I've just had a phone call from Kana's teacher at her Japanese school to say that they won't allow her to be off school (in NZ) for more than 3 days and preferably only 2) so I'm not very happy to say the least - our plans were for her to be off for a grand total of 5 days - their reason is that she is there on a homestay for studying English and even when I pointed out the fact that she'll be going to my sisters and we'll be speaking English, he wouldn't budge so I have the choice of either changing all 3 of our tickets or keeping them as they are and saying she has a temperature and can't get back to Geraldine. It's times like this that Japan infuriates me. I'll phone her homestay mother today and see if she thinks the 'advisor' over there will check to see if she's back within 3 days and if not, I'll keep our tickets as they are. It's so frustrating.

Yesterday we had a spectacular thunderstorm! The sky went black and then the rain came crashing down with thunder and lightening sounding like it was just above our roof. It's the first rain for over a month so it was a nice change and even brought the temperature down for a while.

Other than that, no real news. On Thursday I'm going out for dinner with Aya and boyfriend which should be interesting. He is seemingly very nervous so I've booked at my friends restaurant in the hope that a few beers will relax him! Only me this time around - we'll put off meeting father for a bit longer!

Even if it had been planned for Setsuo to go, he would have had to cancel since he has just been diagnosed with shingles and he's obviously in pain. Since I've had it before, I know just how much he must be suffering.

I was teaching on Saturday so had to make do with emails every 15 minutes (from one of my friends whose son 'graduated' at the same time Keita joined the team). My lessons were all to pot because I was more interested in the BB score than I was in the lesson! They won the first match but lost the second which was a big disappointment. The coach kept Keita on first base - seemingly he thought they would win both matches and wanted Keita for the following day - but it turned out to be the wrong decision. So they are now out of the tournament. The upside was that we got a holiday the next day! The kids and mothers who's turn it was to be 'on duty' had to go, but the rest of us were spared. Just as well because we had a 'get to know each other' dinner with the 2nd year mothers and coaches on Saturday night and I didn't get to bed until 1.30am - note that I DID get up at 7am to get Keita's lunch, tea (all 5 litres of it) and things organised AND I didn't go back to bed either!

On Saturday night Riku's father dropped us off at the restaurant and we sat down with another 4 1st year mothers only to be told that 2 of us needed to move because the coaches were going to pair up and and sit at each table. Two others moved and the 3rd year coach and the head of the team came and sat with us. Since the beer was flowing, there was a lot of 'interesting' conversation! A brief summary is that Keita was doing very well and has good baseball 'sense'. Later on the 1st year coach came and sat with us and he said he thought both Keita and Riku have the ability to go professional.

After the meal, we went on to another place - I thought a lot of mothers were going to be going but it turned out it was just Riku's mother, me and two others along with about 10 of the coaches so we stayed for about an hour and then made our excuses and left!

It was a good night out and a good chance to hear 'inside' talk.

Yesterday, after Keita had left for BB and I got the housework done, we went round to our old neighbours with a 'moving gift' - washing powder in our case but it can be anything really - and then I went shopping and sorted out some boxes while Setsuo took a table to his sisters and then went on to see his father. (He is turning out to be as difficult as he was at home and the other week refused to go back after being taken shopping with the result they are loathe to let him out for a while). Around 5pm we then went with the same gift to our new neighbours. I had planned on unpacking some more boxes but was exhausted so sat with a book instead! I don't know how Keita and Co manage to run around in this heat AND then go out to festivals as soon as they are home and showered.

Today we will hand the keys to the people who are buying the house. The money should have changed hands today too but because Setsuo forgot to get a certain form, it's going to be delayed for a week. They will give us 10% today though.

I went and had a look in the old house and took some photos before they start working on it (Setsuo will be doing it so I'll be able to go and see what they change!) and had no regrets about moving at all. I wondered if I would feel a bit sad about it but there was only the feeling of relief that we had actually finished the move.

On Saturday we went to see one of Setsuo's customer's daughter singing. She was one of the older girls in the orchestra club when Kana was at Jnr High and I already knew she was extremely talented at piano and clarinet but I wasn't expecting her to have such an amazing voice too. She is hoping to go professional and the way she sounded on Saturday, I think she'll make it. An added surprise was that her older sister (who I taught English to about 17 years ago!) was also singing with her and although she too had a great voice, there was no comparison.

