Randomness...

• Last weekend, I was in my bedroom and I could hear this "boom, boom, boom" in the distance. I realized it was coming closer to the house so I went outside and saw this parade going past the house. When I went inside to get Liz to come outside, she totally thought the "boom" was my radio turned up loud! Anyway, we're not really sure what this parade was all about, but it went right by our front door.

• Liz and I volunteered at a dance festival in our town where lots of dance groups and teams performed and competed. In the middle of the festival, the Japan Self-Defense Military came and performed...complete with the song "Hey, Mickey, you're so fine..." and a Rockette High Kick. It was sooo random.

• Liz is from Missouri and loves sports...therefore this past week I have been getting a game by game update of the World Series. The Cardinals won, but did you know they have a Japanese player on the team? His name is So Taguchi and he's from Hyogo prefecture, the same prefecture I live in now. I didn't know this until Liz told me, but I'm happy for Taguchi.

• When Wendy and Valerie were here visiting, I told them not to worry about locking the bikes because no one would steal me and Liz's cheap bikes. A week after I said that, Liz's bike got stolen yesterday at the train station. She forgot to lock it, and when we went to get our bikes, there was just mine sitting there, looking all lonely without hers. I'm really surprised that it happened, but Liz seems to be ok. She said, "It could be worse. I could have gotten in a bike wreck and broke my legs and my bike." Yes, Liz, that would have been worse.