50 Days

Holy Hell! 50 Day to go.

Can't believe it is counting down so quickly!!

In some actual news about the Japan trip, we are purchasing our Japan Rail tickets this week. We are doing a lot of travelling around Honshu (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima then back to Tokyo), so a 14 Day pass will save us a lot of money.

Which reminds me that I also need to go and get some AUD changed in YEN while the Aussie dollar is strong aginst it.

Uwah~ getting exciting!!

- Grover

50 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Normal

Babysitting

I baby-sat my two nephews on Friday night while my sister and her husband went and escaped to the movies (they went and saw Ocean’s 13)

The older nephew just turned 3 and the younger one is about a year and a half old.

So I had to entertain two very attention hungry, mobile boys. It’s not as hard as what it could be as whatever the older child is doing, the younger one wants to do as well.

So mostly we played with all the dinosaur figures. The eldest loves dinosaurs or anything dinosaur related. To hear him say pterodactyl or tyrannosaurs rex is the cutest thing.

The youngest one went to bed easily enough. Just had to give him a bottle with some warmed milk for a bit then put him in his crib.

The older one was slightly more problematic. Plus he was starting to miss his Mum and Dad. But I was able to get him nice and quite in front of the TV watching Little Einstein’s and some juice. He fell asleep in about 20mins and I put him into his bed.

There is a saying that goes along the lines of: “There was no child so well behaved that his mother was not glad to put him asleep.”

I somewhat know the feeling of relief you can get from finally getting a child to go to sleep.

I then read some more Heretics of Dune.

It’s a really, really good book. Work is really cutting into my reading time…
The Bene Gesserit are starting to annoy me, and I wish that something comes along to skew up their plans. Although, the new Duncan Idaho seems to hold some promise in this regard.

- Grover

50 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Normal

Movie: Bridge to Terabithia

Just came back from watching Bridge to Terabithia.

While it is well done, I will say that the previews are misleading about what happens in the plot.

It is a Disney family movie in every sense of the word.

I read the book back in primary school and I remember quite enjoying it.

It could have ended a completely different way in the same vein as another movie :cough: Monster's Inc :end cough:, but it didn't. Which did surprise me a little as it would have been so tempting and easy to do. Especially given Hollywood's inclination produce family movies that are so heart-warming that something inside me haemorrhages.

A few of the characters are a little too stereotypical: Jess's sisters for instance, and some of the other children at school.

On the whole it's worth seeing, but maybe on dvd.

- Grover

Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Normal

New System, How I Hate Thee

Okay, my Japan job has introduced a update for the POS software that we use.

Last night was my first shift using the new system. First impression? Crap!

Returning a movie use to be like thus: scan disc, hit enter.

Now it is: scan disc, hit enter, press F6.

May not sound like much of a difference, but repeated 200+ times in a shift gets old. Very quickly.

Apparently the owner and head office can get more info from it by the way of reports, but this seems to correspond to it being more complicated…

Sigh. I suppose I’ll get use to it eventually…until then it'll have the distinction of being the bane of my existence...

- Grover

56 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Normal

Work, Work, Work

God, today is dragging on.

Have work to do but don't feel very enthoused about doing it...-.-
Working at my japan job tonight so the owner can watch the state of origin. Meh, it'll be a quiet night, I'll be able to get some reading in ^.^

Edit: Take that you cockroaches! Pity it makes the 3rd game a dead rubber, but oh well, winning the origin makes up for it...

On the upswing, just found out that Powerfinger and Silverchair are going to be performing a double act in Darwin in October. Sweetness. Tickets go on sale in early July. Must remember to buy. I remember going to Powderfinger ages ago at the casino lawns, they are a great band live. Both bands have released new albums recently too...

This is after the Triple J concert in Humpty Doo is bringing Something for Kate and Missy Higgins in July.

We also had Bass in the Grass a couple of weekends ago too. Had hip hop band Hilltop Hoods (who rocked btw), little fish (from Perth - female rock vocalist, she was also very good), Mammal (from Victoria) and Eskimo Joe.

I havn't seen so much good music in Darwin in ages (normally we are pretty starved for good bands).

- Grover

57 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune
Mood: Unenthused...

And It's Cold!!!

I live in Darwin, which is in the tropical region of Australia. For most of the year is it quite hot with temperatures of around 32-35°C. At other times it is even hotter at mostly around 36-38°C, coupled with more humidity (up to 90% humidity at times).

Then as a present for putting with 9 months of hot humid weather, we sometimes get what we call the "Dry".

As it name suggests, we get almost no rain for this period. But the real good part is when southern Australia get a pressure system passing over it, it pushes the cold air of the desert further north. End result is wonderful, wonderful weather. Daily maximums of 29, humidity levels of around 30%. All of the Top End longs for the Dry to come. And every few years, we get an especially cold Dry. Of which this season looks like it will be a good one.

