things i love thursday

.the secret life of bees (the movie).
.homemade cupcakes on the plane.
.some luck amid very little luck.
.colorado winter skies.
.fresh powder.
.snowboarding with my family and Ro.
.chili with cheese and sour cream.
.blackberry jelly on a blueberry bagel.
.getting some warm uggs for christmas.

iphone photo no. 775

i couldn't help it.
last night i got on the train
and found myself standing
in front of this snoring man:

you can't see it in this picture very well,
but the [very very obvious] seam was
right on top in the front screaming,
"i'm a fake!"

and i am forced to ask,
"do they really think this is a better choice
than just going au naturel?"

merry christmas!

i hope your day was spent with loved ones and filled with love.


<3

things i love thursday

.winter bonus + [heavily worked] november paycheck.
.hokkairo in my slippers (shh, it says not to).
.chamomile and honey tea.
.new nails!!.
.japanese baths.
.falling asleep next to Ro.
.the sound of rain outside.
.back-pain-free mornings.
.laughing til my stomach hurts.

sick. yes, again.

so....i got sick monday night.  i went to bed with a sore throat and woke up sometime around 5am with definite cold/flu symptoms.  sore throat, head ache, all over achy feeling, chills/sweats, yuck yuck yuck.  i was sick in october and did a 6 week course of antibiotics after that.  the idea was to completely wipe out whatever has been giving me sore throats so often.  i finished the antibiotics about a week ago and here i am, sick again.  sigh.  so, i called in sick tuesday.

i happened to be at Ro's, which was probably for the better so that someone could go to the store, someone could cook dinner, someone could spoon feed me.  okay, maybe not that last one, but i was pretty weak and helpless.  even by the afternoon, working on wednesday wasn't looking like a possibility, so i called and found people to cover my schedule on wednesday.  it took 30 minutes and 9 different phone calls.  i was pretty annoyed with one of my coworkers, because if she would have just said yes to teach one class of mine, then it would have all been taken care of in less than 10 minutes and 3 phone calls.

when it comes to covering for people at work, my feeling is this: when someone is sick and asks me to cover, they ALREADY feel like crap, that's why they're calling in sick, so if i can make their life just a tiny bit easier, then i should.  you know, by assuring them it's no problem, telling them to take care and don't worry, etc etc, then suck it up and do the extra class or cleaning or reception.  but, yet again, i learned (for the millionth time it seems) not to expect such niceness from others.  you'll just get disappointed in the end.  be nice because you want to, but don't expect others to always return the favor.  oh, is it christmas time? hm, it is, huh.

so, tuesday and wednesday were worthless.  thursday, my day off, i managed to pull myself together enough to come home.  to an apartment that was 12degrees.  ouch.   but, i came home to a package slip from the post office.  i rode my bike to the post office and picked up my package.  it was an odd size, and i couldn't imagine what it was.  then i saw the customs slip and it said "pottery" in my mom's handwriting and i knew exactly what it was.  we had been talking about them a few weeks before - she had sent me my very own handmade clay nativity set.  (pictures...eventually)  it is so cute all set up next to my tv, which feels wrong somehow, but i don't really have any other good place for it, so...oh well!  it is my lone christmas decoration.  sad but true.

then, friday i didn't have any classes, but worked about 6 hours.  i felt okay, but definitely not great.  saturdays are my busiest days, and i managed to get through today, but my voice is now hanging on to its last cords (get it?  haha...but not actually funny).  luckily i don't have to work tomorrow, and then only have one more week to get through.  plus fun stuff like getting my nails done tomorrow, a work bonenkai on wednesday, a date with Ro on thursday, a christmas party at a friend's on saturday and a date with a 747 on sunday!  (may or may not actually be a 747)

i'm still thinking of doing some kind of last minute nengajo with a picture i took sometime this year,  printing them at my neighborhood photo store, addressing them on the plane/on vacation and just sending them when i get back.  i will be back to japan on the 3rd anyway, so they won't be late.  they just won't arrive on new year's day.   (gaijinwife: i will be hand addressing all mine because i can't read enough kanji to even be able to type them into a database.  so i just look at each address and copy it stroke for stroke.  hopefully i can avoid shaming myself too badly.  haha!  though, most people are impressed i can write kanji half decently, so it usually works out.)

as for christmas presents, i got my older brother and his girlfriend their gift.  and i bought something for my mom.  i don't have anything for my younger brother or dad or grandparents.  or Ro yet either!  hmm...what do 23 year old boys want (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg)?  and my dad and grandparents?  still not decided about Ro either.  hmmm, must do a bit of brainstorming.

things i love thursday

.apples and peanut butter.
.making presents for new babies.
.new colorful socks.
."nurse" Ro taking care of sick me.
.chili and stew.
.butter roll sandwiches.
.sleeping half the way home.
.getting a package.
.my first "real" christmas decorations: a nativity set.

some rambling

yesterday was the beginning of the end.

11saturday, 12today, 13monday, 14tuesday, 15wednesday = work.
16thursday = off.

17friday, 18saturday, 19sunday (likely), 20monday, 21tuesday, 22wednesday = work.
23thursday = off.

24friday, 25saturday = work.
26sunday = flying to the states!

when i look at it like that, i realize that i have a) hardly any time to pack in the days right before leaving, b) no time to make any of those christmas presents i was thinking of making or getting nengajo made and sent before leaving, c) no time to figure out what i'm getting Ro for christmas, but d) only two weeks until i'll be on my way to see my family.   a long work-filled two weeks, but two weeks nonetheless.  :)

---

today i got an email from a friend, who recently got married.  his daughter was born about a week ago.  the beginning of the beginning.  many of my high school classmates are married, some with multiple kids, and about half of my college friends are married but until now, it was fairly limited to my high school/college friends.  now my japanese friends have started getting married and having kids too.  ah yes...sigh.  (though, i should mention that this friend's marriage is a dekichatta kekkon/shotgun wedding so maybe it's just a anomaly among my friends...?)

anyway, woe is me thoughts aside, i spent the evening making a baby quilt.  i just have to sew the binding to the other side and then i'm done.  i have only spoken to my friend's wife once (at the wedding party) so i worry that going to visit might end up being kind of awkward, but hopefully not.  it probably won't be until january or february (?) but i'll be ready.  i hope they like it.

---

random-but-very-much-on-my-mind-thought: i just finished off the last of the apple juice, and i have no bread for toast tomorrow.  it's times like these that i love the recently extended grocery store hours - off to buy breakfast!



p.s. for any fellow number nerds, woohoo, it's 12.12!  :)

blog award and favorites

i've been given a blog award. little ol' me, yippee! :)

a. thanks fran!

b. seven facts about myself

c. tag seven other bloggers.


i was tagged to list eight facts about myself back in april 2008 (here, if you're curious) so i'm going to try to think of seven new ones:


1. i'm a pisces.

2. i have two brothers.

3. my first pet was a guinea pig named Sam.

4. one year i asked for a unicycle for christmas
and successfully taught myself to ride it.

5. i've been to 5 of 7 continents
(North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia)

6. i can't drink coffee or coke; i will need a bathroom soon after.

