Birthday recap

So... the birthday went well.  I think everyone had fun and I've yet to receive a letter from my neighbor, so it was a success.  We stayed up until 4ish watching Grease and talking, then stayed in pajamas for most of Saturday.  

Also we randomly ran into someone I used to work with.  I'm still really lazy, so I'm just copy/paste-ing this from facebook:

"So, random story... while we were walking to the karaoke place from the restaurant, I heard someone calling my name. I turn around to see this woman waving at me from across the parking lot. She used to work with me at Takahagi JHS. Me, being in a celebratory mood, invited her and her husband to come along to karaoke with us. Shockingly, they said yes."  

Honestly it didn't take much to convince them.  It was pretty funny because her husband was really drunk and he jumped at the chance to go to karaoke, speak English, and drink more.

Otherwise, I'm just trying to figure out what my schedule is for the week I'm back in America.  I'm super excited!  There are a ton of people I'm trying to see, so I just hope I can fit everyone in.  Also, I need to buy jeans (buying pants in Japan is depressing because sizes range from 0 to 6) and underwear (there's no Victoria's Secret in Japan and there's no point in paying $30 for shipping if I can help it).  Thirdly, I promised my co-teacher I would show him an American L-size fast food soft drink.  I'm writing this down in the hopes that I don't forget and if I do, I can look here and "remember."

In other travel news, I've scheduled my flight home for Christmas.  The blame simultaneously lies with my mother and rising fuel costs.  Anyway, I'll be in Hawaii between the 20th and 27th of December and in Hilo from the 24th to the morning of the 26th.

In other Hilo news, I've been watching random videos on youtube lately and I stumbled across nigahiga.  If you know Hilo at all, you can tell these are Hilo boys really quickly.  Plus, their latest video is called "Hilo Puppets."  Anyway, they're really popular (like #2 most subscribed comedians as of this posting).  Yay Hilo!

In other other Hawaii news, Punahou has lately been ranked #1 for high school sports by Sports Illustrated.  Yay Punahou!

better

I feel 100% better than when last I posted. I credit the weather for the turnaround. I suppose four days of rainy, cold weather in the middle of May just brought out the grumpies. Also, the weekend is definitely looking like it`ll be fun. At this point, my main worry is that my crazy neighbor might call the police. As of now, the plan is dinner at a restaurant in my city, then karaoke if we feel like it, otherwise, just going back to my apartment.

Furthermore, details are starting to fall together for my trip to Portland and Colorado in June. If you`re reading this and you want to meet up, send me an email :)

Time-out

I feel like time is on hold.  You know how when you're really tired, everything that's happening just feels like it's going on around you and you're just kinda floating along?  That's how I feel.  Nick caught some sort of flu thing, so he's been passed out in my living room for the past four days.  Meanwhile, I went to work on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday while simultaneously ducking out of social engagements (none of which I actually wanted to go to).  I have soccer practice today, but the triple whammy of Nick's flu, the terrible weather, and my still not completely recovered ankle has kept me at home.  

My birthday is this weekend and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.  I have this increasing paranoia that I'll either be stricken with the flu or I'll just be so exhausted that I won't want to do anything.  Of course, chances are that Dan will be right and I'll be completely fine.

Golden Week quick re-cap

I'm exhausted and achy (metaphorically and physically).  Here's a quick summary of the past week:

Nick came to visit before going to Thailand.  We went to Ueno with his friend from Sapporo and some of the other JETs.  Then he left and Jen A came.  We went to Nikko, Kamakura, and Yokohama and they were awesome.  Peter and his brother came.  We went to Shinjuku in the rain, then an art museum in Ueno, then met up with Aki and Chika (PAs when I was a JSP participant at TIU) for okonomiyaki.  Peter and his brother left.  Jen A and I went to Harajuku on the day everyone else in Tokyo decided to go there, then de-compressed at a public bath.  Then we went to Asakusa, the Imperial Palace, Ginza, Akihabara, and Shinjuku before hitting Gyukaku near TIU.  Then we went to Ikebukuro, and finally Narita Airport.  

All that in one week and one day.  It was amazing.  

As if the karma gods are punishing me for having so much fun last week, I fell down some stairs on the lonely ride home from the airport and my left ankle is now swollen.  I'm going to bed, but I'll post more later.