Saturday - Warm, with a bit of snow. Clear and beautiful at night.
Kind of a crap day if I’m honest.
I woke up late, mostly because I stayed up late again. F was gone so I thought I’d work on my column. Of course he came back 10 minutes later, put on the TV very noisily and proceeded to explain all about the TV show. Did I care? That wasn’t important.
We went out for lunch to Cocos and had an okay time. I tried to get some sense of what he wanted to do for the rest of the day, while explaining that I had a deadline and I was nearly done, but needed time to work on my project. It went in one ear and out the other. As usual. He was all for going to the shrine at midnight with me. I thought it would be nice, if the weather held.
We went home and this time he put on boxing and proceeded to explain all about the noisy fights, despite my not asking or caring. I finally had to ask him to stop as I wasn’t interested and was still trying to work. At last I got my column done, proofed and mailed off. Yay.
Then he wanted to go out to eat. What? Didn’t he realise that it is New Year’s Eve and most places would be closed? He didn’t care. So out we went. He wanted to go to a fish restaurant first. It was open, surprisingly, but closed in 10 minutes. We ended up going to a yakiniku place and having quite a good meal. We left and they turned off their lights. Happily, we weren’t the last people there for a change though.
We came home and what should be put on our TV? Oh yes, Ultimate Fighting. This was on our New Years Eve together. I muttered under my breath a lot and put on my earphones and listened to P!nk for a while. It was cathartic.
Close to midnight I closed down my computer and made ready to go to the shrine with my husband. Except he wasn’t ready. And wouldn’t be ready for an unknown amount of time. The fights weren’t done. I went into our bedroom, fully dressed for going outside, except for boots and had a lie down on the bed. It didn’t help. I started muttering a bit too loudly I suppose about fighting shows and how it was only men who liked to look at other men half naked that watched it and had the bedroom door closed on me. That did it. I took it for a couple of minutes until I realised that it must be the new year by now, came out, wished him a happy new year and left the apartment. I went for a walk. I didn’t go to the Shrine, I couldn’t be bothered. It’s something I had wanted to do with him, but it became rather pointless. It’s a little ironic, when he asked me to wait he said that he wanted to be with me. Actually, I think he’d rather be with the halfwits on the TV who were beating each other senseless.
Anyway, when I came back I was given the silent treatment. Hurray for that.
We are supposed to go away for a couple of days tomorrow, but I don’t really want to go anymore. I’m not interested in spending time in another city with him.
Happy New Year, eh? Last year I was at a party in Canada eating great food and meeting new people. Today I’m stuck in a pokey J-apartment with a morose, whiny man. I’m so lucky.
And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Happy New Year…this is such a horrible time of the year to be in Japan when you’re a foreign wife. I should just get drunk, but I don’t drink. Sigh.
Gotta go. Just remember if I don’t post I probably did go away with him…so don’t miss me too much. Night.
Showing posts with label December 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label December 2011. Show all posts
December 30, 2011
Friday - Cold and snowy
If I’m not concentrating on what I’m writing at the moment, it’s because I’m watching Love, Actually and it is 3:30 in the morning. I love this film!
Anyway, slept in a bit this morning and then got up. F was watching an old Japanese movie that wasn’t annoying, so I let him watch it all! It’s just that a lot of recent movies have such terrible overacting that it makes me annoyed.
We had lunch at Jiro and then came home again. I worked on my next column for a bit, and also watched a bit of TV.
We went out for dinner and tried to go for yakitori, but the place was closed so we went somewhere else. We ended up at an izakaya (Oh gosh…Colin Firth just made the sweetest little speech to the Portuguese girl….tears are streaming down my face….) Now it’s the end credits…I love this damn movie!
We bought a few groceries after dinner, but I really couldn’t get F to make any sense. I told him, and have told him a few times that Christmas food was my worry, New Year’s is his. We’ll likely be eating kitchen scraps knowing him. Or soba till I can’t take it any more!
Anyway, I worked more on my column. I’m not done yet, but I’m more than half done I think. Hurray for that. We watched a few movies this evening too. We watched Amelie and a couple of other films which I can’t remember at this moment. F went to bed just as this was starting. I was surprised that it was after midnight.
Now I’m about up to date. I think this New Year Holiday is going to be like all the holidays I have with my husband…a bit of a waste of time. He makes no plans at all and expects me to do all of the planning. I however have no idea how he wants to spend the holiday and he also has family obligations that he doesn’t tell me about. Grr. Oh well. No big deal really. I don’t mind staying home that much. I’d rather stay home than have a bad time somewhere else.
That’s it for me for tonight. I’ll most likely post tomorrow night. Have a good night!
If I’m not concentrating on what I’m writing at the moment, it’s because I’m watching Love, Actually and it is 3:30 in the morning. I love this film!
Anyway, slept in a bit this morning and then got up. F was watching an old Japanese movie that wasn’t annoying, so I let him watch it all! It’s just that a lot of recent movies have such terrible overacting that it makes me annoyed.
We had lunch at Jiro and then came home again. I worked on my next column for a bit, and also watched a bit of TV.
We went out for dinner and tried to go for yakitori, but the place was closed so we went somewhere else. We ended up at an izakaya (Oh gosh…Colin Firth just made the sweetest little speech to the Portuguese girl….tears are streaming down my face….) Now it’s the end credits…I love this damn movie!
We bought a few groceries after dinner, but I really couldn’t get F to make any sense. I told him, and have told him a few times that Christmas food was my worry, New Year’s is his. We’ll likely be eating kitchen scraps knowing him. Or soba till I can’t take it any more!
Anyway, I worked more on my column. I’m not done yet, but I’m more than half done I think. Hurray for that. We watched a few movies this evening too. We watched Amelie and a couple of other films which I can’t remember at this moment. F went to bed just as this was starting. I was surprised that it was after midnight.
Now I’m about up to date. I think this New Year Holiday is going to be like all the holidays I have with my husband…a bit of a waste of time. He makes no plans at all and expects me to do all of the planning. I however have no idea how he wants to spend the holiday and he also has family obligations that he doesn’t tell me about. Grr. Oh well. No big deal really. I don’t mind staying home that much. I’d rather stay home than have a bad time somewhere else.
That’s it for me for tonight. I’ll most likely post tomorrow night. Have a good night!
December 29, 2011
Thursday - Cold, rainy and snowy.
A busy but good day.
I got up a little later than usual, but earlier than I would on a Sunday. We chatted for a while and then took another nap. Gotta love days when we can do that!
In the afternoon we went out for lunch. F chose the restaurant, so we had soba and tempura. It wasn’t bad. We were the last people in the restaurant when we left!
After lunch, we did a little shopping and then F drove me over to my school. He brought our stepladder into the school for me and then left.
I had a busy afternoon and evening. I took down the curtains, washed them and rehung them, took down all the Christmas decorations and cleaned the water pot. Yay! I was busy.
I finally called F and asked him to pick me up and help me take the lampshade in the middle of the room. He did, bless him, and then we went out for dinner.
Tonight we had sushi, but not at our usual haunts, we went to the more expensive place. We were seated fairly quickly and had a few plates of sushi. It was quite good, but I missed some of my usual ones from the other places.
We came home and had a quiet evening. I watched my Thursday night shows, laughed my head off at Episodes and enjoyed ER a lot. Kind of a flashback to see all the actors again when they were so young.
That was my day. I’m glad that I was able to get over to the school to do the cleaning. I keep it pretty tidy, but it’s hard to find the time to do things like curtains or the water pot.
Anyway, today was good. I hope that tomorrow will be good as well. Got to go. Night.
A busy but good day.
I got up a little later than usual, but earlier than I would on a Sunday. We chatted for a while and then took another nap. Gotta love days when we can do that!
In the afternoon we went out for lunch. F chose the restaurant, so we had soba and tempura. It wasn’t bad. We were the last people in the restaurant when we left!
After lunch, we did a little shopping and then F drove me over to my school. He brought our stepladder into the school for me and then left.
I had a busy afternoon and evening. I took down the curtains, washed them and rehung them, took down all the Christmas decorations and cleaned the water pot. Yay! I was busy.
I finally called F and asked him to pick me up and help me take the lampshade in the middle of the room. He did, bless him, and then we went out for dinner.
Tonight we had sushi, but not at our usual haunts, we went to the more expensive place. We were seated fairly quickly and had a few plates of sushi. It was quite good, but I missed some of my usual ones from the other places.
We came home and had a quiet evening. I watched my Thursday night shows, laughed my head off at Episodes and enjoyed ER a lot. Kind of a flashback to see all the actors again when they were so young.
That was my day. I’m glad that I was able to get over to the school to do the cleaning. I keep it pretty tidy, but it’s hard to find the time to do things like curtains or the water pot.