7. i have horrible vision (my contacts are -6.00 and -5.75)
but always wear contacts so most people don't even know.


though i have hundreds of blogs in my google reader and even more still unread posts, there are always the ones i read first.   actually, there are a ton that i read first; i have a "japan blogs" folder in my reader, and usually read those first.  i don't know if these bloggers read my blog or not since i rarely comment on the blogs i do read, but i tried to pick a variety of different blogs, all that have new posts fairly consistently.

all that to say, instead of just tagging seven, i'm sharing all my current favorites. anyone who wants to share the love (the more the merrier) go forth and tag (or share)!

in alphabetical order:

1. always leaving things unfinishe...

2. c jane enjoy it

3. forrest and abbie

4. gaijin wife

5. green-eyed geisha

6. he loves me not

7. japan mama

8. jeremy and kathleen

9. ...love maegan

10. meme and lulu...and coaster boy too

11. piece of cake

12. rockstar diaries

13. see jane.

14. shinshu life

15. stories from the stoop



happy reading.

sale splurge

i rarely go clothes shopping in japan, but yesterday i wandered into the gap to "just have a look" and walked out with a shopping bag.  inside were some great deals:

dolman sleeve blouse: 6800 ⇨ 1900

drapey t: 3200 ⇨ 1200

ella romper: 9800 ⇨ 900

boucle vest (but in gray):  8800 ⇨ 3520

total: 28,600 ⇨ 7220

woohoo, i saved 21,380yen!  and, i am now a romper owner. it looked kind of blah/frumpy on the hanger, but it was actually cute on, and for 900yen, down from 9800 (wow!!) i couldn't say no. hopefully i'll still like it when it gets warm. the vest was a "splurge" (relatively) but i was feeling good about saving so much on the rest that i threw it in.

before the gap, i stopped at abc mart and bought some new converse (pink!) for 3800 and a 3 pack of [work] socks for 780.

before abc mart, i went to the datsumon salon to take advantage of this campaign (the "v-line + upper area + lower area").  even though it's 14,000 off and i got another 5% off for paying in cash, 28,500 is still not cheap, but i'm half way through the 2 year plan getting my underarms done and i'm pretty pleased with the results, so i went for it.

merry christmas to me.

so, with new things, old things must go!  i just spent the the last 2 hours cleaning out my closet, trying to be as ruthless as i could be about throwing things in the "get rid of" pile.  i have a pretty big box full of clothes.  i'm trying to figure out what to do with them.  flea market (in this weather?), used clothing store (where?), salvation army (their website sounds like they are quite selective about what they will take), or just put it out with the trash? suggestions anyone?




p.s.  i obviously didn't have trouble finding a way to spend the money i found.  haha!

p.p.s. i keep thinking if i get rid of enough stuff, i can convince Ro to move into the little apartment i fell in love with on sunday.  good motivation to get rid of things, even though i know deep down, it's a futile battle.  that said, even if it's not that apartment, eventually i will have to pack up all my things to move, so i need to get rid of more.

more apartment hunting

Ro and i spent 6 (yes, six...) hours with realtors on sunday. we had 2 appointments (2pm and 4pm) in the same town with 2 different agencies.

the first one was a woman who kept calling Ro by the wrong name (his last name is kind of unusual and easily mispronounced) even after he wrote his name and furigana on the information sheet. since i didn't write anything, i was just Girlfriend. ha.

she took us to an apartment that was 1 minute from the station and it was SO cute!! the apartment was like something from somewhere other than japan. the building was built in a square, with a little courtyard area in the middle and the doors to all the apartments. the building was two tone orange (which sounds gross, but it was kind of "tropical" feeling) and had a big palm tree-looking tree in the middle of the courtyard. one of the doors had a christmas wreath on it.

the inside was much smaller than other places we have looked at, but the layout didn't waste any space. the LDK wasn't really big enough to consider both a dining table and a sofa with a coffee table (for some reason Ro thinks you HAVE TO have a coffee table if you have a couch), so we'd have to buy a bigger coffee table and put cushions on the floor for meals. there were windows in the bathroom and toilet room, and the sun came streaming into every room but one. and that room still had a big window that let light in. the area is kind of hilly so even though it was a first floor apartment, it felt like the 2nd floor when you looked out the windows. there were only 2 closets and some shelves over the washing machine hookup, but no other storage space.

as we left, we walked up the hill (instead of down, back the way we came) and around to a set of stairs that wound back down the hill on the other side of the building. you could see the whole area from the top. it felt so open and spacious.

long story short, i fell in love.

end of the long story made short? it's too small for all the stuff Ro and i have (emphasis on the "i" part of that...) even if we get rid of a lot of stuff.

we went back to the office and got details about the application process and Ro asked a bunch of questions before we left to walk around the neighborhood for about 20 minutes.

our second appointment was with an agency almost right across the street from the first one. the guy who Ro had talked to last week when he made the appointment had been transferred and was no longer in that office. turns out it was just one station over, so he came over to take us to a few apartments.

we got in the car and drove for quite a while (due to hills and one way streets and train track crossings) before arriving at the first apartment. i actually don't remember much; the two bedrooms were tiny, and i doubted whether a double bed would fit in either of them. the LDK area was decent size, but there were only tiny cupboards above the sink. that's all i remember.

so, we drove to another big apartment complex and saw one more apartment. the front bedroom was HUGE! of course, small by american apartment standards i'm sure, but it would have room for a queen sized bed and a dresser or two! the only problem: no air conditioning unit. summer would be unbearable and in winter we'd be icicles. the bathroom was new but rest of the apartment was older (the front room and bathroom had been renovated) and felt kind of dark and gloomy. but, it was very spacious. it was a 3LDK. we stood in that apartment talking and asking questions for what seemed like a long time.

the realtor didn't bring any layout copies or anything to refer to regarding rent or size or address. Ro and i felt like maybe he should have been a little bit more prepared and got a bit of a lazy vibe from him. he seemed a little too confident in his selling ability.

Ro and i asked if we could walk back to the station, to see how far it was, and see the area. there were mostly big apartment complexes, a neighboring one had a big park and dirt area. there were swings and a slide and a kid and his mom playing soccer. i noted how nice that space would be. Ro noted how dark it was, and that these are the kind of apartments you see on the news as the scene of a murder or other crime. he was right, but i told him if brought stuff up like that, there was no WAY i was moving in. it was 8 minutes to the station. not bad.

we met the agent back at the station, and i thought we were going to get some information about other apartments back at the office, but we went and ended up just hearing the same information about how few "family type" apartments there are in the area and yada yada yada. he had brought us back to the office he had been transferred to, and seemed to be pushing apartments in THAT area, NOT around the station we originally inquired about. i sort of tuned out, and politely nodded while Ro asked some questions and the agent tried to pull more and more apartments from his big filing cabinet. in the end, Ro just came out and said, "we're kind of tired, we're going to head home, we'll be in touch." the agent drove us back to the original station and we said goodbye.

