Frustrated tail thump
Stop bothering me, Mommy!
I attack your foot

--Luce

Memorial Day Weekend

I feel like I’ve been busy, but I guess that tells you how often I get out. Since Friday I’ve:

Had lunch at Umezono’s with Chris on Saturday. I had lovely shrimp and veggie tempura, which is awesome for Atlanta, but pales in comparison to the light and fluffy tempura they had in Kyoto. We also went to the new location of Book’s Japan, right next to Umezono’s and the Tomato Japanese Grocery (go figure). I bought an entirely too expensive book about learning Kanji, but it had *exercises*! And it starts you off with learning the radicals, because even if you don’t know what the kanji says, about 75% of the time, if you know the components, you can usually hazard a guess at what it means. I’m trying to do about 10 a day (to give time for soakage) and have gotten about ¾ through the “hen” radicals (the radicals on the right side of the kanji). I also picked up a really cute book that may or may not be a gift. I haven’t decided yet.

Had dinner with Ryam and Jeanelle on Saturday. We grilled out and I ate waaaaaay too many oatmeal cookies. So worth it. And Maedoc looks so good with her new hair cut. Australian Shepards may not be traditionally shaved, but in this heat, I totally understand it. Good time spent, must do it more often before I leave.

Cleaned my house on Saturday. Or at least started. Cleaning includes my new found purging of stuff I really shouldn’t hold on to anymore. Seeing how I won’t be here to horde all of the junk, I really should decide what is worth going in storage and what just isn’t. Also, yard sale equals extra funds.

Meant to get together with Rosie, but it just didn’t happen. I hope you get better soon!!

Watched Flags of Our Fathers. Cried. Later this week we’re planning to watch Letters from Iwajima. I’m sure I’ll cry through that one, too.

Woke up and walked Kennesaw on Monday. The normal mile up mile down route. However, it usually took me about 1 hour 10 to do it before. I pushed myself a little hard (cuz it was sooooo much easier than Friday’s climb of doom), and had to sit down on a big rock for a minute about half way up, but made the hike in 40 minutes. I kid you not. I was amazed. I’m going again on Wednesday afternoon, if people are interested in joining me. About 2 o’clock, I think.

Went to Wild Wing with Leo on Monday. Tasty, as always.

Went to Kay and Charlie’s cookout on Monday. Excellent puppy, child and onion rings, but we only ate the last one :)

Went to Patrick and Jeanelle’s cookout on Monday. More oatmeal cookies. People I hadn’t seen in far too long.

Went to Annie’s last night in Atlanta celebration on Monday. Pool. Fun to be had. Nearly empty bar (which was odd, I’d expected more people there, but *shrug* it made for a nice quiet time).

Woke up and had an doctor's appt. on Tuesday. Really sleepy. I took a nap while waiting in my room.

Went and helped Mom clean out her classroom and move to another one on Tuesday. It was really disorganized so I couldn’t do much beyond some heavy lifting and helping place bookshelves in better, more space efficient places.

Went to lunch with Mom and Natalie on Tuesday. Felinni’s has good pizza. Also accompanied Nat to her oral surgeon. One of her molars didn’t have an adult tooth (*shrug* genetics), so she’s going through the process of having a permanent replacement hardwired into her jaw. Right now she has a screw sticking out of her gum line, and now that that’s healed, they can make an appt. to have the finished tooth put in. Good for her!

Went home and rested for a bit on Tuesday before . . .

Went to the Dentist on Tuesday. Was told I have a cavity. Dear God, is my jaw strong and I’m going to need the much more expensive “hard” mouth guard so I don’t chew through my teeth in the middle of the night. It’s going to take my insurance about a month to get back to me on prices, so I can’t get any of that dealt with until next month (grrr).

