Vessel Log: 2009 10 03

: karaoke at the bar; a group of guys drunk and sing a long with us; arms around shoulders; a man’s shirt I read out loud, poking him in the chest; Spotlight, Crazy For You, Dreams, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around, (You Had A) Bad Day chosen for us; walking home, feet dragging; stop at 7-11 for onigiri, melon bread, and instant coffee.

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: a little too much everything last night; if I never eat another melon bread; need protein; may have to cancel the baseball game; a smile can help aid the eradication of a hangover (and three month old Aquarius); Storms and Gypsy loud followed by Seven Wonders and Little Lies; want a tofu burger at Freshness Burger; the train ride a typical standing affair; 2009 playlist mix; at HMV examine the differences between Madonna’s Celebration album and try to recall the iTunes deluxe version; sweatshirts decorated in birds and beads; with an iced coffee walk to Tanukikouji to search for Freshness Burger; the blocks look so much the same; Yamazaki Hako; it’s open 24 hours; the girl behind the burger counter has a half-shaved head, nose and lip ring, and no eyebrows; walk back to the station, the setting sun burning to my left; back at HMV and buy the Japanese version of Celebration; meet J., L., and A. outside the Gap before heading into the basement for the subway; meet E. at the end of the line; Sapporo Dome in dusk merges with the sky except for a thin line of reflecting sun light; like a landed UFO; the crowds move like water, up steps, across the walk-above-the-streets and filtered into the stadium; the game starts without warning; the visiting team’s fans are loud, compacted into one section of seats; different chants for every player; the fans are quiet, pinned on hats and lanyards, gray Mohawks with headband ears; boys and girls carrying barrels of beer on their backs hike and up and down the steps; the hunt for a pair of those ears and Mohawk; cheap meal; cell phone charm and two noise-bats; foul balls, “In the face!”; heavy flow of the crowd from the stadium to Fukuzumi Station; L. and I get separated from J., A., and E.; I get off at Hosui Susukino Station; a cotton candy vendor sees my baseball bat noise makers; “Fighters! Fighters!” he yells. “Did they win?” Yes, 11 to 1; Hearty Café is busier than last week; I sit by S.; purchase my first bar bottle of souchu; I share a drink with him; write my name in fluorescent pink marker; talk with the other bartenders, S. and the husky one; when I get up to leave S. says he’s happy I came and would like to drink together again; me, too.