things i love thursday

.caramels from scratch.
.finding rare ingredients in japan.
.frosting cookies with friends.
.doctors who talk with you, not just at you.
.christmas shopping for #5.
.my denki mofu (electric blanket).
.good neighborhood friendships.
.a good q-tip ear cleaning.
.putting ornaments on my tree!.

things i love thursday

double duty for last week too:



.rooftop soccer.
.nabe parties.
.successful work events.
.retail therapy.
.buying things for people.
.chili's quesadilla explosion salad.
.snuggling.
.winter hats.
.apple pie from scratch.





.voxer messages from #5 that make me laugh.
.hotel buffet breakfasts and lunches.
.exploring new cities.
.nyquil, dayquil and robitussin.
.airplane window views.
.vacation planning (kyoto in march?!).
.tokyo winter's gorgeous blue skies.
.tetris battle on super nintendo.
.hot baths.

number nerd

happy 12.12.12!

things i love thursday

yup, hi friday.



.vivid dreams i remember.
.ed sheeran's you need me, i don't need you.
.tohato caramel corn "hot milk cocoa" flavor.
.sleeping in #5's sweatshirt.
.finishing my first 10k in under an hour.
.the cold air in my lungs during morning runs.
.my christmas tree!!!!!.
.slow dancing in my living room to xmas music.
.four cheese pizza at neighborhood restaurant.

things i love thursday (thanksgiving!)

yeah yeah, i realize this is way late.
life has been crazy (*good* crazy):




.borrowing a turkey roaster (NEED my own!).
.new wine glasses.
.hosting thanksgiving.
.strawberry champagne at 1:30pm.
.fresh flowers.
.my mom's cranberry salad recipe.
.american beer!!.
.thanksgiving leftovers for dinner.
.having a wonderful "family" in japan.

things i love thursday

.girl talk.
.thanksgiving is coming up!.
.laffy taffy.
.ridiculous laffy taffy jokes.
.early morning texts from #5.
.rare small classes.
.window shopping.
.ugg boots.
.karaoke.

on #5, who will need a "real" nickname.

he can sing.

and he serenades me with songs like this:

things i love thursday

.#5.
.chicken chili and homemade cornbread.
.dr. pepper.
.productive meetings.
.biker jackets.
.walking together in the rain.
.taylor swift's everything has changed.
.dinner with coworkers.
.the way a smell can melt you.

update and #5

updates

#1: we have been out for drinks a couple times. he usually initiates and if i'm free or not already home, i say yes. i've said no equally as many times. the vibe i get is "i'd rather drink with you than drink alone," and i'm perfectly okay with that. just hoping he's not expecting it to go any farther than that.

#2: in my attempt at being upfront and Bold, i hinted in a text that i wasn't romantically interested. i left his "i get your drift" text as "unread" in Line and the date we tentatively set to meet up again came and passed without a word.

#3: we became facebook friends a week after our "date" and i spontaneously invited him to check out shimokitazawa one saturday. he didn't get the message until monday. apologized but initiated plans to re-try the pizza place that was closed last time. pizzeria dinner planned for this coming sunday.

#4: damn, that boy is persistent. maybe he thinks i'm just playing hard to get? (i'm not.) but answering every 3rd or 4th text and then leaving texts "unread" for days has seemed to send the message.

(note to any interested boys: i will not respond to texts such as, but not limited to, "hey," "hello," "oh (fill in the blank)," or "so, plans?" ask me a question or MAKE plans and ask if i want to do those plans. take some initiative! likewise, if i seem to be avoiding making concrete plans, i'm probably not all that interested - why are these such difficult concepts??)

new developments

#5: he gave my profile a high rating (ugh, that just sounds so weird) and i took it as a chance to message him over the online site. we struck up conversation and hit it off as well as one can when only exchanging messages. we messaged a lot over the next couple days. (very) new to japan american in the military. cute. we made plans to meet up for dinner this past tuesday. first impression? even better looking than his pictures, smells good (i'm a sucker for good smelling boys), looks great in jeans and a t-shirt, converse sneakers and glasses (sigh...) dinner was really nice. i didn't do a great job ordering, but it's probably about time i learn to order instead of just relying on my japanese friends. he speaks ZERO japanese but he's curious and wants to learn. everything is new and wonderful; it's refreshing and cute to see someone look around at everything in this country in a child-like wonder. we talked about a little bit of everything. we have similar humor and he made me laugh most of the evening. we agreed to do something on saturday, and exchanged numbers, but i wasn't sure if that was just my asking and him saying yes, or if he was actually interested in getting together again. post date texting has him flirting and calling me beautiful or cutie in passing and saying he's looking forward to saturday. it does not appear to be one sided. ;) he makes me nervous, in a good way. we have already talked about going snowboarding this winter and when talking about running, i mentioned i was thinking about entering a 30k in january and he said he wants to run it, too. can't wait for saturday. (insert goofy grin...ha)

the glass-half-empty part of me wonders if it's too good to be true and there must be a catch, right? part of me wants to jump in wholeheartedly, because how could someone possibly be so funny and sweet and good looking and actually be interested back?! but i am also nervous about my own inability to take things slow. i have a track record of falling for jealous/controlling types, so i need to make sure i'm not getting in over my head.


otherwise, there have been a couple other message conversations happening, but nothing that has resulted in actually meeting. here's to november! ;)

(oh and yes, am gonna try to post more than just things i love thursdays this month)

things i love thursday

.rice krispie treats.
.never leaving the house on fridays.
.thriving plants.
.findng corn meal (cornbread coming!).
.boys who make me laugh.
.likewise, boys who make me nervous.
.helping strangers when no one else would.
.down vests.
.wait, how is it november?!!.

things i love thursday

ah yes, it is friday again...



.nerds (the candy).
.catching up with friend via skype.
."new" outfits using old clothes.
.good lotion and vaseline.
.staying in bed as late as possible.
.guacamole and chips, for dinner.
.crisp blue skies.
.great smelling conditioner.
.naps in the afternoon sun.

things i love thursday

.carving pumpkins.
.chocolate covered pretzels.
.square photo prints.
.the last day of a LONG six day work week.
.sweatpants.
.cranberry juice.
.roasted pumpkin seeds.
.making a mix cd (first in years!).
.hot lemonade in the mornings.

things i love thursday

.cooking with friends.
.tristan prettyman's new album, cedar + gold.
.new clothes (on sale!).
.mexican food.
.peanut butter cap'n crunch.
.funky manicured nails.
.post-braided hair.
.starting new projects.
.days to myself.

#2 #3 and #4

i have been busy. ;)

#2
picture-less but witty. "built like a linebacker." a little cocky. profile says 6'7''. really?!
wore heels (tall ones, making me probably close to 6") and didn't even come close.
big guy. long, clean dreads. briefcase and patterned collared shirt. owns his own business.
end of september, burger place in ebisu. burger place was unimpressive.
conversation was good. he's funny. enjoyable but no spark. seems to know a lot about
computers/hackers and left feeling very paranoid about facebook/twitter/blogging/etc.
post date texting led to plans to meet again in late october. feeling ho hum about it though.