Anyway, today was good. I hope that tomorrow will be good as well. Got to go. Night.
December 28, 2011
Wednesday - Clear and sunny.
A mostly good day.
I had a quiet day at home today. I watched parts of a couple of movies on WOWOW today, How to Train Your Dragon and The Sorceror’s Apprentice. They were quite amusing.
After F came home we watched the end of Percy Jackson and then left the apartment. We went to the local theatre and bought our tickets, then had dinner at the restaurant. Tonight we went to see Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and we both thought it was a lot of fun. The effects were great, and the story worked quite well too. It was much more enjoyable than M:I 2 which was on TV the other night.
When we left the theatre we went to the grocery store and got a few things for the next couple of days. We’ll probably have to go back. I’m sure I won’t be wanting to eat F’s food.
We came home and F watched a bit of TV before just up and going to bed. He’s off work for the next few days and I’m a tad worried about it. Tomorrow I might go to my school and do a bit of cleaning and maintenance on the place, or not. I’m not sure yet.
So, that’s it for me for tonight. Night!
A mostly good day.
I had a quiet day at home today. I watched parts of a couple of movies on WOWOW today, How to Train Your Dragon and The Sorceror’s Apprentice. They were quite amusing.
After F came home we watched the end of Percy Jackson and then left the apartment. We went to the local theatre and bought our tickets, then had dinner at the restaurant. Tonight we went to see Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and we both thought it was a lot of fun. The effects were great, and the story worked quite well too. It was much more enjoyable than M:I 2 which was on TV the other night.
When we left the theatre we went to the grocery store and got a few things for the next couple of days. We’ll probably have to go back. I’m sure I won’t be wanting to eat F’s food.
We came home and F watched a bit of TV before just up and going to bed. He’s off work for the next few days and I’m a tad worried about it. Tomorrow I might go to my school and do a bit of cleaning and maintenance on the place, or not. I’m not sure yet.
So, that’s it for me for tonight. Night!
December 27, 2011
Tuesday - Cold and snowy, with hail
A good day. I got up fairly easily this morning and had a quiet morning at home. I read the newspapers for the last couple of days and decided what to do about dinner.
In the afternoon, while the sun was still out I went outside and shovelled a bit of snow. I cleared a path to the apartment building’s door, and also most of our parking space. Unfortunately, the hail came up twice while I was doing that, so when I left, the parking space was covered over again. Argh!
I came in and started on dinner right away. I peeled the leftover potatoes and made some soup base. I got everything in the pan and then started to prep other things for dinner. I had the table mostly set and was waiting for F to call me when he came home. Sigh. I think he’d taken time off to go to the doctor.
Since he was home, I finished up the soup and then invited him over for dinner. I very, very rarely have things waiting for him when he comes home. I just don’t like to eat so early anymore.
We had really yummy potato soup, plus salad and leftover chicken. I’d also put out a cheese and cracker plate so we had a few with our dinner. After we’d finished, F did the dishes.
He was in a quiet mood tonight and watched a bunch of things on the TV. It wasn’t as annoying as usual, but we could have been watching a movie or something so a tad mean on his part. Later on I took over the TV and watched the last episode of the Criminal Minds offshoot. They left it on quite a cliffhanger.
Anyway, F was off to bed fairly early for him. He’s tired from all the snow shovelling he has to do at work. I’m up too late again. But, now that I’ve blogged I can perhaps go to bed early? Night!
A good day. I got up fairly easily this morning and had a quiet morning at home. I read the newspapers for the last couple of days and decided what to do about dinner.
In the afternoon, while the sun was still out I went outside and shovelled a bit of snow. I cleared a path to the apartment building’s door, and also most of our parking space. Unfortunately, the hail came up twice while I was doing that, so when I left, the parking space was covered over again. Argh!
I came in and started on dinner right away. I peeled the leftover potatoes and made some soup base. I got everything in the pan and then started to prep other things for dinner. I had the table mostly set and was waiting for F to call me when he came home. Sigh. I think he’d taken time off to go to the doctor.
Since he was home, I finished up the soup and then invited him over for dinner. I very, very rarely have things waiting for him when he comes home. I just don’t like to eat so early anymore.
We had really yummy potato soup, plus salad and leftover chicken. I’d also put out a cheese and cracker plate so we had a few with our dinner. After we’d finished, F did the dishes.
He was in a quiet mood tonight and watched a bunch of things on the TV. It wasn’t as annoying as usual, but we could have been watching a movie or something so a tad mean on his part. Later on I took over the TV and watched the last episode of the Criminal Minds offshoot. They left it on quite a cliffhanger.
Anyway, F was off to bed fairly early for him. He’s tired from all the snow shovelling he has to do at work. I’m up too late again. But, now that I’ve blogged I can perhaps go to bed early? Night!
Postcrossing Cards - Incoming
December 27, 2011
I had a great couple of weeks for receiving cards, but sadly, not one for sending cards. I've had a card expire, and a couple where the receiver hasn't been on line for an extended period of time. I hope people head home soon and check their mail.
The first card makes me swoon with envy! I don't have a decent bookshelf, and I'd really love one like this. This card came from Germany and Shelli also loves books.
This card is quite popular at Postcrossing.
This card comes from the USA of course, and is from Terra. She lives in the vicinity of Saint Louis. This card shows the outside of the Busch Stadium, home to the Saint Louis Cardinals. I'm not a baseball fan, but I had just seen Moneyball at the theatre so it was quite nice to get this card.
Thanks Terra!
Reni in China sent me this pretty little card, along with the name of her favourite movie, Flipped. I haven't seen it, but she says it makes her cry heavily. She also wished me Merry Christmas, which was a nice sentiment.
This last card arrived on Christmas Day. It comes all the way from Russia. The sender says that she bought this card at a monastery on the island of Patmos, Altai, Russia. She wrote "Happy Holidays" in her native language, but I'm afraid I can't write it up for you!
She also put some gorgeous stamps on the back. These are beautiful.
Thanks for reading. I wonder if I'll get any new cards before the New Year?
I had a great couple of weeks for receiving cards, but sadly, not one for sending cards. I've had a card expire, and a couple where the receiver hasn't been on line for an extended period of time. I hope people head home soon and check their mail.
The first card makes me swoon with envy! I don't have a decent bookshelf, and I'd really love one like this. This card came from Germany and Shelli also loves books.
This card comes from the USA of course, and is from Terra. She lives in the vicinity of Saint Louis. This card shows the outside of the Busch Stadium, home to the Saint Louis Cardinals. I'm not a baseball fan, but I had just seen Moneyball at the theatre so it was quite nice to get this card.
Reni in China sent me this pretty little card, along with the name of her favourite movie, Flipped. I haven't seen it, but she says it makes her cry heavily. She also wished me Merry Christmas, which was a nice sentiment.
This last card arrived on Christmas Day. It comes all the way from Russia. The sender says that she bought this card at a monastery on the island of Patmos, Altai, Russia. She wrote "Happy Holidays" in her native language, but I'm afraid I can't write it up for you!
Thanks for reading. I wonder if I'll get any new cards before the New Year?
December 26, 2011
Monday - Cold and snowy.
An okay day. I went to bed a tad late last night and barely managed to get up this morning. Still, I did and spent a bit of time on my computer. After a while I showered, dressed and that kind of thing.
I had a busyish around the apartment day. I did a bit of laundry, I went out and shovelled some snow in the parking lot and even vacuumed a bit. Yay for me.
When F came home I gave him the choice of either leftovers or going out for dinner. He chose going out and even chose the place to go. We saw a new place for us on Christmas Eve and he wanted to try it. It is a kind of noodle place…they have pasta and also yakiudon. F had the later, covered in lots of stuff and it looked good. I had carbonara, but next time I might have the yakiudon too. We shared an order of gyoza too. Our meals came with soup and salad too and the price was quite reasonable. It did get a bit cold though. At one point I put my coat back on over my shoulders and even F did too. The waitress noticed and brought us lap blankets and turned up the heating. A nice place and we’ll likely go again.
We bought a few groceries afterwards. I think we’ll try eating at home tomorrow night. It should be fine though. I’m rather looking forward to it to be honest.
At home F watched Ultimate fighting crap and I watched something on my computer. At 11 I put on the Anna Travis show…not sure what the real name is. It’s a Lydia LaPlante police drama with Ciarán Hinds….oh a couple of minutes at IMDb tells me that it is Above Suspicion: Deadly Intent. It was okay, but not great.
Anyway, that’s about it for me. Nothing too exciting today, but that’s really fine. Got to go. Night!
An okay day. I went to bed a tad late last night and barely managed to get up this morning. Still, I did and spent a bit of time on my computer. After a while I showered, dressed and that kind of thing.
