The best places to visit for a February vacation
3 years ago
4.29.2010
Time to sit back and just wait
Did another HPT this morning with fmu and got the exact same results as yesterday. No darker, no lighter. I watched the damn thing for the entire 10 minutes after I peed on it. It looks exactly like the one in yesterday's photo. But my temp is way down this morning. Seeing that makes it hard to remain hopeful. You're supposed to wait until you're a week late for reason I suppose. Anyway, too tired of the hoping/guessing. Got to give myself a reality check and just wait a little longer without getting my hopes up. Thanks for all the support folks.
4.28.2010
You be the judge
I got the pink kind this time. Was gonna wait until tomorrow morning since I already did one this morning, but we all know how good I am at waiting. See the line on the left? Or is it just me? Do the pink ones not get evaporation lines at all? Or just not as obviously? Anyway, what do you think?
Another brief update (maybe TMI - be warned)
If AF is coming, she's probably making her appearance today, but my temps are still way up. I would be very surprised if she did show up. Also, she usually shows up first thing in the morning with a BM. I did have a BM, which I was totally scared to do for fear she would show up, but she didn't. Took another HPT, and the same result, only a very faint, possibly not even there, line. I am seriously going nuts at this point. I've been charting using Fertility Friend.com though, and according to my chart, FF thinks that I may have implanted 12 DPO (days post ovulation). That would account for the negative/faint HPTs until now. BUT there all these studies that show that implanting after 10dpo leaves you with a really high chance of miscarriage. Ok, I guess I'm still waiting. Hopefully I'll have some kind of (happy) update soon!
4.27.2010
Nada
No AF and no conclusive HPT. Still waiting. Maybe tomorrow I'll have an answer.
In other news, yesterday Akinori's sister announced that she is pregnant again. I'd love to expand on how I am feeling about all this at the moment, but I have a 5p.m. deadline, and it's 2p.m. Gotta prioritize.
In other news, yesterday Akinori's sister announced that she is pregnant again. I'd love to expand on how I am feeling about all this at the moment, but I have a 5p.m. deadline, and it's 2p.m. Gotta prioritize.
4.26.2010
Continued
So my temperature was still way up this morning, so I did an HPT first thing and the line did not show up nearly as quickly as it did yesterday, and now I'm convinced that what I'm seeing is an evaporation line. The temperature thing is a bit confusing, but AF's not really due until tomorrow or the day after anyway, so I guess there's nothing to do but wait at this point, and try not to spend what little savings we have left on HPTs.
Fingers are still crossed, but spirits are way down. I was sure this was the month. Damn!
Fingers are still crossed, but spirits are way down. I was sure this was the month. Damn!
4.25.2010
Butterflies in my stomach and ants in my pants
I know I shouldn't be blogging right now. I should be working. And I definitely shouldn't be blogging about this, but dammit, I'm going nuts and Akinori is being all level-headed and adult, so I have to do something to release this energy!
So after a truly wonderfully lovely day with lovely wonderful friends and their lovely wonderful children, we did a little shopping. We went to Toys R Us and got Sara a little chair that farts for you when you sit down on it because she will actually sit in one of those chairs for an extended amount of time, and we are desperately trying to teach her to sit down and eat. Lots of pacing and trying to stuff food in mouth as child passes, going on in our house. We also bought her her first baby doll. She's got lots of stuffed animals, but no dolls. Today she had the opportunity to play with one (thank you Amy!), and seemed to really like it, and Akinori noticed her playing with the doll's hair. The hope is that she will fall asleep while holding the doll and playing with her hair, instead of mine. I cannot tell you how many times I wake up in the middle of the night because my hair is being pulled. It's not a pleasant feeling. I'm desperately hoping this doll will replace me as her lovey.
After our little shopping spree Akinori asked if there was any other shopping we needed to do, and I spit out that I wanted to get some HPTs. The one I did yesterday was an internet strip. I wanted some real HPTs that I can trust. I know I should just wait until my period is late, but seriously, who can wait? I mean really? Who has the patience? Maybe there are people out there who can. Not me. Honestly, I probably could've waited if it weren't for the fact that my temps the fast several days have been very consistent. Usually, although they are all over my post ovulation cover line, they are a bit up and down and kind of all over the place. This time not so. Bit up and down the first few days, and then the last several they have all been 36.8-something. I couldn't help getting excited.