#3
three days later, plans to head to a pizzeria in shibuya. cute australian. just got to japan,
looking for friends. got caught in a downpour with no umbrellas. pizzeria was closed,
ran for cover laughing in the rain. subtle-ly gentleman-ly. ducked into a very japanese-y
place and the menu was one of those handwritten-impossible-to-read ones. ack.
easy going, laidback aussie. great facial hair, brains. 24, in a totally different place in life.
would be a nice friend?

#4
another picture-less one. initially unimpressed by lack of answer-with-follow-up-question
responses but still broke the "never say yes to invites the day of" rule to go to a burger
place in shirokane last night. burger was excellent. he paid for dinner, i paid for drinks at
another place after dinner.  very funny guy. enjoyed his sense of humor and we laughed a lot.
looks a bit like steve sanders from 90210 (i just image googled, and damn, that kid
grew into a very fine looking man). post date texting feels like he's trying a bit too hard.


seems like there are a handful of witty, smart guys online, but none have produced a spark yet.


on a semi-related note, i went to a fundraising event at a bar on wednesday and struck up conversation with several people. meishi exchanges were going on all over the place. once was in a circle with 3 other people: 2 white guys and a japanese woman. we were speaking english, but it slowly became apparent that at least 3 of us could speak enough japanese that we could have gone either way. one of the guys seemed keen on the woman, and when i turned to the other guy to talk, the first guy took the chance to chat her up in japanese. otherwise seemed to be a classic japanophile. gah. after a bit, our circle split up and we did our own mingling. near the end of the evening, the guy i had talked to and i passed each other. in the spirit of Bold Moves October, i caught his eye and said we should get drinks sometime. he said his phone was dead, so i just asked him for his number. post event texting resulted in plans to meet next week.

here's to october!! :)

things i love thursday

 oh hello friday (again).

 
.getting pumpkins!!!!.
.captain crunch.
.fancy cocktails.
.good burgers.
.productive work days.
.full social calendar.
.october = BMO.
.compliments on cheap jewelry.
.beer for books.

things i love thursday

oh hello friday.

.new furniture.
.new plates.
.this cooler weather.
.four cheese pizza with honey.
.good hair days.
.eye masks (hello noon!).
.inheriting plants.
.heartfelt midnight chats.
.running and laughing in the rain.

things i love thursday

.new friends.
.bad lip reading videos (youtube it!).
.bacon, on a hangover morning.
.new ombré hair (but i'm also still a bit unsure).
.angus & julia stone.
.cold rain.
.gummy bears.
.online flirting.
.my new moccasins.

things i love thursday

.four mile run, and it felt good!.
.cupcakes for dinner.
.calling my parents from my cell phone (thanks skypeout).
.ticket "home" for new years (convening in colorado).
.being able to make next day hair appointments (tomorrow!).
.moccasins.
.cooler mornings and evenings.
.designing and laminating signs at work.
.painted fingernails = they actually grow out.

#1

he gets the honor (?) of being the first guy i went on a date with from the online dating site.

before i left work, i asked my coworker what i should wear.  she said "definitely no skirt." ha! in the end, i wore what i wore to work: a silky cream colored top with little black stars on it, boyfriend jeans rolled up, and black flats with a silver pointy toe. i wore my hair half "up" by twisting sections up and back and pinning them down, leaving the rest down and wavy.

he was running late, so i waited at the station for about 20 minutes. but he apologized, and really, i have no room to be impatient with people who run late (it's often me!).

i was skeptical of his english ability (based on a few brief messages, exchanged before meeting) but it wasn't bad. usually i realize my japanese is better than their english, so i switch; he was able to hold his own and by the end of the night, we were still speaking primarily english with a few japanese words thrown in.

he picked an izakaya (which just happened to be) staffed by good looking japanese guys, who shouted every time someone came in, left, complimented the food, ordered, did ANYthing. was quite funny and entertaining to pretend (for the most part) that i didn't speak japanese. love trying to get japanese people to use their elementary english (because they think i can't speak japanese, even though i laugh and respond when they say something in japanese) so we had some good laughs and conversation was pretty basic nice-to-meet-you type stuff.

we left and went to a tachinomiya, which he frequents, though apparently the staff were a bit "cooler" toward him since he was with a girl and not by himself, like usual. some random college kid walked over and asked if he could join us (really?!) and i didn't hesitate to say yes, but it was a little weird. #1 said, on our way home, "what was up with that kid? i wanted to say, 'kuki yome' to him!"  hahaaha. exactly.

anyway, was a nice way to break up the complete one-on-one. as we left the bar, we kept subtly (drunkenly?) bumping into each other as we walked back to shibuya station. there was an awkward nice-meeting-you half-hug and we said goodbye. i came home wondering how long it's gonna (*was* wondering, i just got a message from him) take him to give the very standard japanese "thanks for tonight" message.

before meeting, i purposely didn't give him my phone number or mail address (and communicated solely through the website) thinking that if things didn't go well, i didn't have to give him my info and that if things went well, he could ask me for my number (oh how optimistic i am...) but he hasn't yet.

post date message? "hi, it was very fun meeting you tonight! hope to see you again soon. i will let you know when i am going out in xxx or xxx area;)"

i'd be up for meeting up again, but i worry what we'd talk about (me, whose mouth usually runs a mile of a minute!) so we'll see if he actually comes through...

heart ache

i saw the photo somewhere in my half-awake half-asleep facebooking from my phone.

i saw a couple comments.

an old high school teacher: "love this! miss (my name)!"

i just logged in from my computer; saw the photo again.

it's such a good photo from this past weekend. hiking in colorado.

both my parents look so happy, both my brothers are smiling so big.

my sister-in-law and my other brother's girlfriend there, too.

and i'm not.

fuck, it hurts. today it hurts so bad.

i haven't sobbed like this in months. damn...

how can i be in a place that i love and yet be missing something i need so much.

this is just a big jumble in my head.

i have this apartment that i love, a job i love, friends...i am happy.

but my heart is breaking and i fear so much that i will regret making this choice.

that i will look back and say, i shouldn't have been here for so long.

that i screwed up.

that i miss my family so much...

things i love thursday

.painting my nails.
.getting a case of japanese pears in the mail.
.saizeriya (so cheap!!).
.running is getting easier.
.start early, end early work days.
.nestea icetea.
.bowling (and winning!).
.online flirting.
.calendars and planning.

the GUD proposal

message (directly copy/pasted for full effect) from:

33 / m / straight / single
hung hom, hong kong

"wow i have never see a pretty lady like you in my entire life, i wonder why you are here on this site,if i am asked to make a wish, i do ask to ever meet you and have a walk beside you on the street,and more importantly spend my life time together with you,oh,what a romantic smile from a sweet lady. Nevertheless i could be the reason why you are here, can we be friends?"


i guess that's one way to propose! jeesh.

as if i needed another reason not to respond,
you, sir, are what i call a GUD.

