I'm getting ready to run out the door with my father in Helena, Montana...Kat has just had enough time to toss off an email to me telling everyone she's doing fine. She asked me to pass on that information to you folks.
So there you have it.
She's doing fine.
I'm doing fine.
All fine here!
Posted on October 27, 2007 @ 8:36 AM | 0 comments
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I got up at 6am and took another bath before sorting out the reservation. Then I headed out to the Ginza at 8am, wandered about aimlessly-- nothing really opens until 10am-- until I ended up at Tsukiji Honganji where they were just beginning a buddhist service with gagaku music. Very cool.
I met my host mom at 11am for 5 hours of amazing kabuki. Its REALLY a shame that my family couldnt make it because the seats were great-- better than I could ever afford. After kabuki we ate sushi in Tsukiji. Now I am back at the ryokan waiting for my family. I hope they make it ok! Depending on how they feel, we might go out for a bit. I have to, at the least, get my dad to Tokyo station so he can get on the shinkansen to Kyoto. I am sure he will collapse of exhaustion before he gets there... but he has to; his conference starts tomorrow morning. Ugh.
Host mom and I arranged to have dinner again tomorrow-- sukiyaki this time-- in Asakusa, so she can at least meet my mom and sister. Wednesday we are meeting my friend Kyoko for breakfast! 忙しくなった！
Being back here is strange because its very familiar but I have also forgotten a lot about the way things are, and how to cope. Like that its bloody hot in the subway. And how hard it is to walk on the sidewalk in heels. Its a lot easier being a tourist in Tokyo than living here. I love being back though... its oddly comfortable.
Posted on October 22, 2007 @ 2:32 AM | 8 comments
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Here's hoping this is the first and last hitch in the trip plan!
I'm glad you got a day to yourself in in Tokyo, but sorry that your family had to miss one to make it happen.
By 
Justin, at
5:38 AM, October 22, 2007
So what happened to mom and dad's flight? Did they miss it our was it just delayed?
I hope it wasn't because they had to run around to Eleanor's auditions before the left...
Glad you made it safe! Wish I could be there with you all...
By Allie, at
11:46 AM, October 22, 2007
Squeearu, I wish I could be there with you!
By 
Rachel, at
1:36 PM, October 22, 2007
As I understand it, the flight was canceled. I'm not sure why, but I know they were at the airport when it was delayed 2 1/2 hours and then they called me again when it was canceled.
By Justin, at
7:19 PM, October 22, 2007
If you had suffered through summer in Japan this year, especially in the Kansai area, you would find 70 degrees to be quite chilly.
By Chris, at
7:00 PM, October 23, 2007
Don't get her started complaining about heat and humidity in Japan...she loves it there, really!
By Justin, at
10:12 PM, October 23, 2007
Hey Kitty Kat. Glad you're enjoying being back in Japan, though it's hectic. I hope I get to come back to Cuba someday and see what it feels like to be back in wonderland.
And I sympathize on the hot/humid factor. Still in the high 80's or more here all the time. Portland will be very chilly!
I miss you, hope all is well! XOXO
By Liz, at
1:38 PM, October 28, 2007
Hello Kathryn,
your website is pretty cool! I can't wait to see the pictures you've taken in Kyoto.. I have a few myself but my work is very "amateur".. really, no art involved.. informative photos more than anything!
Hope you'll enjoy the rest of your trip.. I'm spending my last 2 days in Tokyo shopping between meetings, trying to bring a little something for everyone back home..
It was nice meeting you..
TTYS..
Marc, Bridgestone
By , at
7:55 PM, October 29, 2007
Its good and strange to be back. My Japanese still works, thank god for that. More later.
Posted on October 21, 2007 @ 3:56 AM | 3 comments
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Oh Crap! hope they make it soon!
By LazyLightning, at
5:39 AM, October 21, 2007
ah, the joys of air travel. reminds me of when i spent hours and hours sitting in the buenos aires airport while my sister was stranded at her layover in lima. i blew so much of my vacation money on airport food and booze! =) have an awesome time.
By , at
4:46 PM, October 21, 2007
See you on Wednesday!
It's good to know your Japanese works. わたしの英語、ダメダメだもーん。
By kyoko, at
5:04 PM, October 21, 2007
Posted on October 19, 2007 @ 6:58 PM | 0 comments
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( Photos from the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America )
The weekend before last, Justin and I visited the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America with my mom. Located in Granite Falls, Wa (about 40 minutes from Seattle), Tsubaki Taisha is the only shinto shrine in North America. That makes it extremely special-- and it's authentic, not some sort of touristy knock-off.
