Month: April 2024

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Lots of planning today!!!

Tonight Suzuka, Yuki, Haruka, and Diana all started planning for their costumes.  Diana came up with a design that everyone loves.  It’s kind of cheerleadery, but designed to be cute, like an idol outfit, with some Japanese design elements.  So they all went to the fabric store and got a bunch of fabric and they’ve been busily cutting and pinning and patterning and sewing.  Diana’s pretty good at it!

The way undersized top hat with a little ribbon might be too much, though.  Hah.

I asked what they’re going to do about panties.  I’m actually not kidding about that, Yuki told me a bunch of horror stories and those dresses are pretty short.  They said they’ve got it covered, there are special shorts for that kind of situation, and the dresses are going to have all sorts of frills and stuff too, so it’ll be hard to see anything even if they have their heels to their forehead.

And… I’ve seen them practice.  They do, a couple of times.  Geez.

And Anathema’s planning for her wedding this weekend too.  She’s…  not really in a good place.  She seems to feel like she doesn’t really deserve it, or Joe, or anything.  I mean, she wants to go through with it, and it’s not that she doesn’t love Joe or anything, but… I guess her past is coming back to haunt her.  I mean, every day she carries a reminder of her past, inside of her.  She has really mixed feelings about everything.  She’s trying to keep a brave face, but… it’s showing through.

I think maybe she needs to talk to Crystal.  Crystal might understand more than the rest of us.  It’s not like I think Anathema’s going to, well, do what Crystal did, but…  the rest of us haven’t been in quite that… shape before.

It’s really sad.  Cat-girl was having all that fun, and such a great life…  full of, well…  physical satisfaction and not much else, I guess… right up until it all fell apart.  And I feel a little bad about that.  I had a part in it, however small..

Oh well,  What’s done is done and frankly I don’t really have control over anything I do in that realm anyway.  It’s better if I cooperate, but even then…

More storms on Wednesday and Thursday.  I guess this is the stormy season.

I still don’t know what a bridesmaid does.  Sabby says don’t worry about it, our job is just to make sure the bride is supported and to not upstage her.  I can do that.  It’s not like Anathema has one of those dresses with the long train, so at least we don’t have to be carrying a train around.  She’s got a black dress with see through lacy mesh on the chest, spaghetti straps, and a plunging back with criss-cross straps. It’s short and tight but covers everything well.  Somehow she managed to go for beautiful, sexy, classy, and just a little bit, well, cat-girl, all in the same dress.  That girl knows how to fashion.  It doesn’t quite have the same effect with the baby bump, but she makes it work.

Joe’s gonna love it.

I should ask her for advice for my next formal outing.  Whatever that is.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

The girls figured out I was sad.  It wasn’t really all that hard, I suppose… usually I’m kinda bouncing around, but today I just felt like there was a haze over my eyes, and I didn’t really feel like playing or doing anything.  And the sniffling and wiping my eyes might have been a small clue…

I got lots of hugs… I love that, but they didn’t help all that much.  It… just made me cry harder.  Who’ll hug me when I’m in Japan and all by myself, and everyone I know and love will be ten thousand miles away???

It was Yuki and her friends that really helped, though.

Of all my friends, they’re the ones who’ve graduated.

Yuki said graduation is hard, and it’s an end to some things, but it’s a beginning to others, and even though everything is going to change, change is all it is.  You don’t lose your friends, well, you don’t have to lose your friends, and… well…  Yuki and Suzuka and Haruka and Ai and the Aidols and…  Miki and her group and Ai’s parents and even Yuki’s parents… they’re all there and they’re on my side.

She’s right, of course.  It doesn’t help all that much, but it helps a little.  I’m not alone.

I asked Yuki if she cried at her graduation.

She asked which graduation, then said it didn’t matter, she cried like a baby at both, but her idol graduation, there are Blu-Rays of her tears, and they’re all over YouTube, and I should be thankful mine are just amongst my closest friends.

I asked if that bothers her, she said a little but not really. As obsessive and intrusive as her fans can get, they really are on her side, and everyone who was at her graduation concert was there to see her off, and, well…  it was embarrassing but they deserved to see her tears, too.  After all, twenty thousand people waving glowsticks and chanting “Yu-KI Yu-KI Yu-KI” means something, right?

