gurdymonkey | OK, NOW it's time to panic.

Or at least pack. The good news is that there's nothing going on conference-wise until 3 PM, so I have time to do what needs doing.

1. Class notes are done. If 50 copies aren't enough, I'll take email addresses.

2. Masquerade docs are done.

3. Business cards are done. 60 better be enough because my printer is out of colored ink again.

4. CDs are burned. It amuses me that the gagaku track I'm using for a 30 second masquerade presentation is 8 minutes long. But we MUST have our Japanese caterwauling, mustn't we?

5. Uwagi collar is half on - I'm about to go downstairs and finish the other side.

Even if I press everything here, it's STILL going to come out of the suitcase with creases in it. I am taking the steamer and the hotel stocks each room with an iron. I am also taking my event sewing kit because I guarantee some oblivious numbnuts will put his big feet on my mo and rip a streamer off, just like last time. (If Fujimaki or The Bushi From The Outlands was around to provide a glowering angry-bearded-guy escort, a lady could travel safely and these things would not happen!)

One of the best things about being a Citizen of the Known World in this day and age is that you can get to be friends with people from other kingdoms. (The downside is not getting to see them all that often.)

dustinmartinez and

the_ri are in town to visit her family and I met them at the Asian Art Museum last night as it's open until 9PM on Thursdays. It was fun prowling the third floor with them because I don't know as much about the Chinese collection, which is their ~~mania~~ love. It was also nice to see the "Drama and Desire" show again. Edo is not my period, but the paintings on display were worth seeing twice.

We found sushi up the hill on Van Ness at Sushi Hana. The kids ordered a bunch of rolls and seemed to be happy with them. I got a bento combo, and we split a sake sampler. The saba shioyaki was very good - piping hot and just salty enough. The gyoza were also pretty good. If anything, the sashimi slices (maguro) were a bit puny. There are better places for sushi. There are worse. This filled the empty and besides, I was there for the company across the table.