I am not going to use credit card anymore! I talked to my mom in this evening, and she told me that my dad is kinda pissed off about my "shopping" situation. So, I am not going to buy anything!

Ugh. I couldn't sleep last night at all!! I did go to the bed early, but couldn't sleep until 5am! Then, I woke up 6am because it was soooooo bright outside! Mmmmm!! Then, since I woke up super early, I did my laundry. Of course, I did go to the gym after that! I feel super.

I think it is good news that one of POW was rescued from the hospital. But but, I think it's not cool that all news media were interviewing her dad, brother, teacher, friends, or whoever they can find! Oh well....

Gotta catch 'em all!! Well, I was trying to play pokemon in this evening, but I think I am too tired to play it. I didn't do anything today (except going to the gym) because it was raining and outside was kinda nasty like a mug! When it's raining outside, I feel really sleepy all day. Suuuuuuuux.

Yesterday, Priyada and I finally got together and went to downtown together. We were checking stores, but didn't buy anything. Well, actually we were trashing clothes at each store we went! It was really fun. We did go out last night, but didn't drink much because we had a pitcher of margarita! I wonder when will be the next time we hang out!

I feel a little bit ill today. I think I am catching a cold or something. Although it was cold all day, the heat was seemed to be off, and my room was super cold. Ugh. I felt pretty crappy all day, but I needed to go to the gym, so I did. At the gym, I felt super dizzy when I was lifting weight and felt super ill. But, I kept working out anyway cos I wanna be a big boy! After I came back from the gym, I just wanted to go to the bed, but I hadn't had enough protein, so I made protein shake and ate salmon for dinner. Oh, I also ate protein bar... Now I really feel ill! Ugh!

Well, I don't feel spring is coming even though the day light saving time started from today! It's super cold and it's super dark after 7pm!

I went to Melissa&Matt's house to watch six feet under. Every Sunday, I go their house and get free dinner! I really want to stay here and keep watching six feet under, but I need to go back to Japan to renew my visa. Suuuuuux. I feel like every sunday I write same thing again and again! We watched Sex in the City on DVD because Melissa has boxset. I think Sex in the City is pretty funny! I will watch all episodes she has before I go back to Japan!

It's so hard. I think my trainer was disappointed today because I couldn't lift weight.... I only have two weeks left with my trainer, but I don't think I am getting any bigger! Suuuuux. Also, it was snowing last night and my car was covered with snow.... Suuuuuux.

I am re-working on my site. I am finally implementing Movable Type! Yaaay!! It looks pretty good. But, I need to import all my past logs to my database which will take some efforts! Suuuuux!!

Noooooooooooooo!! I closed my site today due to my laziness. Noooooo!! I closed my site because I needed it! I still keep blog like a mug even though no one's gonna read this! I am so good. Good like a mug. Go Cubs.

I received my SEVIS I-20 and acceptance letter from Loyola yesterday. Well, that's good news cos I need them to apply my student visa when I go back to Japan. However, I also found out that the earliest I can come back to the states is 30 days before the school starts. That means, I cannot come back here before July 25th!! This is super ultra sux!! I was also checking US embassy's homepage and found out that I cannot apply student visa before 90 days the school starts!! There are just so many restrictions!!! So, I guess I need to stay in Japan more than two months.... I am going to waste my rent, gym membership, and telephone while I am gone! Makes me so mad!

Ugh! I went to Walgreens to get trash bags. When I was looking for trash bags, a lady asked me "Excuse me, do you work here?" Do I? DO I LOOK LIKE WORKING AT WALGREENS?? I was so pissed off because how can I look like working at Walgreens?
Matt called me if I wanted to go to the Men's collection party at Public i. He told me there would be beers and foods. So, of course, I couldn't say no to that! Since I really cannot shop at this moment, I left my dad's credit card in my room to force myself to not buy anything. I think it was a pretty good idea. The party was very interesting. People come to the store to see new clothes and talk about clothes. I thought it was pretty gay, but I got to meet couple interesting people, so I think it was fun. The jacket I really want was still there. I was gonna try on again, but I didn't because I was emotionally not ready to try it on!

It was super nice day today. I was gonna go outside and do something after I got back from the gym, but I ended up with playing pokemon in my room. But, I think it was worth to spend my afternoon with my gameboy.....again, I think! I found out that, in order to get certain monsters, I need to pair up monsters and leave at pokemon daycare center, so they will produce a egg. When egg hatches, ulala, there is a new monster which is different from parents monster!! But I still need to trade some monsters with Matt. Right now, I collected 99 monsters.... I heard there are 202 monsters, so I am almost half way there! I am gonna so play pokemon tonight because "gotta catch 'em all!"

