nick.org

Halloween. I woke up at 6:30, via the alarm (scary!) and ate a bowl of Toasted
Oats. My media player was low on batteries (and I wasn't in the mood), I didn't
want to turn on the light for fear of bothering Eriko (so I couldn't study
Japanese), so waking up early wasn't super productive for me. I did spend a
little time making sure the software on the laptop was up to date, and I left
for work early. At work, however, my early arrival did not translate into
increased productivity although I did get a few a things done. After a lengthly
meeting, I came home early (about 11) and Eriko and I headed to Redmond to
check out the free car. Eriko packed lunch, which was yummy, and we ate in the
car (with me nibbling at stoplights). We arrived at AutoSys and I spied a black
jetta with the hood up and what appeared to be a battery charger attached.
Sure enough, that was the car. Gary helped me out with records and answering my
questions and Eriko spent some time sitting in the car, noting the flaws, and
(I imagine) imagining herself in it. I attached the power pack and started the
vehicle, but we were unable to drive it since it was blocked in. After a few
phone calls to Anne (the vehicle owner) and Aaron (my buddy, Anne's son-in-law)
Eriko and I were back on the road (and I was eating more lunch). Back at work,
I got hit with a major let-down -- my new employee (of two weeks) decided to
leave the company. I made an effort to retain him, but when it was obvious he
was not going to stay, I asked that he leave immediately. That put a bit of a
bummer on the afternoon for me and I didn't get much more work done; I left a
little early and complained to Scott. Eriko warmed up dinner when I arrived and
it was yummy! We watched a little TV while eating. I sent Rob an email (telling
him the unfortunate news about the employee) and he quickly called me. We
talked for a while, with some (minor) complaining. I then finally managed to
convince Eriko to watch 'Twilight Samurai' with me, a movie loaned to me by
Hideki (my Japanese teacher). I thought it was really good, except the lighting
was a bit dark. Eriko also seemed to enjoy it. I then proceeded to wash the
dishes and Eriko took a shower.

I woke up at 6 (with the alarm). I slept pretty good. I made myself a bowl of
cereal and worked on my Japanese homework (I shouldn't have waited until the
last minute, but it was good to finish). I got into work pretty early (a little
after 7) and got to work pretty fast. I started a discussion (with the rest of
the leads) about employee retention. It was a good topic to bring up and I
enjoyed discussing it. I also started a discussion with my team regarding the
usefullness and comfort of our morning meetings. As it turns out, I decided to
postpone them slightly so everyone would be able to make them without trouble
(and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the majority of people found
them very useful). The morning went well and lunch was nice. I had a little bit
of an afternoon before I had to leave for class. I made a few phone calls (to
the owner of the Jetta, my buddy Aaron, and the mechanics -- to authorize the
work). I left work a little early and had coffee with Zack and gabbed about his
girl trouble. It was nice to see Hideki and we talked about computers
(requirements for a PhD, reasons why high-speed was needed, etc.) before going
through the day's lesson. After class, I went back to work and got a few things
done (there was some last minute crisis which caused me to be a little late).
Dinner was good and then Eriko talked to her mom. I did a little organizing and
washed dishes. Then I watched the remaining three episodes of Gundam Seed
Destiny, which didn't end so well (but I was glad to finally complete the
series). Eriko and I took showers and it was time for bed.

