Long weekends are awesome

So I just had two long weekends in a row. The first my birthday fell on. Over that weekend I went on a hike with the lovely Rose and Jo in Itoigawa area. Saw a stunning river and some really muscular rock climbing guy with his son climbing the river rocks while we did less strenuous things like, eat trail mix, take a nap, and watch the mystery of human muscles in action. We picked up some cake for Rose at a lovely little cake shop where they serve you tea and a little cake when you walk in. Unfortunately, it slipped our minds that cream cake was not the best idea for Rose. But she had some sesame mochi an balls and we ate the cakes, so no prob!
Sunday me and Jo did the much more demanding Kubiki Bike Path to Noh and rode past the Noh Rest House (always get a kick out of that one). We had a great lunch at a place in Noh and went to the big shrine on the beach. Coming back down we saw some guys pull up on motorbikes...pretty cool ones at that and we had our pictures with them. Unfortunately one guy doesn`t seem to know how to operate a camera(er push the button) so the picture with me didn`t come out. Then me and Jo went over to the shrine next door for a little exploring and we saw some cool thatched roof buildings, a waterwheel, and a really cool water spicket dragon thing, and the ground had turned all red around it...I wonder why?
Now if Jo hadn`t seen enough of me over the weekend, I`m sure she did by Monday, my b-day when we made a lovely breakfast with Megan at my place. ( Megan gave me an elephant purse she put together AND made me a blueberry elephant pancake!) We had sort of a tofu scramble with ginger and veggies, some pototo and pumpkin from Megan and my blueberry pancakes, and some lovely advocado with of course, green tea. Then, me and Jo set off rather late for Nagaoka to go see an art show of Kathy Kollowitz. The problem being the late part, as we got there 10 mins before the museum closed. But we did see the grounds and lots of sculptures, including dogs wearing clothes, and nearby a car show with a live rap act inside...it was sorta random. But those little hip hop boys are real nice, as me and Jo asked where the bus stop was and 2 of them literally hopped up and went running to show us where it was. Although we were totally bummed to do all that traveling and not see the art show, we did see some interesting things and went shopping for stuff in the station stores including a cute polka dot apron in below pics.
There were some boring days in between and then another weekend came.
So Friday Megan and I went to an onsen in Oshima I`d never been to. It was small but not bad, and I had pumpkin ice cream, Megan had cranberry. You could also get goat ice cream (made from goat milk, NOT tasting like goats). Then we went to the cave of buddhas (well that`s what I call it) and in the parking lot before we were GOING to leave we met 4 car loads of people from Kanagawa and Tokyo who had pulled up to see the waterfall and asked how long of a walk and asked me to be the tour guide. ER....so I`m not Japanese, but I`m sorta local, it was really funny and they were a good natured bunch a folks. We all talked lots and they gave me and Megan a giant asian pear and took us out for some tokoroten (jellied seaweed noodles) which are filling but clear and tasteless and they told us it was a good diet food. (I guess that is the way to win some women`s hearts in Japan....but we`re hearty eaters us). So it was great fun and we were quiet worn out after all that excitement.
Saturday morning I spent at the doctor's clinic...all morning. Luckily I've been to many clinics back home and it is the same all over the world I believe......only here there were benches instead of chairs so old men can elbow you. After utterly wasting my morning I came home and drew on the ceiling to relax (yeah, some of you sniff scented candles, some of you listen to recorded birds, some of you contort your body into wierd shapes, but I like drawing on the ceiling). Then Lida and Megan picked me up for some dollar plate sushi and watching Fruits Basket anime back at my place. (Some people have their den of inequity, I have my den of anime). Sunday was, well, shopping really. Found mom some bday presents. Saw some of my past students, they didn`t recognize me, maybe it was the hair. Went to the pet store (shouldna done it I know), Daniel got all sniffly from allergies, I got all sniffly cause I wanted a cute hamster. And a canary. A red one. Yellow was nice too. And a toy poodle. A red one. Like Barbara's Misha. ANnnnd a rabbit, no make that a chinchilla, and some big pretty fish.
Yep. Probly shouldna gone.
Oh, and I got a ride to school today. Yay. Can`t take my driver's test til October 17th. Hope I pass then! The weather's getting cooler.