http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/ Paul and Ritsuko Andrews in Japan: Pictures of Japan, Hokkaido, Sapporo Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:55:36 PST http://www.blogdrive.com Copyright 2006. Destinations Families Arts http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/70.html Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:52:34 GMT I'm moving (I should say continuing) my blog on a new page, http://paul-ritsuko.blogspot.com/ Please go there for further updates, as I will not be updating this page any longer. Thank-you, Paul Andrews http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=70 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/69.html Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:15:47 GMT This is a great article http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=1500338 about the government monopoly on primary school education in America. I agree with the author 100%. I have had too many worthless teachers (prime example is Mrs. White, Shawnee Middle School, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Indiana. Any of my friends remember her?) growing up and, now that I am grown up, have a lot of friends who are excellent teachers. It pains me to think that the good and the bad all get paid about the same money. If you agree or disagree with the ABC story or what I've written, feel free to... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=69 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/68.html Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:51:45 GMT One more week until Ritsuko goes into the hospital to have her thyroid and all the more-than-likely cancerous tumors in her neck removed. She will be hospitalized for 2-4 weeks, during which time Masashi will be attending a nursery school/day care 5 hours a day. Ritsuko's sister will help during the times I cannot get off work early to get Masashi. I really have no fear for Ritsuko during this process; I'm positive she will come through everything fine. It is cancer (most likely), though, and with any cancer death is a possibility. This fact has made us both stop and think about how... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=68 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/67.html Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:57:55 GMT Sorry, no disco stuff. This blog is retro only in the sense that I'm actually writing it on January 15th. Anyway, here are some pictures that have been up on the Net for awhile. I just forgot to put the link up to them. Album 2006-01-04 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=67 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/66.html Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:26:27 GMT Yes, back to the blogger after an absence of over a month. A lot has happened in the past 30+ days, good and bad. Of course, vacation time, Christmas, and New Year's are the good things that happened. Lots of fun home with Masashi and Ritsuko. Masashi really enjoyed Christmas Day this year (last year he wasn't really old enough to understand, and he got mostly clothing). He tore into the presents as excitedly as any kid, and the look on his face when he saw what was inside each one was wonderful! Of course, the toys we got him ARE pretty cool. I found a bunch of toys by the British toy... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=66 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/65.html Wed, 30 Nov 2005 13:55:29 GMT I'm tired. Working on DVD of home videos, want to get it done and perfect for Christmas. Here are some new pictures. Album 2005-11-30 don't feel like putting up a little picture today, sorry! http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=65 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/64.html Tue, 22 Nov 2005 15:06:13 GMT Even if Masashi doesn't look very Japanese (at least not when compared with other Japanese babies), there are several things that indicate otherwise. Besides Masa speaking Japanese, he has taken a recently liking to Sumo wrestling. Now, it is unfair of me to equate Japanese-ness with interest in traditional Japanese sports/culture, seeing as how many Japanese are not interested in Sumo and only the smallest minorty will ever even try Sumo. But, Masashi has shown some interest in this unique traditional sport. He loves watching Sumo on TV, and will squat like the Sumo wrestlers do before they... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=64 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/63.html Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:05:43 GMT I get completely bundled up for my bike ride to work now: hat, gloves, scarf, the works. The snow has been coming and going each day, melting when the sun comes out and then accumulating again at night. I am and I'm not looking forward to more of it: more means snowboarding, but more probably also means the end to riding my bicycle to work. We'll see. Masashi seems to be on a new sleep schedual now that it's colder. He doesn't seem to really like playing outside in this freezing weather, and so he doesn't ask (or want) to go out to play in the morning before I go to work. We don't know,... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=63 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/62.html Wed, 09 Nov 2005 13:56:50 GMT Yes, that's right. Today we had our first snow. We're not talking about that snow that falls, melts and never amounts to anything; this is real, accumulating snow. Suprisingly enough, we usually do get the snow that doesn't stick around first, but this year is different for some reason. The snow is later than last year's first by about 14 days, but it's sticking. Ritsuko tried to get Masashi out in the snow today, but I guess he wasn't really too enthusiastic about it all. Of course, it was pretty cold today. I personally welcome the snow, if for no other reason than it helps me get... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=62 http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/archive/61.html Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:11:31 GMT It's going to snow this week in Asahikawa, and I'm excited! It's been nice the past couple of days, but today it's raining. There is nothing worse than icy cold rain. Snow would be much better. Masashi is healthy with nothing more than a little cough so far this season. He's talking more, his favorite word being "Atta!" This word has many uses, but Masa seems to be using it to mean "I found it!" or "There it is!" He also said "What's that?" this morning. Masashi definitely seems to be speaking more Japanese, which is understandable considering where we live. He's always babbling and trying... (more) http://paulandrews.blogdrive.com/comments?id=61