I woke up at 6 again. I was more tired this morning than yesterday; I had a
little trouble sleeping in the late morning and was tossing and turning. After
eating breakfast, I watched a lecture on my media player. This one was about
pre-execution, a cool optimization technique for speeding up processors by
reducing the effect of branch & load stalls. I got a little tired a few times
and had to pause it and collect my wits, but it was a pretty good presentation
so I was pretty engaged for the most part. I did email my boss (via the
blackberry) a bit on the couch before leaving. I arrived at work about 8 AM,
which is a nice time. I was a little distracted in the morning (although I
cannot recall by what) and didn't really start working until about 8:30. I was
fairly productive in the morning but worked on a few various issues. I came
home for lunch, which was nice, but Eriko was pretty quiet. We got into a
discussion about what she dreamed of doing (acting) and I must have said
something wrong, because soon she was quiet and it was time for me to go. The
afternoon was fairly smooth; I had coffee with Scott and Shai (monthly 1 on
1's) and had good discussions with both. I then got pulled into a meeting
discussing outstanding issues and then I worked on diagnosing one. Aaron called
me about 5:15 to let me know that he arrived with the Jetta. Since he works in
Redmond, he offered to pick it up from the mechanic and drive it over, which
was very nice. He was waiting for me in the passenger seat (which was cool) and
I drove the car a few blocks down the street so we could eat some dinner. We
went to Blue Water, a favorite of Aaron's, and both ordered steak burritos.
Aaron ordered a beer and I got a soda. The food and conversation were good and
as an added bonus, the owner brought us out 1/2 margaritas to sample. The
restaurant recently obtained its beer & liquor license and the owner was
clearly in a courting mood. We drove to the condo where I parked the Jetta and
we said hello to Eriko. I was pretty stuffed and needed to take a short rest
before proceeding (via the Miata) to Aaron's house. I was able to pet and spend
some quality time with Bailey, who seemed to remember me. It was really nice to
see her. She seemed to be doing very well and I really enjoyed the few minutes
I saw her. I visited with Carol and Aaron and they gave me some oranges and
homemade beer to take home. Aaron also described some intended modifications to
his basement and let me taste a bad batch of his homebrew. It was nice to see
them (and especially Bailey). Back at home, Eriko was in a pretty quiet mood.
She wasn't feeling so well and so we just sat on the couch. Finally, I got up
to go the bathroom and she went to the computer to watch an episode of an anime
she downloaded. I helped her when I came out and she really had a good time
watching it; I forget the name but it was something she had watched (for the
first time, at least) when she was 12. I watched most of it too, but also began
writing journal entries and completing a software upgrade on my laptop. Eriko
took a shower and I worked on the computer (personal & work email).

This is going to be a combined entry. I fell behind on my note taking and can't
do the individual days justice. On Thursday, the big highlight was the
symphony. Eriko and I took the bus (#13/#2) there, arrived on time, and enjoyed
it quite a bit. I was a little irritated on the way there, but eventually I got
over it. I fell asleep at the end of the first part (which is the way I like
it) and got entranced by a few idle members of the symphony on the last part,
which kept me awake. On Friday, I came home early; I wasn't having a productive
day and staying longer didn't hold any interest for me. That may not have been
a good move, however, as Eriko wasn't in a good mood and soon after we managed
to both get irritated at each other -- which lasted the entire weekend. From
Friday evening until Sunday evening, Eriko didn't say more than a few words to
me. I, of course, had quite a few to say to her, but they seemed to fall on
deaf ears. Ah, the challenges of taking two individuals and putting them
together with no real escape from each other. Especially Eriko; when I'm able
to overcome my own emotional involvement in the situation, I can't help but
admire (and cringe) at the place she has found herself in -- a foreign country,
no friends/family, newly pregnant in a new marriage, and married to me. Any of
those individually would be enough to drive a normal person crazy. On Saturday
I was able to get out of the house and spent some time helping Zack move from
his apartment to his new shared house. He lives closer to me now but I don't
know whether or not I'll see him more often... Sunday I used the computer,
watched Starship Troopers (on TV), ran a few errands (to get out of the house),
and tried not to upset (or get upset at) Eriko. In the evening she was finally
starting to talk more, although she clearly has no desire/strength for anything
more than the most trivial of conversations. I spent the late evening working
on this journal entry, trying to focus on Japanese, and procrastinating by
reading a textbook on (mathematical) Optimization.

I was able to sleep in a little bit, because we had an OB appointment at
the Nadeshiko Clinic. I set the alarm for about 7:40 (the planned wake-up time
was 8) and was eating breakfast when Eriko woke up. I did a little work on the
computer as I needed to write a status email. We ate our separate breakfasts
and headed over the 520 bridge to Kirkland (a little before 9). The mood was
civil but not so comfortable. I headed back to Isilon and arrived in plenty of
time (about 9:40) for my meeting (at 10). Unfortunately, I had to find parking
(and grabbed a latte) so it was about 10 by the time I actually got in the
building. The staff meeting was good and interesting. I had another meeting
with my team afterwards and then it was time to pick-up Eriko. I was a little
rushed, having left the office at 11:35, but I made it in-time (noon) to
pick-up Eriko. In fact, I was there a few minutes early and went inside to use
the bathroom. She was waiting outside the bathroom for me a few moments later.
A really cool thing happened at Nadeshiko -- Eriko talked to her nurse about us
and got a nice sheet of paper describing common communication problems between
Japanese and Americans. It was specifically tailored towards the Japanese wife
and American husband. When Eriko showed this to me (after we arrived home), we
were both very relieved -- this was not just our problem! Lots of people had
this problem. I went back to work and excitedly told my co-worker about the
information we had acquired. He was also very interested (as he is currently
dating his ex-wife, who is Japanese.) Back at home, Eriko and I spoke about our
new world quite a bit, and she shared the discovery with her mother via Skype.
She also told me that she drove the Jetta around the block! We spent some time
playing with a baby playpen that my co-worker Edgardo gave us before heading
off to bed.

