It's been crazy around here!

I can't believe it has been about a month since I last blogged! Many times I went to blog but then checked the time and it was 3 am...not the best time to start.

Things are good but have been busy! I am back to working 5 days a week for now so I have less time to myself. But hubby and I have a deal- Monday nights are mine. When I come home from work (at 9:30 pm), I come home to an empty apartment...no TV....no hubby...just silence! I LOVE this! Our agreement is that he doesn't come upstairs (he is down in our office which is the apartment below us) for at least 3 hours. I come home, watch one TV show (criminal minds), drink some wine while reading a book and take a nice hot relaxing bath....pure heaven. I don't turn on the computer. I don't have anything to do with the business and I feel soooo refreshed. I look forward to my Monday nights a lot now!

This coming week is another week of holidays for me so I definitely will relax and do lots of things I just haven't had time to do.... lots of puttering around the house, organizing things, making things and going out.

We have also been working on our business plan. When we first started we had no idea what we were doing or what to focus on etc. Now, in our 3rd year of business we are rethinking some things and making plans for other things. It is quite interesting the way life/business happens. It amazes me ...we have had the good fortune to be featured in a few (we will be featured in a magazine in the UK in November and December) big magazines/newspapers and it has really excited us and made us think/dream bigger. We have also done some work on our yahoo site-added a few features and will continue to do so to make it more customer friendly. So...we have been busy!

Another thing on my mind...I turned 39 on October 8th....40 is next year. It really has me thinking. I live in the land of "obasan". "Obasan" basically means "old woman". And anyone over 30 is considered that here. The thing is ...it has a total image with it....forget sexy or attractive or daring to do things. Think dark colors, clothed from the neck to the ankles and no makeup. I must add that this is my opinion/experience on this ...it might not be true for everyone or for people living in Tokyo or big cities but I live in the countryside. I was even told by one of my "obasan" students (she called herself that) that she doesn't wear makeup because she has a husband...she isn't looking for one! Anyway, I have always felt that we get better with age...like a fine wine! I feel great and look great and as a foreigner I'm not expected to be the same as Japanese women but it shocks me every time a Japanese woman tells me she couldn't do what I do or wear what I wear or .....(the list goes on). I have a feeling that the longer I stay here and the older I get, the more I will surprise people. I always like to repeat that quote that goes something like "most men die at 25 but are buried at 75"...life is to short not to live a juicy life!!