Geographically UnDesirable

not to mention over the top and totally inappropriate.

next!

twenty for 2012: july and august

4. climb mt fuji with my parents
i didn't climb with them, but i climbed twice (once in july by myself and once in august with two friends)

14. do (make?) something for my mom's 60th birthday
i called. i didn't do anything. slacker daughter.

15. do fourth of july (aka picnic party)
didn't happen. BUT, i bought a grill and have had people over a lot for burgers on the grill.

16. go to the beach (and do it before obon, when the jellyfish come out)
done (x2)
went to chigasaki for the first time. got rained on and everything was completely wet except for the clothes that were in our bags. but then the rain stopped, we went to shabushabu for an early dinner and stuck it out to watch the fireworks show, right over the water. it was awesome and i imagine i'll try to plan to go again next year on their firework day.
went to yuigahama for the day with a bunch of fabulous boys. it was perfect weather and i didn't even get burnt. miracle.

20. call/facetime my parents on a regular basis and always tell them i love them.
i didn't talk to my parents much in the last 2 months. missed a facetime call from my dad and tried calling back, got a few "sent from my phone" emails from my dad when they were in colorado hiking mid august, finally got a hold of them on the last day of august.

new adventures in dating

i was bored and signed up on an online dating site to see
what all the talk is about. if i'm like any of the people
i know who have online profiles, you can look forward to
future posts about ridiculous messages, weird dates, funny
guys and, if we're lucky, a good looker or two. stay tuned.

p.s. as i get to posting this, i'm in the middle of a "dude,
how many times must i say thanks but NO thanks" conversation.

things i love thursday

.motorcycle rides (don't tell my dad!).
.raspberries, blueberries and grapes.
.girl friends who just come over.
.post run cherry coke.
.not gonna wait, by baker.
.spontaneous cookouts.
.thoughtful boys.
.painting my nails (successful tape manicure!).
.going to bed early AND sleeping in late.

things i love thursday

.10pm runs (who AM i?!).
.spending the day at the beach.
.new hats.
.kua'aina burgers.
.sparklers.
.not feeling like i "wasted" vacation.
.getting tencho (at the register) at family mart.
.new handmade "tough" jewelry.
.drinks with cute boys (sigh...haha).

quote of the day

"gratitude turns everything into enough."

- em of today's letters

eight days later

☆ went to tokyo midtown water fireworks with a friend and her two adorable sons. beer on the grass for an hour beforehand. perfect summer start.

☆ climbed mt. fuji with two girl friends. reminded me that i *am* in decent shape, and in much better shape than your average japanese girl. (yay but also...sigh...)　

☆ went shopping (running shoes and new work socks plus a dress, top, bag and two pairs of cute summer shoes all on sale, and dried mango from kaldi)

☆ saw futago-tamagawa fireworks with same friend and her two sons. i was a first time goer this year and will know better when picking out a spot next year. but they were good. the horrendous re-routing and traffic jam of people on the way back to the station was not good. may have to ride my bike there next year.

☆ started running. i've gone twice and can already tell that the path along the tama river is gonna be amazing for marathon training.

☆ rearranged my living room. i have been toying with the idea of buying a tv, so i rearranged with a space for it in mind. it's a nice change. now i might actually have to shell out of a tv??

☆ spent an entire day at yuigahama beach with a bunch of boys. most are friends of a friend, but they have welcomed me every time we hang out. some are so flamboyantly gay (on purpose?); it's built in entertainment. and this whitey managed *not* to get sunburned, but got just a touch of color, which is a miracle in and of itself.

☆ got a postcard from my "pen pal" and a book from matt logelin. as well as the postcard i sent to myself from the top of mt fuji. yay for something other than bills.

☆ took several "unplanned" naps on the couch, drank lots of beer, ate lots of junk food, and cooked a few times. THAT'S vacation, baby.

quote of the day

there will never be a
"good" or "right" time
to do anything worth
doing. do it anyway.
as soon as you can.

-post secret postcard

things i love thursday

just barely still friday...oops.



.water fireworks at tokyo midtown.
.no, the GRASS at tokyo midtown.
.chill summer music concerts.
.getting another day per week at work (more ennies!).
.mt fuji sunrises.
.pirikara udon at 3776m.
.getting real running shoes.
.retail therapy.
.postcards and packages.

summer vacation

i have rolled out of bed close to noon the last two days. 

i love you, summer vacation.


last night, spur of the moment,

i met a friend and her two kids at tokyo midtown for their water fireworks.

(finally someone who plans like me, "i'm going tonight, wanna join?" YES.)

there was grass (!!!) and beer and laughter.

every night from july 20th to september 2nd.

i will be there at LEAST once a week, probably twice, until the 2nd.

grass, people! and beer! and kids and laughter and it's...just. so. SUMMER!

and because it's every night, there's no frantic spot saving.

it doesn't even get crowded until 7:30 or so.

i got there yesterday at 6:30 and could sit where ever i wanted.

it's still light out, you can sprawl out on the grass, drink your draft beer

(from the booth conveniently right next to the grassy lawn)

and just relax, even on...gasp...weekdays?!

yes, THAT is what summer is about.

and grilling hamburgers, too.

and mt fuji, of course!

(leaving tomorrow round two. :) )

not a runner by trade

i have never really liked running for the sake of just running. 

i joined cross country in middle school and was a decent runner, earning points for our team here and there, i think. or, maybe more than that? i don't remember...

and i ran track in the spring of my sophomore year of high school because i was bored and had nothing else to do in the soccer off-season and a friend was on the team.

i occasionally went for runs on the back country roads around my rural college town, but the stress relief goal was usually outweighed by my "need" (and usual inability) to run a faster mile.

so why did i just register* for the tokyo marathon?!

i have no idea.**

guess i should probably buy some actual running shoes.


*there are way more applicants than spots, so they hold a lottery mid-october to determine who can run. they do separate "japanese" and "foreign" drawings, and apparently the chances are pretty good if you're a foreign applicant. we'll see!

**actually, i toyed with the idea last year but missed the registration deadline and it's one of the things on my not-written-anywhere-but-half-written-in-my-head-30-things-by-30-list, which has a march 2013 deadline.  eek!

storage talk

almost 6 months, to the day, since moving, i finally put together my bed frame.

