Long time no see!  I have been off this page since JULY!!!  Sorry!   I'm doing all right, but a week after my last post (Are we over the hump?), a huge rainstorm and flood hit Akita.  It was devastating for many people.  We were safe  by 3 cm, but many in our neighborhood and Akita were not so lucky.  I kind of lost my drive to put up new information.  I hope this year will be better. I was born in the year of the dragon 辰年です。I will turn 60 this year.  I can't believe it! I was surprised for how symbolic the dragon is, how few idioms there are.  I will post a few here for you:

1. Dragon breath or dragon mouth:  bad breath.  I always wake up with dragon breath after a long drinking party.  What should I do?
2. Chase the dragon: use illegal drugs i.e. heroin.  Too much talent has been lost due to chasing the dragon.  We need to find help for these people.
3. Feed the dragon: send manufacturing jobs to China.  We have fed the dragon for so long that there are no jobs left here.
4. Here be dragons: there is something dangerous and unknown here.  This year seems so unstable and risky, in economics, politics, and weather.  The only thing we can say for certain is "here be dragons".
5. Tickle the dragon's tail: do something risky or dangerous.  Why do you continue teasing your wife?  You're just tickling the dragon's tail.  You'd better be careful, she could explode at any time.

Well, I think that's enough for today.  I'm looking forward to hearing some of your Japanese dragon sayings.

Video and song of the week;

Puff the Magic Dragon

Peter Paul & Mary

https://youtu.be/Y7lmAc3LKWM?si=ZnDuiftVLIGABoT0   I hope we all have a good year this year.  I will do my best to help you improve your English, I hope you will too!

Is the worst of Covid-19 over?  What do you think?  I hear news about the "9th wave" coming soon, but at the same time, mask mandates have stopped, most of the kids in school aren't wearing masks, and many countries have declared that the worst is over.  I'm not so sure. How about inflation?   While it is still going up in Akita:  higher gas prices, taxi fares, food, electricity etc,  It has started to go down in the USA for the first time in three years.  It gives me hope that Japan will follow soon. Today I want to teach you a few phrases about "over the hump":

1. out of the woods
2. over the hump
3.  turned the corner.
4. over the worst of it, or over the worst part
5. on the road to recovery
6. on the mend
7. on the way up
8. in the clear 
9. out of danger
10. on the comeback trail
    

Today's BGM:

Out of the Woods

Taylor Swift

https://youtu.be/FEzj8K1cL6w

Looking at it now It all seems so simple We were lying on your couch I remember You took a Polaroid of us Then discovered (then discovered) The rest of the world was black and white But we were in screaming color And I remember thinking... [Chorus 2x:] Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good Are we out of the woods? Looking at it now Last December (last December) We were built to fall apart Then fall back together (back together) Your necklace hanging from my neck The night we couldn't quite forget When we decided (we decided) To move the furniture so we could dance, Baby, like we stood a chance Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying And I remember thinkin' [Chorus 2x] (Are we out of the woods?!) Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in the hospital room When you started cryin', baby, I did, too But when the sun came up, I was lookin' at you Remember when we couldn't take the heat I walked out and said, "I'm settin' you free," But the monsters turned out to be just trees And when the sun came up, you were lookin' at me You were lookin' at me You were lookin' at me, I remember, oh, I remember [Chorus 4x]

I'm still on the fence about what to replace our old fence with. In the meantime, as promised, here are a few idioms about hedges.

1.   Hedge your bets.  Do something to prevent or prepare for future damage or loss.  With the banks failing in the US, it's a good idea to hedge your bets by putting half your money in gold.
2. Hedge in.  To make a border or barrier around something.  When I came out of AEON, I discovered my car had been hedged in on all sides by other cars!  I was stuck.
3. Hedge fund.  A high risk high return investment. In 2011, his hedge fund had a return of 50 percent.
4. Dragged through a hedge backwards.  Look messy or disheveled.  What happened to you??? You look like you  got dragged through a hedge backwards.
5. A hedge between keeps friendships green.  Privacy is important for good friends also. I didn't ask too much about his children.  You know what they say;  A hedge between keeps friendships green. 

おまけ：  Hedgehog ハリネズミ I have a family of hedgehogs living in my hedges! Little hedgehog song:   https://youtu.be/UmbgykJLavY How was your Golden Week?  I spent  three days in Tokyo, visiting my grandkids.  It was wonderful.  Then I was very busy for the rest of the week, but I did find time to finish some projects, and enjoy spring a little. [caption id="attachment_2558" align="alignnone" width="853"] My new sign. New classes start Monday.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2559" align="alignnone" width="853"] I finally finished repairing and staining my terrace. I'm satisfied with the results.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2560" align="alignnone" width="853"] Visited Inokashira Park Zoo with my grandkids. Surprised to see a カモシカ　in the zoo![/caption] [caption id="attachment_2561" align="alignnone" width="853"] Had dinner at Sizzler restaurant in Mitaka City. It was delicious![/caption] [caption id="attachment_2563" align="alignnone" width="853"] Enjoyed beautiful azaleas at Senshu park.[/caption]