You just can't make this stuff up!!

ick

Happy Birthday Canada

June has come and gone!

The highlight was my semi-birthday surprise. K organized a great get together at a cabin near the mountains. I was blindfolded and taken to 'the secret place' on a Sunday afternoon. When I got there everyone was waiting. K and Cheeks had been up late and rose early to make huge preparations. There was so much food, including lots of Greek cuisine - my fave. I had friends come from all over the prefecture to celebrate with me. We ate, went for a hike up to Funami castle, played frisbee, ate, sat in the sun, ate. And then after the clean up we went down the road to the onsen and soaked our bones before heading home to bed.

Thanks to everyone who came and a special thanks to Sista K for going over the top to create a happy day for me - right down to the 'Cars' place settings!!

Photos

Go Granny!!

Click here!

30 days

Lots has happened since the last post. I hope to have photos and stories soon!!

The next countdown

54 days left in my shoebox.
It may seem like a lot, but I know it will come before I'm totally ready.
I think this is possibly the longest I've stayed in one place since leaving home after college...4 years exactly.

Happy Birthday Wendi!!

I hope you are getting lots of sleep and lots of cuddle time!

I hate for it to be this way, but I told you so.

This is my number 1 pet peeve in this country: Children don't sit in child seats or even wear seat belts. I've seen children pretty much everywhere in a vehicle but sitting and strapped in. I've seen them standing on the back seat leaning over the driver to see out the window. I've seen them hanging out of side windows. I've seen them on the driver's lap and even standing behind the driver in the driver's seat! And I see it DAILY. I've asked parents that I know why they don't strap their children in. I have been told that in the city it's not mandatory to wear a seat belt in the back seat...so???? They also can't move around when they are strapped in....so???? In a country that is FULL of cars driven bumper to bumper, the last thing I would do is not secure my children in the car for fear of a fender bender.

Perhaps this latest incident will snap some people back to their senses:
4 year old girl dies after being thrown from a car...

Not everything comes in Threes...

...and the ghost in my apartment is still hanging around -hm.

Kurobe Road Race

Thanks for the photo and and encouragement K!!

In dire need of an update

After a Relay Marathon in Kanazawa on the 13th, I packed my bags and headed home for a few days. I danced and made merry with family and friends. I got lots'o'lovin from Shea, my perfect nephew. And I totally avoided jet lag!! Yahoo. I got home on the 23rd, went to work for a couple of days, and then ran 10k in the Jimmy Carter Road Race on Sunday! The road race was really fun, except for the running part! My new motto is "What was I thinking??".

I'm back into the swing of things and the rainy season is just around the corner. Yuck.

I have a small request if you're reading this: I need more stickers!! Yes they have stickers in this country, but they're just not as cool as the ones from home and they don't come in bulk! Anything and everything -sports, music, English...

here's the address:

Linea
H-22 Sun Heights Nyuzen
Aoki 2519-6
Nyuzen
Shimoniikawa
Toyama
Japan 939-0643

Partying with the Grandparents


Partying with the Boyz


The big Boyz


A Scandinavian Wedding Cake


Me and Shea


Snow in May?


The Groom and Shea

Whirlwind Trip

I'm back from my 3 day trip home (6 if you include travel time). My computer is dying a slow death so I will post photos if and when I can.

All I have to say is my family is wonderful and my nephew is perfect in every way!

Here he is!

Happy Mother's Day

It's a BOY!

Congratulations to my brother and his wife on the birth of their first baby boy.
Can't wait to see the new addition while I'm home next week.
Photos to come!!!

This is the country I live in...

Picture Of The Day
A model shows Triumph's new "Voter Turnout Lift-Up Bra" in Tokyo on Wednesday. The lingerie manufacturer introduced the ballot box-shaped bra to "lift the interest of Japanese people in elections and politics," it said in a statement. The characters read "ballot box."
(Japan Today)

Colare Flea Market

I'm afraid to upload photos on my laptop at the moment for fear of it crashing -so please go to Sista K's blog to see what we got up to yesterday.

Thanks K for a great post- and a great day!

K's BLOG

Firefly squid, a once in a lifetime thing -kinda like Mt. Fuji

Sounded fun at the time, but getting up at 1:30 is not something I'd make a habit of. On Tuesday K, Johnny, Chika and I packed in the Chika's car and drove to Namerikawa to catch a glimpse at the firefly squid that come to the surface to lay their eggs at this time of year. We boarded a boat that took us out to where the fisherman were taking in their catch and watched as they pulled in thousands of glowing squid about the size of a man's thumb. It was fun, but I would have rather been in bed...

Early birds.


See the blue glow? No?


Too early for breakfast!!