I had a busyish around the apartment day. I did a bit of laundry, I went out and shovelled some snow in the parking lot and even vacuumed a bit. Yay for me.
When F came home I gave him the choice of either leftovers or going out for dinner. He chose going out and even chose the place to go. We saw a new place for us on Christmas Eve and he wanted to try it. It is a kind of noodle place…they have pasta and also yakiudon. F had the later, covered in lots of stuff and it looked good. I had carbonara, but next time I might have the yakiudon too. We shared an order of gyoza too. Our meals came with soup and salad too and the price was quite reasonable. It did get a bit cold though. At one point I put my coat back on over my shoulders and even F did too. The waitress noticed and brought us lap blankets and turned up the heating. A nice place and we’ll likely go again.
We bought a few groceries afterwards. I think we’ll try eating at home tomorrow night. It should be fine though. I’m rather looking forward to it to be honest.
At home F watched Ultimate fighting crap and I watched something on my computer. At 11 I put on the Anna Travis show…not sure what the real name is. It’s a Lydia LaPlante police drama with Ciarán Hinds….oh a couple of minutes at IMDb tells me that it is Above Suspicion: Deadly Intent. It was okay, but not great.
Anyway, that’s about it for me. Nothing too exciting today, but that’s really fine. Got to go. Night!
December 25, 2011
Sunday - Cold and snowy….Merry Christmas!
A really nice day!
Had a good day today. I slept in a bit and then got up and made breakfast for us. Actually though, to do him credit, F was a big help during breakfast making. I got him to do things for me like cook the bacon and cut the crusts off the bread. I made something I saw on Kayotic Kitchen’s site called Eggs, Bacon & Toast Cups. She’d adapted a Martha Stewart recipe. Anyway, we made it and it was good! Not an everyday thing, but for a special occasion a nice treat.
We ate them all up and then set to opening presents. Yay!
We both did very well in the presents department. My sister had sent along a lot of presents to both of us, so F got quite a lot. We both got t-shirts from Las Vegas, and souvenirs from their trip this summer. I got some DVDs and a new purse too, so just what I wanted (and told him to buy!!!) I never did find the shirt I bought F, so that’ll hopefully be found someday. I gave him a car emergency bag filled with things that I hope will be useful if something ever happens. There’s a blanket, some bandages, chocolate, a lantern, work gloves, a couple of toques, alcohol gel, a reflecting band to wear so cars can see you, that kind of thing. He got a Tintin book as well. He seemed happy with it all.
After a bit, F went out to get a haircut. I was going to take a nap, but decided to peel the potatoes for dinner. I did that, and watched some of the new WOWOW shows. When F came back, we went out for a light lunch to Kintaro Sushi. I wasn’t too hungry, so only had a little, but F had quite a bit! We drove around and saw some Christmas lights, then mailed a last minute nengajo. We went to the butcher’s shop and picked up our chicken, then came home.
I kicked dinner into higher gear and cooked the potatoes, got the salad put out, prepped the Yorkshire Pudding and such. I was busy. After a bit, I asked F to make the gravy for me, so he did that. It’s not a tough job, just I had to be 5 different places at once and couldn’t. Finally, everything was ready and we had our meal. The general consensus was that the food was good. I wasn’t happy with the Yorkshire Pudding though. I didn’t preheat the oven enough, so the muffin tins weren’t hot enough when the batter went in. Either that, or the mix was old.
After dinner and dishes, F asked me to go for a drive. We went to Tsuruoka Park, parked the car and went to look at the lights. Unfortunately, we walked over to them and went the long way round. It was cold out and there was about a foot of snow on the ground, so the walking was tough. We took some pictures and I’ll try and post them tomorrow.
We came home and had some tea or coffee and our Christmas Pudding. I didn’t even try to flame it this year. I think the alcohol has probably evaporated from our brandy! It was a nice end to the day. We watched Mission Impossible 2 on the telly and then that was most of our Christmas.
It was really nice this year. Not too super fabulous wonderful, just nice and quiet, the two of us together for most of it. Yay!
That’s about it for me. Oh, one more thing if you’ve made it this far. I’ve received a couple of nasty comments on my blog. If this harassment continues I’ll likely turn off comments for a while. Please understand that sometimes people with nothing better to do ruin other people’s fun for kicks.
Night, and Merry Christmas!
A really nice day!
Had a good day today. I slept in a bit and then got up and made breakfast for us. Actually though, to do him credit, F was a big help during breakfast making. I got him to do things for me like cook the bacon and cut the crusts off the bread. I made something I saw on Kayotic Kitchen’s site called Eggs, Bacon & Toast Cups. She’d adapted a Martha Stewart recipe. Anyway, we made it and it was good! Not an everyday thing, but for a special occasion a nice treat.
We ate them all up and then set to opening presents. Yay!
We both did very well in the presents department. My sister had sent along a lot of presents to both of us, so F got quite a lot. We both got t-shirts from Las Vegas, and souvenirs from their trip this summer. I got some DVDs and a new purse too, so just what I wanted (and told him to buy!!!) I never did find the shirt I bought F, so that’ll hopefully be found someday. I gave him a car emergency bag filled with things that I hope will be useful if something ever happens. There’s a blanket, some bandages, chocolate, a lantern, work gloves, a couple of toques, alcohol gel, a reflecting band to wear so cars can see you, that kind of thing. He got a Tintin book as well. He seemed happy with it all.
After a bit, F went out to get a haircut. I was going to take a nap, but decided to peel the potatoes for dinner. I did that, and watched some of the new WOWOW shows. When F came back, we went out for a light lunch to Kintaro Sushi. I wasn’t too hungry, so only had a little, but F had quite a bit! We drove around and saw some Christmas lights, then mailed a last minute nengajo. We went to the butcher’s shop and picked up our chicken, then came home.
I kicked dinner into higher gear and cooked the potatoes, got the salad put out, prepped the Yorkshire Pudding and such. I was busy. After a bit, I asked F to make the gravy for me, so he did that. It’s not a tough job, just I had to be 5 different places at once and couldn’t. Finally, everything was ready and we had our meal. The general consensus was that the food was good. I wasn’t happy with the Yorkshire Pudding though. I didn’t preheat the oven enough, so the muffin tins weren’t hot enough when the batter went in. Either that, or the mix was old.
After dinner and dishes, F asked me to go for a drive. We went to Tsuruoka Park, parked the car and went to look at the lights. Unfortunately, we walked over to them and went the long way round. It was cold out and there was about a foot of snow on the ground, so the walking was tough. We took some pictures and I’ll try and post them tomorrow.
We came home and had some tea or coffee and our Christmas Pudding. I didn’t even try to flame it this year. I think the alcohol has probably evaporated from our brandy! It was a nice end to the day. We watched Mission Impossible 2 on the telly and then that was most of our Christmas.
It was really nice this year. Not too super fabulous wonderful, just nice and quiet, the two of us together for most of it. Yay!
That’s about it for me. Oh, one more thing if you’ve made it this far. I’ve received a couple of nasty comments on my blog. If this harassment continues I’ll likely turn off comments for a while. Please understand that sometimes people with nothing better to do ruin other people’s fun for kicks.
Night, and Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2011
Saturday - Warmish and very, very snowy.
A mostly good day. I dragged myself out of bed this morning and showered. F stayed in bed for a while. That was surprising! He’s usually up before me. When it was time to leave, we went to Gusto. We had a decent meal there…well, I did anyway. I had a new lunch, F had their standard lunch of the day. Mine was good!
We went to my school then and both of us did some snow removal. It wasn’t that bad as the snow that had come down overnight was light and and a lot had already melted. We got the parking space and the front steps in ship-shape condition and then F left. I got ready for my class.
My student came and we had a good time. She’s an amazing kid. I really like working with her.
After her class I did paperwork and got a few things done around the school. I read my newspaper too. Around 4 pm I poked my head out the door and was shocked to see a huge amount of snow outside. It was really coming down. It was still light and fluffy, but what had been cleared a couple of hours before was now covered over. I went out a little before 5 and re-did everything. Yay me.
My second student had cancelled this morning and my third came a few minutes late. We had a good class too, it was mainly grammar based today.
After class I finished up quickly and called F. He came to get me and was amazed by all the new snow. We had a nice dinner in Cocos, followed by a quick grocery shop and mailing of nengajo. We came home and had a quiet evening ever since.
We watched Top Gear which was totally insane…as usual. Still, we enjoyed it a lot. F was laughing a lot at it.
And that was my day so far. It was pretty good.
Oh..and one more thing….Merry Christmas! Night!
A mostly good day. I dragged myself out of bed this morning and showered. F stayed in bed for a while. That was surprising! He’s usually up before me. When it was time to leave, we went to Gusto. We had a decent meal there…well, I did anyway. I had a new lunch, F had their standard lunch of the day. Mine was good!