I woke up early this morning because I had Japanese homework to do. After
eating breakfast, I got to work on reading some conversations and looking at
the grammar points. I finished up and went into work a little early. I had a
meeting with my boss, another meeting, and I shared the Japanese/American
interaction paper with Todd -- as a result, my morning wasn't so productive. I
came home for a nice lunch with Eriko and told her about my conversation with
Todd. Back at work, we had an ice cream cake party (which was yummy). I didn't
get much more work done before I went off to Japanese class. Hideki and I had
good time and ended up discussing Japanese/American marriages ourselves! After
a brief hour of work, I came back home. Eriko was on the phone with her mom and
so I fixed my own dinner. We had lots of nice conversation on the couch and I
went to Safeway to pick up some groceries. Then we had more nice conversation
and it was time for bed.

The alarm went off at 6 AM. I was tired, but I knew I had plenty to do so I
woke up early. I probably should have studied Japanese or watched a CS lecture,
but I needed to get in and get some work done so (after eating) I left for
work. As it turns out, Melissa called me and we talked for over 30 minutes, so
my early start didn't buy me that much in terms of work productivity, but it
was nice to talk to her. I did have a solid, productive morning, but it turns
out the stuff I was working on was clearly defined and I had to send it back to
our great spec writer for clarification. I came home for lunch and found Eriko
alert but not in a cooking mood, so I fixed myself a baked potato with some
leftover chicken korma sauce (it was quite delicious). Back at work, I was
pretty productive until the end of the day when I was just involved in too many
conversations. I came home to Eriko who had dinner waiting. It was also
delicious and she was a little full so I ate half of hers -- then I was full.
We waited around for a bit and then took the bus down the hill to Key Arena to
see Disney on Ice's Finding Nemo. The line for entry was very long -- the
bombings in Jordan caused them to really heighten security. It (the need for
heightened security) was sad to see, especially since this was an event that
was meant for families and children. I wasn't expecting much but the show was
really good. It helped that I hadn't seen the movie as I didn't have any
expectations for the story line. The skaters were quite and the overall show
was very beautiful at times. Eriko enjoyed it as well. We waited around for a
bus ride for about 20 minutes, during which time I read some big email from
work. Things are happening. Back at home, I ate some ice cream, watched the
news, and it was time for bed.

I woke up about six (the alarm was set for seven) and decided to lay in bed for
a few minutes... which of course, turned out to be until the alarm went off. I
got out of bed, ate my bowl of cereal (two kinds) and headed off to work. Eriko
was sleeping and didn't budge. My morning was fairly occupied -- I had a
meeting with my new boss, a technical lead meeting, and the regular team
meeting. I tried to fit in some emergency repairs I need to do by the weekend
in, but didn't make much progress. I came home for lunch and found Eriko
sleeping. I was debating whether I should prepare myself lunch or go out when
she came out of the bedroom, so I stuck around. I made myself a quick meal with
baked potato and fixin`s while Eriko drank some juice. We spent a little bit of
time watching a PBS kids program (Reading Between the Lions) that she had told
me about yesterday. It was well done -- funny and educational -- and who
doesn't like cute stuffed lions? Back at work, my day continued to be full. I
had a meeting, another sudden meeting (and I had to trade interview spots), an
interview, a team meeting, and then I had to update my weekly status. I had
about an hour to work on my emergency repairs but didn't make a lot of
progress. I'll really have to hit the ground running tomorrow. I walked home
with Scott and he invited Eriko and I to a game party he's having at his house.
I think we might show, although I doubt we will stay long (since our bedtime
tends to be pretty early). Eriko was waiting for me when I got home but she
already ate. Luckily, she made enough for two. ;) I ate dinner and then watched
a little BBC news on TV. We hung out on the couch until 7:40, when we left for
Capitol Hill (and more specifically, the Century Ballroom). We weren't going to
dance, we were going to meet Gene (the former owner of the Jetta) who was in
Seattle (he's from Redmond) to go salsa dancing. Gene brought me the title
paperwork, so now I just have to deliver it to the DMV. Eriko didn't feel too
super after we got home, so she spent a little bit of time on the couch
resting. I did the dishes and checked on some financials. We spent some time
together on the couch and I rubbed her feet and ate ice cream. Then it was time
for her shower.

