New Additions!

First of all, I'd like to take the opportunity to congratulate Jess and Chris, who welcomed Wyatt Chester into their family on October 20th. I am so happy for you guys! And I can't believe my friends are having kids ^_^ Also, I have to agree with Kraig and ask what happened to Jesus Danger?!? It has such a nice ring to it (-_^)

On the heels of that fantastic news, and cause I'm sure you're all just DYING to know, yes, I did get a car. His name is Tank, and he's a spry 12 year old Mitsubishi Minica.

He is at once the smallest and oldest car I have ever owned, and I was lucky enough to buy him from a friend returning home in August. Since then he's been eagerly anticipating the arrival of my license... or so I assume. At any rate, now that I've got it, Tank and I have been able to share many lovely adventures, including getting lost on the way to another part of Takyama last weekend... in which we ended up in Nagano Prefecture by mistake d(^_^)b

We were trying to get to a town called Kamitakara (technically a part of Takayama), during which we passed by this fantastic overlook

And in the town of Hirayu made a wrong turn that took us up this two way "road"

We didn't get any pictures of the parts where there were lines of cars parked on both sides of the "road", but it was a pretty drive and we did get the leaves


It was at this point that my friend noticed we weren't in Gifu anymore, which he pointed out to me by saying "um, we're in Matsumoto" (which is in Nagano prefecture). My response? A very mature "craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!" ha ha ha ha ha

We never did make it to the ropeway we were trying to get to (seems everyone in Chubu was visiting Kamitakara that weekend... the traffic was a nightmare (>.<)) so instead we visited Honoki ski resort




Other than that fun drive, Tank and I have mostly just puttered around here, going in to town for Taiko practice and Japanese class. And twice to Kuguno when I was running late for school... heh heh heh... eh. Not having a car for the past year I didn't realize just how convenient they really are when you live out in the country like I do. Especially when you prefer to purchase your groceries after 6pm. Hooray Tank!