It was very nice day today too, but I played pokemon anyway! When I was playing pokemon, I had weird craving for cookies, so I baked them. I think cookies are good. I was gonna go to the gym to do some cardio, but I watched kids choice award instead of going to the gym!! I watched it because I had to watch Justin Timberlake performance... I really really wanna go to his concert in this summer, but I won't be able to come back here when he comes to Chicago!! Oh well...

I have been looking for air ticket to Japan, but it will cost at least $900 since I will be staying there for three months. I think I am gonna buy ticket on Monday because I am thinking to go back to Japan on May 7th and coming back here July 28th. My summer is going to be long and boring...

Yep, it's Sunday. That means Six Feet Under!! Yaaaay!! I went to Matt&Melissa's house as usual to watch the show. I also wanted to trade pokemon with Matt, so I took my GBA. Melissa was already pissed only after Matt and I played pokemon for 10 mins!! Oh well, I knew it would happen. That's why I called Matt to make sure it's gonna be okay for Melissa to play pokemon there!!

Six Feet Under was pretty good as always. I really don't want to leave the states until the end of third season. I am gonna miss Nate!!!

I had really good work out with my trainer today. I was able to lift lots of weight! Yaaaaaay! My trainer also seemed to be very pleased. We have only one more session left, and I think I am in the best shape in my life. So, I am pretty happy happy joy joy. I just need to find a gym when I go back to Japan, so I won't lose what I have got.

I tried to get an air ticket Chicago-Hiroshima. But, if I want to get a flight to Hiroshima, it will take more time than flying to Oska. Also, when I am coming back to the U.S., I need to stay in Tokyo over night to catch the flight. So, I decided to just fly to Oska, and will take train to go back to Hiroshima. The ticket wasn't expensive as much as I expected. It cost me only $850. Well, but the train ticket will cost about $100, so I guess my dad has to pay $1000 anyway! I wanted to leave here on May 6th, but there are not so many flights on Tuesday, so I changed my depature date to May 5th. Mmmmm. Well, at least I can watch Six Feet Under the day before I leave, I am happy...

I was so excited about getting "Spirited Away" on DVD. Well, actually, I was more excited about getting "Castle in the Sky" on DVD! "Castle in the Sky" is really old Miyazaki's movie. The movie is 17 years old, but it's still really good movie! I don't know how many times I watched it. There was a promotion going on at Bestbuy if I buy three Miyazaki's DVDs, I get Princess Mononoke for free. Well, I already have Princess Mononoke, so I just got two DVDs. I also bought the White Stripes new album. The album is really good. I mean really really good. I think I did make good purchases today!

Priyada called me a half hour ago telling me that her apartment has been burned down!! I thought she was joking, but she wasn't!! I really couldn't ask her details because she doesn't know what happened neither. So, I asked her if she has renter's insurance, and unfortunately, she doesn't have one... Well, I do! I am ready to get my apartment burned down!

By the way, my Sony digital camera has been recall. I know there is something wrong with my camera cos the battery just die super fast even thought after full battery charge. I was thinking to buy new battery, but I just need to send my camera to Sony. I am kinda happy with about it because I thought I did something wrong with my camera! Sony sux! But I still love Sony!

I think I am sick. I was helping Priyada's moving yesterday. Her apt was burned down, and she had to move to new place. I felt kinda ill when I was helping her, but I thought it was just because of bad weather. However, after I got back my room, I felt super ultra ill, and I found out I had fever and other craps. I really needed to get better by this morning because I gotta go to the gym. Of course, I am still sick and I don't think I can make it to the gym today! I am so mad!

I think I still have a cold because I still have fever. But I feel pretty good, so I guess I am not sick. On Friday, Melissa called me from the store telling me they got new men's t-shirts which aren't expensive at all. So, of course, I went to the store and bought two baseball shirts and one t-shirt. They only cost $29 each, so I was pretty happy with my new shirts. But, I was really upset when Heather told me the jacket I have wanted to buy was gone!! Apparently, someone bought my size. My fucking medium size Oliver Spence jacket! I was more upset when Melissa told me that the guy bought the jacket was also Japanese!! I hate Japanese!! But, I found another really nice (and cheaper) jacket there. I wanted to buy it before someone buys, but I needed to have permission from my dad. Soooooo. I called my dad and, somehow, I was able to convince my dad to buy that jacket! Of course, I went to the store with Matt today and picked up my jacket!! Yaaaaaaay!! Now I have new jacket!! I am so happy. I also found out that the t-shirts I bought yesterday weren't rigth price. $29 wasn't the price of each t-shirt. It was the number of t-shirts Public i ordered! They kinda mixed up numbers, and I got $60 somethign t-shirt for $29!! Smoose!

