Waiii~! Finally, new theme! And, finally update! XD
So then, Con's come and gone... and I've still been meaning to blog about that... Buuut... I've been lazy, of course. And, while I've been dwelling on writing that, time passes and stuff happens... and I've gotta write SOMETHING, ne?

It's not as bad as LAST time, so dun worry...
First off... DeviantArt... (Might I remind you the link? http://ryo-misaki.deviantart.com )
I'm still not getting the people I want to view... (ARBITAL! I'm looking at YOU! Is looking and commenting on drawings THAT hard? >.<)
But I have been getting a good bunch of people... (Thank you Jay... FINALLY for coming over. And thank you Chihiro for all your great comments and inspiration!)
Lots of older works have been dumped into the scraps section... and some good Deviations have been posted too... People around OT and FoB for a while might remember some of the older works... Its a good trip down Nostolgia Lane... =P
So go! View! Comment! For the love of all that's holy!!! >_<

DDR... Yeah... that thing still exists. Err... rather, Dancing Stage. Sorry. -_-;;;
Been playing it, but not as much as I need too... Damn school sucks my time...
Some dude by the alias of "FLOW" came by and took all my #1 spots about 2 weeks back... That bastard. Lucky for me, when I set them, I wasnt really trying hard... (It was first scores... Any low score counted. =P) So, I went back through all of them, and regained ownership of the Leader Board. MWAHAHAHA!!!
In other Dancing News... That guy, Keith? I told you about him last time... how the WHORE passed A? Well... About a week ago... I get a call from him. He tells me that I better sharpen my blade... because the next time he calls me, I'll be using it... (I made a mention in the Deviant Art journal that he intended on passing Daikenkai... and if he did, I'd probably commit Seppuku...)
Sure enough... No more than an HOUR later... I get a call back from him... The fsking bastard had just beaten Daikenkai on Heavy.
Mind you... this is a song that I couldnt pass until only a year and a half ago! YEAR AND A HALF! Out of 5 years of playing!!! This guy... this asshole beats it in a couple MONTHS!!! GAAAAHHHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!!! >____<
I'm unbelievably disheartened... T_T
Ehh.. I wont commit Seppuku... but this IS a huge blow to my ego... Soon he'll be almost on my level... and I'll actually be able to COMPETE with him. That oughta be interesting... O_o;;;

Anime. Finally got to watch a bit more Bleach the other day... Yay! Finally settling into the "Bound" arc... Things are getting rather interesting... And Rukia came back! On ep 70 now... Must watch more... I got a bunch more manga lately... XXXHolic vol 7, Death Note vol 5 & 6, Tsubasa vol 8 & 9, GetBackers 13, Chrono Crusade 7, I"s 7, Beck 4, and MegaTokyo 4. Holy crap, that's out? W007!!!
Lots of reading lately... But out of ALL those... only 3 volumes are unread. XD
I also got a novel the other day... .hack//ANOTHER STORY. I didnt know that was coming out either. YAY TokyoPop! It follows the .hack PS2 games, but from BlackRose's perspective... It was very interesting... It inspired me to finally go back to playing .hack//QUARENTINE. I've gotta finish the bloody game... XD
For the first time in... um... almost ever... I've bought some Anime DVDs... (Being the cheapass I am, I either get them from friends (Thanks Jay!) or download them...) I couldnt pass them up... seriously! I was browsing Hastings, after going to get some Manga... And I saw something... Tenchi Muyo: Ryo Ohki. (The long prized after 3rd Tenchi OVA!) Curious... I picked it up and looked at the price... My jaw dropped. $11. For a little more than one volume of manga, I can actually get an anime DVD! (You normally see them between $20-$30) No way I'm passing THAT up!
So, just being even more curious... I wondered if there were any other deals... I browsed through, then something caught my eye... A Box Set. (All 26 episodes on a 6 slim DVD collection) The series? Angelic Layer. Now, I've read the Manga. 5 volumes... WONDERFUL, but way too short. T_T Clamp's predicessor to Chobits... (Have you seen AL yet, Arby? You should...) The Anime though... I saw the first episode... and various clips in AMVs... (Most recently at Con... Really brought back nostolgia) So, being curious... I picked it up to look... But, It's a box set... I'll never be able to afford that... They usually price at $80+. ...usually. My jaw dropped again... and the Manga and Tenchi DVD I was holding nearly hit the floor. I looked around to make sure nobody heard me shreik, then tucked the Angelic Layer box set under my arm, and quickly made my way to the register...
Yes... I bought a Box Set. But why? When they're usually so pricy... Plus, I could always search and downloaded it if I really wanted to... But no, I actually bought this. I'll tell you why. $29.99. Seriously. An ENTIRE box set... There was no way in HELL I was passing that up!
So now... I've been watching Angelic layer... Currently on episode 8... And it's been a bit of an influence... Hence the new theme? XD I'm a happy Ryo. Yay Clamp! Watch Angelic Layer. XD

School. Well... today was Judgement day... Thursday the 30th of June. Final day of Summer I. Final Exams were today... And frankly... They went VERY well! We'll see exactly what that means come monday... But this feeling hasnt let me wrong yet this semester...
Current standings before finals:
Statistics: 84, 94, 90 - Average: 89.33%
Accounting: 91, 81, 101 - Average: 91%
So... if both of these finals are 90% or above... I'm looking to score a Double A for the Semester! (Yay for DDR terms. XD)
That means good news... I get my laptop... A free second half of summer... Maybe a trip? I dunno...
Markell and I are planning another roadtrip/Bemani Mecca next week... Things will be good!

Other? Mmm... Last Sunday... we did a Cosplay Photoshoot of Julie-dono... Wonderful shots of her and her brother as Kyo and Yukimura... then some amazing shots of her as Kurenai. Will have piccies sometime in the future. =P
Mmm... next week... Tuesday is the 4th... we plan to blow things up. Things will be fun! Friday is the 7th, and that's Tanabata... more on that later... Japanese Club is gonna have an event. ^_^

Well, that's all. Arrigato minna! ^_^

Hello everyone!
Been a while, ne? Over a month, I think? Bleh...

