What A Life

 Sam, one of my ginger cats, got a nose bleed yesterday. Hannah and I managed to get to him and stop the bleeding but couldn't figure out why. He wouldn't let us look so couldn't tell if it was a cut or from inside. Hannah and I had hairdressers appointment so had to go out but the boys were at home so I asked them to keep an eye on Sam. Got back couple of hours later and Sam was not happy. He is a love bug, even when sleeping he will purr and respond but no response at all, not even for his favorite treat! Decided it's better to go to the vets. Took Sam in. The vet thinks he smashed into something, maybe when zooming! Got a shot to stop the bleeding. Still miserable when he came home but a few hours later he ate and drank. I think you can see on the photo his nose looks swollen. I was so stressed by this that my English escaped me, Fluffy was having a big stretch, I said "Wow what a big mouth stretch. Hannah, rolling her eyes "Mom that's a yawn."

Poor Sam

Last night David told me that my birthday present was coming today, he ordered it from Amazon when they had a sale last week. I thought it would be a book or kindle. It arrived this morning, a new TV! I couldn't believe it, I just stood looking at the box. So I left David and Hannah to set up the TV. I had these love pork chops for lunch, put them in the oven and slow roast. Guess what? The oven wouldn't work. On my oven you choose the mode you want, microwave, oven or gill, then on the oven the temperature and the how long you want to cook. I set up everything, pressed start and nothing happened. Tried a few more times, unplugged it, plugged it in again, nothing! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Lovely new TV but broken oven. I don't use the oven much in the summer so I'm thinking of getting a microwave for now and save for an oven in the autumn!

Christopher just sent me this photo.

This is outside a shop.  Christopher said it's a loyal soy bottle waiting for it's master!  Rather strange to have a half a bottle of soy sauce left by the store's door!  Must be a story there!

Fluffy

 Something a bit lighter.

One of our cats, Fluffy finds the most interesting places to sleep.  

For example 

on the toilet.

On the kitchen sink, good excuse not to do the dishes.

Always on the edge of the table, then she falls off!

The kitchen counter is a favorite.

In an old tomato pack.

Not sleeping but riding on Mikey's shoulder.  There was a lizard on the window and she wanted a closer look!

What A Week

 I don't usually write about the news but this week has been rather extra ordinary.

Started with a typhoon that wasn't a typhoon when it reached here.  We got lots of rain and incredible thunderstorms.  Cooled things down for a couple days but we are now back to mid 30's celsius.

On July 7th it was reported that 2 junior high school girls were stabbed in the back as they walked to school. Both were injured, but not life threatening.  A suspect was arrested, he didn't know these girls but wanted to kill.

Then the creator of Yu Gi Oh was found dead in the sea.  This hit home for my kids as they grew up reading and watching Yu Gi Oh.  It is also one of the best trading card games, popular world wide.

Then yesterday was the assassination of Mr Abe.  I'm still in shock.  Japan is one of the safest countries, gun crime is almost non existent.  I don't know about politics, I'm not sure I understood what Mr Abe did as prime minister but he seemed like a good man.  To be gunned down for doing his job is just wrong.  

I feel like things were really crazy this week.  I hope the rest of the summer is calmer!

The Heat Is On

 I know the summers in Japan are hot but the temperatures we have been experiencing the past few days go beyond hot!  Yesterday was really bad, the high was 37C with a real feel of 41C.  The real feel is what it feels like!  Far too hot to do anything.  I had to use the second room that is set up for teaching, the room that has no air conditioner.  After an hour I was exhausted, my head was pounding and I just wanted to lie down and not move for the rest of the day.   The upstairs corridor was so hot the wood on the floor was burning my feet!  When it gets to 30C at 8 o'clock I know it's going to be a hard day!  There is relief coming, in the form of a typhoon!  Haven't decided which is worse, extreme heat or typhoon!

