2nd Grade SF Zoo Trip

 

2nd grade assembles at the zoo entrance on Friday, February 23. 

My chaperone group (left to right, John, Riley, and Ewan) pauses for some role-play.

Ewan reminded us that his first word was "giraffe." It's true.

Hangin' with the griz!

We piled on some wildlife fun that day!

The Holidays in Hindsight

At home, Paige's first meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

What a pleasant couple!

Down LA way…

We bumped into another pleasant couple from days past!

Methinks they'd look pretty good with kids of their own. (They can't have mine though! ;)

And what Christmas in SoCal would be complete without a day at the beach.

And a few fishing lessons to boot!

With God smiling down on all!

In the News: "The Green M!F#$&ing New Deal"

In the News: "Trump is a friggin' retard."

The Wright Spot, 2018

Wright Family assemble! And assemble we did, from August 2nd thru the 5th. What a joyous occasion it was. 42 by my count (38 pictured above), and we were still missing a few folks! 

The Wright Family as represented by my dad's contingent.

And the nuclear family. We're positively radioactive!

Ghosts of the Inaka

A year and a month on, I finally am able to publish the body of video I shot in Aomori, Japan. This is wholly a work of true fiction. In it, you take on the role of a ghost hunter having come to the countryside of northern Japan (the "inaka") in search of a restless spirit.

Can you uncover the mystery in this travelogue adventure? Click below and find out!

JapanQuest '17: Ewanification Vacation

Ewan: "Say, Daddy, why don't we take a closer look at the Land of the Rising Sun? The place where Mommy is from. You know, right? The place that makes me at least half of what I am."
Me: "Absolutely, son. Let's go now."

"Here we are at the jumping-off point, Sac Metro Airport. Can you hear the distant sound of the shamisen out past the ukulele?"

"Aloha! I'm with Mommy in Hawaii at the airport in Hololulu."

"Now where are we? Is this Japan, Daddy? What are some of these things behind me?"

A genuine elephant's tusk ivory carving! In Japan?

A tiny detailed boat in a bottle! But is it Japanese?

A katana? No way!

Yes.

Yes!

YESSS!

I am a samurai-Jedi!

I am Leonardo!

I am Duncan MacLeod!

Ooohh baby!

Me: "I am a huge geek."
Ewan: "DADDY! You okay? Anything else?"

Ahem. Hmm. Well, let's see … an intricate doll in samurai costume.

A shimenawa kept in the kamidana room of a traditional Shinto household. It serves to enshrine a god.

And a baseball team … complete with Japanese high schoolers and my wife's brother, Makoto (pictured center in the second row). Yup! No doubt. This is Japan!

"Cool! I wonder what else is out there? And who's that coming up the way?"

"Cousin Asahi! What fun we'll have!"

Most of the time…

Obaachan to the rescue! For love that stretches across an ocean, coming close together is something special.

"But it's fun also to get out and cut loose!"

"Like this play area; crossing up my wires in the best way possible!"

"Or eating sakuranbo (Japanese cherry) ice cream!"

"And visiting a local petting zoo!"

"Or biking to the park for a picnic…"

"…home-made bento style!"

"Mmm, yum!"

"While Daddy viewed a Japanese angel…!"

Hmm? New York City?

Nope! It's Icho Kouen (Liberty Park) in Oirase-cho, Aomori!

"Enough of nature, Ewan? How about some art?"

"Here we are in Aomori City, home of the famous Nebuta Festival and the Aomori Bijutsukan (Art Museum)."

Ahh, Japan! How I love thee!

MacArthur?

"Kali ma … Kali ma … Kali ma, shakthi deh!"

"Arigatou Aomori-ken!"