Tsubaki Taisha sits on the banks of the Pilchuck River in a secluded 25 acres outside of Granite Falls. The Sunday we visited, the shrine held Shuki Taisai, the annual autumn ceremony in which the doors to the Honden (inner shrine) are opened and offerings are made to the deities enshrined within. It was a beautiful ritual, and we were treated to an amazing Koto performance during the ceremony.
Afterward, the priest/reverend explained that part of the offering was new rice taken from a crop in California. In Japan, it is quite typical for rice growers to harvest the first of their crop personally and give it to their local shrine. As you can imagine, this is nearly unheard of in America. It surprised me to learn that the head of a large American rice growing corporation would visit his fields and harvest the first of his crop, and I was even more surprised when we all received a sheaf of this "sacred rice" to place in our homes.
The second bit of pleasant news that the reverend shared with us was that an Oregon brewery had just recently released a special blend of sake specifically for Tsubaki shrine. Most large shrines in Japan have their own brew of sake (it's a drink that Okami enjoy very much), but it is rare for small shrines like this one (much less in America) to have their own brand of sake. We all lined up for a taste and it was delicious. I've got to buy some of it soon!
How very unique and refreshing it was to visit a shinto shrine in America, and in such a beautiful location. We've also recently been attending services at the Seattle Koyasan Buddhist church (of the Shingon sect), which is located near the International District. I've become well acquainted with the presiding monk, Imanaka Taijo-san, and we'll be staying at his home temple, Rengejo-in, when we visit Koya-san in a week. If you're in Seattle, I highly recommend trips to both the shrine and the temple. And check out the photos!
Posted on October 17, 2007 @ 8:27 PM | 0 comments
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Posted on October 16, 2007 @ 9:23 AM | 7 comments
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congrats! yayaay
By , at
2:37 PM, October 16, 2007
Happy Burfday!
By Rachel, at
4:48 PM, October 16, 2007
Happy Birfday!!!
By Kyle, at
5:49 PM, October 16, 2007
Hi Kiddo-Happy Birthday !!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats on the engagement while I
am at it !!!!!Sounds like a cool
place to have it -wish I could make it out there.
Your pictures are realy great too.
Peace and love,
Unc Ron
By , at
6:30 PM, October 16, 2007
Happy quarter century! I wanted to call you today to wish you a happy one and just to chat...but I found that I don't have your number. :o(
By sometrouble, at
8:55 PM, October 16, 2007
Huzzah! Happy day to you!
spankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspankspank
By Allie, at
10:05 PM, October 16, 2007
happy birthday! celebrate joyously :)
By gleek, at
6:35 AM, October 17, 2007
( Larch Lake Backpacking Photos )
We left Friday evening and hiked three miles in, where we camped along the creek. The next day we had relatively good weather for the 8 mile trek to Chiwaukum Lake, where we dropped our gear and made camp. Then we hiked past Chiwaukum lake about 2.25 miles to Larch Lake, where you can see the best of the fall colors. The leaves were amazing-- but we were a weekend too early for 90% of the Larches. Oh well!
There was a little snow already on the ground at Larch Lake, and on our way up it started to snow lightly. As we returned to camp, it got progressively heavier and we awoke to about an inch on the ground and more in places. It made the hike back down interesting-- peaceful, picturesque, and serene-- until we were low enough that it turned to rain and we had to trudge 10 miles in it.
All in all, quite the experience, hiking 27 miles in two and 1/5 days... exhausting but satisfying. I'd recommend the hike, particularly on a clear fall day.
Posted on @ 12:09 AM | 1 comments
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Pretty!
By Rachel, at
4:48 PM, October 16, 2007
Alex and Kristin came up from Eugene to visit and we experimented in the eclectic:
- B-Day party at Tom & Amy's
- A serendipitous meeting with a Seattle paper-making couple
- Hiking at Snoqualmie pass
- A feast at Toyoda sushi
- A fetish party until 2am
- Coffee at Vivaci and shopping at REI
- Sunday service at Seattle Koyasan Buddhist temple
I'm seriously sleep deprived and sore. It's time for me to crash. Tomorrow, more photos (from backpacking) and an update on Japan plans.
