US Open - August 31

It is our second day at the Open, and we are up early to get to the grounds when it opens. Plus, today is the USTA (United States Tennis Association) member appreciation day. All that means is that we get free food, get to meet James Blake (possibly) and take a picture with the US Open trophies.

On this day, we ran into more tennis celebs. Bud Collins and Donald Young were most notable. Bud was the most fun, and of course, he was dressed in his crazy colors. He was recently let go from NBC Sports and a few days later, ESPN signed him to a contract. Congratulations Bud, and good hire by ESPN.

There was a ton of tennis to see today, with another full day ahead of us. We got thrown off a few times when high seeded players, such as Novak Djokovic, went to 5 sets in his match versus Radek Stepanek. We left his match after the first set, went to support Peng Shuai at her doubles match against Hingis/Hantuchova. Peng Shuai is being coached by Michael this summer. After her match was done, we learned that the Djokovic match was still going! We raced back to catch the last two sets and at the end, Djokovic emerged the winner, in a match that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes! That's longer than Miko's marathons!

-Landon

US Open - August 30

This is our first day at the US Open. A first for both of us, since we have never been to this event. I have to say it has always been a dream for me to be here. Growing up playing tennis, in Hawaii, which seemed so far away, there was always 2 weeks of great tennis in New York every August/September. Now finally, thanks to one of our great friends, Michael, we can say that we have been to the US Open.

Here is how day one began. We jumped on the subway from Columbus Circle, paid $2, and rode all the way out to Flushing, which is east of Manhattan, through Queens. BART should learn from NYC's MTA. $2 anywhere on the subway! No matter how far.

Enough about my wishes for public transit...we got off the station at Shea Stadium/Flushing and you get off the subway and you are literally in between Shea Stadium, to your left and the USTA tennis center on your right. You walk down a wooden boardwalk and can see Arthur Ashe Stadium to your right, getting bigger and bigger. It is hard to imagine that they constructed a stadium so large, just for tennis. It is fabulous.

All tickets to the US Open get you on the "grounds". This means that you can watch all matches except for those on Ashe Stadium, which have specific tickets for specific matches. (i.e. August 30 - day session, match 3) I would have been so thrilled to just walked the grounds. Any tennis fan could spend all day there. In the first week, there are matches going on throughout the day, on every court. You literally have to scan the schedule each day and decide which matches you want to see. We had fun trying to time each match.

-Landon

The sickness is gone! Praise God. I thought I was going to pass out at more than one time last week. Truth be told, I had one of my best runs ever last Saturday. 22 miles. Solid. Felt great when I finished. Hadn’t eaten much that week but somehow managed to pull it off. Who knows? If you ask my dad he’ll say that’s true to Miko-form, for I never played basketball or volleyball any better than those days I was ill. So he says.

We’re due to depart for NYC in 2 days. Very excited, but I am certain that Landon is more excited. This is the trip he has been waiting for: the US Open! Mucho tennis…autographs….great pic ops…what could be better? When we first started dating, I had little knowledge of tennis, but I can now say that I do not mind sitting down and watching a match on TV with him. I’ve even gone to a couple of smaller events with him and have taken lessons myself. I have great respect for this sport, and in my opinion, it’s not as easy as it looks. There’s so much to remember when you play that I can hardly keep track. But I give it my best shot when I’m out there playing with him. He makes it look easy. And, he keeps his mouth shut when the majority of my returns are either over his head or into the net. Yes, a great husband. Sure he can take me on the tennis court, but I can out-swim, bike, or run him any day. =0) So we’ll hit up the US Open, and play around in NYC for a couple of days, then hit up Jersey and Philly. Landon already has the food places mapped out. I think we’d need a whole month in NY to make it to all the food places on that list. Good thing we have fam and friends who are NYC-savvy. I am so a West Coast girl. I am pretty excited about the Broadway shows. I have only seen Phantom and Mamma Mia in my lifetime, and I think we might be able to squeeze in 3 shows, if we can.

Stay tuned for pix and a NYC update.

