I Can't Win

 Last week was awful.  The heat and humidity were so high that just breathing made me sweat.  I pushed to do things here and at the other house but it was hard and exhausting.  I spent every day getting really irritated over the smallest of things.  I tried to keep the kitchen clean and the floors swept and mopped, other jobs I got the kids to do. 

I was worried because this year feels harder than last year.  If this is because I'm getting older then each year is going to be progressively worse.  David pointed out that the temperature got higher earlier than last year. So maybe it's not just me.

Last night I checked the weather and noticed that today is going to be a bit cooler.  The forecast high was 28C, with lower humidity.  Great I thought to myself, a chance to get a load of jobs done.

But this morning I woke up with a sore throat, cough, and headache, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.  Hannah said that she feels awful as well.  She came back yesterday afternoon and went to bed.  She also told me that one of the toddlers she was taking care of at the nursery had a high fever and cough.  So we might have caught a summer cold!  

So I can't win, the weather is great for cleaning but I feel awful, I could push and I might later. The problem is that the rest of this week looks like rain, maybe the beginning of the rainy season, very difficult to do a lot at the other house!

One thing I've been doing is sorting through some photos.  I have a Google Hub Nest.  A Christmas gift from David a few years ago. One thing I love about it is that it runs the photos I have stored.  It randomly shows photos, some recent, others older. Seeing some of the older photos I wonder what was going on.  For example, Mikey with a bucket on his head.

Why?

I never told him that was the bucket for cleaning the toilet!

Or this one of the lads in the kitchen, what are they talking about?

Or what was so funny?

Hannah having a good laugh

I think my favorite photos are the ones from long ago.

Hisao and Christopher

Christmas

Hisao and Hannah 

I thought things were tough when these photos were taken but when I look back on them things were very simple.  Maybe in a few years, this time in my life will seem easy and simple!

At Least ...

 I got the entrance cleaned out.

Before

After

It's nice to have it cleaned out.  We bought slippers to start wearing in the house.  I still don't have water but managed to get some dust off with wet tissues for the floor.  Everywhere needs to be wiped down. There are a lot of ledges that catch dust.  Also, the shoe box is very tall but not up to the ceiling, there's newspapers on the top that I need to get down but I wasn't feeling brave enough to tackle that today.

I'm not sure when I can go again.  This weather is really getting me down.  The heat is okay.  Yesterday was hot, up to 33C but the humidity was low, about 45%.  This morning was cool, 23C but humidity was 85%.  I noticed that yesterday I was fine, hot but I could cook, clean and teach.  I only used the air conditioner when teaching.  Today I felt awful. Even in the car. The worst thing about this is how it affects my mood.  I get so miserable and irritated.  I was in such a bad mood this morning that I shouted at a centipede and upset Mikey!  

Never mind.  We are slowly getting there.

I've Had Enough....

 of summer.  And it hasn't really started yet!

Yesterday and today saw highs of 33C.  Humidity between 60 to 80%.

Yesterday I was watching TV in the evening, and the sweat was just pouring out of me.  Just breathing was making me sweat.  But because the humidity was so high the sweat doesn't evaporate.  I kept washing and wiping my face but it didn't help.  To think that we have at least 5 months of this is depressing.  There is no respite from the heat and humidity.

I watched the weather report last night.  All of Japan was over 30C.  Even Sapporo in Hokkaido hit 30C. It looks like it will be like this for the rest of the week.  

I know other countries have it worse.  Indian is on the news almost every day, with temperatures nearly 50C.  I don't know how people are surviving!

On Wednesday we usually go to the other house.  Today I decided not to go.  I wasn't feeling all that good and Mikey was recovering from his cold.  Went shopping.  I'm glad we didn't go as I got sick in the shops, dizzy, and nauseous.  I kept "doing the penguin", standing in front of the freezers to cool down, shop a bit, then back to the freezers!! Helped a bit.

Yes, that fat lady with white hair is me.

This is the supermarket near the house where Christopher works.  It's closing down next month for renovations.  It needs doing, the equipment is old, today one of the freezers was leaking, again.  I think when it is reopened it will be very nice but we won't be here to enjoy it!!!

Everybody Is Down

 Looks like we have all succumbed to the stress of working, cleaning out the other house and keeping here clean, doing the yard etc.

Mikey has a cold, fever, and sore throat.  David's ear is blocked and painful, Hannah has carpel tunnel syndrome, Christopher has pain in his jaw and I feel like I've been run over by a truck!  I actually passed out this morning, I got up to fast from the bed, the room went black and I was on the floor.  

Because Mikey is sick David took the car and went to the other house this morning. I think he should have gone to the doctor.  He said he was alright, I hope so as a blocked ear is so annoying!

I've managed to get some jobs done here with Christopher's help.  At least the floors have been scrubbed down again. I have to start doing the floors every day, cat hair gets everywhere. I hope they stop shredding soon!  I bought some wet tissues for the mop head, these tissues are supposed to stop the cat urine smell. If they work I'll buy the big bucket of powder to dilute and use.  

The yard here needs to be cut down. I would like to say that I'll do this week but somehow doubt it.  It's getting hot, the predicted high today is 32C.  Not good for me!  I think the yard will have to be done in bits and pieces, maybe going out for a few minutes every day.  The boys can do the heavier work.

Photo of Alan, being a vampire cat!!

Look at those fangs!