I think I mentioned that’s not really her name, but it has the same number of syllables, so..

The idol business is complicated, isn’t it?  So many conflicting emotions and motivations.   When I first got to know Yuki, I thought she hated her time as an idol.  She hated some of it… but it’s far more complicated than that.  She really does love her fans… she just wishes they’d respect her boundaries.  and sometimes when an idol cries, it’s one of the few times when you see them for who they are.  Not all the time – some can cry on command – but not all.  Yuki’s the type that can’t.  when she cries, she really means it.  She said she couldn’t help it when she was wearing her very beautiful dress, and the spotlight was on her and her alone, while all the other girls were singing (even Suzuka and Haruka)… and she saw all the glowsticks and heard all the chanting… and it was for her and no one else.  Who could stay dry-eyed at a time like that?

I don’t think I could, honestly.  I really don’t think I could.

Maybe everything’s complicated, like that.  Maybe graduation is a time for loss, and tears… but also a time for new beginnings.

Anyway, Liz only gets like six tickets guaranteed, and I’m getting one.  She’s going to try to get tickets for everyone else too, but it might not be possible.  Everyone understands.  After all, I am Liz’s best friend.

Jack only gets six tickets too.  Thankfully their graduations are like two days apart, so I can attend both.  I’m getting a ticket for that, too.  He’ll have at least two more… I wonder who he’ll give them to.

Grace is having her first grade graduation, and Allison – I think?  – her fifth grade graduation.  I’ll go to both if I can.

The rest of the girls don’t really get graduations for their grades, but we’ll probably have a party for everyone anyway.

Golden week starts Monday!! I asked Yuki and friends how they feel about missing it.  They shrugged.  I guess there are fun fireworks festivals and stuff, but otherwise, it’s just a holiday, and they can spend their holiday here, so everything’s fine.

We took them to one of the good BBQ places today, and it’s official, they want to live here.  Haha!!!  I don’t really understand what Japanese people find so fascinating about the US… but maybe they feel the same about us, as well.

Oh, speaking of Jack… apparently he’s been made an honorary member of the Anime and Japanese Culture club, becauee train onee-chan is his girlfriend.  He didn’t get a chance to accept or reject, he just came to school one day and he was a member.  There was talk about making him the president, but he put his foot down at that.  I don’t blame him.  jut a member can just not show up.  The president has actual responsibilities, and… well…  he’s not really a weeb or anything like that.

They keep trying to get him to go to meetings, and he refuses.  It’s kinda hilarious.  Besides, he thinks they just want to use him to get train onee-chan (and maybe some other idols too) to come to the meetings, and he refuses to use me that way.

That’s one reason I love him.  He’s not perfect… not anywhere near perfect… he can be a little neglectful, lazy, unmotivated, all those things (he’d agree, so It’s not like I’m talking out of turn)… but he respect me and he protects me.  What more can a girl want?

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Liz reminded me that graduation is coming up for me, her, and Jack.

And I’m not going to lie, I’m a little depressed.

All these lasts are coming up on me, closer and closer, and…  and it’s a lot.

But tonight… the girls are over, and I can’t be sad.

I can’t be sad.

I…

I’m sad.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Anathema’s wedding is coming up in a couple of weeks!!!  It’s actually May the 4th – Star Wars day!!!  Yes, they did that on purpose. When Anathema figured out it was on a Saturday, well, how could she resist? 

She’s not having us buy any special dresses or anything like that.  She wants us to wear nice outfits and everything, but she’s kind of well past that whole “special day” thing.  In fact, I think a part of her kind of feels like she doesn’t deserve a special day.  I mean, to hear her say it, she’s been like the town bicycle – you know, everyone gets a ride? – and she doesn’t really think she even deserves what she’s getting now.  She’s happy she is, don’t get me wrong, but she’s just kind of seems grateful for what she’s getting rather than feeling like she deserves any of it.

It’s kind of sad, really.  Makes me kind of glad that I insisted on that red line with Jack, and that he was strong enough to keep to it even when I wasn’t.  We’ve done a lot of stuff together, some of it pretty adult, but Jack, well… doesn’t know how to ride a bike.  If you get my meaning.

He knows how to grease the wheels, adjust the brakes, make sure the tires are all inflated…  maybe sit on the seat and make vroom vroom sounds… but no riding.  If you get my drift.

