Say It Isn't So...

Many of you probably are unaware that I am such a cycling fan, but my friend, John Fojtek--who is a pretty kick-A rider himself, got me addicted to watching the Tour de France back in 2002 and I've been entranced by it ever since. Talk about athletism. I tivo the stage every day (since it is on at 4 or 5 in the morning) and then spend 2 or 3 hours glued to the TV. While it has been unfortunate and disappointing to see that so many of the riders in the past few years have reverted to using various doping methods to get ahead, (including last year's winner Floyd Landis), my love for the sport has been kept alive by those who ride with only sheer will and determination.

Cyclist, and my personal hero, Alexandre Vinokourov (a pre-race favorite to win the Tour de France this year) has had some ups and downs through the race so far. His brutal fall during the 5th stage had him pretty beat up. Cut knees and elbows don't bode well for pedaling a bike 100 miles a day! He was dropped to 81st place in the race. But he got stitched up and came back out the next day, and the next, and the next, and after almost throwing in the towel after a serious day in the Alps, he started to look like himself again. Then on Stage 13--the Individual Time Trial--he came out like "a man possessed" and beat the entire field by over 2 minutes! Only to fall behind race leader, Michael Rassmussen, by over 25 minutes in stage 14 which officially took him out of contention for a podium finish. So, you can imagine the thrill when he came out yesterday and won stage 15 in the Pyrenees--a wicked mountain stage.

(Alexandre after taking a spill--check out the bloody knee and elbow. His pants were so ripped up that you could get a sneak peak of his muscular gluteous maximus!)
It was a total rollercoaster ride of disappointment and elation over the few days. Needless to say, my heart was crushed today when John called with the sad news....Vino had tested positive for blood doping. And his team (who was a contender to win the team race) was asked to leave the Tour. It is a sad day for the Tour de France and for cyclists (and cycling fans) everywhere.

Nippon

So, I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our awesome trip to Japan. It was hard to narrow it down because we took over 300 photos. So, here are some of the few good ones!

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

Some random Buddha statue on a bridge in Takayama

It was a bit rainy in Takayama, so Sean bought an umbrella from a street vendor.

So did Kent...isn't his cute!!

"The Iron Chef" who sold us some good peanut brittle type treat.

I was a little worried about the food, but I actually quite enjoyed most everything we tried.

A temple in Takayama

The Japanese are very clever with their limited space. This is a parking lot. Basically, you drive your car into a little cage and it is rotated around like a ferris wheel. Then to take it off, they back it onto this large rotating disc and spin it so you don't have to back out into traffic. It gives a whole new definition to the term "stacked parking!" LA could take a few tips!

The Nagoya Castle--we were able to see this castle and the surrounding grounds from our room on the 44th floor of the hotel. It is amazing how it just sticks out from the busy city around it. There are several moats and watch towers on the grounds. Really cool.

A replica of the "golden dolphin" that is a protector of the castle.

We still aren't sure what this little person was?? But you could buy little souveneirs of it all over.

We woke up early to go to the fish market for the auction--check out the size of this fish head!! (Sean's foot is there for a reference!!) Holy CatFish, Batman!! (Or Tuna?!)

This little guy was some company's mascot. Their motto is
"Make a Fresh!"
(I am still not sure what that means....)

We took the Japan Rail train everywhere. I loved it.
**Notice the ladies who go in to clean before and after each trip. Japan is such a clean place.

We had to at least try McDonalds in Japan! It was about the same as here. But the drinks were smaller. No 64 ouncers!! Let's face it: American portion sizes are a bit extreme!

Sean is always up for trying something interesting. He dug the Mega Teriyaki--too bad it's a Japanese exclusive.Sean is a little taller than your average Japanese man.

Annie D.---this is for you! I even saved you the wrapper. Not bad, not great either.

Kent loved speaking Japanese with the locals--especially the kids. The seemed to like him too!


Nope...this is not Paris. The Tokyo Tower seems to resemble some other tower in France. Amazing view from the top--we could see Tokyo Disney!

This is the view from one of the sides of the tower.

There is some crazy fashion in Tokyo!

Couldn't resist a picture with these signs...

This trip was made possible by the letters K and S (Kent & Shauni). We are pretty dang lucky to have such awesome parents/in-laws to take us to see things we never would have seen otherwise. We had such a great time and will never forget it!

Welcome to the Kwik-E-Mart!!

I was driving home the other day, when I noticed that I had entered the town of Springfield!!! The local 7/11 had been transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart in preparation for the upcoming realease of the Simpsons Movie. You can get a Squishy, Buzz Cola, or a donut straight out of the movie! I have been tempted to go, but there is a line at all times of the day.

Apparently there are only a few, 11 to be exact, converted Kwik-E-Marts in the U.S. and one in Canada. Lucky for us, this one is only a couple blocks away. I wish Cleadus and the gang were here to join me for a Squishy. Too bad you can't get a Duff Beer!

You Remind Me of the Babe...

I got this movie for Christmas from my parents because when I was a youngster, I would rent it every time, an I do mean every time, we would go to the Movie Buffs video rental store. Sean and I decided to watch it last night, and man-- that David Bowie is so hot in his tight pants as the Goblin King! The Bog of Eternal Stench, Hoggle, Ludo, and all of the creatures are so creative and fun. I love it. "You remind me of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power. What power? The power of voodoo, who do? you do! Do what? Remind me of the babe!!"

December in July...

For Sean's birthday, we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see the Decemberists with guests Band of Horses and Andrew Bird. The Decemberists got to play with the LA Phil, which was a treat. It was a great show in a spectacular setting. It is pretty amazing how you can step out of Los Angeles into these outdoor amphitheatres! I also love that they let you bring in your own picnic!

Happy Birthday, Sean!!

Here's hoping that this year is a great one for you!! Welcome to 27. At least for the next 4 months we will be the same age.

Comin' to America...

I was sad to miss the 4th of July this year, and for some reason they weren't doing any firework shows in Japan?!? But I sure felt patriotic as I listened to Neil Diamond on my 10 hour flight back to the US of A!!

It is nice to be back, but this jet lag is killing me! I will post a few pics from the Orient soon....stay tuned.