Category: Diary

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!!

We took the day off today.

It was really sunny outside and I think too much practicing this close to the performance is actually detrimental, so I dragged the idols out to do something fun.  Classes at ACC are over anyway (Beth and I did pretty well, we passed everything, and I guess that’s all that matters). Beth gets to do more classes, but I’m done.

Beth says she’ll miss our rides to school, but…  another last, I guess.  I’ll miss them too.  We talked about a lot of stuff while we were riding to and from school.  I never really talked about it because it’s not all that interesting, just like when I don’t talk about Beth and I doing each others’ hair, but it’s good that it’s not interesting, it means it’s such an ingrained part of my life that I don’t think about it.

And now it’s gone.

Liz and Jack still have a week and a half left, as well as all the other girls.  Aww.

So Beth came along with us today.

Beth actually hasn’t gotten to spend a lot of time with them, and she had a lot of questions to ask them about being idols and professional singers/entertainers.  I don’t think she wants to do it as a career or anything, but to hear her say it, she has access to a unique perspective with all the idols I know that few other people have, and she’s going to take full advantage.

That makes perfect sense, actually.  I would too in her shoes.

So she peppered them with questions but we went to Buc-ees and they loaded up on snacks again (MORE beaver nuggets).  They also wanted to take another trip to Wal-Mart because they’re leaving next week and want to stock up.

Guess I don’t blame them.  You find Japanese treats at the konbini, and Texas treats at Buc-ees.   I wish there was more to do in Texas, but Sabby promised to take all of us to the waterpark on Sunday to celebrate the concert and my graduation, so yay!!!  It’s expensive but she wanted to treat us all.  I love Sabby!!!

And not just because she does nice things.

We went to K1 Speed too and did go-karting.  I haven’t done that before!  It’s fun!  But Sabby kind of yelled at me when I got home, she said that’s dangerous when we have a concert coming up and we should do stuff like that after the concert.  Dang it, she’s right again.  But we survived it, so it’s okay.

I also took the idols around downtown Austin.  They said it was a little like a smaller Tokyo with less Takoyaki.  I guess I can see that.  Funnily enough, not no Takoyaki, we found a food truck that sold it, along with dango and a couple of other Japanese treats.  That was cool!  And the idols seemed to like the taste of home.

Anyway…  time for bed, I guess.  Nothing really earthshaking today.  Except Sabby wants me to go to a fitting for a frilly dress.  I wonder why…

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Yes, the one and only LILY!!!

Well, except for all the other Lilies.

But I’m the only Lily that used to be called Yuriko!!!

Well… maybe.

Anyway, it was a stormy day.  A few booms.  Thankfully nothing awful.  The awful stuff was south.

We’re all practicing our cute little butts off because the concert is very soon – like this weekend.  Aww.  The idols are really idoling…  I’m pianoing…  Thank goodness for Amazon because my school uniform arrived and it actually fits alright.  I chose something very much like a real high school student would wear.  Let the cosplayers go crazy.  I’ve got a piano piece to play.

And NO WIG.  Geez I hate those.

I sent Jack a pic and I could hear him drooling through the screen.  Maybe I should wear it next time we go out.  “Onii-chan?  I.. I..  do you want to see?”

OH NO I’ve been watching way too much anime….  Ewww.

But…  maybe I’ll do something like that, anyway.  Maybe it’ll make up for me going to Japan…

Is that healthy?

Is anything healthy?

Sigh.

Anyway, the idols have been putting their costumes on every day and practicing in them… in the driveway.  Neighbors are staring.  They don’t care, they’re in idol mode, they see them as fans.

They’re not fans.  Apparently some HOA Karen has been complaining on Nextdoor or something.  Sabby told her to take a hike, it’s all within acceptable hours, there’s no bylaw saying “no idol dancing in the driveway”, the music is reasonable…  and Dave’s even out there grilling and offering people hot dogs.  Well, when it’s not storming, anyway.  Then they squeal and go into the garage and keep practicing.  I swear those girls are hard-working!!!

Including the idols, who seem to love hot dogs.  I hope their costumes still fit.  Haha!!!

Diana made them with a little room for expansion, though.  They’ll be fine, and they burn all those calories off anyway.

