Just breathe...

That's what I can finally do. Yesterday marked the last day of my month-long visitoraganza. First, I had Eddie with me for almost three weeks and then, the day after Eddie left, Christie arrived to stay with me for about ten days. It was suuuuuuuuuper fun having them here, please do not get me wrong, but it definitely was more fun and more immediate to go out sight-seeing and showing off this great, big lightbulb the rest of the world calls Tokyo than sit at home and be diligent about keeping up the blog and answering emails in a timely fashion. So, to those who have been wondering where I've been and why haven't I written back or posted more than the occasional photo of some random hugger in Tokyo, now you know, I've been perfecting my skills as a "social animator" - a.k.a. tour guide - as one tipsy fellow bar patron guessed my profession to be. If only! How awesome to get paid to visit places!

Okay, so, as we speak, I'm hard at work finishing up my post about Kyoto, starting some more on Eddie's and Christie's visits, and thinking up other post ideas with amazing insights into modern Tokyo living (including the one I alluded to a few posts ago involving a crotch... just thought I'd throw that little bit in as a teaser to keep you coming back). The only possible glitch in this plan of absolute diligence is the fact that I'll be heading home for a week starting next Friday. My time will have some serious Target and Nordstrom forays to contend with not to mention the friend-seeing, dog-kissing-and-cuddling, parent-hanging-out-with, heated-pool-and-jacuzzi-swimming, Pacific-Coast-Highway-too-fast-driving, and easy-vegetarian-eating that will undoubtedly be vying for my eight fun-filled days home. I'll do my best to get a lot of posting in this week before I go, but, as a wise woman once said, there are no guarantees in life - except that for sure you're gonna have to pay taxes and then eventually die. (That little "quote" - courtesy of yours truly - was an homage to Biff of "Back to the Future" fame.)

In the meantime, I leave you with this photo I took of two girls just out and about for a night of fun - and work - out on the town. I love it! How often do you catch a couple of maiko-san just relaxed and unawares and laughing away like the two teenage girls they are? This was after a dance performance they had just finished and had surely been nervous about. I don't know what they were talking about, but it looks like they're feeling that same post-performance sense of accomplishment mixed with a heavy dose of adrenaline that we all get after being on stage.