Hey, remember me?

So, it's been a while. Just haven't felt the urge to write about anything lately, although there are probably a number of topics rattling around inside my head. For the past month I've just been so darn busy--moving, getting my apartment fixed up and everything unpacked, teaching three days a week at two universities--and now Christmas is just around the corner! That means getting my shopping done and packages and cards mailed.

How can it almost be the end of the year already? Seems like it should only be June or July--not December! Maybe it's hard imagining Christmas because it's been so warm. We're having unseasonably warm weather and I keep hoping it will get cold soon so I can start wearing my winter clothes. Although wearing winter clothes here can also be a problem because the heat's turned so high in most buildings, shops, restaurants, etc. I've actually left stores because they were too hot! So, hard to get my shopping done. . .

While I try not to think about it, this Christmas will be my first one in Tokyo, even though I've been living here since Spring of 2004. I always go visit my daughter and her husband for Christmas, but this year I can't go to the U.S. because I already took my vacation in July/August. Now I have to let the other teachers have priority for their vacation requests. This year, quite a few teachers want to take their vacations at the end of the year, so I'll be staying in Tokyo. Since I'm not going to Las Vegas to spend it with J&T, they'll go to Seattle to visit with the other sets of parents. It just won't seem like Christmas to me, so I'm feeling kind of sad.

But, my friend Judy has invited me to get together with her and a few friends for Christmas dinner. We're going to "Lawry's Tokyo" which will be nice, but not the same as going to "Lawry's Las Vegas" with J&T! For the past three or four years, we've gone to Lawry's for Christmas Eve prime rib. We made the decision to do that so we could have a nice, restful Christmas Eve instead of all our usual, frantic, "last-minute cooking, cleaning, wrapping presents" routine. It was such a nice alternative to go out and have somebody else do the cooking and cleaning. Plus, we always took home the leftovers which made for nice French dip sandwiches on Christmas Day.

I already know that the whole time I'm sitting there in Lawry's Tokyo, my heart will really be with JJ&T, and missing them.