bet Columbus didn't have this problem....

Just sitting around cursing modern travel at 4 in the morning, since it seems that jet lag has a tighter hold on me than I thought it could. It seems I've been napping at night for 3 hours, exhausted all day and then whenever I try to take a nap my body misinterprets this as bedtime. Ugh!

Made it!!

So despite a long and tiring trip I'm back in KC. Strangely all my time in Korea has yet to have a negative effect on my transition back into polite society. Restaurants? Easy. Family? Catching up nicely. Shopping? Wellll have yet to try that but I have a feeling all will be well.

I will no doubt expand more on many other subjects but for now the crowning glory of the trip had to be my introduction into finding wireless internet at the airport. Man love the first class lounges, they just broadcast that connection all up and down the terminal.

Off to go clog my arteries with family breakfast. MMMmmmmmm biscuits and gravy. I'm in love!

Tokyo

All right this is the third time意はヴぇｔ梨恵ｄとぽｓｔ。Ｓｏｍｅ　ｈｏｗ　Ｉ　ｅｎｄ　ｕｐ　ｈｉｔｔｉｎｇ　ｋｅｙｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｏ　てゃｔ案ｄ円ｄうｐｔｙピンｇいんチャラｃちぇ餡　餡ｄｄｄｒｓＩ　ｄｏｎｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｈｏｗ　負けいｔｐ

Ａｌｌ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍ　ｂｕｔ　ｍａｎ　ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｓａｙ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ａｎｎｏｙｉｎｇ．　　ｎｅｗａｙ，，　ｇｏｔ　ｏｕｔ　ｏｆ　ｔａｅｊｏｎ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｌｌ　ｍｙ　ｌｕｇａｇｅ　ｐａｃｋｅｄ　ａｎｄ　ａ　ｂｒｏｋｅｎ　ｔｏｅ　ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ．
ｈａｎｇｉｎｇ　ｏｕｔ　ｉｎ　ｎａｒｉｔａ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｉ　ｆｏｕｎｄ　ｆｒｅｅｅ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ，　ｐｒｏｂａｂｌｙ　ｈａｓ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｌｌ　ｍｙ　ｐａｓｓｐｏｒｔ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｉｔ，　ａｎｄ　ｍｙ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　ｂｏｒｅｄｓ　ｉｎ　３０　ｍｉｎｓ．　　Ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｉｓ　ｓｏ　ｅｘｐｅｎｓｉｖｃｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ：ｓ　ａｌｌ　ｃｒａｍｍｅｄ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅｓｅ　ｉｔｔｙ　ｂｉｔｔｙ　ｓｐａｃｅｓ．　　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅ　ｉ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｐｉｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｕｔｙ　ｆｒｅｅ　ｓｈｏｐ．　Ｒｅｆｒａｉｎｅｄ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｂｕｙｉｎｇ　ａ　３００　ｄｏｌｌａｒｔ　ｇａｄｇｅｔ　ｗｈｅｎ　ｉ　ｒｅａｌｉｚｅｄ　ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｂｕｙ　ａｌｌ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｕｉｔｓ　ｉ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｆｏｒ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｙｅａｒ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈａｔ　ｍｏｎｅｙ　ｏｒ　ｐａｙ　ａｎ　ｅｘｔｒａ　ｍｏｎｔｈ　ｏｎ　ｍｙ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　ｌｏａｎｓ．　Ｓａｖｅ　ｍｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ！Ｗｅｌｌ　Ｉ’ｌｌ　ｆｉｘ　ｔｈｉｓ　ａｌｌ　ｕｐ　ｌａｔｅｒ．　　Ｈｅｒｅ　ａｒｅ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ｍｏｒｅ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓ　ｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｓ　ｆｏｒ　ｙｏｕ　ｔｏ　ｄｅｃｉｐｈｅｒ．　　Ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｅｎｄ　ｕｐ　ｃｕｓｓｉｎｇ　Ｉｔ：ｓ　ａｎ　ａｃｃｉｄｅｎ！！！

jjfｈｇｆｆｇｈオｋッジュｊｌｌｋｌｋジイオｌｌｌｐ;ッピ８８ウｙ５５４３３ｗ＃＄％’（）Ｏ（Ｉ９９８７７６｜～＝）（’ｈふぇｗｊふぉ絵ｐ;ｊふぇｓｄｊふぇ里０３２５８絵ｊｆｌ。ｍｃ？＋あｐ：ｑ＠「：@pwcmzcngbrghyagydqr

21:11 Hours

Since I know that all of you want a play by play of my last hours in Korea here it is. In all its sad and 'surreal' glory.