We went to my school then and both of us did some snow removal. It wasn’t that bad as the snow that had come down overnight was light and and a lot had already melted. We got the parking space and the front steps in ship-shape condition and then F left. I got ready for my class.
My student came and we had a good time. She’s an amazing kid. I really like working with her.
After her class I did paperwork and got a few things done around the school. I read my newspaper too. Around 4 pm I poked my head out the door and was shocked to see a huge amount of snow outside. It was really coming down. It was still light and fluffy, but what had been cleared a couple of hours before was now covered over. I went out a little before 5 and re-did everything. Yay me.
My second student had cancelled this morning and my third came a few minutes late. We had a good class too, it was mainly grammar based today.
After class I finished up quickly and called F. He came to get me and was amazed by all the new snow. We had a nice dinner in Cocos, followed by a quick grocery shop and mailing of nengajo. We came home and had a quiet evening ever since.
We watched Top Gear which was totally insane…as usual. Still, we enjoyed it a lot. F was laughing a lot at it.
And that was my day so far. It was pretty good.
Oh..and one more thing….Merry Christmas! Night!
December 23, 2011
Friday - Cold, with a skiffle of snow
An okay day today. I went to bed late and slept in a bit, a lot if you want the truth. When I got up, one of the first things F asked me was if I wanted to go out for eel for lunch. What the heck? I actually like unagi but I didn’t want it when I woke up. Bleck. We finally settled on Grado near our apartment.
We went out for lunch and it was nice. I had Shonai Pork and F had chicken. When we were leaving I said to F that we could try and have eel for dinner if he still wanted it. I also suggested that he try and have a massage or something since his back was really bothering him. He was in a bit of a mood all day because of it.
He dropped me off at the mall to do some shopping and then he went off to check out his massage places. He called me and said he could get one, so would see me in about an hour. I went shopping. Yay. I got a few things for F’s Christmas, a few things for me and a new decoration for the school. I try and buy a new one every year.
He phoned me to say he was done. When he came to the mall we had a drink and a sandwich at Doutors. He announced that he’d like to do some last minute shopping, so I said I’d buy some groceries and let him have the rest of the mall. It worked out fairly well. I’ll still have to buy salad stuff tomorrow night, but I got the rest of my things for Christmas, I think. Before going home, we swung by my school to set the heater for tomorrow. I set it a little early as it was darn cold.
We vegged for a while at home and then went out for dinner. I kept my word and we went to the eel restaurant. I’d been there once before, just after we got married. I didn’t think that much of the place then, and I didn’t think much of the place now! The eel itself was good, but the dishes with it weren’t so great. There was also an eel heart in the soup, which I made F take out of mine. I’ve got an odd thing going on with my tongue at the moment, so I can’t eat acidic food, and 2 of the dishes with our meal were pickled foods. Not great for me.
We came home afterwards and had a very quiet evening until I mentioned to F that I wanted to watch The Good Wife on NHK at 11.00. He sprang into action, setting the TV to change channels at that time, after he figured out what channel my show was on. Honestly, I wish he’d just pass me the remote! I know exactly where it is on, and I know to always change it into English.
Today I was more than a little irritated with my husband. He’s going to be underfoot for the next couple of days and I don’t know if we’ll make it through without a blowup or two. I just don’t need that at this time of year. He tries about Christmas, but he doesn’t really get it. It makes me wish I’d braved another holiday in my sister’s basement!
Anyway, he finally went to bed. I have to go there soon too as I have a busy day at work tomorrow. I might be done for the year then, it depends if any students want to come next week or not. I’m hoping not!
That’s it for me. Night!
Skiffle Although often used for music, there is a second meaning.
An okay day today. I went to bed late and slept in a bit, a lot if you want the truth. When I got up, one of the first things F asked me was if I wanted to go out for eel for lunch. What the heck? I actually like unagi but I didn’t want it when I woke up. Bleck. We finally settled on Grado near our apartment.
We went out for lunch and it was nice. I had Shonai Pork and F had chicken. When we were leaving I said to F that we could try and have eel for dinner if he still wanted it. I also suggested that he try and have a massage or something since his back was really bothering him. He was in a bit of a mood all day because of it.
He dropped me off at the mall to do some shopping and then he went off to check out his massage places. He called me and said he could get one, so would see me in about an hour. I went shopping. Yay. I got a few things for F’s Christmas, a few things for me and a new decoration for the school. I try and buy a new one every year.
He phoned me to say he was done. When he came to the mall we had a drink and a sandwich at Doutors. He announced that he’d like to do some last minute shopping, so I said I’d buy some groceries and let him have the rest of the mall. It worked out fairly well. I’ll still have to buy salad stuff tomorrow night, but I got the rest of my things for Christmas, I think. Before going home, we swung by my school to set the heater for tomorrow. I set it a little early as it was darn cold.
We vegged for a while at home and then went out for dinner. I kept my word and we went to the eel restaurant. I’d been there once before, just after we got married. I didn’t think that much of the place then, and I didn’t think much of the place now! The eel itself was good, but the dishes with it weren’t so great. There was also an eel heart in the soup, which I made F take out of mine. I’ve got an odd thing going on with my tongue at the moment, so I can’t eat acidic food, and 2 of the dishes with our meal were pickled foods. Not great for me.
We came home afterwards and had a very quiet evening until I mentioned to F that I wanted to watch The Good Wife on NHK at 11.00. He sprang into action, setting the TV to change channels at that time, after he figured out what channel my show was on. Honestly, I wish he’d just pass me the remote! I know exactly where it is on, and I know to always change it into English.
Today I was more than a little irritated with my husband. He’s going to be underfoot for the next couple of days and I don’t know if we’ll make it through without a blowup or two. I just don’t need that at this time of year. He tries about Christmas, but he doesn’t really get it. It makes me wish I’d braved another holiday in my sister’s basement!
Anyway, he finally went to bed. I have to go there soon too as I have a busy day at work tomorrow. I might be done for the year then, it depends if any students want to come next week or not. I’m hoping not!
That’s it for me. Night!
Skiffle Although often used for music, there is a second meaning.
December 22, 2011
Thursday - Cold and rainy, with thunder and lightning.
I got a phone call this morning as I was waking up from my student. She was cancelling her class for today. That meant that I didn’t have to go over to my school early in the day.
I got up, watched a bit of TV, took a shower and made my lunch. I had an omelette again. I also read the newspaper.
F came home a little late so I asked him to take me over to my school to turn off the heater. It would turn itself off in another hour or so, but I wanted to check that everything was okay. I also picked up a spinach salad and more nengajo for New Year.
F left for his party and I vegged for a bit, then I started to cook my dinner. I made a chicken dish with a package mix and it was really nice. I had the salad and some French bread. Everything was delicious. I even had a decent movie to watch! WOWOW was showing The Taming of the Shrew with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, so I watched that again. Quite good fun.
In the evening I just watched a lot of TV and then tuned into my regular Thursday night shows. Drop Dead Diva was cute and Episodes was really funny and strange. I have to say that Matt LeBlanc really shows a different side of himself. I’m not sure if he’s really playing himself or a souped up version of himself!
F was out at a party with some friends. I had expected him home fairly early, but he didn’t show. I sent him a text message in case he wanted me to rescue him, but when he called me back he seemed quite happy. The hold up was the transportation home. The taxis were really backed up, as was the Drive You Home service. Sigh.
Finally, he came in around 3 am. He seems fine and says he had a good time. Yay.
Tomorrow is a national holiday so I’m not sure what we’ll be doing. There may be a visit with Tom Cruise, I’m not sure. Catch me tomorrow night and I’ll fill in the blanks. Night!
I got a phone call this morning as I was waking up from my student. She was cancelling her class for today. That meant that I didn’t have to go over to my school early in the day.
I got up, watched a bit of TV, took a shower and made my lunch. I had an omelette again. I also read the newspaper.
F came home a little late so I asked him to take me over to my school to turn off the heater. It would turn itself off in another hour or so, but I wanted to check that everything was okay. I also picked up a spinach salad and more nengajo for New Year.
F left for his party and I vegged for a bit, then I started to cook my dinner. I made a chicken dish with a package mix and it was really nice. I had the salad and some French bread. Everything was delicious. I even had a decent movie to watch! WOWOW was showing The Taming of the Shrew with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, so I watched that again. Quite good fun.
In the evening I just watched a lot of TV and then tuned into my regular Thursday night shows. Drop Dead Diva was cute and Episodes was really funny and strange. I have to say that Matt LeBlanc really shows a different side of himself. I’m not sure if he’s really playing himself or a souped up version of himself!
F was out at a party with some friends. I had expected him home fairly early, but he didn’t show. I sent him a text message in case he wanted me to rescue him, but when he called me back he seemed quite happy. The hold up was the transportation home. The taxis were really backed up, as was the Drive You Home service. Sigh.
