Yesterday Once More

Quick final note from Moose to the Legions of Loyal Fans just to let you know that we made it home to the most beautiful brown-eyed girl in the world, who is at this moment closely guarding her jet-lagged, snoring Goose. The trip was as miserable as you would imagine thirteen hours in coach would be. A baby cried every inch of those 7000 miles, and either ANA doesn't have as much leg room as advertised or I grew six inches over the past two weeks. In any case, we are back in the People's Republic of Takoma Park, safe, sound, and slightly giddy from the whirlwind of our Japan adventure. Perhaps the sole owner and proprietor of Roxie's World will be kind enough to afford me a little more space in these hallowed precincts over the next few weeks to reflect upon the journey now that it is over. We'll see. I'm sure the Creative Division will have to weigh in on the matter, and I know the folks over in Persona Management are still ticked at me over the "real-world" name faux pa(w)s in some of my early posts. That Mark Twain fella is a real stickler.

In the meantime, having re-crossed the International Dateline, I am busy re-living thirteen hours of the thirteenth day of August, which is just about as weird as it gets if you ask me. Having felt like we were living one Bill Murray film in the past couple of weeks -- Lost in Translation -- I now have an eerie sense of being trapped in another: Groundhog Day. Great flick if you ask me, and massively under-rated, but I will probably freak out if I wake up tomorrow morning and hear "I Got You, Babe" on the radio.

I leave you with a final image from the trip, a close-up of a page from the lengthy informational packet that compelled our attention during our stay at the ryokan (traditional inn) in Hakone. The document contains page after page of problems and situations the traveler might encounter in the course of a stay at what was apparently the most dangerous place on earth, peaceful appearances notwithstanding. Everything from burned-out light bulbs and bad odors to hostage situations and attacks by "gangsters" is addressed in tables with the Japanese characters on on side and English translations on the other. There are even lists of responses the innkeepers might offer to any given problem. Goose and I pored over this text for hours, trying to decide what potent combination of genuine concern and projected anxiety could have produced it. Click on the image to enlarge it, and you should be able to read my favorite section for yourself. It is important to me that you all realize I hew closely to the Roxie's World rule of never making stuff up when unvarnished reality is so enormously entertaining.

Peace out, kids. I think it's time for my nap now.

Love to all,
Moose