Lightning!

There was some lightning last night! Did any of you see it? It was off in the hills near Shizuoka, I think. I didn't hear any thunder, though. I guess it was too far away.

Summer Vacation!

Summer vacation is about to start! In answer to your questions, I'm not planning to go back to California next week. The reasons are that tickets are too expensive, the fuel surcharge is too expensive, and also that I only have a week. When I go to California I like to take at least 2 weeks so I can truly relax.

It's Hot!

There are many synonyms for "hot" in English, especially when talking about the weather. Here are a few to try out:

-It's a scorcher!
-It's sweltering!
-It's boiling hot!
-It's sizzling!
-It's hotter than a hen in a wool blanket!

These all sound uncomfortably hot. In the winter, you'd usually use "snug", "toasty", or just "warm" to show a comfortable level of warmth.