Posted on October 14, 2007 @ 11:33 PM | 0 comments
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( Pictures from Attempt on Heaven's Peak )
I finished editing the last of the Glacier photos. They're split between two days, Day 6, wherein we attempt Heaven's Peak, and Day 8, which was our last day in the park (we left midmorning).
Our Heaven's Peak attempt is an interesting little story. We've always wanted to try climbing Heaven's Peak. It's one of the more scenic mountains in the West Glacier area, mostly because it's not clustered together with the rest of the Logan Pass peaks. It sits, long and low, across from the Garden Wall. Climbing Heaven's Peak means starting about 2,500 feet lower than any of the peaks at Logan Pass-- but skipping the 45 minute drive up there.
There are three main routes up the mountain. One is an overnight that takes hikers from the loop on Going to the Sun road down into the river valley (that was decimated by the Roberts Fire Complex in 2003) and up the long shoulder of Heaven's Peak. This route is 12 miles one way with an elevation gain of 4700 feet. Needless to say, we didn't feel like hiking 24 miles in 2 days.
The route we took was up either up the "south ridge" or the "east face." We really can't figure out which one it was supposed to be. Anyway, the route is obvious and begins just a few miles up the road from the Speyer Cabin. You start the day by fording the creek, which is pretty easy in late summer, and an invigorating way to start a climb of 5,000 vertical feet in under 4 miles.
We knew we'd have to start hiking early and out of the car by 7am. Amy had decided not to attempt the summit (she hiked at Logan Pass with the goats instead) and was worried for our safety, but we told her that we'd set a strict turnaround time and not to fret. Little did we know that we'd come home over an hour past the time we told her to start worrying (and, due to a "slight" miscommunication, several hours after she already had).
The day of the hike was INCREDIBLY hazy due to smoke from all the fires. It didn't clear all morning or afternoon, which resulted in an odd, pinkish sort of light all day. The majority of the terrain was solid stream bed with intermittent cliffs and pleasant, if somewhat monotonous views. The stream we followed was consistently beautiful, however.
When the stream became impassible, we were forced to bushwhack through thick, entangled underbrush for the better part of an hour. As we got higher, the rock became less solid and smaller, eventually leading to large talus slopes in the basin below the peak. It was excruciatingly slow going.
When we reached the basin, we were somewhat torn on whether to attempt the summit because we still had so much altitude left to gain and we were rather unsure of the correct route to the ridge line. We decided to attempt the ridge and see what it was like. After crossing the unusual, barren and cracked moon-like terrain, we ascended the ridge via a cleft that appeared steep and impassible but was actually quite easy to climb. Once on the ridge-top we were treated to terrain I've never seen in the park before while climbing-- steeply sloped slabs of rock, which we carefully traversed. (And then perched on when we reached the ridge top.)
At this point, we hit against our time limit and had crossed Tom's comfort zone. The summit was in sight and less than a mile and 1,000 vertical feet away. It was heartbreaking. If photographic evidence is worth anything, it was a good thing we didn't attempt to go any farther up the mountain. As Justin and I were ogling what we thought to be the summit cairn, it moved... repeatedly disappearing and reappearing on the summit ridge. Whatever it was, it was obviously big-- and pictures seem to reveal the outline of a grizzly bear. We had been seeing big piles of fresh bear shit all day and grizzlies are known to eat ladybug hatches on top of summits. We might have just barely avoided catastrophe.
Oh, another cool thing was that I saw an ice fall. There was this small glacier in the bowl below the summit, and while I was standing alone on the summit ridge I saw a large chunk break off of the top and fall down into the detritus below. It made a sound like thunder.
We rested in the basin and Tom took a chilly bath before our descent. Coming down is where we got really screwed.
Somehow, we thought it a good idea to attempt a bushwhack farther up ledge where we had ascended. Probably the idea was that it would be at less of a slope. It was, but also twice as dense and twice as far, spitting us out up a slick creek bed thickly lined with underbrush. We clawed our way through the brush, cursing and struggling, losing hiking poles and sanity, while it gradually got darker.
The only plus side of this time-consuming misadventure was that we got observe firsthand the climbing skills of a bear. When we broke free of the brush and climbed down to the main creek bed, a black bear popped out from the bushes on the opposite side of the canyon, climbing down the mountain too! It was much to small to be our summit friend, and safely far enough for us to watch. They're speedy little buggers, bears!