On Sunday, I was on 'duty' at the baseball so it was a long, hot day and then Monday was the first day of the Toyonaka Baseball Tournament so we were up at 4.30am, and out by 5.30. Keita didn't have to leave until just before 8am but I woke him up before we left to be on the safe side. Keita's team was 'host' so we had to set up tents and get the ground all prepared before the other teams started to arrive around 8am. Even at such an early hour, it was really hot and climbed to 35 degrees so there were a lot of red, sweaty bodies around! Keita has had a sore back for over a week so I wondered if they were going to use him - he's been on first base for the last few matches because of it - but he was starting pitcher and they managed to wipe the other team out with a score of 11-1! Because there was a 10 point difference, they didn't have to play the whole match so Keita ended up pitching all but the last inning. Hopefully they can play as well on Saturday.

We got home at around 5.30pm, ate 'bought' food and then one by one, crashed out - Keita at 7, Setsuo at 8 and then me at 9pm!

The house is still a bit of a shambles - every time I get a few boxes cleared away, there seems to be more arriving. The old house is now totally cleared on the 3rd and 4th floors, the bathroom, Lisa's old room and one of the rooms on the 2nd floor. The other room and kitchen needs to be gone through a bit more. All the rubbish and furniture has already gone but there are things that we have to decide what to do with.

I also got the blood result back and I'm as fit as a fiddle (just wish I felt the same way!) This heat alone tires you out but with moving on top of it, there is no wonder I'm knackered. It doesn't help that Keita isn't going to sleep until around 11.30 or midnight either. He was quite happy going into his new room and sleeping alone but whereas he used to just conk out about 9.30, it takes him longer. The dogs are staying off the sofas although Spike has had a few tries and so far we have kept them out of the bedrooms too (although Daisy sneaked in a couple of times last night). We have the main air conditioner going in the living room and if we leave the bedrooms doors open during the night, that is enough to cool the whole house. To keep the dogs out, we have to put things in the doorways but since we have so many boxes lying around, that isn't a problem.

All in all, I'm enjoying being here. It is much smaller than our old place but as everything is on the same floor, it's very easy to do things without having to think about either going up or down stairs first. When I'm in the kitchen, I just have to turn around and I can usually reach what I need without walking! The best part is that I am home within about 5 minutes of finishing classes.

Last Tuesday, the teacher at the nursery school said that lesson was the last until September and although I thought it was a bit earlier than usual, I thought maybe they were doing it because I said I wanted to finish working there so today I was looking forward to being able to get started on all the unpacking since my first afternoon class isn't until 4.30 pm but I got at phone call just after 9am to say that she had made a mistake and today was the last lesson so I ended up going in without doing any preparation whatsoever. I also realised that I had a parent-teacher-student meeting at 1.45 pm so my plans went to pot.

I decided to go and get a blood test on my way back from the nursery class: The doc sniggered a bit when I told him the optician had said to get tested for diabetes so he obviously doesn't think there's much of a risk! Also my blood pressure was a lot better today too - slightly low but nothing to worry about. I'll get the results back on Thursday or Friday.

Keita's school meeting went okay, he has a very straightforward teacher and she told him he'll need to pull his socks up a bit if he doesn't want his grades to slip. They weren't that bad overall and surprisingly he got a '5' for English!! 5-1 is like A-E in the UK. The rest were either 3 or 4 although she said one of the '3's' was dangerously close to a 2!!

Not much to write about - the house is in a shambles, we are still eating bought food (and getting fed up of it) but I've at least got the washing machine installed properly so there is no washing piling up anymore, well not more than a normal days worth that is!

We've finally moved house!!

There are still a few bits and pieces lying in the old house (plus one small cupboard that we totally forgot about) but 99% is now moved. The guys that came to do it were amazing. One of them (from Mongolia) was carrying three boxes at a time and RUNNING up and down the stairs with them - remember we have 4 flights too! He wasn't particular big either but very, very strong. Not only did they do all the moving but they also carried all of Setsuo's fathers furniture (plus our dining table & chairs, sofas, desk etc downstairs to the garage area). We have hoovered it all up but it still needs a quick lick before we get the cleaner in to tidy it up a bit by the 28th.

Meanwhile, this house is full of boxes but we'll get there eventually.

I was at the eye clinic today because of a sty but hopefully that will clear up now that I've got drops for it. It's the 2nd one in about 6 months and because my blood pressure tested low (first for me) the doc said I should go and get a blood test to rule out diabetes - seemingly sties and boils are one symptom of diabetes, ho hum! One good thing is that when I got home and told Aya, she offered to take out and put away all the kitchen stuff!! Maybe I'll put off getting the blood test for a bit longer!

Apart from the sty, by the time the move was finished, Setsuo and I were both knackered. Keita had been at a baseball match (they won 5-4) so he too was exhausted -and also has a sore back - so we went to the local cheap Chinese restaurant. Food has never tasted as good as it did last night!

