so live your life

Somehow I wound up at that street again, the one where time stands still, the black hole, the magnetic field which only attracts freckles or the red pigment in hair (which would explain why this street is always deserted). My instinct was to run down it again, but I followed my better judgment (not a frequent occurrence these days), and turned off before it was too late. Turns out this was an act of fate, because down that glorious side street sat a kebab truck. In MY neighborhood?? I have no idea where it parks once it's open, but one of these days, I plan to drive down there in one of those stake out vans (or probably the miniature silver box car with the sewing machine engine that I've been driving) with a pair of binoculars and some string cheese and follow it so I can have me some delicious kebab. Side-note on my run: I swear I saw a piece of dog poop on the street today just spontaneously turn over. Maybe I'm hallucinating again.

In any case, all of that is besides the point. Today I'd like to introduce you to the cast of My Life These Days (not to be confused with Days Of Our Lives, or DOOL, as some fondly refer to it).

Meet Bella, the youngest character, age 1 (right).
I've been here four days, and in that short time, she has managed to: eat her own poop, bat my hair with her paws, attempt to EAT my hair, yank my earphone out as I was doing push-ups, and attack my face (this one may or may not have been provoked).
Kiwi (the mother, age 3, left) has licked the inside of my mouth (without consent), sat on my sweater and growled anytime I tried to take it away and put it on, and walked across my laptop keyboard several times, resulting in some strange facebook misunderstandings.
Note: it seems my camera lacks the green-eye reduction feature.

This is Caroline, age 17, junior in high school (human). So far since I've been here, she has made me eat vegetables with dinner (half a cucumber, with the end still attached), used me as her chauffeur twice, told me to get a life countless times, and has made me transform her into Bella (the Twilight character, not the dog) for a school fashion show. This involved straightening her not inconsiderable amount of hair, as well as letting her ransack my wardrobe, because "Bella wears boring clothes, Emma. I need something boring."

Last but not least, is Kat, age 20 (picture not available). I tutored her last fall in Brea, and now she is somehow living with my family in Tokyo. Bizarre? Slightly. Do I mind? No, since yesterday she told me I have a pretty face.

Soon to rejoin the cast of My Life These Days are The Parents. Stay posted for upcoming episodes.

Mayra, your Japanese word of the day is something I yell at my dogs quite often. Uruse (ooh-roo-say, make sure to roll the r a little), loosely translated, "Shut up!!" Now THAT'LL come in handy at Starbucks.