we walked back to the first (cute but too small) apartment and looked around again. we both like the location (even though it was only one minute from the station, it was surprisingly quiet) and the outside feel of the place, but agreed it was too small for us. we walked further up the hill and looked out over the city. i wished the apartment was just one room bigger and felt a little heartbroken. but i think i've come around to the idea of leaving shitamachi, where i live now. the area we went to on sunday has hills and great views and felt so very different than the flat, densely packed tokyo. moving will be a pain, but i'll be closer to work and hopefully have a decent view out my window instead of being able to touch the building next door, like i can now.

the hunt continues...

things i love thursday

.finding money.
.looking at/daydreaming about apartments.
.mustaches.
.spontaneous haircuts (bangs!).
.chocolate donuts.
.short work meetings.
.mixed berry mentos.
.getting real mail.
.matsuhisa for new year's eve!.

surprise!

just wednesday, i was wondering
if it would even be worth
looking through all the old magazine cutouts
that i've collected over the years.

i probably haven't looked through them
in over a year, and debated
just throwing them away altogether.

it's a good thing i didn't!

among brochures and sightseeing pamphlets
from places like bangkok and hiroshima and kyoto,
there were lots of cute outfit ideas-
pictures of bags and shoes
and clothes i want.

but, i also found

purikura i took with my parents
when they were here in the spring of 2009.

recipes that look easy
even for me.

and

11000yen!


now how to spend it... ;)

things i love thursday

.intense massages.
.this video (don't watch glee but love the song).
.yakiniku.
.nice paychecks.
.chai.
.getting a head start on year-end chores at work.
.gchatting with my mom.
.apple juice
.raisin bread toast.

twenty five for twenty ten: november

so bad it almost makes me want to laugh:


1 hula hoop for 30 minutes 3 times a week
fail.

2 wardrobe purge
nope.

3 balcony overhaul
started in october.  no further progress.

4 start an etsy shop/sell something i made
done.

5 make a budget and stick to it (continue ds budget book)
no working budget, but continue to input my spending in my ds.

6 start writing a book
book?  what book?

7 make 4 things i can actually wear out of the apartment
at a stand still.

8 make two quilts (from start to finish)
i have an almost finished (2nd quilt) top, but ran out of fabric.  on hold.

9 clean out my itunes
still listening to the same things on repeat.

10 get a massage (or two!)
i got a second massage last week.  and could probably go every week and still have knots all over.

11 throw away unnecessary stuff (work boxes, closet, pantry)
i went through two boxes i brought home when i quit my job (back in march 2009!) and condensed them to one.  a start, i guess?

12 organize magazine clippings/etc. (make an inspiration board, or two!)
if i haven't looked through those clippings in a whole year, should i even bother looking through them now?

13 go to the ghibli museum
not yet.

14 go to another museum
i've been a bad museum goer.

15 go to a performance of some kind
and performance seer.

16 bike across tokyo
and biker.

17 climb mt. fuji
done.

18 travel to a new place in japan
it wasn't somewhere far, like i imagined, but it was new; i climbed mt. takao with Ro and several other people in early november.

19 travel to a new county
this one probably won't get done, seeing as i haven't taken time off work, bought any plane tickets, or even THOUGHT about traveling somewhere and there are only 4 weeks left in the year.

20 vacuum and wipe floors once a week
i vacuumed.  didn't wipe.

21 read a book once a month
i didn't open a book all month.

22 mail a letter to someone once a month
or mail a letter.

23 call home at least once a month
or call home.

24 get permanent hair removal (started in 09, finish)
my next appointment will be at the beginning of january.  i got my underarms done, with a 2 year guarantee (ending october 2011 i think), and am so far quite impressed.  now i want to get more done.

25 keep nails looking nice in an effort to quit biting my nails
this is hit or miss.  though, relatively, i've done really well this month.  but i keep seeing my coworkers cute nails and am thinking about getting gel nails again...


having said all that, i worked an extra 16 hours this month, all on saturdays and sundays.  i made and sold 8 pouches/pencil cases.  and i hosted an entire thanksgiving dinner for 7 people in my tiny apartment.  it was a really busy month, and despite the fact that next to nothing on my list got done, i actually did a lot of other things.  so much so that the month went by so fast and i can't believe it's already december.  crazy.

warning: overthinker ahead

if i don't post today, it looks like i probably won't post until thursday.  i'm in the middle of a 5 day work week.  today is "tuesday."  by the time wednesday (my "friday") comes, i know i'll be too exhausted to do anything but park myself myself in front of the tv for about 30 minutes before i drag myself to bed because i'll be falling asleep at the very hint of being horizontal.

after work yesterday, Ro and i went looking at apartments.  the first apartment we saw was about 6 minutes from the station (on the yamanote line) AND had a little yard!  the apartment was smaller than what we have been looking at online, but felt big enough and the layout was decent.  unfortunately, it gets about one hour of direct sun.  i might go back in the daytime later this week and see how bright (or dark) it actually is, but i think Ro has probably already made up his mind (being, no) already.  plus, within the next couple years, a couple "tower mansion" buildings are probably going up in the area (read: construction noise) so it might not be a great place in the long run.  we'll see.

the second place had some other tenants (hello cockroaches...yes, plural - ick) and the hallway looked like a rundown dorm or eery hospital from a movie (have i mentioned i absolutely cannot handle watching anything even REMOTELY scary?  yeah...)  the balcony was split in two, and both were small and the cupboards above the sink were big enough for a couple cups and maybe a set of plates.  there was a small tatami room, and i love tatami (my bedroom now is tatami) but for all practical purposes, we're probably going to pick an apartment without a tatami room.

i love looking at apartments online, and imaging different layouts, where i'd put my bed, and my desk and all the fun daydreaming that comes with moving, but i don't think i really know what a pain in my ass moving will actually end up being.  i've lived in my apartment for almost 4 years now and, to put it nicely, i have so. much. shit.  i am horrible at throwing things away.  i have a three shelf rack overflowing with fabric and zippers and thread and more fabric.  i have books that i read once but will probably never read again, but can't bear to throw them away because maybe i will and english books are so expensive, it somehow gives me a sense of security, knowing i have some english books if i need them (saying that just sounds so ridiculous, but it's true).  and, more than anything, i have more clothes and shoes than i'm even willing to admit (despite wearing the same things over and over...).

Ro is not excited about my rat-pack-ness so i really need to throw things away in the next couple months.  we're thinking late january or february.  march is a huge moving month in japan, which means lots of new rentals on the market, but my lease here ends march 15th (ides of march, only mildly ironic...) so instead of paying to renew my lease, we can put that money toward a new place.  while we're on that subject, having to pay a whole month rent just to re-sign the contract and stay exactly where i am??  real estate agents are making a KILLING in japan, are they not?!

of course this only covers the logistics of moving in with my boyfriend.  (eek!)  there is a part of me that is silently freaking. out.  i love having my own space, my own time, my own do-whatever-i-want-and-not-worry-or-even-think-about-anyone-else everything.  so, i'm a little nervous about suddenly there always being someone there.  and, will i get sick of that someone?  (though, i've slowly become part of the "i'd rather find out i can't live with you before i marry you and then find out after!" thinking, so if moving in together ends up in us splitting up, i have to be able to see it as a good thing to find out sooner than later.  that being said, the plan (as far as i know!) is that we're not just moving in to move in together.  that it's one step closer to a ring.  which is where i get a little claustrophobic.  not necessarily in a bad way, but in a "here comes one of those big life decisions i don't feel old enough to make" kind of way.

