You Write a Sentence, Then I'll Write a Sentence

9 hours and 48 minutes left in the year 2007. we will bringing in the new year with good friends at ryan and kelley's apt. if i don't hear 'billie jean' or 'beat it' within the first 3 hours, i am leaving the party. if i spend more than three hours in a bathroom helping someone out, i am leaving the party. it's the first new years where i will be able to legally purchase my own alcohol. it is the first new year that i will get to kiss austin into the new year. mmm. last week he had a victorious alcohol purchase for our train ride into the city to see the Blackhawks play. i bought 4 cans of sparks (bro five) but i felt like i was doing something illegal (i'm sorry, mom).

the past few days have been relaxing and nice as we have learned how to make sushi, went to a wonderful sushi restaurant, and seen our favorite crystal lake friends. we did not get to go sledding, but the winter months have just begun. pass. i'm disappointed we will be starting school in january because corinne and i have 2 wonderful bikes waiting for fun at our respective houses. we are not only looking forward to the end of the winter term because we will be able to ride our bikes in the spring, but also because we have set plans to go to arizona together over spring break. spring training games, visiting the grand canyon, swimming, riding a golf cart, and wearing shorts and sunglasses are all the things i will be thinking about when i am struggling through 'wuthering heights' in my brit lit course.

i hope that you all enjoy your new years celebration... and listen to your mothers: be safe. who drinks and drives these days? honestly, who in their right mind thinks taking 8 shots of everclear and then hopping in their pickup to continue party hopping is a good idea? however, if you are itching to drive, please check this convenient chart: how to avoid your new year's DUI.

i feel like i should like the hives much more than i do. the hives are pretentious for a reason; they need to be so that people realize how incredibly fierce they are. i have nothing more to say about the hives; maroon 5 > the hives. irrelevant.

we will see many of you wednesday, call one of us, we can reunite.

like the jackson 5.

It's Christmas Time Again

Another Christmas has passed. Monday night was spent at my house with my mom's side of the family. In years past, we would all meet at my grandparents, but they decided Arizona and 70 degree weather was better than spending time with family in 30 degree weather, so the leftovers gathered at our residence. Corinne was able to meet everyone as we dined and ate lasagna. My mom got my two cousins a bow and rifle mini-marshmallow shooter - she's good when it comes to giving gifts.

We opened up our presents when everyone left. I got a snazzy new sweater from my girlfriend. Guitar Hero III was also given to my sister (or all of us), but I'm disappointed because I'll only be home 2 more days to play it (my current location is 'wego). I guess I'll have to schedule a visit to Crystal Lake once school starts.

Christmas morning my sister, Corinne, and I went to my dad's. My dad really enjoyed his Chinese chess set, and Corinne's coat will look nice once the weather lets up a little. My dad gave me this book about an American who tried to climb K2 in honor of his diseased sister, but failed in his attempt because he had to save a French climber which took almost 10 days out of his trip. Once he failed, he stayed in Pakistan and decided to start a bunch of elementary schools for children right in the middle of a Taliban breeding region. I'm only one chapter in, but planning to rifle through.

After Christmas morning at my dad's, Corinne and I headed to her house for their family Christmas. We were only there for an hour and a half before everyone left, so the Youngs exchanged presents. I got a Walgreen's gift card to print up China/Japan pictures, and two thrift store mugs from Corinne's mom.

Tonight, Corinne and I are heading to the Blackhawk's game because tickets are only $8 dollars for college students. The Hawks have won 3 in a row, and I've heard they're not the world's worst franchise anymore, so that's nice.

Christmas Eve

Greetings. The family is coming over tonight for lasagna, pie, presents. and most likely Guitar Hero. It's been nice being home and having absolutely nothing to do. For real - nothing. Yesterday all Corinne and I had on our plate was to go to Target and we didn't get there until 6pm. I love Target on Christmas Eve Eve because you get to witness the whole gambit of holiday shoppers. You get the family that saves all of their shopping until the last weekend before Christmas; you get the dad desperately rummaging through the toy section on his cell phone because he doesn't know if his daughter wants the 1st or 2nd High School Musical cd; and you get the high school kid searching through the kitchen supplies because he found out that afternoon that his family would be exchanging presents on the 23rd, not the 24th like most years.

Have a good evening.

home

I'm back.

Everything is good.

It doesn't seem that cold when you have a familiar hand to hold.

friday

It was one of those nights.

The one where twenty people have twenty different stories, and they all make you laugh or go, "aww".

A Japanese Cruise

Here are the pictures from the boat ride we took on Tuesday. I'm just glad we didn't hit a rock.

theodore "balls" lehe

the river was not so wild today and our boat cruise was lackluster. it was raining as we slid down the river at 2 mph so i didn't get many pictures, but i'll post some tomorrow.

if you read this megan, i'm sorry if we burned your sweatshirt. oh, there was fire on the boat.

I'll be home 1 week from right now

if it doesn't rain our group is headed on a boat cruise tomorrow. expect some good pictures. if the rain does in fact show it's face, expect us to have $30/person for a party on thursday. good pictures would also come from that.

more image

less text

soon


i miss you

leave your writing on the wall

i am done with my papers!!!!

that is all i have to say because my life for the past 2 days has revolved around finishing my last paper, thus no cool memories were made and no fun blog stories for you.

if i had corinne and my guitar, i could stay in japan for a long time.

single digits

The assembly was fun today. No body swore, but there was a prankster or two. I believe Mat got his butt poked/caressed once or twice.

Because You Are No Other

Tomorrow we get to hang out with middle schoolers and they're going to practice their English and sing songs to us. I hope there's one kid who knows dirty words and just blurts them out for the laughs.

'China/Japan: Where the Cool Kids Go!'

hmm, what to talk about

1 vocab test, 1 chapter test, 1 final, 1 temple paper, and 1 religion paper until i am done with this trip.

i'm reading the executioner's song by norman mailer. it's a daunting piece of work at 900 pages, but it maintains a quick speed, without sparing any details. it's your typical murder story, but this one seems to cover EVERY part of the murder. mailer also wrote a book about the ali/foreman fight in africa. that is the first book on my reading list when i get home; and i don't even enjoy boxing that much.

sorry for the lack of capital letters. sometimes you just get in those moods, you know?

i learned the japanese character that you would put in the sentence at the end which means "you know". it looks like a yo-yo.

yo.

clouds and sun

9:30 a.m. December 2nd



1:30 p.m. December 2nd

Autumn in December

I spent the morning in Kyoto visiting some temples for a paper I have to write. It was the perfect Japanese fall day. Convenience store sushi included.

tick tock

Sometimes I don't tell people enough I care for them. This is specific and broad; i'm sorry for not being there enough. I'm going to try harder.

I'm off to Kyoto tomorrow to visit some temples for a paper we have to do. Hopefully, the rain stays away and I can enjoy a nice Sunday. All of our culture and Tad's class papers are due a week from Monday; and we have 2 quizzes, a dialogue check, and a final left in Japanese. December 17th draws near...