112 days and counting

I looked at my calendar today and I have 112 days until the end of my contract. I hope I can leave about a week earlier than that, but if that's not possible, it's 112. I can't wait to leave.

The main reason that I want to get out of Japan is that I hate being in the office. I have nothing to do and it sucks. And that crazy bitch Miyahara yelled at us again yesterday for talking. Is she unable to do her job unless there is complete silence? If so, I don't consider that my problem; get some fucking ear plugs, they have them at the 100yen store. If it's just English she doesn't like to hear, still not my problem. I don't negotiate with racists.

I've spent the last few days looking at apartments in Charlottesville. I found a few that are very close to the law school (like a 5-minute walk), but upon closer inspection, they look slightly ghetto and have bad reviews online. There are some that are very nice, though. One of my favorites (and of course, the most expensive), is in a converted 1924 warehouse, with hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and 9' ceilings. So pretty!

My parents are going to actually go up to VA to check these places out for me, since it's not really convenient for me to go myself. I made them a Google map (I had no idea this was possible until a few days ago, but it's awesome.), with the locations of the apartments plotted out in relation to the school. I've tagged them in different colors based on my preferences: purple for the ones I really like, pink for the ones I like okay, and yellow for the ones I'd settle for.

Yesterday after work, Lauren, Catherine, and I went for a little hike on the Matsumoto trail. Cat had never done that one, and it's pretty easy and doesn't take long, so we did that instead of going to the gym. The weather was nice, not too hot or cold, and the crazy wind we had yesterday had died down by then, so it was a pleasant little hike. And then Lauren and I went out for cheap yakiniku. It was so good. I love meat.

Oh yes, and there was an earthquake this morning. It woke me up about 4:40. At first I thought I was imagining it, since I was still half-asleep, but when I kept being shaken, I realized it wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I thought about getting out of bed and getting in the doorway, just in case that was just a fore-shock, and then I thought about how I don't have a little earthquake pack, and then I went back to sleep. So much for that.