Bought the HPTs, brought them back home, and decided to wait until tomorrow morning to do one. Took a nap with Sara, woke up, had to pee, decided I couldn't wait and peed on a stick. Result - possibly positive. It's very faint, but I made sure to buy the same kind I bought last time, and the result is definitely visible this time. Obviously going to do another one tomorrow, if I can wait that long. Fingers and toes crossed that this is the real deal. Like I said, Akinori is being all level-headed and "I'm not getting excited until I see a dark line." But when I was pregnant with Sara he was the same. I knew 3 days after my period was late, and he was like, "Let's just wait to take a test." Funny, I was actually able to wait for my period to be late a whole week before I took a test that time. Probably because we weren't actually trying to get pregnant then. We were just not trying to not get pregnant anymore. Anyway, I'm all fluttery in my stomach and my nose itches, which is what happens when I get excited.
Okay, gotta get Sara in her bath now, but you may be hearing from me again if I feel the need to unload some of my excitement again.
Edit: I couldn't wait, and tried using an OPK as an HPT because I read on the all-knowing internet that you could do that. Well, either the OPKs I have are shit, or I'm not pregnant. I'm hoping for shitty OPKs. I hate this time of the month. Really, really, really, really hate it!
So after a truly wonderfully lovely day with lovely wonderful friends and their lovely wonderful children, we did a little shopping. We went to Toys R Us and got Sara a little chair that farts for you when you sit down on it because she will actually sit in one of those chairs for an extended amount of time, and we are desperately trying to teach her to sit down and eat. Lots of pacing and trying to stuff food in mouth as child passes, going on in our house. We also bought her her first baby doll. She's got lots of stuffed animals, but no dolls. Today she had the opportunity to play with one (thank you Amy!), and seemed to really like it, and Akinori noticed her playing with the doll's hair. The hope is that she will fall asleep while holding the doll and playing with her hair, instead of mine. I cannot tell you how many times I wake up in the middle of the night because my hair is being pulled. It's not a pleasant feeling. I'm desperately hoping this doll will replace me as her lovey.
After our little shopping spree Akinori asked if there was any other shopping we needed to do, and I spit out that I wanted to get some HPTs. The one I did yesterday was an internet strip. I wanted some real HPTs that I can trust. I know I should just wait until my period is late, but seriously, who can wait? I mean really? Who has the patience? Maybe there are people out there who can. Not me. Honestly, I probably could've waited if it weren't for the fact that my temps the fast several days have been very consistent. Usually, although they are all over my post ovulation cover line, they are a bit up and down and kind of all over the place. This time not so. Bit up and down the first few days, and then the last several they have all been 36.8-something. I couldn't help getting excited.
Bought the HPTs, brought them back home, and decided to wait until tomorrow morning to do one. Took a nap with Sara, woke up, had to pee, decided I couldn't wait and peed on a stick. Result - possibly positive. It's very faint, but I made sure to buy the same kind I bought last time, and the result is definitely visible this time. Obviously going to do another one tomorrow, if I can wait that long. Fingers and toes crossed that this is the real deal. Like I said, Akinori is being all level-headed and "I'm not getting excited until I see a dark line." But when I was pregnant with Sara he was the same. I knew 3 days after my period was late, and he was like, "Let's just wait to take a test." Funny, I was actually able to wait for my period to be late a whole week before I took a test that time. Probably because we weren't actually trying to get pregnant then. We were just not trying to not get pregnant anymore. Anyway, I'm all fluttery in my stomach and my nose itches, which is what happens when I get excited.
Okay, gotta get Sara in her bath now, but you may be hearing from me again if I feel the need to unload some of my excitement again.
Edit: I couldn't wait, and tried using an OPK as an HPT because I read on the all-knowing internet that you could do that. Well, either the OPKs I have are shit, or I'm not pregnant. I'm hoping for shitty OPKs. I hate this time of the month. Really, really, really, really hate it!
Hello again
I haven't felt like blogging for awhile. Nothing really to blog about I guess. More likely the fact that I have had a ton of work the last several weeks, so if I'm on the computer I feel like I should be working, not blogging. Although that hasn't kept me from checking Facebook, or other people's blogs. So I guess the real answer would be laziness, and nothing to blog about. It's still cold, and I'm tired of complaining about the weather. Plus, it's cold everywhere. We are no long special in Nagano. Now we're normal. I'm kind of happy about that. Because it would sure suck a lot more if it were only cold in Nagano and not everywhere else in Japan too.