That wasn’t really the best idea, though…. the otaku are watching…

Anyway, tonight the four of us just talked.  I mean really talked.  Just about anything and everything.  We sat on the futons and ate chocolate and talked.  It’s funny how Japanese are just like any other people, they just see the world a little differently.  Yuki and Haruna chatted a lot about different things she could do, she also suggested maybe Haruna should come to the US for a couple of years to study like she did.  Haruna doesn’t seem too receptive to that, but at least it set her mind going.

I reminded her of Bocchi… in episode 8 when she said “I refuse to let it stay this way” and Bocchi’d all over the stage…  she giggled at the way I put it, but she got the point.  There are always options.  Sometimes it’s just fear that keeps you from seeing… or taking them.

I asked if there was anything they really wanted to do before they went home.  They just said they want an afterparty after the concert.

We can do that.  I think the symphony has one anyway.  Or at least some informal ones.  I hear the brass section can really put the alcohol away…

The violins, well…  clothes go flying.

Hahaha!!!!

I don’t know that, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Anyway…  I guess I should go.  So much to still do.  And there’s a graduation to plan for too… I have no idea what that’s going to be like.  It’ll be hard to top last birthday.  I hope Sabby doesn’t try, honestly.  That was a bit much.

Love you all!!! ❤️

 

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Today was Mother’s Day…

So Sabby really doesn’t like it much when I do stuff for her for Mother’s Day.  She says it’s a hallmark holiday and setting that day aside just gives people an excuse to ignore their mother the other 364 days of the year.

But… I said this before.  This is another last.  I’m going to Japan.  I might not see her for a long time.

So I did anyway.

I’ve been practicing in secret (turns out the community college has a piano tucked away somewhere and I’ve been practicing there) and I sand a couple of songs for her, while accompanying myself.

Yes, I can sing.  No, I can’t sing well.  I sound like a particularly competent frog.  But… I managed.

And I sand an English translation, which I did myself.  I sang U&I, Tenshi ni fureta yo, and “I want to be a constellation”.

She was crying at the end.  aww.

She’s done so much for me, really.  She (and Dave, of course), took me in, bought me clothes, fed me, adopted me, and never, ever tried to get in the way of who I am and what I could become.  She’s let me go to Japan, to perform, to practice… she’s always only wanted me to reach my full potential… and I’ll always be grateful to her for that.  I’ll always love her for that.

And she never hesitates to go Claire Huxtable on me when I deserve it.  Thankfully, it’s not that often, but when she does, I always do.

She’s always protected me but never so much that it hurt me.  Like when she kicked that karen between legs a couple of years ago.  I guess I could have taken care of myself… but I didn’t have to.  Because she was there.  She’s always there.

I can’t really tell her that.  Like Hachiman said in Oregairu – How can you say all that in just a word?

You can’t.  So I chose a few.  And added some notes to it too.  And tried not to make Marie howl with my voice.

(She didn’t.  That would have been embarrassing).

Maybe someday I’ll sing “my graduation toss”, but I dont’t think I could hold it together through that.

Anyway… otherwise… it was a bit of a rainy morning.  They got some pretty awful hailstorms up north, but we avoided them… this time.  We went to church, and otherwise just basically had a pretty quiet day (except for the idols in the garage dancing up a storm again.  I swear – where do they get all that energy?  I run every day and I don’t think I could keep up!)

“The idols in the garage dancing up a storm”…  what a weird life I have that I can even write that sentence and mean it seriously.

Haruna seems a little better today.  She’s starting to think seriously about her future.  Not just being scared of it… but owning it.  I don’t know what she has planned… but I’m sure she’ll succeed.  I know she will.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Today was essentially a free day.  Sabby pretty much put her foot down and said “You all have been practicing way too much – go have some fun and I don’t want to see a single dance out of any of you today.  And Lily, you’d better not press any keys on that piano”.

I guess she’s not wrong.

So the four of us went out sightseeing.

I’d be lying if I said there was a lot to see here… so we all went down to the Riverwalk in San Antonio and, well, walked along the river  Suzuka and Haruna did a lot of shopping (because of course they did), and otherwise we just kind of wandered around and took in the sights.

While we were there I asked Haruna what was wrong.

She… didn’t really seem like she wanted to talk, but she seemed like she did at the same time, if that makes any sense.  I didn’t pry too hard, but something’s really bothering her.

