Real English Sixteen-I don't have a clue!

On Tuesday morning, I got the following text from my father.

Dad:  Bombs go off at Boston marathon.

The following is our correspondence which followed:  

Me:  Really?

Dad:  Yes. I don't have all the details yet, but it looks like there are casualties, and many wounded.

Me:  Do they know who did it?

Dad:  No one has claimed responsibility yet. The police are searching for clues as we speak.

As soon as I arrived at the classroom, I checked the net to get up to date on what was going on. Since then, I have been glued to CNN for the latest news.

Sorry for writing about depressing news.  But this is the crazy world we live in...

Now let's get to Real English Sixteen.

"Clue" is used in many expressions.

Refer to the below:

1.  I don't have a clue.=I am clueless.

2.  The police are looking for clues(=evidence).

3.  

Friend) Come one! Clue me in!

Glenn)  OK. I will clue you in.

And because I want to end on a lighter note, let's talk about 4-leaf clovers.

Have you ever seen one of these four-leaf clover cabs?

I haven't.

I heard they are rare.

Do you know anything about them?

Have you ever seen one? 

How about ridden in one?

Real English Fifteen-Don't get ahead of yourself!

I didn't expect that at 5:30am this morning.
As I am sure all of you know, there was a magnitude 6ish earthquake this morning.
It woke me and Kyoko up immediately.
We both sat up and Kyoko handed me a blanket, and said "Put this over your head Glenn!!!"
I said, "I don't think the blanket is going to do much to protect me from any falling objects..."
I don't know for sure, but it felt like the tremor lasted for about 15 seconds.
We stayed on the floor stunned for a few minutes and after that  Kyoko got up and said, 
"I have to get my stuff ready in case we have to evacuate."
I got up to check the TV, and even though I wanted to go back to sleep, I couldn't because 
my adrenaline was flowing...And once i get up, I can't go back to sleep.

Because this earthquake happened early in the morning at just about the same time as the Big Hanshin Earthquake about 17 or 18 years ago, many people remembered that and were scared...
Fortunately, as far as I know, there weren't any casualties.
I heard there were some minor injuries though...

When I went to work a few hour later, I was surprised that my train, JR, was still not moving.  
So I took a taxi to Honmachi.
Actually, if I would have checked the net before I left my house I could have known that 
JR was stopped.  And then I could've taken the Hankyu Train instead, because my house is in between both stops.  But I didn't check because I just assumed that the trains would be up and running...But I was wrong and I regretted it.

Anyway, to change the subject, now I want to get to Real English Fifteen.

The scene: Last Thursday morning as I stepped into the entrance way and was about to leave for work.

Kyoko;  Glenn, what are you doing?!  Why aren't you wearing a jacket?
Glenn:  No reason...it is sunny and it looks warm outside.  I don't think I need it.
Kyoko:  Don't get ahead of yourself!!  The weather forecast guy just said 'Don't forget your jacket today!  It is gonna be chilly'  I don't want you to catch a cold!
Glenn:  OK. Thank you! Can you hand me my jacket?
Kyoko: Sure.  Have a nice day and see you later tonight!

When I stepped outside into the brisk and cold wind, I thought, "Wow am I lucky.  First, to have a great wife! And second, to have a jacket!!  Because it sure is chilly today, and I would definitely have caught a cold if Kyoko hadn't said that to me.

Real English Fourteen-Roll the dice!

Sometimes you have to roll the dice!
I talked to Makoto about this die the other day.
The following is our conversation.

Glenn:  Where did you get that die?
Makoto:  I got it at an exhibition which was held in a museum in Kanazawa Prefecture a few years back.
Glenn:  How much was it?
Makoto: I forget exactly, but around 500 yen.
Glenn:  Not bad.  It's pretty cool!  Did they have any other die with a theme?
Makoto: Yeah, a bunch.  
Glenn:  Like what?
Makoto:  Like "Drink-Don't drink", "Work out-Don't work out", "Eat in-Eat out", "Night out with Wife-Night out with Friend"!
Glenn:  Really?!
Makoto:  Yeah, about every one except the last one.
Glenn:  I thought so.  Anyway, do you really use it?
Makoto:  You bet!  
Glenn:  When?
Makoto:  Sometimes, after coming home late after drinking with my buddies, which is often, and I can't decide whether or not to have a late snack, I let it fly.  If my wife was awake, she would lead me in the right direction like she always does and just say "What are you crazy! It is 2am!  Just go to sleep already!!"  But like the rest of the world, she is usually sleeping in the wee hours of the night so I let the die decide for me.
Glenn:  That's an easy way out, but also actually a pretty intelligent way to decide.  Do you always "listen" to the die?
Makoto: Yes, I do.  The die has the final word! There are no "second rolls"!!
Glenn:  I want one so bad!!! It seems so easy and you don't even have to think!  I don't like to think late at night either.  Instead of a die, I use a coin sometimes, like a quarter or nickel, and flip the coin to decide whether to do something or not.  
Makoto:  Birds of a feather flock together!
Glenn:  Not exactly, but something like that!