I have a new blog!

I poured so many personal feelings and thoughts into my Japan blog that I wanted to make a new one for this new phase of my life. Here is the link: http://thankfulin.blogspot.com/

See you there. XOXO, A

I remembered!

First of all, tonight was awesome. I went to dinner at the Bombay House and I love that place.

Second of all I REMEMBERED the thing I forgot yesterday! It wasn't so much funny as cringe worthy. A funny situation. So on Wednesday when I went to the gym with Jean-Mi, I wore socks that didn't quite cover my heels completely. As I was doing my cardio, the scraping started. I knew I was going to get a blister, but the cardio was more important to me so I pressed forward. Sure enough I had a small blister. Then it just got bigger! Kinda funny, right? lol

Here it is this morning (I went to the gym again but wore proper socks, no bandaids or anything):

Here it is after the workout:

Oops - it got a little bigger, but it deflated a little. LOL

More good things

• I have been going through my books with a "Good, Better, Best" attitude and only keeping the best. I've been through two shelves and already pulled over 60 books to sell. Hopefully I can make a nice profit selling them once I am able to go through everything and have a yard/book sale. 
• The paperwork for my new job is being drawn up and I expect to sign it/fill it out on Monday.
• I got to email Shan on her birthday. :) Love and miss that girl!
• I am really enjoying my work outs. 
• Phil is sending me a memorial book for Momma. <3
• I finished altering all my t shirts and they look great! :)
• I've had an opportunity to spend time with my younger brothers and it's been awesome. In fact, Jean-Mi and I were able to go to the gym together yesterday. We did our own thing, but it was nice to be there together. :)

 I have another funny story but I can't remember it... I'll type it up when it comes to me. All my best to you and your efforts. :) XOXO, A

Looking onward and upward

Happy birthday Itnaaka!! :D Love you!!

So I should have updated last week - but I got an offer for my dream job! I was offered salary within the range I wanted and now I just have to get ready! I'm glad I have the summer to do that.

A couple funny stories from last week: I went to donate plasma and as part of that they check your hematocrit via a prick on the finger. Well my finger was a fountain! It squirted up four inches and sort of sprayed my hand and the counter. It surprised me so much I failed on pulse and had to retest (did fine the second time). Crazy day!

A couple days after that, ok sorry I have to back up. I have a queen-sized bed (that is mine) that I'm currently sharing with my sister before she marries in a couple weeks. She's a crazy sleeper like Jerod was so I'm used to staying in a small space. Well, I had been doing well avoiding her kicking and so on until one night she slid her finger tips under the bottom of my shirt and started to lift it. She got a few inches (I was in shock) before I cried out, "Simone you perv! What are you doing!?" She snatched her hand back and mumbled something (she was asleep - and hahaha to her future husband). An hour or so later she started speaking aloud. I couldn't understand what she said, so I remarked, "Whatever you perv. You tried to lift up my shirt!" She responded, "MMMM HMMM!" (Yes it was loudly.) I laughed so hard I almost woke her up. Good luck Andy (her fiancé)!

Well this isn't funny but it's part of my life. I've gotten sick and been throwing up, consistently, the past four or five days. I don't like it! However, each day that passes I'm able to keep more food down. I think I caught my mom's bug. :/ Thanks mom! ;)

My best to you and I hope you're all doing well. XOXO, A

Good Things

Just wanted to post about the good things in my life since I got home (even though I miss Japan and my friends there and my job there like CRAZY ~ oh and the food!).

