Worst Day Ever

I was gone for a few days visiting my friend Christa in the nearby city of Marugame this week. When I came home, Bret took me to lunch, waited until we'd been there a few minutes and said, "I have some bad news."

Little Vikram, our precious, albeit at times vicious cat, is missing. He's been gone since before I left and he never stays out this long. As soon as he'd hear our voices in the driveway he'd come running from wherever he was. He doesn't like to be apart from us hardly ever. When he was little he would only go outside if we came too, and as soon as we went back in he'd come with us.

I am so sad.

I hope he comes home. I have had a terrible terrible day. Please don't bring it up if you skype with me, unless you want to watch me blubber and cry.

I hope he comes home soon. I love you, Vikram. Even though your favorite food was my hand. 

Sayanora Season

This time last year we went to a bunch of goodbye parties. This year it's just the one. Pat and Mami, as well as their adorable kids, have made our time in Saijo awesome, and we're sad to see them go. They are moving to Vancouver BC, so we'll see them soon enough! :)

We had a little bonfire last night and Kodera (bottom picture far left) presented Pat with his very own Ipad that everyone chipped in to get him (he loves electronics). He pretty much had the best goodbye parties ever.

Most Afternoons

On many a weekend afternoon, I find myself with nothing to do, waiting for Bret to come home. I've been reading a lot of books, but the last one I finished, I kid you not, literally had an entire passage discussing how sad it is for one to read books in volume and the pain of pitying looks from librarians when you hand back a stack of books after a week. WHATEVER BOOK. I don't need you or your judgement.

Bret told me to study Japanese before he left for work, maybe I'll succumb to that now. 

Autumn and Getting my Nails Done

Teeny tiny works of art good enough for the bottom floor of the Louvre, some would say. My students love them, and they are fun to have. They also last a really long time.

We're Coming Home for Christmas!

Home, sweet home! (I have lost my ability to gauge where commas go...so hopefully that's right)

December 23rd til January 1st! (why? because that's the lowest airfare time frame, that's why! Oh flight websites, the slightest change can cause you to quote the most random prices)

I am really, really, really happy to be going back. Also, tickets to India were twice the price. REALLY happy. I am so excited to see everyone and thrilled that I finally have the time off and the money (not really the money, but oh well) to come home.

It's going to be the epic Christmas of epicness!

Sadly, a few of Bret's close friends will be out of town in this time frame, but that just leaves more time for family and other friends!

Kitchen Adventures

Our friend Caleb works at city hall and every year he makes some food stuffs for Thanksgiving to share with the community. There is a fair and he sets up a stall to talk to people about turkey and pumpkin pie.

This year there will be pumpkin soup, cornbread and two turkeys. People will get samples while they last.

We went to the big kitchen room at the public welfare center in our city. It's an enourmous building that has pretty much everything you need in life. Like the room of requirement in Harry Potter. A couple of days ago we went to go pre-make/test out how things were going to go. I made pumpkin bars from scratch but forgot baking powder at home :(((((((( I thought the eggs would fluff the batter up enough...but alas, I was mistaken. Lessons for next time. 

All Alone

All of our guests have departed, and now it's just me and Bret again. This may not seem significant, but it's literally the first time it's been like this in well over two months. It was difficult the first few days after the house was empty. We had grown accustomed to Luke's presence in particular in the upstairs bedroom. It's strange that it's quiet and there's no one to look in on when we come home.

To fill the void I even volunteered to let some random couple on the train stay out our house. You can imagine their surprise to a random person they were asking for accommodations in the area shrugging and saying, "You can stay with me?" They were on vacation from Tokyo, but originally from Scotland and Denmark. I know nothing about either of those countries, but with Denmark in particular I kept making dim witted comments in an attempt at awkward, post I-invited-you-to-my-house conversation. US PUBLIC EDUCASHUN, Y U NO TEACH ME ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES????

They were good fun though, I hope their trip out here was made a tad more interesting by the loony they met along the way. I've said it before and Ill say it many times again, being in Japan is not making me any more normal. I am getting stranger by the year. I only hope we can make our way back to the US before the awkwardness sets in forever.

In other tentative news. Bret and I are looking at plane tickets back for the Christmas holiday and I am really excited! Dates are December 21-January 4th, so try to make plans to meet up with me so you can observe the socially stunted weirdness that is spending time with me in person for yourself! I want to see everyone!!!!