Red Weather Days

Fall officially arrived in Tokyo several weeks ago but to me, it just started today. The temperature has now dipped low enough to pull out the boots. And my palate has started craving lovely, peppery shiraz and big cabernets. Yum. The Japanese, of course, have been wearing their high boots and wool hats for weeks now (hello?!). The calendar says it's fall and so they dress accordingly, regardless of whether it's 75 degrees and still slightly humid. They are crazy, those Japanese, but boy, can they follow the rules.

Let's see...it's Friday night around 7:30pm. The financial world is still in turmoil and wound as tightly as a rubber band. Work has sucked for several weeks now, people are insane, for professional and personal reasons and I've been wishing I was one of those "unlucky" ones who lost their jobs and made out like bandits in the early part of this year. I guess the grass is always greener. It has been a tough year; same amount of work, fewer people to do it, and now, with the market drama, it all gets exaggerated. We'll see what this December holds. I have already narrowed down my end-of-the-year-present-to-myself list to just two and am desperately hoping I can still afford one of them!

I am hanging at home tonight because I (1) had a really long week, (2) am fighting a cold, and (3) am doing the Run for the Cure tomorrow morning. I'm just walking but it's at 9:30am so need my beauty sleep. We are going for brunch afterwards at this relatively new restaurant in Azabu-Juban/Roppongi called Suji's. It's very American, very New York, excellent brunch food, and good Bloody Mary's. What more could one ask for after a 5K walk around the Imperial Palace for a good cause!

My life has been leaning more towards the work side (if you couldn't tell from the second paragraph!) but there is still plenty of time for fun...went to dinner at Il Ristorante in Bulgari last weekend (amazing), only got back from an awesome vacation with TT, Christina, and Gemma in Indonesia 2 weeks ago, and before that said good-bye to some good friends at a very fun, yet sad, leaving party, went to a lovely, contemporary art show at Tim and Alex's, and climbed Mt. Fuji...for the second time! Earlier this summer, I went to Malaysia, said sayonara to GT (is there a theme here?!), had a good trip to Manila and Hong Kong and celebrated the arrival of two new members of our family; Parker Grace who arrived in mid-August and Miss Sarah Ford who will be official next May when she and Matthew tie the knot.

I do wish I was back; there is so much going on at home (an historic election and way to go, Philadelphia!) but I am still soaking it up here. Work is annoying yet still pretty good, lots of golf coming up, and some good trips. It's always something new each day and lots of great people to meet. I am working on coming back early to mid next year but will admit I am a little nervous about it. It will be awesome for the first year or so but what happens then? The same NY frustrations take one year to resurface instead of 6? I meet Mr. Right and settle down in Anytown, U.S.A.? Don't get me wrong, I'm prepared for men that sit, legs splayed on the subway (family jewels...very valuable, I get it) and 3+ hours of traffic at the GWB on Sunday evening and do want settling down that but there's still a big world out there. A big, exciting world. But, I guess it will always be there. Waiting for me and Mr. Right and the 2.5 kids...or me, Mr. Right and the Louis Vuitton luggage!

Have a good Friday, everyone. xxx