Today I archived most of the old articles.  They are still in reverse chronological order, but organized by month.  I didn't want to do this, but for some reason my first, original articles were no longer appearing.  No matter, they are still there for whomever to read.
 
Today is a national holiday in Japan.  Marine Day -- whatever that means.  In any case, schools, banks and public buildings are closed.  More inportantly. it means no work for us!  In addition, tomorrow is officially "closing ceremonies" day for all schools in Kofu.  There are no classes -- only speeches.  Then, the very next day, I will be leaving for Okazaki City in Aichi prefecture..... Alone.  Bonnie has to work, but since I have over a month of holidays, I will be taking an intensive Japanese course for the next four weeks.  My employer has agreed to pay my regular salary if I enroll in a Japanese language program.  So, I did some research and found a nice little spot where I could study, and go surfing at whim.
 
Last weekend, Bonnie and I made it out to Shonan beach in Shizuoka.  It was a hectic trip, and we spend about 3.5 hours looking for a surf shop to buy some essential gear.  But, we finally made it to the water.  The waves were tiny -- maybe only 1 foot, making it exceedingly difficult to surf... But the bodyboarding was OK, and I didn't have much trouble.