Friday, February 28, 2014 Cloudy

　It was rather warm today. I just took ah hour off. My last graduating student came for her diploma. I knew she would keep her word. A homeroom student called me while I was at a meeting. Now in the process of cleaning the English Interview Room.

Thursday, February 27, 2014 Cloudy, occasionally rainy.

　Staff meetings have gotten unilateral. What is the good of taking a vote? It is now Heisei, and Showa democracy is long gone. I am afraid it is a sign of the times. Nowadays teachers are low-paid blue-collar workers. Things have changed.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Cloudy

　On my way from work, returned three library books and checked out two. At work two graduating homeroom studetns who did not attend the graduation ceremony came to get their diploma. Only one left now. Today we had a PM2.5 warning for the first time in this prefecture. So it is a good thing that we are having rain tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Fair

　Went to the ward office to file an income tax return for the first time. It took one and a half hours or so. Next year I will have to go to the tax office in the vicinity of the city hall. A long way away from here. Today was my wife's mother's 91st birthday. Threw a little party, singing "Happy Birthday to You." She was tearful.

Monday, February 24, 2014 Cloudy

　This morning got up quite late. Slow-jogged only for 20 minutes or so. At work worked in a leisurely manner, which is good, shooting the breeze. However, this kind of easing-going atmosphere is to disappear soon. Looks like the mannagement is thinking of something drastic and totalitarian. What a dangerous direction they are going to force us into!

Sunday, February 23, 2014 Cloudy

　The graduating students were supposed to get together in the classroom. Only half of the students came at first. Two came late. We headed for the gym around 9:30 a.m. and waited for the ceremony in the so-called sub-arena. The ceremony lasted until 11:15 a.m. or so. I gave my students the mementos, the grades, and so on beforehand, so after the cremony just gave them their diploma. It did not take long. Then I was on telephone duty between 1:00 pm.m and 3:45 p.m. A high school kid came with her parents, asking for the grand tour, but the boss's anwer was no, so I explained this school in detail in the cold.

Saturday, February 22, 2014 Cloudy

　Went slow-jogging rather late in the morning. The park was not crowded. Refreshing as usual. Took it easy for the most part today. Since tomorrow I will have to report to work in order to attend the graduation ceremony, I checked whether I had the right stuff to wear. Will take the 7:40 a.m. train at the usual station, reaching at school by 8:30 a.m.

Friday, February 21, 2014 Cloudy

　At work all of us worked together checking the sign-up sheets. The one I did was full of mistakes and took over an hour. I hear six or seven colleagues are quitting next school year. It may be about time for the older ones to quit. The educational landscape is rather desolate with this right-wing and totalitalian tendecy. History may repeat itself.

Thurday, February 20, 2014 Cloudy

　At today's staff meeting the vice-principal disclosed his scheme for next school year. Disposed of the unused reports and some recyclable paper. Also shredded the attendance slips for 2013.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 Cloudy

　At work checked the sign-up-related sheets with almost all the staff working. Will do the same thing the day after tomorrow. Another obituary. One of the colleagues at work died the day before yesterday. She predisideｄ over a staff meeting a few weeks ago. Never expected her to die.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Cloudy

　Went the sign language circle, learning that the gentleman I got acquainted with around 15 years ago died of cancer last summer. He was the first sign language circle member to sit next to. A nice person with a sense of humor. Last night went to bed early because of my neck pain. I wonder how long I will be able to last this way. Hopefully as the weather gets warmer, it will get better.

Monday, February 17, 2014 Cloudy

　Went to the supermarket first thing in the morning to buy canned cat food 20 % off. At work we had the so-called graduation judgment conference. I sent all my homeroom graduating students an invitaion. A homeroom student showed up for his sign-up but did not have enough time today. He said he would call me up later.

Sunday, February 16, 2014 Cloudy and sunny.

　Worked on the Super Crossword in the morning. Cleaned the floor and the bedroom. Also took out the bulky trash this morning. I usually do these household chores.Today is an off-day, but had a call from a homeroom student. I wonder if the bosses at school know about this. I am afraid they turn a blind eye to it even if they do. Their business is all about avoiding trouble and dumping everything upon others. This week I am going to be super busy. First, I have to go to the ward office to file my first income tax return. Then on the same day got to see my home doctor. On Wednesday see my dentisit. As I get older, I have so many parts of my body to fix.

