Category: Journal (Page 2 of 965)

I’m writing this from the Narita airport. I’ll have to get the time difference figured out. I think by the time I’m taking off for Cebu, it will already be past midnight in LA, and maybe even morning in Nebraska.

My flight across the pacific went well. It really helped that Denis booked business class seats. It’s the kind with their own “room” around the seat. It was so comfortable. The seat even went almost flat.

It also came with lots of amenities. I had bourbon and short ribs. Mmm..

I was in an aisle AND a window. Best of both worlds! Here’s my photo essay of the flight. The first picture is the California coast, and the second picture is the coast of Japan.

Two nights in Cebu, and then it’ll be back to Japan for a few days. (I know… it’s weird… but it was cheaper this way.)

I’m leaving for the Philippines today!

I had one full day in LA yesterday, and I was going to use it! I had three separate doctor appointments.

The first one was the dermatologist. I have a spot on my leg I wanted to have her look at. She didn’t seem super concerned, but she did do a little biopsy. I’ll get the results in a few days.

The second appointment was my regular dentist. I was there for a cleaning, but the dentist did do a check-up, and said I have a spot under one of my crowns that looks like it has a cavity. I’ll need to do something about that when I get back.

The third appointment was an oral surgeon. I started this journey almost three years ago, when my dentist noticed my bottom front teeth were loose. They have since been removed, and I’ve had a full course of Invisalign adjustments. The space where two teeth were crowded is now ready for one implant.

Except the oral surgeon noticed that my other front teeth were loose as well. Dang it. He says the best thing would be to remove those other two teeth and to get two implant posts, and do a three-teeth bridge. It is going to cost a lot of money, so I didn’t schedule the appointment yet.

But I’ll put all of that aside for a while and just enjoy this next adventure. Across the International Date Line I go!

Here is my flight information:
United #32
Depart LA 10:55am
Arrive Tokyo 2:10pm (on the 15th)

United #32
Depart Tokyo 5:55pm
Arrive Cebu 10:05pm

My trip back to California was ok.

Before I left Lincoln, I was excited to see and get a souvenir of Nebraska:

Duck fat roasted almonds? I had to get some. I haven’t tried them yet. My stomach was upset as usual when I fly.

There were bumps landing in Denver, but thank God that many people had their window shades open so I could see out the window.

I had a super quick layover, then I was on a plane again. This time it was bigger, and had screens in the back of the seat. I watched “Return of the Jedi”.

My biggest surprise of the day was when I got back to LA. While I was waiting at the baggage claim carousel, I noticed that the people in my section were all standing back from the conveyor belt. Usually people crowd right up against it, which is the stupidest way to do it. These people were being smart. Good job, people!

Tomorrow I head off of another trip – the Philippines and Japan! Woo hoo! Today I have a bunch of things to do, including three doctor and dentist appointments. It’s going to be a busy day!

Yesterday morning we got up bright and early to go to the farmers market in Lincoln.

It was fun, but I didn’t bring a hat, so I was playing hide-and-seek with the sun. It was good at finding me.

Next, we went to the mall to look at hats for me. I need a sun-blocking hat for an upcoming hike on Mt. Fuji. I didn’t find one to buy, but I did try on some different styles so I would know what kind I would like to order online.

We had lunch at Applebees. They had an interesting item on the menu where they melt cheese all over your plate, then put your burger and fries in it:

It was good, but I should have had them leave the mustard off of the burger.

Next, we went to Lauren’s happy place – Aldi grocery store. While we were there, we saw a guy who had “Hummel” on the back of his shirt. That’s my mom’s family name! I took a picture:

Lauren actually went over to talk with him. After he told us his dad’s and grandpa’s names, I sent them to my mom. She said his grandpa and my grandpa were first cousins. That makes that guy my third cousin! How cool!

When we got back to Seward, we rested a little. Then I went to my mom’s house for tacos and corn. Mmm…

After dinner, Lloyd and Lauren and Sam and Rachel came over. We tasted the weird drinks that Lauren got while we were in Lincoln.

I fly back to LA today. My summer visits keep feeling faster and faster…

Here’s my flight info:
United #5825
Depart Lincoln 11:42am
Arrive Denver 12:31pm

United #774
Depart Denver1:26pm
Arrive LA 2:57pm

Yesterday evening, I gathered with my extended family on my dad’s side. Almost all the cousins were there. It was so fun to see them! We don’t have a regularly scheduled time to gather, so we catch them when we can.

It was hot and humid when we first arrived, but as the evening wore on, it started to rain. And then it stormed! I loved it! I don’t see thunderstorms in LA.

On our drive home, the sunset was dramatic, so I took a picture:

And as we got closer to Seward, we saw lots of lightning flashes. I really wanted to get on on my camera, so I turned on the video recorder and held my phone up to the window. It took a LOT of tries, but I finally got some lightning on video that I could do a screen capture of. Yay!