I am super-cool!

Or not. Well, to give you an exciting foray into "the world of deebo," here's a summary of my last few days. Before that...well you''ll just have to exist in ignorance ;-)

Last Wed: Lily was keeping me up all night, every night, so after a few moments of panic ("she's going to die!") I realized she was just...well, to put it nicely, fiending for some altercations with the opposite sex. So, although I hated to make Lily an "It," that's exactly what she is now. Yes, Lily is nicely neutered and sweet and loveable and quiet again. No more hormonal inbalances. Tomomi was wonderful enough to take me to the veterinarian and translate for me, and I in turn made her all-American mashed potatoes (something of a specialty lately).

Saturday: Abi and I went to Cafe Tetto, this lovely little cafe in Shibukawa (about a half hour from my house) that serves this wonderful dish called honey toast - toast laden with butter and honey and OH SO BAD FOR YOU (of course I love it). Turns out Cafe Tetto is closing - I was so sad, it is probably my favorite restaurant in Japan - so relaxing and the waitress was so sweet. And no more honey toast :-( Oh well. Then Abi slept over, and we watched an Affair to Remember and were both exhausted at - please kill me now - 10:30. I am officially an old obachan!

Tuesday: I got a second job! A job! That pays real money! I will literally have to go to a school and read out of a textbook - amazingly boring stuff - but I will be making 2500 yen per hour - can't go wrong with that. Now I will have enough money to pay back my credit card debt, pricate loan, and my parents. So that was great. To celebrate, I went out to dinner with Gemma, Hayley and Theresa at the Chinese restaurant right near my house - we had an all inclusive menu, 1000 yen per person and the plates just kept coming and coming - fried rice, dumplings, these little green bean-like veggies that tasted like asparagus, and of course my favorite - Chinese pudding (if you haven't had it, go somewhere where you can - it's delicious)! I thank god for that lovely little restaurant, working every day to keep me satisfied (and chubby)

Wednesday: So today I began my regiment of French studying. As most of you know, I need to become an upper-intermediate French reader and writer in the next six months, so for the last week I have preparing and reviewing. Today I began on present verbs, and memorized at least 150. It's funny how much I actually remember from high school - I can read French 4 level texts easily, and I haven't even looked at French in about six years. I have also been walking 45 minutes outside every day - going to the gym is too expensive here (plus there is just no time with my new job) so I am taking advantage of my free school time to work out here.

Ok, enough of that. Talk to you all soon. Miss you!

Free at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm done! No more grad school applications! Free at last, free at last, thank god almighty I'm free at last!

Anyway...back to good old Nihon-land, where the sun is shining but the wind is coooold. I've actually been pretty busy the last couple of days fixing up my house and seeing some friends. Last night I made Kate and Ossian (my Brit friends) an all-American meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus, salad, and fruit cup (all homemade!). I am no extraordinary cook, but it was delicious if I may say so myself. I have a new favorite TV show (Strangers with Candy is enough to make me cheat on Gary with Stephen Colbert) and finally, for the first time in months, no applications hanging over my head. Life is good.

Except for Lily. People, I may not have a baby - but now I know what it is like to have a whining, crying, screaming baby in the house keeping you up all night no matter what you do to it. I petted her, I fed her, I cuddled with her, I played with her, I gave her fresh water, and she STILL would not shut up. I got about two hours of sleep last night, and the night before that I got about six hours of sleep. So yeah, she's not on my bright side right now. Anyone want a cat?

I'm back!

For those of you who have come to expect clever (always), witty (of course), and obnoxious (not ironic) blog entries from me, this won't be one of them. I'm preempting all the criticism I know I will get: "this is mushy," "this is stupid," even "you're going soft." I am mushy, I am (often) stupid, and I certainly am soft. So quit your complaining and go find something better to do, like throwing bricks at cars or eating melted ice cream.

The last three weeks have been, in a word, amazing. It was wonderful to see my parents, even though they were getting on my last teeny tiny nerve for a while, and I just hope that their upcoming months in Florida will bring the relaxation, good health and happiness that Utica just can't provide. I saw my mean old grandma, and she was just as fun and crotchety as usual - the best Reel Clues teammate a girl could have! I saw Kathy, who is going to Pakistan - can you believe it! - in just a few days for a five month relief contract. I saw Colleen and her new love; I saw Jenny and Christian, who were getting ready to leave the bitter cold Northeast for the mild weather of Orlando - I'll miss that girl more than I miss wheat bread (and I miss wheat bread a lot!).

Because I was only home for such a short time, though, I didn't get to see so many people who I wanted to see - Matt; Beth; my Queens girrrrrrls (Rachel and Lisa!) and my NYC bachelor (Terrence); my Binghamton alumns, Jeff and Amha and Ron and the whole crew; and most unfortunate of all, even though I got to see Nini for a night, we really didn't get any time alone. I felt very pressed for time, and I was so sad that I didn't get to see everyone. Between going to NJ and going to Utica and going to Niagara on the Lake, I was running here and there and everywhere. But only six more months, and I am getting out to see everyone - I promise!

As for Gary...I can only say this. You are the perfect man for me, in every way, and I know I'm the perfect girl for you. You challenge and inspire me, you make me melt with just the turn of your face, you hold me when I am afraid and listen when I need to talk. Your idealism and passion and dedication to teaching have rejuvenated me in the last few weeks. Baby, love is such a small word compared to what I feel for you. I can't wait until we are together again - only seven more weeks!