- Just got Crystal out the door and realized that my apt looks worse now that she is gone then with her in it. There are thrashed bags, towels, trash and shoes lying about the place.

- Ate some grub (still attempting to clean out the fridge before morn) and am now debating on going to meet the gang or do a bit of picking up. I think Steph would advise fun over clean so that may just be what I'll do. Must remember to come home fairly sober so I'm not fighting a hangover as well as fatigue.

More later.....

This is it guys, come and get me!!

Arrival:
OZ 102 18JUN ICN NRT HK1 1000 1210
CO 6 18JUN NRT IAH HK1 1550 1350
CO 684 18JUN IAH MCI HK1 1918 2117

Return:
CO 3119 10AUG MCI IAH HK1 0745 0950
CO 7 10AUG IAH NRT HK1 1050 #1420
KE 2 11AUG NRT ICN HK1 1700 1925

Thursday

Well I leave in 44 hours for the Continental US and the apt is a MESS! I have clothes strewn about the place (going for the pile method of sorting), stacks of things that need homes, a bathroom that hasn't been cleaned in ages (I'll clean it before I leave has been my matra) and all I keep thinking is "but my suitcase is packed therefore I must be ready to leave."

THAT is the problem with a procrastinator packing early. Harrumph, I think I'll go eat some ramen.

dooce...

Man I read to laugh, this woman is funny. And if you need another reason to go to use THIS link then here you go. This is a great example of why people need to leave hibernation and Utah a little more often.

Disney will never be the same

Went to Everland with the kiddos today. They were genuinely excited, Rita and I faked it until we convinced ourselves. In a moment of pure irony brought on by the last amusement park trip I had, I lugged 2 files of papers to grade with me in an attempt to work when I didn't have to. Ironic why you ask? Well, HELLO, at an amusement park carrying work around on my back, only to ignore it the entire time. Sound like my rants very often?

On a different note. Got home to find the infamous "Max" had posted on my blog. YEAH! Love that girl! So I went to her blog and read for a few hours which has led me to the question...What Would Sara Do?

What Would Sara Do if SHE had moved to Korea.

1. Sara would have learned Korean
2. Sara would have made lots of friends all around the place.
3. Sara would have found the best tofu in town and would recreate far off lands with it.
4. Sara would be saving the dogs that are at the meat market.
5. Sara wouldn't have come to work for some crazy school with rules about dress, drink, and beliefs.

AND despite the fact that I am not Sara, I have to wonder what I have done to make Korea a part of me, not just a place to do the same old tired thing. Will Return to this thought later. Not much up for introspection right now.

Kiss me before I forget who you are!

So this was my procrastination activity for today. Not like the final I have to write, cleaning, packing and other nonsense can't wait.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

I needed a quiz to tell me this?

I took the Blogging Personality Quiz at About Web logs and I am...

The Daily Grinder
I love blogging because it's like therapy. I can write about anything and everything that happens to me - from the food I ate to what I was doing when I heard the latest 'breaking news'. Being able to communicate with my friends (online and/or real life) through my blog is important to me.

Stardate: 06082005

Conservative: a statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others. Bierce

On a different note I have been enamored with Arial this year, Arial Narrow to be precise. What is it with fonts and their ability to control us? I think I need to get out more.

Today will hunt down the puppy mills of Deajeon in an attempt to see if Stella has been picked up and redistributed. Ms. Jung got a text message yesterday about her, but were fairly sure it was just a prank message. Kids round the world are the same, F*#~ING CRUEL!

I just need to laugh....again

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES?...READ ON.
It might seem a little long, but it's hilarious.

University Of Phoenix students

The professor told his class one day: "Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his or her immediate right. As homework tonight, one of you will write the first paragraph of a short story. You will e-mail your partner that paragraph and send another copy to me. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story and send it back, also sending another copy to me. The first person will then add a third paragraph, nd so on back-and-forth. Remember to re-read what t has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. There is be absolutely NO talking outside of the e-mails and anything you wish to say must be written in the e-mail. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."

The following was actually turned in by two of his English students:
Rebecca and Gary.

THE STORY:

(first paragraph by Rebecca)
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question.

(second paragraph by Gary)
Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of now here and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.

(Rebecca)
He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth, when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspaper to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

(Gary)
Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace disarmament Treaty through the congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion, which vaporized poor, stupid, Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"

(Rebecca)
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent.

(Gary)
Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium. "Oh, shall I have chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F--KING TEA??? Oh no, I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too many Danielle Steele novels!

(Rebecca)
Asshole.

(Gary)
Bitch

(Rebecca)
F__K YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!

