World Traveler: The day I may have lost the McDonalds in Japan

Insect count: a few moths (outside, thank goodness)

T5B: 1) I got to clean my place a little bit. 2) I got to take it easy today. 3) It rained all day. 4) In spite of areas of Morioka experiencing flooding, I do not live in one of those areas. 5) I get to see Limor tomorrow.

Today started off with me not getting very much sleep at all last night. I ran the dehumidifier all night, but was just in monster pain. It was very frustrating to not get a lot of sleep. When I did sleep, I had nightmares and stress dreams. Because of my cramps hanging on and the forecast of 29° with rain (meaning 80%+ humidity), I opted to stay home and see Hiraizumi later. The girls, luckily, weren't upset and we said we'd see each other this evening for karaoke and dinner (since they are leaving tomorrow morning). After they left I tried to get a little more sleep, but alas it was to no avail. So I got up and started cleaning. I loved having my place in order and there hasn't been much since there's so much STUFF everywhere. First I tackled my hunger. Yesterday at the grocery store I hadn't felt like eating anything, but made myself buy some food I usually have. So I had bought some spicy sausages and eggs. So the first thing I did, after I got up, was make some breakfast. It tasted pretty great. :) After that, I cleaned up a bit. I organized and put my things away (now that I could access my closet). I went through my toiletries and organized them better. I did the dishes, and cleaned out the sink and counter as well as the burner. Then I ironed and folded the yukata that Lina had let me borrow.

After doing all those things, it was about lunch time. So I peeled a grapefruit and popped some popcorn (thank you mom for the seeds! - the stuff I pop myself tastes so much better), and used some jalapeño popcorn seasoning on it. DELICIOUS. As I did that, I read and relaxed. I then got a call from Limor. She's having a rough time right now (she called me yesterday too) and she mentioned how she's going out of town tomorrow. I told her how the girls were leaving tomorrow too, and she asked me if I would go with her on her trip. She told me all I would need to worry about was food (payment wise) and that she could really use the company. I thought about it (it seems like there was something I was supposed to do this weekend but I can't remember what ...) and then told her I would love to go! I'm glad to be of help and I'm happy to see a new city AND I was going to go with her to Akita next weekend since she's participating in a dance she used to do in Australia (a Japanese dance) and this weekend she's going to some classes for it and they have free beginner classes. So I can join the beginner class and maybe dance in the street like the other girls got to do during Sansa! Sweet. :D I love participating in these cultural events. I'm glad Japan is so open to foreigners joining in (or at least appears to be). :) Oh also during the morning at some point, my phone made a noise I had never heard it make. It was an emergency alert. That's all it said in English. "Emergency Alert:" followed by a whole lot of kanji. I was briefly worried but then thought, "I'll find out soon enough what the worry is." When I got the second alert, I posted it on fb where my friends were able to tell me it was a flood alert. I had assumed so as it rained hard part of the night and all morning. (The rain continued into the afternoon and evening as well.)

Right after I had made myself some dinner (some kimuchi ... kimchi? I'm not sure how it's spelled in English - ramen), I heard from Tara via fb. She messaged me and said they were at the station and they would meet me at karaoke. I told her I would eat and then come down. She then said they were booking their hotel in Tokyo and I was ok eating really quickly. So I ate (it made me feel SO full!), and then decided to take my bike. Thank goodness I did. I pedaled right to the place, and they weren't there. So I walked down the main street toward the station and waited on the corner for 30 minutes. Then I thought, "What if they took a taxi!?" So I walked all the way back. I texted Tara in the meantime too that I would meet them on the main road. After waiting and stressing for an hour and a half, I called it quits. I was freaked out thinking, "I hope nothing happened to them!" When we got separated before by the trains, Tara called my phone. No calls. I was pretty worried sick, but what if they were at my place waiting to get in? So I pedaled home.. no one here. I sat down and started to write my blog and BING I got a text. It was from Tara saying they already rented a room. !?!? I don't know WHEN they got there, or if they went to the right place... but they didn't wait out front for me. :c I'm glad they got to karaoke but I'm really frustrated I waited and walked and searched for them for an HOUR AND A HALF and then didn't even get to sing (and I LOVE karaoke). *sigh* I don't even know when she sent that... they could be walking home now. There's nothing I can really do at this point. So I decided to finish up my post and then pack for the weekend I will spend with Limor. Hope you all had a less stressful day/evening than me! XOXO, A

Funny moments:

Oh one quick funny thing (warning: adult content): Limor and I have this running joke that I'm her mistress. Yesterday before we went to the onsen, she held out her hand for me to help her up. I did so then joked, "Our relationship had progressed to hand holding!" Then as we were going to the onsen I said, "Wow! Hand holding and hanging out naked in the same day!!" THEN when she called me earlier and asked to me accompany her, she said it would only be one bed. This time she was the one to joke, "Oh no! Now we've moved onto sleeping together!" LOL

One more "adult" story: Last night after I got off the phone with Limor, (and having heard the mistress jokes during the day,) Abbey asked me, "If you're Limor's mistress, what does that make us?" I thought for a split second then said, "Buck fuddies." AHAHAHA. Oh man she hated that answer. She wailed, "Noooooo! How about childhood friends!?" The rest of the night Amber and I teased her. Poor girl.

Oh! One more funny story: Limor said she saw my picture on fb (the one below) about the flood warning. Then she tapped the screen and nothing happened. So she thought, "Duh! I have to slide to unlock!" So she tried to do so... on a picture. Ya, it didn't work. LOL But glad she shared the story with me!

Alert #2 on which I got feedback on fb - flood alert

Alert #3

I've mentioned the bubbles Donut has blown - here is a picture of them from underneath. Tara says it's a mating thing. I hope he's not feeling too frustrated or anything. He keeps blowing them and I compliment them highly but I'm sure it's not the same as having a little fishy wife. I just don't know how to get the opposite sex and whether or not they would try to kill one another. :/ So sorry Donut, no other fishy friends.