it's not life that matters but the journey...

Greetings from Sacramento, CA. My mom and I arrived at the supremely early hour of 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning after a 20-hour train ride from Seattle. Our train trip was really fun - we saw some amazing scenery out of our little roommette windows, met some interesting people during mealtimes, and enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine while sitting in the observation car. We had lots of chances to read and just relax and forget our problems. The only complaint we had was that neither of us could get any sleep at night. In our very small private roommette, the seats fold out to a bottom bunk, and then a top bunk pulls out from the wall. I offered to sleep on the top bunk; but between the movement of the train (which made me queasy) and the fact that i could hardly move (because the ceiling of the bunk was only a few feet from my head) or sit up at all, I didn't sleep more than possibly an hour or so. But last night I slept like the dead - 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep in this comfy little bed in my aunt and uncle's condo. All day Tuesday was spent just resting at home, then my cousin's family came for dinner. And today, I spent the whole day with my good friend Joie, who I haven't seen for 12 years! We were friends in high school and college, and have been in touch over the years, but just haven't managed to get together. We had a great lunch at a crepery, then shopped in Old Town Folsom, and then walked around mid-town Sacramento before having a delicious Chicago-style pizza and a glass of wine. And the best news of all: I realized that I was confused about our departure time on Saturday, and instead of leaving around noon (which is what I thought, we are actually leaving Sacramento at midnight Saturday night (yes, Midnight!!), so we're here all day Saturday and have more time to spend with family and friends. I can even meet Joie again!

The rest of the week will be spent seeing other family and just enjoying the gorgeous weather - even though it rained all day Tuesday (the day we arrived), the clouds rolled away today and it warmed up, and tomorrow will be up to 79 degrees! I look forward to sitting in the sun and watching the ducks outside my aunt and uncle's place. Their condo sits on a little pond, and it's so peaceful.

So I do hope to catch up on all of your lives soon. I hope everyone is having a great week.

As I was writing in an email to my mom, I realized that time has really flown since I left the U.S. It's hard to believe that it's already Sunday here in Japan. I feel like time just disappeared since I lost a whole day with the time change and the long travel. I left Port Angeles on Monday afternoon, flew out of Seattle Tuesday afternoon, and by the time I got to my new home in Japan, Wednesday was already over! Thursday was spent just resting in my room, and Friday was mostly spent just resting and unpacking and organizing. I realized that still had a bunch of clothes from when I lived in this house four years ago, and with all the new clothes that I brought with me, or sent in boxes, I won't have to shop for clothes for a long time! which is a great great thing! But I had lots of organizing to do, putting my clothes in drawers and hanging things up. I also had fun organizing my teaching room - I have lots of books and supplies from when I was here before, and Masahiko bought a couple of really nice tables and shelves for me to use. So I'm almost ready to start getting students! We're going to put up our sign outside the house next week and see if anyone calls - I really hope I can get lots and lots of interest! It's going to be hard to get myself into the mindset of working, and especially teaching which I haven't done for a few years. But I'm excited to get started.

But anyway, between all the resting and the unpacking, I didn't actually get out of the house until yesterday, which was Saturday. I went with Masahiko and his friend Onoda to see Masahiko play a blues gig at a very small bar in nearby Fujinomiya (which is the next town over, towards Mt. Fuji) called Roots and Fruits. He played with a bassist and a harmonica player (who won a contest for best blues harpist in all of Japan a few years ago), and it was a really fun show. Even though I was still jet lagging and could hardly keep my eyes open towards the end of the night, and even though the bar was extremely small and crowded, the music was great, and I met some interesting people, including a woman from Brazil. I love going out in Japan - as a foreigner I get lots of attention, and most of the time people are so nice and really want to talk to me. And people are so so nice here!

Today Masahiko is out at a seminar all day - he's trying to get some forklift training so he might get some kind of certificate. I think he should be aiming higher and trying to get a job using English, but he's being practical and worried he can't get anything more than a manual labor job. But at least he's being proactive, which is good. In about 30 minutes, I'm supposed to be meeting my friend Akiko, who was my former supervisor at the high school where I taught 10 years ago. She was supposed to meet me earlier, but she's busy with work (typical, teachers working on a Sunday!) Then Tuesday I should be meeting some other friends for lunch, and Friday Masahiko and I might take a trip back to Tokyo, this time by train, to see the U.S. Embassy about his green card. Now that he's living in Japan again, there are some issues about whether he will have to abandon his permanent residency in the states, since he isn't intending to go back soon and doesn't have a re-entry permit. it's complicated...

Anyway, speaking of complications, I had meant to write about the couple little minor complications that occurred during my travel. ( cut for length )

I decided to peek my head out a bit and update while I'm waiting for my laundry to dry; of course I'm also postponing the inevitable assignments that must be done before next Monday's class. My teacher decided to give us the night off next week, which is great! But to make up for it, he gave us three assignments that need to be emailed to him by Monday night! So that means, my weekend will be totally shot. I'm already planning to spend the day at a law library with a few people from my class - we need to start finding cases for our big final assignment, one of which we need to find and read and brief by next Monday.

( cut for boring details about my class )

did I say I can't wait until this class is over? It's very interesting, but I wish I didn't have to work full time, and take care of housework and bills and other stuff, and still also try to have fun. But what is fun? I forgot!

I think I was a bit premature in saying I needed to take a break from LJ - I will really need the break next month when I get to the final crunch for that project. now I'm just in shock and in denial of what needs to be done!! Lj helps with denial:)

what else is happening? I've been a tv junkie recently: I finally finished Season 2 of Dexter - wow!! I watched the last 8 episodes in about 3 or 4 days. I was seriously hooked - and I have to say that I haven't found a television show that is more perfect than Dexter in a long time. Don't get me wrong - I love Supernatural, and Smallville; they are lots of fun, and full of gorgeous men. But Dexter just appeals to me on a different level, a deeper, darker, more insightful level. Kind of like how I felt about Six Feet Under - but I even like Dexter more. And I think I'm in love with Michael C. Hall. Seriously the man is amazing! I'm truly disappointed that I must wait until September for Season 3 of Dexter - and even then will have to download them because I won't pay for Showtime. Too expensive. But it's something to look forward to!

Also, I broke down and bought the first season of Smallville, and started watching them again. In fact, on Sunday, I watched two hours of Dexter followed by two hours of Smallville (I was having a depressed, stay-at-home-and-avoid-the-world kind of day,for which tv shows were the only cure!). I was laughing at how the characters look so young on that first season of Smallville! Especially Lana and Lex seem so young compared to what they were like on Season 6 or 7. Chloe too! Clark looks the same - but he got all buffed out in later seasons. I decided that it would be silly, and perhaps impossible, to buy all six seasons of Smallville. I think I'll go up through Season 4 (which has Jensen Ackles) and then see if I even want to buy 5 and 6. But god that will cost me a fortune!

oh and finally, my friend who used to work as a temp in my office (but who was recently asked NOT to come back) is having a baby very soon. She is due Monday, so that means it could be any day now! I'm so excited - more baby time for me!

well, I've got to rescue my clothes, so that's my cue for reality.
hope everyone is doing great and enjoying spring!
g'night!