it's not life that matters but the journey...

Glitterfy.com - Halloween Glitter Graphics

It's already November 1st here in Japan, and another work week is already starting. But I just wanted to hop on here and say thanks to dawnie1970 and serialbathera for the awesome e-cards you sent me! I've been bad about thanking people for the virtual gifties too - I got toy cars from both of these gals awhile back! I love you guys!!

Anyway - last night I was busy with class preparations, but I did manage to watch a thoroughly cheesy and creepy film from 1979 called Tourist Trap , which satisfied my need for horror on Halloween! And before that I watched an early release of the new AMC zombie show The Walking Dead , which was pretty good. I wasn't totally freaking out over it, but it has a good gory, creepy apocalyptic atmosphere. I might try to keep up with it for awhile and see if I continue to like it.

Well I've got to get ready for work. 5 classes at the junior high today - yikes! and last night we were kept awake for a couple hours with a massively loud thunderstorm! Booming, rolling thunder on November 1st... weird huh?

Happy Halloween everyone - hope the ghouls and zombies stayed away (or came to your house, if they were welcome!)

Last night I had a dream that I was gearing up to fight zombies. Honestly. In my dream, I was with a bunch of other people in these underground caves, and I remember telling someone that I wasn't sure I was strong enough to fight zombies - because I was afraid I'd get bitten and turn into one of them. But the last thing I remember from my dream was that we were all ready for the attack. And that was it - there was no zombie fighting in my dream! Darn! I'm not quite sure why I had this dream, except perhaps because I've really been wanting to see that show The Walking Dead , and I actually found a pre-air copy of it to download - I want to watch it this weekend before Halloween! This guy from my company was talking about it the other day when we all went for pizza after our meeting. He seemed surprised that I like zombie stuff - silly boy! I love zombies, and anything horror and Halloween-related. In fact, this time of year, I always wish I was in the states!! It's just not the same in Japan at Halloween time. The only thing I can do is watch some scary movies and eat candy. boo!

In other news, there may be a huge typhoon rolling in here tomorrow afternoon - which is kind of weird since I thought we were way past typhoon season. But everything's been late this year - late rainy season, late and long and very very hot summer, and late fall... wonder if winter will be really long and cold too! The last couple of days have been very cold - and I've been having trouble getting accustomed to it, mostly because it came on very fast. Just three weeks ago I was complaining it was still like summer. we did go out today and buy some more warm fleece jackets to wear around the house. Oh well - I really prefer cold to hot! Except that my foot is hurting more now that it's colder, and I can't do yoga! I miss yoga!

So because of the typhoon, this weekend we're staying in. I'm going to organize my clothes (put away summer stuff, get out my sweaters etc...), plan some activities for classes, and just watch shows and chill out. I need it - I'm still having stomach issues. *sigh*

that's all for now. Happy weekend everyone. and of course Happy Halloween. be safe, have fun, and don't let the ghouls and zombies get you!

I'm sure lots of people went out to parties or clubs tonight, but here I just stayed home. We had a slow night, but it was lots of fun. This afternoon we carved out the tops of some small pumpkins and put candles in them so we could light up the front window for trick-or-treaters, and I carved a small pumpkin to put out front too. Also we baked the pumpkin seeds, and baked some brownies, so there were goodies for us to eat. We didn't get too many trick-or-treaters, and hardly any small children (so we have wayy to much candy left over!) I think there must have been parties and alternatives for the younger kids this year. This was my first time to hand out candy on Halloween for many years, since I was either in apartments or in Japan. And who knows where I'll be next year for Halloween...

Anyway, here's a couple pics of my Halloween decorations:



( two more under a cut )

And here's my cat Leo and my mom's cat Buddy looking out the window at dinnertime. I love their matching postures, and also check out Buddy's eyes reflecting in the window. They're glowing! Green! (oh I should have moved that magazine out of the way - very interesting article in that Newsweek!)



Hope everyone had a fun and safe night:)

Free Glitter Graphics


I hope everyone has a great All Hallow's Eve!

and noticing that it's Halloween, that begs the question: where does the time go? it's already the end of October!! I feel like I've been remarkably absent from LJ lately. It's not intentional. I have just been busy, tired, and not able to find enough time to actually make a real post, or to keep up with everyone! I have tons of things to post about, hopefully later in the week.

for now, I'm just so glad that this month is over - let's hope November will bring better things!

I think fall is over. it's very cold here. and I think I'm catching a cold. bummer.

the other night, Halloween to be precise, I watched a great old movie with Vincent Price, Edgar Allen Poe's "The House of Usher" (based on the story "Fall of the House of Usher"). I truly enjoyed that - what a creepy film, and of course being made by Roger Corman it had all of the campiness necessary for a great fright! Vincent Price was purportedly paid $50,000 to make that film - what a big sum of money that was at that time. I guess he deserved it - he's so good at being evil. but the house is really the evil in that movie - interesting story. great for Halloween!!

thanks to my fave tv show "Supernatural", lately I've been taking a trip back to the '70s and '80s rock that I grew up with. and it's so much fun, the nostalgia. you know, all the bands with names from cities or states: Kansas, Boston, Chicago... I'd forgotten how much I loved the song "Dust in the Wind" - but sadly when I hear that song, I just think of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" ... All we are is dust in the wind. DUDE.

and then there's the other bands that are out of my past: Journey, Sabbath, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Ratt and the Scorpions (ah, yes all the bands named after animals - with the screaming guitar solos)... and then there's the band which I think I can safely say is my favorite band of all time: Bad Company. Paul Rodgers' voice just makes me melt. thanks to dawnie1970 I've been able to rock out in my car - I downloaded her collection of songs from season 1 of Supernatural and I love it!! Plus yesterday I downloaded the first CD (or maybe they just have one?) of the Raconteurs - the "supergroup" with Jack White of the White Stripes. they are so good! so my commute has become a little louder, and it makes the drive so much quicker!!

tonight's "Supernatural" made me think of that movie with Ashley Judd where she's locked up in a cellar with other girls. it was a bit gruesome. and what's with Jo? are the Winchester sons really to be blamed for a mistake that their father made? good show though...

I think I'm going to *try* to learn to knit. emphasis on the word try. I need a creative outlet and I think that is a good one for me. my friend iilii is going to try to teach me. good luck to her - and to me! and if I can get motivated I might just have time to knit something for my sister's baby boy who is due in less than a month!

and finally...work sucks.

that is all.