Hi Naoko,

I heard your voicemail on my cell phone today. Sorry, but I usually don’t have my cell phone on, so I didn’t get your call until today.

I just came back from taking M to the airport. We had a very good time together. We went from the airport to New York , where she met my parents. They like her very much, and she likes them. The next day, we went to a Mexican restaurant for her birthday (her birthday is May 5th, which is Mexico ‘s Cinco de Mayo holiday). We met some of my friends there, with their children, and had a good time, too.

Then, we drove to Maryland , and just relaxed for two days. I showed her where I work and a few sites in the area. But, we both kept falling asleep and taking naps, so we decided to just relax for most of the two days. My cats like her, too. One of them, Genji, is very shy with strangers, but he liked M and stayed near her. Sasha, my older cat, is very friendly with strangers, but he was a little cautious about M. I think it’s because I was away for 2 days when we were in New York , and then M (a stranger) came to the house, so it was a little stressful for Sasha. He’s very good at sensing what kind of person someone is, and I think he likes M, but wasn’t in a friendly mood.

M will arrive Friday in Japan , and she said she will email you soon. I’m going to go there in late July or early August to visit and meet her friends. With 2 trips to Japan , plus the garden, plus general house things, it’s an expensive year for me, but it’s a good year, too. 🙂

R (Maryland)