After I got a jacket, Matt and I played pokemon for a while at Intelligentsia. We were trading pokemon, and I did trade pokemon which Matt couldn't catch or didn't have yet, but he gave me crappy pokemon cos he hasn't played as much as I have... Oh well. That's okay because I am a nice person and better pokemon trainer than Matt!! Ha ha ha!

I was finally able to go to the gym and work out in this afternoon! Yaaay! I felt super good after I worked out because I couldn't have good work out in this week because of my cold. I was gonna buy protein shake at the gym after I worked out, but I forgot to buy it! I finished all my protein shake, and the store I usually go to was closed for easter. So, I just ate protein bar instead of protein shake. I will buy box of protein shake tomorrow for sure!

Sunday is Six Feet Under day. Usually, Melissa and Matt cook for me, but today, I was the cook! I made tofu fajita which is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes, but it turned out pretty hot! I think I used too many chilies! Melissa was excited about the show called Most Extreme Elimination on TNN. She has been telling me about this show, but I wasn’t sure about the show even though this show is supposed to be old Japanese game show. So, we watched it together in this evening, and it was actually one of my favorite game show when I was a kid! I couldn't figure out it because the show name was translated to English which is super different from original Japanese name. I just couldn't believe that TNN picked up that show!!

Six Feet Under was good as always. I cannot wait for next episode!! Nate was also cute as always... After we watched Six Feet Under, we watched, of course, Sex and the City. Well, let me think.....mmmmmm, I choose not pee!! Melissa and I had discussion about sex after we watched the show. I really think having option is always good. Rotation baby!

I had a final session with my trainer today. He showed me how to use resist band, so I can keep working out when I go back to Japan. I am thinking to join the gym in Japan, but it was good to know how to use resist band. I think it was worth for money to hire the trainer because I learned alot & got some result! I still need to keep working out, but it will be fun to keep working out because now I know how to work out! Yaaaaaaay!

I have been trying to find time to go to Bloomington, but I don't think I can go to Bloomington before I leave. I really wanted to see my friends down there before I go back to Japan because my flight might be bombed, or I might get SARS in Japan and die!! I will be so mad if I die before I come back here!

I think I did nothing today except going to the gym. I was gonna go shopping, but I didn't go. I need to buy something for my family and friends because that's what Japanese people do. I also need to buy lots of protein bars and shakes for myself because they are super expensive in Japan. Mmmm, well, actually, I am gonna eat lots of fish after I go back to Japan, so I might have enough protein without eating any protein bars. I just cannot believe that I am going back to Japan less than two weeks. Maybe I should buy new GBA game so I can play during the flight, or maybe I can buy books.....nah!

I was working on the website all day today. I won't be able to use my PC while I am gone (of course..), I am trying to make whole three months' update for my site. It's not fun to do this, but I gotta do this! I feel like I was copy & past all day today. I also need to finish up archiving my blog too. Ugh.

I found this news on the web today!! It's just unbelievable.

I was making lists of things I need to buy before I leave here & things I want to buy in Japan. So many things I need to buy here and there!!

I downloaded w.blogger last night. This tool is really cool cos I don't have to be online to post or edit my blog. Also, it has fun tool which can post the song which I am listening right now! Yes, I am listening Justin Timberlake.... Yes, I like him!

I went to the counseling program's open house at Loyola in this afternoon. I already accepted an offer from Loyola, and open house wasn't required, but I wanted to get to know people there. There were faculty members from the program and some grad students too. I think I liked the head guy of the program cos he seemed to be a nice guy. I was asking him about my eligibility of state certificates because I heard that I won't be able to get state certificates because of my nationality. The answer is I am not going to be able to apply state certificate upon my graduation! In Illinois, if you want to be a school counselor, you need to have a teacher certificate, school guidance certificate, and professional counseling license. I will be able to apply for counseling license, but I cannot apply school guidance certificate nor teacher certificate. I had no idea how complicated to be a school counselor in Illinois! I might change my program to community counseling because I wanna apply clinical professional counseling license, so I can do my own practice. If I keep doing school counseling program, I will be able to apply LPC, but not LCPC even after two years of post-degree supervised experience!

Other faculty members also seemed interesting people. We had a chance to talk to grad students, and sounds like the program isn't going to be super hard to follow. Since I have seen how much work Priyada is doing for her counseling program at Northwestern, I was kinda afraid that I won't be able to catch up the program. But, I guess it's just Northwestern thing. I think I made a right decision for my graduate school! By the way, I looked kick ass with my new jacket and bag!

