6.1mi at the Y

On another note, the theme song “Baby Don’t Cry” by Amuro Namie is fantastic. It’s nice when a good dorama has a good theme song, and even nice when a bad dorama has a good theme song, such was the case of Sapuri. The other dorama I am watching with great interest is Hana Yori Dango 2, and the insert song is super as well: “Flavor of Life” by Utada Hikaru.

I can’t remember where I saw/heard this originally, but the 1908 Ford Model-T had a 17MPG average, while the best selling Ford of 2006, the F-150, had an average of 16MPG. Of course today’s vehicles are much heavier, safer, and more comfortable than the Model-T, but it’s still odd to think that the MPG hasn’t improved much in 100 years. FYI, the national (US) average is about 21MPG.

2.74mi in the neighborhood

Here’s a quick breakdown of the doramas I am watching now:

Hana Yori Dango 2 (花より男子2)
This is a great dorama! The story continues seamlessly from the first series, and it is getting even more interesting. The relationships keep building, and the plot actually develops nicely. The acting is great, and the jokes (mainly around Domyoji’s attempt at puns) are funny. Can’t wait to see the next episode. It’s hard to know which girl to root for, in their attempts to win Domyoji, and the twist is that Domyoji is still a really big jerk most of the time, but can actually be kind of nice. I guess I would blame it on his twisted upbringing. Still, the girls in the show are cute!

Haken no Hinkaku (ハケンの品格)
I just started watching this one, and it looks pretty good. Basically, it’s the story of a Haken, or contract worker, who joins a small marketing team for a three month contract. But she is no ordinary Haken, but rather a “Super-Haken”. She can basically do it all, but she is really matter-of-fact and doesn’t take any crap from the full-time staff, who treat Haken like dirt. It’ll be interesting how her cold demeanor changes. At least I think it will change, and I guess there will be a love interest with the marketing team leader. Should be fun. Also, Super-Haken Shinohara Ryoko is cute.

Himitsu no Hanazono (ヒミツの花園)
Into episode two of this dorama, and it could be good, it could be bad. The story is of a young woman who is an editor for a magazine, and is assigned to one of the top manga artists. She thinks it is a woman who goes by the name of Hanazono Yuriko, but finds out that this mystery woman is actually four brothers. That’s the secret the title of the dorama is referring to, of course. Each of the brothers is very different, and that is where things might get interesting. It’s an pretty good idea for a dorama, and since the main character is really pretty, I can see myself watching the whole series. Also, it’s refreshing that there aren’t any boy-band stars, although maybe the youngest brother is in a boy-band? Oh, the main actress, Shaku Yumiko, is cute.

Erai Tokoro ni Totsuide Shimatta! (エラいところに嫁いでしまった!)
I am on episode three of this, and I don’t think it is very good. It is pretty much the same story: The husband tricks the wife to visit his parents’ house, and she is in for a frustrating time. I almost can’t watch this one, it is so maddening. The only saving grace is that I get to watch Nakama Yukie, who is cute.

Haikei, Chichiue-sama (拝啓、父上様)
This one looks more serious, although Mariko said that it was supposed to be a comedy. I just watched a few minutes, but it might be good. The plot centers around one young man who works at a Ryoten. Mariko wanted to see this because it stars Nino, who is a member of Arashi. He’s actually pretty good, and he must be cute, since girls seem to love him.

We received a package from my Mom the other day, and inside were several cans of Underwood Liverwurst! I had posted previously how much I love this stuff, but it is almost impossible to find. I asked my Mom where she found it, and she said it was at a Mexican market. Awesome!!!!

I saw this Childhood Survey at Manny’s blog.

Mark the things that you have:
[x> A mother
[x> A father
[> Stepbrother
[> Stepsister
[> A younger brother.
[> A younger sister.
[xx> An older brother.
[> An older sister.
[> Grandfather
[x> Grandmother
[x> Cousins
[> Half brother
[> Half sister
[> A twin

01. Are you a child of the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s?
Definitely 80’s

02. Where were you born?
Redondo Beach, California

03. If you were born in another country how old were you when you moved to the country you live in now?
n/a

04. What city did you grow up in?
Torrance, CA

05. Did you enjoy your childhood?
Yep. I got along great with my brothers and parents and had some good friends.

06. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wrote down Football Player in my My Book About Me.

07. Favorite toy line?
I loved Micronauts, but was seriously into Star Wars as well.

08. Name the first memorable vacation you took as a kid?
I guess it was trips to Hawai’i to visit my grandparents.

09. What was your first best friend’s name?
Dean. He lived next door. We had tons of fun playing electric football.

10. Are you still friends?
Although we haven’t seen each other since UCI, I still consider us friends.

11. How did you meet?
We lived next door to each other.

12. Can you name all the schools you ever attended?
La Primera Preschool, Hickory Elementary, Torrance High School, UC Irvine.

13. Who was your first crush?
I don’t remember. Maybe my 4th grade teacher, Miss Baker. Rumor had it that she was in Playboy. Woo-woo!

14. Were you closer to your Mom or Dad as a kid?
Probably my Mom, but I was close with Dad too.

15. Do you have any embarrassing school stories to share?
In 1st grade, class was almost out for the day, and I thought I could “hold it” until the bell rang, but I couldn’t. The bell rang, and everyone left, but I just stood there in a little puddle. Not sure if anyone knew. I was embarrased nonetheless, and the teacher actually drove me home.

16. What was the first record, tape or CD you remember buying?
I remember riding my bike back from Licorice Pizza holding Pretenders II. But I think I already had Star Wars and other Galactic Funk.

17. What was your favorite food to eat?
I loved the burgers my Dad used to bbq in the backyard.

18. How old is a good age to have kids?
I think it is important to traveled the world as much as possible with your spouse before you have kids. But you don’t want to wait too long otherwise you will too old when the kids want to rough-house. When my kids go into college, I’ll be around 50, which seems about right.

19. Were you scared of anything?
Heights, and still am.

20. What was your favorite class in Elementary school?
I liked Math because it was easy. It became difficult for me in High School, however.

21. Did you buy school lunch or bring your own?
Mostly brought a lunch from home, but occasionally got food at the cafeteria (the “Caff”).

22. Broke any bones or had any freaky accidents as a kid?
My friend Brandon and I collided during flag-football and I had to get stitches above my left eye.

23. Been in a school play?
The Hobbit. I was one of three goblins, and the fight scene was so lame because the three of us were up against a million dwarves. Anyone who knows the book knows that we still pwn3d them dwarves.

25. Did you play house or pretend to be a super hero?
We played guns a lot.

26. Ever got grounded?
Don’t think so.

27. Seriously are you still just a kid at heart?
Oh yeah.

28. What was your Favorite memory at the “Roller Coaster”?
I loved the Gold Rusher at Magic Mountain.

29. Had any glasses, or piercings?
I got my first glasses in Japan in ’97. No piercings.

30. Would you relive your childhood if given the chance?
Not the entire thing, but certain parts, of course! I’d make damn sure I visited the boys room before the bell rang.