Finally we got home this evening and I kind of cornered her.

“You know what they said about me being a walking shrine?”

She nodded.

“It’s not often a shrine comes to you, but that’s what’s happening now.  Bow and clap and throw money at me if you must, but tell me what’s wrong.”

So… she finally opened up.

She’s scared.  I mean, really scared.

Not of anything concrete.  I mean, it’s not like she’s not safe or anything like that, but she’s scared of her future.  Not having a husband is just a small part of it.  She feels like she left the idol world and doesn’t have anything else, all she’s got now are odd jobs in entertainment and it’s hard to get by.  She… feels like she’s already washed up.  In her early twenties.

And the thing is… she may not be entirely wrong.

I asked her why she doesn’t go to school… she said she tried but failed her entrance exams and she just… gave up.

The worst part is, I didn’t know what to tell her.

But I didn’t have to.  I got a message.

“Why… are your eyes glowing?” she asked, and I.. well, somewhat I… spoke.  I don’t remember everything I said but she was sobbing after.  I mean, ugly crying hiccupping curled up in a fetal position crying.  But in between sobs, she said it was alright, she’d just never had a shrine actually talk to her before.  It was something about how she keeps going to shrines and bowing and clapping and making a wish, but none of them really had any power, and the being that actually has power is talking to her, and everything’s going to turn out okay if she just trusts.

Suzuka came in too, and so did Yuki, and the three of us just cuddled her until she fell asleep.

I guess she needed that.

I went to buy her a chocolate milkshake after putting her in her futon.  It always helps me, after all.

She asked again who I was enshrining.

I still don’t really know.  But it looks like whoever it is has power.

She tried asking me a few questions, but I just shrugged.  I told her that unless whatever I’m “enshrining” is speaking, I don’t know much more than she does.  I did say that when she went to the shrine, her prayers were heard… just not by the kami enshrined there.  Whatever that means.

Anyway, she seemed a little lighter after that.  I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

Tomorrow is supposed to be stormy.  Aww.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

I don’t know how it took so long for LINE to figure out that me, Haruka, Suzuka, and sometimes Yuki are all staying together.  I have a whole idle group under my roof!  And, well… the otaku are going nuts.

Thankfully they haven’t figured out where I live.  And I have a common last name, both here and in Japanese.

We went to rehearse today, with the orchestra, and we’re really close to having everything ready to go.  The orchestra LOVED their outfits, and they danced around a few times while the orchestra practiced their songs.  It actually is a really neat effect… it’s like j-pop really does meet orchestra, and when put together, it’s a little different than both.  I like it.

However, apparently, I’m not supposed to wear a gown.  I’m supposed to wear a Japanese school uniform, too.  They told me I can get a fancy one, but it should fit the theme.

Aww.

I don’t even have one.  All the other girls do because they played their prank on me, but I don’t.  I guess I need to get on Amazon or a cosplay supply shop and find one.

They’ve been decorating the auditorium, and they have a sign up that says (in actual Japanese) “Austin Symphony High School”.  They’re really going all out, but it’s funny.  I guess dress rehearsal next week will be a sight to behold.

(If I can get my outfit in time, but if worse comes to worse, I’ll borrow one from Beth, she’s got a similar enough build to me…  though the skirt might be a little short on me, I’m taller than her.  Oh well, it’s not like anyone will complain.

But no wig.  That’s where I draw the line.  Besides, my hair is Japanese enough.

The conductor asked if there were any ceremonies they do at the start of class, so I showed them the one where they stand up and say “honor” and some other stuff, and he loved it.  What have I created?

Anyway…  Graduation is in a couple of weeks too…  I don’t think I’m ready for it.  I don’t think I’m anywhere near ready for it.

Oh well.

Haruna still seems a little… off.  She’s working hard and is happy enough, but I see her lip quivering when she thinks no one’s looking. Aww.

Oh…  Miki’s group is pivoting!!!  I guess they’re all getting tired of being semi-talented idols who sing and dance and hold otaku hands.  They want to do something really amazing.  The producer is getting them actual dancing training with a real sensei, and they’re learning how to play instruments and stuff too.  It’s hard work, but they seem happier than before.  It’s like they’re starting to feel like they’re a little more than pretty faces.  I mean, they’re pretty faces too, but they’re starting to worry about their job opportunities after they graduate, and in my opinion, they’re kind of right to worry.  Maybe they’ll get married to a successful guy, but…  that’s not a given, especially in Japan.  So I’m happy for them.  the producer seems to be one of the good ones.

