There are few good reasons to be here today.

Yuki.
Lots of Yuki today.
Lots in the mind of a former resident of North Carolina and a current resident of Shikoku.
The Pennsylvania in me is not too impressed by the white dusting on cars and tree branches.

During these winter months I have somehow forgotten all that I learned in my 18 years in PA. I am feeling really North Carolinian recently.

And for that reason I could not find a single good reason to get in my car and drive to work in this weather.

This morning I climbed off the floor and out of my bed, hiked up my long underwear and opened my back door to hit the bottons on my washing machine.

I was greeted with fat white snowflakes covering the rooftops surrounding my small porch.

I was pretty positive that the students and faculty of Hackuchi Elementary School would have no problem finding their way this morning. Guilford County would have felt differently.

I was reminded of the one snow day I celebrated as a Guilford County employee. Katie did not have to work either that day. Her and I and the boys that kept us company welcomed a day of cabin fever. Watching, maybe, four movies, drinking spiked cider, and waiting a really long time for the Way Out Wings delivery guy to get to Walker Ave.

This snowy day in Japan I found my way to school, through the southern style blizzard, and was greeted with a new tea ceremony set. Which answerd my questions as to why I braved the roads ...I got a grown up tea set.

My principal got it for me to take to monthly tea ceremony lessons. I asked her how much it was and she told me "high price. Every month you give me 1,000 yen" (about $10). I have no idea how long this once a month thing will last.

It dosen`t really matter. The tea set is another essential prop in Caity`s Adventures in Wonderland.

I thanked her and she told me that I bring happiness to the hearts of the people in the Hackuchi community. I am not totally sure what exactly I do to provide this happiness, but I took the compliment.

This is the first and most likely last day that I am slightly disappointed that I am no longer at General Greene. If I were in North Carolina on this snowy February 14th I know I would not be asked to drive to work and if I was I would be walking out with handfuls of chocolates, small house plants, and other gestures of American love.

But I geuss the fixings for a fancy Japanese tea party is way cooler than Krispy Kreme doughnut coupons.