Business has consumed me...
ALOT has happened that's worth mentioning here... so this is gonna be a fairly long blog.
Please bare with me... and PLEASE read and comment. =P

Lots of ups and downs... Goods, bads... Neutrals... It's been crazy.
Topics of discussion: Art, DDR, School, Work, Life, Con.
I think that's about it. O__o;;;

Art First off... Lets talk about the Art Side...
Lots of drawings have been done since I last posted here... I bid you ALL to go and look at them!
http://ryo-misaki.deviantart.com
As usual. =P 2 were finished and posted today... Notable works... .hack Fanart, Roku (DDR) Fanart, and the first picture I've drawn of Oni Ryo for 2 years. XD (I think many of you here might have actually been around long enough to know what I'm talking about when I say Oni Ryo. >_>)
Anyway, I wont post them here now... Maybe next time...
So PLEASE go to my Deviant Art page, view, and COMMENT (For the LOVE OF ANYTHING HOLY, Comment! >.<) on them! ^__^;;;

DDR
There's been some ups and downs in this catagory...
Being the optimist I am, I'll start with the positives. =P
You may remember a few entries back... that I mentioned my DDR Apprentice in Training... Keith Sterns. (And if you DONT remember... I'll hit you, then reference you back to the previous entry. XD)
Well... I think when I last left off... I had mentioned how proud I was that he FINALLY passed Captian Jack (Light) for the first time after 2 weeks of playing DDR.
That was some HUGE progress. Seriously. O__o;;;
Well, folks... It's been a month or so now... Maybe he's been playing DDR for 2 months total, now?
Let's say he's made some accomplishments...
And... lets say the above sentance is a MASSIVE Understatement.
Ever since passing Captian Jack... He decided to make it his goal to pass Daikenkai (Standard). Some of you might not know this... But Daikenkai (Standard) is REALLY hard. Lots of jumps, and 8th notes... It's some hell for someone fairly new to DDR.
Alas, ever since I introduced him to it, he's been freaking HOOKED on this song. (I dun blame him, though... Des-ROW owns. ^_^)
So... he had tried... and failed miserably. XD (I knew he would... It took me over a year of playing before I was ready for Daikenkai on Standard... Seriously. >.<)
It was then, that I decided that I'd lend him DDR Extreme 2 for the home console... That way, he could practice the song.
He really got into it. I mean... REALLY got into it. Including running out and getting a Paper (eww) pad so he could actually play it properly...
I suppose practice pays off, ne? A week later, we hit the arcade... And he passes it.
This guy... after about 3 weeks of DDR... PASSES Daikenkai on STANDARD.
HOLY SHIT! OMG HOLY SHIT! WTF??? At this point, I literally bow to him on the pad...
While he may not have surpassed my current skill... He's blown my learning curve to BITS!
So... I thought I had seen it all by then... Wow, was I mistaken.
Flash forward to about a week ago. He's been practicing and playing... By now, he can past most songs on Standard... But then he suprises me yet again.
He plays La Copa de Vida (Heavy)... and passes. Dun get me wrong... it's only a 7 foot, I think... (And Daikenkai standard is 6. =P) But the fact that he could actually do a song labled HEAVY just floored me.
Next... Candy (Haato) on Heavy... FIRST TIME playing... He passes. (Wellll... technically he failed. But it was on the FINAL freeze arrow. So, for all intents and purposes, I consider that he passed it.)
OMGWTFWOW! Candy's no cakewalk... (Kosaka still owns j00! ^_^)
So, I decide to open his venue a bit more... I bring over and enlighten him to previous mixes... DDRMAX (6th Mix) and DDR Extreme (8th mix). Both home versions, of course.
After playing it some more... he finally becomes hooked on the song, 'A'. (One of the greatest songs ever! XD)
He's found a new determination...
Worse yet... only a week later... (We're officially at 2 months of playing now) He passes it. On Heavy. The BASTARD Freaking passed A on HEAVY! This song... I only passed it for the first time 2 YEARS AGO! And he passes it in 2 months? I'm beyond words now...
Though... The only thing I have in my defense... I havent SEEN him pass it. XD
He came over yesterday and played on my (l337 and Superior!) Metal Pad... Unfortunately, for a person used to flat stomping on a flat Paper Pad... He cant handle the greatness... and cant pass A. XD (Sucker!)
So, while he may beat me on HIS turf... (I cant do good stuff on a paper pad! >.<) He cant hold up on mine. (And while he kept insisting it's my pad's fault... I repeatedly proved him wrong by passing A (Heavy) modded (Boost, Stealth, Dark), and freestyling... Then, owning Cant Stop Falling in Love (Speed Mix). The pad works FINE. ^_^)
So, while I still havent SEEN him pass A yet... (I believe him, though...) He's making rapid improvement... I've NEVER seen someone level up this quickly... And honestly, I'm getting a bit nervous... If this rate keeps up... He'll match me no problem by year's end... Holy crap. O_O
Currently his goal is now Daikenkai (Heavy). If he passes it... I think I'm probably gonna commit Seppiku on the DDR pad. Or... at VERY least I'll cry. T_T

So... That might be awesome and all... But not all is right in the world of DDR...
Frankly... I havent improved ONE BIT. In a year... (One year, come June 9th. XD) I will have OFFICIALLY not gotten a SINGLE SONG better. Tourney at A-Kon 16 proved that I cant Perfect Attack... and the best songs I had freshly been able to beat at that time were Healing Vision (Angelic Mix) and Exotic Ethnic. (Both heavy) Since then... I can STILL pass Healing Vision... But I havent been able to beat Exotic Ethnic again. And I STILL cant pass So Deep! T__T
I might try tourney again... but I'm gonna boff miserably. I dont think I can Perfect Attack any better than last year either. BAAAH!

