Better have toilet paper before you go to Japan

In a lot of public bathrooms in Japan I found that they is no soap or toilet paper inside like you find in America  There is sometimes a vending machine outside the door of the bathroom where you can purchase them! Sometimes there is not a machine at all. There was some in the stores though just not usually at the Temples, Shrines or parks!

How I love the fall

Hey everyone!
So it has been awhile since I sat down to do an update on what has been going on of late. It has almost been to busy to any kind of posting, only reason some of the posts were posted this past month because they were pre-made in the summer and had set times to be posted haha.
I am at work and not sure if I should be on here or not. I am currently working for the company that I interned at for two years during College at VCU. Only thing is I am a part time employee and being contracted to Dominion Power, which is a large power utility in the eastern part of the United States. I have been here for about four weeks now plugging away on a project similar to the one that I was on board with in the Summer months. It is a lot of work but should soon be calming down. Now forty hours a week of work would not deter me from posting, but at the same time that I had started my contractor job here I started work as a server and that has been at night and weekends. So with the sixty plus hours or so of work a week I use my other time to get read for jobs, prepare food, commute time, sleep and maybe some go playing and TV watching before I pass out in my pillows. Today for instance I got up at 7am got ready and arrived at work around 7:45am and will be here close to 4pm. I have to run a few errands after work like the post office and take care of a friends cat, but then also go home make a early dinner and get ready for work at 6pm as a server. I don't get off that job till 1:30-2am tonight which by all means I am exhausted when I lay down (being a 15-16hr work day). I will be honest that going to school full time (16 hr credits), my internship, my part time retail job and commute time this past semester had a lot more down time then this. It probably will calm down soon once this job is lifted for a bit until I get another call in for more.
That is why I am not complaining as well. I have two jobs (one will last till the work is complete) in a time where it is hard to find a job. I will manage this for now because I know it will soon go away. I know I still need a full time job and not just a few part time ones as I will not have my benefits and such. Not to mention that one day I can move out once it is affordable. I do have another job prospect that I have interviewed for and awaiting to hear back from. I will keep it a secret for now as I have no clue what might happen.
So last week I had two days off from both jobs and I went to hike Old Rag mountain in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (about 2 hour drive). I enjoyed it a TON and recommend it a lot. I did injure my self and I recommend that you either be with someone or KNOW that other people will be on the trail. It is a really popular trail and I went alone (I do know about survival and first aid skills) but it is better to be with someone. It was a busy day when I went so I was with in ear shot or eye sight of someone at all times. Plan a day for it at least as I started at 9am and didn't get to the summit till 11:30 or so and got back to the car at 3pm. I love the mountains and I always try to go during the fall season. Of course that is when it is the most busiest. In the Summer when I posted pictures from my camping trip you would be the only one pulling off on Overlooks but this time of year there would be at least five other cars there if not more. Trails will be crowded and what is peaceful and wilderness in the Summer because a trail you would find in a busy park in your county. Never the less it is still gorgeous and I recommend at least a day trip up there in the fall time. The leaves have already peaked though, that I can tell you and it is peaking right about now here in Richmond. I have a bunch of pictures that I have taken on  that camping trip last week that I want to get up as well as some pictures around the house and in my woods. I hope to get out some time soon to Maymont and get in more pictures of Fall but this weekend is looking really rough. I was hoping to maybe go the the Zombie Walk tomorrow in the afternoon in Carrytown where people dress up as Zombies and walk around like a hoard of them ready to eat the flesh off the living. They have been doing it for a few years and I have missed out and hope to do it. I also have work from 5pm-1:30am tomorrow night as well as a Halloween party right after (if it is still going). Problem is though that it is calling for rain this weekend now to our good friend Miss Sandy, a now Category 1 hurricane, that has left Cuba and the Bahamas and is heading North over the Atlantic Ocean. It is probably going to gain more energy over the water, which right there is the Gulf Stream and this time of year has some warm waters which will definitely enrich the Category 1 with more energy. It is has been studied and has been predicted to turn west and actually come towards the east coast and definitely making land fall. There has been a few model tracks but it is likely to hit somewhere between my state (Virginia) all the way to Maine. It is most likely that it will hit somewhere between the Eastern shore of VA/Maryland all the way to New York. Even though Richmond is pretty far inland by like 100 miles or so we are still in the alert area of this storm. Now the reason why people are calling the "Frakinstorm" is not all because it is happening on the weekend and days of Halloween festivities but because there is a massive cold front moving from the west and heading east. With these two storms coming together on the east coast we can be seeing some interesting weather that does not happen very often at all. We can be expecting some strong winds from the hurricane followed by lots of rain causing storm surges, flooding wind damage but because the cold front coming form our west might cool enough to cause snowing in the areas as well. I am not sure if I will be lucky enough to see the snow being a little farther south but it is possible for snow fall to happen in the hurricane. Very weird indeed.
So if it is bad, I will take some pictures of aftermath and perhaps at home during the storm. I may lose power for a few days and if that happens I will not be posting anytime soon haha.
Now after this storm it will probably rip all of the leaves off the trees and there will be no fall colors to take pictures of. I hope there will be something to enjoy by the end of next week indeed.
Well I hope to get more pictures up for you guys soon enough. I still have lots of pictures from Japan to come and some other random things. 

