hey love, I'm an inconstant satellite

Having dreams about things like uprooting tree trunks that would otherwise grow back trees and accidentally exalting hatchling pixeldragons that I should really have done more with. Yes, thanks, subconscious, I am aware that I will be shutting off uterine possibilities.

Came down with a mild cold today, ugh. Rested rather than working, even though we're time limited on the demo equipment, because I really must get well before Monday. It might not be as mild as I thought, though, since I also failed completely to parse a knitting pattern for something I've made before. Probably it's what Dad had while I was there, in which case it's not a really bad bug, just makes you tired mostly.

Roommate is still not home, which is a little nice and a little weird. I assume he's still at his wife's, and alive and all, though it's been two days longer than expected. Anyway, I am sticking to my chore routine even though he won't be bothered if the kitchen's not cleaned daily, because it turns out I like it clean too. (Mostly I pride myself on being able to work in tight spaces, so not cleaning is a weird way to make there be tight spaces so that pride can occur; my brain is weird.) Also I don't bother putting on pants when I have to use the bathroom in the night.

Foxglove Summer was pretty great and I remain happy that the U Bookstore SF section drives to Canada occasionally or whatever they do to get my UK editions.

No idea wtf my uterus is up to. I had the PMS backache on schedule, and then... no bleeding. Perhaps I have scared it into submission? I am not going to argue if I don't have another period before the surgery, but it's a bit strange. That and I'm worried it's actually gathering its strength for one last round of epic misery, ha.

(Note: there are no actual stairs.)

In only one aspect, my dorm life is starting to remind me strongly of William Sleator's creepy YA novel House of Stairs. We have motion-controlled lights, and we are being classically conditioned.

Bedrooms have normal light switches. Three-position switches allow you to turn the lights all the way on or all the way off in the public rooms, which is a fine thing to do in the toilet stalls during the day or when you're trying not to wake up all the way, respectively. (Not so good when people turn them on and then wander away assuming they'll turn themselves off.) In the hallways, though, motion detection is the only option I've found, which means when you're hanging out in the hallway talking to people and not actually pacing or anything, the lights will frequently shut off.

And then we all start waving our arms. The electronic eyes (which I would actually like to be more all-seeing, they've got these annoying blind spots) flash red and give us our lights back.

For a while, until we have to perform again.

The other deeply unsettling thing about the dorm is actually a thing about Japan as a whole: there is no oven in the kitchen. Two microwaves, two refrigerators, two induction-heating and one radiant-heating burners... and a little "grill" drawer that you can put, say, grocery-store tempura into to heat it up.





Is there any place in the English-speaking world that you would possibly have a real stovetop range but no OVEN? This is truly shocking and upsetting to me, as I am a stress-baker deprived of nearly all outlet. I guess I could make and eat cookie dough, which is what I mostly do at home anyway, but not having the option for baking is like wearing a chastity belt or something, it takes the joy out of the stages prior to completion.

You may have noticed I made pie recently. This is because the lab office has an oven, the total capacity of which I estimate at about 15L. My colleagues are shocked at the energy inefficiency of giant, electric American ovens. Actually, I'm not sure they believe me that such ovens exist, though I think they acknowledge the existence of giant, culturally necessary turkeys. Our Russian student has also corroborated my assertion. (The ovens. Well, turkeys too, actually.) When I had lunch with my co-TA and some students today, we discussed this important matter, which distresses her as well. At least I have oven-deprivation commiseration.