I did say there were bad things, didn't I? My lack of improvement wasnt all...
Officially, as of last Friday... DDR no longer exists in Wichita Falls, Texas. I'm not kidding.
There will be alot more playing of Pump It Up, I assure you. The Plex fugged up BIG TIME!
So, me and Hirotaka come in on Friday afternoon... Hyped and ready to kick some DDR Ass! We get up to the machine... and something's not right... The song was Nori Nori Nori... But... The font seemed weird... And the theme a bit... off? Something was strange...
As I go up to get water... I see my friend Aaron, who works there. With a big smile, he informs me that they got a "New version of DDR"... Euro... something or another...
Euro... what? The gears in my mind slowly (and painfully) grinded to a halt...
I wasn't for sure... but I had a sneaking suspicion... As I carefully approached the machine again, the kid playing fails her round... and it's back to the title screen.
At that moment... My fears were resoundingly confirmed... "...EUROMIX? WE FECKING GOT EUROMIX???"
Yes. Dancing Stage. Some of my dear English friends might know this title well... (You've played it, havent you, Jay?) And for those of you who live in England... and HAVENT played Dancing Stage... Please dont let what I'm about to say deter you from playing it. While it may not hold a touch of heat to actual DDR... It's FAAAR better than... Nothing. ^_^;;; (Really... some dance is better than none. =P)
Dancing Stage: Euromix 2. They HONESTLY replaced a mildly scratched DDR Extreme Disc with Euromix. What the HELL were they thinking?
Evidently (as informed by Aaron...) Doug (the manager) got some information from a dealer... Informing that this was the "Newest version of DDR"... and he evidently bought this for $1500.
Biggest mistake in the history of... anything. O__o;; (Seriously... consult ME the next time you are going to make an investment in a dancing game. I can tell you FAR better than that guy could.)
So, we now have a $1500 peice of CRAP that Doug will not replace due to how much he paid for it... due to some bogus information from some shoddy vender.
So now... I'm petitioning the Plex. And I assure you the machine will no longer be touched by ANYONE who actually plays DDR. >.<
So then, you may ask, "What's so bad about Dancing Stage, anyhow? I mean, it's just reworked DDR, right?"
If by "Reworked" you mean, "Horribly butchered beyond any recognition of DDR", then you'd be absolutely correct...
First off, the song list. There's ONLY about 30 songs... This is HORRIDLY low... (Extreme had around 120 or so...) Not to mention, that Europe is STILL like America USED to be... Japanophobic.
Dancing Stage has been stripped of ANYTHING that remotely resembles Japanese... No Japanese songs, art, artists, words... nothing.
Wait... I take that back... There's a couple Naoki songs... There's Tsugaru (I dunno how THAT survived...), and Nori Nori Nori. (Not exactly Japanese, but close.)
NOTHING else... >.<
If the song selection isnt bad enough... How about the interface?
They LOOSELY based off of Max 2... Except, there is no more Oni (Challange) courses.. Instead, a modified "Nonstop" system, with a VERY mild course list. (And no option for random!)
When choosing difficulty, unlike DDR, you no longer pick your style, then your difficulty, then a song... (With the option of changing difficulty by double tapping up or down before choosing song.) Now, you choose a song, THEN choose the difficulty. Oh, and you cant SEE the difficulties before you choose a song... So, once you choose the song, you're stuck. You must choose a difficulty, (either resorting to way too easy, because the hard is TOO hard, or killing yourself in a desprate attempt to play hard ANYWAY. XD)
No more Modifyer screen. Usually you press and hold start (the green button), and you get a list to change the options. No more. Now, if you know the pad codes to change it, you can... but otherwise, you're SoL.
Worst yet? If playing 2 player... each player cant choose different difficulty. BOTH must be on the SAME! (It's like PIU nightmares ALL OVER AGAIN! XD) What does that mean? If I were to play with a n00b... I must either suffer incessently bored on Light or Beginner... or they must be forced to try and play my insanely difficult Heavy... ACK!
Oh... Did I say Light, Beginner and Heavy? I'm sorry... My bad... They dont exist... I meant to say, "Beginner, Standard, Difficult, and Expert". O__o
The difficulty names have been changed... (They match, Beginner, Light, Standard, and Heavy respectively.) Oh, and there's no Oni... (but some Oni ONLY songs, such as B4U B4Z4 Beat Mix and Hysteria 2001 have been equipped with easy steps! XD)
Back on the difficulty note... there is no more "Groove Radar"... (The thingie that gave you a clue weather the song had alot of runs, or irregular steps, or jumps...) no longer exists... So if you dont know the song already... You're probably in for a surprise. T_T
If this ALL isnt bad enough... The actual technical aspect is screwed up...
The "Timing Window" (the amount of time from an EXACT step you have before the rating gets worse... Step right on, and you get perfect, a bit off, and great, way off, and good... miss completely, and you get Boo.) is wider... That means you can step a bit off, and still make 'perfect'. In fact, you can ALMOST step a FULL half beat off, and still make a great. WTF? O__o
Even worse... The grading system (your final grade at the end of a song) is SUPER lienent. It no longer bases on EX Score like DDR! (EX Score is a mode of grading, taken from Beatmania, which gives each step a score value. Perfect-3, Great-2, Good-1 and anything worse, 0. It then takes YOUR total score, and divides it by the "Perfect Score" (which is if you were to make ALL perfects in the song), and assigns your grade based on that.) I'm not sure WHAT it's using now... but it gives away almost free A's and AA's. SERIOUSLY! I made an AA on Max 300 Standard. Something I've NEVER done on DDR... But with Dancing Stage, it's possible! ANd evidently with 4 goods and 3 boos! XD DDR? Would probably have given me a B.
So, you're thinking, "That's good though, right? It's easier, so you can do better on songs!" ...No.
Why? It's fake! If I were to try to compare my "mad skills" on Dancing Stage to a true DDR platform, I'd fail miserably... And with Tourney basing on DDR... That's HORRID! T_T
So, in total conclusion... The Plex sucks, Dancing Stage blows... And DDR has officially died in Wichita Falls.
A proper funeral service will be held next Wednesday... followed by an immediate migration to Tilt in the mall to play Pump it Up. XD