(wow, it was six months ago that i packed up my life and moved...out and on...)

until now i've been sleeping with it on the floor, and i kind of like that look.

but under the bed storage became a higher priority.

i have 2 suitcases, 2 spare futons, a christmas tree,

and probably 8-10 boxes that are still packed up.

eventually i hope to throw things away, but i haven't made it that far yet.

instead i put together the bed frame and gained a queen-size storage area.


want to buy one more ikea bookshelf that fits the senmenjo area better than

the metal rack i currently have. want to rotate my washer 90° too, but the

guy who installed it said not to move it, so i guess it's too late for that?


grilling out again tonight (3rd time this summer) with friends and some recent

acquaintances and tomorrow's totally open. i have work on sunday (and will

probably have to stay late-ish) but then i have eight days of vacation. EIGHT!!

maybe i should spend some of that time sorting and throwing some stuff away...?

things i love thursday

ah friday, hello.



.burgers on the grill for dinner.
.cheese pizza with honey.
.folding laundry.
.feeling productive at work.
.frozen rolos.
.finally getting rid of apt's mystery smell.
.overtime making up for obon vacation.
.yakitori.
.more BBQ.

quote of the day

"here's a tip on how to bring absolute joy into your life faster than it may have otherwise arrived: every day, in some small way, even secretly if you like, look for a chance to help someone else."

-the universe

things i love thursday

yep, it's another friday.



.mt fuji sunrises.
.dried cherries.
.ice packs (on neck, in bed, anywhere!).
.invitations (drinks, dinner, events, anything!).
.no doubt's "settle down".
.tristan prettyman's "my oh my".
.air conditioning.
.meeting new people.
.live music with great thai food and beer.

doing summer right

i stumbled home this morning at some time after 6.

it took me nearly an hour and a half to get home because all the trains were running every 20 minutes and every time i transfered i had to wait.

it was a weird night.

one of those weird "international" parties with a door fee and a raffle (didn't win) and we were super antisocial and sat at a table on the 2nd floor (balcony-esque) and happily drank our pints.

my friend, who invited me, brought his coworker/friend along. nice guy. a little quiet in the beginning, but when he was in the bathroom, my friend told me that he's really bad at meeting new people and that he was actually doing really well talking to me. he's not bad looking but even said himself that he hasn't had a girlfriend for 4 years. just another shoshoku danshi? sigh. oh well, seems really genuine and just needing a little more confidence. or something.

we left right after the raffle and met up with 2 of my coworkers and went to some bar. i don't think i could find it again if i had all the time in the world.

sometime after midnight, a guy kicked a girl's bar stool, sending her to the floor in a drunken apologetic sobbing mess. they had been flirting and suddenly he sent her flying. she was trying to hold it together, and i put my arm around her asking if she was okay and she just apologized over and over to me. i told her she most definitely did not have to apologize to us. we told her she should probably get out of there, because the guy showed no signs of backing down or leaving himself. after she left, we talk to him (he was actually friends with the guy that invited me out) and turns out he was married and having an affair with her and then she saw him having drinks with yet another girl and she accused him of cheating on her and he got pissed. yeah, it was messed up.

sometime after that i cried about something. some conversation about SoCal. (ugh. really? ...sigh.)

the guys i went with originally went home, and then i fell asleep against the wall. around 4:45 i woke up to the american national anthem on the bar tv. we won some olympic event, but my eyes and drunked brain couldn't tell what.

when i finally made it home, i slept fitful, hot and in hour or two spurts. at 10:30 i had such a pounding headache, making it to the bathroom was a struggle. at noon, the guy who invited me out called to make sure i got home safe. a sweet heart (with a girlfriend) that holds doors for girls, pays their door fee, and surprises you since he looks a bit like a mexican gangster.

i finally rolled out of bed at 3pm. showered and then went commando to the conbini (bahaha!) to pay my internet bill. i called the service center to find out that i indeed hadn't paid my June bill, which is why they turned my internet off. paid the bill and less than 30 minutes later, the internet was back on. sasuga japan.

i came home and couldn't hold off any more. the a/c is now on. and it feel fabulous.

oh august, if the first days of you are any indication (have gone out every night this week), you're going to be a hot mess. yes. ridiculous and extremely fun but a total shit show. here's to the summer!

hello august.

this week is another sleep deprived one.

and there's no sign of things

slowing down until late (late) august.

lots of girl friend dates, music events and bbqs.

a little more mt. fuji thrown in there too.

bring on the coffee...



p.s. i have resisted the a/c so far.
how far into august will i make it?

post fuji daze

was only a post or two behind and then mt fuji happened. things are kind of a blur. i went out to a friend's for drinks on saturday and was a bit out of it, and work yesterday was like i was in a fog. i mean, doing what i needed to do and getting things done, but i felt like i was only half "there." weird.

my whole body is sore (day two soreness is turning out worse in some ways than day one soreness.) and my feet and ankles are so swollen they don't even look like my feet! my shins are acting up too.

i have a ridiculous sunburn on the back of my legs that looks like i'm wearing pink socks. will be wearing tights for another week or so. note to self: put sunscreen on ANY piece of skin that is exposed - the mt fuji sun WILL find it.

i was extremely jealous of the girls working at the top this year. they all seemed really cool and i wished so much that i still had a summer vacation and could still work at the top.

late last night i realized i have a whole summer of photos that have never been published anywhere. i had big dreams for those pictures. maybe it's time to do something with them again...

things i love thursday

.bbq!!!!!!!.
.perfect summer pasta salad.
.skirts, skirts, skirts.
.the smell of citronella.
.tomato babies.
.french braids.
.new clothes (on SALE, double yay).
.tristan prettyman's new single (my oh my).
.local restaurant owner gives me freebies.

4.

hair


it's funny, for awhile i was always in front of the computer and never blogged.

now i'm filling my calendar so full that i hardly think to blog or

it's a last thought when i am actually already wanting to head to bed.


got my hair done today then went out for turkish food with May.

wow, i don't know that i've used her name on here in years.

we talk about everything from boys and drama and gossip to

facebook and social pressure and artistic expression...


she called me "kawaii" and took a couple pictures of me.

i'm so uncomfortable in front of cameras like that.

even with freshly cut and dyed hair.

i'm wanting to change something, but summer

is too hot for anything other than UP. maybe come fall?

go short(er)? or add a fun color underneath?

hair is like rearranging furniture;

the urge doesn't go away, it only gets stronger or weaker.

the grill

the grill
i bought
this past week
is probably
the best
thing i have
purchased
since my
christmas tree.

it makes me seriously happy. :)

28.

cup

the other day i went to rise, in futagotamagawa. it was my first time there and i did some serious damage to my wallet. a dress and shirt at H&M, a rug for my genkan, some air plants and some citronella candles. i don't know that i've ever seen citronella candles in japan except at costco, so i stood there for at least 5 minutes debating which ones to get.  they even had the outdoor torch style, which i wanted to get, but the burning time was the shortest, so i couldn't justify the splurge. instead i got three of these little guys:

"cup type"

p.s. my mini grill came today!! it's awesome and i can't wait to use it tomorrow for burgers on the grill! :)

things i love thursday

.shopping alone.
.air plants(!!!).
.the smell of tomato plants.
.lunch dates with girl friends.
.forgetting what day it is (all day last friday).
.cold ginger ale.
.boys who can sing (and play guitar).
.skittles.
.bbq food and mini grill arrive tomorrow!!!!!.

