Is traveling an acceptable excuse for not posting in two weeks?

As I write this I am up way too early in Los Angeles. Jet lag leftovers. I have been in the U.S. for 5 days now, but still adjusting. Volunteered at the airport in Tokyo to wait a few hours longer. In return I got my ticket changed to first class and spent a day in Honolulu. So now I have a sunburn and too many pairs of pants.

My birthday was two days ago, August 19th. I am 29 now. That means in a year, if I survive that long, the three-decade mark awaits me. Oh my head.

After Honolulu and before L.A. I went to Portland, Oregon. Managed to see a lot of friends and family in the brief time I was there. And I also saw Napoleon Dynamite. I had hardly heard of it before I came over the pond. "Gosh!"

Celebrated my birthday with the purchase of seven pairs of shoes and dinner with good friends. I had a kid's burger and hummus. Oh yeah and I played disc golf and, almost entirely due to an overhand throw which the other players lacked, won by ten strokes. I don't THINK they let me win just because it was my birthday....

What else...? Dr. Sabrina is a good cook and I don't know enough about wine. And Eric has had my copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" for four years. And the agoraphobic lady across the courtyard is looking at me through only a crack in her curtains.

And I watched He-Man and the Masters of the Universe last night. Then I fell asleep on the couch. Before that we went out to some bars, including the Dresden, which is featured in the movie "Swingers". That was wacky. No room to move, just decent cocktails, and "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that... cling?" Isn't that a Saran Wrap commercial? What is that word supposed to be? Swing? What thing that rhymes with 'thing', when absent, renders "it" meaningless?

Anyway, thanks to all my hosts so far on my American tour. Of course I will be happy to return the favor if you should ever pop over to Japan. I need some grapes. Bye for now.