School
School... that mighty bane of my existance... (Well, not so much the school, but myself.)
This last semester was supposed to go well... Very well... And there was to be happiness, and a laptop, and freedom, and con! (In England no less!)
...ever have your hopes and dreams crushed? And was it ever completely your fault? O__o
Well, big surprise! I fluffed again. (Yay for euphanisms!)
I failed Financial Accounting... Again. Whooo!
Worse yet... I'm This (-) <~Do they make a smaller line than that? Maybe (.) or something...
Anyway... I'm REALLY close to Academic Suspension.
For those of you who dont know what that means... This means that I'm about to be KICKED OUT of college... Not dropping out, but involentarily FORCED to sit out a FULL YEAR from school, due to the fact that my GPA is lower than a 2.0. (That's REALLY REALLY BAD!)
Solution? Take 6 hours (2 classes) during the summer term, and make good enough grades to pull my GPA back above 2.0. (For me, I have to make at LEAST a C in both classes...)
If not... Well... I'd really rather not think deeply into that. ^_^;;;
So, I'm currently taking classes. Good news? It runs until June 30th. That's it!
Bad news? Class runs Monday thru Thursday... For 2 hours per day. AND... I'm taking 2 classes... Statistics and Financial Accounting. Worse yet? Stats is at 7 am. That means I'm to bed at 10, and wake at 6... Damn. T_T
Well... SO far... (And it's only been a week... But HEY! That's TECHNICALLY a fourth of the entire class! XD) I'm doing wonderfully... I'm actually studying my ASS off... O__o;;;
I currently have an A in both classes... (That's 3 quizzes in Stats, and 2 assignments in Accounting.)
The big deciding factor will be the 2 tests I have this week... Had one in Accounting today... and have it in Stats tomarrow. If I can A these... Things will be MUCH better... (And I'll be free to go to A-Kon! WOOOOOHHHH!!! XD)
So, here's hoping to dedication... for once? ^_^;;;

Work
Be prepared for another long entry...
INTERESTING things have happened in work lately... Very interesting... Good and Bad, of course. But this time, for impact, I'll start with the bad. =P
So, you know how I work my ass off right? (If you dont remember, I'm a Host and a Dishwasher at Applebees Restaurant.)
If there was ever ANYTHING I'm dedicated in... (Next to DDR and anime...) It's my Job. I pick up shifts... I have NEVER missed a SINGLE day... I was invincible. It was even mentioned by a friend while I was joking about how if I messed up they'd probably fire me... "Hell, they CANT fire you. For all you do for them, there's no possible way they could." XD
Can we say, "Forshadowing?" =P
Guess what... Suprise! I got fired. O____O;;;
No, I'm not joking. I seriously DID get fired.
Lets rewind... back to Wednesday May 3rd... I get a call on my phone at 10 am... Waking my lazy, sleeping ass up. I miss the phonecall, but being the naive person I am... I call it right back, uttering my usual speil, "Hello, this is Given Morris... Someone just called me?"
...Big mistake... "Hello, this is Greg Mathews."
Holy... wha...?? Quick side note... Mr. Greg Mathews is Applebee's Area Director. He presides over our dear Texoma (Texas/Oklahoma region, including Wichita Falls and Lawton) Applebees... What on Earth could he be doing calling ME?
So, he proceeds to interogate me... Informing me that they have received reports of "Multiple CSI calls coming from this phone number."
Return to the Information corner! For those who dont remember... (I know I've bragged about them before...) CSI (Customer Service Index) are little coupons that randomly print out on a guest's ticket... You call them in, answer the survey questions, and get a little number to write down. Then when you come back, you give it to your server, and get $3 off your meal. They're great, really...
...until you manage to call 24+ in one month with the same phone number...
Of course... I was completely honest with Mr. Greg... Telling him that I was an employee... and how I had took the CSI when I bussed tables... and had called them in to give to friends... And he informed me he'd be speaking with Danielle (our General Manager (GM)) about this.
And like that... a day later... I was canned. <_<
Local Management (Danielle, DavidMan, and everyone else cool) could do nothing... It was a decision from Upper Management (Greg), and their hands were tied. I got a Pink Slip and everything... The "Official" reason for Termination? "Theft and Mishandling of Company Funds". Wow, kinda harsh for JUST $3 coupons... It's not like I jacked CASH or anything... Seriously! >.<
Well... I keep this quiet from my parents... Pretending that I worked for the rest of that week, then had off the next for finals... Well, finally I had to give in and tell them. A good 2 whole weeks later. O__o;;;
Mum wasnt mad, but it was unanomously decreed that the whole grounds was BULLSHIT. XD
We looked through the employee handbook, and even questioned if there were any future memorandums that stated that it was not allowed to call and/or use CSI... There was nothing.
So, my stepdad gets on the phone and makes some calls... To Greg Mathews and Joe Armstrong.
Information Corner Time! Joe Armstrong is the Area Director of Operations. He's the BIG dude ABOVE Mr. Greg. XD
Greg couldnt be reached... but he got ahold of Joe... And had a nice long conversation with him... And suprisingly, he AGREED with us. He said that he'd make some calls, and get back to us by Noon the next day. (It was Wednesday night when this happened...)
At 9 am on Thursday... We get a call... from Greg. (I really dun like this guy...) He wishes to interrogate me again. After this is done, he informs me that if I felt that I was terminated wrongfully (um, yes!), I could file an Internal Dispute Resolution, and have Arbitration... But BEFORE it comes to that... he would talk to the vice president, and see what will happen.
Nothing happens... until 4 pm. I get a call from Danielle (our local GM)... She says, "Well... You're coming back. ...if you want to."
...HOLY... whaaa??? HELL YES! So I was to meet with her at 2pm Friday... I did... Things were settled, and I was back to work that night.
Fully reinstated... All my benifits... My year plus seniority, my vacation time, my insurance, and my possibility for evaluation and raise is all back.
So... Now I have the title of the "Great White Hype" from DavidMan... (For making such a big commotion, rocking the system, and WINNING. XD) and my cushy job back. ^_^
And BOY do I have it back. That returning weekend ALONE (friday, saturday, and sunday), I made 23 hours... And the following week, I broke a record. 55.73 hours.
Folks, that's 15+ hours of OVERTIME! XD Stranger yet, 29 of them were gained in 2 days. (14+ hours per day on Saturday and Sunday)
Oh... and those 14 hours.... ONE shift with no break. It kicked MAJOR ass... and my next paycheck is gonna be fat! ^__^
It's funny though... the conversation I was having with Mike (our broil cook) the other day... We were talking about how some dude started a rumor that I had quit... Of course, knowing me, Mike didnt buy it... "Dude... like HELL I would quit! Shit, the only way I would ever leave this place, is if they FIRED me! Oh wait... They DID! ...and I CAME BACK!" XD
That kicks some serious ass. =P