Cute Bus in Asakusa Tokyo

On my way back to the hostel from Tokyo Skytree I manage to see this cute cat themed bus ride right on by me! It is for the amusement park in Asakusa, Asakusa Hanayashiki. This is the oldest amusement park in Japan and has been there since 1853. Then it was a flower park and was opened for Mathew Perry of the US Navy. Of course now it is an amusement park that has tons of kids come through the doors all the time. It is right in front of the hostel I stayed at and it sounded like the kids were having a blast!!!

info from Asakusa Hanayashiki's site

Once In a Blue Moon on the James River - Richmond, VA

So back on August 31st there was a Blue Moon or when there is a second Full Moon in a month or 4 in a season! That is were the term came from as it happens rarely. "Once in a Blue Moon."
I was with a friend down on the Pipeline trail in Richmond, VA and walked in the dark but was basking in the moon light. Decided to take a couple of pictures which are below. I still have a ways to go with long exposure!

The James River!

Mind you, this is about 11pm at night...

Boss Coffee Mug (Bozu)

So while in Japan I enjoyed Boss coffee out of the vending machines! I really enjoy my tea at home but I don't really have any mugs of my own and have always been looking for a mug. So when I was at a temple, along the street there were a lot of souvenir shops and one of them had this mug and I knew I had to have it.

I love the mug and it is a good size, not super large but not puny. Just right and I love the color and look. It looks great on my desk with out any tea or coffee in it. I wonder if Boss is mad that I use it mostly for tea though, I hope not.

Colonial Williamsburg on a Rainy Day

So this past weekend I went to Colonial Williamsburg for a few hours with a friend. It ended up being a rainy day but we still had a good time walking around. I also meet up with a friend that I had meet at the place I stayed in Kyoto! He goes to school near there oddly enough and it is easy to get to Williamsburg from Richmond, just 45 minute drive! Anyways on with it...

The Governors Mansion!

 

The walls of Nijo-jo Castle - Kyoto, Japan

I went with the guy that was staying at the house to Nijo-jo Castle! We rode some bikes on down the main road to get there. There was a lot at the time that was under construction but it was still a nice overcasting day!

This interesting castle has two walls of fortifications! In 1601, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate (Tokugawa Ieyasu) sent the order to all Feudal Lords in Western Japan to help construct the castle. It was finished in 1626. It was the home for the Tokugawa Shogunate in Kyoto. In 1939 it was donated to the city of Kyoto and soon made public for the people to visit!

Now when I first walk in you see is the Ninomaru Palace!

Out front before my friend and I entered the palace, there were tree Japanese high school students that came to us and offered to be free tour guides. they are part of their schools English speaking club and was there to practice there English speaking.