mood: feeling very well-rested
also heart: my new flannel pajamas :)

I totally forgot to update this last night because I was too sleepy. So here's the progress for Thursday:

I got up at around noon today, ate a very lovely oyster lunch “set” from the riverside restaurant near my apartment. I did nothing, which felt a bit strange, but I feel very relaxed, which is great. I'm itching to get back to work tomorrow. :)

I think Shiro's pregnant. Shiro and Kuro didn't mate on Thursday, like they were supposed to if Shira had been ovulating. Also they've been hoarding a ton of food, even though I always give them plenty to eat. Hero Material is absolutely thrilled that we're going to have baby hamsters. My feelings are a bit mixed. It was a bit weird to work on my sex demon romance synopsis on Sunday while Shiro and Kuro were…er…doing it. But the idea of babies…!

I need to do some research on how to take care of pregnant hamsters.

Last night, I was stunned to read that Citi is looking to sell off its assets and/or entire operation. I remember how flush and confident Citi bankers were when I was interviewing for my first job out of college. (I was applying to be an investment banker, but I ended up as a management consultant instead.)

Interestingly enough Ford and GM are selling and/or getting rid of some of their corporate jets after the House hearing. I guess Ford and GM felt very bad after the harsh words re: their extravagances despite their “liquidity” problems. Business Week had a more balanced view on this. I have to agree with some of the points made in there. Commercial airlines really suck, in terms of service and reliability. You can never know if your flight's leaving on time or not. The worst are the U.S.-based airlines. Per Japanese businessmen I know, Northwest first class is worse than ANA coach. (I have no idea since I've never used Northwest.)

BTW — Hero Material and I tried to watch Revolver. Tried because t was the most horrible movie ever. We just gave up. The protagonist's motivation was very weird, actions bad (meaning they made me yawn with boredom), plot nonexistent, and too many stupid people doing random things. Yawn.

Finally — Lovely Debora gave me a “I Love Your Blog” award. Thanks, DD! :)

Now…I pass it along to: PBWriter and Plot Monkeys. It's sad, but that's all I have because the rest is all industry and/or finance-related blogs.

I'm sure some of you are like “Why does she like 7-Eleven so much?”

The fact is I used to hate it when I was in the States. I didn't start my love affair with 7-Eleven until I came to Japan.

So why does 7-Eleven rock so much?

1. It's open 24/7. It's hard to find a convenience store chain open all the time where I am.
2. It's clean.
3. 7-Eleven clerks rock. They're always so friendly and courteous that it's always pleasant to shop there.
4. 7-Eleven has the best bento. When you buy a bento, they'll heat it for you and give you a pair of chopsticks. An instant ready-to-eat inexpensive meal that tastes good. W00t!
5. 7-Eleven has the best onigiri. Yum yum.
6. Did I mention it's sparkling clean? It's utterly spotless. The floor is so shiny and clean that you can eat off of it.
7. 7-Eleven has the awesomest selection of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Nothing like rich ice cream for summer.

BTW — this only applies to 7-Eleven in Japan. I still don't like the American version.