In which Grandpa has a smackdown with Martin Sheen

Classes today went normally, and I really have nothing much to say about that. But because Halloween is tomorrow, we had a big costume contest in the Center for International Education, the building where all the international students have classes and hang out. It was pretty funny. Lots of guys wearing schoolgirl uniforms or maid’s outfits. I also saw Goofy, a mouse, Spiderman, Stitch, Pikachu, a Christmas tree, various witches, and several ninja. The best part of the day was when Max, a guy in my writing class, came in just a bit late wearing a short black dress and dead person makeup. He’s Russian, and as he took his seat next to Dave he said in his awesome accent, “Ooh, can I sit by you, handsome exchange student? I am dead lady.” It was completely hilarious, and totally got us off track in class. Sensei was very good about it all, too, and humored us greatly.

This afternoon I went to the library and finished my research for my art paper, so that’s good. I have also decided that instead of going to Nara on Saturday like I had planned, I will go on Sunday. This will allow me to go to the Kansai Gaidai culture festival on Saturday. I originally hadn’t realized what a big deal the festival was, but now I see that it’s going to be huge. I thought it was mainly a bunch of international students goofing off in dance contests, but it turns out that the whole school has pitched in and it’ll be like Momoko’s bunkasai, but bigger. I’m pretty pumped. And Monday is a national holiday so we have no class, so it’s okay if I shuffle my schedule around a bit.

I’m not sure what I’m doing for Halloween tomorrow. I don’t have a costume, although I might be able to throw something together quickly. I’m in a karaoke mood, having not been out in probably a month. I’m ready for a bit of a party.

My sister is sick, apparently, and she had an allergic reaction to the medicine they gave her for the bronchitis. She was supposed to leave for her junior retreat this morning, too. I really hope she was feeling well enough to go. Send her good get well vibes, if you can, okay? What horrible timing—she just had a birthday, she’s going on retreat, and Halloween is coming! Poor kid.

I made some pizza toast for supper, and it was pretty disappointing. It just didn't have much flavor. I had bought a small pack of shredded mozzarella and an individual serving of pizza sauce, put it on a piece of bread, and cooked it in the toaster oven. But I'm very, very picky about pizza, and if it's not from an identifiable national brand I generally don't like it. Sorry, but homemade pizza just isn't my thing. So I don't think I'll be making my own pizza toast again, although when I went out to eat with Jessica a while back I really enjoyed the sweet potato pizza toast I got.

I took a nap today and had a really strange dream. Martin Sheen was the president, like in The West Wing, and he was trying to kill Grandpa Passafiume or vice versa; I don’t remember exactly. I also have no idea why. And then Nancy Pelosi tried to shut off the sun with this lever, which would make global warming speed up (!?) so glaciers would melt and water levels would rise, and all that would be left of the United States of America would be the Seven United States of Northern Mexico. But then Pelosi wasn’t Pelosi, she was the mom from Edward Scissorhands, and I cut off her finger to stop her from shutting off the sun, and she drove herself to a hospital in a soccer mom van. Then I was living in this house with a dog who was hiding the severed finger, and all these people who go to school with me at Kansai Gaidai came home from working at Sandy’s Pet Shop. Then I woke up. And yes, I remember all those details, including the new name of the reduced-size US. What a weird dream!