• I am looking at getting the job of my dreams. The charter school at which I taught before I went to Japan is trying to open a position for me teaching French, Spanish, and ASL. (That is my dream - teaching languages.)
• I have a jar of REAL pickles. (What Japanese people called pickles are just brined veggies - they're delicious, but they're not pickles.)
• I have a membership at a local gym and I love being back in one. (I went to one in Japan, but now I have a cheaper one here!)
• General Conference was this weekend and it was awesome.
• I have been able to go out with Dre and that was wonderful!
• In my downtime I have watched a season of Project Runway and it reminds me of why I have a degree in fashion design. I LOVE FASHION!
• I was able to go back to the plasma center where I used to donate and I still have a few friends there. ALSO my hematocrit was 45! (Before that the highest I ever got was 41!)
•  I want to go through my stuff and streamline my life (haven't been able to really get started yet as my sister who is getting married is stashing her stuff in my room atm - BUT), I was able to go through some drawers and get rid of a bunch of stuff. I feel good about simplifying my life. My life in Japan was very simple and it was really nice. I miss having a tiny place that is easy to keep clean! 
• I am waiting to hear on my salary officially, BUT I am townhouse and condo shopping. I am very much looking forward to buying my own place AND NOT MOVING. LOL But seriously... I moved in 2011. Then in 2012. Then again in 2013. THEN IN 2014! And this year I moved around to a couple hotels before I landed home. So YA... I want there to be one last move for a WHILE. I am looking forward to an end of moving. Very much so.
• I had a movie night last night with a brother and sister of mine. We watched a horror flick. Oh how I have missed those scary movie nights!
• Oh man I wish I had video, but I brought home a bunch of Japanese foods that I love for my family to try. ... Ya they did not love what I brought. They especially disliked the umeboshi (sour plum - 梅干). However, that is my favorite Japanese food so I wasn't just torturing them!
• My days are quiet and that's nice. It's nice to have some thinking and regathering and visualizing time. (I haven't quite decided yet what I want for my future - other than that job and my own place - but I want to move forward and not stagnate.)
• I have 13 bullet points on this list! (And a good thing for this one: I have cracked pepper sunflower seeds and they are amazing!)

I hope that you are all finding happiness and joy in the small things in life. My love to you all! XOXO, A

Just trying to rebuild, having lost a large piece of my foundation. Hoping to report good news in the near future.

Ok the REAL Friday and Saturday EPIC post (March 21-22)

So I wanted to surprise my mom and show up with Jerod on Monday (hopefully a success as I am writing this post early) - this is my real NEVER-ENDING Friday. :D Enjoy:

T5B: 1) Jerod and I made our flights and we were both safe. 2) Jerod paid for a cab so we could just get to his car faster and directly. 3) Got to meet Jerod's friends. 4) The day eventually ended. 5) Our drive was fun and crazy.

Ok - this was an EPIC day:

