It’s been two months since I’ve updated this site. Well, let’s remedy that right now! I ran across my old Sony DSC-P8 3.1 MP digital camera and a few memory sticks a couple of days ago, and just got around to transferring the images off today. Got some really good shots of Noel, Kimi and I from 2004. It’s wacky seeing Noel the same age as Noa, and how identical they look! Here’s a couple of shots of Noel and Noa anjoying an ice cream on the bench swing I made …

It’s good to be home. On my way back from Korea last Friday, I made a short interlude through Tokyo to attend Terrie Lloyd’s Entrepeneur’s Handbook Seminar in Tokyo with George. The seminar was well worth the 15,000 yen ($150) and provided a good foundation for starting, and exiting a business ventture in Japan. Let’s see what else is happenin? Weather was nice yesterday, so we went for a walk down the seawall, and Noel and Noa went for a spin in Noel’s Barbie Power Wheels Jeep Wrangler. We BBQ’d Shishkabobs last night. Yummy yummy yummy. I got a call about a run at outer Miyagi in the boat, though the mission was scrubbed this morning due to wind and waves not doing their part and cooperating. It looks like the winds were shifting, though that’s a long haul for a crap shoot. As they say … you never know unless you go … Going away for Richie today at Jack’s house ~ Have to marinate some ribs between now and then …

So here I sit, in Mujuk, S. Korea. I arrived in Korea on Sunday evening, and spent Monday and Tuesday in Seoul. Had to work Tuesday night, then caught the “speed” train down to Daegu (the town formerly known as Taegu)  where the Marines picked me up for the 2 hour ride down to Camp Mujuk (The camp previously known as MECP - Marine Expeditionary Camp Pohang) … Highlights of this segment of the trip …

• It’s V-E-R-Y C-O-L-D here …
• Mr. Kim still has the ROK Hard cafe
• Very spartan accomodations at the BOQ, though it’s better than the tents with no heat that the Marines are enduring
• Watched Flags of our Fathers on my laptop last night … I’m grateful that I was not a WWII era Marine
• Our gear hasn’t arrived, and I’ve got a few days of downtime to kill … will be helping out the permanent personnel in setting up a TACACS server and troubleshooting some Ghost server problems
• Ate lunch at the Mujuk Chow Hall … ono grinds. Cornish game hen, chili and rice, corn o’brien and salad. Washed down with a tall glass o’ milk. Mashiseyo! (Yummy in Korean)

Which reminds me … I speak no Korean, and I feel a little out of place. I’m debating on buying a phrase book … Guess it wouldn’t hurt. Now I know what friends and family who visit me in Japan feel like.

So it’s been a while since my last post. So much has happened. We ushered in the New Year with a minimal amount of fanfare. Oh wait …. I just realized that I have posted since then. What else …. Today is “Cast out the Demons” day in Japan. I suppose it’s ironic that there is a day set aside for that, but what about all of those demons that creep up the other 364 days a year? Anyway, the Otosan (Dad) wears an Oni (Devil) mask, and the family members take turn pelting Pops at the genkan (foyer) with mame (pronounced mah-may ~ dried beans) while chanting “Oni wa soto!” (Out with the Devils!) Not before first scattering said mame around the house and saying “Fuku wa Uchi”  (God is inside the house) This is the same Fuku as in Shichi Fuku Jin, or the 7 Deities of Good Fortune. As far as I know, they are not aligned with any specific sect of Buddhism or Shinto, but are a generally accepted bunch … kind of like an old school “Funky Bunch” sans Marky Mark. OK … bad 90s rap jokes aside …

Got the call today about an East side venture heading out at o-Dark-thirty, destination outer reef somewhere on the East side of Okinawa. With ESE swell @ 11 sec & SW winds, its lining up to be a good trip. It’s now 1am, and I’d better hit the hay, as 0530 will be here … well … soon.

5 more days til I’ll be stepping aboard that silver bird headed for the Sandwich Isles. Really looking forward to the trip, and to Tony’s wedding. I’ve been enscripted to bring back a couple of longboards. Since I’ll get to test-drive the merchandise to make sure that they’re suitable prior to bringing them back, I don’t mind.

Kinda makeshift, but it turned out quite well. Aimee and Milai came over and played with Noel while Ryan and I talked of manly man things and roasted meat over an open flame while Kimi and Mikae did wifely things in the kitchen.

I got my iPod hooked up to my stereo, playing through my TV. Accomplishment #1 of the year … looks like I’ve got a ways to go. In the midst of

… Any my butt hurts. Ouch. Cut my foot up a little bit, though am still debating on whether to buy a new pair of booties. I can get away with wearing them in the winter with a full suit, but the SSBG / BSBG title is one I don’t think I can bear once it warms up again. (Spring Suit Bootie Guy / Board Short Bootie Guy)

OK, so it’s the 26th and I should have posted something yesterday … but by the time we got home from all of the festivities, it was today. So there.

So I surfed Bowls for about 40 mintues while waiting for Kimi to pick up Noel from daycare. It was about waist high, and super fun for the 1st 5 minutes I was surfing it by myself. A cantankerous old Japanese guy paddled up and started surfing with me, though never was quite able to venture out on a limb and say “hello” A few minutes later Ramos (???) paddled up, and we shot the breeze for a few minutes. Another older Japanese guy (half???)  though full of smiles and always friendly. I don’t mind sharing the surf with the latter. I’m dozing off, so I’ll have to write more about Christmas and wot not tomorrow. Oyasumi Nasai.

What a cheezy way to start a Blog entry … Let’s try to be a little less unoriginal next time eh!? So anyway, Like I was saying, Ahibinaa was a wash on Friday night, but no worries, because the forecast was calling for solid ESE swell with W winds. So I cracked it, and hit Ikei at 0630 yesterday morning. I was actually on the road and moving at 0530, and made the drive in just about an hour. Upon arrival, the friendly guard at Big Time Resort waved me through the gate to which I proceeded to pull up towards the fron of the hotel. You see, … the guards here are never friendly to surfers. In fact extornionist robot no love for surfer having drones is a more accurate label for these guys. So I figured that he mistook me for a guest, and proceeded towards the hotel. Against my better judgement, I drove the battle wagon (see 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear 4WD Manly Van) over to the typical surf check parking lot. Since it was still dark out (sunrise @ about 7:00) I decided to chill in the ride, and wait for a few while dozing in and out until I could make out the size of the sets. A sudden thump thump thump on my windshield quickly fast fwded me back to reality, and almost landed Higa-san a Delica door to the abdomen. Don’t be sneakin up on a brother while he’s mellowin out, and it’s dark. So after I got past my initial “You Must be Out of Your Damned Mind” shock of some dude banging on my window, I rolled it down to see what Higa had to say. (Insert note about Higa here - Higa is a common Okinawan name. It’s the Okinawan equivelent to “Smith” … This guys name may or may not have really been Higa …) To which he threw up the universal Japanese Gainjin Dame “X” … Only this time it wasn’t just Gaijin, but “Surfer’s Dame … No surfing … Off season!”

Is having a Winter Wonderland, with Christmas music, snow, and sale sale sales … As long as you get there by 9pm. We got there at about 9:20

Oh well … found a killer little Yakitori joint on the way back. Yakitori House Kou. Kimi was scared of the tough Itoman crowd …

Surf’s up tomorrow on the Eastside … 2.0m out of the SE with W winds @ 8M/s. Stoked …