Iroiro iroiro iroiro

ご無沙汰してます!

こんばんは。 And now the Japanese will stop, as no one that reads this can speak Japanese.

I love how every time I write I write about how I'm planning to start writing more often. I really really AM planning to start writing more often. . .but as well all know, plans don't always go. . .as planned.

First of all, before heading over to Tokyo, I went to Kasugai to meet up with my friend Yuuki, and we tried to go to a pottery museum (well, really it was the donburi kaikan), but it was unfortunately closed. Luckily, there was an awesome view!

And there were fun things outside.



And there was this really cool froggy thing that we tried to take a picture in front of, but unfortunately I just got us and not the frog.



Then Tokyo was AWESOME! It was so great to see Martin again and just get to hang out. The first morning we woke up and went to a Hawaiian festival.

There was this huge beautifully pink store at the metro stop where we arrived, and I got to ride on my very first unicorn.



It was awesome.

Then we watched muscular men with creepy smiles dancing around in grass skirts.



This also was sort-of awesome.

Then Martin and I went to go eat food at Hanada Rosso, and, though it was a little bit expensive, the veggie burgers were, as always DELICIOUS!!!!

Obviously, us being us, it wouldn't be an Audrey/Martin weekend together without a little bit of karaoke.



The next day Martin had to have lunch with some friends, so I headed on over to the Shibuya area for a delicious lunch at Pure Cafe. On my way, I saw this super cool flower thing.



And after lunch, since I was there, I of course had to go check out Shibuya 109.



It was Golden Week, so it was literally so packed that I could barely breathe. There was even a mega sale going on in one of my favorite stores, JSG, was even having a sale, and I didn't go. I just took a quick look around before being so overwhelmed by people that I just had to leave. On the way back to meet Martin, Kame-chan and Eita were next to each other in the subway. I was very happy. (Yes, I realize, I am a 12 your old girl in my head, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that this would make happy).



Oh, I also got to eat at Little Heaven while I was there, just one of the two best pizza places in the world (the other, was, oddly enough, in Budapest). Pure happiness. Other than that Martin and I just did a lot of being Martin and Audrey - talking, catching up, hanging out. It was so good to see him again. MARTIN, COME BACK TO OKAZAKI!!!! Back in Aichi, I got to hang out with Steven for the first time since being back.



We went to get his ears pierced. It was cool to get to hang out again. Other than that, I've just been hanging out with Rachael alot. Apparently that band Alfabeto plays at Sound Street ALL THE TIME (I asked the bassist, he said they play most Saturdays), because Rachael and I have managed to see them what seems like a bagazillion times now. The first time, as you'll recall, I liked the music, but I like it more and more every time I hear them. I don't know if it's because they're getting tighter as a group or because I'm getting more used to their songs, but I've been really into them.

Check em out:


I think I might have a friend crush on the bassist (you know, when you think someone seems cool and you feel like you want to be friends with them but you realize it will probably never happen). His name's Toshi, and he likes Hey Smith, and he's super funny and crazy and nice, and I feel like he could introduce me to lots of cool bands.

This past weekend, I went to Sakae Spring 2012, but it's past midnight, so that will be for next time (which will hopefully be SOON).

But, since I'm writing, two things: First, my sister was nominated for the AWESOME award at this Tread on Trafficking thing that she is doing. It's a super amazing cause working to help stop sex trafficking of girls, so click on the link and vote for her (it's super easy to do and will take two seconds of your time) and learn a little bit more about treading on trafficking. DO IT NOW! (and obviously you'll be voting for Kristen Baker, because she's the awesomest of the awesome)

Secondly, my friend Asha has been trying to gain money for a project she's working on using Kickstarter. So click this link and check out The Places We've Been, and if you think it's awesome, which you surely will, donate! Minimum pledge is $5 - you definitely won't regret it!

Oh, and one more thing. I am somewhat obsessed with this song:



I have listened to it about 20,000 times today. It is awesome. I can't get enough.

And until next time, which will hopefully be very soon.
お休みなさい

Abbie's Wedding

First and foremost, I apologize for my inability to correctly format the previous entry to make the pictures seem like they are in some kind of nice order. If anyone has any formatting tips, please, GIVE!!!! Now, on to better things.

YAY!!!! Congratulations, Abbie!!!! On October 12, 2008 (exactly a year and a day after the wedding of Shawn and Kristen), Abbie Mullaney became Abbie Patterson.

And last weekend, I flew out to Boston for the wedding. Alex picked me up from the airport,

and we went directly to his friend Sara's house, as it was her birthday. I was super jet-lagged, but we were playing charades and celebrity (this fantastic game that is like charades but has three rounds and involves only well known people), and they were active, so it kept me awake. I had a great time - it's rare that I get to play games like that.

Then Saturday, I got to spend the day with Alex. :-) We hung out and went to see the movie Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which was way less good than I thought it would be, but still alright. And there is a vegan ice cream parlor in Boston, so we went and got yummy ice cream. That night we drove down to Rhode Island for the rehearsal dinner, and by the time we got back, I was DEAD. It had been good to see Abbie and talk to Evan and to see Asha and Joe, though.

Then Sunday morning we had to wake up RIDICULOUSLY early for the wedding. It was SOOOOO beautiful!

Abbie was, of course, GORGEOUS! And she and Evan wrote their own vows, and Abbie was crying, and it almost made me start crying as well. The ceremony was fairly short, and I did a reading of a Bob Dylan song that took up at least half of the ceremony. I hope I did a good job.

The reception afterward was fantastic! For a while, the music wasn't so great, but then the DJ realized that no one was dancing, and he started playing GOOD music, and we all started dancing, and it was SO much fun. They even played that song "Everybody Walk the Dinosaur," and so I walked like a dinosaur, which I for some reason interpreted as sort of limboing without a pole, and I am sure that I looked ridiculous. Great times were had, though.

It was especially good to see Asha and Joe. They seem so happy together, and I hadn't seen either of them for ages (well, I guess I did see Asha at the bachelorette party), and it was great to catch up. They seem to be doing really well. And of course it was great to see Abbie, and she just seems SO happy.

A funny story Abbie told me: Abbie's sister Mollie is a nurse, and one day, she got a phone call from someone who was setting up an appointment for her son D'Jean. Well, Mollie, unsure how to spell D'Jean asks the woman if she can please spell that for her. So the woman responds "D up comma J E A N." And Mollie was like "Um, by up comma do you mean apostrophe?" And the woman claimed to have never before heard the word apostrophe in her life. She was all "Dang girl, I didn't know there was a word for that. I always thought it was just a comma high up." Soooo funny!

Anyhow, after the wedding, Alex and I drove back to Boston, and we got delicious vegan calzones, and then we were going to watch the movie "Blood and Chocolate," but I fell asleep within the first 2 or 3 minutes of the movie. And then the next day I had to leave. Sadness.

And now that will make this two posts in one day. Awesome!