not because it's what everyone else is doing (even though they are) or because i'm a certain age (enough though i sort of am) or because my parents say stuff like, "hmm, we don't have any grandkids...sigh sigh sigh" at family gatherings where all their age relatives have grandkids (even though they do) but i'm sort of feeling the itch to...hmm...not necessarily itching to get married, per se, but i really want to have kids.  and well, getting married is sort of a prerequisite for kids in my book.  i've never really been a person to settle down, so does this desire to have kids come from being with someone that i want to do that with, or is it simply a biological clock type thing?  and, does the desire for kids leave me vulnerable to settle with someone who is willing to be with me, in order to satiate that desire, even if maybe they aren't the best match for me, but good enough?  am i being too picky?  or am i only looking at the negatives and letting those things get the better or me?  do other, normal, people have these same neurotic "what if" or "how do i know" or "is he the one" thoughts?  or am i just an intense overthinker?

sigh.

to those non-japanese women married to japanese men, i'm curious, how/when/why did you decide to marry and stay in japan for the long haul?  did you just jump in and figure the rest out as you go?  did you appease your nervous self,  saying you will visit home often or something else (fill in the blank)?  to anyone who's married, am i being too influenced by some unrealistic romantic idea that you "just know" this is the person you're supposed to marry?  should i "just know"?  and if i don't know with 100% certainty, is that necessarily a bad thing?

this post took a bit of an intense turn, and i'm feeling a bit hesitant (vulnerable much?) to hit publish, but i'm just gonna do it and do my best to resist revising after i do...

things i love thursday

.using filters/labels and color coding my gmail inbox.
."lunch hour" naps.
.being taken out on a real date.
.wandering through ikea.
.the smell of turkey in the oven.
.cranberry salad (& all thanksgiving food).
.good wine and good friends.
.cuddling in the morning before work.
.pomegranate hand soap.

wordless wednesday

untitled

i feel like i've lost my blogging mojo.
it's sparse list-y posts
sandwiched between things i love thursdays.

i need to take more pictures.
to go places,
do things,
you know,
live a little bit
more.

my days off are spent
in front of the computer,
tv and sewing machine.

sometimes i don't even
go outside
all day.
and when i do,
i don't wear a bra.
(went to the post office on friday
without one.  ha!)

oh how the japanese girls would flip.
so many of them won't even go
to the nearest conbini
without a full face of makeup.
silly i tell you.
that's what heavy winter coats,
scarves and hats are FOR!

and then, when i do
do something fun
like carve pumpkins,
(and have them "die"
less than 3 days later)
get dressed up
for halloween,
climb a mountain,
you know, the norm,
i'm too lazy to post pictures.

or, what i really mean is,
i'm too lazy to edit them so i can post them.
so, these are all straight-out-of-camera
(yes, usually i !gasp! photoshop.)


i feel like i totally missed fall,
minus these few fall leave photos.

and they are playing christmas music at work
but it's still november!
i don't know if i can
listen to christmas music
for another month and a half.
not that i have anything
against christmas music
(though i'm surprised more
of our japanese customers don't,
since they ARE singing about
the virgin mary having a baby named jesus
and the whole son of god, thing.
minor details, i guess?)

it's just,
well,
i. missed. fall.

but i have one chance to get it back.
thanksgiving dinner for [what's looking to be] 10.

ten!!?!

way to ease yourself into a first thanksgiving dinner.
i have 2 chairs, 2 forks and 4 spoons.
they've gotten me this far,
but i think this time
they might not get me through.

thanksgiving for ten.


but i am really excited.
i've got turkey thawing in the fridge,
butternut squash waiting
to be turned into pumpkin pie,
and ridiculously expensive
(but so necessary to my thanksgiving)
cranberries to make
my mom'scranberry salad.

and mashed potatoes, green beans and salad
are on the menu too.

for ten.

have i mentioned i'm nervous
about TEN people?
for thanksgiving?
in my 31meter squared apartment?

oh i did?
right, i did.

the action commences
tomorrow
with mini pumpkin pies.

fingers crossed.

things i love thursday

.having a smooth class.
.dinner with friends.
.pumpkin in salad.
."american" cake and frosting.
.chocolate and apples.
.making gifts.
.good chapstick.
.cream stew.
.planning thanksgiving (i found a turkey!)

this girl's christmas list

 is it too early to start "dear santa"-ing?

☆ new laptop
mine's 4 and a half years old and sounds like it's going to take off.  that, or explode.

☆ frye boots 
any of the chunky motorcycle boot type

☆ stain glass stars
i actually ordered 3 other ones with my first etsy "paycheck," but the more the merrier!

☆ computer speakers

☆ sookie stackhouse books (8 and 9)

☆ this poster
or even better, a tokyo neighborhoods version.  haven't seen one, but haven't really looked either...

☆ a new sewing machine
something with a foot pedal that can do free motion quilting.

☆ some uggs (tall, size 9)
winter in tokyo would make you want them too.

☆ permanent hair removal
the thought of never needing another bikini wax?  yes, please.  if someone would just foot the bill...

☆ something pretty from Ro
jewelry would be nice, but i'm not too picky. ;)

☆a hat with a fluff ball on top from freetimegoods
my brother's girlfriend has one and i love it.

☆ this book: the practical guide to patchwork


hmm, my list seems to get more and more expensive every year.  though, really, i already got my present this year: a plane ticket to colorado just after christmas for a week to meet up with the rest of my family to go skiing.  Ro's coming too.  it will be a very happy new year.  :)

what's on your christmas list?


nov. 25th addition:
☆ a christmas stocking, something like this.

ocean waves quilt

with "undersea life" fabric, i imagined some kind of zigzag/wave design.

i tried taking some photos holding it up using the timer, but it's pretty long and i couldn't get it all in the picture in a way that i liked so i used the fence of the coin parking lot behind my building.

i took a photo of each half and the flipped one upside down so you can get a better idea of what the whole thing looks like.

it was windy and i was wishing i had clothespins (next time!) so i could show more of the quilt instead of needing the weight in the back to keep it up.  i tried another part of the fence, where the sun was still hitting, but i think it washes out the colors a bit:

and the angle of the sun shows too much of my seams for my liking (don't even try to figure out the logic of where they are - the original plan changed halfway through so there are seams all over the place!) but still pretty.

i'm debating about adding a border because i think i want it to be big enough for a twin bed and it's about 20-30cm shy, which would make for a nice 10-15cm border all around.  and i have no idea what i'm going to do for the back.  i have more of the "undersea" fabric, and more white, but only scraps of the polka dot (brown, darker blue, darker pink, beige) fabrics....ideas?

things i love thursday

.finding fun fabric.
.compliments from coworkers ("you look cute").
.good (and not condescending) advice from coworkers.
.7-eleven's hayashi rice.
.my air-circulator.
.it's 11.11 (pocky day!).
.no construction at 8am on my day off.
.the quilt top i am working on.
.a beer to end the work week.

sunday stars

☆ i have spent the entire day sewing.  i took some breaks for meals, to check my email, play words with friends on my iphone, to be bored by sunday afternoon tv and to briefly gchat with my mom.  otherwise, it was sew sew sew.  see, i found this great fabric on friday at the store and it was begging me to buy it.  and what's a girl supposed to do when the fabric starts begging?  buy a yard of all four colorways, that's what.  (it's called "undersea life" by kokka)  the quilt top is almost finished, but then, while standing back and admiring my handiwork, i realized i didn't really like one part (i thought it would grow on me; it didn't).  so, later this week i will rip that part and fix 'er up and take some pretty photos.

