Vroom.

Incidentally, my post titling yesterday was foreshadowing. Today I did actually get to play tennis, with Martin. Same guy I played with originally, the day after he came to visit Koji, and Oleya was a bit late. Anyhow, so we played, but I must be holding my racket weird because it was putting undue pressure on the...for lack of the correct term...ball of my index finger? Like the balls of your feet only the balls of your hand. Anyhow, it was hurting pretty badly, and as Martin says you should really just quit at that point, so I did, but it was majorly disappointing. I mean, aside from swimming and biking which are less than feasible, tennis is one active thing I really like to do (aside from you know...hiking around town, but that requires a separate purpose whereas tennis I can just do like a happy puppy to chase the ball around. W00t! Ace motivation!) So I really hope I can resolve this somehow. I was looking around some websites for grip descriptions. Maybe I can find one and practice. Or maybe somehow I grew since high school and my hands are unsuitable for tennis rackets.

I doubt it.

After tennis we hung out with Josh at the apt for a while, playing Rock Band, and a simple but fun fantasy card game. Eventually we went out for some pretty good Indian. Josh knows all the restaurants in the area, so he's always good for a food recommendation. And we live in one of the best areas for food. So! Rock. I had spinach with chicken. I can't get enough Indian spinach and naan. Seriously. It had been too long.

In other news, I am rapidly becoming caught up on Naruto, which is exciting. I'm on chapter 341, wheras they have just recently scanlated 405, or something? If I keep going at the pace I'm at I should be caught up in the next 2-3 days. And then I can read the ACTUAL BOOKS I'M TRYING TO READ--hurr hurr hurrrrrrr.

Summer ended last night, which is a pity. All my friends are so happy, though, so I guess it's a matter of the greater good. I can't help but hope that wasn't really all the heatwave we'll get, but it's back to normal San Francisco weather for now. Gotta bust the jackets back out *Sigh sigh*

Tennis issues

I really want to build up to playing everyday, but shit man, I can't even get every other. Canceled on the other day, canceled on for tomorrow. What a bummer.

The bright side is that breakfast date was some kind of fancy success. Not quite "wild" I don't think, but some kind of fancy.

Maybe if nothing else I will work on my serve tomorrow. And then eat leftover Little Star.

There are lots of tourists in the city now. I was having a discussion about this the other day... One of the reasons it's cool to live in a place where other people go on vacation (in addition to it just being straight-up radtastic) is that it's like saving up tourism credit. You put up with them stopping in the middle of the sidewalk for pictures or whatever, and then you don't have to feel bad when later sometime you have to stop in the middle of someone else's sidewalk. Well, you still do, but at least you are mindful. I think it probably makes you a better tourist. I hate being a tourist haha but who doesn't, I guess.

Well, some people might not. I am familiar with such a small small segment of humanity. I'm sure there must be thousands of people who really go in for tourism.

I guess maybe I am rambling because it's 2:30 in the morning, but really I think it's more so I can put off setting up/down my futon a little longer. The room is not quite finished yet. Although it is further than it was. Tomorrow, yes, some solo tennis and work and room arranging is probably in order. Maybe laundry. Mundane anxieties, that sort of thing. Ah, Sunday.

yawn yawn

Well, there is more J-blog to come (AND more study blog, I haven't forgotten...)

First, I am just wondering how bad it is for me to sleep on my couch. Honestly, if I didn't have to get a new futon life would be so grand. Wouldn't have to worry about all the space it would take up, either. I'd like to get a decent tri-fold one, but they are expensive. How much cooler would it be to just sack out on my couch? (Answer: Not cool.) I guess I should just spring for a foam mattress or something. At some point. For right now, though, I'm just enjoying being able to see the floor of my room for once, so...couch it is.

Second, tomorrow is going to rock. I'm getting some fun assignments from GamePro, meeting a new tennis partner, and then going out for Little Star (deep dishshshshshshshsh) pizza with Oleya. I got sunscreen so I won't get burned.

Third of all, the day after that is Saturday, and I get a breakfast date. Isn't that what I always wanted? (Answer: Yes, yes it is.)

Now I just need my computer online and my HD tv not busted. Yes! Soon, soon all of these things...or at least something ;D

I bought some pretty decent cinnamon cereal yesterday--turns milk into psuedo-Horchata. Pretty rock!

Annnnd yeah, bedtime it is. How did I even manage to stay up this long? I'm sorta hungry, but...*yawn yawn*

いつでもＳＭＩＬＥ ＦＯＲ ＹＯＵ

Katamari Damacy OST is possibly one of the best ways to wake up. I would say that the Cardcaptor Sakura vocals collection (or maybe Slayers, or maybe Love Hina) also work pretty well, but man, the Katamari songs are just fantastic for morning energy and overall perkiness. How can a day started this way go wrong?

That...is a question I shouldn't be asking lol Should not ask that question on the morning of a transpacific flight haha I keep making myself sound paranoid for the flight, but I know it will be totally uneventful ;D I've never been one to creep out about flying. I actually really like it, but as I've probably noted before, my nose is pretty sick of airplanes. If you sleep you wake up all stuffy, all the moisture sucked out. Death rattle...*INHALE-LE-LE-LE*

I wish I had this on CD so I could bring it on the plane. I won't have time to listen to it all before I leave!! If I didn't have to go to the bank, I could, but I really do have to go to the bank...immediately.

