I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, revitalized, and downright ravenous for breakfast. How easy was that? Here I’d been, worried about the effects of the time-change, imagining I’d be sleeping all day and awake all night, my internal clock thoroughly screwed. But I’d powered through. Even though I was exhausted, I’d refused to allow myself to doze off yesterday, holding out until 10:00 p.m. before finally turning in and allowing sleep to overtake me. I was proud of myself. I glanced over at my alarm clock. Holy Mother of Nerd! It was 2:21 a.m.!

Try as I might, I couldn’t fall back asleep and so lay awake in bed. I had company. Fondy couldn’t sleep either. She turned on the t.v. I flicked on the light, finished reading my book (the monster was captured, but my interest proved elusive to the end), and started a new one. I told myself that if I was still awake at 6:00 a.m., I would get up, work-out, and get an early start on the day. But it was a little before 6:00 a.m. when I began to feel sleepy again. I thought, what the hell. I’ll get a couple of hours sleep and still be able to make the most of the day. I dozed off.

I stirred awake, figuring I would sleep in a little longer but still get up with plenty of time to take my sister out for her last lunch in Vancouver before heading back to Montreal. I glanced up at the alarm clock. Sweet Father Christmas! It was 2:30 p.m.! I jumped out of bed, hoping to salvage what was left of the day.

I know what you’re all thinking. What a terrible brother! It’s true. And if you’re going to continue to invest time in this blog, I think it’s high time I came clean about a few things, some things that could color, possibly even change, your opinion of me. Nevertheless I think it’s important you know that –

1. I have never sat through an entire episode of Friends from start to finish.

2. I have never seen E.T. nor do I ever intend to.

3. I don’t like The Beatles.

4. I prefer my hot dogs the way they enjoy them in Japanese baseball stadiums – with ketchup, occasionally with mayo, relish, and onions, but never, ever with mustard.

5. Given the magical opportunity to pursue and excel at another career, my choice of new professions would be: super villain, chef, and hard-hitting free safety for the Los Angeles Raiders – in that order.

Now I’m sure that some of you are wondering “What the hell is Joe going to write about now that the trip is over?”. Well, just because I’m no longer battling a stomach ailment in an austere Tokyo hotel doesn’t mean the fun has to end. I still have plenty of things to complain about right here in Vancouver including: the tightness of my new shoes, guys who wear shorts in winter, and, of course, caraway seeds.

So sit back and enjoy the ride.