Anyhow, the end result of the bushwhacking disaster was that we were forced to hike for over an hour in complete darkness (though we had headlamps) and didn't make it back to the house until 10pm, by which time Amy was in tears and on the phone with Justin's dad. :( It was an exhausting and frustrating climb, but one I would attempt again, just to finally complete it. Check out the photos in the Day 6 Gallery.
( Pictures from Glacier Day 8 )
Posted on October 11, 2007 @ 11:47 PM | 1 comments
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Looks like a lot of fun.. other than the bushwacking part. :(
It's a Blue-eyed darner, and a very pretty one at that, in near-perfect condition. I'm thinking of mounting and framing it.
Posted on October 10, 2007 @ 2:21 PM | 1 comments
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Nice blog you two have going here.
By Thomas, at
3:02 AM, October 12, 2007
( Polebridge photo gallery )
Visit my gallery of Polebridge pictures to get a better feel of the little town in which we'll be married. Like I said, it's a little rough around the edges... sort of a combination of rustic Montana and hippie chic. We'll be able to have a simple, fun, and elegant (more "natural" elegant than "church" elegant) ceremony without anyone stepping on our toes! Here are some shots another wedding photographer took at a Polebridge wedding. And here is a Polebridge wedding from above.
Posted on October 09, 2007 @ 10:52 PM | 1 comments
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looks like my kind of place!
TOKYO- Days 1-4: Staying at Homeikan. Seeing the sights. Visiting with host family. Kabuki. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Asakusa, Ginza.
KYOTO- Days 4-8: Staying at Rakucho Ryokan. Doing the Kyoto thing.
MT. KOYA- Days 8-10: Staying at Rengejo-in, the home temple of Seattle's own buddhist priest, Taijo Imanaka. Enjoying the quiet and serene mountain.
OSAKA- Day 11: Staying at Yamatoya Honten. Eating Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki. Taking in a wee bit of Osaka.
SHIRAKAWAGO- Day 12: Driving from Kyoto to Kanazawa, visiting Kanazawa, then driving to Shirakawago, a UNESCO World-Heritage site. Staying at traditional Gassho-zukiri farmhouse Kidoya. Savoring the local food and countryside. Check out the webcam!
TAKAYAMA- Day 13: Driving from Shirakawago to Takayama. Staying at Ryokan Hakuun (English here). Tasting famous Hida "flying beef," soaking in baths, and breathing the mountain air.
MATSUMOTO (Asama Onsen)- Day 14: Driving from Takayama to Kamikochi and then to Asama Onsen in Matsumoto. Staying at Onsen Onouenoyu (Funny Engrish here). Eating some crazy stuff (horse sashimi, crickets, and bee larva?!) and enjoying the hot springs. Returning to Tokyo/Narita by train in the morning and departing.
Posted on October 08, 2007 @ 11:52 AM | 0 comments
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Also, this: Cats who likes waffles and me being frumpy on a Saturday morning...
Posted on @ 9:16 AM | 3 comments
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Hows my Feebs?! I miss her terribly! Look how big she is now!!!
By Liz, at
9:01 AM, October 09, 2007
I love it! Cats who like waffles. And you look cute. My little cat will eat just about anything. He enjoyed some banana this morning...wierdo.
p.s. my word verification was "pdbkat"
By sometrouble, at
10:03 PM, October 09, 2007
Phoebe is doing well. She's still pretty tiny, but bigger than in this photo.
She likes to eat peanut butter!! I will be sure to feed her lots to make sure she gets big and strong.
By Kat, at
10:57 PM, October 09, 2007
( Photos from Brad & Sara's Wedding )
Two weeks ago, our good friends Sara and Brad were married in Vida, Oregon, on the banks of the McKenzie River. The ceremony was perfect-- happy, inspiring, and gorgeous (the weather couldn't have been more cooperative). I took a lot of pictures, and while I'm not really happy with how they turned out, I'd nevertheless like to share them... so they're up in gallery for all to see. :)
We had a great time celebrating Brad & Sara with a proper Llama drunkening (which makes it one of the drinkingest nights every). It was fabulous to see everyone again and we miss them already. :(
CONGRATULATIONS BRAD & SARA! We wish you all the best. XOXO.
Posted on October 07, 2007 @ 11:19 PM | 1 comments
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Yay wedding!
UGH. I need a serious vacation from my vacation. Planning it. Rehearsing it. Studying for it. Budgeting it. Thinking about it. Taking this itinerary on for four people was a really noble thought but, practically, inadvisable. Just shoot me.
