Tracks at Night

So I finished Harry Potter at about 2:30am today. Took me longer than I expedted it to, but I was spending time with my sister.

I have to say that it is far an away one of the best reading experiences I've ever had. Every loose end started in each book was tied up perfectly, there is little more you could ask for (though I'm sure I'll find something to complain about). It's definately brought a kind of closure to a long era of my life in which I read these books in anticipation of the next chapter's of the story. Rowling's world is one that seems unable to be contained in just 7 volumes. I expect someday we may see Hogwarts once again. But for now. All is well.

~~~

Sunday evenings kill me. I hate resigning to sleep and resigning to work in the morning. 3 more mondays, 3 more tuesdays, wednesdays, thursdays and fridays. That's all.

Not much to report on the japanese front. Dosen't seem like it will be easy to do any engineering credits...damn. Here's to holding out for hockey.

I want it to be friday already.

Days til Japan: 66 (I'm through 1/3 of the 100 days countdown, intense)

RIP Harvey Birdman

The conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio wins again.

Everyone wastes money. My roomate bought an iPhone, $650. Now it's freezing and glitching, and it's missing alot of features.

And I'm glad I bought a wii, and resident evil.

Pitchfork was really great. Get your friends here and things start to seem normal again. I'll post a few pictures if I get around to scanning them.

Top Acts:
1. Of Montreal
2. Clipse
3. Mastodon
honorable mention: NOMO

Many picnics this week, not much in office time. Jules gets here tomorrow.

3 weeks?

I don't think anyone actually reads this but...

Here are a few requests:

Anyone who has bought a laptop recently (or not recently):
-Any regrets?
-Any suggestions?
-Is your laptop sweet?

I think I'm going to buy a MacbookPro, but there are so many laptops with similar specs. for so much cheaper. ADVICE!

Anyone who downloads stuff:
-Know any good sites to download tv shows?

I want the wire season 2/3

Destination Unwanted

I never remember being on a road trip where I didn't want to get to my destination. Even if it was somewhere I didn't want to go; I still welcomed arriving rather than traveling. Here I sit in my apartment in Palatine wishing I was still on the road, wishing this destination was still a day or a week away.

I hope I dislike this destination more because right now it's standing between better destinations and better plans in the future. I hope I dislike this destination because its boring and I don't know many people.

I hope that it's not distance between my friends and family that upset me, because then I might be in a world of trouble.

I had a great time up north. It was great to get to the beach, I had been dreaming of it. I drank enough, slept enough and relaxed more than enough. Vacations are never long enough. That's why I can't wait for the fall.

I love talking to people about studying abroad. It's often the same conversation, but often you find that people are in agreement with you. I like having support on things.

I wish I saw/talked to/knew more girls out here. It sucks talking to girls back at home and having a good time knowing I have to return to Palatine where I won't see them. It's also tough to spit game at girls knowing I won't even be around in the fall. But I continue to follow Mr. Murphy's advice as I "plant those seeds." Hopefully I'll have some soccer mama's waiting for me when I get back to the states.

Right now I'm counting the days til I get back to Ann Arbor/Rochester and counting the days
til I leave for New York and Fukuoka. I wonder if a year from now I'll be counting down the days til I return to the States. I hope that I'm dreading it; because otherwise, all this time I've spent anticipating would be wasted.

Days until I'm home: 35 (five weeks)
Days until Japan: 80

Let's get you caught up.

How to get a passport:

1. Apply for expedited service and hand over $160.00.

2. Wait a month until you realize that the passport isn't coming.

3. Call your congressman and ask them to help you get a passport (not joking).

4. Wait on an automated phone line for hours, after a few days get an appointment at a regional passport agency (downtown Chicago).

5. Without warning passport then arrives.

6. Cancel appointment, thank congressman.

So I finally have my passport. Another set of paperwork involved with this trips is finished. I've spent the entire first half of the summer stressing and running around putting together so many documents. I want that part to be over.

My passport now allows me to submit my application for a Certificate of Eligibility. After said certificate is approved I can then apply for a visa. Once my visa is approved I am free to enter the country. Damn Patriot Act always fucking with me.

Visited Madison, Wisconsin. Nice city. The Sig house is unbelievable, I thought ours was nice. I decided not to sit on my ass all day and play Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition so I grabbed my backpack and drove 2 hours only to find myself sitting on a couch watching someone play RE4 on their Wii. That's brotherhood.

I'm finnally going to make it to New York City. My pre-vacation, vacation will be at the end of august. There's a good chance that I'll be attending summerslam while there. That puts me at two WWE paperviews in one year.

Days until Japan: 87

Sky airplanes, in flight.

It's official. September 26th, 10:10AM my feet leave the earthy michigan soil and don't touch down again until December 22nd. I cannot wait. My eyes have been on the prize. And, when you come see me in Japan, Call me 'Andre' as per my International Student Identity Card.

Traveled home this weekend, very busy. Saw good people, had good times, ate good food; it gave me what I needed.

I noticed a strange immunity one seems to share with their family. Did I use the glass left on the counter out of laziness? No. I used that glass because since it was family, it was clean. There's almost a desire to share germs with family, same way you share rumors.

Ann Arbor smells better than here. So many trees, a more familiar smell, more familiar allergies. And now, pinball!

Babies cry and cry and cry. It hurts my head for six hours on a bus. And I was stuck in Pokemon.

55 days........................................................home/north/aa.
100 (count 'em) days.................................fukuoka, japan.

3 days RE:4 Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.(!)

Rule #5 If there is any food left on your plate you will be charged $5.00 each

It is very difficult to get full by eating sushi. Usually it's just too expensive to eat alot. A location in Chicago seems to have that problem solved. $13.95 all-you-can-eat sushi, order any type of their deluxe rolls.

In following with their American theme of eating as much as one possibly can at all times, their menu includes many "contemporary" styles of sushi.

So what's the catch? 8 simple rules that range from not letting anyone with allergies to order the buffet to punishing you for having bigger eyes than stomaches.

My recommendation, don't go with some chick who claims to be a fat ass then completely pusses out on her last 12 pieces of sushi. After eating approxiamately 3 feet of sushi, you will not feel well the rest of the night.

I bought some movies and went to Shedd Aquarium as well this weekend. I'm glad I've had friends that have come to visit the last two weekends, otherwise I would be out of my mind. 10 weeks to go; but, who's counting?