One more reason I haven't felt like blogging is the whole trying to get pregnant thing. I'm tired of blogging about that too, but it's on my mind ALL the time, and part of me wants my next post to be telling the world about how I am with child. Alas, that does not seem to be the case yet. AF is due in a couple of days, and I did an HPT today with a negative result, so hopes are not very high. I even had a dream, just before I woke up, that I got my period several days early and I was crying because I wanted to be pregnant. Not a good sign. Though I have had dreams the last few months just before getting AF, about doing HPTs with positive results. So really, it doesn't seem that my dreams are a very reliable source of information.
I was actually going to wait and do the HPT until after AF was due this time, but today is Akinori's birthday, so I thought it would be a nice birthday present if the HPT was positive. Well it was a nice idea anyway. His actual present, or so I have told him, will be an iPad when they finally come to Japan. It will also be his Father's day present, Anniversary present and Christmas present, for the next 10 years possibly. Not going to get into the money situation right now because it will only depress me, but trust me if I did, it would depress you too.
His mom gave him 10,000 yen, and told us to have a nice meal with it. Taking Sara out for a nice meal is a miracle waiting to happen, and Akinori wanted to be able to relax while we ate, so we ordered up a shitload of Domino's. Like an honest-to-goodness shitload. Large pizza, pasta breadbowl thingy (which we didn't even touch and are leaving it for breakfast tomorrow. I know, we pride ourselves on our good nutrition.) chicken, fried potatoes. The works. Akinori got to keep the change. Happy birthday honey!
I went and got Akinori a cake today too (which we didn't eat because we were so full from all the pizza and crap), but when Sara and I came out of the cake shop, I was holding her hand and we walked to the car, instead of me carrying her. We got to the car and I let go of her hand for all of two seconds while I put the cake in the car, and I turn around and she was gone. I turn around further to find that she has run out of the parking lot and INTO THE STREET!!! My god, I still get heart palpitations every time I think about it. I ran after her, and she thought it was funny and started running herself and laughing while looking back at me, not at the oncoming traffic, not that she knows the difference anyway. That some big huge car could actually run her over and kill her. Luckily she didn't run into the middle of the street and stayed close to the curb, and it's not a very busy street.
After I grabbed her though and got her in her car seat, I was shaking all over. I couldn't stop, and then the tears started. The waterworks started again when Akinori got home and I told him what happened. I can't even watch a TV show about something horrible happening to a child without crying buckets and grabbing Sara close for a cuddle, and here I am, letting go of her hand in a parking lot. How incredibly stupid am I? I have definitely learned my lesson though. If there is a god, I hope that was her way of teaching me a lesson, and no other horrible tragedy is going to fall upon my baby. I don't know what I would do. I feel awful though. I must have apologized to Sara a million times in the car, and she just looked back at me and laughed like I was crying because I lost a game we were playing. All I could think was "I'm one of those parents that I always look down on because they don't watch their children properly, and now that's what everyone is thinking about me." Seriously, being a parent has made me feel more dumb than I have ever felt in my life.
So that is what you have been missing out on folks. I've got to get to bed now or I'm going to be a wreck for the lovely day we have planned tomorrow that was supposed to be a BBQ with friends, and is now lunch at a Thai restaurant due to crappy cold weather. Goodnight bloggy world!
One more reason I haven't felt like blogging is the whole trying to get pregnant thing. I'm tired of blogging about that too, but it's on my mind ALL the time, and part of me wants my next post to be telling the world about how I am with child. Alas, that does not seem to be the case yet. AF is due in a couple of days, and I did an HPT today with a negative result, so hopes are not very high. I even had a dream, just before I woke up, that I got my period several days early and I was crying because I wanted to be pregnant. Not a good sign. Though I have had dreams the last few months just before getting AF, about doing HPTs with positive results. So really, it doesn't seem that my dreams are a very reliable source of information.
I was actually going to wait and do the HPT until after AF was due this time, but today is Akinori's birthday, so I thought it would be a nice birthday present if the HPT was positive. Well it was a nice idea anyway. His actual present, or so I have told him, will be an iPad when they finally come to Japan. It will also be his Father's day present, Anniversary present and Christmas present, for the next 10 years possibly. Not going to get into the money situation right now because it will only depress me, but trust me if I did, it would depress you too.