Finally, he came in around 3 am. He seems fine and says he had a good time. Yay.
Tomorrow is a national holiday so I’m not sure what we’ll be doing. There may be a visit with Tom Cruise, I’m not sure. Catch me tomorrow night and I’ll fill in the blanks. Night!
December 21, 2011
Wednesday - Sunny in the am, bit of snow later on
Had a mostly good day today. I went to bed with a hot water bottle that was really hot so think I’ll wrap it in a towel tonight. It is nice to keep my feet warm on though. F offered to let me put my feet on his back when I come to bed, but I think I’d have to sleep at a very funny angle to do that!
Watched a bit of TV in the am, then didn’t watch anything for a long time. I read the paper, and wrapped F’s presents. Well, some of them. I have misplaced one of his presents. He got me to buy him a shirt and I can’t find it! I’ve looked in the usual places, but I must have really outdone myself this time. Sigh.
In the evening after F came home it got a bit tense. He has been shovelling snow at work everyday and his back can’t take it. He comes home and is really tired and in a lot of pain. During the day, I had taken out our electric nabe and washed it in preparation for dinner tonight. He saw it in the drainer and apologised for not washing it last time…but he did. He got confused and (I think) he thought we’d had nabe last night. Anyway, it wasn’t a big deal, but then he went on the hunt for food and “stuff”. He wasn’t making much sense and he was driving me crazy with the noise.
We ended up going out before dinner to my school to set the heater and to the grocery store so F could get some noodles for the end of the nabe. He really wasn’t doing well, I could tell by the way he acted.
At home again, F put the nabe together and then we ate. It was pretty good, although the soup smelled funny to me. We used a miso ramen base tonight. I made some tea and we enjoyed our dinner.
I did the dishes afterwards. One of the nice things about having nabe is there isn’t much clean up. Yay.
We settled in for the evening. F watched inane Japanese TV…yup, the regular stuff. I thought Grey’s was on tonight, but it wasn’t. At one point tonight I begged F not to make me watch Japanese TV all though the New Year break. Note to self, bring home mini dvd player from school. Remind me, would you all?
Anyway, F went to bed early, but he’s not sleeping that well. I can always tell. I have an early class tomorrow and if I have to shovel snow I’ll have to leave quite early so I had best get off the computer and catch a bit of sleep. Got to go. Night!
Had a mostly good day today. I went to bed with a hot water bottle that was really hot so think I’ll wrap it in a towel tonight. It is nice to keep my feet warm on though. F offered to let me put my feet on his back when I come to bed, but I think I’d have to sleep at a very funny angle to do that!
Watched a bit of TV in the am, then didn’t watch anything for a long time. I read the paper, and wrapped F’s presents. Well, some of them. I have misplaced one of his presents. He got me to buy him a shirt and I can’t find it! I’ve looked in the usual places, but I must have really outdone myself this time. Sigh.
In the evening after F came home it got a bit tense. He has been shovelling snow at work everyday and his back can’t take it. He comes home and is really tired and in a lot of pain. During the day, I had taken out our electric nabe and washed it in preparation for dinner tonight. He saw it in the drainer and apologised for not washing it last time…but he did. He got confused and (I think) he thought we’d had nabe last night. Anyway, it wasn’t a big deal, but then he went on the hunt for food and “stuff”. He wasn’t making much sense and he was driving me crazy with the noise.
We ended up going out before dinner to my school to set the heater and to the grocery store so F could get some noodles for the end of the nabe. He really wasn’t doing well, I could tell by the way he acted.
At home again, F put the nabe together and then we ate. It was pretty good, although the soup smelled funny to me. We used a miso ramen base tonight. I made some tea and we enjoyed our dinner.
I did the dishes afterwards. One of the nice things about having nabe is there isn’t much clean up. Yay.
We settled in for the evening. F watched inane Japanese TV…yup, the regular stuff. I thought Grey’s was on tonight, but it wasn’t. At one point tonight I begged F not to make me watch Japanese TV all though the New Year break. Note to self, bring home mini dvd player from school. Remind me, would you all?
Anyway, F went to bed early, but he’s not sleeping that well. I can always tell. I have an early class tomorrow and if I have to shovel snow I’ll have to leave quite early so I had best get off the computer and catch a bit of sleep. Got to go. Night!
December 20, 2011
Tuesday - Cold with a little snow
Today was an okay day really. At least that’s the way I’m remembering it. I went to bed a bit late, but managed to get up at a fairly normal time. I watched Criminal Minds - Red Cell in the morning and then decided to take a short nap. I slept for about 30 minutes and then did get up. Yay me. I showered and got on with my day.
I wrote up a post card to send. This one is going to Taiwan. I hope it arrives. Many of my cards are stuck in transit at the moment. People seem not to be checking their own mail or something. It’s rather annoying. I want to send more cards, but I can’t now.
I had a visitor a couple of times today. F came back to pick something up and then I’m not sure what the second visit was for. He gave me my mail from our mailbox though!
After a yummy lunch I did the dishes and then walked to my school. Although I might have been able to ride my bike, I really wasn’t sure and thought it might be safer not to. It probably was a good call. I made good time getting to my school and even saw a friendly beagle along the way.
At my school I dropped off my backpack, grabbed my snow shovel and did a bit of snow shovelling. I did the front steps in case my student came in that way, and I cleared off my parking space. It looked good, so I went in to thaw out!
I had a lot of time before my class so I changed my clothes and read some of the paper. I went out to check the snow situation a few minutes before the class was due to start and it was fine.
Went back into the school and the student called to say she couldn’t come. Sigh. We made a new appointment for Saturday though.
I finished reading the paper, had a cup of tea, and then called F. He came and picked me up. I opened the door to see how the weather was and he had just arrived, so that was a good thing!
We had a cheap and cheerful and cold dinner in New York, New York. That restaurant is always a bit too cold in winter and they always sit us near the window. Brr.
We got a few groceries at the store. Tomorrow night we’ll make a nabe and have that. We’re both looking forward to it I think. It won’t be much work as we just bought a store’s kit.
At home, F watched something mindless on the DVR and then I watched the new Criminal Minds - Red Cell on WOWOW. It was one of the least pleasant ones I’ve seen on that show, and since the show is all about serial killers, it’s saying a lot.
F went to bed early, and I might just get there a bit earlier than usual too. I’m a bit tired from all of the exercise I had today! Talk to you tomorrow night. Night!
Today was an okay day really. At least that’s the way I’m remembering it. I went to bed a bit late, but managed to get up at a fairly normal time. I watched Criminal Minds - Red Cell in the morning and then decided to take a short nap. I slept for about 30 minutes and then did get up. Yay me. I showered and got on with my day.
I wrote up a post card to send. This one is going to Taiwan. I hope it arrives. Many of my cards are stuck in transit at the moment. People seem not to be checking their own mail or something. It’s rather annoying. I want to send more cards, but I can’t now.
I had a visitor a couple of times today. F came back to pick something up and then I’m not sure what the second visit was for. He gave me my mail from our mailbox though!
After a yummy lunch I did the dishes and then walked to my school. Although I might have been able to ride my bike, I really wasn’t sure and thought it might be safer not to. It probably was a good call. I made good time getting to my school and even saw a friendly beagle along the way.
At my school I dropped off my backpack, grabbed my snow shovel and did a bit of snow shovelling. I did the front steps in case my student came in that way, and I cleared off my parking space. It looked good, so I went in to thaw out!
I had a lot of time before my class so I changed my clothes and read some of the paper. I went out to check the snow situation a few minutes before the class was due to start and it was fine.
Went back into the school and the student called to say she couldn’t come. Sigh. We made a new appointment for Saturday though.
I finished reading the paper, had a cup of tea, and then called F. He came and picked me up. I opened the door to see how the weather was and he had just arrived, so that was a good thing!
We had a cheap and cheerful and cold dinner in New York, New York. That restaurant is always a bit too cold in winter and they always sit us near the window. Brr.
We got a few groceries at the store. Tomorrow night we’ll make a nabe and have that. We’re both looking forward to it I think. It won’t be much work as we just bought a store’s kit.
At home, F watched something mindless on the DVR and then I watched the new Criminal Minds - Red Cell on WOWOW. It was one of the least pleasant ones I’ve seen on that show, and since the show is all about serial killers, it’s saying a lot.
F went to bed early, and I might just get there a bit earlier than usual too. I’m a bit tired from all of the exercise I had today! Talk to you tomorrow night. Night!
December 19, 2011
Monday - Warmer in the daytime, cold and windy at night.
I slept in today for the first time in a few days. I was rather surprised, but it was lovely. I got up and watched a bit of TV, nothing too exciting I think.
