Chrissy vs. Spider

So I'm home alone, baking a pumpkin pie from scratch (like REALLY scratch, we're talking actual pumpkin), and as I close the oven and head to couch to do some knitting, I spot a giant brown blob scurrying across the couch. Ok, a 1-cm spider qualifies as giant in my book. As if it sees or hears me stifle a scream it halts, poised on top of my Mac power cord. I strategize quickly before the spider escapes or attacks me, I grab a hanger first but rethink that decision. I roll up a nearby magazine and gently pull the cord away from the spider (I don't want the cord to get spider guts on it) and take a good swat. The spider doesn't even flinch. I swat again, harder and when I lift the magazine, the spider is GONE! Nowhere to be found! Somehow, I simultaneously look at the magazine in my hand and throw it across the room. I quickly inspect every inch of my person, but still no spider. I'm now flinching at every spot on the wall or floor. Not cool. Why does this stuff happen to me? But the question I really should be asking is how is that a biology teacher is such a baby around bugs. Anyways, I get the vacuum and go to town, but just as I lean in really close to the scene of the crime, the power in the whole house goes. Now I'm standing in complete darkness, sure that the spider is on my face. But since running screaming from the house is out of the question, I find a flashlight and the fuse box and get the lights back on. As I put the vacuum away, I contemplate how long I can go without sitting on the couch, tricky. But then, as I bend down to pick up my knitting I see the carcass on the ground under the table. I blow to see if it moves, and it DOES, so I grab enough tissues to put about 1 inch of it between me and the crunch that's about to happen. Does anyone not shiver at the crunching exoskeleton of a squished bug? Success, finally. Mr. 8-legs is now on his way down the Rumoi sewer system, soon to swim into the Japan Sea, maybe to be eaten by a fish I'll buy at the market next week. Ew, but at least I win. Yes, I just wrote a looooong story about squishing a bug. Pathetic? Maybe.

Happy Birthday to Don!

The candles were so hot they melted the frosting!

Happy Birthday to Don!

A special homemade cake for my husband on his special day. 33 candles
make a pretty big fire ball!

Knitting Project #2

This is a scarf for myself. I actually shouldn't have called the hat
below a "project" because it is finished. (and it actually fits Don's
head!). By the way, wool yarn here is about $1 a ball, maybe $3 for
super fancy stuff. With my yarn collecting tendencies this could be
trouble!

Knitting Project #1

This is a snowboarding hat for Don.

I want to be a farmer. Stop laughing please.

Today we spent the day in Mashike, the town just south of Rumoi. We met up with Jim and Dave, and some people from the chat club, then headed to a nearby orchard. The owner showed us around and had us sample 5 different delicious types of prunes (plums?), several varieties of grapes right off of the vine, and of course, some apples. The grapes especially, put american grocery store varieties to shame. We also talked plant propagation and genetics (so you know I was happy). With gurgly stomachs, Don and I agreed that to have something like this ourselves would be amazing. Then we headed to a winery down the road that made apple wine, or hard cider. The owner of this operation explained the process to us. Also tempting and interesting. Even though both of these ventures clearly require huge amounts of hard work, I'm still fantasizing about my own farm/orchard. I also just finished Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is inspiring me (as if I needed it) to grow as much of our own produce as possible when Don and I finally settle into a house, in America, don't worry moms. The questions that remain are

1. How much of my time can we afford to devote to this agriculture adventure?

2. Will growing our own food save us enough money to be worth that time? I feel like it's worth it for our health alone, but mama's gotta pay bills. Thanks a lot NYU.

3. Are chickens out of the question? Sheep for wool? What about a horse? Ok, maybe we're not there yet.

Violated On the Soccer Field

Just a quick note of advice. When playing soccer with elementary school students try to stand as straight up as possible. If you lean over even a little you leave yourself vulnerable to a two-handed stab in the ass by any tiny elementary school student looming behind you. What's worse, once they see one kid do it they all want to do it. Its like being surrounded by piranhas. Even though these are some of the cutest kids you will ever see you cannot trust them. They are tricky. It starts out real cute looking too. They put their hands together the way someone would pray, then they angle them towards your ass and stab them in there. It doesn't hurt but it doesn't feel good either. So when you visit Japan, don't play soccer with elementary school kids and thank me when you get back home.