kintaro

I tried living in a quiet area once. Didn't like it. I like leaving noise to relax but I cannot be surrounded by it all the time.

I always have dozens of plants in the house. I've got a couple of avacado trees now that started off in the superemarket. Plants (and wine) make great housewarming gifts.

I'm much too lazy to learn how to ski. I'll be sticking with only snowboarding. BTW, I was told the other day that it's much harder to learn skiing than snowboarding. True?

Excellent views up there on 'Moon Mountain'....but bring the sunblock!

It's ALL helpful! That means you also think it's a worthwhile place to visit and not just a hooker ridden gambling spot in the desert.

I'll be heading to Vegas soon. I'm feeling like the only guy from Hawaii who hasn't been there. I'm not much of a gambler but I'm interested in the architecture, the shows and people watching. I'd also like to try the stratosphere rides, etc. It's not your ordinary city and it has some interesting history. If you've been there or not, what are your thoughts about Vegas?

Thanks TB!

Yah, kind of nuts. I don't have the link but check out Youtube 'Kainoa McGee SUP'ing at Pipeline'

I know several SUP boarders that ride Pipeline as well as most any surfer. But I like that on any given say I see young/old, male/female SUP boarders working out at Ala Moana or any spot on the southside of Oahu.

Hey surfers and beach goers, have you notices SUP'ing becoming popular at all in Japan or elsewhere? I hadn't seen anyone doing it when I left Japan but I was surprised to see how popular it had become in Hawaii. I gave it a try and it's well, different. It's a great workout but I can't really catch waves yet.

Zero. Not even Mauna Kea!! My board and gear still live in Japan anyways.

I'd have to agree that your planning was almost flawless. You covered most of the tohoku majors. The only ski-jo I would have added is Hakkoda...very trippy place! Glad you liked Sendai. It's a very nice city. Well done!

Yes, first and only place. I've hit about 10 prefectures, Niigata being the first. I used to love taking off a week or two and going all over Tohoku. Maybe next year I'll try Canada or Tahoe.

Gassan. But don't expect to hit it in July and find powder. It's an odd place to board/ski. Gassan literally means "Moon Mountain." There are no trees. But when you're jonzing....who care?

I used to go to Miyagi Zao (Eboshi) and they'd stay open until 12:00. It was a lot of fun but they only opened up half of the hill.

Appi Kogen. Unforgetable! I had never been there. I caught the first gondola of the morning and it was deep with fresh pow. I didn't know the course I chose had moguls. 5 meters down I break left and my body doesn't follow. I broke my leg. Actually heard the bone snap! Kind of ended my all Tohoku ski-jo trip. 3 months later the cast came off and I at least got in a day at Gassan.

Thanks for the pics! I really miss Zao. I used to spend 30 days a year there. I moved back to Hawaii and haven't seen real snow in quite a while.

I'd go to Hard Off or some other used shop and buy an iron, some wax, a brush and scraper and keep your board waxed. It's not hard to do and in my opinion your board performance will be better....and keep the rails sharp. Aloha!

The Superferry will continue. For the most part people like it. From my 38th floor window I watch it port and deport from Honolulu Harbor a couple times a week. Kauai has enough financial problems to protest this source of potential income. I reccomend taking a body board up to Mauna Kea when it has snow, have a friend drop you off and pick you up at the end of the snow line and then recipricate the act for your friend(s). Do be prepared for a crash landing when the snow line ends and lava rocks begin.

They are ukulele's. I'm still in the biz but I relocated to Hawaii. The triple Crown is on right now and the Norht shore of Oahu is going to be huge this year (I think). Creek Boy, I sold that place and upgraded. Still looking for something on Maui as well. Aloha!!

I have only boarded (never tried skiing)in Japan. I will be hitting up Whistler and Tahoe this coming January.

Thanks for the pics Zaoman. I had 8 seasons of 30 day plus days a year at Zao before moving back home to Hawaii. Someday I will return!!

Morrissey,I know it was really nothing but please, please, please let me get what I want. Lord knows it would be the first time.

I was named after my grandfather but have never been called anything but my middle name. My first name is WIlliam and I definitely don't feel like or associate with being a William. When it has to be used -legal forms, etc - Somebody almost always calls me Bill. Irritating! I'd like to just drop my first name but for people with no middle names for legal documents, etc., people are often forced to write there name as First Name NMN Last Name. I'd become NFN Middle Name Last Name. Strange?

My wife and I just opened our first cafe/ukulele/Hawaiian goods shop in Sendai. It took a lot of work to design it with Hawaiian materials (lots and lots of koa wood) but its a very authentic Hawaiian shop. I'm the chef, ukulele salesmen and consultant, foreign buyer, PR man.......I forgot how much work is involved with running your own biz. Good fun though. Any ukulele players in the Tohoku area can check us out at the Sendai Ukulele Festival on Sept 23. We're co-sponsoring it and will have a table set up.