Living in the Dark

I just found out this past weekend that I've been living in the dark! Though, my lights work just fine at home, I hadn't seen the light... of Ikea! Finally made the trip this past weekend, only to find quite a surprise: this place is as cool as shit! (how cool shit is!) Because seeing is believing, I realized that until I went I had no idea on what I was missing out on. The only I could have perhaps done without is the perplexing maze of enticement... well nonetheless, it worked.

Ever since stepping out of the surreal world of college housing a few years ago, I've tried to only purchase stuff that would translate well into a more permanent dwelling. I still managed to pick up crap a long the way, most namely a green couch that's a complete eye sore. Oddly enough, living in a rental house, working a job I knew I wanted out of also seemed to instill the same feeling of temporariness that's held me back from purchasing large pieces of furniture (and instead purchasing gobs of A/V equipment and trips to Japan).

This time, I've been moved to move. I'm more excited than ever to be moving into an apartment to turn into my own pad and go crazy with styling it to my fancy. Gotta find a place first, though! But once we get it, I know where I'm heading.

Leaving Hope

Though I announced my plans to move on here a couple of Fridays ago, I hesitated to submit my official two weeks notice until just last Friday. The response was not unlike what I thought: a bit of a surprise, a bit troubling, and a bit of bewilderment. I tried to keep the clear message that I can no longer work here due to personal reasons, mainly finding a place where both my wife and I can work. Hence, New York!

This was not without an interesting Japanese cultural lesson, either. I made my point very clear that I would like to continue to support the company on a side-business, contract basis, helping out with web-related and graphic design related tasks. I figured, well I already know the company and what they're looking to do; surely this shouldn't be a problem. My Japanese manager replied,
"Maybe we will have to get permission from your new boss?"
"No, this would be directly through me, my own side business."
"But your boss must know about it, right? We need his permission maybe."
"Uh, no. You can go send the bill directly to me, to my address."
"Hmmm...."

In Japan, it's considered unacceptable to hold any kind of side business when employed full-time by a large corporation. For example, if my manager was contracted on the side to program robots for a customer on the weekend, it would be completely rude to the company that he had gone behind their back to contract business. Unacceptable to the point of demotion (remember, Japanese companies hardly ever fire anyone). I get the point here, but have a very hard time relating that to my situation. And what a fine example of just one of the many differences between Japanese and American business ethics!

Visiting the Federal Building

Yesterday, Reiko and I went to the Federal Building in Cincinnati to get her Biometrics test for the Green Card and Temp Working Visa. No, it's not a test to see if she knew the metrics system (which I assume she would pass, having lived in metric Japan and all). Rather, it involved some light paperwork, fingerprinting, then a picture which perhaps will end up on the Green Card / Working Visa. Or at least we hope so! The last pic we used for the app had a funny yellow wall.

All in all, the process was pretty damn smooth. We were in and out in less than 20 minutes, and only saw one other individual leaving as we entered. Not a whole lot of activity on a Wednesday afternoon! Beats standing in line all day!

Oh, and the security to get in the building? Much nicer than an airport... I could bring in my water and leave my shoes on! Funny how that seems like a privilege nowadays...

The Segway

So! This past weekend, I got to fulfill a lifelong dream. And no, it wasn't to be a contestant on the Gong Show! No, I got to ride a Segway around. And, much to my expectations, it was way fucking cool.

Without getting too technical (because I really have no idea!), I must say that the unit itself is very responsive, but not in any way that seemed too much. I was told that if I could balance my weight on one leg, I'd be fine. And I did just that as I got on, then moved the other foot on. Lean feet forward to go forward. Lean 'em back to center to stop. Lean 'em backwards to go... backwards! Turn the stick left or right to pivot around. Combine for turning while moving. Simple, ain't it!

Before long, I was zooming around the neighborhood, taking it to the streets. I felt like king of the hood, and the rush was amazing. Just like a kid with a toy, a big expensive wheeled toy. All I needed the bluetooth headset piece to match!

Planning the Big One

Back in Cincinnati over the weekend, with the main goal of finding a place to hold our wedding reception. Not an easy task! We visited three separate locales which each had their own set of pros and cons. Quite a lot to consider! So the question quickly became, which do we value the highest?

Personally, I want to have a place where all my friends can gather for a good night of food, music, and good times, without having to worry about driving. (Yes, I have driven after a wedding, and no, I will NEVER do that again.) Location is key - I want somewhere accessible that of course looks nice and offers a nice view, and is likewise close to hotels.

We've got one more meeting this week with a certain hotel, then I think we'll make our final decision this week. Time to lock this one in!