His mom gave him 10,000 yen, and told us to have a nice meal with it. Taking Sara out for a nice meal is a miracle waiting to happen, and Akinori wanted to be able to relax while we ate, so we ordered up a shitload of Domino's. Like an honest-to-goodness shitload. Large pizza, pasta breadbowl thingy (which we didn't even touch and are leaving it for breakfast tomorrow. I know, we pride ourselves on our good nutrition.) chicken, fried potatoes. The works. Akinori got to keep the change. Happy birthday honey!
I went and got Akinori a cake today too (which we didn't eat because we were so full from all the pizza and crap), but when Sara and I came out of the cake shop, I was holding her hand and we walked to the car, instead of me carrying her. We got to the car and I let go of her hand for all of two seconds while I put the cake in the car, and I turn around and she was gone. I turn around further to find that she has run out of the parking lot and INTO THE STREET!!! My god, I still get heart palpitations every time I think about it. I ran after her, and she thought it was funny and started running herself and laughing while looking back at me, not at the oncoming traffic, not that she knows the difference anyway. That some big huge car could actually run her over and kill her. Luckily she didn't run into the middle of the street and stayed close to the curb, and it's not a very busy street.
After I grabbed her though and got her in her car seat, I was shaking all over. I couldn't stop, and then the tears started. The waterworks started again when Akinori got home and I told him what happened. I can't even watch a TV show about something horrible happening to a child without crying buckets and grabbing Sara close for a cuddle, and here I am, letting go of her hand in a parking lot. How incredibly stupid am I? I have definitely learned my lesson though. If there is a god, I hope that was her way of teaching me a lesson, and no other horrible tragedy is going to fall upon my baby. I don't know what I would do. I feel awful though. I must have apologized to Sara a million times in the car, and she just looked back at me and laughed like I was crying because I lost a game we were playing. All I could think was "I'm one of those parents that I always look down on because they don't watch their children properly, and now that's what everyone is thinking about me." Seriously, being a parent has made me feel more dumb than I have ever felt in my life.
So that is what you have been missing out on folks. I've got to get to bed now or I'm going to be a wreck for the lovely day we have planned tomorrow that was supposed to be a BBQ with friends, and is now lunch at a Thai restaurant due to crappy cold weather. Goodnight bloggy world!
4.10.2010
Into the light
Just want to thank everyone for their hugs and positive vibes in your comments on my last post. It took a little while, but I am feeling much, much better. Sometimes I wonder if I am bipolar, but I am pretty sure that nearly everyone has these feelings from time to time. I mean that's life, right? Ups and downs. If there were no downs, there would be no ups. It's all about balance, and I am finally feeling some of that, so all is good right now.
Of course the weather is a super huge major factor. The absolutely gorgeous weather we have had most of the week, and especially today has done wonders for my mood! I just hope it stays this beautiful! I'm also finally finished with the pain-in-the-ass project, and that is a huge weight off my mind. I have another big proofreading project lined up, worth semi-big bucks, so I am happy to have a steady stream of work at the moment. The new project was supposed to start this past Thursday, but the prior project went on longer than expected so the new project was put off until Monday. I was pretty happy when I found out since I knew if I had the work in front of me, I wouldn't really be able to relax over the weekend, and just the thought of that gave me little stress shivers. I really wanted to relax for just a bit, especially since Akinori has both Saturday and Sunday off for the first time in ages this weekend.
Today we went to the zoo with some friends of ours. They have a little girl just 2 months older than Sara, and the girls get along really well. They even hugged when we said goodbye today, and Sara cried when we finally pried them apart. Kind of surprising to see that kind of attachment to anyone other than myself or Akinori, but very heartwarming, and so so cute! I'll have to post some photos when I've got more time. After the zoo, we all went to lunch/dinner at my favorite hamburger joint, and Sara slept practically the entire time we were in the restaurant which meant Akinori and I could actually enjoy our meals. It was sooooo nice!
On the way home we drove past the park behind our house to check out hanami prospects. The cherry blossoms are just now starting to bloom so things look good for the BBQ we are planning on having in the park next weekend. There are all kinds of yatai out already though so we decided that's where we'll have dinner when the weather is nice enough to go for a walk in the evenings this week. Means I don't have to cook, and no conbini food! Win-win! (Not that yatai food is even remotely healthy, but that's not really the point here. Besides we're going to walk to the park and back which should make up for the unhealthiness of what we eat, right?)