Thursday for the ages

Today was pretty epic:

First of all, I had a wicked groovy date with an extremely handsome fellow whom I like very much so far. Tried a different Mexican joint and lounged around the park. Beautiful weather. Lots of doggies and tennis players and fellow loungers.

Second of all, I went to the GamePro company shindig where I met the interns, hung out with my editors, ran into some other familiar faces, ate BBQ, drank half a beer, and listened to a cover band wearing crazy wigs.

Third of all! I grabbed a cab ride with a colleague to the 1C party where I nibbled some Russian hors d'oeuvre, played some Russian video games, and left pretty early.

Instead of doing laundry, I went shopping for gifts. I think I'm pretty set. I may need to pick up one more thing, but I might actually make it ok with what I have. So that's good. Tomorrow can be laundry day instead.

Still can't believe I'm going to Japan on Saturday. It probably won't sink in until I'm somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, possibly asleep... Man, craziness @_@

An Increasingly Lengthy List of Frustrations

No, I'm not going to actually write the list out. Suffice it to say that between the absolute mess of all my stuff (including some things that have gotten totally trashed in the move, like pretty much all my posters, a book Louis lent me, etc) in my room that needs hardcore rearranging, the Internet trials and tribulations, the fact that my HD TV is still mute, and that I'd really like to have everything be perfect by the time I leave on...Saturday? Really? I just...gah!

So many hassles. I just want things to go smoothly.

Today I bought my JR pass. That was ridiculously smooth. I figured there would be some kind of process, but not really. You just tell them your name and give them all your money ($275 at the going rate for yen) and you're in business. I even scored a pass to the Ghibli Museum ($15).

Now if only I could get around to feeling like a competent person doing things successfully.

Or maybe if I could actually DO some things. Successfully.

I guess I successfully reanimated my dead laptop. It seems to be working as far as I can tell. I mean, I've been online for a while now. At least there's that.

Fresh and new summer

June always feels like summer to me already. I guess because school alway ended right away, even though it's never really summer until, what, the 21st?

My grandpa is 83 today. I called him before I even got out of bed; he said, "I made it!" Admittedly, I only thought of it because my mom had woken me up a couple hours earlier by calling me and telling me. 83! There is a nice lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's house on the lake at home. Sounds really nice. Wish I could've gone.

This was my last ever night in this place in Glen Park. My stuff is all packed in groery bags and duffles and swag backpacks. You can't walk across the floor. I don't really have any food left here, so I walked to a cafe near the grocery store for a bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter. I thought of buying a smoothie, but it turns out that place makes them with...syrup. Eww. I can't even imagine a smoothie made with fruit syrup. It sounds absolutely disgusting. I grabbed some orange juice instead.

On the way back I picked up this month's fast pass, which has terrific colors: strawberry kiwi!! Best colors yet, I think, except for maybe the purple and "gold" (Go Cooney!) The lady tried to sell me one for $10, which I guess is how much the "youth" pass costs. I still feel sort of "youth," myself, and I probably could've gotten away with it, except you know, sometimes they check IDs and things on Muni and that probably wouldn't have gone over well.

I watched 1Up's RSVP special when I got back. I completely approve--what a good idea. As a bonus, I just heart Jonathan Mak. I've heard him talk a couple times and I love the way everything he says is so genuine and thought-out. Plus he's adorable. As sooooon as I get a PS3, it's Everyday Shooter for me.

So those are the mundanities. The real news is that I'm moving today, which has probably been gathered by comments made in this post and in previous posts, but yeah, the van should be here in less than an hour. Excited about my new digs in the Mission. I've been spending an awful lot of time there, anyhow, between Oleya and Louis and Aislinn, so having a home base there will be convenient. Plus I'm psyched to spend more time with my new roomie, get to know him better. We were just barely friends, more like acquaintences, so I hope neither of us have unexpected annoying habits haha

The even bigger news is that I'm heading to Japan for work in about a week. GamePro is having me cover a press event in Shibuya for just one day, but my dad said he will help me tag on some vacation. I might try to finagle my way up to Hokkaido to run around with my friend Three, too. Depends. All the plans have to come together really quick.

I guess for a return to the mundane...

it's June. I skimmed last year's posts for June and can't really believe it's been a year. My Japanese hasn't gone anywhere despite all of my ramblings about how much I'm going to study (obviously because I haven't been studying.) I'm hoping that feeling at home (eventually, I hope...really crossing my fingers) and having a desk (yes, I'm finally unpacking it) will help me pick up a serious habit. I think it'll be better for work, too. But yeah, last year I was still at Scotty's house, I guess out of Nijiya already (but for some reason I thought I was there until July...guess not), doing the WCities thing. Hadn't met Oleya yet. Hadn't...well...so much hadn't happened yet, the whole past year, hurr ;p Time has been slipping away in a great streaking blur, especially the past couple of weeks with some all nighters and so much Age of Conan.

Hum.

Oh, I started playing tennis with the craigslist crew. My first meet-up was yesterday with a photographer named Tim. We played a bit, but he pulled a hamstring, so we had to call it early. I feel sort of bad because we probably should've stretched more. I think I may have rushed the process inadvertently.

*ramble ramble* June! June, June, June...