Besides, idol groups are kind of changing right now – they’re not sure how long their business model will last anyway.

It’s not like they’ll become experts in a few weeks, but I’m looking forward to seeing what they turn into.

No real other news…  we’re going to do something fun this weekend. Yay!!!  Oh, there are a couple of things – Sabby did close on a new shop and we’re going to get that set up over the next few weeks, and… David’s going off to camp again in a few weeks.

He’ll probably see his “girlfriend” there.

And he’s kind of figured out what girls are for.

This might be a disaster.  Or it might turnout really good for him.. and that would still be a disaster.  I have no idea why that girl’s stuck with him for this long, but…  oh well.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Everything’s coming together, I guess. My piece is pretty much ready to go, Liz is almost ready to go as well, Yuki, Suzuka, and Haruna are pretty much ready, they have their costumes… I guess all we have to do is keep practicing and wait for the concert.  Ours is in a couple of weeks, Liz’s is just a little bit later.

Suzuka and Haruna are having a great time but I can tell they’re about ready to go home.  They will right after the concert.  Not “go from the concert hall to the airport”, but…  pretty close to that.

I asked if there’s anything we can do to make their stay better, and they said no, they’ve got plenty to do, lots of good food, warm futons, *ahem* interesting weather, and we take them to do fun stuff every now and then.  But Haruna does seem a little sad.  I mean, we talked about her loneliness, but there seems to be something else there under the surface too.  I wonder what.

Suzuka is just having fun, there’s nothing under the surface there.  But Haruna…  I just get a feeling.

Joe and Anathema headed off to the beach for some fun and frolic and, well, fun and frolic.  They’re going to be on honeymoon for a bit longer.  Joe had a bunch of leave saved up.  I don’t know how it works in the military but they seem to like it when people get married – it gives them something to fight for I guess.

And Crystal’s band, well, they’re still practicing.  They’re a lot better together than we ever were, and they’re really inspiring Crystal to get way better.  Girl’s starting to shred a bit now.  She’s asking me for theory lessons, but it’s not like I’m particularly great at that myself.  I’ll try, though.

I have to pick my courses soon at Meiji and send them some money.  Okay, a lot of money.  Not ivy league a lot of money but it’s not cheap.  This whole thing will make a large dent in my trust by the time I’m done.  But I guess it’s worth it.

I hope it’s worth it.

I haven’t decided my major yet.  they don’t have music classes as far as I know, so I have to pick something a little more boring.  Hopefully I can find a way to keep taking lessons anyway.  Maybe my minor celebrity as train onee-chan will get me a few concerts here and there.  I should talk to Dave and see what he recommends.  He’s good at stuff like that.  Maybe I’ll do something in technology.  I’m not great at it, but I do keep this site up, so that’s something.

I gotta choose soon though.

My first major adult decision.

Sigh.

Being a kid was fun while it lasted.

Technology is interesting – I’m not as interested in it as my tech friend or even Dave, but it’s interesting enough.  It’s basically there to help people do stuff that it’s difficult to do.  Like, you know, alarm clocks.  How did we keep accurate (I know there were sundials, I said accurate) time before that?

Well, we’ll see.

Truthfully… I’m a little scared.  Ever since I was found, Dave and Sabby have always been there for me.  But that’s coming to an end too.  I know they’ll still always be there for me, but… they won’t, too.

I’ll be an adult in every sense of the word.

It’s really, really scary.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Haruka is a little embarrassed.  But she’s fine.  I guess the wedding and everything just got to her.  Japanese women have this pressure to marry before they’re too old (like 25 or 30) and men seem to think they’re unmarryable after that.  I have no idea why, Haruka would make a great wife.  Maybe she needs to find an otaku who sees her as a person and let him into her heart.  I mean, just because she’s an idol doesn’t mean her fans don’t love her, it just doesn’t often mean they do.

They all took a day off and went sightseeing.  It’s sunny and warm today, and not storming, so we took them to Buc-ees.  Oh, man, they went nuts.  Haha!!!  Industrial sized bags of beaver nuggets…

Anathema called.  She didn’t have much to say, she sounded exhausted.  All she said was “Joe can keep up.  Oh GOD can he keep up.  EEP!” and then the phone hung up.

