Leveling Up in All the Wrong Places

Man, I don't know what to type about. Possible subjects include how every single plan I had for last weekend turned into something else, how 4 out of 5 nights this week will pertain to work somehow, or the daily paradox of wanting to do well at my job while simultaneously feeling like doing well at my job will be a sell-out from which I can never recover (which may have already happened).

For now here are some pictures from Ise last Saturday.


Let the flag in the distance act as proof that I am actually over here and not just making shit up. Though I suppose I could have just downloaded this picture online. All right, I admit that I actually live in Ohio.



Yeah, "victory" indeed. It would have been funnier if this picture had been taken a few days earlier on December 7th.



a Krew of Kirei na Koi (or KKK for short)



Here we see a Koi performing the secret Eye Sucking Ritual.



Back a little further .. further .. keep going ...



Hahahah! Hey, where'd those rocks on the right go?



Akiko at the tofu restaurant, where dreams are made. of soy bean curd. and then eaten.


Good God, look at the size of my head.


Anyway, that was Saturday. Sunday I won't get into, as no one here needs to read about my sexual conquests, which I could also very well just be making up.

Monday I missed the Black Dahlia Murder because I worked till 10PM. I probably wasn't going to go anyway, but I'd rather it had been my choice not to go, and not a matter of the being-stuck-at-work cliche. Lame!

Tonight (Tuesday) I got stuck drinking with 2 of my bosses, and found out the rest of my week is pretty much ruined by work, whether it be yet another trip to Tokyo Thursday (I get home from these trips around 9PM) or the apparently mandatory Component Design Section End Of Year Party Friday night. Does that sound like a good time or what?

Again, there's not actually anything to complain about. It's the usual matter of not wanting work to take over, yet seeing it as inevitable. I feel like my spritual doom is either looking ahead of me or, even worse, far behind me.

On that note, let me know as soon as possible who wants to go see Matisyahu in Boston on the 26th, and what the schedule is for the cabin New Year's Eve. Don't worry, I'm getting my unjustifiable moping out of the way now, so it should be a good time when we all hang out in a couple weeks .. till then, I remain ..

a bitch.