And seeing how torn up Anathema is…  I’m kinda glad about that.  Even though I’m really curious. Plus Liz told me she regrets it a little, too…  I dunno.  It’s such a complicated thing for such a simple thing.

We’re closing the shop and having the ceremony there.  I asked Yuki if she and her friends could do a performance for the reception, and they’re happy to do it.  It’ll be a closed reception, though we’ll probably post it on LINE just so the otaku don’t kill us.

I’m not entirely joking about that.

I’ll be the pianist, and Liz is going to do some violiney stuff too.  We’ve been working on some pieces for her recital, we’ll probably do some of that.  And Crystal wants to do a set with her band, too.  I wasn’t sure, but Anathema just said “this is supposed to be a celebration, right?  The more, the merrier.  Let them play.”

It’s really going to be a kind of mishmash of stuff, but both Anathema and Joe are perfectly happy with that.  Anathema says she probably won’t dance much, she’s really showing now, but she wants all of us to have fun, too.

So I guess this is happening.

So, speaking of the shop, we’re going to look at a new facility this weekend.  If we like it, we’re going to do it.  We want to keep the homey feeling of the current shop, just we want a little more room.  And we kinda want to decorate a little differently.  Guess we’ll see.

Anyway… time for bed.  Suzuka and Haruka are already out like a light.  Those girls sleep deep.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Lots to do today, but nothing unusual.  Yuki and the other idols were in the garage practicing when Yuki wasn’t at school, and they were working out and doing some practicing even when she was.  Why are they working so hard??? It’s not like they’re getting paid tons and tons of money for it.

I asked them.

Haruka just shrugged.  “It’s work, we’ve got nothing better to do, and besides, Yuki’s our friend.”

“How do you know Yuki anyway?”

“We were in the same idol group for a while.”

“Were you friends then?”

“Mostly,” Suzuka said softly.  “We didn’t always get along, but Yuki was very dependable.  She turned out to be a good senpai.”

“She was your senpai?”

Haruka shrugged.  “We joined after she did.  And she’s a little older.”

“Were you sad when she left?”

“We cried.  A lot.  But we left soon after too.”

“Why?”

Suzuka shrugged.  “I loved the girls I worked with, but the producers… well…  they were only really after two things, and one was money.”

I sighed.  Same old story everywhere, right?

“Do you want to be idols again?”

“Not really.  We’re doing okay.  Suzuka is doing gravure modelling, and also has a few commercials, and I’m an anime voice actor now.”

“REALLY?”, I said.  That was the last thing I expected.

“Yes,” she said.  “I haven’t voiced anything really famous yet, but I did have a major part on ‘I was hit by a truck and resurrected as a pair of panties on an isekai princess, and now I have a cheat code in another world.”

I sighed.  “Is it as bad as it sounds?”

“Not really,” she giggled.  “It’s actually kind of fun to voice a girl who’s wearing an isekai guy.  Especially when she doesn’t understand why her undergarments are tickling her…”

I giggled in spite of myself.  “What is wrong with these mangaka?”

She shrugged.  “Whatever, I’m making a living off their ecchiness.”

I guess so.  Can’t argue that logic.

So I guess both of them were on a break and had nothing better to do, and thought it’d be fun to come here and export Japanese culture.

I told them to, well, kind of expect a mixed reaction.  The kind of crowd that comes to watch a classical performance is not the same kind of crowd that comes to watch an idol performance, even though I’m absolutely sure there will be otaku that fly to America from Japan to see their favorite former idols perform one more time.

Suzuka giggled.  “If we have to, we’ll just cute them into submission.”

I laughed.  “Is cute a verb?”

“It is now.”

Hah.  Well, if anyone could…

Well, anyway, today Sabby made dinner, but it was really, really good.  Haruka and Suzuka want her as a second mother now.  Haha!!!

Anyway..  have you ever thought about how much design and engineering work goes into panties?

Haha!!!

At least I hope that’s why they’re so expensive…

Oh, speaking of which, they also need to make their costumes.  I thought maybe Diana could help.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Some really big events are coming up.  Like Anathema’s wedding, my concert, Liz’s concert – I haven’t said too much about it but we’re practicing.  She trusts me, so she’s doing most of the practicing on her own, and we just get together once a week or so to make sure we’re still in sync, for now anyway.  And Beth has a recital coming up too at some point.

