Out with the old...

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to give something up that they truly love. For me, this happened at the end of 2015 when I made the hard decision to sell off my beloved aging Isuzus in favor of a new, trouble free, solo vehicle

The VehiCROSS is, hands down, one of the coolest vehicles ever made, and certainly the coolest vehicle I will have ever owned in my lifetime.

Luigi Says "Merry Xmas"

さようなら日本 for a third time...

Our first trip to Japan in 2010 was sheer culture shock. I will never forget it.  And I think because of the incredible slap in the face that is going to Japan for the first time, I can say that the first trip was the best trip of the three. We returned two years later, to really soak ourselves in all the cool stuff we discovered during the first trip. We spent a full three weeks there in 2012. We both lost about ten pounds, and we did and saw more on that trip than any other trip we have ever taken.  So in a way, the second trip could also be considered the best. For the third time in 2015, it was like a reunion of sorts.  The four of us really wanted to do it all again. Experience that same feeling we got from the first trip, and even the second. Was that accomplished? I would say, for the most part, yes.  But, at least for me, the third trip landed right in the middle of several very stressful and tiring months.  So even by the time we arrived in Japan, I was ready for a long rest. But Japan is not a relaxing place to go for vacation. You're on your feet bulldozing through the days as hard as you can manage. And it is exhausting, albeit, exhilarating. We spent two weeks in and around Tokyo for the third trip, and I definitely feel that if we ever return to Japan, I would really want to visit the Northern and Southern regions rather than return to Tokyo again.  But how does one spend all that money, endure all that time on airplanes, arrive in Japan, and NOT visit Tokyo, at least for a few days? 

Fuji-san!

Like the Statue of Liberty, like the Eiffel Tower, Mt. Fuji is the symbol of Japan.

Special Report: Owl Cafes and "the" Robot Cafe :\

OK, so, cat cafes, cool. Rabbit cafes, cool. Owl cafes. Not so much. To be perfectly honest, seeing these owls tethered and placed on display was pretty much not enjoyable. Yes, owls are awesome. But not in this way.  These birds were clearly under stress and NOT enjoying their captivity and lives spent strapped to a log so people can come in and pet them and look at them. I guess I expected the owl cafes to be more zoo like, with a few cages containing owls that were hopefully under good care and supervision. But I was definitely kidding myself there.  I can't help but wonder, where the hell did they get these poor birds?  How are these birds treated when they are not on display?  I dunno, it was very hard to not be a curmudgeon about the owl cafe.  Cats and rabbits are domesticated animals that are more or less used to people. They can thrive as human companions. But owls are a different story. Anyway, we came, we saw, and obviously, not everything in Japan is wondrous and cool. 

They almost look fake.

Hiking and Monkeys

There's something about monkeys that bring out your inner 12 year old.  I think it is just that they are so human like, and they are basically running around naked doing all sorts of familiar human things, but in a completely monkey way.

Special Report: Usagi Cafe

Cat Cafes are awesome. This is a well known fact.  And in the wake of the cat cafe craze, several other animal cafes have sprung up all over Japan.  On this day, we visited a Rabbit Cafe....and it was delightful.

Meat and Craziness

Craziness

Wake up! It's time to go to Jogasaki Kaigan!

Linda and I branched off to Jogasaki Coast one day to see something different.  We had never really gone to the coast of Japan, so we decided we should see it this time. About two hours outside of Tokyo you can get to this place on the Izu Peninsula.

Ain't that the truth!

Cool graffiti, you are bound to find it in Japanese cities.

Supace-u Apeman: Gori!

People always ask us, "why are you going back to Japan again?"  The answer is simple.  Because we miss it!  Just like anywhere you have been that you really enjoy being, when you leave, you long to return. There are many places like this for us.  Places that we simply enjoy, like the Mendocino Coastline or Puerto Vallarta.  They are just places that make you happy, entertain you, and never get old.  There are so many things, if you are the right kind of person, that Japan offers that you can't find anywhere else in the world. It's these things that keep us coming back.

At the bookstore I ran across a mook with one of my all-time favorite Japanese characters on the cover.

The quest for banana milku!

During our last trip to Japan, I consumed a good amount of Japanese banana milk.  I love this stuff and it's pretty much impossible to find outside of Japan.  Unfortunately, I had a mildly difficult time finding it again in Tokyo.  This one seemed to be the most common type found in just about every other conbini.

This one is decent, but I remember one I drank in 2012 that came in a larger carton that was really, really good.  I failed to find it on this trip. :(  I'm thinking maybe I was finding it in Osaka.

Turning 40 in Tokyo!

After an exceedingly busy and stressful fall, it was time for a break, and time to roll over to the big four-oh. There really is no better place that I can think of than Japan, when it comes to just hanging out, having fun, and partying with your friends. So the four of us met up for a third time on the opposite side of the world.

I hate stupid out the plane window pics, but whatever, it does mean something.

Fall Cell Phone Dump

No real trips to report on for Fall 2015, however it was an eventful fall nonetheless. But eventful in a crazy busy, stressful and utterly non-stop way.  The following pics are my favorites from the past couple months of blur.

