Somedays are Tuesdays

It seems as though Lulu and others have given up on "Somedays ate Tuesdays" posts, but I never was very good at keeping up with the popular kids, so here goes...

Somedays I am frustrated and bored with work and despair of improving or ever having a "career" as opposed just doing a job. But most days recently I have been loving work. I've been editing the proofs for the book (a Japanese translation of a collection of essays in English) we are publishing in the new year. It turns out that being anal has its positives too, and means that I enjoy and am actually pretty good at editing, even in Japanese! I'm not looking for or catching grammatical errors but have been checking for overall consistency (use of Arabic versus Chinese numbers, etc).

Somedays I regret that we won't be going back to Canada for Christmas this year. I'm going to miss seeing family and friends, the Christmasy atmosphere, buying clothes that fit at the Boxing day sales (this year I have to work Boxing day!!)... Most days, however, I'm excited about all the new traditions we will be creating and the Christmasy things we've been up to - like going to see the Tokyo International Players' production of "A Kabuki Christmas Carol" - which was actually really really good and U enjoyed it too!

Somedays I get to have a good nap during my morning commute. Most days recently, however, I've had the elbow of a puffy-coated old guy (never the same guy) in my side. I've discovered I really dislike being touched on my side. It isn't that I'm ticklish, but somehow it just seems way too intimate a place for a random stranger to be in contact with me. Since it happens all too often I should be used to it, but apparently not!

Somedays I go home after work and U and I have dinner together. We've been enjoying the cold weather and having plenty of nabe, stews, curry, etc. Most days this week, however, between end-of-year parties (Mon and Fri for me, Thurs for him) and his students suddenly realizing the year is coming to an end and they don't have the experiment results they need and thus wanting to stay late (Tues, and perhaps Wed too) one of us is late and we're eating on our own.

Somedays are Tuesdays

I was holding off posting this as I was going to link to Lulu, but she doesn't appear to be doing a Somedays... Post today so...


Most days for the past two months have been all about work - either the major project nearing completion at my day job or the largesse gallery translation contract I've been working on in my "off" hours. Since I sent off the last major section on Saturday (actually a good number of hours into Sunday), however, hopefully the work-life balance should improve!

Most days I have a morning coffee when I get to work - I drink it as I read through my email inbox and get started in the day's projects. Somedays, however, given the late nights spent working on the translation, I've needed another coffee in the afternoon, or even a "health drink." Unfortunately there have been too many of those "somedays" recently and my body has gotten used to the second dose of caffeine. That means caffeine withdrawal headaches that hit around 4 pm every afternoon. I'm trying to bear through them as I know from the past I can ween myself off, but it sure hasn't been making the evening commute much fun.

Most days the view out of my window at work is crows playing on the roof of the building next door, or perhaps a cleaning or drinks delivery truck. Somedays, however, I see people walking by and they do a double take at the white face looking out the window at them. Or, like today, a lost would-be visitor raps at the window and asks to be let in...!

Somedays U and I eat dinner together, but most days recently U has been kept at work late and had to drive his boss home, meaning he comes home nearly two hours later than normal and we have dinner separately. This too should change soon, however, as U's boss' house renovations (clogging up the driveway and meaning he has to leave his car at work) are set to end this week. In the meantime, however, I'm enjoying the yummy sweets he sent U home with yesterday nicer than the usual I went somewhere gift - sort of a peace offering I think!

Most days I no longer mind my long commute but somedays, like yesterday, when the line was stopped for a while and theb PACKED due to an "accident," I still wish I lived closer to work.

Most days recently I haven't written anything on my blog, but here's to hoping that now, somedays will be different!

Somedays are Tuesdays

Somedays (like today!) I don't have to work and neither does U and we can jump in the car and head out. But most days he works and isn't home until 9 or 10 pm.

Somedays I end up taking the train with a coworker. Somedays that means a fun chat with a really funny coworker I am close to or interesting conversations with my boss. Most days, however it means I have to dodge the coworker who will not be named (a year later and we're still ignoring each other - yay!).

Somedays I enjoy my commute but most days I have to stand most of the way home or have a biiiiig sweaty guy sleep on my shoulder or the person who makes everybody on the train silently pray "don'tsitnexttomedon'tsitnexttomedon'tsitnexttome!!" will sit next to me (where is the gaijin buffer when you want it?!)

Somedays I don't mind the heat and humidity but most days I find myself exhausted and headachy by the end of the day.

Somedays I am completely at a loss over what to make for dinner but most days I have ideas or recipes I want to try and coworkers and friends with lots of ideas to help.

Somedays I feel very self-conscious about my lack of "fashion" but most days I shake my head over the horrid suit/shirt/tie combinations of the average Japanese salaryman (narrow black and white striped slacks with a black and white check shirt?? My eyes started watering and I couldn't see straight after just a glance!)

Somedays I feel bored and frustrated with where I am and where I am going but most days I am able to step back and enjoy what I do and daydream about what is to come.

Somedays are... Tuesdays

I've been wanting to try my hand at Lulu's great idea for Somedays are... Tuesdays for a while now, so here goes!

Somedays I wake up well in the morning, but most days I'm still tired and crabby.

(ummm, I think its supposed to be the other way around, but unfortunately that is not the case... Let's try this again)

Somedays I am overwhelmed by all that I have on my plate, but most days I think of a couple other things I'm tempted to add.

Somedays I despearely want to jump to the next (or rather the next-next) step, but most days I am totally content with where U and I are.

Somedays I question what I am doing and wonder about my professional future but most days I love my job and feel valued.