This diary entry is part 21 of 24 in Lily's diary dated 24 - June 2023

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

David came back!

Ummm…  I guess he had a pretty good time.  Sabby laid into him when he got home about how he was carrying on with his “girlfriend”, that she didn’t really appreciate almost having to come get him because he couldn’t keep his lips to himself, and after she got it out of her system everything was back to normal.

I guess he helped down a couple more pigs, and he likes hunting.

Figures.  He likes games, so pointing shooty things at things and making them go away is kind of par for the course I guess.

But hey, he helped feed the camp, so there’s that, right?

It’s still REALLY HOT, and it’s supposed to get hotter!  But at least the humidity is a little lower now.  It’s not exactly a dry heat, but you can’t wring the air out like a washcloth, at least.

So..  I guess next big thing is…  Japan!!!  That’s next month, can you believe it!!!

You know, I really do have an amazing life – changing my diary name was a really great idea!  How many girls can say they partly own a business, go to Japan, even went to the Oscars…  all for the low, low price of.. my memories.  I.. .I keep saying that because it’s true, and it’s hard to get past.  I may never get my memories back.  I have such a great life, but…  but I still don’t really know if the price was worth it.

But I didn’t get to choose to pay it.  I just found myself on the the side of the road one day and they were gone.

If you’re jealous of me… don’t be.  I paid for it.  And the price was very high.  Would you give up all your memories for what I have?  Well.. maybe some of you would.  I imagine Crystal might take that deal.  And I wouldn’t blame her.  But most of you wouldn’t!!!

Oh well.

We’re all trying to figure out what we want to do in Japan.  There’s so many of us, it’s like we’re our own tour group.  I’ve already seen all sorts of things, so I’m okay with whatever everyone else wants to do.  We can’t stay with Ai and her family though because there are just too many of us, so we’ve still got a lot of planning to do.  Beth wants to see the bunny island.  Yu wants to visit a couple of shrines.  And I’m not sure Britni knows where Japan is.  Sigh.  And of course you know what David wants to do.  Maybe we’ll even take him to a maid cafe in Akihabara and watch him blush.

Anyway, I guess it’ll all work itself out.

Oh… we do need to find a sitter for the pets.  Maybe Liz’s parents will take Marie in.  Or maybe Jack’s parents.  I’d love to take Jack with us, but his parents can’t really afford it (especially with the new house!!), and I can’t really pay for him either.  He’s not too upset, I promised to bring him back some fun stuff.  And maybe we’ll go there on our honeymoon.  I promised I’d make it up to him, maybe we’ll go somewhere together after we turn 18.  He does… umm… like my company.  Hahaha!!!  Rebecca is paying her own way along with Robert, her friends are pretty well off and their parents are paying for them to go, and Emiko likes to go to Japan every year anyway.  It’s not like anyone’s getting a free ride!!!

Oh!! Speaking of which!  Katie got a promotion!!! She’s the Assistant Manager at the shop now!  She’s one level below Sabby and I (though since I don’t spend a lot of time there, in reality, she’s probably more actively involved than I am).  She’ll hold the fort down while we’re in Japan!  The two bakers are keeping up with stuff, she knows all the ins and outs, and it works out!  Only thing is… she’s coming due.  We might have to plan for that.

The cosplay girls (you know, cat-girl and friends) are really good at what they do, but they’re not manager material.  Aww.

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 22 of 24 in Lily's diary dated 24 - June 2023

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Katie’s going to have a baby shower soon!!!

Sabby’s helping her to arrange it.  I don’t really know what a baby shower is.  Sabby says it’s when a bunch of girls and women get together and give the pregnant woman gifts and play games and have baby related fun.  Which I guess makes sense.  Preparing for a baby is expensive!  You need a stroller and diapers and a crib and all sorts of things, and it’s even more important because Katie is single.  Aww.  Her ex boyfriend sucks.  He coulda had a baby!  And instead he has… nothing.  Not even Katie.  Aww.

Dave said it’s when you get a special hose and clean off the baby in preparation for it leaving.  Sabby smacked him.

I don’t really say too much about Katie.  She’s a little like a mentor to me in a sense.  I mean, obviously she doesn’t always make the best decisions, but she’s been through stuff that, well, I haven’t.  She was really there for me when I had my… scare… even though she made it a bit worse.  She’s a good person, just… in a bad situation.

I’m not sure what she’s going to do for living when the baby arrives.  She lives with roommates, and, well…  roommates aren’t the best for a single mother.

As I said, we gave her a promotion to assistant manager, but she’ll probably need to take some time off to take care of the kid, and then there’s child care, and all that stuff…  there’s help available and the church might help a bit too but it’s going to be tough for her, and I’m not sure how she’s going to do it.  But at least she has a pretty good support network.  Sabby considers her part of the family now, and she’s doing good work for us too.  She’s actually really good at keeping cat-girl in line, and that’s hard work!!!

But as I also said, if she has her baby while we’re in Japan, things could get tough, and we’re going to have to plan for that.  Maybe we should give the first baker some management training.  Just in case.  Of course, management training in our shop is basically “don’t let cat-girl do anything that will get us sued”.

Haha… but not really joking.

We like cat-girl, and as I always say, she makes us boatloads of money – she’s really popular and people come from all over just to get a photo with her and buy some cookies.  And we do take pretty good care of her – I’m sure along with her “hobby” she’s putting a sizable chunk away for her future.  But…  she’s definitely high maintenance.  I’m just glad she doesn’t let it go to her head and likes what she does.  We can get along without her, for sure, but she does serve a unique role.

She’ll graduate from college at some point, then who knows what she’ll do.

Hopefully she won’t end up like Katie.  Sadly, that’s a possibility.

Anyway… enough about that, I guess.

Marie needs to go outside before bed.

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 23 of 24 in Lily's diary dated 24 - June 2023

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

And I’m sick today!!!

Sick sick sick!!!

I’m coughing and sneezing and coughing and sneezing and.. eww!!!  Not feeling good at all!!! I’m sitting here in my pajamas (and I’m still not telling silly-billies) and I’m going to go back to bed after I write this!!!

Awwww!!!!

But Jack came over and gave me some chicken soup and some chocolate!!! Awww!!! He’s so sweet!!!  And Sabby’s taking good care of me too.  She’s feeding me and letting me sleep and checking my forehead…  And Marie’s cuddling with me.  She’s a sweet dog too.  Cat… well, cat doesn’t care.

I guess if I’m going to get sick, this is a good time to get sick.  Get it out of the way before Japan!!!

Alright.  I’m going back to bed.

Love you *cough* all!!! AHHH-CHOOOO!!!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 24 of 24 in Lily's diary dated 24 - June 2023

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

And MAN am I sick!!!  I haven’t been this sick, like… ever!!!  I’m not going to post much, I just want to go back to bed.  It’s awful!!!  It’s not COVID, I was tested, but…  it’s kicking my usually pretty but not right now butt!!!!

I have a fever, aches, chills, cough, sneeze…  awwww….  And now Sabby’s coming down with it too!!!

But everyone’s been so good to me!!!  All the chocolate and ice cream and ginger ale and yogurt and chicken soup I can eat!!!!  But I don’t want to eat too much.  Awww.  Not even too much chocolate.  That’s how you know I’m sick!!!

I’m going back to bed now.

Love you all!!!  AH_CHOOOOO ❤