Yesterday, I was hanging out with Matt to play Pokemon. I was gonna leave before Melissa came back from the work and go to the gym, but she did come back when we were still playing pokemon. So, I just skipped going to the gym, and we ordered pizza for dinner. Melissa and I were talking about we should get wasted on Sat night, so Matt and I went out for getting drinks and picking up pizza. When we were walking back to the apartment, Matt dropped precious guinness!! It was proven he is the dropper. I don't know why, but everytime we hang out, he drops stuff. I have seen many times he drops game case at video game store. Matt thinks I am the one makes him to drop stuff. I think the reason why he drops things is that's because he is the dropper!

It is really nice out today. I went to whole foods to get some stuff for dinner cos I am making chinese food tonight! Yaaaaay! I had no problem finding parking there, but when I came back, it took me a half hour to find a parking spot! Because my apt is close to the beach, people are parking around my apartment to go to the beach! I hate these "oh, it's so nice outside, so let's go to the beach" shit!!! I was so mad, but I did go for jogging along lake shore because it was nice outside!

Melissa and I went shopping today. We were planning to go to Woodfield mall, but we ended up with not going there. Instead of going there, we stopped by Urban in Evanston and went to Old Orchard mall in Skokie. Then, we went to Loehmann's which is upscale (kinda) version of TJMax. Actually, Loehmann's had lots of desingers' clothes. I was checking men's clothes, but really couldn't find anything I like. So, I just bought crew neck T-shirts for my dad. Melissa was super freaked out about the fitting room there because she saw naked old woman walking around in the fitting room! She also couldn't find any clothes she wanted to buy, but she did find cool shades which she has been looking for a long time. On the way back to the city, she was videotaping the city because I want to make some video footage of Chicago, so my parents can see what Chicago is like. I cannot wait to show the video tape to my parents cos her video footage is hilarious!

In this morning, I had to take my car to Toyota for break inspection. I was supposed to get there 9am, but I woke up 8:50am! I did wake up around 6am because someone was taking something from dumpster, and it was really noisy! I really don't like dumpster area which is in the back of my apartment building. Since there are lots of dumpsters there, lots of people who are interested in finding stuff from dumpsters hang around. Anyway, after I left my car at Toyota, I had to take a trian to get back to Lincoln park because Toyota was in Edgewater. I thought my car needed to replace break pad, but actually, my gummpy didn't need to replace it yet. I am already worrying about gummpy while I am gone for three months. I asked Matt to take care of gummpy, but I still worry about my car because I like gummpy! I did everything I could to make gummpy happy, so he should be fine!

I have been looking for running shoes because I need one. After I moved to Chicago, I started running and I enjoy doing it. I didn't really pay attention to the shoes, but I noticed that my feet are always hurting like a mug after I do running thing. So, I am thinking I should get good running shoes. I did a little research about which shoes I should get and I came up I should get New Balance's N716 because N716 is cheap, but pretty good for running. So, I went to DSW shoes to see if they have the pair in this afternoon. Fortunately, they did have N716, but when I tried on, I felt the shoes were kinda heavy. Next to N716, there was Asics GT-2080. After I tried on GT-2080, I really liked these shoes cos it was really light, but very comfy like a mug. Sooooo, I got GT-2080 instead of N716, and I was very happy with them. But, after I got back to my place and tried on again, I realized that the shoes are too small for me. The shoe length was fine, but width was kinda tight. Since I am looking for the shoes which don't hurt my feet, I think I am gonna return the pair and try to find another pair!

I returned running shoes I bought yesterday because the size wasn't really right. I tried to find running shoes which fit to my wide feet, but I couldn't find any at DSW!! I really didn't want to spend lots of money on my running shoes even though I run alot because from tomorrow, I can get everything 40% off at Urban, so I wanted to save some money for that. I tried SportsMart, but they didn't have shoes fit me as well. I was even thinking to go to Galyan's in Schaumburg because I really wanted to find good pair of running shoes (for cheap). Then, I remembered that there is New Balance store near by my apartment. I wasn't really big fan of NB shoes because they are super identifiable. But, I went to the store anyway to see what they can offer. The store had 2E and 4E shoes which exactly what I needed. So, I tried N716 first, but the guy who was helping me told me I might want to try shoes which have more support. So, I tried M991 and I really liked them. They were really soft and nice! I ended up with buying M991 which cost me $129 (w/o tax!). But, I think it was worth the money because when I tried my new shoes at the gym in this evening, they were super ultra good. I never thought shoes could make that much difference! I love my new shoes!

Ryan called me in this evening to tell me he won't be able to come up here before I leave. He has been telling me he will come up here to see me because I was the one always drives down to Bloomington to see him or Doug or whoever! I wasn't really expecting him to come up here because he is Ryan Hamilton who is afraid big city. I wanted to see him before I leave, but since I am coming back here, I guess it's no big deal. Well, yeah, I am just trying to make you feel better Ryan!!