My Sister Is So Awsome!

Please take a look at my awesome and cool sister! She is a "Body Pump" instructor in Cumming, GA. I showed this to my co-workers today here in Japan and no one believed that I'm related to her. If you put dark sunglasses on her and a black tank top with a khaki ball cap she looks just like Sarah Conner.

She is the middle one in the picture.

Never, Never Again

This past Sunday we decided to make a trip to Ikea in Funabashi. Normally, this is only about a one hour drive from our place.

However, just the other day, I was able to finally get my ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card for the Toyota Vitz and I decided we would take the highway instead of the back roads. I ended up miscalculating our route and got off about 3 kilometers away from Ikea.

The traffic around this area is beyond belief. It took us another 3 hours just to get back to the Ikea area.

Next time, we take the train.

Don't know about the rest of the world but, Spring is here in Japan!

Spring has arrived in Kobayashi Daimonshita! This week the plum tree outside our family room has begun to blossom. These trees typically bloom just before the cherry blossoms do. Nearby our place is a road all lined with some very old cherry blossom trees. These should be blooming very soon. When you drive down this road now the trees look almost blurry. This is from the buds at the end of the branches.

If you click these pictures you can see them in full size. I have given up any rights to these photos so please feel free to use them as wallpaper for your PC.

Have a happy spring everyone!