I woke up at 6 today, despite going to bed close to midnight. I was tired, but
I had to get some work done early -- Isilon is going to be at Supercomputing
2005 and it is a big deal, and I had promised to do a few tweaks before the
show. I got out of bed, ate breakfast, read some email, and was ready to move
out (in fact, I was already putting on my shoes) when I couldn't find my
wallet. I came back into the house, looked in various places, and as a last
ditch effort, went outside to check the Jetta. At first, I found nothing, and
thought that all was lost -- without the wallet, I didn't have my keycard, so I
couldn't get to work. Then, wedged between the driver seat and the center
console, was my wallet. Whew! I went into work and began wrestling with my
changes. I made solid progress and was only interrupted by a trip to Larry's
with Jane (for donuts) and our usual team meeting. I came home for lunch and
Eriko popped out of bed when I arrived and brought out the meal she had fixed.
It was yummy. We concluded the lunch hour by watching some TV and chatting.
Back at work, I rushed to complete the tasks I had before 3 o'clock -- which
was the time for an engineering meeting. With only seconds to spare, I think I
made it. (Verification will come later). After the meeting (where Zack won a
ticket to see Sheryl Crow) there was a planned party at Jillians. Zack, Kaya,
and I went up and picked up Eriko who I had called in advance. We found a
convenient parking space and for the next several hours, we ate, we drank, and
we played _lots_ of ping pong. The Kirsch Brothers had many victories and only
a few defeats. It was fun. Eriko looked a little bored at times, but in general
she seemed to enjoy herself. She and I played ping pong quite a bit and Zack
played with her a bit too. We returned to the house, said bye to Zack, and
relaxed on the couch for an hour or so.

The alarm went off at 8 o'clock and Eriko and I got out of bed. She was worried
about whether she would feel good enough to go to her drum class, but neither
of us mentioned it and we just ate breakfast. She seemed to feel fine and at 9
we headed off (in the Jetta). I dropped her off in class (we were the first to
arrive) and talked to her instructor a bit. Then I headed off to Starbucks to
get a mocha and Big Foot car wash to vacuum the car. That went well and it
was a big improvement. In the process, I discovered that Gene had left us a
stereo and there was a repair book as well. Upon returning to North Seattle
Community College, I spent some time looking around the car and cleaning up
here and there. I felt very grateful to have been given this vehicle. I watched
a colloquia lecture while waiting for Eriko to finish. When her class was over,
we headed down to Ballard (with Eriko driving) so we could finish the vehicle
registration. Unfortunately, the lady told us that we needed an emissions test,
and the place was up north (a few blocks from where we had been). We only had
about 40 minutes to get back, so I took over the driving and we hurried. We
made it, the Jetta passed emissions, and we drove back south. We made a detour
at McDonald's and enjoyed a yummy meal. It has certainly been a while for me
and this McD's was much cleaner than others I remember. The registration went
off without a hitch and now we are the proud owners of a 1994 Jetta. We came
back home and Eriko took a nap and called her mom. I finished watching the
lecture, which was on eliminating memory latency by allowing out-of-order
loads/stores with the possibility for rollback (in the event of a conflict). It
was pretty cool. Then we headed to Costco, where Eriko got herself a new winter
coat and I purchased an LCD monitor for the computer. I had been struggling
with paying the big bucks for a laptop (with a small screen), whereas this big
monitor allows us to keep our eyes happy and my wallet thick. We ate some
Costco pizza before leaving -- the first bite tasted so much better than the
last. We waited around @ home for a bit before heading off to Scott & Judy's
for game night. (I didn't actually think we would go, since we left about an
hour later than it started). There were four other couples there, all with
asian women (one korean, two japanese-american, and a hong kong chinese) and
caucasian men. We sat out the first game, which was American pop-culture heavy
and enjoyed the next two -- pictionary and cranium. Eriko impressed everyone
with her drawing skills, especially when she had to draw "counting sheep" with
her eyes closed. We had a good time and ate lots of food, finally heading for
about 2 AM.