Posted on October 05, 2007 @ 12:32 AM | 6 comments
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:) totally tiring! you should just do the planning and then do the studying on the plane ride over. i'm sure that it'll all come back to you. you did live there!
By gleek, at
5:14 AM, October 05, 2007
You poor thing. You can't do everything!
Cut out some of the places you're going to visit and give people free time to explore. Schedule time for spontaneity ;)
By Chris, at
7:24 AM, October 05, 2007
Hey Gleek! I'm just glossing over some grammar and vocab review, nothing too major (not trying to re-learn to read kanji or anything). I've noticed that my listening comprehension is spot-on still, but it takes me a few minutes to put together what I want to say. I'm trying to give my brain a little massage to but down on my response time. Having a Japanese family living next door helps a lot.
Chris- I wish it were that simple! I'm traveling with my mom, my dad, and my little sister, and everyone has a different agenda. Dad's going for a conference in Kyoto, so we're spending some time there. But I wanted to stop in Tokyo, since it's where I lived, and have dinner with my friend Kyoko and my host family. Dad wasn't interested, so mom and sis and I are doing it while he starts the conference (3.5 days there), then going to Kyoto (3.5 days there). Mom and sis leave November 1, and before they go they want to stay on Mount Koya, so we've got 2 nights there, which is plenty of time for that little place. Then they take off, and dad wants to do HIS thing, which is the Japan alps. I know it's a lot, but everything has some unique pleasure, and we're spending more than a weekend's worth in Tokyo and Kyoto, which are the big destinations (I've also already been to both, and Koya-san). The thing is, I'm really happy to do ANYTHING (Tokyo is my one must) and happy that I have a chance to go. It's accomodating everyone else that's tough-- that, and being a travel agent, because I'm the one who made all the reservations/did all the research, etc. o.0
By Kat, at
9:44 AM, October 05, 2007
here's me giving you a glass of wine! =)
as a fellow journalism UO grad stuck in a soul-crushing-yet-relevant job, (no NOT advertising), any job-hunting / career advice?!?!
By , at
4:11 PM, October 05, 2007
Hi UO-grad anon! I'm afraid I'm not much use on the career front. I like my current job, but it's sort of random, and I don't really see myself there for more than a few years. I guess my main thought is that if you don't like your job, unless it's absolutely going to get you where you want to go, you should say "screw it" and get a new one. I already went through that once. I'm certainly not a career-oriented person, though. I'd much rather enjoy my life than make my job my life. Then again, that's probably because I can't think of anything I'd actually want to make a career of.
By Kat, at
5:25 PM, October 05, 2007
slow down my friend. i know u want to make sure it is all perfect (yup, that's u, the perfectionist) but i agree that some spontaneity will make it more fun. remember Amsterdam? ;-) things will fall into place... and Denver is HOT this weekend!!! and not just outside temps. see ya soon!
1) Organizing the entire itinerary for my family's 2-week trip to Japan: We leave in 16 days. We will be spending 4 days in Tokyo, 4 in Kyoto, 2 on Mt. Koya, 1 in Osaka, and 3 driving between Kanazawa/Shirakawago/Takayama/Matsumoto. Whew. I'm trying to get all the reservations ironed out, get everyone their rail passes (etc), and study Japanese in the evening as a refresher.
2) Planning the wedding We've chosen a venue and talked with the planner. We also just met with our photographer, who was in Seattle for a few days. Our engagement photos are amazing and I can't wait to show them off. For the purpose of all things wedding, please refer to our new wedding blog speyerwedding.com. I'm designing it as we speak, though it probably won't be up until I come back from Japan. Yes, I will post about things like dresses there, but I probably won't upload any photos of myself in them because Justin (for some reason) prefers not to see me in a wedding dress before the wedding-- I think he wants to maximize the impact.
3) Editing photos: I have 2 days worth of Glacier pics to edit, several from Brad & Sarah's wedding in Vida, Oregon, and a set from backpacking 27 miles last weekend. And no time to do it.
4) Business as usual: We're doing year-end campaigns at work and it's still RFP season. I have to write a metric f*ckton of press releases. And I can't concentrate AT ALL. Grrrreat. :P
I will try to get back on the horse soon, but chances are that we won't be writing much until I get back from Japan. Justin, too, has just started a new term of nursing school, which means new clinicals and classes-- and he also just got his first paid nursing job. Hurrah! Yay! In any case, he's busy too. We'll be back.
Posted on October 04, 2007 @ 12:43 PM | 0 comments
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