Yuki, Haruka, and Suzuka were practicing their little butts off today (and they’re Japanese women so they are little butts) and other than Yuki going off to a couple of classes at the college that’s all they spent their time doing.  They work so hard!  I’m almost embarrassed at how hard they work, I work hard but not near that hard.  For dinner we took them for some real Texas style barbecue.  Now they want to move here.

I told them they’re probably better off in Japan, but our barbecue here is good.  Sabby told them to spend some time with us tonight and don’t practice after dinner, and they kind of begrudgingly did so.  We taught them how to play some card games they didn’t know how to play, and we all had lots of fun.

David is, of course, a bit besotted, but I said that he has a girlfriend, they’re like ten years older than he is, and to leave them alone.  He said he likes his girlfriend but she’s not as pretty as they are.  I told him, number one, to wait a few years, she’s still eleven, and number two, to never say that in the presence of a woman again.  To hammer the point home, I got a newspaper, made a slapstick Chika-style, and then whapped him across the head repeatedly with it.

Sabby just smirked.  Then she asked me for the slapstick.

David looked like a deer in the headlights…

She whapped him a couple of times, hefted it, said “I’ll save that for later”, and smirked at him.

He gulped.

A slapstick is just folded paper bound at one side by tape.  It doesn’t cause damage and doesn’t even hurt that much, but it gets the message across.

Suzuka and Haruka both looked shocked.  “I’ve.. never seen anyone actually use a slapstick before!”, Suzuka said, amazed.

I just laughed.  “I got some good ideas from anime”.

We all giggled.  Except David.

I just told David he’s lucky none of us actively dislike his girlfriend, because we woulda told her.

David asked “but… don’t women like to be told they’re pretty?” after the anime style bump on his head receded and the magically appearing bandages fell off.  (well, not really)

“Yeah,” I said, “But when you have a girlfriend, we care more about being in solidarity with her than getting compliments.”  I looked solemn.  “Remember this pain well.”

He just sighed, said something about anime creating a monster, and went to play games with his friends.

Anyway, other than all that, it was a pretty quiet day.  Suzuka and Haruka seem to be having a good time here.  To hear them tell it, they have a lot of work to do, the futons are soft and warm, the food is good, and the air smells really nice in the morning.  Maybe it’s a Japanese thing, but they seem content.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So this morning we all went to church.  Even Suzuka and Haruka.  They were curious, they’d never been to an actual church service before, so they just kind of sat there and watched while everyone else got their core exercise.  You know, stand up, sing, sit down, chant, all that stuff.

I went up on stage, and they stood up, bowed and clapped.  I haven’t blushed that hard in a long time.  But then that led to a message about what you worship being more important than how you worship, and how God can take any form of worship as long as it’s him you’re worshipping.  I wasn’t expecting that and neither was anyone else.  Something about “thou shalt not have any gods before me” doesn’t mean you can’t have any others, just that he has to come first and they have to serve him.  And if they don’t, then, well…

Pastor looked a little uncomfortable at that.  So did Yuki and her friends, but mostly because there was no bell to ring.  Sigh.

Anyway, they were confused by the rest of the service – the English was a bit too advanced for them (and pastor didn’t help by using theological terms like “penal substitutionary atonement” – they know what a word that sounds like penal means and started blushing furiously).  I had to explain afterwards.  And I told the pastor to cut that out, it’s confusing people.

He countered that it’s not every day Japanese women come to visit.

I countered back that if a sixth grader can’t understand, then he’s probably just showing off.

He didn’t like that much, but he takes me seriously now, so he said he’d take it under advisement.  That’s all I ever ask.  And to be fair, that wasn’t a message, just me being me.  For whatever that does.

After church, we got some pancakes (which they loved) and then they practiced for a while until Crystal and her band came over.

She chose pretty well.

The new drummer is Bethany, and she’s pretty much the epitome of a rocker chick.  Torn tights, jean shorts, off the shoulder rock tank top, and a spiky hairdo.  But she knows her stuff.. I mean really knows her stuff.  She made me look like a rank amateur.  I’m fine with that, of course, cuz that’s what I am.  But let’s see her perform with a symphony.  So it’s all good.