Not Thanksgiving, not a turkey.  Whole chicken.  This is the best way to make chicken.

Dog Valley

One weekend we went up dog valley for a night to give the doggies some adventure time and just get away.

Summer Cell Phone Dump

4th of July in LA

A few quick pics of a weekend trip to LA to visit Erin and Scott for 4th of July.

Us.

Reconnoitering the PNW - Part 3

After leaving Seattle, we drove south again, back through Portland and down to Corvalis, where we departed from the horrid traffic on I-5 and drove west toward the Pacific Coast. This drive was insanely beautiful from the get-go.  We arrived in Newport, Oregon for dinner. I was immediately in love with this place.  It has a very similar vibe to the Fort Bragg area of California, which I am also in love with. So, if we end up moving to Washington, I can have this on a more regular basis, as it will only be about three or so hours away.

Newport is misty, foggy, chilly and dark. Just the way I like it.

Reconnoitering the PNW - Part 2

After visiting Portland and friends, as well as looking at a bunch of houses and exploring southern Washington a bit, we hit I-5 and traveled north until we were out of the USA.  Of course, we got ass-raped at the Canadian border.  Linda said I am a trigger. Damn straight!

We only really had one full day in Vancouver, and so we rented bikes and rode around the entire city. This is a really great way to see Vancouver as there is a huge bike path that circles the entire city and lots of bike friendly lanes everywhere in between. Here is Linda taking a break.

Reconnoitering the PNW - Part 1

So we took a nice week long road trip up to Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, B.C. and then back down.  This trip was part vacation, and part an exploratory mission to investigate the possibility of moving to southern Washington.  This area of the country has a lot to offer, and for us, would be a logical move in a direction we both want to go.  The following few posts are photos from this trip. The photos are a bit scattered, as I had to combine photos from my DSLR, Linda's point-and-shoot and both of our phones. To many photos in different places. :/

Really cute picture of Linda and Jamie & fam.  Good times!

Post wedding.

I took Monday off to spend some time with Moie and Tom.

Moie and Tom at Lake Tahoe.

The Union of Brad to Heidi

This is funny.

Pre Wedding.

For my brother's big weekend, some celebratory weekend fun.

Shooting in lieu of a bachelor party...nice.

Our last time going to Passport?

Perhaps. for several factors, 2015 may be our last year in attendance for Passport to Dry Creek Valley, what is (was) one of the nicest wine tour events ever.  I think this was our fourth year going for Linda's birthday weekend, and most likely it will be our last.  Who knows what the future holds!

Wine country. Wine. Food. Perfect weather. Insanely beautiful scenery. Not working. What more can you ask for?

Cancun

Having been to Puerta Vallarta twice now, it was nice to take a trip to another part of Mexico we have not visited yet.  I had fairly low expectations because I had always heard the Carribbean side of Mexico is not as nice as the Pacific side.  Which, all in all, is true depending on your perspective. In reality, Cancun just seemed a lot more touristy, while Puerta Vallarta felt like a more authentic taste of Mexico.   Either way, we had fun and saw some amazing stuff.

Snorkeling up shot.

The Arid Zone

Had to go to Arizona for work two weekends. Went hiking in Sedona and Tucson during my time off. Some pics.

Easter Camping: Part 2

Saturday afternoon we headed out to find another campsite.

Easter Camping: Part 1

I've been wanting go camping for weeks.  The weather here has been really nice for wintertime, so we planned to camp Easter weekend.  As the weekend got closer, the weather started to turn bad. Par for the course.  So the plans changed to steer us away from the rain and snow, and we ended up going straight east and south a little to an area just south of Austin, NV.  We drove out Friday after work and made it to the campsite just as the sun began to set taking any warmth in the air along with it.

12 years ago today...

...at a puppy mill, somewhere in East Chicago, Indiana...a tiny chihuahua mix puppy popped out of her poor mother's belly...eventually she ended up at a pet shop where she lived in a cage of wire and plastic for several months, until she was sold cheap...to us...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CECE!

Jackson, California

As we rolled into Jackson, CA just as the sun was starting to set, we saw a beautiful church in the distance. As we approached we noticed the adjacent graveyard and cemetery. The light was perfect, so we had to stop.

The Cellar Door

Last weekend we went down to Shenandoah Valley again for some more
wine and PERFECT weather. Pics by me and her.

Como

Now that my Trooper is done, I have made promise to self, to get out more. The weather was exceptional this past weekend, so we took a day trip out to the Como Mine Site south of Dayton.  This area was actually really nice.  Lots of trails and old mining encampments.  We had a good amount of rain the weekend prior, so everything was still moist, and standing water persisted in a  few mud holes along the path.

The Trooper stands mighty.

2015 is here...

The avalanche effect of time's passing is in full swing. It is now 2015.

What will the year hold for us?  Only time will tell.

This year I want to simplify, reduce, reuse, and cut down, in order to reach larger goals.
For starters, my vehicular foot print must be reduced, so I bid farewell to an 80's legend.