Life
Life... Hmm... What the hell do I even mean by this?
Well... some of you may know... and if you dont... then this probably isnt meant for you.
So... I've been trying awfully hard to do something again... But alas, time is limited... Not just hers, but my own too. T__T
I was looking forward to Tuesday before last, though... We were evidently SUPPOSED to do something... But there was no answer when I called. T__T
It's kinda disheartening...
But, there is some good news... Some of you may have heard... that time was running out. Like, Mid June running out... (As of now, that's like 2 weeks. >.<)
But... something amazing happened.... and that impending doom has now been bumped back til late August!
So, while I had hoped to do something before A-Kon (THIS WEEKEND! T_T), it seems like I've been saved somewhat... So maybe A-kon's my chance? Who knows... Feels nice though, because she keeps insisting that I "HAVE to be there!". I mean, I'm not THAT important, you know... But hey, I'm easily excitable... So it makes me happy. =P

Con
Con... That magical elusive time...
Of course, the big thing was SUPPOSED to be AmeCon... (Yeah, that con in England that I was supposed to be going to because I was gonna ROCK at school last semester... PFFFT!)
Unfortunately... I have a feeling that may be bust... Not ONLY because I failed a class... but because I'm rather broke. XD (I kinda owe mum $1237 for school this semester. O__o;;; )
So, the big thing now? A-Kon... Luckily, I think it might be possible... (Maybe mum will lend money? <_<;;; )
Since I'm CURRENTLY doing awesome in class... Things are looking bright. Again, the TRUE deciding factor will be the tests this week. The one I had today (Ish feeling positive!) and the one I have tomarrow... If I can make an A on both of these... I'm certian mum will let me go!
It's gonna rock this year... (Mostly because SHE'S going... XD) We're gonna be holed up in a room with nearly 8 people... (Cutting the cost to nearly $50 for the whole weekend... when the original cost is $200 per night. YAY for mass boarding! =P)
Ride is all prepared... I'm gonna be riding with Fox like I did last year... (Ironic, ne? Yeaaahhh... YOU know... XD) Actually, I'm even supposed to be spending the night at his house on Thursday so we can leave at 6 am Friday to be there for good time... (Lack of sleep is gonna KILL me though... Here's why: School Thursday at 6 am... Work that night wont get off till about 12... Then little sleep and up at 6. Then I'll be subjected to Con Schedule... That means Early mornings, and LATE nights... Dun wanna miss anything after all! Then, home sometime on Sunday night, and up Monday for class at 6 am. XD)
Geez... 3 days. THREE FREAKING DAAAAYYYSSS!! I'm so stoked... ^_^;;;
I'll know for positive on Wednesday the results on my tests... then I'll be starting to pack. =P
I wanted to Cosplay this year... Julie-dono was supposed to help me... But lack of sufficient funds shot that idea to hell... T____T
Um... so yeah. Con. WHOOO! XD
On a funny note... I talked to Nathan today... (The guy who ran Pugilance, and Budo... and is a lucky bastard for getting to work as a translator and body guard for the Japanese guests at con...  I'm not kidding...)
He TOO (evidently I'm popular without knowing it?  XD) said that I HAVE to come to A-Kon this year.  XD
He said that if my parents dun let me go...  He and Tats will come over, break into my house on Thursday night, leave a note, and "Ninja me away" for the weekend...  Kick ass!  =P

Well, I'm actually done with this. If you actually read through this, I thank you dearly...
Next time, I'll be doing a picture blog... Maybe? If A-Kon goes through, there'll be Con Log... ^_^;;;
...that is if I even post at all. XD

Thanks again~! Mata ne!

Hmm... It's been a while, ne? Almost the month. XD
I've been wanting to blog... but there hasnt been too much to say, until now, at least. =P
By the way... Im thinking this theme is getting old. I need a theme change. Color/Series suggestions, anyone? It's gonna be summer... need something bright and fuzzy feeling. =P

So... as the blog title says... Natsukashii no Setsuna, or in English, A Moment of Nostolgia...
Actually, far more than just a moment... This feeling has hit me rather hard lately... Somewhat like a freight train. And there's not a whole lot I can do but wallow in it.
And frankly... its depressing as HELL! T__T

But first things first... We've had some events that just passed lately... (Which are probably what sparked the Nostolgia)
And though Jay-kun will hate to hear it... it all has to do with the Japanese Club. =P

Two weeks ago... Thursday the 20th of April was the date of our International Expo. So, as per ritual for the past 3 years... We cooked Japanese food! ^_^
Items on the menu were: Sushi (Crab, Salmon, Tuna, and Vegetable), Kara-Age (A kind of Chicken dish), Yakiimo (Japanese Sweet Potato), and Green Tea Ice Cream.
Turn out was amazing... we ran out of stuff SO fast... It was nearly all gone within the first hour! XD
Making the Sushi was so much fun though... Rolling, cutting, and eating... ^_^
Too bad the day turned out rainy... But there were girls in Yukata... and all was good.
Unfortunately, everyone had things to do... And everyone practically split after the Expo... I really missed the times of the previous years... When we'd just walk around and chat for HOURS! Seriously... From the end of the Expo (7 pm) till damn near 2 am... Those were the good days. What happened? T__T *sigh*

