I'm working,,, kinda

On Monday I called Kate at the day care center I used to work at to let her know I was putting her down on my application and she asked if I could help them out for a while cause they are short staffed. So, I'm helping out at the day care center until I hear back from Q.P.S. It's weird being back at the center, seeing all the kids and parents I knew before.

Things to do List

Here's how my day is going to go,
First I need to drop off my T.A. application,
Second, to the Post Office to mail my MassHealth application (why can't I just do it all online???)
Third is off to either my car insurance office or to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (I do need to go to both, but I can't remember in what order,,, mom would know) to get Sparky (my truck) back on the road.
I think that's it,,,, I hope the RMV doesn't suck all the life out of me.

Patriots!

Yes, another sports related post,,, but this time it's the Patriots!
I haven't been able to see a game all season so last night I was all excited. So far this season, the Pat's have stomped their opponents big-time (all except Indy, but they won that game too), so I was hoping to see a great high scoring game,,,,
That did not happen!
The game was a nail bitter, down to the last few minutes. But they did win (thank the gods, cause if they lost my dad wouldn't let me watch another game) and are still undefeated. Leave it to the Patriots to fill in the void left when the Sox won it all,,,
I do promise not to post so much about the Patriots,,,,,, manly because they only play once a week!

Shopping

I went shopping with my family yesterday,,,
and now I think I'm broke until I find a job.
But I had fun and that's all that matters!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thanksgiving was good, even though I had to help cook,,,,, well kinda, ,, , more like me just holding things and stirring. Then I stuffed myself on food. I think I gained 5lbs (2kg), but that’s okay, tomorrow is SHOPPING DAY!!!
We (mom, Liz, and me) are going to Wal-mart first thing in the morning,,,, and by that I mean we want to be there when it opens and it opens at 5AM!! So we’ll be waking-up around 4am or earlier then getting coffee and waiting in-line until the store opens. Then we’ll be going to other stores and then probably going to a mall or two. A lot of walking and holding and sweating. Sounds like fun!

Snow??

Guess what happened my first day back in the states! It was SNOWING. It only snowed for a few hours and it was only a dusting but it was SNOWING!!!!!!!!

I hope you can see the snow. Well, even if you can't you can still see my backyard and the tree in front of my neighbor's house.

Then I went to the Quincy Public Schools office and picked up an application for Teachers’ Aids. It’s just a part-time position but it’s something.

Isn't Flying Fun?

I guess it was going to happen; anytime anyone takes an airplane, they have a story able how much the (or a few of them) airports stink. So here’s my story. Kansi Airport was great, but the FREE wireless was off and on, but it was FREE so I can’t really complain. Then, because some fog and low clouds arrived in San Francisco, the plane landed about 10min late and then sat on the tarmac for another 10min because of what the pilot said was “traffic”. And of course the gate was at the far end of the international terminal.
Then Customs was BEFORE getting the luggage which is weird because normally it’s the other way around. But getting the bags was not fun. After waiting for 5min for the luggage to come out only to see that the bags were for the first and business class passengers. I had to wait for another 10min for my bags to show up. At first I wasn’t worried because I had a 2 hour layover but after getting my bags I only had 45 min until take off, which would have been okay, if I didn’t have cookies and tea in my bags. There was another line for people who had food declared on their customs’ form. THAT line look 10min to go through.
WHY is the customs exit always at one end of the airport and the security check for domestic flights are in the middle. So after dropping my bags off again, it took 5min to walk over to security, which was another 10min. THEN I find out that my flight is at gate 88,,,,, out of 90!! It took me 15min to walk/run to the gate only to sit down for 2min when they started to board all rows. I’m just glad I made my flight.

Changing focus

So, I’m going to change the focus of this blog. Instead of writing about what I’m doing in Japan and the different things I see, I’m going to write about what I’m doing and seeing in America, for my friends and family in Japan. I don’t think I will be able to update too often, but that’s nothing new.

Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I tend to show people one side of me (normally the happy, easy going side) and hiding what is actually going on. Well, that’s the case now. For the last two months or so (or better yet, when I returned from America) I haven’t been myself. And so now my aunt and uncle has said (and I completely agree with them) that things aren’t working out here anymore. So without getting into the details (and don’t even ask me to tell you them, cause I won’t tell you) I will be coming back to America on Monday,,,, just in time for Thanksgiving,,, ya I know, kinda soon, but I didn’t want to drag everything out.. This has been a hard thing for me to do and rationalize in my head. I don’t know if I’m going to post anytime soon.

My last day at school is Wednesday (tomorrow) and I don’t know if I will be able to get online long enough to post something. I do know this though, I will probably (I try not to say never or definitely) will stop this blog. That doesn’t mean I won’t create a new one some time in the future,,,, just don’t hold your breath! It’s hard to remember to post something and I don’t think I could make my posts interesting enough when I’m home,,, but you never know.

I saved them up

okay, so I went a bit over board with the posts today,,,
They were just bits of info I had stored in my head that needed to get out before it gets to crowded up there and they start to fight.
You know how it goes.

therapy

I’ve been looking around the web and I know I’ve seen sites just like mine, saying all the differences between Japan and their home country (normally America),, but I don’t think any of them at as many Red Sox posts as I do!! (Hey, I’m unique in one way). With all that said, I don’t really care. This is my way of getting things out, cause no one here is really interested in all this, it’s old hat to them, but it’s all new to me.

Think of this as a free form of therapy.

Why?

I went to the movies last week and I noticed something, not only were there a hook on the back of all the seats (for your bags I guess) but an umbrella holder too! But enough of that, let me tell you what happened when I went to see “Stardust” on Thursday. When I walked into the theater it was basically empty, only about 5 other people there. I had a great seat, right in the middle of the theater.
THEN right before the movie started two high school students (a boy and a girl) sat right next to me! I mean the theater was basically empty, they could have sat anywhere, but because of assigned seating, they just ‘had’ to sit next to me. I can deal with that I thought, if they get too noisy I’ll just move my seat. About 5 min. into the movie I hear a noise, I look over and the two students are making out right next to me!!!!
That just doesn’t make any sense to me,,, if you’re going to the movies to make out (that’s fine) but go in the back or in the corner and you wouldn’t do it right next to someone, would you? After a min or two I got up and moved two seats over and the boy gave ME a weird look!!!

Hot Cans

Things here are very structured. On October 1st, all the stores change to winter uniforms and change the settings on the vending machines. ‘What settings?’ you may be asking,,, well they sell cans of coffee and tea (and like drinks) in some (most) vending machines and during the spring/summer the cans are cold, but after October 1st the cans are hot (warm). The cans are even different; a little thicker and smaller but they do warm your hands nicely when it’s cold out.

I want milk!

I think I have found the reason why my stomach is always a bit upset. There’s only whole or soy milk here and I’m use to either 2%, 1%, or skim milk. Even Starbucks only has whole or soy milk. They do sell skim milk but it’s in powder form (yuk!)

Eating and Drinking are rude?

I found out the other day that most Japanese think it’s rude to walk around when drinking or eating. So that explains why I never see anyone walking (or even on the train) with a cup of coffee in the morning. I wonder what Japanese tourists think when they walk around Boston and see every other person walking around with Dunkin’s or Starbucks’ cups?

I never really thought about eating on a train before, mostly because the T is too jumpy and bumpy to eat anything safely. But I can see how eating on the train in Japan could be considered rude,,, have you smelled some Japanese food before?

Last Red Sox post till spring training

yeah, I know, , I know, I don't think it's for real either, but it's worth a try.

....

....but no promises. Well, Uncle Billy was in Boston when the Red Sox won, so he came back with some Boston newspapers from that Monday and Tuesday. I spent that night reading and then cutting them up. I felt like Sakura when she cuts out pictures of the boy-bands she likes. I was going to put the pictures up around my room, but I was afraid of destroying the wallpaper, so here’s a picture of the back of my door. Looks great,,,, Right?!?! Okay, I know, I have too much time on my hands.