Just Another Manic Wednesday

Today has been another semi-normal day, which means two normal days in a row. That's a record for me since moving to Japan in 2002. I think I'm having a wow-moment.

I knew I would be home from work for part of the day today because I'm having a few pieces of furniture delivered. I warned my staff and boss, reiterated my cell and home phone numbers, and went to sleep last night without my alarm clock set. (Aren't I wild? That's what bankers call Reckless Abandon.) Well, it turned out that the first delivery was late and the second one hasn't happened yet, so I've been home the entire day. I baked brownies this morning (for my neighbor who graduated from high school yesterday) and watched Dr. Phil (while eating brownie batter for breakfast). Then I called my sister and another friend to catch up. I did a little laundry, did the dishes, started on my Japanese homework, and now it's almost 5:00. I love days like this: no strange fish food, no trying to argue politely in a language I don't know, no two-hour car ride commuting eight kilometers on the wrong side of the road. I needed a day like this.

Usually the idiosyncrasies don't get to me. I love living in Japan, and wouldn't chose to return to the US at this point for anything. (Ok, really great Mexican food, but that is IT.) But sometimes the weirdness factor just gets too high and I have to kick off my house slippers, leave my tatami mats undusted, close the blinds so I can ignore the factory worker's calisthenics, and pretend I'm in Portland -- just enjoying that distinct Pacific Northwest groove.