The Last Sensei: Thinking about Grandpa back home

I think the hardest part about being over here in Japan is not being able to be there for the ones I love when the going gets tough. After hearing about Grandpa being hospitalized, I realized that I can't be there for him, my nanny or my mother. This creates a pain inside that I haven't felt for a long time. I desperately wish I could just hop back to Minnesota to be there for my family. Grandpa is a strong man and I know he will pull through, he always has. He has that competitive race car driver spirit. Some side notes on life over here. My rib is finally all healed and my knee stopped bothering me so much. I ran in a 5K race last weekend. I ran it in about 23 minutes, not a great time, but respectable, especially with a bum knee that started to act up half way through. The next 5K is in about 2 weeks, I am hoping to finish in about 21 minutes. I also have been working out daily at the gym I joined, it feels good to put on weight. At school I am adjusting to the different lifestyle. Junior High School kids are either really awkward and shy, or big noisy comedians. I prefer the comedians, they are really interested in learning English. Here are some pics from the past 2 weeks or so.