The new rhythm guitarist is Jayden, and he’s at least competent.  Seems like a bit of a jerk but he seems to get along okay with everyone.  He just thinks he’s God’s gift to women.  Crystal shot him down a couple of times – girl has a mouth when she needs to use it.  He just kind of sulked for a bit.  But he can play, and as long as he keeps playing and isn’t too much of a jerk, I guess everyone’s okay with it.

The bass guitarist is Katy, and she’s pretty good too.  She’s actually a pretty normal looking brown hair glasses-girl, but she can shred like nobody’s business.  It’s just that the pink princess dress, twintails, bows, and mary janes kind of make you not take her seriously… until she starts playing.  Then you’re like “oh, I get it now.  That’s her schtick.”

Except I’m not sure it is.  She really does seem like exactly what she dresses like – when she’s not holding a guitar.

Crystal actually has a ways to go to catch up with them, but they knew that going in, so everything’s fine.  Jayden even was giving her a few pointers, interspersed with veiled digs on her intelligence, and she snapped right back at his appearance, intelligence, smell, and parenthood, and then immediately picked up what he was telling her.  It looks like it’ll work out.

You know, like “If you knew how to play, you’d know that if you did this it’d sound a lot better.”

“Your mom sounded a lot better last night too, you foul smelling mistake”, but then she did what he said and she did sound better.  And that seems to be all he really cares about.  And her, too.

I dunno.  Maybe they’ll end up dating.  They have that energy.

Haruka and Suzuka just kind of watched all the proceedings with amusement, but clapped enthusiastically after they ran through a song.  We introduced them, and Jayden kind of hit on them, and they quite expertly (and politely) told him that if they were the last three people on the planet, the human race would die out.

I mean, kid’s like sixteen anyway and they’re in their twenties.  What exactly did he expect would happen?

Anyway, that popular band’s concert was tonight, and we took them to the shop to see it.  Suzuka looked around… “I’ve seen this place on LINE”.

Yeah… yeah, she probably did.  I mean, Both Yuki AND train onee-chan…  and… well someone saw Haruka and Suzuka there, and now that’s on LINE too.  What is it with these otaku?  It’s easy to forget they’re at least as popular as Yuki.

That popular band was actually pretty good.  Everyone had fun, and it was a packed house.

Haruka and Suzuka are now fast asleep, and I’m about to join them.  But as we were going home, Suzuka looked like she wanted to say something.  Finally she settled on, “You have an unusual life, don’t you?”

She doesn’t know the half of it.

Tomorrow I guess they’re going to spend a lot of time practicing, well, when Yuki doesn’t have to go to class.

Love you all!!! ❤️

 

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Well, they figured it out.

This morning we were eating breakfast, and Haruka kind of did a double-take.  “You’re… train onee-chan, aren’t you?”

I just sighed.  “Yeah, I am.”

To their credit, they didn’t squee.  They didn’t ask for autographs.  They just kind of looked at each other, then at me.  “How did you pull that off?”

“Pull what off?”

“You know how much an idol just starting out would love to have that kind of attention?”

I just shrugged.  “My little sisters played a prank on me, and, well, that’s what happened.  The only thing I had to do with it was, I sat there and looked annoyed.”

“Really?”

I sighed.  “Yuki, you think I should tell them about the ‘walking shrine’ thing?”

She shrugged.  “Wouldn’t hurt.”

So I told them.  I didn’t tell them absolutely everything, but I told them about how lucky stuff seems to happen to me, and most of the time I just have to sit there and let it happen, and a little bit about how it came to be.

They stood up, bowed, and clapped.

Man, I wish people would stop doing that.

But I guess I understand it.

Anyway, about all they said after that was, “that explains it”, and went back to their food.  I guess they’re not so put out if there’s a reason for it.

They really seem to like American breakfasts, even if they can be a little high in carbs and other stuff.

They spent the morning doing exercises (they’re all a bit out of shape, I guess, but they’re pretty fit all told) and we then took them out sightseeing for the afternoon.  We asked what they wanted to see, and, well, Wal-Mart.

So we took them to a Wal-Mart.

They had a blast.

I don’t get it.  It’s just a store.  A big store, but it’s just a store.  But every time we take a Japanese person there, they just start running around like madwomen, trying stuff on, buying stuff, and generally just having a ball.

