January 19. Thursday Night.

Hi Journey.

If I could keep a bit of a closer watch current events I might have know the City Council is talking about cranking up the sales tax. Just what my clients need. As it is, I barely have time to listen to a snippet of news on KAAZ in the morning during the drive in to the shop.

Carmen told her kids about the move today. They don't really comprehend it. The main worry Cora has is leaving her friends and family. And of course she asked right away if her rocking giraffe could come to Japan and Carm said of course but they might have to ship her separately in the plane with a special box. Carm told me that Cora seemed OK with the arrangement.

Must find a way to improve my communication with Cora her while she's away.

Casey Skyped me tonight. There's a new group of French tourists diving down there in New Caledonia . Justin Maxwell's still away in the US . He's apparently attempting to secure funding for some new project and as I understand it from Case he's trying to rent a ton of time on a really big telescope but just now he is having a hard time getting anywhere with potential donors. Between you and me, Journey, it all sounds a bit scattered.

And I can tell she's sweet on somebody else. Not that she's ready to ditch Julian; he's paid just enough attention to her and is almost smart enough to keep up with her. Almost. I did ask her if Eddie and I should still chase our stargazing project once it warms a bit. Little sis suggested I only pursue it if it will help me in my pursuit of Eddie. But no, Justin hadn't asked her any more about Cassiopeia's current position in the sky and so there's no need to bother.

She did ask me about my and Eddie's current position and I told her it was mostly unchanged but we'd drifted a bit to the south over the past week.

And she is just crazy jealous about me spending the better part of a week with Mattie in San Francisco . She is checking into airfares to New York and to the Bay area. Right now she plans on round-tripping it from New Caledonia to California via Sydney , then buying domestic round trip to New York for a week or packing and hangout out with Carm and Mom and me. Then she'll go back to SF for an overnight with Mattie before she flies back.

Although knowing my sister her next stop might just as easily be in Melbourne . She still hasn't spent much time there.

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