- woke up at 8:00
- woke Jerod up at 8:30, we went and got showered
- packed up (our toiletries) and killed time until ten to for check out (mostly because our flights were late so we didn't want to be hanging around all day
- checked out, gathered our five suitcases, trekked to station, took elevators
- elevators put us on the wrong side (wrong platform), had to take the stairs anyway :/ ROUGH
- get to Ueno station, luckily only two small flights of stairs
- also luckily, since we had to get train tickets in another station that was nearby, there was an underground tunnel to that other station
- I went and got our tickets for the Keisei Skyliner (Jerod paid, THANK YOU BABE!)
- the lady asked if we wanted 11 am tickets but that one was leaving in 5 minutes, since we had 5 suitcases, we took the next train
- train arrived at 11:25, we got all our stuff on and sat down then were kicked off for cleaning :/ WITH all the suitcases, DAH
- finally let back on, train leaves at 11:40
- train arrives at airport terminal 2 around 1230
- I find the cell phone counter and tell them I want to cancel my phone, they start the processing and tell me to come back at 1340
- we chill and I go back and find out I had to pay SIX HUNDRED SEVEN DOLLARS - YUCK!
- we exchange our money for US currency, I wig out at the new $100 bills
- Jerod hears an announcement about my flight, it's delayed for an hour and a half *sigh* (and it was ALREADY leaving 1.5 hours after his)
- Jerod and I hang out, Jerod takes a nap, I play games on my phone, finally Jerod leaves at 1630 to go to terminal 1 (from where his flight is leaving at 1815)
- I finally am able to check in around 1730 (dump my bags - they inform me one is under a kilo and the other is over a kilo, I shift and no fees assessed!! thanks to Jerod!)
- the airline, for the inconvenience, gives me a meal voucher
- I find a place and grab a bowl of ramen, some ice cream, and a side salad
- Jerod messages me that his airline charged him a hundred bucks for checking two bags!! what the heck!? Sorry Jerod - it's my fault he had the other suitcase (full of souvenirs)
- I eat and charge my phone and message Jerod til he leaves
- when my phone is fully charged, I go down to wait by my gate
- my flight is delayed further
- original departure time: 1945, actual departure time: 2130
- the flight attendants are JERKS, the beverage service was awful, the food was subpar :/ STILL, we didn't crash so there's that
- I slept 1-2 hours out of the 10+ hour flight
- FINALLY land in LA around 1530 LA time (at this point I have been awake for ... 21.5 hours - well less that nap)
- customs takes FOREVER, then no sign of Jerod
- I waited for FOUR HOURS thinking he was dead (I tried to call his phone, no answer, I sent texts, no answer, I sent emails, no answer)
- Jerod was asleep at a table, grrrrr - I couldn't see him because of all the hundreds of people, and he was supposed to be looking for me :/
- we FINALLY leave the airport around 2000 (I am VERY upset)
- Jerod opts to get a cab rather than take a bus (like we were planning originally)
- the cabbie and Jerod are tense with one another (over the price), I cry because I'm so tired, and Jerod was sweet to me
- cab costs $130, we gather Jerod's car
- we go to grab some dinner and opt to get pizza (I REALLY wanted real pizza)
- we swing by his friend's house and give them the gifts we got them
- we hang out for a bit with them - I take a 30 minute nap (now I have slept 1.5-2.5 hours out of 26.5) Jerod talks to them, we decide to drive straight to Vegas (we decided to get the marriage out of the way early and on our way home - we prayed about it and felt good about just getting it taken care of ASAP)
- Jerod gases up, buys snacks, off we go
- I am alternately a loon and feeling like a narcoleptic
- we share an energy drink (I wanted to stay up and keep him awake)
- we make it to Vegas in four hours
- OH on the way, Jerod hands me some drugs his friends gave to us as a gift ... uh thanks? Jerod said he felt bad turning it down, I told him I didn't want the things near me, I threw them out the window on the way to Vegas then remembered I didn't wipe the bottle :/ hopefully there isn't some fingerprint scandal - SHEESH! I hope they got run over and destroyed - WHAT THE HECK!?
- we try to check into our Vegas hotel early, no go, they're packed, we go to Starbucks to wait out the day
- I do a bunch of paperwork and send emails I have needed to do, wrote a couple vows (as I THINK I'm supposed to do something like that.... lol), I fill out a preliminary marriage certificate and email the office for an appt (at this point I haven't yet heard back from them)
- as of now it's 7:39 am (LA time) - I have been up for 33.5 hours minus those two naps - my brain feels REALLY funky

our plans:
- kill more time here
- go to the marriage office and get our marriage license
- check into our hotel
- grab our respective showers, deck out in kimonos, get hitched at the Graceland Chapel (Elvis wedding package)
- SLEEP!!! probably watch the Food Network and potentially SyFy channel

Cool stories:
- I tried to tip the cab driver, he turned down my tip saying he couldn't take the last of my money from me (it was all the change I had - a couple dollars in quarters)
- while in Starbucks I went next door to Einstein bagels (thanks Jerod for paying for my breakfast), a lady who worked there greeted me and asked how I was doing - told her this whole saga in short form and about the wedding, she wanted to buy my breakfast but I already bought it - I thought that was very sweet :) (She asked for my fiancé's name - Jerod - Oh! That's a nice name! LOL Also she loved my ring. :) -my heart one)

I seriously feel so goofy right now (and I can hear my parents ~oh no voices too!~ saying "Your true nature coming out!"). I am looking forward to sleeping tonight. I hope I can. Right now I don't feel tired - just twitchy. LOL

Sorry about the ruse mom! Hope you all enjoyed our epic two days!! XOXO, A

That tree in the daytime - gorgeous and right on the corner!

Tunnel from Ueno Station to the Keisei Ueno Station :) Thank you Japan!

Tokyo from the Skyliner

Me on the Skyliner

AHAHA spotted in the airport

Gathering of cops

Japanese designer on which I did a poster and report in high school!

