Red Ghost Music has hired Get a Clue Design to help with their identity and some merch, namely, a t-shirt. Red Ghost describes themselves this way: “Red Ghost Music is a boutique-style, full-service music company. We are extremely selective and, consequently, intensely loyal to the artists we work with. ” Sounds good to us…

Samples below:

Well, it’s late Monday night and we are packing for our early flight Tuesday a.m. Looking forward to seeing everybody and getting home safely. Not really looking forward to 15 + hours of flying, airports, etc. Messes with the noodle that we will leave Japan on Tuesday morning and arrive in the states late Tuesday afternoon…can you say JET LAG? Oof.

Met some really sweet friends at the Kingdom Hall on Sunday (shots below), fun sisters Rie & Reiko with Nana. It was the English speaking congregation in Okinawa, the ONLY one on the island, so they have their hands full with territory, etc. The hall was painted light yellow last visit, now it’s light purple, a very island feel to it!

We have had an amazing time, it was really great to see the comments shared. Here’s some parting shots of beautiful Okinawa…we hope to make it back again one day…Sayonara for now.

-Matt & Nana

For all our beer enthusiasts (you know who you are), here’s a heads up:
Okinawa’s original beer Orion (pronounced O-lee-on), is by far one of the best crisp, clear, mild tasting beers ever. Their simple slogan is: “For Your Happy Time.”
The good news is, you can get it in Hickory, North Carolina!
So, when we return we hope to have a “Japan Experience” with many friends, including beer and other local faves like awamori, Okinawa’s version of moonshine.

Here’s what Orion got to do on vacation:

This was a nice restaurant Miya took us to where you actually cook your own food in the grill smack dab in the middle of your own table. “Yakiniku” style cooking. Orion on draft.

Orion flying on the way to Tokyo.

This was a beer vending machine…on the boat we took to Kume.
Let me repeat: THIS WAS A BEER VENDING MACHINE…ON A BOAT. How can you not love Japan?

Orion got some sun, then went for a refreshing swim.

That’s all the fun for now, it’s off to enjoy our last day in Japan…and some Orion.

Well, we only have two days left here in Japan…we will go to the English speaking congregation’s meeting that Lykins attend today, then just sight see and relax after visiting one more of Nana’s uncle’s here on Okinawa. It feels like we’ve been gone a month, but we look forward to seeing everybody soon.

My goal on this trip was to draw a lot more than life had allowed here lately. I was giving myself the goal of a drawing per day, which in hindsight was pretty ambitious. That goal was tougher than imagined, but I still enjoyed the challenge. It was still nice to just sit and draw, away from the computer and technology for a change, just paper and pencil and imagination. Here’s some drawings that made the cut, hope you enjoy.