photo essay

I have a friend! This is Satomi. She and her son Hana came over to our house. I remember thinking I would never have any friends here. We are almost to our 8th month here and I have made 3 japanese friends! (4 different people, but considering the language barrier, I think it counts more as 3 friends) Having a japanese friend is really nice. Satomi sent me chocolates when I was sick and yesterday spent at least an hour calling travel agencies for me, and I didn't even ask her to do it. I am so happy I met her, who wouldn't be!


Alex loves watching videos, but he is banned from Sesame street because he is always talking about his emotions- which are usually either sad or scared. I think he watched too many hurricane episodes. Ok, I know it is good to talk about these things, but really, how sad can a lego really make you, on an hourly basis? Anyway, he is still pretty cute. He is going to throw everyone through a loop when he comes home.















I bought this fabric to make a cool bag for new baby stuff, or whatever it happens to be used for beyond that. It is not a diaper bag, I hate that term because usually diaper bags are just ugly and who wants an ugly bag with a dirty diaper in it. If you have to carry around something like a dirty diaper, because that situation will arise where you know you have to just stick it in your bag, you need something to compensate for that. Anyway, in anticipation of being reunited with my beloved sewing machine in the near future I have been looking for patterns online.

















Maybe I am the only person who spends endless computer time looking up patterns, besides possibly Ted (who I love because he recently introduced me to pattern review), but can I just ask who in the hell thinks people want to still see patterns that look like they are from the 70's? This is a NEW Vogue pattern in the current issue of Vogue Patterns. Whoever makes these books needs to be tortured for all the years they have tortured me.

I was just reminded of something. About a year ago I was sitting on a park bench at PSU reading this and I knew then that marrying a genius like Nate was no mistake.

Look, no snow!!

meme

4 jobs i have had
teenage candy seller
the bookstore
city market slave
flower girl

4 movies i could watch over and over
the rules of the game
bottle rocket
the thomas crown affair
goldiggers of 1933

4 favorite tv shows
the oc
sex and the city
magnum p.i.
the office (british version, although it also makes me
queasy due to striking similarities it has to a certain "chard"
(ex-boss) I know)


4 places i have lived
idaho falls, idaho
portland, oregon
kanazawa, japan
multnomah village (does that count?)

me and my brother at redfish lake

4 places i have vacationed
san juan islands
czech republic/poland
anne's beach cabin- r.i.p.
redfish lake, stanley, idaho

4 sites I visit daily
101 cookbooks
craigslist-portland-real estate for sale
friend's blogs
epicurious

4 favorite meals...
sunday brunch at daily cafe
dinner at Gino's with dolcetto and tiramisu
fresh caught, pan-fried trout with potatoes
7 flavor beef and bacon wrapped oysters at wild ginger in Seattle


not to be confused with
first 4 things I am eating when I get back to the u.s....
hamburger at McMennamins
Baja Fresh, or anything closely resembling mexican food
old town pizza with green salad/ blue cheese dressing
chicken crudité and mille feuilles from the boulangerie

also not to be confused with
4 favorite meals in japan.
ham and egg sandwich and dorito-like chips from convenient store
ton katsu in Kyoto
salmon cakes with mustard sauce and Yoko's potatoes
steaming-hot pork dumplings, again, from convenient store

I spend alot of time thinking about food.

4 places I'd rather be
I'm not even going to answer this question.
No offense to japan, but I have been here for 7 months now,
the list is endless

4 people to tag to do a meme, too

nate

melissa l.

casey

molly

guess what?

We are having a girl! Well, the doctor's exact words were, "My guess is a girl" but backed it up by pointing to sufficient, factual evidence found on the ultrasound. Besides, the chinese astrological chart told us many months ago that it was true, so he was only really confirming what we already knew. In any case, we are really excited. Nate is already worrying about dating and keeping her under lock and key.

In other news, we have all had the worst case of influenza and have done not alot of anything besides watching 200 episodes of Sesame Street. We were teased by a few beautiful spring like days and then it started dumping snow again.

I am working on crocheting a baby blanket. Maybe it will be more of a lap blanket, it is kind of bigger and denser than I planned. I am using alpaca wool and it is very, very soft. Also it will take forever to make, so who knows when it will be done. I also made and attached a body to my crocheted cat head.


polly tagged me for a meme, which before a couple of days ago I had no idea what that even was, or that being tagged for it actually meant that I now need to do one! I will get to work on it and try to post it soon.