Spoiler: It was the parking break

Today was a bit more productive than I thought it would be.

I spent the last evening trying to figure out what the problem was with my car.  I e-mailed Interac, but as they're out of the office on the weekends, I guess that was futile.  As it happens, my friend Yukiko has the same car and was able to tell me where to locate the parking break.  Lo and behold, that was the problem.

I woke up a couple of times in the night to the sound of rain.  I had a couple nightmares (just regular nightmares, nothing to do with Japan or my new apartment or anything like that).  D:  Thanks to my fluffy futon, I was plenty warm enough even in my Tokugawa jammies which are capris, but the under part of the futon wasn't terribly soft.  I think the problem is that I like to sleep on my side, and futons just aren't forgiving enough for that.  I'm starting to see wisdom in the traditional Japanese methodology that you're supposed to sleep on your back (I'm predicting a comment containing words of widsom from a certain someone about this bit).

In the morning, it was still raining and windy and I tried to ignore it while being kind of cold and messing around online.  I talked to Brittany and Lauren for a while on Skype and fiddled with my shopping list.  I had a piece of bread and some potato salad for breakfast (because I couldn't do dishes yet).  It took me about an hour or so to make up all of the little omiyage for my co-workers.  I went ahead and made up all 60 baggies (containing one of each of the following candies: a Lifesaver, root beer barrel, buckeye, dark chocolate Hershey Bliss, peppermint, and mini Reese cup) and set them aside.  I can eat the extras if there are any.  ^o^/

Then I finally went shopping around 2.  This is when I discovered the parking break and fixed the problem. Yay.  I bought a ton of stuff at the 100yen shop and some pots and pans and a kettle(!) at the Odd-Lots/Goodwill-type store where I got my rice cooker.  It was a very successful shopping trip and I got most everything which was on my list.  I need to go to an electronics store for the longer Ethernet cord and power strips, and I was buying so much at the 100yen store, I couldn't really go to the grocery store for tea and mayo without it being too cumbersome or running to the car, so I just left.  I'll probably go back tomorrow.  FIND OF THE DAY: Full Metal Alchemist glass for 50yen at the second-hand store.  The box said it was not for individual sale, indicating it was a prize of some sort to being with.  SCORE.

When I got home, I had a notice from the post office that said something about an undeliverable package.  I texted a picture of it to my IC, but she wasn't much help, and honestly, I figured it out from the English on the slip.  <_<  I asked her to remind me where the post office was (I remembered it was close, and that was about it), so I ventured over there on foot, just to find out it was closed (in fairness, she did warn me it might be closed).  Then I remembered it was Saturday.  But honestly, how is it fair to give me mail and tell me to come get my thing (I have no clue what it is.  I can't read the kanji of the sender...  it's probably my bank book or something) and then I can't because they're closed!  >.<##

So I went back the other way to the conbini (Daily Yamazaki is the closest convenience store to me, but there's a Family Mart and a 7/11 a little way down the street) and got a candy bar.  Then I felt like I should get something more and be a good example in the community and I bought some milk which I will endeavor to drink.  <_<  That's for you, Mom.  That candy bar was awesome, though.  If a candy company ever was to say 'Yo!  I heard you like chocolate, so I put some chocolate on your chocolate!' the result would be Black Thunder.  It's like the cookie of an Oreo with milk chocolate on the outside.  (Well, I actually got the Big Thunder, which is a bit different: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Thunder_(chocolate_bar) ) PLEASE BE IN MY MOUTH AT ALL TIMES.  One of our trainers recommended them, and it was my first time trying it.  Well worth it.  I also saw a Black thunder manju, so maybe I'll have to try that sometime.  XD

Since I got back and it started raining and wind-ing again, I've just fiddled around with putting things away.  I did one load of laundry and it's drying (I hope) in my bathroom.

 I got some a no-slip liner and cut it up to put on the steps to my bed because I was afraid I was going to fall more than once yesterday when using them.

You can see my Hello Kitty sheets here, too.  XD  And Teddy and Fluffy.

I finally washed some of my dishes.  I got all of the small stuff done and the bowl for my rice cooker and my kettle.  I'll have to do my pot and pans tomorrow.

My trash is sorted.  I feel bad for having so much, but it's mostly because I've been buying so many new things!  I won't pile it up so quickly after I'm settled in.  The blue one is things marked 'paper,' green is 'burnable,' and white is 'plastic.'  Bottles are separate, but I only have two of those right now.  Cardboard is separate, so you can see that there too.  I need to try to figure out my garbage chart (it's in Japanese) to understand which day is which.  The hardest part is understanding what goes when and what kind of trash bags I can or cannot use.  >.<  (Again, wishing my IC hadn't fled yesterday.  I guess I can always text her...)

She did at least mention that everything that's 'plastic' has to be clean or else it has to go in the 'burnable' bin.  So you have to wash everything washable.  They mark EVERYTHING here - even candy wrappers - with their appropriate category, but some things - like packets with salad dressing - are a bit impossible to rinse, so I have to throw them away in the 'burnables.'

Alrighty!  Now for some pictures around my apartment.  Please excuse the mess.  I've got a lot of laundry to do before I can put it away, and I'm still rather disorganized.  >.<

My "kitchen" consists of this micro-fridge set up and a tiny two-burner stovetop and sink.  There are three small shelves and some space under the sink.  D:  Not enough room for anything much!

The main room.

My cute pink futon before I put my Hello Kitty sheets on.

Washing machine and some storage shelves.

Potty.

I have no shelves, so I got cute boxes for small things like socks and underoos.  The bags to the right are my omiyage for my co-workers, all packaged and ready to go!  I'll adjust them to the exact number needed before taking them in to school.

The top of half of my closet.  I have my summer blanket (Hello Kitty), iron, and an extra pillowcase (which I thought I needed) up there.  The hangers are leftovers from the girl who lived here before.  I'll take what I can get.

From a culture as obsessed with the uniformity and aesthetics of food,  I bring you Japanese bread.  This is a loaf.  There are 6 slices in a loaf and no heel on the ends.  It's very thick and soft.

My phone!  It's a lot more green than it looks here.  I don't know what's up with the picture.

My phone open.  The keys light up whatever color you want them to.  I have it set on rainbow.  The color you see here in the middle where it opens is a lot more accurate to the actual color of it.  Phone charm represent~

That's about it!  I hope I made up for the lack of pictures yesterday!

Thanks for the replies and comments I get from people!  <3 <3  It's nice to know you're reading.