sorry, mom

I've been quite busy since coming back from my trip home and haven't had too much time to post things. Despite school being out (though I still have to "work", as it were) several things have been keeping me busy - amongst them: trying to get a japanese driver's license (this process is pretty much eating away at my soul, hopefully it will finish successfully soon), buying a new car (a hott black Nissan Cube), taking over the Akita JETs' pet charity, now a partnership with Room to Read, and making it national for JETs throughout the country, saying goodbye to friends (Edel left on Sunday :( and hello to new ones (the first of our two new Honjo people arrives today!), converting my students` musings (example: "What put in question is not understood only from it") into meaningful English for an upcoming speech contest and, oh so happily, rowing again! This year the existing town government team has integrated us much more readily, Amelie and I are rowing with 3 Japanese girls for our "Ladies" team, and I've also been helping to coach the gaikokujin "Guys" team. With so much more practice time as compared with last year, I predict success! And of course most of my spare time in this sticky weather is spent floating in my new floaty tube at the beach. In the words of the next friend I have to say goodbye to, "Buoyancy is my favorite human attribute!" No new pictures right now but I am sure to have some great ones after this weekend, which will include a traditional dance festival, fireworks, and Akita's Kanto festival, all in my new yukata!