Momma said knock you out!

Well, you can't win them all - looks like it was the Ray's year, and good on them! The Sox gave a good run, and I'm sure they'll be back next year - healthier (knock on wood). In other news, the job search continues in full effect (cue laser show and strobe lights), but to no avail (cut lights, use laser to cut hole in bank safe - reach in and grab stacks of Hamiltons, baby!). Actually, some stuff is on the horizon, but I can't really talk about it yet (don't want to jinx it, do we?). Spent the last weekend raking the micro-lawn. Unfortunately, there is a Sequoia parked right in the middle of the postage stamp-sized grass, which has dumped an epic amount of leaves on the property (the landlord says it is my responsibility to rake, mow and shovel). Egads. Anyhow, after filling enough bags to build a moderately sized bunker for a battalion, I spied my neighbors pushing all their refuse into the gutter. Come Monday morning, the street looked like the Paris Commune> - barricades of leaves making a herringbone pattern from one end to the other. Then, magically, a giant street sweeper suction truck came and whisked everything away. Hmmm... seems the neighbors knew what was up. We never had anything like this in Kentucky (nor Boston, for that matter). Brilliant. Halloween will soon be upon us - a lot of folks have pulled out the stops on the decorations - giant spiders hang off of garages, and headless corpses are propped up on many a front yard. In the spirit of the season I bought a discount pumpkin, gutted him for the seeds (roasted, of course - yum), and carved a likeness of Hello Kitty (is there anything scarier then the dead-eyed look of that infernal feline?). Too bad the weather was unseasonably warm - now the Jack-o-Lantern is looking rather tired ("soupy" might be a better adjective). It is so diseased and decrepit, even the squirrels and flies have avoided it.

On the top left is the kitty-esque template, below that to the right is the pumpkin before decomp set in, and below that is a lights-out view (with aluminum foil to protect the gourd and to intensify the candlepower). I keep hoping that it will hang on until the end of the month, but I'm afraid it will end up as a puddle of orangy goo. がんばって!

A small island of happiness in a sea of despair...

Howdy folks! In less than 24 hours both local Chicago teams have been eliminated from further post-season play. I honestly feel a great deal for the Cubs and their fans (believe me, Red Sox fans know what you guys are going through right now). As for the White Sox? Hmmm... well, to be fair, they haven't been one of my favourite teams, but I give them credit for making it into the Division playoffs. Of course, I am thrilled that they Red Sox won last night in nail-biting style - it was an awesome series - I truly enjoyed it! The Angels came out and played hard (as befits a 100-game winner). I don't know how Anaheim feels about the Sox - since they are separated by an entire country, it is hard to gauge the relationship (it isn't like New York and Boston - we are so close geographically that it pretty hard not to get a bead on what each town feels about the other). In my opinion, the Red Sox must be to the Angels like what the Yankees were to Boston for so many years - a rival who consistently snatched victory out of their grasp. I sincerely salute the Angels - I do not think that they should be taken lightly, nor, as has been written by some uncharitable sport writers, are they a "speed-bump" on the way to the next level. I don't know how the Sox will fare against the Rays - they are impressive - but I will be cheering on the Olde Towne Team!

A man's got to know his limitations...

Have you ever had one of those days? Of course you have! I hate to sound like a hick, but these Chicago folks are a whole lot less friendlier than the people down in Kentucky. Of course, as I am reminded ad nauseum, this is a hip, edgy urban area, and I better get used to it... or else!
Don't make me have to come across the street and put a smile on your face!

Touchdown! Oooofff!

Any landing that you can walk away from is a good one! The same can be said about moving - yup, yours truly has arrived safe and somewhat sound in the Chicago area... It was not fun, to say the least; all that they say about your possessions owning you? Yeah, its true... Anyhow, the rent-a-Falcon got loaded on Monday (in record time), drove all night (just me and the other long-haul truckers - the Brotherhood of the Road, man!), got to the Chicago area early Tuesday morning, unloaded the beast, turned it in, then collapsed in a dirty, dishevelled heap (Holy Logistics, the salt rings on my t-shirt coalesced into an image not unlike the one on the Shroud of Turin - it was uncanny!). Many thanks to the Sherpas of E-Town for their support! Now, I'm waist deep in stuff, looking for marked boxes that have the mission critical items (where is that electric kettle so that we can make some coffee?). Socks do not match, key stuff is on the lam, and I am not certain that I want to move again before, oh, let's say... 2112? Another Life, indeed! On a positive note: the neighborhood is nice, and there is heaps of stuff to see and do (much more than semi-rural North central Kentucky).