Au revoir,
-e.m.y

sickness....yes, still

It is Friday. Typically, I love Fridays. Fridays are the end to my workweek. Fridays are my 1 day off from training. Friday nights are my nights with hubby. However, this Friday = not so great. Still sick to my stomach, and have no idea why. Stinks to be in this condition because if I can't eat anything, how can I last for a training session? I'm still going to go out tomorrow morning and attempt to go for as far as I can, but marathon training just can't happen without food and drink, 2 things I'm not fond of at this point in time. Well, except water and Gatorade that is, 2 of my best friends lately. We'll see how the weekend goes, and hopefully by the start of next week, I will be in much better shape.

In other news, the Yoshidas are headed to the Big Apple next week. Landon is finally getting his chance to see the US Open and he is THRILLED. It will be hotter than hot out there, but that's OK. We'll survive. We'll be in Manhattan for a few days, then in Jersey with my cousin for a couple more, then in Philly with good friends. What does Landon plan to do? Eat, eat, and eat some more. Already has places lined up...plenty of recommendations from friends. What does Miko plan to do? Find some great places to run. Oh, and sleep. Hopefully this tummy illness will be gone by the time we leave. I have a tendency to get ill when I travel, in general, so let's just say I'm praying hard for a good trip.

Hope you all are doing well. Happy Friday!

Adios -
e.m.y

sickness...continued

Why is it that my stomach acts up whenever I am stressed? Over the last year or two, whenever something major is on my mind, I know the stomach is going to feel the effects. This STINKS. When I can't eat, and can't drink, I can't work out. No energy. Crap. I am training for a marathon here people, I need to eat. And it's not like I'm not hungry. The stomach growls, but then doesn't like anything I put in it. Crap.

We are headed to Japanese food tonight to celebrate Landon's birthday, yet again. Why does he get a birthday that lasts 6 days long and mine only lasts 1? It is apparently a killer tapas-style place, but with authentic Japanese food...let's hope they have some udon or ramen that I can dig into tonight.

adios.
e.m.y

enferma...

So, the party was a hit. Muchas personas en la casa, but let me tell you, it was more obvious than ever, at about 3am on Sunday morning, that I cannot drink the way I used to. Having been a bartender, and having bartended many times three sheets to the wind, I could knock down a few before even taking 1 step towards the happy place...but now? 3 Jagerbombs, 2 cran-vodkas, 2 red-bull vodkas, and 1 rum & coke = SICKNESS. Major sickness. As in, we crashed our hung-over selves at the beach all Sunday afternoon just to sleep it off, and give Nalu some beach-time in good old HB. Plenty people there...it was crazy just finding parking...but after all that Nalu didn't really seem that into the beach. He grabbed a spot right next to me and promptly passed out himself. I suspect that's because he himself had a few jello-shots and red-bull vokdas, apparently, which my friends only told me after I had sobered up and was wondering why the dog wasn't waking up....

I think Landon had at least 10 beers and wasn't fazed. He even had 2 Jager-bombs too...still not fazed. He was laughing at me all night. I knew he wasn't even close to being hammered if he could sit there and laugh at me.

No more drinking. For a while, that is.

Off to rest. Oh, got some sort of food poisoning also. GI sickness + liver sickness = NO FUN.

e.m.y

Landon is 29!

Friday! Hooray! Landon turned 29 yesterday. It’s so interesting how different birthdays are for me versus him. Me, I’m usually pretty excited about birthdays. My family made every single birthday special for me, and did so for each of us daughters, which made for some wonderful memories that I will always cherish. Thus, I’ve taken those special Kamei traditions into the Yoshida fam. Yet lately, though, these last few birthdays haven’t been that fantastic because the number just keeps climbing and wouldn’t you know it, I’m about to hit 30 in, oh, 7 months. My plan for birthday #30 is to run and hide so I don’t have to face it. Maybe Landon will take me on a destination vacation. Actually, the plan was to do an Ironman, so I guess, with the hours I would be putting in for that event, I wouldn’t have much time to think about being 30, would I? Sigh…..