1.

(e)mail

three months ago, we started using (and subsequently tweaking) a new customer database system at work. it's custom made, so we've been working with a system engineer to fix the [inevitable] bugs and also add more functions as the need arises. for our location (there are a couple locations but all under the same company) i knew the old system pretty well, so it was natural that i would become the person to get to know the new system and be the "go-to" person when people had questions, etc. that means i'm also the person who emails the system engineer when we have questions or problems. thus, my "business email japanese" has gotten (hopefully?) much better. why, hello new skill set. :)

so tonight, when i got an email from the seller i bought my grill from saying they ran out of stock, and since they wouldn't be getting any more until march 2013, they were going to have to cancel my order.

first thing i think? you may have rained on my barbeque a little bit, but i'm definitely writing a nasty email to complain about this one, including lines like, "why, if there were none in stock, was i able to make the purchase online?" and "why did it take 5 days for you to realize you didn't have any more in stock?" and "if i had known, i would have gone ahead and purchased the grill from another store so i could have it by the time i need it" and "i don't plan on purchasing from you again, but perhaps you should make it so that you can't order it if there are none in stock" and a little "非常に困ります" for good measure.

i may be a push over in person, and even though there's really nothing they can do, at least i can send a great complaint email.

quote of the day

i have this monthly calendar that has 31 sayings only numbered so you can reuse it every month. i've had it forever and have some favorite quotes, but usually i re-discover a couple each time through.

after a spontaneous [yes-i-know-i-said-i-was-going-to-say-no-next-time-but-i-was-bored] dinner with SoCal last night, today's seems appropriate:

「わかってくれ」と
人に言うな
自分の評価は
自分でしかできない

though probably much less eloquent, my translation:

don't say to people,
"understand me"
the only one that determines your worth
is you

26.

sunshine

from the station

8.

lunch

five cherry tomatoes

and one cucumber

with

olive oil

balsamic vinaigrette

and fresh basil

(from my garden)

dressing:

5.

on the floor

my genkan finally has a rug. :)

29.

last thing you bought

bring on the burgers, i just bought a smokey joe!!

the estimated delivery is july 20-24th. 
i need it on the 21st, so am hoping that's a very
"japanese" estimation and it arrives next friday.



edited to add: before i bought it, i read several reviews, etc.
but later, i made the mistake of googling it (post-purchase).
$29.99 at target, walmart and lowe's in the US...sigh. oh japan.

things i love thursday

.concrete mt. fuji plans.
.one last mint brownie.
.ni-chome with cute boys.
.cold tomato soup from family mart.
.spontaneous dinners with my best friend from h.s.
.free refills (esp. when it's flavored lemonade!).
.sprawling out on a queen size bed (aaahhh).
.cool(ish) evenings with all the windows open.
.skirts and sneakers.

23.

something you're listening to

7.

garden

in tokyo, anything goes

sometime between the hours of 1am and 4am, a couple malibu pineapples,
some pole dancing and lots of overly fashionable cute boys in shinjuku ni-chome,
there was a man blowing bubbles, dragging his pet along behind him.

his pet corn on the cob.
yes indeed, there was.

the boys of 2012

(i tried to find a "post a day" theme that i could work this into.  there wasn't one even remotely close!)

i just spent about 15 minutes looking through my archives to see if i ever wrote about the boy i ran into last night, M. i think i hinted at him in some things i love thursday posts and here, but he never got much more than that. SoCal came along then too. at the time i was still talking to S, who made this comment about the M and SoCal predicament. and when both of those flat-lined, baseballBoy asked me out. and i'm sure you're already confused.  which boy is which?!

so...
there was S.
then the guy i ran into last night, M.
and then SoCal.
and then baseballBoy.

recap and update:
 
S: made a very untimely (but in a lot of ways, a very much needed) entrance here and was in japan for 2 months (december to early february). we hung out a lot in january. he's a really nice guy and was really understanding when i was going through a really messy breakup. a lot of our conversations helped me process a lot of the mess. now he's back in the states and we still talk about everything and anything. we skype every week or so. it's not always pg-13. (ha)
 
M: an old high school friend that resurfaced late last year at a friend's wedding and other get togethers after that. i flirted as best i could for a couple months (february, march and early april). there were several gatherings and parties with high school friends and i set myself up perfectly for him to invite me out but he would always just reply, "yeah, let's all go out together blahblahblah." mid april, SoCal showed up and i sort of gave up on M and his lack of initiation. then i ran into him last night at a club in shibuya!  i was out clubbing for the first time in over 6 months and i run into him?! i had seen him across the room but he hardly registered until he walked by and made obvious eye contact and said my name as a question. he assumed i go clubbing all the time (ugh, so far from the truth). a little while later, the two guys i went with were 1. MIA and 2. sleeping on a chair in the corner, so i hung out with M and his friend and some other people i had met through my two guy friends earlier in the night. it was nice to see him, and i wanted to take it as "now timing is right" or a sign or something, but something in my gut tells me he's just not that interested. he's a self-proclaimed "rolled cabbage guy," which in my mind means if he *was* interested, i would know by now. (is that what he was trying to tell me?) in the morning when everyone parted ways, we were on the same train line for a couple stops and then we said goodbye. and that was it. booooring. haha.

SoCal: also most recently referred to as f*cking SoCal. we went on some dates, and some other nonblogged things happened, but then after the [first paragraph] incident here, we haven't talked, except for a couple sudden invites from him to get drinks. one i couldn't make (had a date with baseballBoy! haha) and the other he backed out of ("crazy phone call at work, can't get out now, sorry! my bad!!!!") but i suspect he just got a better offer from some other girl. am still trying to think of a witty way to decline his next invite, if it ever comes.

baseballBoy: coming in looking like a perfect gentleman after SoCal, we went on a date or two, and date three was a "late night tv date" (read: trains will have stopped, sleep over date) at his place (in which nothing major actually happened, but enough happened to spur on the "actually i just like you as a friend" conversation) we are...well, just friends. he still "Likes" more than half my status updates and photos on facebook though, and wants to come over for a me-cooked dinner sometime.  confusing as all get out.  over it a bit, actually, but he is a nice guy and we probably will just be friends. totally grandma/grandpa-esque friends who get excited about growing vegetables. ;)


with that, i'm taking a break.
they can call if they want,
but i'm calling all my girl friends.

up for the next month: play date with friend and her 2 kids, mt. fuji, local music matsuri/bbq party at my house, beach with new friend (the girl i met through SoCal, probably needs a nickname, we hang out a lot)...and some work somewhere in there too!  ;)

things i love thursday

hi friday.



