Calling off the jam

I have to admit, I really enjoy roller derby. Sure, there's been a lot of hype about it, and part of me wanted to reject something that the counterculture poster children would be so ready to latch onto. After all, there was the reality show, the Maxim articles, in addition to the fact that the entire organization's uniforms could be supplied by Hot Topic...

But hey, I love my brother...so Hot Topic can't be THAT bad.

I think what I love most about Rollerderby is that music plays a huge role. I feel like I am in the early 80's, drinking my beer on metal bleachers, checking out all the tail. Popular hair band and glam rock tunes are pumping at all times... It's a game with a soundtrack, and that I can respect.

Come to think of it, the only time I can remember honestly getting into a basketball game was when I was watching Hoosiers with it's lilting score at a cinaplex with my dad. Give me a little Eye of the Tiger, and I become a raging boxing fan.

Eric has a theory that there are music fans, and there are sports fans. While there maybe varying degrees, the graph looks something like this:

...and because of my obsession with Japan

I had to give these earrings a Japanese name.

Japan!

The day is drawing near. I have wanted to go to Japan since I was a young girl. I started learning the language at 14 years old, but I've never had the opportunity or good fortune to go, until now.

The good news is I have the language stuck somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain. I have funny dreams where I speak pigeon nihongo, and my verbs are conjugated into elaborate endless droning.

City life with Bonnie and Driscoll, what could be better? I can't wait to experience Tokyo with two of my favorite people in this world. A few days into our trip, Eric and I are breaking away from Tokyo to Kyoto for 3 days, with a day trip to Hiroshima thrown in there somewhere. I am going to eat lots of fish, drink lots of sake, and sing karaoke like crazy.

I promised a good friend that I would figure out the following sentence:

Sumimasen, bendingumashiin wa bishoujo no andaawea doko ni arimasuka?
(my) translation: Excuse me, where are the vendingmachines which have the beautiful girl's underwear?

If I've got that sentence right, I’m in good shape.