So, not a week later... It was time for the Japanese Festival. We SWORE we'd have a better Fest this year... And... Um... I guess we kinda failed. XD
Events and organazation was better... But our turnout blew. T__T
Shopping was kinda last minute... we did it all the day before the Festival... (Better than Expo, though, which was done the day of. XD)
Cooking went great, though. Everything was prepared on time, despite some organization and supply problems at the start... This year we cooked a lot of good things! Yakisoba (Kinda like Lo-Mein, if you've ever been to a Chinese Restaurant. It's a fried noodle dish), Yakitori (a kind of fried chicken), Takoyaki ('Octopus Balls'), Yakiimo (The Sweet Potato again), and Onigiri (Rice Balls). We made LOADS of food...
Unfortunately, however... Not very much of it was sold. So that's kind of depressing. Though we DID make about $80 in total off the food. ^_^;;;

Events this year were pretty good. The Origami workshop was pretty popular... There was music playing, and anime showing... We had a mini Language Workshop, but it seemed that nobody was interested. T__T
However, our most surprising turnout... A newly planned event, was our Calligraphy and T-Shirt making. We did some minor calligraphy last year, in which we wrote some Kanji for people... This year, however, we went all out. Full on Shuuji! We got the good Rice Paper, and the Bamboo calligraphy brushes... And had several good Japanese people working it... Everyone was all over that booth! When planning the Calligraphy, we also decided that we could do T-Shirts. People could request what they want, and we'd draw the Kanji on the shirts, then sell them for $3. We were worried that people wouldnt be interested... and we might lose money on it... so it was a gamble. Fortunately it turned out SO well! We sold $70 alltogether from the shirts. People loved it!

Too bad... my entire section, the gaming, never happened. See, last year I hosted DDR. People liked it, and all was good. This year, I planned it to be even better. Not just DDR... But other games like BeatMania and Guitar Freaks too! However... the week before Festival, when I went to check out the TVs... I was denied. Shot down completely. Why? Licencing. Evidently that's been a big concern lately... and we cant do anything that would break licencing or copyright laws... And publically playing a privately owned game, is a violation of those laws. Oh, but I fought too! Even using the support that we'd be playing Japanese Import games on Japanese Import systems... So there was no American Licences! However... that too was killed, due to the fact that the PlayStation itself is still licenced here. T__T
Next year, though... NEXT YEAR! I'll even write Sony THEMSELVES for permission if I have to! BAAAH! >___<

The last event on the Festival... was the Budo Demonstration. Last year, Sensei Nathan Brown (Founder of Age Ryuu) gave a Kendo demonstration. It was awesome. This year, him and his students... (I used to be one... until time constraints interfered) performed a Budo (kinda like Karate) demonstration for us. Doing some Kata, then showing various Kicking and defensive techniques. It was great. The best part, though... came when he was practically done... and he had asked, "Alright, so does anyone have any questions?" ...then added in as a joke, "Does anyone want to hold the Sheild?" (The 'shield' is a LARGE padded pillow like thing which is braced out infront of you like a shield, so people can kick and/or punch it without hurting.) Of course, at this I promptly set my camera down and shot my hand up. Nathan, of course, replies, "GIVEN! Why didnt I think of that?"
So, for a good 20 minutes... I got to be the Kicking Bag as Nathan and Tats assaulted me... Funny enough, neither of them (even though they kick HAAARD!) could knock me back. (Oh, and it was hard to keep from it too... I found the trick of leaning in sharply to negate the impact.) Nathan, after the first kick commented, "Damn... You're like hitting a brick wall." It was awesome. ^__^;;;

Anyway, I have pictures that I'll be posting sometime soon... It went great. All was good. =P

Except the nostolgia... Again, everyone left promptly after festival... (Leaving Tats, Julie and I with the mess...) And the rest of them left quickly after clean up... No fun! Everyone's too busy... T__T
Worse yet... With the festival over, there's nothing left. One final summary meeting, and that's it for the year. And I REALLY miss it already.
Sure... there'll be next year... but I still cant help the feeling that everything's gone... (And there's a reason for that... I just cant mention here. =P)
Everything I seem to look at... The sunny weather, the rainy weather, the Sunwatcher Clubhouse, the Student Center Atrium, the post office on campus, even several parking lots throw me into violent fits of nostolgia... Bah! I miss everything. T__T

So then... I suppose that's it for now... Maybe a more moody blog next time? Ive been feeling kinda bleh lately... XD

Ja ne! ^_^

Obsession... As I sit here... Carefully eyeing my PS2, which is off and for very good reason... With the power cord unplugged and rolled up, the Swap Magic hidden along with GitaFuri in the case in my bookbag... And the Guitar Controller locked away in my car.
To be frank... I'm STRONGLY debating going out right now and grabbing the controller, hooking up the PS2, and playing some more. But, alas, I must refrain. I havent blogged in over two weeks now, and if that game were currently accessable, I certianly wouldn't be writing now. XD

A couple things first, before I start... Thanks to Arby for prompting me to write some more... (Else I might really be just playing GitaFuri rignt now. XD) Also, I'd like to deeply apologize for neglecting him... Poor sap. He's been blogging... and I havent been reading. (Not that I've been reading anyone elses, for that matter. I'm horrible. T__T) Anyway, thanks Arby-kun, for not forgetting about me when I've obviously not bothered much. ^_^;;;