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

So, as most folks near and dear to me I know are probably already aware, I've been searchin' for a new job for some time now. Quite some time! Since February, to be precise. My travels to find a job have taken me to SF Bay Area twice, over to Japan (to get away from my current job!), and most recently, New York City. And while most of this has been under wraps of my blog as to keep my current job afloat, the time has come for the big news: this September, I'm starting a new job, working as a web developer for Distance Education Company, who runs the New York Institute of Photography, located in Midtown, Manhattan. I'm outta here.

It's been difficult for me to not share the news here. Holding back, not being able to say what I wanted, seems almost counter-intuitive to a blog. So! Now that that's said, we can all move on.

The job itself sounds pretty sweet. Essentially, I'll be helping grow the various online ascpects of NYIP, as well as their sister college, Sheffield, which specializes in Interior Design, Feng Shui, and Wedding & Event planning. They've done very well for themselves so far, building themselves from intuition. All the folks I met at my recent interview were very talented and very cool. Also totally sweet: lack of corporate environment - goodbye cubicles!

To all my friends and family: thanks for helping me get to where I'm at and I hope you can visit us! We'll still stop through the old digs from time to time to say hello as well!

Breakfast of Champions

Today, I awoke a bit early. Before 7 on a Friday is kinda weird! But maybe its because I knew what was coming next: the true breakfast of champions. No, I'm not talking about calling up your favorite Wheaties cereal box heroes, I'm talking mutherfuckin' Power Malt.

The funny thing is, it's been sitting in my fridge forever. To be honest, I was somehow fearing the drink. Not sure why! Anyway, after a discussion last night with my benefactor and provider of said Power Malt, I decided it was time to bust it out.

It's pretty difficult to describe the taste. Take Raisin Bran, pulverize it, and add 10 spoons of sugar and you're starting to get there. It's strong, rich, syrup. Not the kind of thing you would want to give a seven-year-old. But the kind of thing that if a youngster found out about, they'd be downing it like no tomorrow. In essence, it's a healthy Beavis and Butthead drink. And the cool part is, everybody at work thinks I'm drinking beer.

Getting Back in Touch

So my new thing this week has been getting back in touch. With old friends! So far, I've managed to locate 4: 1 in Brooklyn, 1 in Vermont, 1 in Turkey, and 1 in Texas. Spread all over! Other than my New York friends, some of these go back years, and in particular, my friend in Texas, we're talking two decades. That's some time!

I attribute google and facebook to these discoveries. While google searches can in fact help, without a picture to match to the mug, it's a pretty tricky thing to do. Certainly, the searching plus popularity gains of FB have made it the weapon of choice. But anyway, great!

UPDATE:
Make that 6 people. Got a hold of a former neighbor from OU who now lives in Tokyo of all places (he spoke no Japanese when he left Athens in 2003 but was clearly interested), and another friend in Cincinnati.

To the Dentist!

Had an interesting trip to the dentist yesterday. Hadn't been in a while and it was time! First time ever at the place, since my old dentist was scheduling something like 2 months out. As if! So, to a new dentist I went.

Right off the bat I had something new - or at least I couldn't remember if the old one had it. It's the panorama style X-ray machine. I stood forward, teeth clinching some little plastic piece to get my teeth in line where they should be. Then this giant arm swung around my head, firing off massive amounts of X-rays at my noggin. Afterwards, I took a seat in the cleaning area where they pulled all kinds of tarter and plaque and the like from my teeth. The lady even questioned if I had my wisdom teeth removed as there was so much build-up in the back. Several hundred scrapes later she got it, after cleaning the blood out. Yeah! And then the X-ray came: they somehow had managed to miss most of jaw, and instead got an excellent image of my... spine. Yes, that's pretty much not what we're looking for. Though! I did get a complement for my spine.

One more X-Ray and some cleaning later, I found out I was cavity free. He did recommend me to seeing an orthodontist for getting some invisible braces. Which I'll probably get...once I figure out what's next. I passed up scheduling for my 6-months checkup and went about my way. Nice!

A Free Night's Stay in Town

So this past Saturday, Reiko and I checked into a local Drury Inn and Suites. Pretty nice place! They have an excellent drink and snack service in the evening time, as well as a free hot breakfast. Throw in a nice-sized suite room with a jacuzzi and separate shower, alright! Paul came up and the three of us went to dinner at Little York Tavern, a highly recommended pizzeria / bar.

And the price was right, too: I won the free night's stay from our company picnic.

Ironically, this was not the first time I had stayed there. No! Just last summer, I had won the same exact comp through a raffle we held at the office. (This year it became a "prize"... we basically get a free one for every ten stays or so we have there). A bit different this time than last summer, when my roommate and brother and I chugged beer and went to a show in Columbus, only to come back and drink more and watch Billy Madison until 4am. But hey, what can I say, time's are a-changin'.