HOME FOR THE HORIDEIZU

WENT BACK TO AMERICA BRIEFLY TO EAT SOME ITALIAN FOOD AND PICK UP MY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. THE RETURN TRIP BACK TO JAPAN WAS REMARKABLE IN ITS LENGTH, A FACT MADE ALL THE MORE NOTICEABLE BY THE COMPLETE MALFUNCTIONING OF ALL TVs ON THE PLANE. HERE'S HOW IT PLAYED OUT...

05 HOURS: SLEEP
14 HOURS: NEW YORK TO TOKYO
03 HOURS: TOKYO LAY-OVER
03 HOURS: TOKYO TO OKINAWA
08 HOURS: OKINAWA LAY-OVER
10 HOURS: OKINAWA TO TOKUNOSHIMA (VIA FERRY)
½ HOUR: WALK HOME FROM FERRY PORT

DUE TO THE CURVATURE OF THE EARTH AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC MUMBO JUMBO, THE TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT TAKES A DETOUR WAAAY THE HELL UP NORTH INSTEAD OF TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE TO JAPAN. TAKES LESS TIME. UP THERE, THE SUN TENDS TO CROSS THE SKY HORIZONTALLY INSTEAD OF VERTICALLY. I WAS REMINDED OF THIS WHEN I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND NOTICED AN HOUR HAD PASSED SINCE THE SUN BEGAN TO DIP…


…AND THEN ANOTHER HOUR…


…AND THEN ANOTHER HOUR. GROOVY PICKLES!