Well, I guess I get it.  I’m the same way in Akihabara, just buying different stuff.

After that we took them to the mall, and we went around and saw all the, well, mall stuff.  It was pretty fun.  They had a blast there too.

I’ve never been a huge shopper.  Apparently, I’m unusual for a woman.  Every other woman I know just loves to run around trying stuff on and shopping and stuff.  They were a little surprised at the store that sold Japanese otaku stuff, but I just shrugged.  “Lots of people here like Japanese stuff”, I said, a little embarrassed.

I’ve seen some of the Japanese stuff people here like.

Oh well.

Anyway, tomorrow, I guess Yuki and them are going to practice in the morning while we’re at church, and then we’ll find something to do in the afternoon.  They’re invited to come to church, but I’m not sure they’ll want to.  Yuki likes coming every now and then, but I think she just likes the atmosphere.  Crystal wants to bring her new band over to meet us all and practice a little.

Oh well.  It was a pretty good day, and they’re pretty nice, so it all works out.  I just don’t know where they get all that energy!  I run every day and eat pretty well and they just bounce around me like I’m indolent!  Sigh.

You know, they did ask me a very interesting question, though.  One I don’t know the answer to.  And I think it might be a far more insightful question than even they know.

They asked me which kami is enshrined in me.

All this time, no one’s asked that question, and I never even thought about it.  Which God is enshrined in me?  Well, “enshrine” may not be an entirely accurate word, but… it mostly works.  Maybe I should use a different word if I’m an “ark”, but you know what?  It’s just a word, in this case.

Maybe I should ask it… him.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Why is it every time a Japanese person comes to the US, and we take them home, the first thing they comment on is the cows?

Anyway, we went to Houston to pick up Yuki’s friends.  OMG…  they’re nice, but they’re bubbly, cheerful, bouncy, the jet lag didn’t seem to affect them, and it’s annoying.  I see why they were idols.  They sure have that idol energy to them.  I mean, I don’t dislike them or anything, but no one has any right to be that bouncy at 8 AM after having gotten off a ten hour flight.  I mean, REALLY.

Let’s see if I can remember their names.  There’s Hashimoto Suzuka, who is tall (for a Japanese woman), slender, very pretty with thick, black hair, and seemingly full of curiosity about everything.  I swear if she could have said “Are we there yet?” in English, she would have.  Repeatedly.  And then there’s Nakamoto Haruka (no relation, it’s a popular name) who’s a little shorter, pretty but with sharper features, and a little more reserved.  Though there was still a lot of chattering between the three of them.  Sabby always seems so put out when there are four people jabbering in Japanese around her, and she can’t understand a word of it.

So, anyway, we got home, and they were raring to go.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  They got a shower, and some coffee, and then the three of them went into the garage with an MP3 player and started going over choreography.  They were still at it when it was time to go to the symphony, and so the four of us piled into my car and off we went.

They work hard.  I mean, I knew idols work hard, but the work ethic of those idols is off the charts.  and Yuki was keeping right up…  I never thought we would actually be frustrating Yuki until today.  But now I wonder.

The conductor was impressed, too… they were the picture of Japanese politeness, but you could tell they were raring to go.  They waited patiently while I did my practice with the orchestra and Yuki practiced with them as well, and then they asked if they could spend a little time familiarizing themselves with the stage.  They did that for another two hours, dancing around, and then they finally hit a wall.

So we all piled back into the car, and took them to dinner.  They wanted a nice American cheeseburger.  You shoulda seen the look on their faces…  it was like they were getting, well, tingles in places a hamburger shouldn’t give you tingles.  You know those food anime where they comment on how the most boring of things interacts with the other boring stuff like it’s the best thing in the world???

But after we all ate we went home, and they finally decided they’d had enough working. The girls came over and we played games.  They seemed to have fun but they were in their futons and out like a light not that long after.  It’s okay.  They did a lot of work today.

I told Yuki to make sure they have a little fun, too.  Their work ethic is amazing but it’s not like they’re getting paid a whole lot, they might as well enjoy themselves while they’re here.  Yuki nodded, I think she has some ideas.

I’m sure a trip to Buc-ees and Wal-mart is in order!

Love you all!!! ❤️