My mom got back from Japan and, with any luck, things are back to normal. Her chronic cough is getting worse and so it’s time to interrogate the doctor about it. I guess my grandmother is confined to bed but still has an appetite. My mom didn’t have a chance to do anything fun and just took care of my grandmother while she was there.

I know by my logs that there isn’t anyone reading this blog, but I’m going to pretend there is. And if that pretend person has been paying attention, he/she would have heard about how I thought my sister was getting a Sony digital camera while I was going to get a 500yen pen. Well, guess what? She got the camera, in orange (the only reason she wanted it was because it was “cute”) and I got a 480yen pen.

The label says 600yen, but she got it for 20% off.

Actually, she also got me a nice fountain pen with a big fat nib which was closer to 20,000yen, so I can’t complain too much (except I’d have to write in inch-high letters to use such a fat nib.)

And just in case someone is reading this blog, my sister and her friends have designed “t-shirts for our friend Megan, who is getting chemo for breast cancer. There’s also a benefit at the White Eagle in Portland on November 16th.