Despite being out of chronological order, I need to get this out of my system.

Mia and I went to sumo with Kikko and an awesome guy we call Oku-san. As we left kokugikan, we ran into someone. Someone we wouldn't have expected to meet in such a place.

Mia said "he looks like him" as we walked behind. I hunched behind and eavesdropped. "He sounds like him too."

And after hesitantly extending my arm a few times, I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you David Sedaris?"
"Why yes, I am. What are you doing here?"

At this point, I mostly lost it and Mia took over. "She goes to school here, we like sumo, etc." It turns out he's here for three months learning Japanese and enjoying the "charming people."

... and now for my brief overview of my winter holiday. Me mum and I arrived in Salt Lake City on the 21st. My sister was supposed to arrive around the same time, but she was meant to come through Denver and plans inevitably collapsed around its snowy constipation. She was redirected through Huston a couple of days later. In the meantime, I took advantage of jet lagged, early morning rises to decorate our first tree in five-or-so years. We set up a kotatsu in the living room using a heated carpet, the coffee table, a thick blanket, and a board. It became the hang out spot of the house, for humans and cats alike.

Christmas day was very slow. I didn't leave the house once and I could probably count the times I stood up on my two hands. I got two t-shirts (one black on black fuzzy ducky shirt and a handmade, bleach-printed one from my darling Patricia), a wall adapter for my iPod, and a tasteful earring and necklace set from my Grandma.

The day before we left for Colorado, I decided to open the three boxes that had arrived before Christmas. I sent my things from Tokyo so that the move would be easier as far as luggage goes. The first two boxes, smaller than the third, were just as they had been when I closed them, but the third seemed strange from the moment I picked it up. It was light and there seemed to be movement inside. If you have seen me pack a suitcase or a box, you will know that I pack dense. I opened it and started to take my things out... until I encountered a strange smell and a bag of Korean children's books. Family photos of asians I don't know. The assholes at customs had unpacked my box and repacked it with the contents mixed up with that of an entirely different box coming from a different nation and probably going to a different place. I'm trying to figure out how to find these people. If anyone knows of a good site to place internet classified ads, let me know.

In all, our activities in Utah consisted mainly of knitting, cooking, eating and shopping. We didn't do anything exceptionally exciting, but the relaxation and family fun that resulted made this winter break a lot of fun.

On the 29th, we drove to Colorado for my great-grandmother's memorial service and New Year's celebrations. Family existing to the east of the Rockies could not make it due to snow, so in general, the visit was low key and laid back. The memorial service went fairly well (although Mia and I botched the piece we played, mistakes unnoticed by the audience) and my nuclear family spent New Year's eve and day at my aunt's home in the mountains playing RummyKub, hottubbing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. We entered 2007 watching Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark. (MELTING FACES!! AGGGHH!!)

On our drive back through Wyoming, we saw a restaurant called BONSAI: Sushi and Chinese Cuisine. Oh, America.