In other (non-moving themed) news, I had a job interview today(!)... Fast enough for you? Actually, even I am shocked by the rapid turn of events. Watch out - I'm on a mission to break that Kessel Run record... (yeah, whatever, Solo).

Packing it up - packing it in!

Howdy folks! The old apartment is in a shambles - boxes everywhere. The more that gets packed, the more it seems that extraneous stuff starts to pop up everywhere. No sooner does a room or shelf get cleared, then little things start appearing in places that I could have sworn were emptied out. It is like my apartment is spontaneously generating stuff (hmmm... so, it is not only Nature that abhors a vacuum...) . Where did all these clothes hangers come from? Why can't one of the lost Czarist Fabergé eggs randomly show up (not all eight, just one...). Anyhow, the place is a mess, and I have to fly out this weekend for the Reserves (yeah, still protecting the country one weekend a month). The big push will come next week - gotta load the truck and make the long haul north. In the meantime, I hope that you are all enjoying your summer, and if you should happen to need some extra clothes hangers, please let me know - I got plenty to spare.

Kamata koshin-kyoku 蒲田行進曲

Waaaay back when (oh, sometime around Tuesday, 18 April 2006), in the early days of this blog, I was searching for a site that played JR (Japan Railway) station music. Well, two years, and several million dollars later, I found it - here is the holy grail of JR East Japan eki (station) platform tunes in all their midi-esque glory: http://www.hatsumelo.com/line/ . Please note that the site is mostly in Japanese, but each train line's name is also written in English (romaji). And, if that wasn't enough, they also put a representation of each distinctive train next to their respective line (very helpful, especially if you navigated Tokyo sen by their color) . Too cool.


If you look at the list, Number 4 is the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Click on that stylish blue train, and you come to this page: http://www.hatsumelo.com/line/keihintohoku.html .


If you count down the station list from the top, Kamata 蒲田 is number thirty. Click on track number Four (4)

Yep, that music brings back memories - enjoy!

That's no moon... It's Chicago!

Yikes and away! True to form, many things have happened since our last installment - in fact, if this was a serial, you guys probably would be scratching your heads and wondering what the heck happened to the previous... oh, I don't know, maybe thirteen chapters? Luckily, though, if you have been peering in on this blog periodically for the past year, you know that Another Life (TM) is an on-going thing (albeit, with great big Evil Knievel-esque gaps the size of the Snake River Canyon)
But I digress... the Big News: your very own Ushiku Person is pulling up stakes and heading north to the City of Broad Shoulders - Chicago! Yup, got the new digs and everything. Why the "sudden" change? {flips back to Episode XII for back-story} As you know, my original reason for coming to Kentucky was to find new opportunities. Although there is work, the jobs that everyone has been talking about and waiting for are still on the horizon (at least until 2010). I have applied for... everything, but it looks like there is going to be some down time, so, in the near future I will be up in Chicago looking for new opportunities.

Right now I am back in E-Town getting ready to load up the Rent-a-Falcon. Too bad I'm leaving, but good things await up in Illinois (I will miss Kentucky, and wouldn't you know it, but the watermelon seeds I threw into my micro-garden are actually springing up like gang-busters?). Oh yeah, by the way - I put in a small garden by the apartment door (I gotta post more...). In any event, I will keep you informed of the new triumphs and tragedies that hover above Another Life: Chicago !

I hope they have that Capone-thing under control...

Dust Up

Wow, did this place get dusty, or what? As you have may have noticed, it has been a while since I have posted anything... Uh hem... Please excuse the the extreme tardiness - new posts are on their way ("Hey, what's that on the horizon?"). There are big things afoot, and all will be explained in the next post - really! I promise!

2007 - Thanks for coming by...