I was too tired to sleep well and the room became too bright too early. Eriko
seemed to sleep better but was also tired when we woke up at 10 AM. The morning
was slow and short. I called Todd to arrange a movie time, took a shower, and
worked on the computer. Eriko ate and showered. About noon, I found Eriko
laying down for a nap and I joined her. We woke up at 2, surprised by the time,
and hurried off to meet Todd & Miki for a matinee showing of Chicken Little. We
arrived with plenty of time, although I received some worried phone calls from
co-workers and I was a little distracted. That went away when the movie
started; it was funny and action packed. Eriko and I enjoyed Todd & Miki's
company and parted ways after the show. Back to the house, Eriko started to
make dinner and I studied Japanese. While we waited for the rice to cook, Eriko
drove the Jetta (with me in the passenger seat) to the hotel her parents will
be staying at. After one successful trip, she decided to do it again. The trip
should be relatively smooth as it is only a mile or two away. Back at home, we
enjoyed a nice dinner and relaxed on the couch. Eriko did the dishes while I
caught up on some journal entries. Then it was time for our showers.

• Change Happens (They Keep Moving The Cheese)
• Anticipate Change (Get Ready For The Cheese To Move)
• Monitor Change (Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old)
• Adapt To Change Quickly (The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese)
• Change (Move With The Cheese)
• Enjoy Change! (Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!)
• Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again (They Keep Moving The Cheese)

Monday - I went to work while Eriko waited for her parents to arrive. When
I returned for lunch, her parents were there and we went out to an Italian
restaurant nearby. It was a bit awkward (for me, anyway) but I had a good time.
For dinner we went to my favorite Indian restaurant in Ballard (Eriko's idea)
and had another good time. I even got to pay for dinner. The food was a little
spicy for mom and I think that dad might not have enjoyed it as much as I did
but we all had a good time anyway.


Tuesday - I went to work and Eriko awoke. I met Eriko and her parents at Shiki
for lunch and had a nice meal. We even got special treatment - slices of
homemade pudding made by the owner. For dinner we went to another Japanese
restaurant, Ototo and another nice meal. I got to pay for that one too (Eriko
and I used our Isilon gift card). I was able to have more and more conversation
with her parents and it was fun.


Wednesday - I took off work and about 11 we picked up mom & dad at the hotel.
We headed over to the Eastside first, to Nadeshiko clinic, the Japanese
birthing center. Mom was very relieved to see the clinic and meet the mid-wife
who would be helping Eriko. Dad was more interested in looking at the Jetta. We
headed up north to Tsubaki Grand Shrine, the only Shinto shrine in North
America. It was a pretty unique experience. We asked for a blessing for Eriko
and our child as well as the Jetta. The priest put on a good show, although it
was a bit long. The shrine was authentic and had lots of neat stuff. We stopped
off at Burger King on our way home and snacked on some good ole fashioned
American food. Mom & dad fell asleep in the car on the way back, which was a
little quicker (since we took I-5). Back at our house, I showed dad the MG and
he had some tips for getting it started. Then it turned out he was interested
in the Jetta's 800-watt amp (extra) which I was interested in giving away. We
hurried to the car and soon he had a nice souvenir. Back at the hotel, Eriko
and I relaxed in the spa for a while and then hung out in the parents room.
Eriko was tired and rested while I talked to mom and dad. Conversation was
challenging but not impossible. We talked about their nephew's tonsillitis,
health care systems, and cars. I suggested steak but Eriko suggested Italian,
so we headed off to this little restaurant I went to once with Yuki. It turned
out be fantastic and everyone was quite happy. Mom and dad split a bottle of
wine (I had a bit) and mom was very talkative by the end of the evening. I
focused primarily on my food. ;) I said my goodbyes as we dropped them off at
the hotel and back home we went. Eriko was sad that evening and I could
understand why. She really loves them quite a bit.


Thursday - I went to work and Eriko went to say goodbye to her parents who
would be picked up by a shuttle for the airport. For lunch, my team went out
with the CEO of the company, which was a rare and exciting event. In the
evening it was just Eriko and I, and the mood was a little mellow at first.
Then she became focused on the large cache of baby supplies that mom and dad
brought over and seemed very excited to think about our baby.