.newly paved roads.
.my plants blooming.
.pizza and wine.
.making neighborhood acquaintances.
.productive work days.
.mint brownies.
.daily crunches = a less sore back.
.leaving early and sitting outside for 10 minutes before work.
.mt fuji is open for climbing!!!.

12.

a corner of your home

this is my bedroom [before i moved in, obviously]. 

should probably completely unpack someday...
and then take "after" photos to go with this
and all the other "before" photos i took.

6.

your neighborhood

i moved to the area in february.  not exactly heartbroken, but mending an exhausted heart.  i knew nothing of the area, and moved on blind faith.  i hoped that, like every place i had moved to before, i would grow to love it.

one day, there was a sign for a new "italian" restaurant opening along the road i walk each day to and from the station. i have passed it every day since it opened mid-may.

tonight i was feeling a little lonely, but figured a glass of wine and a 一人外食 evening might not be so bad afterall.  (long story short: date with baseballBoy on friday was not actually a "date" and i left feeling slightly, though my own daydreaming at fault, rejected. tonight on my way home, i checked facebook and he was heading to tokyo and asking if anyone wanted to get dinner. i refrained from replying. sigh...)

in passing the bright blue door everyday, i have imagined becoming a regular, making friends with the waitstaff but never walked in until tonight on my way home.

i was the only customer and the chef's son (4) was sitting in the corner along the wall bench completely enthralled in his ipad game.  the chef apologized for his kid being there, but he was quiet and hardly looked up, even when his dad spoke to him (hail the power of the ipad!).

i ordered an appetizer that was cold marinated chicken with orange compote (could have used more orange compote though),  the chef's pizza that changes regularly (currently BLT pizza) and a glass of white wine.  delicious. but it was so much, i could hardly finish.

the owner cleared his son's pizza plate, only half eaten and brought out two cups of tiramisu. he brought it over and said, "良かったら食べてください." definitely not one to turn down dessert! we talked a bit about having just moved here (they did too) and where i was from, etc (aka: the standard when people find out this blond haired whitey can speak japanese).

as i was finishing, a young woman walked in and i thought, "oh she doesn't realize they already had last order..." but when she walked in, she said, "いらっしゃいませ" and i realized, she's the wife of the chef.  she disappeared to the back, only to reappear when she heard me speaking to her husband in japanese.  they stood and talked to me for probably 15-20 minutes. they remind me a bit of a young couple starting a restaurant in my home town that i worked for back in college. i hope they are just as successful.

as i left, the chef offered me candy from a bucket full of dumdum suckers. i commented how i used to eat them all the time when i was a kid.  and then i remembered seeing some article online about the mystery flavor being the "flavor" that resulted when they changed the flavor on the non-stop machine, so all the "mystery flavors" are actually a combination of 2 flavors. they didn't know, but apparently had actually had customers ask what flavor the question mark ones were (japanese white lie?).

i left with a huge smile on my face. well worth my 2,200yen.

2.

younger you

apparently i went through a stage

during which my dad asked my mom,

"is she going to wear anything other than pink?"

i don't remember that stage. 

in my memory, i was always like this,

hair a mess, snotty and smiling:

a post a day

i took july's list (from fatmumslim, thank you!) and then subtracted and added my favorites from other months' photo a day lists, but i am just going to make it a "post a day" challenge. 

it may be a photo, or it may be something totally different altogether, but i'm gonna try because i miss how much i used to post (see those archives where i had 200+ posts in 2008 and 2009? whoa). i also might jump around and pick and choose in no order. i might post more than once a day, too. because i can.  ;)

basically my goal is to have 31 posts by july 31st. start your engines!!

1. mail
2. younger you
3. best part of your day
4. hair
5. on the floor
6. your neighborhood
7. garden
8. lunch
9. big
10. your favorite color
11. letter
12. a corner of your home
13. open
14. building
15. finger
16. sign
17. something you wore
18. key
19. handwriting
20. eyes
21. 9 o'clock
22. upside down
23. something you're listening to
24. in your bag
25. water
26. sunshine
27. on the road
28. cup
29. last thing you bought
30. something old
31. toothbrush

quote of the day

"It's not how much one gets paid, but how much they give, that makes them rich.

And when I say "give," I mean "offer," "provide," "perform," "donate," "sell," or otherwise be of service to others.

And when I say "rich," I'm not just talking about the warm fuzzies, but ultimately possessing whatever you dream of... from confidence to cupcakes to bullion."

-the Universe

twenty for 2012: half way

4. climb mt fuji with my parents
this is getting bumped to 2013. schedules just aren't working out this summer...but i will still climb at least once.

11. reread letters to a young poet and 6 other books
i'm in the middle of matt logelin's book (in japanese!).

14. do (make?) something for my mom's 60th birthday
seeing as it's in 5 days, maybe i should get on this one?  :/

15. do fourth of july (aka picnic party)
this one is in 7 days and i haven't done nor do i feel like doing anything. sigh.

18. do thanksgiving
i "called it" so this should be happening come fall.  :)

20. call/facetime my parents on a regular basis and always tell them i love them.
have been fairly good about facetiming. finding my parents have a busier social life than me!

things i love thursday

.texts that make you smile big.
.house guests = BEST cleaning motivator.
.bagels and blueberries on lazy saturdays.
.thanksgiving feasts in june.
.my new friend (getridofSoCalbutkeephis[nowmy]awesomefriend).
.being greeted each morning and night by my plants.
.catching up with old high school friends.
.licking the mixer beaters while baking.
.ed sheeran's "the city" (you'll have to youtube it).

quote of the day

"For all things and non-things that you may ever want, understand that sometimes the fastest way to get them is to forget them, and to focus instead on just being the most amazing human being you can be. At which point all of your heart's desires, spoken or unspoken, will be drawn to you more powerfully than a magnet is drawn to steel."