(Gary)
Go drink some tea - whore.

(TEACHER)
A+ - I really liked this one.

I hate the pain

Day 6 still looking: Crystal is more friendly than usual, I put up signs, call for Stella whenever I walk around the Dong, look for her and still nothing. My tears are fruitless and the only answer to my voices is the snicker of Korean's or the empty echo of my voice. I hate the hurt.

It doesn't stop, it isn't controllable. It comes in waves and leaves my body in wails. I don't want to hurt this is what we try to insulate ourselves from this is why we build walls and houses and seatbelts. It doesn't stop it, the tsunami's still hit the most beautifil beaches and wash away more than sand. The ache is intolerable because it's something that can't be removed like a splinter from your finger. This is why people cut themselves. This is why they pierce, slice, punch and sear themselves. To create a pain greater than the one that cannot be cauterized no matter the hole. This is why people end their lives with a silken cord or dose of something pure.

I know I will not feel this forever. I know that soon the grip that macerates my inner being will become a long cramp that holds me but ebbs away and that to will meld into a twinge that scratches like a loose rope I can throw off if I move quickly enough. But I fear this too because I know that next time caution goes out for coffee and leaves me alone loss will rejoin me and snatch something else and this will all begin again. Adding one pain to the next. How long can this last and how long will I fight?

Fairie Catmother

http://www.ratemykitten.com/ratemy/kitten?image=197079

Thursday: Stardate 06022005

• Got a swanky mug today from the teachers lounge, "In Recognition of Hon.Ed.D.Award" What's that? Don't know? Don't care. Free mug.
• Gave Hannabella carrots and watermelon today. She ate them with the gusto of a 3 year old with a popsicle and has the faux lipstick look to prove it!
• Talked with Luna and thus the real reason for this post. Faith, God and lost kitties what's the connection? Still working on that.
• Enlisted the Church of Latter Day Saints in the search for Stella. Figure I should get something out of all the energy that I have invested into it's complement of men.
• Rita is currently my voice of reason. She's keeping my mind on the rest of my life and keeping me doing other things. Things I need to do and things that make me laugh.
• Also made my first Stella joke today. Had a mental picture of Stella with one of those plump, red hobo bags tied to her tail was she walked next to the railroad tracks. Awwww. too bad I'm just masking all my fears with humor.

Denial isn't working anymore

So I have been putting off this post for a while now. Mostly because I knew when I wrote it down it was real, no more oops it's just Ninah being flaky, I'd have to face facts about my inconsistency's and shortcomings.

I've screwed up and there's not an easy way to fix it.

Stella's A.W.O.L.

Monday:
Not thinking about it since I had done it before I opened my front door to get a breeze into the apt. and left it that way for a few hours. While I had it open Stella wandered out. Again didn't freak because she had been on the hall before and would come back when I called her or she never made it far. When I went to look for her there was no sign of her anywhere. I looked up and down the building with no success. I looked outside as well and there was no sign of her. I tried to stay calm and kept telling myself she would come back and other things to keep me calm.

Tuesday:
Woke up, no cat. Cried and searched to no avail around the apt. Had to go to Seoul to take care of some ticket things. Had already bought the train ticket so I went for it. Tried to drown my sorrows in a make over and some shopping and it worked for a while. But when I came back and went out to put up signs I was back at panic central. The signs I want to point out would not have been possible had it not been for Emily, a student of mine, who sat with me for 30 minutes translating and what not. Emily YOU ROCK! So yeah signs. Went backed to bed and again hoped for the best.

Wednesday:
Woke up again and again no cat. Tried not to cry to much in the morning so I put on my new make-up and headed out the door. Found a flier on the floor when I got out of the elevator so I picked it up on a whim and asked the guard since he wasn't on duty last night. And that's when my mind went into overdrive.

In the ever useful, handsignal Korean, I know I realized he knew more than I could get besides the fact that he had seen Stella and and she was that way. So I called Eun Joo Jung and she got the gist of it. It seems that someone on a different floor had called him and said there was some cat meowing (Stella). Then he said he "saw" her and then things get fuzzy. After a few hours to stew I realized that Stella probably had help exiting the building.

I made it through work and was ready to head home with Rita to put more signs up when the heavens open wide and poured. Signs up, cat still lost. And now 11PM I'm at the stage where I realized I am a bad mother. If I ever have children I will end up leaving them in cars with the windows up, they will run with scissors and somehow manage to break my heart more times than I can count. This whole thing is too much for me. I want a hug and some comfort.

Stella where ever you are I hope you are dry and fed and warm and that St. Francis is watching over you. Come home soon.