I had a bit of a veggie day. I sorted out F’s presents, except I seem to have misplaced one of his presents. Grr. I also bought the wrong kind of batteries for something I’m giving him. Sigh.
In the afternoon I read on Facebook and then confirmed elsewhere that Kim Jong Il from North Korea had died over the weekend. I’m not happy, but let’s just say I’m not broken up about it either. I just hope that North Korea doesn’t decide to invade their neighbours or anything.
I printed some Christmas cards and some nengajo too this afternoon and evening, then I wrote some of them too. Some of the designs in my book are amazing. I love dragons and try very hard to match the person and the picture!
I cooked dinner tonight. We had ginger pork, couscous, lettuce and broccoli, and it was all quite nice. F did the dishes and then we headed over to my school to set the heater for tomorrow. The parking space at my school hadn’t snowed over which is great…unless of course it snows overnight.
We bought a few groceries and then came home. F took his bath early so I watched CSI: Miami for the first time in ages. Time hasn’t improved it! I made a pot of tea and cut some cake for us afterwards and while I was doing that, F changed the channel on me. I protested rather vigorously as I’d told him in the car that I’d be watching a British detective show at 11:00. Men. I got a bit of the attitude, “Oh, were you going to watch something?” Yes…that’s why I was making tea bozo!
Anyway, he proceeded to fall asleep on the couch, so I watched my show and was suitably happy. He slept on, so I turned off the TV and made a video from Santa for him. Hee hee…or should I say, Ho Ho Ho?
Tomorrow I have an evening class, but as I may have to walk over to the school and shovel snow, I might leave early. I’m not sure yet. It really depends on the weather tomorrow. Wish me luck (and no more snow!) Night!
I slept in today for the first time in a few days. I was rather surprised, but it was lovely. I got up and watched a bit of TV, nothing too exciting I think.
I had a bit of a veggie day. I sorted out F’s presents, except I seem to have misplaced one of his presents. Grr. I also bought the wrong kind of batteries for something I’m giving him. Sigh.
In the afternoon I read on Facebook and then confirmed elsewhere that Kim Jong Il from North Korea had died over the weekend. I’m not happy, but let’s just say I’m not broken up about it either. I just hope that North Korea doesn’t decide to invade their neighbours or anything.
I printed some Christmas cards and some nengajo too this afternoon and evening, then I wrote some of them too. Some of the designs in my book are amazing. I love dragons and try very hard to match the person and the picture!
I cooked dinner tonight. We had ginger pork, couscous, lettuce and broccoli, and it was all quite nice. F did the dishes and then we headed over to my school to set the heater for tomorrow. The parking space at my school hadn’t snowed over which is great…unless of course it snows overnight.
We bought a few groceries and then came home. F took his bath early so I watched CSI: Miami for the first time in ages. Time hasn’t improved it! I made a pot of tea and cut some cake for us afterwards and while I was doing that, F changed the channel on me. I protested rather vigorously as I’d told him in the car that I’d be watching a British detective show at 11:00. Men. I got a bit of the attitude, “Oh, were you going to watch something?” Yes…that’s why I was making tea bozo!
Anyway, he proceeded to fall asleep on the couch, so I watched my show and was suitably happy. He slept on, so I turned off the TV and made a video from Santa for him. Hee hee…or should I say, Ho Ho Ho?
Tomorrow I have an evening class, but as I may have to walk over to the school and shovel snow, I might leave early. I’m not sure yet. It really depends on the weather tomorrow. Wish me luck (and no more snow!) Night!
December 18, 2011
Sunday - Warm and mostly clear. Snow is melting.
A good day. I woke up around 10:30 and set my alarm for 12. I didn’t really think I’d get up, but I did! I went to bed around 5 am last night. I just kept watching TV and was enjoying a Sex and the City marathon.
We had lunch today at Restaurant Futaba. It is on the way to F’s house, so he was reminded of it when he went to visit his mother this morning. He took her shopping as well. I’m glad that he does these little things for his mother since I’m not going to do them!
Lunch was great and then we went shopping. We went over to Musashi and I told F that he had to get lost for the next half hour or so. I wandered around the store and found quite a few things that I wanted to get for his Christmas present. I also found a few things that I wanted for me and my school so I got those too. We both ended up at the cash register around the same time, luckily not the same cashier though. We put our purchases in the car and then went home for a bit.
At home I checked my printer and discovered that a couple of ink cartridges were probably empty, so we went back out to the electronic store to get more ink. After that, we made a quick trip to the mall that turned into a longer trip to the mall. I hacked the hundred yen shop while F shopped in the DVD shop. I wonder what F got me….I have a feeling the initials “HP” may have something to do with it!
We had a drink in Doutors and then visited the grocery store. For the first time ever (I think) I saw a raw, whole chicken in the butcher’s shop there. F was all for buying it for me to cook, but we’d already ordered a cooked one for Christmas day, and it was freaking expensive. The raw chicken cost more than the one the store had cooked! Does that make sense? We drove off to have dinner in a Chinese restaurant. It was one of the places we tried to go last night. It was quite decent food, although we both ate too much.
We followed it with a trip to the MaxValu grocery store. I got the fixings for tomorrow’s dinner, plus had a good snoop at all the stuff there. They had whole chickens and in another first for today, whole smoked turkeys. They only wanted 5000 yen for those. I passed.
We came home after shopping and spent the evening on the couch. F had asked that we watched a dvd so we decided on Fargo. My version is from Canada so it doesn’t have Japanese subtitles, but I think F was okay. He didn’t really like the movie, but then I didn’t think he would. He doesn’t like violent or police related movies. Sadly, Fargo is one on my favourite movies! It had been so long since I had seen it that it seemed new to me. There were scenes in it that I couldn’t even remember. Strange.
And then really, that was about it. F went to bed a bit later than I thought he should, but I can’t really talk. Still, I don’t work tomorrow, so not a big deal. Tomorrow I should make some nengajo and then wrap someone’s presents. I wonder how much I’ll actually do!
Tune in tomorrow and find out! Night.
A good day. I woke up around 10:30 and set my alarm for 12. I didn’t really think I’d get up, but I did! I went to bed around 5 am last night. I just kept watching TV and was enjoying a Sex and the City marathon.
We had lunch today at Restaurant Futaba. It is on the way to F’s house, so he was reminded of it when he went to visit his mother this morning. He took her shopping as well. I’m glad that he does these little things for his mother since I’m not going to do them!
Lunch was great and then we went shopping. We went over to Musashi and I told F that he had to get lost for the next half hour or so. I wandered around the store and found quite a few things that I wanted to get for his Christmas present. I also found a few things that I wanted for me and my school so I got those too. We both ended up at the cash register around the same time, luckily not the same cashier though. We put our purchases in the car and then went home for a bit.
At home I checked my printer and discovered that a couple of ink cartridges were probably empty, so we went back out to the electronic store to get more ink. After that, we made a quick trip to the mall that turned into a longer trip to the mall. I hacked the hundred yen shop while F shopped in the DVD shop. I wonder what F got me….I have a feeling the initials “HP” may have something to do with it!
We had a drink in Doutors and then visited the grocery store. For the first time ever (I think) I saw a raw, whole chicken in the butcher’s shop there. F was all for buying it for me to cook, but we’d already ordered a cooked one for Christmas day, and it was freaking expensive. The raw chicken cost more than the one the store had cooked! Does that make sense? We drove off to have dinner in a Chinese restaurant. It was one of the places we tried to go last night. It was quite decent food, although we both ate too much.
We followed it with a trip to the MaxValu grocery store. I got the fixings for tomorrow’s dinner, plus had a good snoop at all the stuff there. They had whole chickens and in another first for today, whole smoked turkeys. They only wanted 5000 yen for those. I passed.
We came home after shopping and spent the evening on the couch. F had asked that we watched a dvd so we decided on Fargo. My version is from Canada so it doesn’t have Japanese subtitles, but I think F was okay. He didn’t really like the movie, but then I didn’t think he would. He doesn’t like violent or police related movies. Sadly, Fargo is one on my favourite movies! It had been so long since I had seen it that it seemed new to me. There were scenes in it that I couldn’t even remember. Strange.
And then really, that was about it. F went to bed a bit later than I thought he should, but I can’t really talk. Still, I don’t work tomorrow, so not a big deal. Tomorrow I should make some nengajo and then wrap someone’s presents. I wonder how much I’ll actually do!
Tune in tomorrow and find out! Night.
December 17, 2011
Saturday - cool and snowy
A good day. I woke up this morning to a strange sound. The heater was on in the living room. I knew that I hadn’t left it on and F was no-where to be seen, so I knew that he’d been home and then left to see his doctor.
I got up, showered, did some morning things. A little after F came home we went for brunch at Gusto, then went to my school. F re-cleared my parking space for me and I did the steps and walkway. He left after that and I went into the school and got to work.
