Sunday: - woke up early to call Eriko - spent the day relaxing, studying, and working Monday: - long day at work - no Japanese class due to the holiday - research for UW class Tuesday: - long day at work - parallel computation Wednesday: - woke up early to call Eriko - baked pork & beans for 1st time - long day at work - japanese class Thursday: - long day at work - worked out with Zack - relaxed Friday: - long day at work - a few social hours at the local pub Saturday: - errands - worked on CS project - poker game

the nebraska service centers for visas is processing i-129f’s from oct 12th. that puts the wait time at over 4 months, which is the may/june timeline. i get a feeling this is going to be close…

i finally called Eriko on the phone, and that was good. i’m not sure why it is so difficult for me – part of it is waking up at 4:30, walking to work in the cold, and straining to hear across a poor connection. another aspect is that i have to come out of my ‘I-first’ view of the world. soon, it won’t just be me, it will be us. afraid of losing control, i am.

- woke up about 6:30. i'd like to start swimming at Queen Anne pool, but i'm not there mentally yet. i decided i'll concentrate first on just waking up earlier, and once that becomes routine i can start swimming. - ate a big breakfast. my plan is to stuff myself in the morning and then just eat little bits throughout the rest of the day. the social implications will be most difficult, as i won't be really eating lunch or going out for dinner.

in no particular order, they are: 1. be a better student (both Japanese and UW included here) 2. be a better employee (work smarter, not harder) 3. learn more (mathematics, kernel development) 4. be healthy (better food, more exercise) 5. plan long-term (fiscally responsible, more cool demeanor) 6. focus short-term (discipline, follow-through, and concentration) 7. be a good husband (and fiance)

i haven’t had much to contribute to the diary recently. life seems to be relatively routine, with the days and weeks going by quickly. i do see myself growing, albeit more slowly than i desire. i find myself growing more comfortable with the place i’m in compare to where i want to be. above all, i feel like i’m moving the right direction. i might only be crawling now, but i’d rather be crawling in the right direction than warping in the wrong.