Went to the comic store. Picked up more Klingon comic for Leo (ah, my cute little nerd). Also got rid of New X-men and Teen Titans. Along with that whole purging thing. Those two are comics I like to read, but after I’ve read them are basically trash to my mind. No re-read value, so not worth the space. I did try out a new Joss Weedon series, though. Apparently he’s writing for something called “The Runaways.” Was highly recommended by Shelly, my comic sales-goddess.

Went to Barnes and Nobel (although I prefer Borders) to use $40 gift certificate that Sheri gave me. Bought $60 worth of stuff that I’m telling myself I can’t read until I get to Japan. That way, I have 5 books that I know will be good (from authors I like, continuing series, or recommended by authors I like) that I can fall back on when that inevitable culture shock comes in and I desperately need some English. I’ll have more if more people give me $$ or gift certs before I go, but I’m really hoping that people will help me pay for my new computer for my birthday before I leave so . . .

And finally came home to relax with my kitties. Ferris, touchy, touchy Ferris is right now sitting on my lap begging for The Loving. I love how sweet he can be! I’m really worried about them more than anyone else, because they (unlike the people I know and love) won’t understand the logical reasons on why leaving is a really good thing for me right now. All they’ll understand is that I’m gone. I know they won’t forget me. I just hope they forgive me when I come back. Knowing Luce, it will probably take at least a month.

Ow, I hurt

So going on a new hike with my sister yesterday afternoon seemed like a good idea. I didn't want to go the longer 6 mile hike by myself, so inviting her along seemed nice because we could both get some exercise and some talking done. I talked to a guy at the information desk, and thought I knew what I was doing. When he said, "loop," I thought, "circle." That doesn't seem too far off the mark, right?

So apparently, there are hiking trails out there that are not on the map, most of which are horribly, horribly unmarked. A "loop" trail is apparently a there and back trail, not a circle. Apparently I'm a pretty good tracker because some parts of the trail went over rocks and the only way we found our way was to follow the occasional foot print in the dry dirt (the only time this past month I've been glad we're in a drought, I'm back to hoping for tons of rain). And apparently, I can walk roughly 7 miles on some nice flat-ish, and some "very strenuous" trails in about 2 and 1/2 hours. We walked from the visitor's center, to Pigeon Hill, around the mountain, up over Little Kennesaw mountain, halfway back up Big Kennesaw, and down the only road in the whole place. We were the last car to leave the park, just as sunset was creeping on us, and thank the gods, they didn't lock us in. The only thing that kept me going towards the end of it is that I knew no one could come and just pick us up.

I feel accomplished. I've probably not gone on a hike that long since I was a kid, camping with my family every summer. When we got to the actual road (and only another mile back to our car) there were some really breathtaking views and I pointed out exactly where we had hiked to Natalie. I think if she hadn't been so tired, she would have wanted to kill the guy who led me wrong. I'm not necessarily thinking too happy thoughts about him myself. And oh! do I hurt. I stretched last night, a lot, and I lost about 2 pounds, but do I hurt this morning. I can't even put on shoes because of the blisters, none of mine nearly so bad as Natalie's.

The up side: We saw four deer, two bunnies (one of which just sat there watching us as we went by), one baby snake, one lizard, 2 metric tons of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. And the 2 pounds. And I know that that trail is bad idea purple plaid polyester parachute pants. And I don't want to wear those bad idea pants again anytime soon.

Also, this morning I got an email from another JET in Miyako. I'm so happy to hear from people! It helps the restless feeling of not having heard from the contracting organization yet. I know I'm being impatient, it's only been a week and a half since I got my placement. And I know they are working on it, it just stinks sitting here waiting.

I'm not crying because I'm sad

I'm crying because the Green Acres family is just that. A family. And they are such wonderful people and children that I will miss not seeing and working with every day. Thank you all so much for an excellent two years.

So as of today

I've read through the entirety of the JET Handbook 2007-2008.

I've read through most, if not all of http://OkinawaJet.com.

