Go to the Up

Spring is in full swing and the Summer semester is coming soon.
I have finally gotten around to going back to school and finishing my Associates. I feel a bit mixed on the subject. On one hand it would be a good accomplishment and enable me to continue my education and work toward getting my Bachelors degree. On the other hand it is not cheap and will drain my already low fundage. I have cut back decently with my spending already. My anime purchases have slowed to a mere trickle. Netflix has picked up a lot of that slack. I can watch anime legally without purchasing it. I have been increasingly interested in live action Japanese shows and movies lately. I enjoy the pacing of Japanese films, it is so much slower paced than most American films, but has its moments of action. It is like a dance, rapid advancement with pauses for you to catch your breath.

Back to the main topic. I am taking a single Economics class this summer semester. It is a retake of one I took in an online course. I ended up with a F in it because my teacher never got my final paper. I resent it to him, but did not check back to confirm that he had received it. I was feeling pretty burned out at that point. So I gots to take it over. Which is good because I don't remember a thing from that class.
I have started trying to learn some Japanese with a tape/book set from the library. It is going to be interesting, but I should be able to find plenty of materials to practice with. Perhaps I will take a Japanese course at CLC this Fall and keep an eye out for class trips to Japan. That might be a great way to be able to visit. It would give me a taste of what it is like to travel and then I could plan a trip of my own.

It seems like such a long time to wait, yet the days seem to flow past. I wish I could remember and learn faster without being so distracted by games and TV.

Spent last Saturday burning things in the backyard.
I had a huge pile of branches going real hot so that I would not be out there all day.
I was raking all the braches into this pile so keep it more or less in one spot.
What I did not notice was how hot parts of the ground were getting while I was walking through the ash from the dead and dry grass while doing this raking.
My poor shoes are kinda melted. Oh well, I was needing to get new ones soon anyway. The 10+ mile hike to the gardens last week kinda did them in a bit.

I also caught my sister's cold. She was staked out in my room all Monday couching and breathing germs everywhere. So by Tuesday morning they had taken over. Sore throat, nasty sounding voice, some coughing, and a head full of congealed snot left me incapacitated. In response to the invaders I bundled up, slept late, and then proceeded to watch a lot of Japanese TV shows. 'Say you love me' is a great J Drama about a budding actor and a deaf painter. I swear it was the cold leaking out of my eyes, I was not crying. I have been watching the show Densha Otoko a fiction story based on a real life happening. The story is about a major otaku rescues a girl on a train from a drunk lecher. He relys on advice from on online message board on how to deal with girls. A cute, silly at times show that struck a bit close to home for me. I also downloaded the Chinese drama Twin of Brothers. Looks like it is chock full of flying wuxia action. Neato!
My battle plan was flawless, the germs are on the run. I am back at work today.

I need some friends who like to get out once in a while. Even once a month or every other week would be fantastic. I want to go places, try out restaraunts, bars, etc... but I don't feel like going alone. Anyone interested?

Why is thinking up titles for things so difficult. Well maybe it would be easier if I was posting about something instead of whatever happened to cross my mind as I sit here typing.

Well I went on my trip to the Chicago Botanical Gardens this last Saturday.
I left the house at 8:15 the sky was a little overcast and a slight chill to the air, but it had been that way all week and usually cleared up in a hour or two.
I decided to walk to the train station for half an hour, ride the Metra and walk the rest of the way to the garden.
The Botanical Gardens website said it was only 1.3 miles from the train station. The Braeside train station that is, not the Lake Cook station that I arrived at. Anyway after half an hour of walking I was beginning to wonder how much farther it was. I was 95% sure that I headed in the right direction despite my knack at getting horribly lost.
So I plodded on for another half an hour when I saw the garden ahead. That was a bit of a longer walk than I had anticipated, but it was only 10:30 so no big deal. I decided to grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria there before I went on the walk in the garden. I needed some energy and a bit of rest for my legs. I got the last bit of breakfast that they made special just for me (lunch menu was just on) so I was happy. A nice cup of herbal ginger tea in hand I was off to check out the blossoms.
I headed right to the Japanese gardens and unfortunately the water areas were under construction and that detracted from the atmosphere of the garden. It was still a little early for the cherry blossoms here. Still I took about 30 pictures just in the Japanese garden and enjoyed it very much. I then went along and walked about half of the other areas and enjoyed the vibrant bulbs that were blooming everywhere.
About 12:30 or so I felt the first inklings of rain, but it was so mild that I continued walking.
The humidity in the air was just right. Moist enough where I could smell many of the wonderful scents of the flowers. Usually my sinuses are so dry that I can't smell anything. At about 1:15 I was starting to get a bit tired and decided that I had better make my way back. The train left at 3:20 and it took me an hour to walk to the garden and I wanted to stop at a Barnes and Nobles that I passed on my way. I grabbed a cup of mocha and a few mange to read while waiting for the train. I was able to finish one manga just before the train made its way into the station. I climbed aboard and just looked out the window on the way home.
Have you ever noticed how many dead and fallen trees there are along roads and rail lines.
On my trek back home the rain started coming down steadily, but I didn't mind too much, it was still warm and I was going to slip into a nice hot bath when I got home.
That felt so good! All the tiredness in the legs just seemed to disappear in that tub. I was exhausted though and went to bed extra early. I was still tired Sunday, but it was worth it. I walked 10 miles to and from the train stations plus however much I did in the gardens. Today I feel like I could do it all over again. I am pretty impressed by my endurance and how far I actually managed to walk. It feels good to get exercise like this. Your whole body gets tired, but your muscles are not sore like after a day of heavy workout.

I gotta pull the pics off the camera I borrowed and figure out how to post some here.
Later.