I had two classes today, one early and one late. In the time in-between I did lesson prep, snow shovelling and even newspaper reading.
After my last class I finished up, washed dishes and then called F to pick me up. He came, after a while, and we began the great “drive around Tsuruoka” for dinner! We tried to go to about 5 different places, but they were either closed for the night or permanently closed! We ended up at Moku-Moku for pasta.
We came home and F went to bed as soon as Top Gear was over. He didn’t get much sleep last night at his Bonnenkai. I on the other hand, have watched entirely too much TV tonight, but I kind of enjoy it!
No idea what’s on the agenda tomorrow, but I hope to do a little bit of Christmas shopping for F. I’m hoping that it won’t snow too much, but I think that’s a pipe dream! Anyway, I have to go to sleep. Night!
A good day. I woke up this morning to a strange sound. The heater was on in the living room. I knew that I hadn’t left it on and F was no-where to be seen, so I knew that he’d been home and then left to see his doctor.
I got up, showered, did some morning things. A little after F came home we went for brunch at Gusto, then went to my school. F re-cleared my parking space for me and I did the steps and walkway. He left after that and I went into the school and got to work.
I had two classes today, one early and one late. In the time in-between I did lesson prep, snow shovelling and even newspaper reading.
After my last class I finished up, washed dishes and then called F to pick me up. He came, after a while, and we began the great “drive around Tsuruoka” for dinner! We tried to go to about 5 different places, but they were either closed for the night or permanently closed! We ended up at Moku-Moku for pasta.
We came home and F went to bed as soon as Top Gear was over. He didn’t get much sleep last night at his Bonnenkai. I on the other hand, have watched entirely too much TV tonight, but I kind of enjoy it!
No idea what’s on the agenda tomorrow, but I hope to do a little bit of Christmas shopping for F. I’m hoping that it won’t snow too much, but I think that’s a pipe dream! Anyway, I have to go to sleep. Night!
December 16, 2011
Friday - Cold and SNOWY
Today was an okay day, but it was very, very white. I peeked outside just before I went to bed and the world was white. Oh no!
I woke up this morning a long time before my alarm, and I got up. I did plan to go back to bed, but never did. Silly me! After a while of being up, I sent my lunch date an email suggesting we cancel. She was supposed to drive in from the next town over and with the weather tanking like it did, I was a tad worried for her. She was going to bring her baby with her, so it really wasn’t a good idea to test the roads on the first day of big snow.
F phoned me a few minutes later and asked me to lunch, so I did get to go out for lunch after all. However, with the snow, he had to eat fast and run, so he left me at the restaurant. I finished up and then walked over to my school.
At the school I grabbed my shovels and cleaned out my parking space. Already there wasn’t anywhere to put the snow! I stopped after a while and as soon as I did, the snow started up again. Sigh. I set things up in my school and then I started the long trudge home. I did make a stop in the drugstore to grab a few things and then came home.
At home I relaxed for a while. I watched some TV and made my dinner. Yesterday I had bought the makings for a stew, so I cooked it tonight. It was good! I am quite good at making stew, at least I think so!
In the evening I watched more TV. I kept meaning to put on a dvd, but I never did. I watched The Good Wife and then ended up watching Zombieland again. I love that movie!
I’ll probably go to bed soon. It’s cold and I’ll be a little busy tomorrow. One of my classes cancelled, but another student has asked for a lesson so I will still have a couple of lessons.
F is off at his bonnenkai tonight. Hopefully he’s having a good time and will be home in time to drive me to lunch tomorrow!
That’s it for me. Have a good day and I’ll catch you all tomorrow night. Bye!
Today was an okay day, but it was very, very white. I peeked outside just before I went to bed and the world was white. Oh no!
I woke up this morning a long time before my alarm, and I got up. I did plan to go back to bed, but never did. Silly me! After a while of being up, I sent my lunch date an email suggesting we cancel. She was supposed to drive in from the next town over and with the weather tanking like it did, I was a tad worried for her. She was going to bring her baby with her, so it really wasn’t a good idea to test the roads on the first day of big snow.
F phoned me a few minutes later and asked me to lunch, so I did get to go out for lunch after all. However, with the snow, he had to eat fast and run, so he left me at the restaurant. I finished up and then walked over to my school.
At the school I grabbed my shovels and cleaned out my parking space. Already there wasn’t anywhere to put the snow! I stopped after a while and as soon as I did, the snow started up again. Sigh. I set things up in my school and then I started the long trudge home. I did make a stop in the drugstore to grab a few things and then came home.
At home I relaxed for a while. I watched some TV and made my dinner. Yesterday I had bought the makings for a stew, so I cooked it tonight. It was good! I am quite good at making stew, at least I think so!
In the evening I watched more TV. I kept meaning to put on a dvd, but I never did. I watched The Good Wife and then ended up watching Zombieland again. I love that movie!
I’ll probably go to bed soon. It’s cold and I’ll be a little busy tomorrow. One of my classes cancelled, but another student has asked for a lesson so I will still have a couple of lessons.
F is off at his bonnenkai tonight. Hopefully he’s having a good time and will be home in time to drive me to lunch tomorrow!
That’s it for me. Have a good day and I’ll catch you all tomorrow night. Bye!
December 15, 2011
Thursday - Clear in the morning, rainy on and off during the day, snow at night
A mostly good day.
I got up just after my alarm rang this morning and took my shower right away. When I came back I watched some TV and relaxed a bit. I had an early class today, so I couldn’t relax for long.
I made my omelette, ate, did dishes and then left for work. It wasn’t raining before I left, but of course it started raining as soon as I got my bike out. I didn’t put my rain cape on, but biked fairly hard to get to work quickly. I still managed to get a bit wet though.
At my school I got dressed and set up the school for my student. She came a little early and then we got started. We had an okay class, but it was a little difficult I think.
After class I did paperwork, checked my set up for next class, read a newspaper and a magazine. I had a cup of tea and relaxed. The weather was bad and it was dark, so I decided to wait for F to pick me up after work. At 17:50 I sent him a text message and asked him to call me. An hour later I hadn’t heard from him. I looked outside and the rain had died off, so decided to just go home. I got all dressed up and was walking down the walkway outside my school when I got a call from F. I asked him when he’d finished work. It was a little over half an hour beforehand. He hadn’t looked for a message from me. I told him that I was going to cycle home, and then I did so.
It was windy and a little cold on the way home, but I made it safely! At the apartment however, the door was locked and barred. I had to ring the doorbell to get him to open the door for me. Sigh. I told him off. He knew I only had one class today and when it was. When he came home and found that I wasn’t there, he should have called me, or at the least, checked his phone. I asked him what would have happened if there’d been an emergency? If it was a one-off I wouldn’t be so upset, but this pattern has happened more than once and it irritates me. He sits around the apartment with his cellphone glued to his hand, and yet he misses the text that I send to him? Something’s not right.
After a while of checking email and nursing hurt feelings, I asked if we could go out for dinner. He said yes, so that’s what we did. We went to Cafe Framboise and had a nice dinner. We didn’t talk much, but I wasn’t mad anymore. After dinner we made a quick trip to the grocery store so I could get something for my dinner tomorrow night. I think I’m going to make a stew. Hopefully it’ll be yummy!
We watched a bit of TV today, or at least I did. I enjoyed it all. F watched bits of it, but finally went to bed. I should get to bed soon.
Oh, but before I do, I wanted to mention that yesterday, I got two boxes from Canada. Yay! Santa got a bit of help from Japan Post! The poor mailman had trouble carrying both of them. For some reason, the box from my best friend and the box from my sister arrived on the same day. AND I got two Christmas cards too! One was from my sister (written by my 6 year old nephew) and one was from a friend that we saw in Australia this year. Yay!
Got to go. Night!
A mostly good day.
I got up just after my alarm rang this morning and took my shower right away. When I came back I watched some TV and relaxed a bit. I had an early class today, so I couldn’t relax for long.
I made my omelette, ate, did dishes and then left for work. It wasn’t raining before I left, but of course it started raining as soon as I got my bike out. I didn’t put my rain cape on, but biked fairly hard to get to work quickly. I still managed to get a bit wet though.
At my school I got dressed and set up the school for my student. She came a little early and then we got started. We had an okay class, but it was a little difficult I think.
After class I did paperwork, checked my set up for next class, read a newspaper and a magazine. I had a cup of tea and relaxed. The weather was bad and it was dark, so I decided to wait for F to pick me up after work. At 17:50 I sent him a text message and asked him to call me. An hour later I hadn’t heard from him. I looked outside and the rain had died off, so decided to just go home. I got all dressed up and was walking down the walkway outside my school when I got a call from F. I asked him when he’d finished work. It was a little over half an hour beforehand. He hadn’t looked for a message from me. I told him that I was going to cycle home, and then I did so.