I've read through and signed up for a motorcycle beginner's/licensure course at Earl Small's Harley-Davidson, just in case I'll need to buy/rent a motorcycle while I'm there. Because as I found out in the JET Handbook, cars be expensive. I mean dang, 1000 bucks just to get a yearly inspection? And you have to pay disposal fees just to have your old car trashed if no one will buy it? Dang. But I'm looking positively.

Especially since on my search for information I stumbled on the blog of a JET who is currently in Miyako. Her name is Janine, and I'll ask if I can put a link to her blog here after I stop bombarding her with lots of questions. Turns out, she'll be my Block Head (and I did not make up that name, and no, I don't think she will actually be a). So I'm in contact with someone who I'll be living (relatively) near, if nothing else, and I'm so very happy with the prospect.

I haven't heard from my contracting organization yet. I find it really amusing that I contacted someone there before they contacted me here. I also really hope they don't see me as too pushy or impatient. I am looking forward to this so much, and I really want to know as much about Miyako ahead of time as I can, so I'm not freaking out when I get there. I like planning things. Y'all know that about me. At least I can be flexible if my plan doesn't work out.

Yes, I said y'all. I think it's the only southern phrase I do use. Or blatantly southern. The English language needs a common plural for "you!" Nearly every other language has one, why not English? We're left with things like "y'all" and "yous guys" and so many others instead of something common throughout all of the English speaking world, let alone America!

Side track done. Back to life. I've been actively walking up and down Kennesaw mountain again now that the bitter cold is gone. It's a mile up and down and very steep, so I have to go up slowly or my heart explodes, but I've gotten my hike down to about an hours (45 min up, 15 min down). I hurt the next day. Natalie is planning to join me in my new hike around the mountain. It's 6 miles. I'm kinda scared to do it my first time alone, but I think it would be nice with her. And I get to catch up with my lovely little sister while she is home from college.

I'm off! Enjoy yourselves!

Now that I can actually breath . . .

So, I checked my email at around 2 o'clock today. Sheri (the wonderful lady I work with) had to leave early to go to a meeting, and we were doing inventory in the library (where I currently work) and I didn't want to get started on a new section when I had to stop in a few minutes to go and do bus duty. So. I checked my email and it said I had my placement. In Okinawa-ken, Miyakojima-shi. The email went on to explain that -ken means prefecture, and -shi refers to a city with a population of over 50,000 people, but not a city so big that it is a prefecture all itself.

I was dancing for the rest of the school day, telling everyone I saw.

So I got home at around 3, and usually I'm so hungry I'm ravenous, but today it's almost 5 and I haven't even eaten yet because I'm just so excited. I spent the last 2 hours trying to find any and all information about Miyako-jima (Miyako Island), and so far I've found that it's the 4th largest island in the Okinawa prefecture. It is about 158.70 square kilometers. It has one of the nicest spots in Japan (thank you, www.wikepidia.org). I also found some pictures of people vacationing there. It looks really rural, but I guess that's probably the rest of the island, as google earth shows it has some fairly large (and concrete) cities. Oh, and +24° 48' 0.00", +125° 17' 60.00" if anyone wants too look it up for themselves. www.maps.google.com works really well, so does google earth. It looks so pretty . . .

My placement

I will be going to Miyako-jima in Okinawa. I am so excited I am dancing.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=24.8°%20N%20125.3°%20E

Ah, the waiting . . .

So, I've finished my finals (thank you!), and have only 2 weeks of school before summer vacation. I'm taking the GACE next week, and I'm nervous that I won't be prepared for it, but I can only try my best at this point (although more studying is really on the plan for the next few days).

My only real big worry at this point is waiting to find out where I'll be placed. I'm still nervous that something will go wrong at the last minute, and it will fall through. I know this is silly, but I've wanted this for so long that until I find out the school, the city, the prefecture where I'll be placed, I'm going to have worries in the back of my mind. *Breathes* I hate waiting when there's nothing you can do about it . . .