Crazy cats

I got all the cats in the living room where the air conditioner is.  They decided to pile into a box.  I really don't understand, surely that would make them hot!  There were 3 boxes so why did they want the same one!

Crazy Weather and An Earthquake

 The weather over the weekend was awful.  Tokyo and the surrounding areas the temperature was in the upper 30sC.  One city broke the record for the hottest day in June, 40.1C.  That is really crazy.  The rainy season in that area finished 22 days earlier than average. Where we live the weekend saw a lot of rain and thunderstorms.  Saturday was  really bad rain all day and thunderstorms for about 3 hours.  I ended up with an awful headache but I had to work, so not fun.

The cats aren't happy.  It's too hot for them.  They line around dozing all day but then are up and racing around at night when it's a bit cooler!

These two usually fight but it's too hot

Keeping far away from each other

Then Sunday night we had an earthquake.  I didn't feel it, just a 1 here.  The epicenter was in the same area as the big earthquake we had a few years ago.  I'm hoping it was just a one off thing and not the start of loads of earthquakes.

Of Course

 I got heat stroke!  I was trying so hard not to use the air conditioners.  I thought because it hadn't been that hot, upper 20'sC that I could manage.  I forgot that the humidity makes it difficult to cool down.  Woke up Friday morning feeling sluggish and over tired.  I hadn't slept well.  I woke up very hour or so soaked in sweat.  So I put feeling tired down to that!  By lunch time I realized that I had a fever, 38C, then came the headache, dizziness and nausea.  The only thing I could do was hydrate and lie in a cool room.  Because I acted quickly I could recover.  But I'm still tired.  Looks like starting my summer schedule, get up early, about 4am to do chores and make lunch, then rest and stay with my air conditioners for the rest of the day.  I'm not looking forward to the next electric bill. 

The cats are also looking for a cool place to lie.  They don't like the air conditioners, they sit and hiss at them!  

Fluffy decided the toilet was the best place to sleep.

Stretched out in the corridor.

When the cats lie like this it means it is HOT

Busy

I really need to learn not to have too many extra things to do at the same time!

Saturday to today has been non stop.

Saturday was busy teaching.  Mikey volunteers at a few community centers near here every other Saturday.  While he is teaching there Hannah and I do his classes here.  I still have my classes to do.  So every other Saturday is crazy busy, plus all the other chores that need to be done.

Sunday Mikey asked me to go to my mother in laws house.  We are still cleaning out.  Basically only Mikey has been doing it but it's taking a long time.  Christopher and I went to help.  Managed to throw out 10 large boxes of stuff from the kitchen/dinning area.  Plastic tupperware that looked like they were from the 1970's (smelt like it too),  teapots that had been left with stains, bowls, burnt pots and pans.  Somethings I left because they are useful soup and rice bowls, plates of all sizes, glasses and Japanese tea cups.  Most of those things are still in the original packing, also I know that my mother in law only bought very expensive stuff.   Mikey and Christopher managed to move out the old chest of drawers, it was so rotten that it fell to pieces!  Mikey got a good fire going and loads of the papers and wooden stuff got burnt.  We have to hire somebody to take the non burnable stuff.  Then we have to tackle the yard and fields.  Good job I need exercise!

Entrance

Hydrangeas

Side of the house, this was a parking space!

Kitchen, I'm taking a break!

Mikey with the fire.

Yesterday was my yearly hospital check up. 4th one so only one more to go!  Nothing hurts but being prodded and poked at for hours is not fun.  The worse thing was getting my blood pressure.  The first machine didn't work, the second one was put to low, it squeezed so hard I thought my elbow was going to break.  Bit disappointed that my blood sugar is still high, bit better than before.  Have to work on that.

Today I've just done my chores, made lunch, will make dinner later.  Nice easy day but from tomorrow its back to being busy.  

And the rainy season has started, two days of non stop rain.  But it's cool so doesn't feel to bad, yet!