No real plans for tomorrow which is dangerous. It means there is a good possibility we will sit around in our pajamas until 3p.m. when we finally decide to get out of the house. But since I woke up at the crack of dawn with Sara this morning, and Akinori got another hour of peaceful sleep, he has agreed to wake up with Sara tomorrow and let me sleep in. Just the thought of that makes me smile. He is also going to cook dinner tomorrow - my belated white day present. I told him before I didn't want him to buy me anything. I would much prefer a few hours to myself, or to not have to cook dinner, or to sleep in, than anything he could possibly buy for me. He had planned on making paella on White Day, but I think we were both exhausted after a day of shopping, and the paella got postponed. So last night he announced, without any prompting from me, that he would cook Sunday night's dinner. Yeah! Another reason to be in a good mood.
Sara has finally nodded off so I am off to pop some popcorn and some cans of beer open, and watch a movie with my darling hub (he's obviously in my good book this week). I hope everyone else is enjoying this gloriously beautiful weekend too!
Of course the weather is a super huge major factor. The absolutely gorgeous weather we have had most of the week, and especially today has done wonders for my mood! I just hope it stays this beautiful! I'm also finally finished with the pain-in-the-ass project, and that is a huge weight off my mind. I have another big proofreading project lined up, worth semi-big bucks, so I am happy to have a steady stream of work at the moment. The new project was supposed to start this past Thursday, but the prior project went on longer than expected so the new project was put off until Monday. I was pretty happy when I found out since I knew if I had the work in front of me, I wouldn't really be able to relax over the weekend, and just the thought of that gave me little stress shivers. I really wanted to relax for just a bit, especially since Akinori has both Saturday and Sunday off for the first time in ages this weekend.
Today we went to the zoo with some friends of ours. They have a little girl just 2 months older than Sara, and the girls get along really well. They even hugged when we said goodbye today, and Sara cried when we finally pried them apart. Kind of surprising to see that kind of attachment to anyone other than myself or Akinori, but very heartwarming, and so so cute! I'll have to post some photos when I've got more time. After the zoo, we all went to lunch/dinner at my favorite hamburger joint, and Sara slept practically the entire time we were in the restaurant which meant Akinori and I could actually enjoy our meals. It was sooooo nice!
On the way home we drove past the park behind our house to check out hanami prospects. The cherry blossoms are just now starting to bloom so things look good for the BBQ we are planning on having in the park next weekend. There are all kinds of yatai out already though so we decided that's where we'll have dinner when the weather is nice enough to go for a walk in the evenings this week. Means I don't have to cook, and no conbini food! Win-win! (Not that yatai food is even remotely healthy, but that's not really the point here. Besides we're going to walk to the park and back which should make up for the unhealthiness of what we eat, right?)
No real plans for tomorrow which is dangerous. It means there is a good possibility we will sit around in our pajamas until 3p.m. when we finally decide to get out of the house. But since I woke up at the crack of dawn with Sara this morning, and Akinori got another hour of peaceful sleep, he has agreed to wake up with Sara tomorrow and let me sleep in. Just the thought of that makes me smile. He is also going to cook dinner tomorrow - my belated white day present. I told him before I didn't want him to buy me anything. I would much prefer a few hours to myself, or to not have to cook dinner, or to sleep in, than anything he could possibly buy for me. He had planned on making paella on White Day, but I think we were both exhausted after a day of shopping, and the paella got postponed. So last night he announced, without any prompting from me, that he would cook Sunday night's dinner. Yeah! Another reason to be in a good mood.
Sara has finally nodded off so I am off to pop some popcorn and some cans of beer open, and watch a movie with my darling hub (he's obviously in my good book this week). I hope everyone else is enjoying this gloriously beautiful weekend too!
3.28.2010
Dark place
That is where I am right now, and I need to get out because it feels awful in here! I think it's a combination of the crappy, most-un-spring-like weather EVER! and all the work I have to do, and of course my shithead husband being an asshole to me today, and I'm afraid to say it...PMS (please please PLEASE! don't be PMS! please be whacked out pregnancy hormones!!)
I don't feel like blogging, but I really feel like I need to get some thoughts out or I might just burst. This isn't going to make a lot of sense, mostly just babble so I can clear my head. You've been warned.