Having A Laugh With David

 David and I went to the other house this morning.

He didn't have work Sunday night, so he rested a bit and could drive this morning.

We got there early, about 8am. The weather is warming up, so it's better to go as early as possible.  I know once the temperature hits 30C I'm finished.

The morning sky was so cloudy, I thought it might rain but it stayed dry.  The humidity, however, was high, 87%.  Really not nice.

Clouds covering the mountains

David decided to tackle the bathroom.  The carpets in there were awful. They had gone moldy in places.  He pulled up the old carpet, moved the washing machine out and the one shelving unit, which I think is for the kitchen! He used wet tissues to get some of the dust from the ledges.  

While he was doing that I rolled up the carpet in the tatami room.

In Japan we don't wear shoes in the house. The entranceway, genkan, is for changing from outside shoes to slippers.  But when we started to clean the house we noticed that most of the floors were damp and there was a strong smell of urine!  There were no slippers so we have been wearing our shoes inside.  After I pulled up the carpet I noticed that the tatami mats were in very good condition, so took my shoes off.  David came to see if I was okay, I asked him to take his shoes off, and not to step on the tatami with them on.  He stood in the doorway, jumping on and off the tatami, saying "On the tatami, off the tatami", until he smashed his head on the door frame.  I couldn't stop laughing.

At this point, I needed the toilet and a cold drink!

David wanted to go to a DIY store to pick up a few things.  I directed him to the closest store. When we got there I was amazed at how busy it was. The parking lot was almost full and massive trucks were parked at the entrance.  We were directed to park on the far side.  As David was parking a security guard came over and asked us to move so the truck could turn around.  We both realized that the store wasn't open, it was being revamped!!  David asked when it would reopen, not until the 20th!

We found another store and got the things we wanted.  One thing they didn't have was slippers, so we went to the 100 yen shop.  In the shop, David went one way and I went the other.  As I was looking around I heard the sound of breaking glass.  My first thought was David.  I was right, I found him with a broken glass vase apologizing to a staff member!!!  

After another stop we went back and did a bit more.  I found an old vacuum cleaner, about 30 years old.  It still works.  I gave the tatami room a quick vacuum and got up most of the dust.  There's also a very old fan, but it works. It's so old that there is no swing action on it. But it was nice to sit in front for a few minutes.

The bathroom, floor looks good

Tatami room

I took a couple of photos outside. One is a nice flower, but I have no idea what it's called.  The other of the mountains. We can't really see the mountains from the house because of the house in front.

Very cloudy but hot!

Photos

 Hannah had time this morning to scan the photos.

Hisao is on the right

I have no story for this photo.  Looks like a college outing!  

in his 20s, maybe.

Again I don't when this was taken.  When I was cleaning the outside storage area I found boxes of photos that my mother-in-law had put there.  I managed to save them.  Some are of people I recognize but most are of people I don't know!

visiting the UK

This was the first time we visited my family.  We both look young and skinny!! 

with mother-in-law

Maybe the first time to meet my mother-in-law.  This is in the old house. 

Mikey

When Mikey was born Hisao would come and visit me in the hospital.  He would spend all his time just staring at Mikey.  He was so amazed at this baby we had made.  He really loved his kids!

at a cousin's wedding

My mother-in-law is on the left, and next is Hisao's grandmother.  I was surprised that they wore black for a wedding.  Apparently, that is normal here. Also, there was no dancing.  The family is seated the furthest away from the bride and groom, except for the parents. And of course the speeches go on forever!!

The old house

I was surprised to see this photo.  The building in front is the storage that is still there.  The house is the one that was demolished to make way for the house we are moving into.  The old house was lovely but had a lot of problems.  A typhoon in 1991 ripped off the roof and the back of the house was badly damaged.  My mother-in-law was told that building a new house was better than trying to repair it.  I wonder if that was true or if the builders just saw a chance to make some money!  In the long run, building the house that is there now might have been for the best as it is closer to the earthquake standards than the old house would have been.

Hisao's Birthday

 Today Hisao would have been 63!

I know it's twelve and a half years since he passed but these kinds of days are hard.  So many memories.  But also the lost chance to make more.  

Thinking about this makes me realize how precious each day is and how I need to focus now.  I have to create memories for my kids to carry forward.  To do things together, to go places and enjoy our lives.  I'm stressed over this move but need to accept it and make the most of it.  See it as an adventure and not a disaster. 

I wanted to post some photos I found of Hisao but Hannah is busy and I have no idea how to scan the photos.  Maybe tomorrow.  Here are some that I have on this computer.

maybe elementary school

In his 20s

with David

All of us, many years ago

I've been very busy today.  It helps!

Went to the other house, we have power but still no water.  Having lights really helped. 

I managed to get a lot of stuff out of the tatami room.  But I've dumped it in the storage room.  Not the best thing I know but I'm feeling so much time pressure. I just want the house empty so I can clean before it gets too hot!

Few more bits to pick up

The stuff in the left-hand corner is from this house,  mainly books and heavy blankets.  I hope to take the vacuum cleaner next week, I swept a bit but the tatami mats need to be vacuumed and wiped with a damp cloth.

Once I have water on I can get the dust dealt with.  The biggest cleaning will be the kitchen and bathroom.  So much mold!

Do you remember this guy?

He grew hair!

Looking good!

The hydrangeas are starting to bloom.  They are really beautiful but means that the rainy season will start soon!!

I love this color