More designers

On the plane

Goodbye Tokyo :( -- Oh I forgot to mention, but LUCKILY I was on the aisle - I was in the center, FIVE SEAT section but on the aisle, MMM

Airline food (Singapore Airlines did it MUCH better, sorry Malaysia Airlines)

Arrival

Hello LA

Goodbye LA (Cypress)

The moon!

Vegas!? ... No, Primm

My sexy driver

Real Vegas!

Hotels

Gordon Ramsay!

Friday March 21

So Friday was good - but long!

Jerod and I got up early so we could shower and pack up the rest of our stuff (just little things - we did most of the packing the night before).

We checked out at 10 am and hung out for a bit, grabbed lunch. I helped Jerod get on the right train to the airport and sent him on his way. I miss him already. :/

Then I caught a shinkansen to Kyoto!!! I'm so glad Limor invited me. I wasn't originally going to go there because I didn't want to go alone. So glad she went for Spring Break and thought of me! :D

We mostly walked and "shopped" and grabbed dinner together.

For tomorrow (today) - Kiyomizudera, Ginkakuji, Kinkakuji (there are such cool shrines and temples here!!), Nijojo (castle) YEAH!!! I am having the worst time loading pictures and will have to do that later - so picture post for tomorrow (today the 22nd) to follow! :D!!!

And to my family: see you soon!!!!!! XOXO, A

Oh and one year!! Officially!!

Ameyoko & Ueno Park

T5B: 1) The rain didn't keep us from going out. 2) We found a shop of international chocolates and got some really great stuff from Belgium, Austria, Australia, and even one from the US (Jellybellies). 3) I got a new phone case that is rubber encased so I can't break the screen (as it were) again. 4) I have a new favorite tea: rosehip. It's SOOO good. 5) I see my family in a short NINE DAYS!! (I think I'm going to be able to meet Limor in Osaka and see Kyoto too! :D!!!)

Morning:
- I was kept up late by the jerks next door and then woke up early :/
- I let Jerod sleep in (I am awesome)
- he got ready while I got information from the net
- we finally got out the door and then took the subway to Ueno
- we easily found Ameyoko and checked it out and shopped a little

Notes: Ameyoko was pretty cool! They had TONS of fish, clothing, watches, golf stuff, and jewelry. We found other small shops here and there. Jerod checked out belt buckles, I found a phone case, we got some chocolate and other candies. I wanted to find some SNK stuff but I didn't. :/ Oh well.

Afternoon:
- we grabbed lunch at a noodle bar
- we went to the Tokyo National Museum of History and Science
- we grabbed some food at a Conbini and went back to our hotel

Notes: The museum was AWFUL (for us). All the information was in Japanese, it was $15 to get in (when the web said $6), and the things we wanted to see had really small and lame displays. :/ Dang it Japan, come on!!

Evening:
- we ate some dinner and watched Whose Line
- jacuzzi
- relaxed and watched a movie
- we will wrap up the night by packing after our clothes are done drying (I'm off to Osaka and Jerod is off to get home - he will wrap things up in Cali and then drive to Utah to meet me and hang out with my family next week!)

Notes: By the time I get home... NO MORE SUITCASES EVER AGAIN! Just sayin... XOXO, A

The present we got from Shinoki

Jerod's morning mohawk - soooo awesome!

Ameyoko

Jerod heard the buckles calling to him

Lunch :)

LOL we're eating what now!?

First peek at Ueno Park

Cherry Blossom Festival!

Got us both! :)

Kiyomizu Hall (they said no photos inside :/)

Pretty grate (haha, see what I did there!?)

Kiyomizu Hall

What's not allowed in Ueno Park

All the kinds of trash

Aww no dangerous goods!?

Most disappointing and expensive museum ever

Cool old medicine kit

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Creepy eyes!

Shark! Shark! Shark attack! BEGERK!

Jerod checking out bugs - this is how far back I stood

Yay dinos!!

Evolution of the Matrix

Jerod IN the wall! Oooh!

Experiments hall

Space

Tokyo and me in the glass ;)

At the exit

Holy water

Mozart Marzipan (SOOO good!)

The map the hotel gave us

Proof of "meseum"