It was cold last night. Looking at the Bureau of Metrology, it says that it was 15°C in Darwin the night before and it was even colder last night. It was turn the fan off and sleep with socks on sort of night. Normally it doesn't get this cold until the middle of July, so it's a month early.

But it's all good because I love cold weather.

When I go to visit Mum and Dad in Queensland they will be coming off the end of winter so they will have nights of 5° and day of around 12. Looking forward to that too!

- Grover

60 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Emperor God of Dune
Mood: Normal

T-Shirt Goodness

Okay, I have a huge weakness for quirky/funny/retro tees.

Here are the latest ones that I may have to purchase:

Here and Here and Here too.

- Grover

61 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Emperor God of Dune
Mood: Tired

Mildly NSFW Some Things Are Just Wrong....Is That Warning Enough?

Okay, some things are just wrong.

Taking that first mouthful of breakfast cereal, only to discover the milk is off. Discovering what is making the fridge smell. Trying to guess what said foodstuff was originally. Older women watching anal porn titles.

Didn't expect that, did you?

I work in a dvd rental store so I will have spending money while in Japan.

Women who are the age of my Mum should not be returning titles that have "Anal" and "Love Stories" in the title. I'm sorry, but I think I have to make it the newest rule in my universe.

I'm not comfortable with the idea of a 50-year-old-women watching such a title. I try to tell myself that they are just returning a title that their husband has borrowed. This worked until one day, the lady who returned must have seen the expression on my face and said "Oh. It's not mine, I'm returning it for my son."

Excuse me? How is that better? Now I am squeamish to imagining the type of relationship you two have. I mean would any of you be comfortable letting your Mum know what type of porn you watch? Or that you watch porn at all for that matter?

Also, I get people who will choose the following movies: Lion King, The Wiggles Do Someting Silly, The Hooley Dooley: We're Not The Wiggles - Really!, Barbie and Something Sickingly Cute....and Assman # 4...

To say the least it's very, verry bizarre.

When I turned 18 and was able to hire adult movies, I use to wonder what those console operators use to think...now I know firsthand...I could have quite easily lived my life not knowing, but now the knowledge is there to stay in my brain.

As it is also now in yours...

Sharing. The gift that keeps giving, even when you wish it wouldn't...

- Grover

61 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Emperor God of Dune
Mood: Normal

Digital Camera

I need to purchase a digital camera for this trip too.

I was thinking of going with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. Some info is here: Link

I was wanting something I could grow into. In case I want to start doing more in photography. And this one looks fairly sweet.

The RRP is AUD$700, but I found a site that sells it for around AUD$450...

Let me know what you think.

- Grover

61 Days to go...
Currently Reading: Emperor God of Dune
Mood: Normal

Shrek 3

Just goes to show that sometimes you can’t trust other people’s opinion.

The prevailing view of this movie in the newspapers/entertainment sites is that it’s crap.

I found that I enjoyed it.

Okay, yes, it is pure popcorn. And no, it's not quite as fresh as the first one. But it got quite a few laughs out of me. So I don’t consider it a waste of time or money. A solid 3.5 out of 5.

- Grover

61 Days to go...
Currently Reading: God Emperor of Dune
Mood: Normal

Before I Forget...

Just to let everyone know.

I have set up this blog so that everyone can post comments directly without registering. I do want your comments and feedback.

However, if anyone flames me or a fellow commentator, I WILL delete it. If it continues, I WILL change the way comments are handled to a more controlled form.

That’s not to say you can’t post a differing opinion, just put some thought into your post. I think we have all read “lol u suxxors and r gay” enough times already. Don't add to it.

So have fun, but play nice.

That is all.

- Grover

61 Days to go...

Currently Reading: God Emperor of Dune
Mood: Normal.

Wot's all this about?

Now that tickets have been paid for and my leave has been approved, I guess that I can start posting stuff here…

This blog is going to track the progress and planning of the trip I am going to take to Japan in August and September. I also hope to update while I am on the trip itself so you can share it with me. ^.^ There will be cosplay, sushi, mountain climbing, engrish, miscommunications, hotsprings, more sushi, ramen and kimonos. I can't wait!!

I’ll also post other stuff that happens in my every day life. I don't offer any guarantees that it’ll be very interesting.

How did all this start?

In the Beginning…In the dusty recesses of last year, one of my friends said that he was planning a trip to Japan next year and wanted to know who wanted to come along. Me, being a huge fan of anime and manga, plus having read a bit of history on the place, said yes immediately.

So, there are going to be a group of 6 of us travelling together. Plus we are going to be meeting up with some more friends whilst in Japan as well.

The trip is going to be 3 ½ weeks long visiting the following places: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Mt Fuji and finally Tokyo again.

When we first get to Tokyo we are going to Comiket. And from what a friend who goes regularly to Japan has told me, it sounds like it is going to be an eye opener.

62 days to go…

- Grover