“We were not sent into this world to do anything into which we cannot put our hearts.”

“If you want more pomp and circumstance, I can do it, otherwise I can just ask you the questions."
“Just the questions."
“Eriko, do you take Nick to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
“What?"
“Do you want him to be your husband?"
“hai. Yes."
“Nick, do you take Eriko to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
(pause as groom looks over the bride)
“Yes, I do."
“By the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
(smooch)

i can barely believe it. after 27 years of being alone, i am no longer an individual. i am now half of a whole, part of a pair, a bit of two… i like having Eriko around. it is a little surreal to watch her make the house her own, little by little. the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, the living room… they all bear her mark. today we obtained her social security number, added her to the bank accounts, and filed for a marriage license. if all goes well, my co-worker (a “minister”) will officiate over a very brief ceremony on Monday and we’ll be legally bonded. then, lots more legal work to be done such as changing her name, filing for a change in her immigration status (towards the green card), etc. soon i’ll be at work full-time and then japanese class twice a week … and then uw in addition. i’m a little nervous but also excited to see our lives develop… together. ;)

• Artist
• Lover
• Doctor
• Teacher
• Student
• Husband
• Father
• Inventor
• Salary Man
• Child
• Perfectionist

• the more you sweat the more you get
• activity means productivity
• efficiency means effectiveness
• burn the midnight oil
• the best way to get the job done is to do it yourself
• the easy way is the best way
• hard work is virtuous
• work is not fun
• there is only one best way
• more discipline means less freedom
• justice for all
• we work best under pressure

For a more detailed report, see Eriko’s blog. On Saturday, we rode the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, but at lunch time. The food was good, the company was a bit different (an older lesbian couple), and the few wasn’t bad (we were on the east side of the train when the view of the lake was on the west side). Columbia Winery was neat and I enjoyed one of the three wines that I tasted. Eriko became a little sick due to the motion of the train (which rocked at slow speeds) and that we were facing backwards on the return trip. All things considered, it was a nice train ride.
This morning we slept in, but woke up just in time to catch a bus destined for a park near Lake Washington. There we were able to attend the final day of Seafair. We arrived as the Blue Angels were performing and although we didn’t get to see much of their performance, we saw enough to dazzle. The boat races were a little confusing and boring – I couldn’t tell who was in the lead, where the track was, or even what lap they were on (or how many in total). The highlight, for me, was the biplane propeller acrobatics. A single plane, a troupe of four planes, and a custom-built single plane were all quite amazing to watch. Especially the last two, in which Eriko and I had great seats by the lake. Afterwards, we each took a nap before meeting my co-worker Todd and his girlfriend/ex-wife/future-fiancee Miki. Miki is native Japanese and spent about half her life in Japan, so she and Eriko were able to converse naturally. They looked at our wedding photos and nice conversation was had by all. Either because of the naps or the large amount of sugar content (desert was spectacular) we are up late. We both read, talked, and used the computer. We have a great lead on ballet and tea ceremony schools, which Eriko would like to continue. I’ll call tomorrow.