When There's a Wii, There's a Way

Today the NEX was going to have Wii's again (they get so few that most people have given up trying to get them from the exchange, you have to call on the sly to find out when they'll be in).  It's a Nintendo game system where you use a little remote control device in your hand to swat at the ball, or bowl, or whatever the game is.  It's a bit more interactive than just hitting buttons.

We were told there would only be a few, and we should start forming a line at 7:30 (they open at 9).  I decided to relax at Starbucks, and if we got lucky, so be it.  I got there at 10 'til, and what?  They'd opened the door early, and the line was inside.  Groan.  But a friend was waving at me and said, "I'm number 23 and they say they have 45, and there are only 15 people behind me, hurry!"  So, we now are the proud owners of a Wii.

William really cooperated today and had to give up his late afternoon playtime so we could go get insurance for the car Tim's going to pick up tomorrow.  He did get McDonald's and play time there earlier this afternoon. 

We were given the directions to: 'Go out Womble gate, and there's a place somewhere there that does your family name stamp.'  William and I went out Womble gate, and didn't see anything obvious, so I knocked on a printer's shop and miraculously remembered the name for this in Japanese (hanko, I think), and he pointed me in the right direction.  For $30 we're getting a stamp for official documents.  This becomes your signature on bank applications, licensing items, etc.  Basically, they take the sound of your name and find kanji that mean something related to you that make the sound of your name.  Our Sensei had done one for us.  For example, the realtor from yesterday was Fujisaki, or Wisteria blooming, not an alcoholic beverage named after the mountain.  Rainier beer.................  Okay, if you recognize that commercial, you are dating yourself!

I thought it would be nice to show everyone the blooming cherry trees here on base.  Sakura are beautifully pink.  The compressed video does not show that.  But, we happened upon it when nobody else was around, and the solitude inspired us to do this video: