January 9th: When I got glasses.

Jan. 9th, 1986 (Age 7, Evansburg, New Hampshire)

Dear diary, today I got my glasses. I’ve started to like them already! I didn’t think I’d like them at all before, but I sure can see better.

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1/9/88 (Age 9, Evansburg)

Dear Diary, I lost my best Magic Grow Capsule. It was a neon alligator named Bay. Boo, hoo, hoo!!! Surf 94 is talking about the Beatles. I’m smoking a Hershey Kiss.

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Thursday, January 9th, 1992 (Age 13, Evansburg)

We had a boring day in school today as usual. In Spanish class everybody was whining because we didn’t celebrate the Spanish Christmas on January 6th. Mr. Martinez let us do whatever we wanted today to make up for it. Sonia, Jo Callendar and I played with colored blocks in different shapes. We made designs and walls, and then had fun destroying each other’s creations and pretending to be mad.

     I lost the pen I was using, so my mom bought me three new black pens.

     Evangeline was absent today, and Mandy finally got her braces off!

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Saturday, January 9th, 1993 (Age 14, Evansburg)

I bought a bigger fish bowl at Ames, but when I got home Athens was dead. I think he was sick when I bought him because he was missing a lot of scales. I wonder what disease is killing all my fish? I hope it doesn’t get Michael and Monty. I feel so sorry for them.

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Sunday, January 9th, 1994 (Age 15, Nagasaki, Japan)

I was grading one of my tests today when I recalled an incident from back in 3rd grade. All of my friends usually drew little pictures at the top of the page when we corrected each other’s papers. I was correcting some boy’s math test and I drew a really elaborate face out of the 100%. He got mad and told the teacher, and I got in trouble for it. I was livid. I’d like to become a famous artist just so I can laugh in that boy’s face, whoever he was!

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Monday, January 9th, 1995 (Age 16, Kobe, Japan)

We got our PSAT scores back. I got a 66 verbal and 52 math. My math was better than I thought.

     Jess just got back tonight. We haven’t gotten the chance to talk yet.

     I met Sei at McDonald’s after school today. I was sitting with a bunch of my friends. Amy Anderson, a sophomore at my school, was talking to Sei, and she was all over him. My friends wanted to know why I wasn’t pissed off and why I didn’t tell her off. Of course I was and of course I wanted to, but I just can’t do that kind of thing.

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Tuesday, January 9th, 1996 (Age 17, Kobe)

Sei was supposed to call at 8:55, but the girl across the hall got on the phone with her boyfriend and I knew she would never get off (she’s still on, in fact). So I called him myself, but he’s not home. I wish he would call first and tell me if he’s going somewhere and can’t call, because I end up waiting and waiting. Then he’ll call after 10:30, and he knows how strict the dorm rules are about that.

     But it’s so good to be able to be with him again! I can’t believe how wonderful I feel when we’re together, and it’s only gotten stronger since I first met him. Ahhh, love! What a many splendored thing (heh, heh)!

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Thursday, January 9th, 1998 (Age 19, Exton, New Brunswick)

Sei drove me crazy all day – I felt like an unappreciated slave. The good news is that we were accepted for our new apartment. In a little over a week we can settle in.
     Tomorrow it will have been one year since Mom died. She still doesn’t have a headstone, and now I don’t think Dad will even bother.

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Saturday, January 9th, 1999 (Age 20, Exton)

We had a Japanese class potluck party at our professor’s house. It was the people from my class and their conversation partners, so I met a lot of girls from Japan who I didn’t know before, including one from Kobe. Everybody was surprised I have a Japanese fiancé and they said I must be happy he’s coming back.

     But the second I got home from the party, Sei called. This was the Sei I never want to see again, not the person I’m engaged to. He’s so mean and mean-spirited. He says he only says mean things because he doesn’t want a “sweet” relationship. What’s that supposed to mean?? Once again accused me of never speaking Japanese, which made me nuts because I spoke so much today. Then I say there’s no reason why he can’t speak to me in Japanese, so he does, but in all slang and saying bad things about me!! That’s certainly not what I want to hear. Then he says he’s going to get a private detective to find out what I’ve really been doing. Any sensible person would be leaving this asshole. Why am I still here? Bastard. I wish I could talk to somebody about him, but I don’t want Yuko to think differently about him, and I don’t know anyone else.

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Sunday, January 9th, 2000 (Age 21, Exton)

I’ve left Sei behind in Japan. We barely succeeded in not crying at the airport. I know I’ll see him again soon enough.

     I’ve had tons of trouble today. The flight to Chicago was fine, but between Chicago and Toronto we were stuck on the runway for two hours. When we got to Toronto I was already too late for my connection to New Brunswick, and in the baggage area were about a thousand suitcases all over the floor. Mine wasn’t one of them. I finally got to the Sheraton where they’re putting me up just past midnight. I hope my suitcase is in Exton, because my marriage license and photos are inside. Luckily my parents’ wedding rings are with me in my backpack. I’ll have to sleep in the nude tonight.

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Tuesday, January 9th, 2001 (Age 22, Kobe)

Last night I had such a terrible headache, I thought I’d have to go to the hospital. I don’t think I’ve had one that bad since elementary school. I still had it this morning but I took medicine again and it finally went away. I thought I might have Toxic Shock Syndrome or something.

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Wednesday, January 9th, 2002 (Age 23, Kobe)

I checked my email and I only got about seven people from my online book group who were interested in my Jamie Fraser teddy bear idea. I still might go ahead and make a prototype, because more people will want to buy it after they see it (I’m assuming). I hope I can find the Fraser tartan at Yuzawaya so I don’t have to order it on the internet.

     Sei is out with his classmates tonight. I just took a shower because I know he’ll want to have sex when he comes back. He wants to fool around every night but I always feel too tired and dirty. He never wants to do it in the morning or during the evening, which is when I’d be willing. It always has to be after midnight. We have sex usually three times a month. Sometimes two, sometimes four, but never more than that. Ah, married life.

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Thursday, January 9th, 2003 (Age 24, Kobe)

I worked today but I was having hot and cold flashes. I made spare ribs and we helped Allen pack. He’s leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow it’s also been six years since Mom died.

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Friday, January 9th, 2004 (Age 25, Kobe)

Recordare Jesu pie

Quod sum causa tuae viae

Ne me perdas illa die

Quaerens me sedisti lassus

Redemisti crucem passus

Tantus labor non sit cassus.

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Sunday, January 9th, 2005 (Age 26, Kobe)

I went to pick up some more yarn for Mandy and Evangeline's scarves that I’m knitting for them, and when I got back home I had planned to drive out to get Penn's dog food and some stuff for dinner. However, when I turned the key in the ignition nothing happened! The car is dead. I think (I hope) the battery is just frozen from cold weather because we didn’t take the car out this whole week. We’ll call JAF tomorrow.

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Monday, January 9th, 2006 (Age 27, Kobe)

Sei lost all his keys a few days ago when he went to the bar, and they haven’t been found. It was all our house keys, his parents’ house key, and his scooter key, not to mention the case itself was the 30,000 yen Louis Vuitton key case I bought him for Christmas a few years ago. He hasn’t even made much effort to find it. I’m afraid it was picked up by someone who knows where he lives, and then anybody could just walk right into our house at any time. I’m keeping the door bolted when we’re home but we can’t do that when we’re out.

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Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 (Age 28, Kobe)

The first day back at school was bad, but not as bad as I thought it would be. We have one new boy in our class who cried non-stop till he fell asleep at lunch time, but the regular nursery kids settled right in. The after school classes were a pain in the ass. No one was listening and some were being downright rude to me, so the last class got a lecture on how disappointed I was.

Disclaimer: This blog is a work of non-fiction. Most personal names (except for those of celebrities) and place names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.