It's 4 in the morning....

I can't seem to sleep and since I haven't updated this blog as much as I wanted to... I figure why not now when I have hours to kill before the sun comes up?

Summer has come and gone and I don't really remember too much of it because I spent almost every single day working! Part of the reason was that I have alot to save up for and I don't want to look back and wish that I had worked more and saved more... but mostly it's because I am a workaholic and the money was just too good! Looking back and comparing to how work is these days.... it's almost unbearable. Being in the service industry, you take for granted the days when you can make money without even trying. No matter what, when it's busy and there's a line out the door, you're gonna make money. Combine all of those things with a good attitude and hunger for more money and you have my summer in a nutshell!

To be honest, I'm pretty burnt out on Changs right now. I think I overdid it. The last two weeks have been torture and not only am I in need of a good vacation, but the clientele is all foreigners (Australians, Europeans, Indians, African Americans and White trash...) and not worth my time. Japanese customers are always the best and they don't really understand the tipping system so they are somewhat open to learning... or at least they leave tip whether they know why or not. They are just genuinely nice people who don't want to be rude. Unlike the afore mentioned "foreigners" who know how to tip, but simply don't. For whatever reason they don't want to tip is fine, but as long as they're nice and not out of control, I can deal with their 10% tips. However, like I said, the past two weeks have been torture.

The restaurant business is definitely an exciting place to work and I always have fun with the people I work with, but I think that it's time for a change. Not necessarily a change of job, but a new job title. I want to be a bartender! I never thought I would want to be a bartender because it's bad enough serving sober people, but drunken douchebags?! Luckily my restaurant has two floors and the second floor's bar is behind the scenes and only makes drinks for the servers on that floor. These bartenders don't make tips off of customers, but make their money from a percentage of what the servers sell. Occasionally the second floor bartenders get tables which helps out alot. I really want to be a second floor bartender and not have to deal with customers and just make drinks and listen to my ipod! And maybe a sip here and there will help pass the time! Hopefully my manager will have me trained once a position opens up! Change of pace will do me good!

And now that the summer is over, it's time to start spending!!! In approximately 10 hours I will be in the air on my way to Japan! I'm going with two girls that I work with, Wakana and Bing! I can't believe that this is really happening! I haven't been to Japan since 2006 so it's long overdue! First stop will be in Osaka and then off to Nagoya, which will be awesome because my mom is there, and then off to Tokyo for the majority of time!!! I've never stayed in Tokyo for more than a day so this is gonna be insane!

Coincidentally enough, a good friend from Atlanta just moved to Tokyo two weeks ago and is living in Roppongi! I've known Jennifer Chan since high school, but haven't seen her for over 5+ years! I had no clue she moved to Japan, but Facebook never fails! I've made plans to meet up with another Jennifer (Roff) that I've known for almost all my life! Hopefully I will get to see more people, but we'll see what happens!

My plan when I get back is to take it easy and not pick up shifts so much, but easier said than done. I need to start enjoying Hawaii and get a tan! The girl we rent from just told us she has to refinance the condo we're in and to do so she has to live here, so when I get back from Japan it's time to move again! We haven't really found a place yet, but we've definitely gone through every option out there. Hawaii is horrible with allowing pets in apartments so nearly every ad out there says NO PETS! I really hope that we find something good and worth what we're paying for...

I am going to miss Mitch and Levi SO much while I'm gone. They are the best family I could ever ask for! I finally stopped working so much so that I can spend time with them and it's nothing but nonstop happiness! In November Mitch plans to go to see his family and then end of November I'll be going back home so lots of traveling, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? It'll be so good to see family and friends before the holidays begin!

I recently put on my Facebook a list of things I want to do before 2011 so I'll post it here as a reminder to really do them all!

1. North Shore
2. Fishing
3. Tide pools? Not sure where, but I always see pictures!
4. Watch the sunrise on the beach
5. Have a dinner party
6. Hike diamond head or somewhere challenging
7. Take out a cooler and drink on surfboards
8. Get some great pictures of honus (waimea?)
9. Get a goldish
10. Get a tan
11. Eat at Leonards
12. Watch alot of movies
13. Start drawing again
14. Read a book
15. Give clothes to Goodwill
16. Hanauma Bay
17. Wet and Wild!
18. Yokohama beach

Here's to the rest of 2010 being as awesome as the beginning!