☆ so, last week i mentioned being sick, even while on antibiotics, right? well, what was your run of the mill feel yucky/stuffy nose/headache cold turned into something similar to bronchitis.  in my mom's words, "those viruses don't really care about antibiotics!" i'm still thinking, "at least it didn't result in yet another sore throat" and "robitussin, you are my hero."

☆ i went to the convenience store today without a bra on.  it was dinner time, i was hungry, but i was too lazy to totally change out of my pajamas.  at least i switched from whale print pajama pants to jeans.  but on top?  nah...  gotta love that winter = lots of layers and a coat.  ha. 

☆ it's officially "shower at night" season.  my apartment is way too cold in the morning to deal with getting out of a nice hot shower, only to freeze by the time i step onto the bathmat.  the up side is that i can finally blow dry my hair without sweating.  plus it's dry enough that my hair actually stays straight when i go outside, unlike the humid hell of summer.

☆ i should already be in bed.  i'm like the little kid who is obviously tired, but refuses to go to bed.  i often feel like i'm going to miss something.  does anybody feel like that, or just me?  well, goodnight.

twenty five for twenty ten: home stretch

with only two months of 2010 left, i felt like i should sit down and really look at my list and see what i can realistically cross off. this year has not been so successful in terms of my list. quite a few of the things were more like ongoing goals, and i didn't do any one of them every month (some months were better than others, some of them were total fails) and i feel like i should be much farther along with the "one time" goals.  but all is not lost, i've still got two months left! and, in classic me fashion, i'm already brainstorming for next year...no need to get bogged down in things i didn't get done!


1 hula hoop for 30 minutes 3 times a week
2 wardrobe purge
3 balcony overhaul (started...)
4 start an etsy shop/sell something i made

5 make a budget and stick to it (continue ds budget book) (so far so good)
6 start writing a book
7 make 4 things i can actually wear out of the apartment (2/4)
8 make two quilts (from start to finish) (1/2)

9 clean out my itunes
10 get a massage(or two!)
11 throw away unnecessary stuff (work boxes, closet, pantry)
12 organize magazine clippings/etc. (make an inspiration board, or two!)

13 go to the ghibli museum
14 go to another museum
15 go to a performance of some kind
16 bike across tokyo

17 climb mt. fuji
18 travel to a new place in japan
19 travel to a new country

20 vacuum and wipe floors once a week
21 read a book once a month
22 mail a letter to someone once a month
23 call home at least once a month
25 keep nails looking nice in an effort to quit biting my nails

things i love thursday

.slouchy knit hats.
.experimenting with pumpkin pie.
.carving pumpkins!!!.
.these stained glass stars.
.purikura.
.brainstorming christmas presents.
.people watching on halloween (in kawasaki).
.fresh air, blue skies and lots of green.
.sewing.

wordless wednesday

twenty five for twenty ten: october

1 hula hoop for 30 minutes 3 times a week
oh, fail.

3 balcony overhaul
i don't know what it was, but i got the urge to clean my balcony the other day. i bought a scrub-brush broom and it's looking (comparatively) beautiful! far from "overhauled" but definitely a step closer. i need to get rid of the dirt left over from my balcony vegetable garden two (2!!) summers ago and decide whether or not to just throw away that suitcase that's been there for over two years (ha!). 

4 start an etsy shop/sell something i made
start and sell goal both done!

5 make a budget and stick to it (continue ds budget book)
i have a lot of receipts in my wallet to input still...

7 make 4 things i can actually wear out of the apartment
i made my halloween costume (and Ro's), which isn't exactly what i had in mind by "4 things to wear out" but i did wear it out of the apartment. :P

8 make two quilts (from start to finish)
i've got a couple "sets" of fabric that i want to turn into quilts, but i can't seem to decide on a design and actually start cutting into them.

10 get a massage (or two!)
Ro and i went to this place in asakusa. i will be going again. soon, hopefully.

20 vacuum and wipe floors once a week
i'd say every other week happened with the vacuuming and once a month with the wiping.  not great, but better than nothing.

21 read a book once a month
nope.

22 mail a letter to someone once a month
didn't happen.

23 call home at least once a month
sorry mom and dad!

25 keep nails looking nice in an effort to quit biting my nails
this was a serious fail until the last days of october, when they began looking decent.  unfortunately, i've discovered, 6 months of gel nails didn't break the habit (though they looked nice) and i'm still a nail biter.  :(

sick. again.

is it possible to get sick while taking antibiotics?!

because i just did. 

it's not as painful as the sore throat i had just 3 weeks ago, but i'm feeling crappy and have the ever so attractive mask to prove it.

my throat started hurting yesterday, quickly followed by a headache and just feeling "stiff" all over.  one of my coworkers suggested i wear a mask to help from getting a dry throat, which often leads to a sore throat.  especially now that the temperature has suddenly dropped...

as much as i think they are ridiculous looking, i do think they help keep your throat from getting dry and, as i found out while walking (in the freezing cold rain) today, a la mask, it totally keeps your face warm.

now if we could just do something about the yucky-sterile-mask smell.





p.s. yesterday was my "friday" of a five day work week.  i'm nervous about working 5-6 days a week for most of november and december and am hoping i can just survive the next two months without getting sick.

p.p.s. i've had dreams about work for the last 5 nights.  they are so real and stressful.  i don't remember the details, but i know i was crying in one and then i woke up.  we've been so busy in the last couple months and i never feel like i can get everything done, or even have time to breath.  and sometimes i wonder if i'm just not cut out for my job.  :(

p.p.p.s. speaking of jobs, THE job i was looking for 12 months ago (when i was unemployed and loving it) is available now.  not to say that i would get it, or love it more (or less) than my current job, which i do enjoy, but...  sigh.  oh life.

things i love thursday

.babies and kids in halloween costumes.
.cooking dinner with Ro.
.oreo and tea dessert "picnic" on the floor.
.eating yummy leftovers for lunch.
.finding 2000yen in your pocket.
.coming home to all clean dishes (thanks Ro <3).
.lots of blankets and quilts on my bed.
.staying in bed til noon.
.soup and hot rolls for dinner.

macro monday

tokyo
october 17, 2010
5:47pm

things i did today

○ made accent accessories for my halloween costume (just have the hat left)
○ bought a butternut squash for 500yen (thinking: pumpkin pie)
○ did a load of laundry
○ picked up a prescription at the pharmacy
○ made two zipper pouches out of obi material (still experimenting)
○ ate almost a whole bag of jelly belly jelly beans
○ vacuumed up the yellow fur all over my apartment
○ took apart and cleaned my vacuum
○ did some of the dishes and dirtied more cooking dinner
○ wasted a lot of time on facebook and in my google reader
○ emailed my mom
○ showered and blow dried my hair (first time in how many months?)