Friday - I came home for lunch. Eriko wasn't feeling so hot but felt a little
better towards the end of the lunch hour. She had brought out her knitting
stuff and was working away on some things for the baby. It is impressive to
watch her, she is very focused. After work and dinner, she continued to knit
and I worked on the computer. I switched to using the laptop so that I could
look up and see her rather than have to turn around. It makes me feel much
closer and she knows that I'm not "busy" and asks me to do stuff, which I like.
Susie sent us a cool gift that Eriko thought was really cute and we spent some
time playing with it. Now, it is shower time and soon... bed time.

I slept in a little bit (about 8:45) and then spent some time on the computer
while waiting for Eriko to wake up. She did and soon we were headed to
Nadeshiko (about 10:30). She had an 11:15 appointment to participate in a
mercury study run by the Washington State Department of Health. At first we
were worried because the highway was packed, but as soon as we got past the UW
exit, things cleared up. It turns out there was a big UW football game and the
520 bridge was jammed up more than I have ever seen it! Nadeshiko took quite a
while, with Eriko in another room with the grad student doing the study. I
watched some lectures on the media player before sitting with Eriko for the
last 15 or 20 minutes. In exchange for her participation, we received a $40
Target gift card. ;) We headed south on I405 for our big day of shopping --
first Ikea, where we were looking for a computer desk but more than that, we
enjoyed the many different display rooms they had. It was neat thinking that
soon (2/3 years) we'll have to get a house and will have rooms to setup. Ikea
took a while and we got hungry and ate there as well (they have a cafeteria!)
Eriko almost became faint but the food reached her just in time. After Ikea, we
headed to Babies R' Us and registered ourselves. That turned out to be a big
dissapointment as most of the items there were Chinese-made junk. In addition,
it was so overwhelming it was confusing; Eriko didn't know why she would need
have the stuff and the few things she wanted (glass bottles, flat car seat)
were nowhere to be found. We left that store very drained; I didn't do much
looking at all. That is the worst kind of shopping -- just looking with no real
purpose. We headed next to Target and bought some plastic drawers (that will
store the baby's clothes). That was a pretty quick stop, as we knew what we
wanted and were too tired to fool around anymore. I had a brief conversation
with Aaron while I was waiting for Eriko to look for glass bottles. Back on
I-5, I stopped off at Costco to refill the Jetta's tank and soon we were home.
Eriko made dinner and I decided to move the desk from the bedroom to the living
room and get rid of the clunky computer desk. This opened up a bunch of space
in the bedroom for the crib as well as making the living room the place for me
to study (since the bedroom will probably be filled with sleeping mom/baby). I
also like that I can do all my tinkering where Eriko spends most of her time.
Eriko started knitting and looking at some baby product magazines and got
herself worked up about the car seat. I tried to calm her down but wasn't very
effective; I just added fire to her passion by showing her evidence that
Washington State requires rear or forward facing car seats rather than the
side-facing ones that are in Japan. Eriko stayed awake, furiously knitting,
until about 3:30 AM. I went to bed about 1:30, too tired to stay up longer.
Shopping! What a pain.

I woke up a bit later today after our long night. I couldn't stay in bed
any longer although I probably wouldn't have minded too much. I made
chocolate-chip pancakes while waiting for Eriko to wake up. She slept in quite
a bit longer and was still morose when she awoke. I gave her the consolation
I probably should have the night before (by letting her know that we would
get the best car seat we could) and left her to her musings. I spent some
time on the computer and spent some time with the MG. I charged the battery
and tried to start the engine, but it refused. It turned over quite nicely
but never caught. I went to examine the sparkplugs when I discovered I didn't
have that size sparkplug wrench. Eriko decided to lay down (she wasn't feeling
so well) and so I headed to Schucks. I called Katrina, whom I've been playing
phone tag with for about a month, and talked her throughout my errands. At
Schucks I purchased the sparkplug socket, an adjustable wrench, and some ethyl
starting spray. I also stopped off at Safeway (to buy some tomatoes) and
Starbucks (in Safeway). I also parked the Miata on the side of the road and
talked to Katrina for a while before returning home. I cleaned the sparkplugs,
but the MG still refused to start. I called Zack and asked for help determing
whether there was spark (I need him to hold the plug while I crank the engine
and wait for a yelp) but he was busy. Instead, I installed a handheld shower
(that we purchased a month or two ago) and then spent the rest of the
afternoon on the computer. Eriko awoke and was feeling a little better; before
long we headed to Pasta Bella Ristorante and enjoyed a very nice dinner. Back
at home, Eriko looked through some parenting books and I watched 60 minutes.
I also read a book that my boss loaned me. I spent a little time working on
the GIFTS program before Eriko decided she wanted to make some cheesecake and
needed to goto Safeway. Right then, Zack called and we chatted a bit before
Eriko and I left. Afterwards, Eriko made cheesecake and took a shower while I
finished my work on GIFTS and killed bugs that snuck in the window. We both
enjoyed the cheesecake. Then it was time for shower, journal, and bed.

