November, 2009

I have dropped off the grid somewhat over the past few weeks. Here’s a quick update and some pictures.

We are back from Japan. The month of September was supremely relaxing. We loved being in Japan, and I doubt I will ever get around to posting all the pictures and stories from our trip. We did get on TV twice, if I ever can get them on line, I'll definitely share them. Also, the epic adventure of arranging my Dad to meet Larry Bird made the NBA pages of ESPN.com; check it out here.

We arrived back in St. Louis at the beginning of October, and immediately closed on a house. Our street is called San Pedro, in Fenton, MO, about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis.

We got the house just in time for a beautiful fall, although we won't be living there for a few more weeks. My friend Larry and I are basically re-doing the entire inside before we can move in. My cousin, David, is providing tremendous expertise; he is an expert on everything from plumbing to electric concerns. Other family members such as my brother Mark are contributing valuable labor; Mark and I had some fun demolishing the basement carpet and floor. Mom and Michiyo have, of course been providing the all-important meals, and Papa Joe raked the leaves and gave us tools.

In this next picture, the tree in our front yard glows with golden leaves, while Larry, talking on a cell phone, takes a break from directing the entire rehab of the inside of our house. Larry is as amazing as the tree in our front yard!

A few more fun pics: Hiro playing on heavy equipment in July.
Hiroki was a lion for Halloween; this was one of the few good photos we got; he did not like wearing it.
Halloween with my sibs: Katie (with her husband of three months) Mike, as the Princess Bride pair, I am sporting a 4-utter cow suit. While this costume got rave reviews, my brother Mark took home the title of costume of the year—an accurate rendition of the death of the 2009 Cardinal Baseball season. Confused? Watch this and you’ll understand.