A few words from our sponsor

Some feedback from a reader of the blog has noted the lack of photos of yours truly. Well, it’s not because I am shy, as anyone who reads this blog knows very well! It’s simply that someone has to take the photos, hence the lack of mugshots of me. Plus, the star of the show is Lady E., not her decrepit old papa.
However, my 38th birthday was in late July, and just today a good friend of mine (who will be named --MMP) gave me a photo from exactly ten years ago. Here it is:

Title: “Jack Lord Hair & drunk as a monkey in Thailand or Laos…not sure which—1997”

I decided to post a current photo to compare how I have weathered the past ten years living in Japan. Hmm.

“Title: Food for Thought.”

Dual Citizenship: The Paperwork Trail
How do we get dual citizenship for our little girl? It’s a mountain of paperwork, a labor of love, and a slew of expletives all rolled into a month-long cavalcade of translation and finger-crossing. But, at the end of it all, last week we received Lady E’s passport from my country and, soon, we will receive one from the land of her birth. So we’ll soon have a dual citizen in our household. And that fact, my friends, is fantastic because we want to open up as many opportunities as possible for our little girl in the future. Two nationalities=double the fun, as far as I am concerned. Thanks to SDM for expediting the process for us in H-town.

I hope everyone reading this is having a wonderful summer of fun in the sun.

Six Months Old

Last weekend Elena turned six months old. We decided to take her out of Hiroshima on her first real trip out of the city, and drove up to the Japan Sea coast to a cottage we’d rented for a day. A nice, relaxing time for the whole family ensued. I was really into the whole Cosby Show family vibe going on--with not a trace of irony for once. We also had a cake (see below). Elena was asleep when we sang happy birthday to her, but that didn’t stop us from doing it.


Before returning the next day, I took the initiative and dipped our wriggling daughter’s left foot into the seawater. This is my tradition to mark an auspicious occasion or place. Turns out that Lady E. didn’t like it very much and promptly started wailing. But…plenty of time in the future for her to get used to the invigorating ocean spray and the salty water embrace! She is, after all, only six months old.

Lennon and McCartney said it best:
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Sweet 6-month old, our Lady E.

Lady E’s Limousine Part II: Zero Emissions Vehicle

Lady E. believes in 'being green'. As one of the youngest people currently inhabiting the planet, she believes in preserving the Earth's bounty for future generations. And she demands both style and functionality in her eco-friendly transportation, a.k.a. “Baby Car.” That's why we chose the Combi Do!Kids5 MMVII Edition as our little monarch's green limousine.

Specs:
* 0-2 miles per hour in about 10 seconds.
* Unlimited mileage (*parental powertrain not included in list price)
* Zero percent CO2 emissions.
* Folding sunroof and safety belt as factory installed options.

All the other kids crave this limited edition sports appearance package (pictured above right) with tactile plastic feetbars featuring cute crinkly-sounding stuff and infant attention-grabbing, bright squeezy stuff. [Big white happy face thingy is a tuner aftermarket part.]

Lady E. demands the best for herself as well as for the planet. And that means eco-friendly transport for our earth-friendly little munchkin.

4x4 special edition only available in Japan for rice paddy offroading.