So, anyway... Guitar Freaks. I'd simply like to state... This is the BEST game EVER!!!! Better than BeatMania... Better than DDR... Better than ANYTHING I've ever played.
This story dates back a couple weeks... Back to March 16, the day after I left on that trip to Dallas. You see, after a 5 year hiatus, Guitar Freaks/Drum Mania V FINALLY released for the home console PS2 in Japan. First mix released since GitaDora 5th. O__o;;;
Meanwhile, I've gotten hooked on it at the arcade, and have played it obsessively every time we road trip there.
So, naturally, when I heard it was being released, I HAD to import it. (The news hit DDR Freak back in December.) A HUGE time later, and $120 down... I now FINALLY have the game I've wanted for SOOO long. (Got a replacement for my Mod Chip so I can play Imports again too.)
Well, needless to say, I've been playing it almost non stop since I've received it last Monday... O__o;;;
The playstation... Was booted sometime on Tuesday, and never really was turned off until Saturday. (For the sole reason of taking it to play for Movie Night. XD)
OBSESSIVE playing... Seriously, I come home from class... Play GitaFuri. Go to work, come home at 1am, play GitaFuri. Go to bed at 4am, wake up, play GitaFuri, go to work, come home, play... Just like that. Returning to the main menu and turning off the TV whenever I HAD to go somewhere...
Of course, this obsessive play has paid off... Considering now I can pass a level 40 Advanced song. ^__^ (BARELY scraping through a level 26 Adv Chikara was my previous record)
I've even learned how to Double Pick! (Moving the pick down and up repeatedly, rather than simply striking it downward for each note. Double Picking is a MANDATORY skill for playing hard songs, since there are note strings that come up incredibly fast. O_o)
So... Um... Yeah... I could go on for eternity about this game... But I'm gonna stop now, so I can move on to other things that have happened in life. (Not that there's been much other than GitaFuri lately. XD)

School... Not doing so WONDERFULLY... Made a couple high C's on my last tests... But I'm cracking down harder... I should be able to recover things before they get out of hand... Maybe if I could put down that Guitar Controller a bit... >_>
Had a test Monday in Music, and a test last Thursday in Econ and Comp Sci. Awaiting the results still. Have a project due in Comp Sci tomarrow... Its... not done. But VERY close! (Spent all day working on it.) It's due at 11, though... So I'll probably skip my morning class to finish it. XD (A decent trade off, I think. I should have worked on it earlier. <_<)

Japanese Club... Wow. Um, got some MAJOR events coming up in a couple weeks. International Expo is first... That's where different Nationality groups get together and make food from their country for everyone to try. This is JClub's third year attending. I think we've decided to make Soba (noodles), Onigiri (riceballs), and Sushi... It should be good!
Soon after... Like the very next week, is our Japanese Festival. Which is a big event with several Japanese related activities... (Kinda like... some kind of Uber Mini Convention. XD)
On the plans for this year... I'm running Gaming again, which is taking a HUGE increase from last year, in which I just hosted DDR. (Big hit, by the way. XD) This year I'll be showcasing no less than 3 games. DDR, BeatMania, and of course, Guitar Freaks. O__o;;; We'll also be doing introductory language lessons. (Basic things... How to introduce yourself, how to say hello, how are you, etc...) Kanji Tatoos (done in washable marker), and newly added, Kanji T-Shirts. We're gonna get some white shirts and fabric paints, then paint things on the shirts for people to buy for a cheap price (like $5 or something). Again, there'll be music, decorations, videos, and food!
It's gonna be alot of work, but things will be good. ^_^

We had our final Movie Night of the semester last Saturday. (Arb... I swear, if you ask "What's Movie Night?" again.. I'm gonna choke you! You SHOULD know by now. XD)
This time, we showed 'My Neighbor Totoro'. A Miyazaki classic... (He's the guy who did Mononoke Hime, Spirited Away, Laputa, Kiki's Delivery Service, etc..)
I'll be honest... I had doubts. I didnt really wanted to see it. From what I've seen of it, it looked too childish, and really ghey. So I wasnt really looking forward to watching the movie.
Now, let me tell you... I was COMPLETELY wrong. For being an older movie (late 80's), it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Beautiful... Wonderful storyline... Funny as hell... And the art was SO incredibly smooth, you'd be hard pressed to notice that it wasnt a recent work.
I STRONGLY reccomend this movie! It kicked ass!
So anyway, we had 'Pot Luck' dinner... Every one brought some food. I brought Boneless Wings from Applebees, and an assload of Pocky! XD There was some sushi, some onigiri, and even some Yokan. (Interesting dessert like dish... With Red Bean in a kind of Gelatin stuff.)
I think, of course, the most fun part was after the movie... Needless to say, I brought Guitar Freaks.
The Japanese kids looked at me skeptical... Many didnt even know what it was. (Isnt it funny... that a Gaijin seems to keep introducing Japanese things to Japanese people? Such is the power of Otaku! MWAHAHAHA!)
Well... It became an instant hit. First, it started out with me playing, and one of the American kids watching me... Then a couple of the Japanese kids gathered around and watched... Well, the controller started getting passed... and more people gathered... and in the end, there were like, 5 Japanese kids (2 guys and 3 girls), me, and 2 american kids taking turns passing the controller and playing a song. It was SO freaking cool. XD
Later on, I showed off Final Fantasy XII. Yes. 12. The one that isnt here yet. I must say, it has BEAUTIFUL graphics. And a VERY odd, yet interesting and somewhat exciting battle system. O__o A Square first... In the intro video, not five minutes go by, and already we have an introduction, a wedding, a war, and the death of the guy who just got married. Wow. That's deep.

Work... There has been WAAAAY too much of it lately. But, I'm not complaining TOO much, as I just got my second $400+ paycheck. ^__^;;;
We finally hired another Dishwasher, so this week, I'm making the transition back to the Host Stand... I host on Tuesday, Saturday double, and Sunday morning. I think I Dishwash on Friday night... Maybe Sunday and Thursday nights... (But I think... I'll try to get Thursday off... Depending on how certian 'things' go... >__>)

Today was pretty good... Woke up at 11:30... considering that I was up till 5 am the night before. (Damn.) Found that Arby had texted me around 10... I replied, but he never did respond again. XD
Went to class, had a test... Went to Applebees thereafter, drew abit... Sent off a text for future arrangements... Went to my Violin lesson at 1:30. I can now play 3 songs fairly decently, and am now moving on to my 4th and 5th... Sorry, no Kajiura yet... But I think I'll start trying soon. O__o
Afterwards, I came home, chilled a bit, then went back to the Apple with my laptop... Stayed there till 5:30 working on my programming assignment... Then I went home, and did housework, including beginning the MASSIVE task of cleaning my room. >.< Received a reply from that text around 8... Then went off to DDR accordingly at 8:20. Afterwards, I stopped by Books A Million to check out the new stock... Somehow managing to refrain from buying anything... <_< After that, there was a parting, and I returned once again to the Applebees. (Yeah... for the THIRD time today.) Ironically enough, I met up with Markell and Nathanial (on complete coincidence) there... I camped out at the table adjecent from them, and did more work on my damned compy assignment. At least it's almost done. Just a few more final tweaks, and it'll be done.

