R2 Day 75 - Cardio X

Today my company released its new corporate identity. This is a translation of the first paragraph of the new corporate mission staatement.
"We have a vision to fulfill the future dreams of the people of the world and to constantly strive for new value and contribute to a thriving society."
Smell that? There's six more paragraphs, including "Value today over yesterday and tomorrow over today" and "Bring wonder and passion to the world". Marketing. That's where the real work is done.
Will and I went down the shop to buy Santa a beer last night. We are going to leave out a couple of biscuits and a beer for Santa tomorrow night. Can you remember coming into the kitchen on Christmas morning and seeing crumbs on the plate and an empty beer can on the table and thinking that Santa (or Father Christmas, as he was back then) had actually sat there sometime during the night and had them? Wasn't that a great feeling? I have to work Christmas day and Boxing day (that's what you get for living in a country of heathens) so we are going to celebrate Christmas on the 24th, which is a day off for me. After Boxing day I get about nine days off. It's really cold and there's not a lot to do during the break. I have to relax and not be so restless this break. Just relax, get my mind right, and bring it! It's nearly over.
Speaking of which, I did Legs & Back last night. Pat myself on the back and give myself a handshake ('cause everything is not yet lost! FNM) because I broke the barrier. 102 pull ups. Yes, baby. And I kind of did Cardio X tonight. I was tired and intensity was low so it was a bit of a waste of time. Tuesdays always seem to be a struggle. I'll try to fit in a Yoga and Ab Ripper X tomorrow sometime.
So what is Christmas in Japan like? Basically, Christmas in Japan is for young unmarried couples. Just as in ancient times, they go to KFC for ye traditional Yuletide offerings, and then they will travel from hotel to hotel, just like Mary and Joseph did, except they'll be looking for a spare room for three hours to have sex. No-one knows how KFC came to be associated with Christmas in Japan, but when KFC got a sniff of it they really pushed it in its advertising, apparently. This is decades ago. KFC is really popular here despite the fact that they don't actually use real chickens but use the offspring of rats and pigeons (according to Ben Elton). The hotels are called love hotels, and they are everywhere, and you can rent a room for a few hours for $50 or so. It's all automated so you don't have to actually meet anyone on your way in or out. You can get themed rooms, from Hello Kitty rooms to mad S&M rooms. I have heard of a room in Tokyo that has no furniture and the entire floor of the room is covered with dirt. If this room doesn't actually exist, you have to ask, why not?
Tomorrow is the Emperor's birthday holiday, but I have to work. I don't know much about the royal family here. They all look the same. A month or so ago they had a concert to celebrate the 20th year of the reign of the current Emperor, Hirohito's son. They held it at night outdoors, and they had the Emperor and his wife (they must both be in their 70's) stand on a nearby bridge and watch the concert, featuring all the latest boy bands and cute singers. How they stood there for what must have been an hour and a half watching these shitty performers promoting their new singles astounded me. Respect for that. Poor guy's a prisoner of history.
Technically I haven't bought my wife or sons anything for Christmas. In terms of my wife, the policy we seemed to have developed is that in the months approaching a birthday or Christmas, we can each make a big ticket purchase, and the other will say "That's your (Christmas) present." For example, my wife's birthday is in late September, and in August she bought some Birkenstock sandals. Bang. There's your birthday present, I said. Happy birthday or whatever. I can do this because it's my money that she's using. When you think of it, her Christmas or birthday present to me is just letting me buy something without the grief. I'll take it. As for my kids, we only recently gave Jo Jo the gift of life. That's his Christmas right there. Will has gifts from his grandparents, his Auntie Leigh, and others, so there you go. Does he need any more? No. I think Junko bought them something, anyway.