-the Universe



(still doesn't help me forget about the upcoming friday late night tv date...!!)

things i love thursday

.baking with girl friends.
.ravioli.
.surprise party planning.
.costco.
.gyoza cups.
.fresh basil from the front stoop.
.mt. fuji dreaming and scheming.
.skirt weather is here.
.post-typhoon blue skies.

saving yucca

when Ro and i split up, i walked away with a lot of "our" stuff. he was moving into a small one room apartment and i was moving into a "terrace house" with 2 bedrooms and an actual living room and kitchen (i clearly picked size over location this time). we both previously owned a lot of furniture that we brought into the shared apartment, but we also bought a lot of stuff together because our shared apartment was more than twice the size of each of our individual places and there were 6 times as many windows.

so when we moved out, we each took whatever was originally ours, but there was also the potentially awkward "who gets what" bargaining of the things we bought together. most of these were simply an i-don't-have-room-and-we'd-have-to-pay-to-get-it-taken-away issue that made it really easy for me to say i'd take it with me. but there were also a few "do you-want-____?" or "can-i-have-____?" conversations too. i got our bedroom curtains, our queen size mattress and frame, bed sheets/comforter, our kitchen table (LOVE), and our fridge. Ro took the Wii, the kitchen and living room curtains (which he ended up dumping at his parents' house - sigh), and our yucca plant.

we didn't talk about the plant until right near the very end. he brought her up, and after all that i was already "getting" i felt like i couldn't demand taking her too, and i figured i could just buy another one (4,000yen at ikea!) and start fresh.

four months later, i still haven't made it to ikea and Ro and i are civil and he texts every once in awhile. (as i write this, i wonder if he actually knows my blog or not. will try not to censor myself...) yesterday afternoon, he texted saying, "i know it's sudden but i'm going to costco tonight. do you want to come?" funny, i had been thinking about needing a costco run for the last couple weeks! if being pleasant and civil with him and sucking it up and "playing" nice just a little bit means costco every couple months, i am *totally* there.

as we pushed the cart up and down the aisles, he said, "i can't understand why you won't go to dinner with me but you will come to costco with me. to me, they are the same." maybe they are, and maybe they aren't, but regardless, i still don't have a strong desire to sit across the table from him and make small talk. at least costco has yummy things to keep me completely ADHD and purposeful.

on the way home, Ro mentions that the yucca plant isn't doing so well in his apartment. i think back to the photo i took on moving day of yucca, like i was leaving a pet or something, with her big bright green leaves shooting up and out and all over the place. and then i envision a couple wilted leaves and want to swoop in and save her. so he hints that maybe i should take her but that he didn't bring her in the car because he thought he should ask first and we can always get her next time. in mother-save-her-child-mode, i say, "well, we have the car today, so let's just stop by and get her? next time might be too late..."

i sit in the parking lot while he runs up to his apartment. he comes back with yucca, who has leaves that look like the hair on the Scarecrow from the wizard of oz!! she still has a handful of new-ish looking sprouts and the majority (but not all) of her trunks are still solid and hard. totally dehydrated (soil is bone dry) and looking pathetic, i put her between my feet in the front seat and watered her as soon as we unloaded her at my house.

and here, folks, is why we shouldn't let exes get pretty things:

fingers crossed that she perks up and is back to her spunky green self in a few months...!

things i love thursday

.batting cages and impressing baseballBoy.
.new plants (mint!) and digging in the dirt.
.anticipating mail from my penpal friend in nyc.
.cool postcards from london (thanks!).
.a good nose blow (tmi or not, it's true).
.skype.
.pancakes on my day off.
.long baths after long days.
.not having work until 11:15am on thursdays.

things i love thursday

ah, hello friday...



.after work drinks.
.unexpected dates (he's new and needs a blognickname).
.making ume-shu.
.finally decorating my living room.
.reading this book (and understanding it!).
.good and plenty (always remind me of my dad).
.lots of things planned for june (friends, food, fun).
.yummy smelling hair stuff (conditioner, mousse, etc.).
.another "weekend" starting NOW.

hai, NEXT.

wednesday i did something spontaneous and risky, knowing it had the possibility of going bad. it didn't exactly blow up in my face; it was more of a stifled explosion with lots of smoke. it confirmed all my fears and doubts about all this shit with SoCal and made it much easier to walk away. for weeks i have been telling myself i should, but i couldn't get my head (er, heart) around it well enough to actually do it.

interestingly enough, while stuff with SoCal was up in the air, an acquaintance of mine from four years ago was looking (and advertising the fact, on facebook) for someone to have coffee with as a final destination to his midnight drive into tokyo. i replied but it was late so we said let's do it another time and even talked about a mutual friend that we have. a week and a half later, friday night he messaged me asking if i wanted to get drinks on sunday. i immediately said i'd love to and asked about time, place, etc. we messaged back and forth a bit, but i couldn't tell if it was a (typical japanese) group thing or just us. i dressed cute anyway. just. in. case.

it was just us. he showed up in a polo shirt, athletic shorts and wet hair. he finished work early but i didn't answer my phone when he called so he went home and quickly showered before meeting up. we went to some sports bar (like the Hub but very much NOT the Hub) and sat in the back with absolutely no view of the tv, which was showing the end of the japanese men's soccer game. oh well, we laughed.

he's a nice guy, outgoing and athletic (hello mr. i played baseball at a private japanese school famous for its baseball team and then played all 4 years of college), yet really into growing vegetables on his balcony. we talked about our families, about ohio and my middle of nowhere college (we even google mapped it on his ipad), and about our jobs and what he's been doing for the last five years. he gave me garden growing tips, i learned a couple new japanese words and drank about 2 too many beers. well, it was only too many because he only drank Coke. i could drink this guy under the table with half a liver! ha.

we walked to the station in time for my last train and there was a semi-awkward high five (really, how old am i...!) and a mutual "let's go out again" goodbye.  he rode off on his bike and messaged me (typical japanese style) saying thanks for tonight and asking if i got home yet. i replied with the standard, "yeah, next stop. and thanks for tonight, it was fun! let's go out again."

i hate the dating game. mostly because i'm ridiculously impatient and a chronic overthinker. i just want to know and figure out and then make plans accordingly. already thinking about a next "something." am hoping he has a lefty glove and the weather stays nice for another week or so. he doesn't have weekends off, but waiting at least another full day. or until wednesday or thursday, if i can manage.

it might not even be ANYthing, but a little giddy anticipation never hurt ANYone, right?? ;)

things i love thursday

.this live version of a favorite ani song.
.sprite.
.evening weather perfect for jeans, sweatshirts and flipflops.
.all saturday afternoon picnics in yoyogi park.
.clean sheets, a fluffy comforter and a made bed.
.finally having a "weekend".
.girl talk (times a hundred).
.surprise party planning.
.throat coat hot tea.

things i love thursday

.crazy (read: drunk - ha!) weekends.
.new cool girl friends.
.summer drinks at 7eleven.
.bike dreaming.
.shawn mullins.
.peppermint tea in the morning.
.saturdays OFF (finally!!!).
.(LOTS) of new nail polish.
.picnic plans :).

quote of the day

"the very best moment in any long journey that makes your dreams come true, comes not on the day you realize they have, but on the day you realize how little they matter compared to loving the adventure they've inspired."

