TCOBaG – kNow ThiNkIng AllOwEd

I’m a lucky guy, and I’ve been able to share some pretty interesting things with my family.

I was really lucky this time and got to spend 10 days here in Japan with my dad and step-mom.

Father’s day a little early for me. Was really a great way to spend it. I’m guessing the call I made was appreciated on the actual day of celebrating, but got to believe the early reveling was more memorable. Bless Fathers. I know I’m blessed.

We didn’t really get to go out and do much since the trip came up a little faster than we expected and we all had our regular stuff and work to do, but it was great just hanging out with them.

At least it was for me. They said they enjoyed it, but I’m not so sure

The boys were really happy to see them both, and it was great to just see them all together.

I did take them to Nagoya Castle one day during their visit which was pretty interesting.

Here are a few photos from their visit:

So, in more of my ‘small world’ vein of postings, here’s an interesting story.

Through Facebook I reconnected with an old friend. He’s a guy I used to work with when we were both in college. He was a young, naive, but great guy who I hoped would do well with his life.

He was a great guy. He asked me to sing at his wedding. He even had the gall to ask me to write a special song for it.

I had the gall to have the idea for the song the moment he asked me about it.

The song went over, well, really well. I’ve since sang it and been asked to sing it at several weddings, including one here in Japan.

The first time was, oh, about 17 years ago? more? (sorry Brett, the time gets away from me)

The song’s title is “No One Else I’d Rather Be” (Maybe I’ll post it here some time…)

He graduated, went to work, I finished my MA, left the country. He eventually moved around a bit, too.

Then we reconnect on FB. I had been in the states at a conference about 45 miles away from where he’s now living in North Carolina, a pretty good stretch from Murray, KY, where this story started.

Then he tells me he visits Japan for work fairly regularly, even Nagoya where I now live.

That was a couple of months ago, I think.

Today he came to my house for dinner. Met my wife, my two sons. Ate a lot

I was so happy to see him, and see the man he’s grown into. Proud, too. For him (I certainly have no claims on that outcome, hehheh, but still, yes, proud.)

Brett, it was truly great to get to see you, and catch up a bit though too many years have passed for us to catch up entirely in one short evening. Thanks for dropping back into my life. And though FB is great, it’s nothing like meeting up in person and doing that catching up Face to face.

A far cry from the days I had hair - Allen and Brett

So I was lucky and got the chance to meet in person someone I’ve ‘known’ online for several years.

He’s in Japan (Osaka) visiting family and made a quick trip over to see me here in Nagoya. We didn’t do anything exciting, and still, I had a great time visiting with him and treating him to some top-notch Ramen done right

It was really great finally meeting in person and I’m looking forward to getting together with him again some time.

Here are a couple of pictures, just snapshots I took.

It was not really much time, but I’m glad we could get together.

Thanks, Dan, for making the trip over!

UPDATE: So, have I been found out? Did the real Dan Murray actually visit? It seems new photos have surfaced casting doubts upon the validity of my earlier photos. These photos provided by a secret agent, code name Question Lion:

HINT: click this four-shot photo in the rows above to get more on that story…

Allen Williams and a cast of stars