Art... I've been trying to draw again lately. Alas, after my massive inspiration burst last time, everything else has burned out... And my skill has been flushed down the drain. No motivation, no ideas, no creativity... and I cant even draw some random crap well. T__T
Well, that finally changed last Sunday... After a somewhat depressing ranty night at work, inspiration hit.
So, I drew it!
Itsumo Hitori wa Doushite ka?
As per recent ritual, I refuse to give details here. Sooo... PLEASE go visit (and COMMENT!) my DeviantArt site to see the full story of the picture. ^_^
Misaki's ArtBook

Sooo... What else can I say? I dunno... Anyway, that's all for now. Maybe I'll update more regular again... Or maybe I'll just keep playing my Guitar. =P

Till Next Time! ^__^

{This was written on Thursday...  and for whatever reason...  was not posted till now.  Enjoy!  XD}

Well... It's Thursday afternoon... And we are currently on our way for lunch, then heading home. How was the trip? Damn peachy! Allow me to recap the events since the last writing.

Around 2:30 pm, we hit Irving. We head into the mall to hit up Animation Town arcade for some good Bemani and GitaDora...
...only to find that it doesnt exist anymore. DAMMIT! This is the SECOND time we go to a place specifically for an arcade that closed down several weeks before we arrived. That sucked!
So, we kinda tour the mall instead. We stop in Hot Topic... mostly because I wanted to check their stock of Anime wear... Which was suprisingly small. >.< However, while we were there... We heard some music that captivated us. I mean, absolutely enthralled us. We asked about it... Turns out the artist is called "She Wants Revenge"... And this song was, "Tear You Apart". So, we leave, and wander a bit more... We wind up deciding that we wanted that CD after all. So, we went back into Hot Topic and nabbed it. It's awesome! It's become the new Spring anthem for us. =P
So, then we go for lunch at Fuddruckers by the mall. By the time we were done, it was almost 5. We needed to head out so we could make the hotel in time. As we were walking through the mall... I hear a voice...
"Excuse me! Can I ask you a question?"
Unfortunately... I'm pretty gullable... (Apparently, Markell was also. XD) So, of COURSE, I whirl around to see what he wants.
"Can I see your hands? Hold them out?"
And thus, I wind up getting us caught in the biggest trap I've ever been in. So it turns out, he was working for this kiosk... selling some manecure stuff. So we wind up wasting a half hour while the guy buffs and shines up Markell's thumb nail. It was pretty hillarious, really... So many times the guy thought he definately had us sold on this $60 nail kit (which was actually $30... Half off for today only!), but we werent buying it. It was an interesting experience... And Markell's nail really WAS Shiney as hell. O__o
During this time... Some girl (who we saw earlier as we walked though the mall) comes up and asks me how old I am. She then informs me that her friend thinks I'm cute... And I should go 'holler' at her. I suppose I was somewhat honored... But not that interested... (I mean... I already have a particular interest... O__o)

So, we hit the road again, and arrive at the hotel around 6. Once there, we chill a bit, and set up base... I hook up all my techy crap... Computer, External Hard Drive, CD Burner, iPod, Phone, etc... The desk there was completely covered with crap. XD
After resting for a bit, we head out to Dave and Buster's for some PIU Goodness! Exceed 2 kicks ass... 'La Code de Bonne Conduite' is one of the best songs ever. ^_^

Afterwards, we come back to the room to change into cleaner clothes... We decide that we want to go to Firewheel... But we're afraid of what time they close. So, we go around and try to find a Wireless Hotspot for me to hijack to find the information... After wasting over half an hour, we give up and I decide to call for external resources... My mom. She finds me the number, I call, and it turns out that they are already closed. Well, then... Glad we didnt waste our time, gas, and money driving the toll road out there for it to be closed. XD
So now, it's 10:30... and we decide to get dinner. So we head to Freebirds... to find that they close at this time. Damn. So we drive down the street, and find a Humperdinks restaurant. (Funny name... but good place!) So we eat, and all was good.
After that, now nearly midnight, we go back to the room. Markell had to grade some papers from his band class... And I took the time to clip and upload music to my phone. XD Went to sleep about 2.

Woke up Thursday morning at 9... Managed to miss the breakfast that is served by the hotel. Dammit! We got ready and packed... And by the time everything was done, it's 10 am. We check out of the hotel and head off for Komart.
Komart... In the Korean Town area of Dallas. It's a great Asian supermarket for just about ANYTHING you'd ever want as far as Asian food is concerned... Then again... I didnt even know what half of the stuff was. But it's still fun there. Love the snack isle... Pocky, Yan Yan, Ramune... Goodness galore! Of course, I felt out of place there... Being about the only white guy in an area of nearly only asians. O__o But... It does bring back some good memories... Natsukashii. ^_^

After leaving there, we head for Fire Wheel. Still quite awe inspiring... Beautiful 'Town Center'. Much like a giant outdoor Mall-Town thing... I wish we had something this cool... O__o;;;
We drove around and took pictures. Had a little posing and photoshoot by the fountian and stream... XD
Then we went to our final destination... CyberTown Pizza and Arcade. ^_^
Yes, the famed arcade that we specifically make the trip for... And it's still one of the best. Alot of Guitar Freak was played... Some Initial D was played... And a good deal of Soul Calibur II. (It was cheap. Only one token per round. Hell yeah!)

we stayed there till nearly 1 pm. Then headed out. Stopped at On the Border in Denton for lunch... And now we're well on our way home.
I called and got out of work tonight... Dun really feel like working. XD
So, that's it. The trip is over... and we're 43 miles from Wichita Falls... Wish it could have lasted longer... But we managed to blow all but $5 of our $233 initial funds... So I dun think we could afford much more... XD

Well, have a good day... I'll be returning to regular blogging methods next time. Ja ne! ^_^