this non-exclusive list is in no particular order.

heading into a five day week work "week" starting tomorrow.

things i love thursday

.honey roasted cashews.
.making my first sale on etsy.
.photo-shoot daydreaming.
.smarties.
.party leftovers at work.
.coincidental meetings, even in tokyo.
.standing up for myself.
.the weather lately.
.halloween costume designing.

progress

today deserves a "there's no I in team, but my bitchy coworker sure has found the ME in it" joke or some otherwise much more witty comment about her lack of understanding the "teamwork" concept.

i was having a pretty good day until the last ten minutes at work, when i tried to be nice and help her out.  i knew i was on thin ice doing "her" job (she's made comments to me and others before if we do a task delegated to her that day) but i figured everything needed to get done regardless of who did it and if it meant we could both leave on time, it'd be a win-win situation.

oh no, i was very wrong.  i think i've given her the benefit of the doubt for the last time.  you won't see me helping her out again on my own volition. 

a month or two ago, i would have bit my tongue (and consequently become bitter and frustrated) but tonight, i spoke my mind and gave it right back to her.  

at least one of us is making progress.

cat cafe

on our way home from ueno park, Ro and i crossed an intersection and saw a poster for a cat cafe. we had just been talking about going to one, just for kicks, that afternoon. we weren't hungry yet, so figured we'd check it out before going home for dinner.

the cheapest "plan" was 300yen for 15 minutes (highway robbery!) and we weren't willing to shell out any more money than that, so it made our decision easy.  we put on some cat slippers, got the "briefing" and then wandered around looking for cats.

the place was pretty crowded when we got there and it seemed like the majority of the 17 cats were sleeping.  people were sort of milling around, not wanting to swarm around the awake cats, but visibly "checking out" which cat they could approach without stepping on any other customers' toes.

they had a menu, and a vending machine, but for such a short period of time, Ro and i were interested in neither.  it was all about getting cute pictures of cats!

we were greeted by a hatted cat, who jumped into the locker when Ro tried to put our bags in it.  he was quite the entertaining character and thrived on attention.  the perfect kind of cat for a cat cafe.

this cat was sprawled out on the counter in a deep, deep sleep.

this cat sat by the door, longingly looking out as people left.  we felt bad for her.  she was way cuter than this picture looks; she kept moving and didn't seem to be a fan of being photographed.

i would have loved to see this cat awake. he looks like a cheetah! and probably found the warmest place, and safest from unwanted attention, up on the vending machine.

it was a fun/novel thing to do with some extra time but i don't foresee myself going to a cat cafe again anytime soon.   it's just a little too expensive for my taste.  for a cat lover who can't keep a cat in their apartment, i can see the appeal.  it's a lucrative business idea though, and am sure lots of someones, at least in tokyo, are making a killing on these cafes.
 
for anyone interested, we went here: neko maru cafe

a perfect afternoon

we got home from costco and put away the groceries.

i cut the pizza into squares,
froze 4 for another day,
and put 2 for dinner into the fridge.

we washed a bunch of grapes,
put a couple handfuls of chips into a zip lock,
and each grabbed a bottle of water.

i folded my picnic quilt,
and Ro put our books into my backpack.

we walked to ueno park.
(well, Ro and the bags rode my bike,
i jogged along side, laughing.)

despite the warm sunny afternoon,
there were no other picnic-ers.
a lack of grassy areas may to be to blame
but we weren't deterred.

we found a quiet spot of dirt,
and stretched out on our quilt.
the sky was beautiful.

Ro used my backpack as a pillow.
and i used Ro.
it looked like this:

(i just realized you can see Ro's eye
peeking out under his hand.
maybe it's the angle; it looks weird.)

we stayed like that for about an hour,
until the mosquitoes were too much
and it was getting dark.

we packed up our things and walked home.
(actually, we took turns riding
on the back of my bike
while the other pedaled.)

it was a perfect afternoon.

p.s. i almost forgot! we stopped here, on a whim, on our way home too.

things i love thursday

.crystal lite, raspberry ice.
.looking at apartments online.
.experimenting with cupcake frosting.
.national holidays.
.costco.
.PUMPKINS!!!.
.warm afternoon + park + picnic quilt + Ro.
.sleeping almost 12 hours.
.jason mraz's details in the fabric.

costless costco

Ro and i met up with his parents at makurhari station this morning and drove to costco.

all i could think about was PUMPKINS. this year i was DETERMINED to get a pumpkin, even if i ended up having to pay more than a reasonable amount to get it. i decided i was NOT going to have another year like the last two years.

shopping starts from the 2nd floor with electronics, toiletries, kitchenware, seasonal decorations, cleaning supplies, clothes, etc. and then food and check-out are on the 1st floor. you should have seen me; i was getting nervous when i saw the seasonal decoration area was ALL christmas stuff (i also took the opportunity to tell Ro that if i'm ever in japan for christmas, i want a christmas tree - hinthinthint). i promptly sought out a costco worker and asked about pumpkins.

i had a bit of deja vu as i had to say pumpkin, kabocha, pumpkin, kabocha, until the guy actually understood what i was saying. (another case of gaijin panic probably.) he said, "they're on the first floor." phew!

we snaked around the 2nd floor picking up a couple things (herbal essence shampoo for me and mouth wash and a pack of mr. men books for Ro.) and then headed downstairs. at the bottom of the escalator, there they were!! PUMPKINS!! and they were only 1280yen! (or, 12something) i asked Ro if he was going to carve a pumpkin and he said "eh, i don't think so." "what?! you're NOT going to carve a pumpkin with me?" *insert puppy dog eyes* "oh, okay, sure i will." that's the right answer boy! put another pumpkin in the cart!

after picking through the pumpkins and finding 3 nice ones, we made our way through the huge aisles. i got some seedless grapes, bagels, a pizza, pasta, honey roasted cashews, yogurt, cranberry juice, and searched for fruit snacks, but couldn't find them. Ro got some dinner rolls, beef jerky, potato chips and probably a couple other things, but i can't remember.

as we were finishing up, we caught up with Ro's parents, and his mom said she wanted to take me back up to the upper floor to pick out a necklace. i've never even glanced at the jewelry, so i had no idea what the price range was, but i had a feeling it was going to be a little pricey. and i was right. > <

his mom had picked out two different necklaces, but didn't know which one i would like, so wanted me to pick it out. it's so awkward to be picking out your own present, right in front of the person who is buying it. especially when that someone is your boyfriend's mom (who you have only met a total of 4 times now) and the prices are more than you would spend on a necklace for yourself, unless you REALLY REALLY liked it. she insisted that they were going to pay for my things today (oops, feeling guilty for putting 3 pumpkins in the cart now!) and the necklace since i "took care of" Ro when we went to ohio (even though i didn't actually spend any of my own money on him!).

the necklace is a small diamond studded butterfly on a silver chain. i looked at some of the other pieces, some slightly more my style, but they were all even more expensive, and i shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, right?! plus, i can't really complain about cute and silver and diamonds!

we checked out and stopped and had hot dogs, pizza and free refill sodas before heading to the car and driving home. about 40 minutes later, they dropped Ro and me off at my house with all our purchases.