I think they’ll be fine.  At least for a while, anyway.

Dunno why she picks me to tell that to, but oh well.

Maybe it’s my “walking shrine-ness”?

Mother’s day is coming up.  Usually Sabby doesn’t care, so I don’t do much, but this is going to be another last.  I feel like I need to do something.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well… I did not expect that.

Haruka’s been in a bit of a funk since the wedding.  She’s still working hard and everything but you can tell she’s a little… off.  After lunch she’ll go off and walk for a little while… I think she went to the konbini today and got a chocolate shake.

I finally asked her what’s wrong, and she just kind of stood there, looking at me, and it looked like her eyes were going to brim over…. then she ran up to the room and hid in a futon.

Of course I followed her.

When I got up there she was crying.

Of course I didn’t know why, Japanese people don’t usually ugly-cry, but she kinda was.  So I just kind of held her until she could get a coherent word out…

She’s lonely.  Not homesick, but lonely.

She’s in her early twenties and has never had a boyfriend, and kind of is starting to feel left out.

Awww.

It’s funny how people that are adored by so many other people can be so alone.

Anyway, I guess she just needed to get it out…  I told her if she wants a boyfriend, she should go about finding a boyfriend.  She said it’s not that easy, I said there are about thirty million people in Tokyo, there should be at least one who wants to take her to bed…

She swatted me and laughed.

“That’s not a problem,” she said.  “There are thousands of otaku, some of which actually even smell good, that would jump at the chance.  But I want a boyfriend“.  You know, someone who’ll put a ring on me and wed me and put a baby in me and… you know.  All that stuff.”

Yeah, I understand.

“What’s yours like?”, she asked.

So…  I told her.  Everything.  Stuff I haven’t even told you.  I told her how I met him, and how we fell in love, and how we’re having some difficulties lately, and…  well, I ended up crying a little too.

Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you’re around someone who doesn’t have it.

Isn’t that how it always work.s…

She’s a little better now.  We don’t usually girl-pile, Japanese people aren’t really all that into it (who am I kidding, many Americans aren’t either, I’m just weird) but I offered tonight…  she might even take me up on it.

I’m not a boyfriend and I don’t swing that way, but I am a warm body and maybe she needs that right now.

Otherwise…  it was a pretty quiet day.  Everything’s going as it should.

For now.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, Anathema’s wedding was yesterday.  She’s married now.

The wedding was nice.  Not ostentatious or anything.  We all went to the shop, which was “closed for a private event”.  The pastor officiated, and lots of family and friends showed up.  It wasn’t anything tearjerking with roses and trellises and professions of undying love – it was a simple affair.  Well.. mostly.

Joe went off script.

They weren’t going to do their own vows, and they repeated after the pastor what he asked them to say.  But then, just before the vows, Joe opened up.  And he told Anathema exactly how he felt about her.

Apparently he hadn’t done that before, not that way, because Anathema started sniffling, and so did most of the women in the audience.  He told her how beautiful she is, and how much he admired her for turning her life around and respecting her baby, and how much he looked forward to spending his life with her and the baby.  He told her he’d give his life to protect her if necessary, and that he’d thought his life was fulfilled with the military until he met her.  She then just forgot herself and hugged him tightly, and, well, everyone clapped.  That wasn’t agreed on so she didn’t have anything prepared, but no one seemed to mind, not least Joe.

Then the pastor cleared his throat.  He had a ceremony to finish.  They looked embarrassed, and very soon, they were married.

And the reception began.

Crystal’s band had set up to do a few songs, and they did, and then the idols came up, and Crystal’s band had prepared something for them too (they actually worked a lot faster than I thought they would).  Everyone was dancing around and waving glowsticks and all that.  After that Sabby brought out a huge cake and they fed each other (of course Joe smushed cake in her face and she laughed, and promised to get him back that night, and he gulped…) and after they opened their presents, they both went off to begin their honeymoon.

We partied more for the rest of the night.  Baker doesn’t usually make pizza, but she knows how, so she made us some pizzas, and after she was done cooking we had her join in the festivities.  She didn’t seem to know what to do with herself but everyone had a good time.