It was windy and a little cold on the way home, but I made it safely! At the apartment however, the door was locked and barred. I had to ring the doorbell to get him to open the door for me. Sigh. I told him off. He knew I only had one class today and when it was. When he came home and found that I wasn’t there, he should have called me, or at the least, checked his phone. I asked him what would have happened if there’d been an emergency? If it was a one-off I wouldn’t be so upset, but this pattern has happened more than once and it irritates me. He sits around the apartment with his cellphone glued to his hand, and yet he misses the text that I send to him? Something’s not right.
After a while of checking email and nursing hurt feelings, I asked if we could go out for dinner. He said yes, so that’s what we did. We went to Cafe Framboise and had a nice dinner. We didn’t talk much, but I wasn’t mad anymore. After dinner we made a quick trip to the grocery store so I could get something for my dinner tomorrow night. I think I’m going to make a stew. Hopefully it’ll be yummy!
We watched a bit of TV today, or at least I did. I enjoyed it all. F watched bits of it, but finally went to bed. I should get to bed soon.
Oh, but before I do, I wanted to mention that yesterday, I got two boxes from Canada. Yay! Santa got a bit of help from Japan Post! The poor mailman had trouble carrying both of them. For some reason, the box from my best friend and the box from my sister arrived on the same day. AND I got two Christmas cards too! One was from my sister (written by my 6 year old nephew) and one was from a friend that we saw in Australia this year. Yay!
Got to go. Night!
December 14, 2011
Wednesday - warm and sunny, then rainy at night
A good day.
I got up early this morning and didn’t watch TV or rather, I did. I didn’t watch the repeat of Grey’s, I chose to watch Rebel without a Cause instead. It was on another channel. I’ve seen it before, but not for a few years. It’s so melodramatic, but it had flashes of brilliance. I’m on the fence about James Dean, but there was a certain je ne sais quois about him.
I got an invitation to go for lunch from my husband, but I turned him down. I was quite busy. I did a couple of loads of laundry today and then wrote some Christmas cards for in Japan. After that, I took the cards, plus my nephew’s birthday card and a postcard to the post office. It started to rain lightly just as I left the apartment so I hurried! I made it in time. I even picked up a few nengajo so I’ll have something to do on Friday night!
I watched the last part of Mildred Pierce that I had taped on Friday night/morning. It was good, but I was expecting more. Kate Winslet was as wonderful as always though.
F came home and after a bit I started to get dinner ready. We had a chicken nabe tonight and it was quite good. We bought everything, didn’t have to prep anything really, except I cut the tofu, does that count? It was quite delicious and then F put some udon in the leftover broth and cooked them. All in all, a nice meal.
We popped out for a few minutes in the evening. I set the heater at my school and then we bought some groceries. Not many as I couldn’t think of anything to cook! I got an avocado that wasn’t as over-ripe as the store usually has, and on sale too. Woot.
I watched Grey’s Anatomy and did a little crochet. I have now finished my latest shawl, but I have a lot of ends to darn in, then I have to try to block it. It might grow a bit! It does look very nice, but I’m not sure of the colour for me now that it’s done. It’s an orangy-peachy thing and I rarely wear that colour. Still, I’ll give it a try. I worked so long on the thing I want it to be used!
Basically, that’s it for my day. Tomorrow I have an early class so I have to work a little faster in the morning. Got to go. Night!
A good day.
I got up early this morning and didn’t watch TV or rather, I did. I didn’t watch the repeat of Grey’s, I chose to watch Rebel without a Cause instead. It was on another channel. I’ve seen it before, but not for a few years. It’s so melodramatic, but it had flashes of brilliance. I’m on the fence about James Dean, but there was a certain je ne sais quois about him.
I got an invitation to go for lunch from my husband, but I turned him down. I was quite busy. I did a couple of loads of laundry today and then wrote some Christmas cards for in Japan. After that, I took the cards, plus my nephew’s birthday card and a postcard to the post office. It started to rain lightly just as I left the apartment so I hurried! I made it in time. I even picked up a few nengajo so I’ll have something to do on Friday night!
I watched the last part of Mildred Pierce that I had taped on Friday night/morning. It was good, but I was expecting more. Kate Winslet was as wonderful as always though.
F came home and after a bit I started to get dinner ready. We had a chicken nabe tonight and it was quite good. We bought everything, didn’t have to prep anything really, except I cut the tofu, does that count? It was quite delicious and then F put some udon in the leftover broth and cooked them. All in all, a nice meal.
We popped out for a few minutes in the evening. I set the heater at my school and then we bought some groceries. Not many as I couldn’t think of anything to cook! I got an avocado that wasn’t as over-ripe as the store usually has, and on sale too. Woot.
I watched Grey’s Anatomy and did a little crochet. I have now finished my latest shawl, but I have a lot of ends to darn in, then I have to try to block it. It might grow a bit! It does look very nice, but I’m not sure of the colour for me now that it’s done. It’s an orangy-peachy thing and I rarely wear that colour. Still, I’ll give it a try. I worked so long on the thing I want it to be used!
Basically, that’s it for my day. Tomorrow I have an early class so I have to work a little faster in the morning. Got to go. Night!
December 13, 2011
Tuesday - Cool but sunny
A good day. I got up this morning a little early so I was quite happy with myself. I watched the repeat of Criminal Minds-Red Cell and then showered… usual stuff this morning.
I cooked myself some lunch and then headed off to work right on time. My school was fairly warm when I got there thanks to setting the heater. I had a few minutes to get ready so I did the usual things.
My student came and we had a good class. I won’t be seeing her until next year now. That’s a little sad.
In my break between classes I did my paperwork and also worked on finally cleaning off the tape gunk that F left on my window frames a couple of years ago. He was supposed to clean it, but that’ll never happen! I didn’t finish as the remover had a strong smell and I still had one more class to teach. I didn’t want to leave the window open all night.
My student came on time today. I haven’t seen her for ages. Sadly though, she wasn’t feeling well and asked if she could leave after a few minutes. Of course, she needed to take care of herself so I let her go. I was sad that she couldn’t stay, but a conversation class is no fun with a sore throat…been there, done that.
After a while I was just finishing up and thinking about calling F when he called me. I asked him to pick me up and we went off to dinner. Tonight we went to Fireball and had a lovely meal. Well, I did! F wasn’t too hungry, so he had an antipasto dish and I had chicken and eggplant pasta in a spicy Japanese sauce. It was lovely. I did share the pasta with F as he was still a little hungry.
We came home via the grocery store, and bought fixings for a nabe. Tomorrow night we’ll have a chicken nabe with a bought soup mix. I think it’ll be nice.
We had a quiet evening in and didn’t even watch TV until I put on the new episode of Criminal Mind-Red Cell. It was okay.
That’s really about all that happened today. Oh, I did get my third Christmas card today and I’m going to send out a Postcrossing tomorrow afternoon I hope. This one will go off to Germany. Woot. And…goodnight!
A good day. I got up this morning a little early so I was quite happy with myself. I watched the repeat of Criminal Minds-Red Cell and then showered… usual stuff this morning.
I cooked myself some lunch and then headed off to work right on time. My school was fairly warm when I got there thanks to setting the heater. I had a few minutes to get ready so I did the usual things.
My student came and we had a good class. I won’t be seeing her until next year now. That’s a little sad.
In my break between classes I did my paperwork and also worked on finally cleaning off the tape gunk that F left on my window frames a couple of years ago. He was supposed to clean it, but that’ll never happen! I didn’t finish as the remover had a strong smell and I still had one more class to teach. I didn’t want to leave the window open all night.
My student came on time today. I haven’t seen her for ages. Sadly though, she wasn’t feeling well and asked if she could leave after a few minutes. Of course, she needed to take care of herself so I let her go. I was sad that she couldn’t stay, but a conversation class is no fun with a sore throat…been there, done that.
After a while I was just finishing up and thinking about calling F when he called me. I asked him to pick me up and we went off to dinner. Tonight we went to Fireball and had a lovely meal. Well, I did! F wasn’t too hungry, so he had an antipasto dish and I had chicken and eggplant pasta in a spicy Japanese sauce. It was lovely. I did share the pasta with F as he was still a little hungry.
We came home via the grocery store, and bought fixings for a nabe. Tomorrow night we’ll have a chicken nabe with a bought soup mix. I think it’ll be nice.
We had a quiet evening in and didn’t even watch TV until I put on the new episode of Criminal Mind-Red Cell. It was okay.
That’s really about all that happened today. Oh, I did get my third Christmas card today and I’m going to send out a Postcrossing tomorrow afternoon I hope. This one will go off to Germany. Woot. And…goodnight!
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