Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives
October-December, 2022
This page shows archived posts for Gary J. Wolff's blog from
October-December,
2022.
Enjoy...
Cheers,
Gary
Dec. 29,
2022 - 2022, The
Year in Pictures
I am indeed very thankful for another wonderful year! As I have done in
years past, I sometimes like to put together a collection of photos
reflecting back on some of my favorite memories of the past year. As we
savor the last few days of this year, I hope you enjoy this 2.5-min.
slideshow which features 60 pics to the tune of "Soulful Strut," a 1968
hit by the Chicago soul/jazz ensemble, Young-Holt Unlimited. Best
wishes for a magnificent Twenty Twenty-Three, the Year of the Rabbit...
😍🙏
2022, The Year in
Pictures,
a 2.5-min. slideshow featuring 60 memories from the past year
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube here.)
Christmas
Eve, 2022 - Japanese Christmas trees are just SO pretty!
Merry Xmas to all my dear friends around the globe! Many Japanese
Christmas trees are just SO original & creative. I've been
collecting pics of them ever since I first moved to Japan, and a few
years ago I finally got around to putting them in an album.
Just this week I added 14 new trees I've seen this season, and the
collage below shows a few of my favorites:
a Texas-themed tree in the Little Texas honky-tonk
a HUGE white tree suspended from the ceiling in a
multi-level shopping mall
one of several snowmen all piled up in the shape of a
Christmas tree
a triple tree, train station display with a
foreground village of cute little internally-illuminated buildings.
All 103 trees are here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskqXkiDd
(click the thumbnail images on that page to open up the full-size
photos, or click the little right arrow in the upper right to view an
animated slideshow)
BIG CHANCE! Smashwords, the world's largest publisher of indie ebooks
(>120,000 titles) is now holding its 6th annual end-of-year sale
from now till Sunday, January 1, 2023. If you’re looking for a little
something extra for that someone special (and that could be YOU!), you
might consider one (or more) of my 4 ebooks which are now FREE downloads, WOW!
Normally I would say "Shop till you drop," but in this case, with no
cash involved, perhaps I should just say "Download and read till you
drop (or fall asleep)."
Here are the 4 titles:
The Japan ‒ Texas Connection: Best Friends Forever
(BFF)
GW's 2016 Wild West Road Trip: 28 Days, 7700 Miles, 8
States, and 10 National Parks
Climbing Mt. Fuji: Tips, Q&A, and Climber Stories
The View from the Top of Japan: My 2-Decade-Long
Quest to Scale the Nation’s 25 Highest Peaks
"The easiest way to convey energy and enthusiasm is to smile. Now
there’s a tip that you can implement today. No waiting, no paying for
expensive degrees, no buying a new suit – just smile!!"
—Dan Miller, An Understanding Heart—
Photo courtesy: Dan Miller, Career
Coach &
Author of "48 Days to the Work You Love"
A dear friend of mine since my childhood days when he was my basketball
coach recently passed away in Houston. He was known for his signature
at the bottom of every email which read: "If you see anyone without a
smile, give them one of yours!" Rest in peace, Bobby... 🙏
Dec. 7,
2022 - Red Illusion (夢幻回廊)
This collaboration event of Tokyo artists, musicians, and dancers, and
organized by world-renowned artist Miki Meguro,
celebrated "a world of
passion and fantasy." By all means, don't miss the amazing performance
by sexy belly dancer Noa, 1st up in this video! What a wonderful way to
kick off the holiday season...
0:00 Belly dancer Noa (WOW!)
7:22 nature airliner - charming Japanese/Canadian couple singing in
French
9:50 Belly dancer Teiko Nharumiya
14:45 Opera singer Shoko Itabashi
Red Illusion
(夢幻回廊), a collaboration event of
Tokyo artists, musicians, and dancers
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube here.)
Dec. 3,
2022 - Lone Star State Taxas
Being from Texas, of course this sweatshirt in a Tokyo clothing store
caught my eye today, and I believe it's the latest testimony that
there's still job security for English proofreaders. Or maybe just a JOKE? Or perhaps a
subliminal political message.... like "TAX US." Or maybe "TEX ASS"? Never a
dull moment in the Land of the Rising Sun...
It’s that gorgeous time of year again in Tokyo when nature's paintbrush
adds a lot of colorful cheer to our lives.
This kind of beautiful scenery warms my heart and puts a lot more
spring in my step. Even after more than 3 decades here, this much
welcomed boost to our spirit never grows old. Japan is indeed one
beautiful
country...
Fall Colors Tokyo 2022
(click here
to view full album)
Nov. 21,
2022 - Japanese train station postal dropbox
Yes, it's real! You can actually mail letters in it.
Japanese postal dropbox, JR Shinagawa Station, Tokyo
(photo courtesy: Jim
Tittsler)
Nov. 17,
2022 - Happy Birthday to.....ME!
I'm in heaven after being treated to a gorgeous multi-course dinner to
celebrate my landmark birthday... from a wonderful friend I've known
for over 3 decades after my first arriving in Japan.
landmark birthday dinner
Another dear friend awarded me a Happy Birthday Gold Medal for being
the "best guy in the world," ha ha.
Happy Birthday Gold Medal
Nov. 12,
2022 - Today's words of wisdom
"The surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness."
—Michel de Montaigne, French Renaissance philosopher—
Nov. 7,
2022 - Houston Astros 2022 World Series Champions!
This year my hometown team went to the World Series for the 4th time in
6 seasons, and I'm so pleased that for the 2nd time since 2017, the
Houston Astros are 2022 World Series Champions! YAY!
2022 Houston Astros World Series Champions
(photo credit: mlb.com)
Call me old-fashioned, but I still think early November is TOO early to
start displaying Xmas decorations. Nonetheless,
I was touched by a very beautiful triple tree Xmas tree display I saw
yesterday outside a Tokyo train station. Especially impressive was the
village of cute little internally-illuminated houses in the foreground.
Oct.
25, 2022 - What's the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
I believe the main difference is that one will see you later and the
other will see you in a while. I could be wrong. I'm not a zoologist.
Regardless of which side of the aisle you're on and the accuracy of the economic indicators below (I didn't bother fact checking them), I believe most folks would agree that many Americans are truly s…
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Never a
dull moment in the Land of the Rising Sun...
