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Usual Shenanigans

Around 6:30 I woke up thanks to leaving the hotel room curtains open. I was pretty groggy and still sleepy so I brushed my teeth and went back to bed. I could really go for a few more days in a hotel with nothing to do. It felt weird waking up by myself with no one around. That used to be the norm, but I've become accustomed to my crazy family life. And I am thankful for that.

I suited up and walked to Kobe Sannomiya Station, skipping breakfast. On the way I passed a standing bar that was packed and hopping. At 10:15 in the morning. Kobe is more fun than I thought.


When I got off the train at Osaka Umeda I was so hungry. I love being hungry. It's full of possibilities and it motivates me. Being full or even just satisfied doesn't make me feel good. I sometimes wish I was normal.

I wasn't sure what the wedding menu was gonna be, and the reception wasn't until 15:00, and I'm in Osaka, so I got myself some okonomiyaki and a draft beer. Ohhhh man it hit the spot. Perfect Saturday brunch. Just a random middle aged gaijin in a suit chowing down on some local grub and washing it down with Kirin Ichiban. I must've looked like an insane person.


At the wedding venue my friends and I were up to our usual shenanigans, one of which is taking photos together in the same poses as the bride and groom.


Today's celebration was at a place right across the Dojima River from the office building I worked in for three years after Eri and I got married in 2015. I was focused on the wedding ceremony, of course, but every once in a while I'd look out the window and think, "Oh man I used to eat lunch in that cafeteria all the time."

The wedding reception was pretty fancy.


The groom is from Kansas City. The bride is from Shenzhen, China. The party is in Osaka, Japan. I couldn't be more lucky that I've been able to attend events like this on the regular for most of my adult life. The people you meet are unforgettable. 

I enjoyed quite a bit of beer and hugged lots of people and grabbed my suitcase and walked to the ol' Maru Building nearby to catch the Itami Airport bus to make that last flight to Sendai. Upon arriving back at the end of the Nanboku Line of the Sendai subway I made the decision to just walk home. Tired, slightly tipsy, dressed to the nines, pretty stinky, and dragging a noisy rolling Samsonite suitcase through the north Sendai night. It drizzled a little, but thankfully no snow. 

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