Every morning I look out across the city from my 6th story balcony and try to see Mt. Fuji. If I can see it I know it's going to be a good day. I know it because I tell myself it's going to be a good day. It's something I decided a long time ago, the first time I saw it. Just the way I decided the moon makes me stronger. It's the best kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. The moon let me down a bit last weekend....

I couldn't sleep so well last night. Probably from all the sleeping I did over the weekend I'm sure. Whatever the cause I woke up feeling a bit.....grouchy. My first thought was, "I need aleve." my second, "No way am I listening to my Japanese language podcast on the bus to school."

I went out the front door and looked automatically to the east (it's the way out of the building, I have to). There it was, big & cold as ever & I thought, "Maybe today won't suck after all." Then, for no reason at all I turned around and looked back. And there was the moon, not quite full anymore, but shining all the same reflecting the barely risen sun. Definitely not the beginning of 2009's first bad day.

Know what my podcast was about? Why Mt. Fuji isn't a World Heritage site. It's too bad people don't care enough to try and change that, but who knows? Someday they might be different. It's got a better chance than the moon anyway.