R2 Day 69 - Cardio X, ARX

I took a rest yesterday because I really needed a good night's sleep. I had an awful dream where I woke up and found out that Tiger had committed suicide. For a few days now I've been dreading checking TMZ or Drudge because I don't want to know what's going to happen next. Steroids has entered the picture now. Boy, when a man is down... The only illegal performance enhancing drugs that could possibly help a golfer are Beta Blockers, which dull the nerves, and there is no way Tiger is on them. Everything else might help one thing, like driving distance, but hurt another, like touch around the greens. Steroids? Tiger is big, but he has been working out every day for ten years, and that will do it. And he's not baseball big, he's just put on a lot of muscle. One curious thing is that while he is drug tested regularly by the PGA, he also drug tests himself privately. I used to think this was in case of tampering, but now, who knows. It's not like you can trust the guy anymore, is it? He could just be making sure that the drugs he's taking don't show up in any tests. I have been shocked by some of his behaviour on the course this year, especially when he bounced a driver into the crowd in Melbourne last month, but I'm going to put that down to the pressures of lying to the whole world, not 'roid rage.
I am prepared to say that not even Tiger Woods would take steroids. This is golf, not baseball. I do think he will come out and say he is addicted to sex, and painkillers, like everyone who has had any type of operation seems to be, but that is it. Please, Tiger. Don't be taking steroids.
So I got up early this morning and did Cardio X, and I did Ab Ripper X after work, and then I went to the end of year work party.
The end of year party was okay. I was late because I thought the party started at 6:20 when it was really 6:00, so I got the last seat next to T-san, the boss of the division next to ours. The problem is that when these guys get a few drinks in them, they want to try their English, which is usually terrible. Where do you from? Can you sushi? I answer them in Japanese until they give up. It's all I can do to make them stop. Then the interrogation begins. How long have you been in Japan? Is your wife Japanese? Where did you meet your wife? Do you speak English or Japanese at home? Can your son speak English? and so on. It's not that the questions are so bad, only a little nosey, it's that they always ask them without fail. They are only interested in me in terms of them. How different am I to you, is basically what they want to find out. After ten years of this, it's hard to feign interest. But on the other hand, if someone comes along and is a little different, they really get my attention. So I ditched this table as quick as I could and went and sat with my own department. It was a little more fun because there were a couple of middle-aged ladies who are good value. We got onto the subject of cleaning ears, which is a big thing in Asia. (Guys, if you ever go on a date with a hot Asian chick, make sure your ears are clean. They check.) I asked one lady if this was the reason why a lot of Japanese men grow the nail of their little finger, so they can get inside and really shovel the wax out. Disgusting, I know, but I cannot think of another reason why they do it. So I asked her, and she was like, "What? I've never seen that before. No, they don't grow their nails, that stupid." Just then, my boss joined us, and we all just happen to look at his nails at the same time, and wouldn't you know it, he's got the long little fingernail! Everybody screamed, and I'm pointing at my boss' fingernail saying See! See! She couldn't believe it. Funny stuff. Turns out my boss grows his little fingernail long because his dad does too, and he thought it was cool. Not a very satisfying answer. I left early to go and teach Nori, which was okay except I was really tired, and then I went home. Busy day.