i didn't spend a dime and came home with my arms full. my three pumpkins make me smile every time i look at them.  i can't wait to carve them, put candles in them and take lots of fabulous pictures.

i am a happy happy girl.

p.s. Ro and i went to the park after getting home from costco, but will leave that for another post. don't want to use all my blog material in one post! ha. plus, it's past my bedtime...

number nerd

in a more perfect world, i would've gotten married today.

and how lucky are the little babies born today?

oh, so jealous. ...happy 10.10.10!

iphone photo no. 674

i am usually too embarrassed to take photos of people
(or other things that a lot of unabashed foreign tourists
take pictures of) but i couldn't NOT take this one:

um....wow.  but, well said (excusing the language, of course).

home stretch

making my things i love thursday list was a bit of a push this week. i came down with a very painful sore throat over the weekend, took a day off to drag myself to the doctor on monday and then worked three long (and ridiculously busy) days. including a couple difficult customers and situations. not "new" at work anymore, but there is still so much i have/need to learn.

normally i'm off on thursdays, but i went in today to cover for someone on vacation. at least that will make up for my lost hours (and money) from monday. but my sore throat has turned into an annoying head cold. i have to blow my nose about every 30 minutes and my voice is raspy, which makes singing at work a little hard, but, i'm about to finish off my round of antibiotics and at least the razors in my throat are gone.

i have to go to the doctor again tomorrow to get the results of my blood work. for the sake of not having to deal with more doctors and hospitals and clinics, i hope there's nothing wrong. though, at the same time, i do kind of hope there's some explanation and possible solution for my chronic sore throats and maybe even my recent tiredness.

then i work again on saturday. but, fabulous news: a new girl started at work and she'll be coming on saturday, which means i MIGHT be able to take more than my usual 10 minute lunch. saturdays are crazy. thank god monday is a holiday and i can get a full "weekend" soon. we're on the home stretch to sunday!

things i love thursday

.strong medicine.
.soy milk.
.leftover spaghetti.
.tuesday night tv.
.toasted pb&j sandwiches.
.short meetings at work.
.sweatpants.
.(professional) massages.
.good first impressions.

fell off the bandwagon

i was on a roll there posting everyday and was hoping to do another macro monday, but i don't have any decent macro shots. and i was preoccupied with finding someone to cover my shift at work, getting to the doctor, the drugstore and then promptly back into my bed. this is the 4th or 5th sore throat i've had in 10 months, which seems like a couple too many. and feels like 4 or 5 too many.

i got some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicine, passed on the tylenol (since i'm not going to pay for a prescription for something i bought over the counter in the US and brought with me to japan) and got some blood taken to run some tests. my dad said i should get it done to rule out any other illness or source of my chronic throat problems. a serious round of antibiotics is probably in my future.

the doctor i saw tried to tell me that i was run down and the last four years have caught up with me, living in this high stress city. he suggested some anti-anxiety medicine to help me sleep. i declined, not quite agreeing with him since my current job is less stressful, less hours, and much more enjoyable than the job i worked for the first 2 and a half years in this "high stress" city. also, simply for personal reasons, i would prefer not to take them. i would agree that i'm not sleeping great (wake up almost as tired) and i have been having crazy dreams verging on nightmares more than i ever remember, but i don't think it's from living in tokyo. i have to go back on friday to get my tests results, but i don't imagine i'll be going to this guy for much else.

this month is going to be really busy at work, so hopefully i can totally kick this sore throat/headache/general zoned out-ness in the next couple days. i woke myself (and Ro) up coughing all night last night (he was so sweet and rubbed my back as i practically coughed up a lung every time!) so, i'll taking my medicine like i should, eating my vegetables, drinking lots of water and trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep. oh, it's already past my bedtime!

asakusa afternoon

i'm fighting off yet another sore throat.  it's a nice bright red, very swollen and even more painful.  sigh.  i tried not to let it ruin a sunday with Ro though. 

Ro made pancakes this morning and then we decided to go get massages.  we found this place in asakusa, momidokororakuya, and made an appointment for 1pm.  we walked there and found it relatively easy, one street off nakamise with a very "chic japanese" store front.

i was kind of nervous when we got there and we had to wait for about 10 minutes.  the staff were all dressed in what i can only describe as black japanese scrubs and plastic flip flop-like geta.  the mood was very japanese, with shamisen music playing and japanese decor.   being right in the middle of asakusa, it probably attracts tourists and japanese alike.

the lady i got was a bit talkative and asked me all the "classic" oh-my-god-you're-a-foreigner-but-speak-japanese! questions that i didn't really feel like answering, but eventually she stopped and pushed nice and hard and on all the right places.  i hate when people don't know how to "find" the knots, but i guess being a paying customer helps.  i could have gone for another 40 minutes.  we each got a coupon for an additional 10 minutes free on our next 40 minute session, and i'll at least be going back for that, if not more.

we wandered around asakusa but ended up almost right across the street from the massage place at edomae yakiniku okamoto, where we've been before on a date back when we first started dating.  we finished that off with a cup of gelato from italia gelato, just around the corner.

we walked home and Ro caught the end of the horse races, which he lost, yet again.  i have started jokingly calling keiba as his other girlfriend, kei-chan.  he doesn't seem to think it's very funny.  imagine!  :P

he's napping now and my throat is acting up again.  i might just have to join him.  slow sundays like this are my favorite...

cupcakes!

in case you haven't noticed, i am on a cupcake kick.

and so, if you too want to make delicious cupcakes:



white cake

4 egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter*
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk**

(makes 24-30 cupcakes)

1. allow the egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. in a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  set aside.

3. in a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined.  add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

5. scoop into cupcake cups, filling halfway, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.  let cool completely before frosting.


* i used "cake margarine" i found at the store because all the butter was individually wrapped like restaurant butter and/or it was too expensive.  the recipe says if you use shortening, you'll get a slightly whiter cake.

** i don't know which carton in the "milk section" at the store is buttermilk, so i used the tip in my cookbook that says: "if you don't have buttermilk on hand, substitute sour milk in the same amount.  for each cup of sour milk needed, place one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup.  add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid; stir.  let mixture stand for 5 minutes before using."  i actually only used 1 cup but it worked like a charm.



butter frosting

butter
powdered sugar
milk
vanilla

i didn't include measurements because the ones in my cookbook seem way off.  i end up starting with a stick (about 1/2 cup) of butter (cake margarine) and then just add a bunch of powdered sugar, a splash of milk, and a teaspoon or two of vanilla and mix with my electric mixer.  then i do a very scientific taste test and add more sugar and/or milk to get the consistency and taste i want.  i made a chocolate version, which was even more fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, adding cocoa and a bit less powdered sugar and then slowly mixed in milk and vanilla until it passed the taste test.  there aren't a lot of ingredients, so it's kind of hard to mess up.


both recipes from better homes and gardens new cook book.

hello october

i'm starting october off on the right foot:  i did two loads of laundry, which will need folded once it's dry (10 minutes in the laundromat dryer, then hung to air dry).  i scrubbed the toilet and the toilet room floor and wiped the baseboard while i was at it too.  i also vacuumed my whole apartment and mr. clean wiped the floors and i only have one more round of dishes (two down!) to wash and the sink will be empty.  not bad for starting the day at 11am.