Anyways, back to Landon. Turns out, that on all the days for this to happen, he got called to jury duty yesterday. So he spent 8 hours of his birthday in a courtroom in Newport Beach. Luckily he had his portable DVD player and laptop, but still, come on. So for his birthday and brace yourselves here, because I am being totally honest, I made dinner. And did my hair. Seriously. No joke. If any of you reading this REALLY know me, you know those 2 are very, very rare in my life. Landon is the cook and putting hair into a ponytail is the way I wear my hair 99% of the time. But this was a special day. I even have a photo to prove that I did my hair. (see above). For his birthday I also framed one of our favorite pix (also above) and caved and bought him a video game. He hasn’t played video games since before we married, but the recent move of 2 very good friends, back down to the OC has brought about a renewed passion for video games. Unfortunately. He has been renting this MLB 2007 game from Blockbuster and has played it every single night, until the wee hours of the morning…but it appears to be a great stress relief for him, and since the stress level in his life has been very high lately, I had to get it.

So the birthday is actually continuing into the weekend, as we will be hosting a big shindig at the Yoshida pad tomorrow night to celebrate Landon’s big 2-9. There will be much food and drink at this shindig. It will be a good night for all, and we may possibly have to break out the aero beds, sleeping bags, and pillows, depending on how fun it gets. I may need all of Sunday to recover, so until then, adios.

-e.m.y

Hawaiian Food

So for my birthday, my sisters-in-law, Erin and Emi ordered me a luau in a box from Zippys! Lau Lau, Kalua Pork, Poke, and even Poi! It arrived on Friday, and was a welcome surprise after a day at jury duty. Since Miko does not enjoy lau lau and poi, I called in reinforcements, Henry to the rescue! It was Henry's first time trying poi, and he's hooked! Thanks again Er and Emi!

-Landon

Birthday

Special thanks to my wonderful wife Miko who organized a great birthday party. I am not one for birthday celebrations, since after 21 the numbers didn't seem to matter much. She always makes sure to make me feel special though. She is the best wife ever.

Don't forget my sister-in-law Emi too! She made some wonderful dishes that day, i wish i took pictures of the food! David kept me company during the day while Miko and Emi went out to shop for party items. We watched movies and talked about his film script that he is marketing right now. Good luck David, I know you will succeed.

Thanks to all who came over to our home and celebrated my birthday. There was a Ben Chong sighting! JT and Shireen, I wish you could have been in the pic, but we thought you weren't coming! Anyhow, I doubt this photo will make the Punahou Bulletin, but hey, check out some of your favorite alums in the OC! (Alan, Lori, Dave, Garret, Ben, me.)

-Landon

Oh goodness how time flies…and I never even gave my race report!!!! Sheesh.

Anyways, here’s the long and short of it: it was hotter than hot, and I somehow managed to come in 2nd in my age group, and I think, 7th or 8th female overall. Landon missed the finish line shot, so he’s mad about that, but I told him not to worry…there are many other fab pics that he took, which I did send many of you guys. If you do want to see them, email me at miko@cox.net and I will get you the pix.

So Maui came and went….I miss it there, but I’m already on to other fun things. The St George marathon is coming up on October 6. Very excited about it but nervous too. The entire race is downhill and I’ve never run in Utah before. Thankfully my aunt and uncle live there, and it’s only 1.5 hrs from Vegas, so regardless of how the event turns out, I am certain this will be a really fun trip. Nalu is coming along, to meet his cousins TD and Bronte, 2 Bichons. My cousin Bill may also make it out with his dog Stoli, so I guess it will be a full house there. =0)

Also, I entered the Nike Women’s half marathon, and that is scheduled for Sunday October 21. That event looks like it will be GREAT. I am even more excited because I get to spend time at with my parents, time in the city of SF (which I do miss from time to time) and time with many old friends who live in Nor Cal that plan to come out for the event. I am running it with a friend also, so I won’t be alone in the huge crowds of women and men making their way through the city. The entire event benefits LLS so how could I not enter?

The Yoshida fam is now also contemplating whether or not me doing the Ironman is feasible, in the best interest of this family, and in God’s plan for us. Many of you have offered valuable insight into this issue and we can’t thank you enough. We will keep you posted about the decision.

Other than that, the Yoshida fam is just working hard and trying our best to enjoy life. Landon’s got some pressure at work lately, so he’s been a bit stressed but he’s also getting more into his tennis game, which I think is really helping. Nalu is still up to no good at home. Our latest adventure with him involves his insane allergy to who knows what…treatment for which is now costing us way too much. We baby him though, we admit it….for a dog, I admit, he’s got it good.

So that’s about it for now. Check back anytime to see what’s new with the Yoshida fam, and let us know how you all are too!!!

-e.m.y