Two posts for the price of one.

That's right, two posts in one day. I'm prolific.

Anyway, another rough day for me today. I was going downtown to meet a friend for her birthday party. I got downtown a little early to get my haircut and do some shopping (best haircut I've ever had in Japan, worst hair styling to date...I looked like Farrah Faucett).

Just before the agreed upon birthday party meeting time, I realized I couldn't find my keys. Now, I'm a pretty, absent-minded person (by pretty, I mean attractive), so there was always the possibility that I just left the keys at home and never locked the door.

Nevertheless, I retraced my steps downtown, but turned up nothing. I was already late, and had a decision to make (it was 8pm). Do I go home and try to sort out the key, or do I go to the party. I went home, and boy, am I glad I did.

I got there, and as you can guess, I was locked out. Most of my neighbors are on holidays, so I went to a downstairs neighbor I had never met, and knocked on her door. She came to the door, but wouldn't open it. We had a 15 minute conversation about my predicament...she never opened her door!!!...I have never seen this woman's face! Eventually I was able to procure a ladder and break in through my balcony - a difficult procedure on a normal day, made more difficult by the fact that Sendai received its first dump of snow today. Also, the Japanese consider a sliding glass door to be a window, which caused some major conversational confusion.

Anyway, I am safe and sound now, and happy to once again be inside my frigid house.


By the way

Two more sleeps until I go to the "Pride Man Festival."

Chew on that for a while.