Saturday, February 15, 2014 Cloudy with snow remaining here and there.

　The streets were no longer so slippery this morning. Went to the English conversation school. There were around ten people, including our instructor. Skimmed through three library books and returned them. No jogging this morning because of the wet ground and because I overslept. Accessed for the first time in many days the site of the clinic where I had my neck operation and found that clinic was closed last year. Dr. Nishijima was a great doctor. I hope he is okay.

Friday, February 14, 2014 Snowy

　The ground was covered with snow this morning. On my way to the nearest station the streets were covered with a thick layer of snow and it was dangerous to walk on the slippoery surface. The train schedule was disrupted because of the heavy snowfall. I got to work a bit late. At work worked almost all day filling out the school recoreds. Almost done.

Thursday, February 13, 2014 Cloudy and cold.

　I was operated on for my neck pain nearly ten years ago. This trouble will go on all my life, and the pain is getting increasingly strong. Looks like pain is a sign of my being alive. At work worked together checking the grades of the graduating students.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014 Coudy

　At work three homeroom studetns came for their sign-up. I helped them do that from 1:00 p.m. till past 5:30 pm. Got tired out. So, I have helped 13 students with their sign-up procedure so far. Too many for a reemployed teacher.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Cloudy (National Foundation Day)

　Now playing SCRABBLE online with a stranger, too. Went jogging twice today-in the morning and in the evening. Today being a national holiday, quite a few were playing in the "park." Adjusted the insoles of my shoes. Also bought a new lock for my bike as the old one was partly broken. Took out the garbage at night as usual. Come to think of it, I do a lot of household chores, although unthanked.

Monday, February 10, 2014 Cloudy

　I did not feel up to getting up early this morning. Worked for about four hours in a row, helping four students with their sign-ip procedure. Got exhausted. Came back home tired out.

Sunday, February 9, 2014 Cloudy

　My mother-in-law had a cataract operation this morning. While they were there at the clinic, had a conversation with my mom on the phone. Couldn't work out the facebook SCRABBLE trouble although I tried this and that. Checked out a library book.

Saturday, February 8, 2014 Snowy, rainy and then cloudy

　Actually, I did not go out today because of the wet weather. It was cold and snowy this morning with the snow turning into rain. We have a typical winter weather pattern-three cold days followed by four warm days. If my working hours change next school year, I can report to work later than now. Then I can spend my morning hours in a leisurely manner, which is not bad.

Friday, February 7, 2014 Cloudy

　Strange. I get no signal from SCRABBLE when a new word is played. I hope it is temporary. I am likely to have a different work schedule next school year, working on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Thursday, February 6, 2014 Cloudy

　Just attended the Info section meeting and the staff meeting. The so-called sign-up assistance period starts tomorrow. Students will come one after another.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014 Cloudy

　At work just printed out the so-called sign-up assistance sheets. It did not take too long. Went over each student's "block sheet" so that I could provide proper assistance.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Fair and then cloudy.

　Went "slow-jogging" rather late in the morning. Better late than never. It is almost always refreshing there in the "park" running in the morning. The pond is serene, and there is some nature all around. Even the sky above me seems part of the "park." The sign language meeting was OK. I relearned the word "bacteria." On the way home did some shopping. Mother-in-law loves tempura(deep-fried shrimp, above all).

Monday, February 3, 2014 Cloudy, occasionally rainy.

　Took care of some late comers at work. So, I am done with the grades of all the sudents I am in charge of. One homeroom student came over and signed up for next academic year. I gave the student the grand tour of the school as she was not familiar with the way students study here.

Sunday, February 2, 2014 Cloudy

　Yesterday overslept and did not go jogging. This morning jogged as usual although the surface was wet and a bit mudddy. Listened to my iPod mainly today. Did rather much shopping at Daiei today-mostly cat food and some raw fish for supper. While listening to the world news on my iPod, I felt there is so much brutal killing going on in some places in the globe. In the Phillipines there have been thousands of bodies to bury because of the latest typhoon. Fighting and death, rather than peace and happiness, prevail on the earth. Fact is really stranger than fiction.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 Cloudy

　Overslept this morning. Barely made it to the English conversation school, where our instructor was rather talkative, taking a major part today. Spent this afternoon reading a book. Just a lazy Saturday.