Well, it is that time when we give the ol' pink slip to the dwindling year, and replace it with a totally new year - of course, in the spirit of the age-we-live-in, this year will be out-sourced (we found a cheaper alternative in the obsolete Julian Calender - the Gregorian one got just too darned expensive). I certainly hope that you all had a good past year, and that the upcoming one (cheap knock-off version, or not) builds upon on all that positive karma that you've been storing up. What can I say about 2007? Well, a full year of return-to-normalcy, interspersed with some good times, mixed in with some craziness (and a sprinkling of Red Sox magic) has put the past 364 days in the "Win" column in my book. "Cheers" to you all, and I look forward to seeing everybody in 2008!

The Red Sox Win!

I like to think that my grandmother saw last night's game and realized that 2004 wasn't a fluke - I hope you enjoyed last night's victory, VoVo - no matter where you may be!

Now, a word about all those who I have heard bemoaning that the Red Sox are no longer those lovable losers from yesteryear. Believe me, being a runner-up consistantly is overrated. I actually remember all those bad years - my dad gave up on the Sox years ago, because they broke his heart so many times. My grandmother felt that she had personally jinxed the team, and was reluctant to go to Fenway, lest she ruin their chances to win. I spent most of my youth cheering for an organization that managed to come close, but never quite clinch the big game. And it was frustrating. Believe me, Indians and Rockies fans, we know how it feels. Some pundits now try to tell us that it is a bad thing that Boston has regained some of the luster they showed at the begining of the Modern Era - I say that they are either:
A.) those sort of folks who can't see the big picture of baseball - that it is an incredibly diverse and on-going story; one where the teams who have been in the game for over a century, will continue to wax and wane according to the various fortunes of their communities and organizations.
or,
B.) just a lot of dejected Yankees fans who are entering another Winter of Discontent (much like the popular kid at shool who doesn't understand that the world changes after graduation, and that nerdy kid, who is going on to bigger and better things, is leaving them behind).

Last night's game had a differnt feel. When the Red Sox won, I felt a wave of happiness - not the disbelief of 2004, but a genuine appreciation for the victory itself. Our Sox really worked hard against a lot of quality clubs - true Red Sox Nation will not gloat over the Indians or Rockies: both teams played their hearts out to get to where they were, and their fans were just as expectant of bringing home the trophy. In the end, I watched a Red Sox team who genuinely enjoyed playing the game, being in the run for the Series, and fed off the power of their fans.

For the past few weeks, I, personally, have taken a lot of grief from an assortment of Yankees fans, Indian supporters, and general malcontents who despise the Nation. I have quietly endured and gently chided - so, today, when I go into work with my 75-style Red Sox cap, I will quietly enjoy the moment.

Oh, and VoVo, I will be sure to raise your Red Sox banner today: for you and the team!

White Castle

Being originally from New England, I never had the opportunity to sample White Castle. Now, being firmly ensconced in White Castle Country I can count the number of times I have visited the snowy battlements of the Chateau Blanc on three fingers. Each has been while traveling on the road, and while I can't boast as to have sampled the full menu (my meals have consisted on half a dozen sliders, a fry and drink), I feel that I have been immersed in the White Castle gastro-cultural experience. Call me a convert, although, strangely enough, the White Castle burger reminds me of the steamed beef paties served at my Elementary School (which gave me a pleasant natsukashi feeling - like reliving one of those positive childhood memories). I'll probably go to White Castle in another six months (that seems to be a safe time frame).

サボる サラダ

My apologies, faithful readers - it has been a very busy summer, and I have been amiss in updating you. Well, here is brief synopsis: the weather got really hot, work got really weird, and the Reserves got really intense. I got a Kentucky State driver's license, finally cutting the last of my official ties with Massachusetts (however, I have a bad feeling that MA won't give up so easily without a fight, and might still try to keep me on the tax rolls - I mean, once a Massachusetts citizen, always a citizen, right?). How else are they going to pay for all that mandatory health care in the Commonwealth? KY and MA do share a few things, though: they both love bureaucracy, and believe that customer service is for those other states (you know, the ones that return your phone calls?). I found that getting a driver's licence is an exercise in zen-like patience in both the Commonwealth of MA and KY (and that a lot of angry people get jobs at the respective Departments of Motor Vehicles, but I digress...). But now the deed has been done, and I am officially (for the first time in my life) not listed as a resident of MA. Hmmm... it is not much different (somehow I expected fireworks... even small ones). Anyhow, aside from that, the summer has been rather ho-hum: we had only two real thunderstorms (unlike last summer), and the only real excitement stems from my daily commute on 31W. I understand that Maru-chan has found a new home (did I mention that good ol' Maru-chan has been replaced?). Still, the New Life continues on, and I cannot complain (it is, T-plus one year and four months later, much better than it was when I first packed up and headed down here). May it continue!

Zou-san - and I thought I was the only one who knew you?

When I was living in Japan, I was introduced to Zou-san by some friends in Ibaraki-ken (there was a small store in Ushiku-eki that carried them). Needless to say, I found their nō-men expression and literal well-roundedness appealing, and several found their way into my マンション (often as gifts from like-minded friends). So, imagine my surprise when I found a website that is dedicated to the adventures of Zous. This is truly a good thing, and I plan on visiting this site often to see the continuing adventures of my peanut-loving pals.

Back in the PDRM!

As you might have garnered from my last post, I, Ushiku Person, have returned to Massachusetts, albeit, temporarily. So, what has been my impression, 1 year and 2 months to the day I said adios to the People's Republic? Well, the T has gotten rid of tokens and has instituted "Charlie Cards" - and jacked the price of admission to $2.00 (!). There seems to be a lot of construction and refurbishment going on in many places in and around town, and the locals seem to be their usual, overly-aggressive-behind-the-wheel selves. The trees and shrubbery look a lot fuller, like they have gotten a new hairstyle, and are using Breck or Prell to get a lusher, healthier foliage. The weather had been cool, but today has gotten mushi atsui, and it is best to hide downstairs in the basement with the dehumidifier. I return to Kentucky on Friday, and I have to admit that although I miss my family and friends here in MA, I also miss my little place in KY. In the meantime, we are having a cookout tomorrow night, and it will interesting to see who can make it on a Wednesday evening...

Wedding Par Exellence (Double Plus Plus Good)

Wow, Tall Asian Dude and SWFBJAA tied the knot in grand style this past Saturday - and it was everything that you would expect from two crazy kids, who are deeply in love; and share a fondness for food, friends, swing dancing and are engineers to the core! Everything was planned with precision ("... the groom's party will leave the hotel bar at 6:52 p.m. and 45 seconds, Eastern Standard Time, after all participants have imbibed 2.5 drinks, and then proceed, at a leisurely pace, in a northeasterly heading down Commonwealth Avenue towards the Boston Public Gardens..."). The ceremony was simple, funny, touching and perfectly Them. Then there was dancing, then a virtual mountain of incredibly delicious hors d'oeuvres, trucked out by an army of super-nice wait staff, and bars that served everything - but, especially note-worthy, they had real German hefeweizen (which was all Tall Asian Dude's doing, God bless him!). After wiping away the tears of joy (from the union of two wonderful people!), I had to rub my eyes in disbelief at the wonderful food and drinks - it was, as earlier surmised, a gastronmical event worthy of my friends. The groom's father gave a wonderfully funny and heart-felt speech, as did the bride's father - and a host of friend's gave testimonials as to the amazingly positive effect SWFBJAA had on Tall Asian Dude - not to mention, many food-related stories (as these two are the Gourmands of the Northeast...). All in all, it was a fitting and magnificent evening that exceeded all expectations (which were pretty high to begin with anyways...). May Tall Asian Dude and SWFBJAA be healthy, happy and near good restaurants for the rest of their days together - Cheers!!

