I Love Yahoo! Japan Auctions

You know... I LOVE the Yahoo Japan Auctions. You can get a lot of really great stuff there.

I wanted a new thermometer for one of the rooms because I like to have thermometers all over the place (I'm a weather whore, so sue me!). Well, I did a search and I ended up finding this great clock/thermometer/hygrometer!

The bidding started at JPY 1 (about one penny), and when I came in to the bidding, it had gone up to about JPY 210 (about $2.00). I put in a maximum bid of JPY 824 (one of the secrets of bidding is to put in weird numbers so people give up when they are trying to compete), and I ended up getting it tonight at midnight for JPY 510 (about $4.50 at the current exchange rate). Sure it will cost me about $7.50 for shipping and a small COD fee, but it is well worth it considering the store wanted about JPY 3800 for it (about $35.00).

That's why I'm still up.... I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see if I won the bid or not.

I'm really looking forward to getting it! (simple things amuse simple minds... "it's just a damn aluminum boring clock, Cam... come on!" heeeeee)

Since it was a store that I bought this from on auction, they will be sending me a form that I will fill out, and send back tomorrow. I imagine I'll see my clock by the weekend.

If there is anything that you guys ever want me to look for and get on auction for you, please let me do it for you. If you will give me a small service fee and cover the payment charges, etc. I am more than happy to do that and then ship it off to you! Just let me know, and we can work together on finding something that you really want, and that fits into your price point. (I helped Dunnster get a Harley Davidson, so we can get pretty much anything). Yahoo! Japan Auctions is apparently so good, and used by so many Japanese (there are a lot of Japanese in Japan....), that E-Bay could never get a toehold here. But that's OK by me.

Have a great day, and I'm off to bed now!

I love you!

Cam

How I See the Inaguration of the Century

Here is how I see the Inauguration as it plays out in my world.

Why is it that Michelle gets to look so amazingly fashionable by having her coat undone, and walking like a model, while Barack "Geek" Obama has to have his all buttoned up like some conservative dickwad? GWB dressed like this! Gimmee a break!!

I mean, I like the guy, and he's cool, and he's said a lot of really smart things, (and he's going to have a hell of a job with the change that NEEDS to come in America, and so are the Secret Service guys protecting his ass), but let's see him flaunt his fashion a little bit! If he can nod his head to the music and "genuinely enjoy the pre-inaugurational concert" as the article stated, why can't he let his coat hang open like the model so many people see him as?!  He should have an "open kimono policy".

By the way, I'm reading Obama's second book, "Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream", and it's really quite good. The only thing I have to ask is the same question Mayu has asked in the past:  Why the hell are English book titles so damn long?!?!?!

I love you!

Cam

P.S. This MegaMuffin with two patties, cheese, bacon and an egg was awesomely delicious. The Japanese McD's coffee is damn good, I'll have you know. They even offer free refills!

2009 is the Year of the Bull? Ox? Cow? Steak!

The other day Masaki and his mom came by, bearing gifts (and a purchase). They brought the usual rakkyou that I love, some other tsukemono (pickled cabbage), and some boiled nimono daikon. In return I gave them the omiyage I had brought back for them from Canada, namely a mountain biking magazine for Max, a box of Dare Maple Cookies for the family, and some other small things.

The other main purpose of their visit was to bring and present to me this year's eto, or the animal that represents 2009: the bull.

So, without further fanfare, and all introductions aside, I present to you yet another amazing job by Masaki Yoshita, done in washi, or Japanese paper!

(I only have one more to collect, that's next year's tiger and I'm excited because then I will have collected all 12 eto and I will have proof that I have known this best fried for longer than 12 years!)

When one of you decides to come and visit me.... I can hardly wait to show you my collection. Of course I would take you to visit Max and his family because you all know him by now and I know you would probably weep for joy when you see what they do. I make my request to the Universe and live my life as if "you" (whoever you may be) are already coming, have already made plans, and the day is yet to come when you will be "delivered unto Me"! Every day I believe this. I really really doooo!

In the meantime, enjoy what I enjoy through these photos (clicking them will take you to Flickr where you can see them even larger if you so wish).

I love you!

Cam

P.S. And I DID decide that I AM going to work in collaboration with Max and make his site, doing all the sales and stuff for him. Yep. Others do it all the time on Etsy. So, I just need photos from him.

P.P.S. The ring in the last photo is my new ring that I ordered on Etsy from "artisanlook". Ev, one of the team of three lives in Montreal and she hand delivered it to me! I had a wonderful time meeting her. OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ring! I wear it on my left thumb, and it feels as if I already have belonged to it for at least 136years!!! If you want amazing jewelry, go look (and order) stuff from their site!

If you want to see the meeting... please visit my YouTube channel and take a look. Lots of amazing, fantastic, wonderful memories were created in Montreal and not all of them were of me walking through snowstorms looking at hundreds of years old brick buildings (which were frikkin awesome! ... 1657 was the oldest one - a church. Go figure heh).

 

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The Family Jewels

Us.

and that. is. that.

2009.01.02