As promised, a few otaku were outside at the appointed time, and Yuki, Haruka, Suzuka, and I went out to sign autographs.  I’ll never get used to that, but I guess being “train onee-chan” has its privileges.  I’m not as famous as I was a few months ago, but people still know who I am, and apparently I have a fan club.

No idea when that started, but at least it’s for less embarrassing reasons than Mio.

I got a call from Anathema in the middle of the night.  She said she was very happy and having a good time.  I think I heard Joe in the background saying weakly “help me”, and the sound of a light smack and a groan.  Haha!!!

She said he was fine, she was just taking out her frustrations on him, and they agreed tonight was her night.  And she took full advantage.  Because of course she did, she’s Anathema.

I heard weakly, “yeah, she’s right, I’m okay” *light smacK* *grooooan* and then she said she had to go, it was time for round ten.

I heard the groan again.  Haha!!!!

Joe may be in the military and in great shape, but she’s had her own basic training…  and it mostly involves kegels… haha!!!

Oh wait, I’m not supposed to know what those are.  Pretend you didn’t hear it.  And don’t look it up!!!

Okay, so last night while everything was wrapping up, Jack and I had a talk.  A very long talk.  About things we’ve been kind of dancing around for the past few months.  About our future.

We didn’t break up.  But we’re both worried.  He’s going off to Toledo, I’m going off to Japan, and…  we’ll see each other again, but it’s going to be hard.  We got ourselves into a lot, and it’s scary.  It’s not so much “what am I going to do without him”, it’s “Four years is a long time and can we really say we’re with each other if we’re ten thousand miles away and only see each other a few times a year?”

We didn’t break up, but… I don’t know.  It felt like we came a lot closer to that than we’d ever been before.  Neither of us want to, but…

But we remembered our promise to each other, the one we made in Orlando two years ago, and…  that’s still important to us.  So we’re talking it out instead of, well, doing something else.

I love him.  I really love him.  I can’t imagine being with anyone else and I want to be with him and have come home and have little Jack/Lily babies running around… but how do we get here from there?  I don’t really know, and neither does he.  It seems so far away and so unachievable.  I mean, we spent time with each other, and we’ve seen each other in ways no one else has, not even our parents, and it’s so nice when he does stuff to with me that would make this a subscriber post if I told you, but… is that all there is?  There should be more.  There could be more.  Why isn’t there?

Is it just because we’re still not adults in a very real way?  Or is it because our relationship isn’t?

Anyway…  we’re still together.  He’s not going away, and neither am I.  But I wish I knew how long that would last.

Other news…  well, there really isn’t any.  There were storms again last night.  There seem to be so many lately, but I guess that’s May in Central Texas.  We went to church today, nothing really special happened there.  Crystal brought her band over to practice, and Sabby’s booked a slot for them in a few weeks.  Anathema called today kinda pouty that apparently she wore Joe out so badly he’s just slept all day, but I told her that that’s what happens, and she has the rest of her life to wear him out again.

Apparently tonight he gets to return the favor, and she was almost quivering with excitement.  That girl is insatiable!!!

Alright…  Enough of that I suppose.  I’m pushing the limits of PG. But that’s what happens with weddings, so…

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, Anathema’s wedding is tomorrow.  All the girls are over, tomorrow we’ll all get dressed and head over to the shop.

Today Yuki, Haruka, Suzuka and I went over to the symphony and did our rehearsals.  It actually went really well.  They kinda got into the whole “pop idol” thing, and they all apparently are going to wear school-like uniforms, like in Japan.  That’s hilarious!  Even the conductor!!!

Dunno why they’re getting into it like that, but it’s fun.

Well, I’m not going to talk too much tonight, we’re all going to head to the shop tonight and watch a couple of bands.  I’ll let you know how the wedding goes.

Oh…. I almost forgot.  Jack got accepted into the University of Toledo!!!

Seems like a small university in a kinda crappy town.  I asked why he decided to go there.  He said he misses Ohio, but doesn’t miss Columbus, and it seems like a pretty okay school.  Plus he did well enough to qualify for at least a partial scholarship, so there’s that.

I asked if it was his first choice.  He said no, but it wasn’t his last either, so he’s okay with it.

Yet another ending that turns into a beginning.  I guess.

Liz is still waiting to hear from her preferred college, but I bet she gets in.

Love you all!!! ❤️