Conner & Kyle

Conner's Mom & Dad took him to the zoo last week. Here's a shot of Conner and his dad. Notice the big heads? It's genetic.

Pre-Hawaii Fun Clip

Here's a clip of Maggie talking about Hawaii.

Maggie Models Summer Swimwear

I stopped by to see Maggie today before she left for the pool. Here she is in her 2 piece...isn't she adorable? Of course you knew that from the video above.

Maggie II

Christina comes to Seattle

One of the best things about my job is catching up with former students. Yesterday, Christina, who lives in Japan, was in town. So she, Tara, Ai-chan, and I met together for brunch. It was a great time of reminiscing, and talking about future plans. And you know what? They're still the same - fun, smart, and ever energetic!

Christina & Tara

I love this shot of Christina & Tara.

The Whole Gang

Susan

After doing some retail therapy on Saturday, Susan and I headed to the nearest Tully's for a coffee break.

Ferns

(Photo by Jeff Varley)

Wildlife

(Photo by Jeff Varley)
My neighbor, Jeff, was out in Bellevue and saw this little critter in the botanical garden.

The Countdown to Hawaii

There are just 11 days before I leave for Hawaii. I can't wait. I'll be joined by friends (John, Cindy & Maggie) during the first week and then my cousin and her mom will be coming in the second week. It'll be a lovely, sunbathing time in paradise.

Blogger Problems

I've been having blogger problems and hope to have things fixed...soon.

Friday, Friday, Friday!

I LOVE Friday...I think it's the best day of the weekend (while technically it's not the weekend). See, all my anticipation for the weekend is about to burst on Friday, but by the time I get to Saturday, the countdown to the end of the weekend has begun. I get like this on vacation. The best day of the vacation? The day before I leave. I just relish in the thought of all the days I have. Now, I do have fun on vacation, and make the best of it, yet, I can't help but feel that time is ticking. Weird, huh?

Same stuff...different day

Well, nothing much has changed since I last wrote. I'm still working, doing observations at an elementary school in the area. Today I picked up another part time job, helping to direct students' final projects. It sucks to have no money.

The brighter side of things? I leave for Hawaii on July 1st. Woo hoo.

Ma-Chan & Ka-Chan

Here's a shot of Ma-chan and mom in Hawaii.

Ma-chan in the Sun

Hula Girls

I just got back from seeing "Hula Girls," a film about a depressed coal mining town in rural Japan. The setting is Fukushima, Japan, 1965. The coal company is laying people off due to the switch from coal to oil. The only glimmer of hope is the prospect of an entrepreneurial tourist attraction called the Hawaiian Center. The story centers around Kimiko, a teen, and her dream of dancing. The Hawaiian Center is met with opposition from the miners and the dancers' families, yet, the women pursue their goal. It's a great movie. Think "Shall We Dance" meets "Water Boys." By the way, both of the movies are Japanese movies, not the American ones. If "Hula Girls" hits your town, go and see it. Take some kleenex, too.

Cloudy, Overcast, Cool, and I LOVE IT!

Well, I got back into Seattle today and it was beautiful. The temperature was perfect at about 60 degrees. Nice.

Houston was fantastic! I floated in the pool everyday and enjoyed great food. That's the kind of life I want to live when I'm rich and independently wealthy. Maybe my cousin will take me in. Hmmmm...that should be my backup plan. (Carolyn: are you reading this?)

Katy, TX

Well, it's been hot here in Texas. I've spent every day out at the pool...I'm slowly turning a golden brown, slowly. I have so much sunscreen on that the sun has to go through so many layers before it hits my skin.

I've been spending the days with my cousin Carolyn, her mom & dad, and my cousins, Aleisa, Jarrod and Matthew. Throw into the mix Rosemary, who is family, and 2 dogs, and it's exploding with fun. See below for shots from the last couple of days.

The Gang

My cousin Carolyn is on the right. She used to work for Target but is now in retirement. I'm jealous.

Matthew & Aleisa

I love this shot of Matthew and Aleisa because you can see how tall Matthew has gotten (around 6').

Jarrod

Here's a shot of Jarrod after the staff at Joe's Crab Shack sang Happy Birthday.