It was a beautiful cool morning. I walked over to the Gold Coast, by all the beautiful homes and into a park where every bench was home to a sleeping man and his piles and piles of rags and newspapers. The moon was high in the sky, even at almost noon,trying to act as if it belonged there. The day appealed to me to forget about tomorrow. And to turn over my fear.

I am comfortable back studying with my old methods and my old book. I started a new job this week, so I fit it in where I could. I haven't had a "9-5 in an office" job in, oh, about 10 years, so it is taking some adapting.

まだ意見がない。

I tried for about a week to get back on track using the 1kyuu kanzen master, and just wasn't feeling it. I went back to my school book: Kanji Master.
Kanzen Master doesn't give you on-yomi, which I guess I could look up, but is a pain. Kanji Master also give you some important words that use the kanji, so I think it is more efficient. It was nice to return to the method that worked. natsukashikatta.

I pay something like 30 per month for nhk through RCN cable. I rarely watch it because the time difference: evenings, they are broadcasting weather and kids shows. There also are an inordinate amount of historical dramas that I don't stick with long enough to catch on to the plot. On top of that the period Japanese is hard to understand.

Plus the broadcast times are weird, shows start at 9:10 or 3:25, so the show on the tv guide is never what it on.

So many things in my life are beginning to get sorted out. I have a new job, which I am greatly looking forward to. I am staying in Chicago, which is also great. So one of my goals is to take the level one.

先週、面接のために２０歳のころに住んでいたノースカロライナの州都のローリーに行ってきました。飛行機の出発は朝６：００からすごく早く起きて５時に空港に到着しました。一回乗り換えて、遅い２番機の飛行機に遅れられた。せっかく１２時にローリーに着きました。前は時間あればどっかで現地の料理を食べてみたいなと思っていたけど、いいレストランを探すときっと面接に間に合わないとわかった。残念ながらファストフードを食べて面接に行きました。

早い話が、面接はうまくできましたと思います。

シカゴから引っ越すことを考えるとなんだか寂しくなります。こちらは友達もたくさんいるし、ミシガン港まで歩けるし、どこへ行っても道がわかるからあまりにもどうしたらいいかわかりません。でもその会社にまだ雇っていません。

でも実はね、どこでも仕事が決まったらほっとします。

言いたいことがたくさんあっても何も言えないままで仕事を探しています。来週には何とかなる気がします。僕の人生に感謝することが多いだとわかっていますが気の短い私はときどき不満があります。でも、すべてのものは無常である。

今日の暑さでジョッギングを中止にしてミシガン港に泳ぎに行ってまいりました。楽しかった。

I read SO for tech stuff. I am trying to contribute more, and when the Japanese language beta came out, I racked up 300 points in 3 days. Then I got tired of it. People spend inordinate amounts of time on miniscule differences between two words, when they aren't even conversational. That's not how I would learn a language. When a Japanese person says two expressions mean basically the same thing, I take their word for it; I have bigger fish to fry.

現実認識: Accepting reality.

I feel much more stable already, though a little sad. There are better reasons for doing things than "because I want to." Especially when other people are involved. I am resolved to throwing myself into the job search, finding a great job and building a great life for Yumi and I. No regrets of the past or fear of the future. I love my wife, love Chicago, love my neighborhood. I am glad I have good friends and family. When I make a list there isn't much I have to be sad about.