-the universe

things i love thursday

.catching up on US pop music.
.driving in ohio.
.gorgeous weddings.
.flirting.
.pretty bridesmaid dresses.
.sleeping ENTIRE flights (only 1.5 hours, but still).
.jet lag = productive mornings.
.throat coat tea.
.plans to see SoCal.

things i love thursday

.take care - by drake
.florence + the machine.
.driving on ohio country highways.
.seeing old friends.
.shopping.
.new nail polish.
.peanut butter captain crunch.
.LINE camera app for iphone.
.being home.

things i love thursday

.getting my hair washed at the salon.
.roots fixed = brighter looking blond.
.instagram.
.shopping for omiyage for my family.
.random phone calls from SoCal.
.wine bar in ebisu with a girl friend.
.being DONE with work for 17 days.
.new dresses.
.being back in ohio for vacation.

filling in the gaps

i leave for ohio tomorrow.  for 16 days.

first and foremost: i am such a sucker for SoCal (first, second, and third date).
there are a lot of details that won't (probably never? heehee) make it onto the blog.
but, let it be said that he's very chill, but also a bit of the "bad boy" type.
it's thrilling to be reckless and just enjoy life, laughing and having a good time.
sometimes i think it's good for me to stop being so serious, about everything, and just go.
but i'm simultaneously thinking about him all the time.  so much for not being so serious...ha.

while all that was going on, chelsea was here for a couple days too.
and, work was busy (yeah, what's new, right?) so timing was poor,
and more than anything, i just wish i could have spent more time with her.
she's off to london to start something new. i wish she was still here...

i've been working a really weird schedule for the last eight months.
mondays and fridays off. it makes for 2 really really short "weeks" but never a weekend.
that will all change soon. i took time off until may 16th and then
my last saturday at work is may 19th (assuming all goes as planned).
after that, i'll only be working 4 days a week.
i'm also passing some of my classes to the new staff.
my wallet is not sure how it feels about this new situation yet.

i have lofty goals of making one day of three off into a sewing day
and actually sewing and getting some stuff sold on etsy or elsewhere (local shops perhaps)
and that wedding quilt, which needed to done by tomorrow, when i leave,
is still squares of fabric stashed away somewhere in a box.
sorry brother and future sister-in-law...

when work is busy, my social life is too it seems.
i've been working 9-12 hour days for two weeks and squeezing
dates, drinks with friends, work dinners, parties at my house, in whenever i can.
the rest of the time, i have been consisting on conbini bentos or
eating out and drinking lots of beer and wine.
it's so bad for me, but i am not motivated to do anything else.
hoping that will change with another day off each week. 
fingers crossed.
though, the going out makes me feel much more alive.
so who knows...

ah, i leave tomorrow! :)
i'm excited but it doesn't feel real yet...

things i love thursday

.house guests (my first!!!).
.house parties.
.good food, good wine & good company.
.eyelash extensions.
.taco parties at home.
.tazo tea: passion.
.a tasty bento from the grocery store.
.windows open on the train.
.strawberries.

third date

thursday night.

(as always, most of these things are not the actual items, but you get the idea.)

quote of the day

after putting in a day (12:30-8:15) at work, on my day off,
to catch up on admin/system work, this reminder shows up:  


Do you ever wonder where all those glorious seconds, minutes, and hours go that recently poured through your fingers on an idle weekend or a cool evening, when suddenly you feel like you're racing the clock on some crazed, hurried weekday? 

Nowhere. They're still there, lazing around. They just look different when you focus upon what you haven't done, instead of what you have done. Your output is legendary.

-The Universe


 it's all about where you're focusing...

things i love thursday

.getting butterflies on the train to a date.
.flirty competition.
.cherry beer.
.spontaneous boys.
.getting the house ready for guests (!!!).
.walking omotesando→aoyama→shibuya/hiroo(ish).
.drawing maps.
.all staff welcome [drinking] parties.
.the temperature lately.

quote of the day

me: "but you know what they say, chase two rabbits and they both get away..."

s: "not if you're the carrot."

second date

i had just finished working overtime at 5:45 on a sunday.

my phone vibrated in my hand. it was him...

inhale.

he said he got a car.  i thought he meant he bought a car (whoa), but he clarified that he just borrowed it from his parents because he was switching his winter clothes and spring clothes. so he had his parents' car for the afternoon and...

he asked where i was, and i told him the station where i work.  he said he didn't know where that was, but would look it up and call back.  "oh, you're gonna pick me up?"  "yeah..." (note to self: ALWAYS dress cute for work from now on) so i headed to the station to meet him and when he called, he was about actually only about 20 meters from my work.  i ran back to find him sitting with the windows down, heavy bass music blasting and sunglasses on.  he had lasik yesterday, but i think he would have had them on even without the "everything is really bright" excuse.

i got in and he drove.  i was picking at my fingernails (damn nerves and damn all that hard work growing them out for my brother's wedding next month) and fidgety. "tell me where to go!" but i didn't know anywhere to go, so we drove toward my house.

he asked what kind of japanese food i like.  i started rattling off things i like and when i got to okonomiyaki, that seemed to sit well with him.  i googled and found a 3 star place near my house. "５点満点の３点でもいい？" and he says, "hell yeah, i don't eat at fancy places anyway." and, it was really good.

he made fun of how i don't put katsuobushi or nori on my okonomiyaki, to which i said, "that's why it's o KO NO MI yaki, you can eat it however you want!" and he laughed and promptly added a pile of katsuobushi to his half.

i may have shocked him when, in joking about the college kids' conversations next to us, he ended up guessing when i lost my virginity (uh, yeah...) and it was tough to get the conversation going on about ANYthing else (oops).  despite my "you look like you wanna say something" he just rhetorically asked who was he to judge. 

he doesn't really dig japanese girls and likes "something a little different."  i asked if i was different and he said, "well, you're not japanese..." (no shit) so i guess that's going for me?  who knows.

we drove to my house and he helped himself to the couch, sunglasses and all.  he pulled up a completely ridiculous (read: offensive enough that i won't link it) but funny show on my computer and we snuggled on the couch, laughing at the crass humor.

he tried to kiss me after the show was over, and cursed at his sunglasses for being in the way.  i proved they were definitely not in the way.  and then he forgot he was wearing them for a little while.  then he had to go.  we walked to his car, he turned the key in the ignition, stood back up, and, with sunglasses, kissed me goodnight in the middle of the street. 

exhale.

first date

tonight. :)

(some of the things aren't exactly what i'm wearing, but were the closest i could find...)

things i love thursday

hello friday.



.cherry blossoms.
.hitori hanami before work.
.making new friends in the park.
.alcohol assisted decision making (winkwink).
.boys who say they'll call, and then DO.
.caramel popcorn.
.more painting and decorating projects.
.fun nail polish.
.spring cleaning.

things i love thursday

.costco (read: bagels, cereal, cream cheese, jellybeans and laundry detergent).
.buying presents for friends' kids.
.end of the day [even just twenty minute] massages.
.painting and other decorating projects.
.getting off work early because of crazy typhoons.
.tofu hamburgers (half meat half tofu).
.yogurt and granola.
.station musicians that are actually good.
.my vacation got approved!.