The amount of work I have to do is definitely weighing down hard on me. And what sucks is that it's not even really interesting. Akinori has taken Sara out for a little while so I can get some done, which is why I feel kind of guilty about blogging instead. I think he just did that in attempt to be nice and apologize for his assholeness earlier. He wasn't even being a true asshole. I was probably being more of an asshole. In fact, now that I think about it. He definitely wasn't being an asshole. What gets me is how immature he is. That is what bothers me more than anything. And I start thinking about whether I can live with that aspect of him forever, and ever, and then I get depressed because I don't want to live with that aspect, but I don't want to live without him. How do you force someone to behave like an adult? I suppose you have to love everything about your partner, the good and the bad, and sometimes his immaturity is charming, but when we're fighting I want to send him to his room without dinner, because I feel more like a mother arguing with her 10 year-old son.
It's my fault too. I get bitchy, and when I get bitchy, he gets bitchy back. I want the right to get bitchy though! I don't want to feel like I have to control all my bitchy urges because it's going to lead to a fight. Why can't I say something bitchy once in awhile and have him just ignore it? Why can't he just assume it's PMS or something else, completely unrelated to him, and just let it go?
I wish it was just Akinori bothering me because I know that will blow over. My trip to Osaka may have done more harm than good. I just miss it there. I miss all of my friends. I don't hate life here, but I will never stop missing Osaka I don't think, and compounded with the weather and fighting, it just seems all that more attractive right now.
Okay, guilt is starting to set in even further. I really need to get some work done if I ever want to dig myself out of this black hole. Sorry for depressing the masses. Just not in a good place today.
I don't feel like blogging, but I really feel like I need to get some thoughts out or I might just burst. This isn't going to make a lot of sense, mostly just babble so I can clear my head. You've been warned.
The amount of work I have to do is definitely weighing down hard on me. And what sucks is that it's not even really interesting. Akinori has taken Sara out for a little while so I can get some done, which is why I feel kind of guilty about blogging instead. I think he just did that in attempt to be nice and apologize for his assholeness earlier. He wasn't even being a true asshole. I was probably being more of an asshole. In fact, now that I think about it. He definitely wasn't being an asshole. What gets me is how immature he is. That is what bothers me more than anything. And I start thinking about whether I can live with that aspect of him forever, and ever, and then I get depressed because I don't want to live with that aspect, but I don't want to live without him. How do you force someone to behave like an adult? I suppose you have to love everything about your partner, the good and the bad, and sometimes his immaturity is charming, but when we're fighting I want to send him to his room without dinner, because I feel more like a mother arguing with her 10 year-old son.
It's my fault too. I get bitchy, and when I get bitchy, he gets bitchy back. I want the right to get bitchy though! I don't want to feel like I have to control all my bitchy urges because it's going to lead to a fight. Why can't I say something bitchy once in awhile and have him just ignore it? Why can't he just assume it's PMS or something else, completely unrelated to him, and just let it go?
I wish it was just Akinori bothering me because I know that will blow over. My trip to Osaka may have done more harm than good. I just miss it there. I miss all of my friends. I don't hate life here, but I will never stop missing Osaka I don't think, and compounded with the weather and fighting, it just seems all that more attractive right now.
Okay, guilt is starting to set in even further. I really need to get some work done if I ever want to dig myself out of this black hole. Sorry for depressing the masses. Just not in a good place today.
3.26.2010
Quick catch up
Been kind of busy the last few weeks. I can't remember if I mentioned that I got the project that would send me to Osaka, and therefore went to Osaka with Sara last Friday, and was supposed to stay until Tuesday morning, but ended up staying until Wednesday afternoon. My trip to Osaka just brought on a whole slew of emotions in me that had sort of been dormant in the last several months.
To start, I arrived in Osaka, and left Sara with Fiona and Emi, who I really cannot thank enough for taking care of Sara. I don't know what I would have done without her, though Sara's crying and freaking out about being without her mommy in a new place with new people seems to have traumatized both Fiona and Emi. So, so, sorry. Everything would have been so much easier if I could have just taken her with me, but that would have been impossible. Oh well. No one died, so I guess it could have been worse.
I was glad to have my meeting behind me to enjoy the rest of the weekend, however, the friend we were supposed to stay with Friday and Saturday texted me at noon on Friday to say she was sick and we couldn't stay with her. Hello!!! Couldn't she have at least texted me the night before?! If it was just me, I really wouldn't have been too concerned, but it was me and my 15 month old child. Really not cool. She did offer to get a hotel room for us and pay for it, but I didn't feel right about that, so I told her we would work it out and not to worry.
I thought about calling Corinne who was unbelievably kind in offering to let Sara and me stay with her, but I had SO much stuff, there was no way I would be able to get Sara, myself and all our stuff to her place, and then the thought of having to get back on the train and do it all again to stay with the friends who had a room for us the last two nights made me want to cry, so I got a really super cheap hotel room very near to my friends' place for Friday night, and I called every hotel in the city, but none had a room available for Saturday, so we crashed at a different friends' place on Saturday night. We probably could have crashed there Friday as well, but I didn't want to put them out too much since they have 2 kids and a tiny place. But it's very good to have good friends. I was seriously feeling the love.
Sunday I went to my other friend's place. She and her husband had been to Hokkaido and didn't get back until late Saturday which is why we didn't stay with them until Sunday. They have the most beautiful apartment! OH MY GOD! And it is in the most convenient place (although a little noisy for raising kids, which they are expecting their first in July) and I would just love to live there forever. If we ever get our house built and it looks 1/10th as nice, I will be happy. Although I can't imagine that it will since we are poor and they are not. I really loved being in such a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere, but at the same time it sort of made me depressed about the reality of my life. I don't want money to purchase nice material possessions. I would prefer to carry a 1000 yen handbag to something with some designer's name splashed all over it. I don't need fancy clothes (although having a GAP in Nagano would be the best thing to ever possibly happen to me). I'm just not into fancy cars and clothes and crap like that. But I want a nice house and nice place to live. That would make me happy. And I want to be able to travel. I don't mind staying in $10/night accommodations, I just want to see other places.
Having friends who are rich, and can afford whatever they want, is kind of depressing. I know money isn't everything. I know we will never be rich, and I'm happy with that. But seeing how those who "have" live, is just a little depressing. Knowing that my fantasy is their reality just kind of depressed me. Enough said about that.
Monday we went to my former office. That was more emotional for me than I ever imagined it would be. I had plans to have lunch with some former co-workers before going to the office to say hello. I could see a few of them crossing the street as I was approaching from the station and all of a sudden I got all teary-eyed. Then I walked into the restaurant where we were meeting and 8 of them were standing around the table waiting for us, and I just burst out crying. I really missed them, a lot more than I even realized. It was so good to see them all, and to see that nothing had really changed.
When we did get to the office it was just craziness with everyone fawning all over Sara and the excitement of seeing everyone. It really felt like coming home again. Then I got some really awful news that kind of put me over the edge for the day and the remainder of my trip. One of the managers, a woman around 40, definitely not much older, had passed away about a month prior to my visit. I kind of lost it a little. She was a friend and she was kind and fantastic at her job. She encouraged me at a time when I felt completely worthless, and was always full of praise. She was fun and funny and someone you could always, always, without fail, count on. I still can't believe she's gone.
A little while ago when I wrote about my JET friend and my 1st boyfriend's mother dying, I was actually thinking, there's got to be a 3rd, death always comes in 3's. I was hoping I was wrong, but unfortunately I wasn't. This woman passed away on the same day as my ex-boyfriend's mom actually. The world is definitely a lonelier, darker, sadder place without you Toda-san. I pray that you are no longer in pain and resting peacefully, looking down at all of us who you protected on earth, and doing the same from heaven.
Apparently Toda-san's family didn't inform the office of her funeral arrangements, and the office took it upon themselves to have a ceremony for her, which was scheduled for Tuesday night, which is why I changed my plans to come back to Nagano on Wednesday instead. I'm glad I stayed even though Sara prevented me from really participating very much. Not much you can do about that, but at least I was there and I got to say goodbye.
So besides being exhausted from the trip, and from working on this project, which is depriving me of sleep in a major way, the unexpected turn of events while I was in Osaka, has just kind of drained me of much blogging motivation. I'm having a lot of trouble shaking the sadness. I'm hoping that getting it all out here will be therapeutic for me, I mean afterall, that's what this blog was intended for, right?
To start, I arrived in Osaka, and left Sara with Fiona and Emi, who I really cannot thank enough for taking care of Sara. I don't know what I would have done without her, though Sara's crying and freaking out about being without her mommy in a new place with new people seems to have traumatized both Fiona and Emi. So, so, sorry. Everything would have been so much easier if I could have just taken her with me, but that would have been impossible. Oh well. No one died, so I guess it could have been worse.
I was glad to have my meeting behind me to enjoy the rest of the weekend, however, the friend we were supposed to stay with Friday and Saturday texted me at noon on Friday to say she was sick and we couldn't stay with her. Hello!!! Couldn't she have at least texted me the night before?! If it was just me, I really wouldn't have been too concerned, but it was me and my 15 month old child. Really not cool. She did offer to get a hotel room for us and pay for it, but I didn't feel right about that, so I told her we would work it out and not to worry.
I thought about calling Corinne who was unbelievably kind in offering to let Sara and me stay with her, but I had SO much stuff, there was no way I would be able to get Sara, myself and all our stuff to her place, and then the thought of having to get back on the train and do it all again to stay with the friends who had a room for us the last two nights made me want to cry, so I got a really super cheap hotel room very near to my friends' place for Friday night, and I called every hotel in the city, but none had a room available for Saturday, so we crashed at a different friends' place on Saturday night. We probably could have crashed there Friday as well, but I didn't want to put them out too much since they have 2 kids and a tiny place. But it's very good to have good friends. I was seriously feeling the love.
Sunday I went to my other friend's place. She and her husband had been to Hokkaido and didn't get back until late Saturday which is why we didn't stay with them until Sunday. They have the most beautiful apartment! OH MY GOD! And it is in the most convenient place (although a little noisy for raising kids, which they are expecting their first in July) and I would just love to live there forever. If we ever get our house built and it looks 1/10th as nice, I will be happy. Although I can't imagine that it will since we are poor and they are not. I really loved being in such a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere, but at the same time it sort of made me depressed about the reality of my life. I don't want money to purchase nice material possessions. I would prefer to carry a 1000 yen handbag to something with some designer's name splashed all over it. I don't need fancy clothes (although having a GAP in Nagano would be the best thing to ever possibly happen to me). I'm just not into fancy cars and clothes and crap like that. But I want a nice house and nice place to live. That would make me happy. And I want to be able to travel. I don't mind staying in $10/night accommodations, I just want to see other places.
Having friends who are rich, and can afford whatever they want, is kind of depressing. I know money isn't everything. I know we will never be rich, and I'm happy with that. But seeing how those who "have" live, is just a little depressing. Knowing that my fantasy is their reality just kind of depressed me. Enough said about that.
Monday we went to my former office. That was more emotional for me than I ever imagined it would be. I had plans to have lunch with some former co-workers before going to the office to say hello. I could see a few of them crossing the street as I was approaching from the station and all of a sudden I got all teary-eyed. Then I walked into the restaurant where we were meeting and 8 of them were standing around the table waiting for us, and I just burst out crying. I really missed them, a lot more than I even realized. It was so good to see them all, and to see that nothing had really changed.
When we did get to the office it was just craziness with everyone fawning all over Sara and the excitement of seeing everyone. It really felt like coming home again. Then I got some really awful news that kind of put me over the edge for the day and the remainder of my trip. One of the managers, a woman around 40, definitely not much older, had passed away about a month prior to my visit. I kind of lost it a little. She was a friend and she was kind and fantastic at her job. She encouraged me at a time when I felt completely worthless, and was always full of praise. She was fun and funny and someone you could always, always, without fail, count on. I still can't believe she's gone.
A little while ago when I wrote about my JET friend and my 1st boyfriend's mother dying, I was actually thinking, there's got to be a 3rd, death always comes in 3's. I was hoping I was wrong, but unfortunately I wasn't. This woman passed away on the same day as my ex-boyfriend's mom actually. The world is definitely a lonelier, darker, sadder place without you Toda-san. I pray that you are no longer in pain and resting peacefully, looking down at all of us who you protected on earth, and doing the same from heaven.
Apparently Toda-san's family didn't inform the office of her funeral arrangements, and the office took it upon themselves to have a ceremony for her, which was scheduled for Tuesday night, which is why I changed my plans to come back to Nagano on Wednesday instead. I'm glad I stayed even though Sara prevented me from really participating very much. Not much you can do about that, but at least I was there and I got to say goodbye.
So besides being exhausted from the trip, and from working on this project, which is depriving me of sleep in a major way, the unexpected turn of events while I was in Osaka, has just kind of drained me of much blogging motivation. I'm having a lot of trouble shaking the sadness. I'm hoping that getting it all out here will be therapeutic for me, I mean afterall, that's what this blog was intended for, right?
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