Entries this day: Dream First_shiatsu Notes_on_the_entry_above Shiatsu Timing Vie_de_France komatsu_lesson talk_with_Ami zoo2_coming_soon

Dream

7:23am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

While watching a garbage truck be connected with a large trash can (or perhaps dumping its garbage out from the back of the truck), the captain of PB's new ship and I were having a casual chat when he asked a sortof weird question.

"If your father was the captain, do you think he would drink while working?"

"Well," I started looking for the 'correct' answer; I didn't know this guy well enough that I thought he might want the truth. "I'm sure that there's a lot of stress on this job, so it would be important to find a way to relax. But while *actually* *driving* the ship, I know he would not be affected by alcohol," I spoke a truth without revealing that I had never seen my dad drunk before, and think he may have stopped drinking altogether in the 10+ years that I've not lived at his house.

Later, driving Mr Van on the way to my old house in Spring, Texas, I came up on some construction right across the street from the house, but it was forcing traffic to divert such that I would have to go miles and miles around to get back to the house from a different direction. I thanked the construction guy after asking him if I could "just drive over the curb here," and into the drive way, and he said "no."

I noticed another equally short way I could get to the house, and I pulled into the driveway. I got my luggage out of the back of Mr Van, and pulled it up to the front door. One of the wheels made a strange repeated thunking noise, along with a scraping slide leading up to each thunk.

I opened the door to the house and was surprised to find Karen at home! I said HI to her, and she commented like, "I had wondered what that noise was, but I couldn't see anything through the window," which was lightly veiled with a thin white drape.

First shiatsu

8:37am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

On Monday I was scheduled to go to Sasazaka station (I think) to have my first experience with shiatsu. However, I cut it too close and due to train lateness (it happens a bit in rush hour) I didn't make it to Inokashira line until 9:22 or something, and called the guy (Kimura) saying I'd be 5 or 10 minutes late. He said therefore it was impossible, and I could reschedule.

I rescheduled for today, and I told him, "I *absolutely* will be on time," meaning I wouldn't be late.

It's now 8:40am, and we're arriving in 中目黒. 渋谷 is only 2 stops away, and then change to 井の 頭線 (Inokashira line) (*), go two stations to 明大前, change to somethin-somethin' line and go one stop to Sasazaka (it's Sasa-somethin') (**). Unless the big earthquake (***) comes within 20 minutes, I'll be there on time.

Notes on the entry above

8:44am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

(*) Before anyone is all, "omg you're [sic] Japanese is so good!" let me assure the non-Japanese-typing readers that I just enter option-space to switch to Japanese mode, type the letters i-n-o-k-a-s-h-i-r-a-s-e-n-n in order, and then type space again to switch that to kanji. I can recognize the first two characters easily enough, and the fourth one is correct, but the third one I just assume is correct. It's like having a spellcheck, and assuming the computer spells correctly.

8:48am JST

We've arrived in Shibuya. brb.

8:55am JST

Okay. I'm on 井の頭線 (*) now.

(**) I only know that the romanji version of the name starts with Sasa, and I know it's just 1 or 2 stops from Meidai-mae on the only other line in that station. This will be enough information to get me there unless there are two stations that start with Sasa as the first and second stops from Meidaimae.

(***) Apparently we are overdue for a decimating earthquake in Tokyo.

(*) That time I just had to type i-n-o-k-a-TAB to get the kanji.

Shiatsu

11:02am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

The station is Sasazuka, and I got there 15 minutes early.

First shiatsu was fine, I guess. Received a treatment which basically was like a gentle version of what my chiropractor would do when I went to see her.

Timing

9:03am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

Hmmm; on the local train, it's farther to 明大前 than I guessed. I don't know if I'll make it to work by 11am; we may have to arrange for me to be late on my Shiatsu days.

There's a guy hacking coughing down at the end of this carriage. He's sitting in the old-people seat (he looks old enough but not *that* old). I hope he's okay.

9:05am JST

Now arriving in 明大前. 10 minutes.. Should be fine. (?)

10:55am JST

Getting back was fine. In two ways. (one) I'm at work 5 minutes early.

Vie de France

10:56am JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

(two) I found a Vie de France in 新鮮 station. I got a few items and went to the counter. Braces on her smile. Subtle ones, like clear plastic. But I saw them and they still make me giddy (and have ever since I got a crush on the character Sam in some TV show way back in the day).

I was like, 「この店はポイントカードがありますか？」

「そうでございます。」

「それいただけますか？」

「しょっしょ待って下さい。」

Day one: 7 points.

komatsu lesson

5:55pm JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

During my lesson with Komatsu today I told him I'd have to work an extra 3 hours because I go to his lesson. I told him, "therefore, please study, cause otherwise you're wasting my time.." and I think he got it.

talk with Ami

10:19pm JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

Well that was interesting.

Ami called me, and I called her back all fine and dandy, but I immeditately started being pissy toward her, and then apologetic about it cause there was no reason to be pissy and I just wanted her to understand that I had a bad day, though I really didn't; I just want her to understand me at all.

Then she was like, "hey yo I was thinkin': you say you want me to change and stop watching TV and stop drinking and start meditating. Well I want you to stop chasing other women."

And I was like, "yo; I want that too, but it's apparently impossible. I've wanted that shit for 15 or 20 years, but I can't seem to stay with just one woman. I could get connected with Angelina Jolie and still probably be lookin' after not too long."

And I thought we were going to break up right there on the phone, and I was fine with that.

Then I was like, "see the thing is, I like your smile, and I like your cooking, and I like your h, and " I mentioned several things I like, "but I don't like when you sabotage yourself, saying you can't do stuff."

Like when I say I can't stay faithful. fuck. this isn't working out at all!

And then a bit later Ami was like, "we haven't really been able to do stuff together recently,"

And I just started crying and crying. I didn't even see it coming; I didn't even know it was in there! Just bawling. Finally, "Ami; I miss you so much." more tears tears crying blah blah blah and "when you were taking care of your mom I tried so hard to give you space and it was so hard; I tried so hard to be faithful to you, and I was largely successful." I didn't say all that, but I wanted to. (I was busy crying.)

And we decided to go hiking together with Travis on 30 November (strictly speaking, I was already set to go; I just hadn't invited Ami, partially (ironically) because Tamara is going, and I wanted a chance to talk to her about my relationship with Ami).

And I asked if she would come to ultimate with me. More crying. "Why did we stop going to ultimate?" But what I really wanted to ask was 'why did *you* stop going to ultimate?' but I didn't, because I don't know whose idea it was to stop.

But I do know that people would ask me "where's Ami?" each time I went without her, and I just realized that was one of the reasons I stopped going. More tears. Very interesting.

zoo2 coming soon

10:31pm JST Thursday 20 November 2008 (day 14120)

Galaxy Zoo 2 coming soon!