Chillax

The bennies just keep coming with new job! Yesterday, my boss asked the office if anyone was interested in tickets to the local Triple A baseball team, the Louisville Bats - so, of course, everybody said "yeah" (and to boot, it is going to be "free cap night", too!). In the interest of fairness they put all of our names into a hat and let our training boss pull out the lucky recipient - which just happened to me, your own Ushiku Person - Horray! Now, I am basking in the warm afterglow of random-lottery victory, chilling at home. See, the new schedule calls for my team to work 4 days a week, 10 hours a day - this a new experience for me, and I must admit that it is addictively awesome. I mean, ten hours at work can be a little too much, but getting Fridays off (effectively, a three-day weekend for the forseeable perpetual future) is nice. Got the big mug-o-milk coffee, and looking outside at the warm damp greyness of a Kentucky morning.. This weather, though, is great for the foliage, as the grass around the apartment is growing at an astounding rate - in fact, one of our neighbors had allowed their lawn to get up to savannah levels. Which was threatening to engulf their dog's fenced-in compound - when they finally mowed it yesterday (and it was seriously choking thier lawn mower in the process) they still left the tall grass inside the dog's area - way to go guys! It is like some sort of contained duck blind, where you can only see the upper part of the dog's wagging tall as he scoots around in there during the day

Muggedliness

I stepped out of work this evening, and wow, it was humid - and now that I sit here at home, the darkness descends upon me with almost Duncan Hines-esque moistness (with that particular deep, dark, rich chocolately-brownie-of-the-soul type of foreboding ...). Yup, it feels like summer is approaching. From the dearth of comments, I fear that I have squandered my fan-base's good will. I might have to start blogging more to whip up the former frenzy of excitement that heralded this blog's begining... ONE YEAR AGO!! Whoohoo - that's right folks, yours truly, Ushiku Person, has been in down in Kentucky for one year, and the new life is proceeding along better than imagined! I wish to thank all of you who have stopped by to read along, and I hope to be able to continue in the upcoming year to let you in on the adventures of Another Life. Cheers!

May I? Yes you May!

Ah, May has come, which means that Spring is in full stride, and Summer will be here soon. It must be true, because yesterday we had a huge thunder storm, which sounded like it had parked right over our office building (in fact, as I was typing away on my computer and reaching for my Nalgene bottle full of water, I thought I presented a pretty good target for the lightning...). But, as you can see, we didn't get struck - hmmm... the storm gods must be saving something really special for us later on this summer.
Look to the skies!

Blue Blew Through

Our cold snap continues. On Good Friday it ominously grew dark, then suddenly we were engulfed in white-out conditions that coated the car like a sugar cookie. It grew colder on Saturday with occasional flurries. On Easter Sunday morning the snow on our grass was quickly zapped by the first rays of the sun, but it still stayed cold. And today? More of the same. Was it only a week ago that the weather was hot and muggy? Is it Fall already?

Hey, who turned off the heat?

Well, the good news is, I am posting again! The bad news is, I actually saw snow flakes - what the...? Sheesh, earlier this week it was absolutely balmy (in the American sense, meaning hot - not the British sense, meaning crazy-go-nuts). Then, Wednesday evening, a mighty storm front blew through, and then the temps plummeted 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. Now, Summer is a distant memory, and it is time to unpack the recently-stashed cold weather stuff (which was vacuum-packed, thanks to an ingenious bag that uses our home vacuum to suck out the air, leaving a flattened, moth-proofed, easily stored piece of clothing). Yes, obviously another sign of global warming - because everyone knows that when the earth heats up, temps drop... er, or something to do with..., well, anyhow, you know what I mean. In other news, My good friends, Tall Asian Dude, and his girlfriend, She Who Falls Between June and August (henceforth to known as SWFBJAA), will be tying the knot! These two wonderful people are back in Massachusetts - and I hope to head back there to see them actually do this (plus, I'm sure, the food will be memorable - those two appreciate good eats). One of the things I miss about MA is going to Boston's Chinatown and ordering amazing food with my friends. Ah, unfortunately Wing's Kitchen, and pork-as-big-as-your-head has no equivalent in Kentuckiana. The best we can do are the ubiquitous "Asian Buffet" (often just shortened to "Buffet" - which seems to be the generally understood local code for traditional American Polynesian/Chinese food - the likes of which have never been seen in either Polynesia or China... but I digress). Ironically, though, due to the proximity of Fort Knox, and its high concentration of Korean spouses, you can find some pretty darn authentic (not to mention tasty) Korean dishes served up in some very home-style restauraunts (and Kim-chi that will melt the plastic trim off the front of your pickup truck at 50 meters - whoohoo!).