We had been given a bottle of champagne from one of Setsuo's customers and I'd put it away thinking we could drink it on our first night in the house so I put it in the freezer while we were at the restaurant. When we got back and I went to take it out, there was frozen liquid under the bottle which seemed a bit strange. There was also no 'pop' when the cork came out so the cork must have been loose or something - anyway it tasted foul so I was glad I'd already had a beer with my dinner!

The dogs will come back from the kennel today. It was nice having them out of the house for a couple of days and now the fight to keep them off the new sofas begins. They are also not going to be able to get into our bedrooms either so they are going to be in for a shock!

I'm never want to have to move house again!!

Not that we have yet, we still have another 3 days to go and the house is a complete shambles with packed boxes, half packed boxes and still so much still lying around. I seem to be throwing out loads of stuff but still there is more. It isn't helping that we are also having to work at the same time and doing it all ourselves. I won't even go into the fact that Aya hasn't lifted a finger to help AT ALL regardless of the fact that she said she would if I took her shopping the other day.

Anyway, we still have 3 more days .........

Here are photos to let you see Keita's height, size of shoes (mine look small in comparison even though I also have big feet!) and also his skinhead! They have to have their hair this short for the upcoming tournament.

Today Aya dragged me shopping with her to buy a new summer weight suit for her interview on Monday. In the end, most of them were exactly the same as what she already has so she settled for 2 tops instead (me buying of course!)

It is really hot and I was quite thankful when she decided that we could come home - I hate shopping at the best of times but in this heat it's even worse. She is still getting over her cold so I think even she was happy to get back into the car. On the way home we stopped at a family restaurant and both had curries while she talked about her boyfriend. We have decided that the 3 of us will go out for a drink once the moving is over so that he can meet me first and hopefully be a bit more relaxed when the time comes for him to meet Setsuo!!

Tomorrow I have cancelled my afternoon class because I have to go to Kana's school for a meeting. All they consist of is the mothers talking about what they've heard from their own kids and then the teacher adding his input. I'd be much better off teaching but since I don't go to the others (when they all chat over lunch) I always feel that I should make the effort for these ones. Ho hum, and the packing still needs to be done.........!

Yesterday morning and last night I sorted out all the old futons, bedding, curtains and Keita's clothes so they are now on their way to the dump along with the rubbish from Setsuo's father's place (it filled a truck!). I was amazed at how much there was but it's nice to get rid of it all. I even threw away the quilts we'd been using until the night before and the ones we are sleeping ON, will be getting tossed when we move! I was going to carry on with another room this morning but the painter has come to paint the framework of the new wall so I left the house in complete disarray at 8am and am still here.

On another note, Aya has been talking lately about moving into her own flat when she finds a job. That in itself is no surprise as she's lived away from home for so long but...... she is thinking of living with her boyfriend. She's known him for a few years and started going out with him once she came back from Tokyo - hence the reason she didn't go to the UK - so it isn't a spur of the moment thing (although I hoped she would wait a bit longer) but I can just imagine what Setsuo's reaction is going to be! As it is, he refers to him as 'her friend' rather than 'boyfriend' and to make matters worse, he can't stand the father!! I'll need to catch him at a good moment to prepare him for the news!!

Not a great deal has been happening lately (not that it does normally) and I have been really tired and lethargic which is probably mostly due to the weather - hot and humid when it isn't raining - and also the fact that there is so much to be done.

We have finally decided on a date for moving and are having a company come to take all the heavy stuff. It's a bit of a cheapo which means we have to pack all the boxes ourselves and the date is July 13th so we have very little time to get it all done! No doubt we will manage.

We have already sorted out Setsuo's father's rooms although haven't even touched the kitchen yet and all the bags of rubbish will be taken away tomorrow. The bed (which was rented) will be taken away this afternoon and Setsuo has promised to start on the kitchen on Sunday while I'm at the baseball. Meanwhile I *should* be at home packing but as always am procrastinating.

Yesterday, I also told the nursery school that I wanted to finish working there but have said I'll continue until they find someone else. That is a big weight of my mind and no doubt the lessons will go great from now on.

We have had the wall built into the house and although it does take a bit of the living area away, it was still a good idea. Now we just need to get it wallpapered and we are all set.

The other day, Keita heard from one of his team mates (whose father is the 3rd year coach) that the coach from a big baseball school in Hiroshima has his photograph. I don't know if the 3rd year coach had approached him or it was the other way around but they now have him on file!! Because of all the rain, all the matches have been delayed so hopefully they will get to play the last match of this tournament on Sunday and then the BIG tournament starts July 21st.

I have also got all the tickets for NZ - not a great time to go since we'll have just moved but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless!