Winter's not over yet....

No indeed. After a week of unseasonably warm weather, we have been thrust back into the snowy depths of winter proper. Chitter. But it feels better somehow. Warm weather in winter is a bit strange. I prefer snow and snuggling.

I had a really nice weekend. It didn't involve as much sleep as I'd hoped, but who needs sleep when you have good company?

-Friday: top day at work. Clever kids, happy teachers, good atmosphere in staffroom (not always the case). Got home. Put on some music very loud, and danced around my room. Nate came and picked me up, drove to Kitamjima singing a song about broccoli. Played poker. Bad cards. Counted out before I lost too much. Sit and watch the others play, feeling pretty choked with the cold. Down to Amber's to crash. Love Actually. Massages. Cool music. Tracy and Brittany. Scary looking humanoid rabbits (or rabbitoid humans?). 4am bed.

-Saturday: haircut. Love Keiji! Caught the eye of his Beautiful Assistant, and thought about asking his name, but chickened out. He has a nice smile, and hair to make you weep. Walked for an hour in search of Cafe Bugaku. Walked passed it. Twice. Finally arrived. Nate studied. I read the Economist. Mango latte, huge doorstop piece of cheesecake. Up to Dave's Taco Stand. Actually had a taco. Back in car. Drive back west. Snow falling. Want to drink wine. Feel crap with the cold. Pop into Minoda-ren enkai, make my apologies, chat to Shige. Up to Higashiiya. Scary roads, drove slowly. Had wine.

-Sunday: took Sean and Aki to Ikeda station (Sean's jaw is getting unscrewed today in a Tokushima Hospital). Breakfast at Autobahn. Bad hot beverages and music, but nice staff, and free ocha. Home. Shower. Hoover. Buffy. Sleep. Kick-ass dinner of salmon, hijiki, and fried peppers, leeks and mushies. Feel a bit better. More Buffy. More sleep.

Sean is an artist living and working with his girlfriend in Higashiiya. He is a very gifted lampmaker, and his work is amazing. He just finished a piece that Nate commissioned from him, and I'm thinking of asking him to do one for me, as it's a wonderful thing to be able to take home. Mum would love these lamps, I think. A couple of the lamps that Nate has are pictured. The tall rectangular one is the commissioned piece.

This week looks set to be busy. Dinner tonight with Hanna and Kuni. Eikawia tomorrow. Possible free night on Wednesday, but could possibly see some mates. Off to the city on Thursday to watch Dave dance at the Awa Odori Kaikan (museum). He's dancing as one of the leaders, so I want to see him do his thing. In April, he's moving back west to become a rafting guide for Happy Raft. No more JET. No more Tensui-ren. He'll still be a ways away from me, and it'll probably be even harder to see him at weekends, given that's when he'll have most work to do. But I am psyched that he's coming back. He seems to be too, and that's the most important thing. :)

AJET also has cranked into high gear, what with meetings, reports and elections. Nate (that's local Nate) has decided to run for my job, along with a couple of others from other prefectures, while our very own Christian is going for Chair. GO CHRISTIAN! I hope he gets it. He'd make a great chair, he'll just charm everyone to get what he wants. ;)