A busy day. I woke up early (5:45) and studied Japanese before heading off to
work. I came home for lunch and had a good time with Eriko. Work was really
busy but I managed to squeeze out for my regular lesson with Hideki, which was
good. My conversation is still not great, but is getting better. After work,
Zack came over to help me test for current from the distributor. He cranked
while I held a wrench and looked for spark. Well, my procedure was slightly
flawed as I never saw the spark -- but I felt it! We spent the next few hours
gabbing while Eriko crocheted. After Zack left, Eriko and I watched 'The
Office' on his recommendation. It was funny for me but difficult for Eriko to
understand. Sleep came quickly.

Today was a very relaxed day. At work, Jane and I purchased donuts for the team
and a few of us spent the first hour or so gabbing. I really didn't get
anything done (and I'm not positive anyone else did either) before the whole
team left at 11:30 for lunch and bowling. It was our first "team building"
exercise and was fun. Everyone enjoyed an activity on the company, and the
timing was good. Scott and I left work early (about 3:30), stopped for coffee,
and then I was home. Eriko was surprised to see me so soon and we spent the
afternoon and evening hanging out and working on our hobbies (crocheting,
computer, reading, napping, TV). With the desk in the living room, we can spent
lots of time near each other without necessarily doing the same thing. I enjoy
it and I think she does too. We spent some time talking and laughing before
bed, since Eriko seemed to wake up when the lights went off.

Today was a busy day, but I don't remember any of it. (Of course, this entry is
written several days later). I do remember coming home for a nice lunch and
spending a relaxing evening with Eriko. I read a management book that my boss
lent me and got all fired up about work. Sleep was a little more difficult but
not impossible.

1. choosing status over results
2. choosing popularity over accountability
3. choosing certainty over clarity
4. choosing harmony over productive conflict
5. choosing invulnerability over trust

A nice, lazy thanksgiving. I got out of bed at 10; Eriko followed about 30 minutes later (she had woken up several hours earlier and eaten, however). We really didn't do anything outside of the house besides a quick trip (by me) to Safeway for some eggs. Instead, Eriko worked on the baby's vest and I worked on the computer, read, organized files, and watched TV. We watched "Reading Between The Lions", which is a very creative reading show (on PBS) that Eriko enjoys. We watched a little of the latest Transformer's cartoon but I was definitely dissappointed. We also watched Everybody Loves Raymond and Finding Nemo (which was nice, since we had gone to the ice show just two weeks ago). Eriko's mom called at one
point and I answered and had a brief conversation (which was pretty cool).
Eriko made Japanese-style waffles (more like pancakes) with a cream sauce for
dinner -- they were delicious and filling. Eriko's hungry again and soon we'll
head for bed.

The thanksgiving weekend was pretty relaxing and uneventful -- I spent most of
the weekend playing on the computer, watching TV, working on Japanese, or
reading. Eriko spent most of the weekend knitting a very cute vest for our
baby. A few exceptions: On Friday, we went bowling with Alex, Scott, Judy,
Zack, Nashant, and Sara -- that was fun. On Saturday, we braved the crowds and
drove north to Daiso, a Japanese $1 store. Everything was imported and Eriko
had a good time going over the entire store looking for goods. Since it was at
Alderwood mall, we walked around the mall and visited a few stores (Disney
store, Motherhood Maternity, and Sears). Eriko bought some clothes and I bought
some tools (gap adjuster & tire pressure gauge). We also spent quite a bit of
time in the food court, where I managed to stuff myself on various fast foods.
On Sunday, I spent some time working on the MG. First I installed new, properly
gapped spark plugs to no avail. Then I removed the air filter and sprayed
ethanol into the carburetor. The engine started but wouldn't stay running. I
removed the air filter a few more times (once I tried just a single carburetor
and the last time I tried both). The engine didn't run for more than a few
seconds, but I did get good at removing the air filter. Zack called and invited
me to his house for some ping pong ... table construction, which I agreed.
After about 1.5 hours of construction, we were able to play two games, which
was fun. Eriko and I rounded out the lazy weekend with some time on the couch
together.