Dartboard

It’s Tuesday morning and officially I’m supposed to be giving a speech at Wakamatsu Junior High School any minute, however, typhoon number 19 had different plans. It’s another “typhoon day” although instead of the whole day off I believe it’ll be a 2 or 3 hour late start. Hatake still went into work at 6:50 this morning, I heard his door above me open and so I rushed out to see if he was really leaving in the middle of this huge typhoon. He was! I don’t have to go in until they’ve deemed it safe for me to drive. I’m happy that I get to stay home, lounge around for a while, but it’d be better if I had internet!

Yeah! My internet wasn’t connecting today for some reason. Then I tried to call my brother, James, at Provo Canyon and it wouldn’t connect either. I recently signed up for World Link and I thought maybe that was the problem, but when I tried to dial directly, it didn’t connect either. I sorted it out with the operator and they turned off my line because I haven’t paid my bill. I explained that I’ve only lived here since August 7th and that it’s probably my predecessor’s bill so they are reconnecting the line in the next ten minutes. I think it’ll reconnect the internet too.

It’s raining so hard outside. This typhoon is probably as bad as the first, although I’m taking it much better because I’m an experienced typhooner now. I can’t believe Hatake actually went to school today! It’s really unsafe to be outside, yet people still go to work. Tennis practice was canceled last night. Oh! I don’t even know if I mentioned it before. The town dentist loves tennis and English and has invited Catherine and I to play tennis with him on Monday nights. I think it is a class or group activity because Meghan, my predecessor, participated too. She even left a racket and some tennis balls in the closet so I’m very excited to start.

We have karate tonight as well. I hope it’s not canceled because of this typhoon. I love karate so much! I ordered my uniform and it’s going to have my last name in katakana. It’s an expensive uniform, about ¥14,000, but it has the school’s name embroidered on it the sleeve and crest.

Grrr! My line still isn’t connected and the English desk at KDDI doesn’t open for another half an hour. I think I was lucky to get an English speaker when I called the first time. I was really looking forward to talking to James this morning. Now I’ll have to wait another week before I can speak to him. Well, I’m going to settle down with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and wait for Hatake’s call. There’s not much else I can do now... except post pictures emailed to me from home!! Scroll down!

Waiting out the typhoon,
Sierra

My sister, Joëlle, on her trip to Boston this August. Isn't she beautiful?

My mom, Maidie, and her boyfriend, George, on his farm in Illinois. I didn't know George was a smoker! Gross!

My friend, David, the pilot, sitting inside some really big engine. If he ever reads this, he'll kill me for not explaining "really big engine" better.

Harald holding his cousins new daughter, Mille, at her christening. Doesn't it just make you melt?

Harald's once-removed cousins, Aina and Pia, holding Mille. Aina's the blonde. Pia's got glasses.

Here is my neighbor Shawn (in Oregon) climbing Mt. Hood this summer. He's the sunburnt one in blue in back! =)

Here's a carving that Shawn found on Mt. Hood. It's in Japanese, but there's no way I can read that!

So, yes, you'll be rewarded for sending me pictures of what you're up to! (If you call this rewarding.)