the construction next door has picked up.  the men arrive before 8am and do a nice radio taiso warm up before getting a pep talk from their fearless leader with a very manly "ganbaro!" at the end.  this all coincides with my waking up to go to the bathroom, fumbling around for my earplugs, and snuggling back under the covers until i can't sleep through the muffled noise any longer.  today the jackhammer was going all morning and after lunch too.

back in july, they knocked the building down and for most of august, the plot was a flat dirt bed.  then at the end of august they started working, but instead of building up, they keep digging holes and drilling and now they've got the backhoe in there scooping out all the dirt with jackhammers pounding away at who knows what.  the big boards on the entrance to the site say they are going to be finished by march 31st.  but, i might be gone by then.

my current apartment lease will be up march 15th.  since i will have to pay a contract renewal fee, Ro and i are talking about moving before i have to renew.  on the phone last night, we were talking about the increased cigarette prices, which started today, and how everyone was stocking up last night at the conbini, including Ro.  though he plans to slowly cut back and then quit when the cigarettes he bought last night run out or by march, he said.  i'm going to assume march is no coincidence?  ;)

as i was cleaning today, i looked at all my stuff and imagined having to box it up and move it somewhere.  it'll be a bitch to do.  definitely not something i'm looking forward to.  i will have to learn to throw things away in the next couple months.  i just can't part with things because they all have some sentimental value or memory attached to them.  i need to actually believe they are just things. things i can part with.

going to go finish off the dishes.  haven't heard one way or the other, but Ro is having dinner on this side of tokyo so he might show up later and i don't want another "you never wash the dishes" comment.  washing the dishes is by far my least favorite thing to do.  in fact, i think i'd even rather scrub the toilet.  folding laundry on the bed, on the other hand, is my favorite.  will do a little of that tonight too.  :)


p.s.  i rode my bike back and forth to the laundromat in a tank top and jeans.  i think everyone must have thought i was another crazy foreigner not wearing enough clothes, but for a quick run to the laundromat, it was perfect.  the perfect temperature, sunny, with a breeze.  the other day i also broke out my fall jacket, and it was actually cool enough to wear it over a long sleeve shirt.  oh how i love fall.  please stay.

things i love thursday

.licking the mixer beaters.
.jeans wearing weather.
.cupcakes.
.american grapes.
.gummy bears.
.cute hand-me-down clothes.
.making winter vacation plans.
.earplugs.
.yakiniku.

twenty five for twenty ten: september

1 hula hoop for 30 minutes 3 times a week
i hooped at deanne and masao's kira kira circus birthday celebration, but haven't gotten the hoops out otherwise.  :(

4 start an etsy shop/sell something i made
 etsy is waiting until i reach a self-induced goal...more to come soon.

5 make a budget and stick to it (continue ds budget book)
still inputting everything into my ds but slacking on the bank/budget front.  need to get a new bank book, too.

8 make two quilts (from start to finish)
first one: cupcakes and polka dot picnic quilt

11 throw away unnecessary stuff (work boxes, closet, pantry)
i did a pantry clean-out and threw away a bunch of stuff.  it's a start.

15 go to a performance of some kind
there's talk of going to Blue Man Group with Ro, but i'm not sure i want to shell out the money, and he thinks since it was my idea to go, i should be treating him.  ah, he has much to learn about wooing women...

16 bike across tokyo
i'm thinking about making this an october priority.  the weather will get too cold once november and december hit.

20 vacuum and wipe floors once a week
vacuuming has happened 2 or 3 times, but no wiping.  

21 read a book once a month
i finished the last book of my seven book sookie stackhouse box set.  i need to get the next one!

22 mail a letter to someone once a month
i sent my brother a (belated) birthday present with a pouch for his girlfriend.

23 call home at least once a month
oops.

24 get permanent hair removal (started in 09, finish)
going in this afternoon for my every-three-month appointment.

25 keep nails looking nice in an effort to quit biting my nails
still horribly ragged but the part that had been under the gel nails is almost all grown out, so i'm hoping they will start to look better as the old nail gets totally replaced by the "new" nail.

wordless wednesday

macro monday

tokyo
september 26, 2010
12:29pm

weekend stars

☆ i baked over two dozen cupcakes friday night.  i frosted them all with chocolate frosting.  i made it all from scratch (recipe post to come later, hopefully).  then i used star sprinkles i bought when i was home at christmas on some and did six with crushed oreo on top.  they are amazing.

☆ i wore jeans, a tank top, a long sleeve shirt, a light jacket, and my converse yesterday.  a little cooler than my ideal weather (which would be jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops with a hoodie at night) but i'll take it!  it finally feels like fall!!  :)

☆ Cheer went to costco yesterday and picked up gain liquid laundry detergent for me.  i went over to pick it up, and have a homecooked dinner (so yum) and her mom gave me some of the american grapes they bought, too.  note to self: must remember to ask her to buy grapes next time she's there and asks what i want!  oh they are just so good.

☆ i'm going to a bbq at a friend's house today.  and taking Ro.  (oooh, i wonder if CB will be there...?  ha!  wow, reading that post... the whole CB drama feels like so long ago.  i don't think he came to the bbq last year, but oh if he came this afternoon, wouldn't that be funny and also a little awkward!)

my day at photo school

last sunday, Ro and i went to a free photo class at a photo/design school in shibuya. they are recruiting for the april start school year, and if i had the time and the money, i would LOVE to go. but, in the meantime, the studio photo shooting, free lunch (sweet!) and afternoon photoshop lesson will have to tide me over.

 i spent a lot of time in photoshop erasing the dust that had collected on this plastic ice cream cone.  i love how the background looks slightly purple and the ice cream almost looks real!

i hardly touched this pellegrino in photoshop (believe it or not!) but learned a sneaky trick to make things look like they're floating.  probably not easily reproduced without spending a chunk of money, i love this photo since it's something i couldn't do on my own. 

i spent a lot of time in photoshop on this one too.  the original photo had a very small depth of field, but i made the front cherries even blurrier in editing.  these are plastic too, and while the stems look it, the cherries, at first glance, look pretty tasty!


the whole thing made me want

a. time and money to go to photo school
(neither of which will be happening ANY time soon, since it's expensive, and i'd need a job just to be able to pay tuition.)

b. a new camera
(though i LOVE my IXY whatever number it is. i've had it for a couple years and it takes great macro shots, so it keeps me happy.)

c. a new computer
(my 13" mac powerbook G4 - no longer made - computer sounds like it's about to take off. that, or just self combust without notice. it gets overwhelmed when i run itunes, firefox and my photo editing software at the same time and the reaction time becomes 3-10 times longer than what it "should" be.)

and

d. photoshop
(i currently use Gimp, a free download software, which isn't bad, but photoshop was so easy and user friendly. i was drooling.)


but, i did pick up some ideas and tips on how to set up lighting and then take "commercial photos," which is pretty much what i've been taking (trying to take?) of my sewing creations, so hopefully those photos will benefit from my day at photo school.