Sakamoto Maaya: Follow Me Up (LE) + First Bress/External Bonus (09/30/15)

AFFILIATE, PURCHASED

2015 has been a busy year for Sakamoto Maaya - her 20th anniversary - and between my last Sakamoto-related post and now, she's had 3 new releases, Follow Me Up being the most recent. Released just over a month ago on September 30th, 2015, it's touted as Sakamoto's ninth studio album - yes, not a single collection - though I've seen a lot of split responses towards this album over that fact, amongst others. 

***Fast-forward to 2016.***

Yup, I didn't finish this post the day I started it. Now that so much time has passed since the release of this album, however, I can say that I've formed definite opinions of the album's 15 tracks. Some have become favorites, and others are songs I oftentimes forget exist. I think that's the average outcome for Sakamoto releases - and that's not to say Sakamoto is failing as an artist to me. She's still my favorite singer and I have doubts that that will ever change. I just have so many songs I rotate through on a daily basis, haha - the result is inevitable.

Anyway, I received my limited edition copy of Follow Me Up not even a week after its release in September, as is typical for me, and received (also typical) my copy of the first press/external bonus as well. So if you're curious to see pictures of everything, or simply want to know my thoughts on this 'studio album,' then stay tuned.

The IceBlock [13]: Updates for School, Affiliation, & Future Reviews

Hi all! I hope you're enjoying the weekend. A lot of stuff has happened since my last post, so I thought I'd write up another IceBlock post to cover it all. I'll touch briefly on a few miscellaneous things first.

~ It's been nearly three weeks since my lumpectomy and I feel great. A week before the past Thursday, I had my stitches removed and finished my course of antibiotics. I'm still wearing a more-supportive sports bra (that really does make its appearance in every summer outfit) and the wound is still covered with gauze and waterproof tape (and, I may as well add now, I still haven't looked at the surgical site!), but I feel so much better than before. I can even lay on my opposite side without much pain!

~I start working again this coming Tuesday at my new job, though I have to say I don't know how I feel about it yet. I was ridiculously excited when I was getting trained and finding out more about it, because I was thrilled to have found a job that I thought would pay a lot better than my previous job. But, this past week I was told that I'd be starting at minimum wage - and my heart sunk. I felt disappointed in myself because this was the second job I managed to get and, with my college degree, I was still being offered minimum. They have clarified that minimum wage is only temporary pay during training, but I don't have high hopes about the pay afterwards either. So I'm not sure what to think.

Anyway...onto the main topics of this post.