Sunday, February 18, 2007
Starbuck Sunday, Shinto Shrines & Tsushima Maru
Most mornings I brew coffee in our apartment, but this morning Art suggests that we walk to the Shintoshin Starbucks for a Sunday coffee. It’s easier than usual to wake John with the promise of a sugary high octane drink and we walk the 15 minutes to the Shintoshin district. John grabs a breakfast sandwich at McDonalds along the way and I pop into the supermarket to pick up a bento box of sushi rolls.
Saturday, February 16, 2007
Tsuboya Shisa
John and his beetle Frack watch a bizarre Japanese T.V. program. The premise of this program seems to be that the T.V. crew barges into a “victims” bedroom and puts a stag beetle on the sleeping victims’ nose. The beetle pinches on hard and the T.V. crew uses a stopwatch to time the victim to determine how long he can withstand the torturous pinch.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Yakitori Dinner
We have dinner plans with Rena tonight. Rena lived with us for a year in Santa Cruz, some 6 or 7 years ago and I am very much looking forward to seeing her! Back home, I would have most certainly cooked dinner at home but we want to take her out for a meal and ask her to choose a restaurant. She drives us to a district where there are dozens of yakitori restaurants dotting the side streets.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A Work Day
I wake slowly and I can tell the worst of my cold is behind me. I finish yesterday’s blog and work on Marty Magic business from half way around the world. My daughter, Alisha is doing the hands on work, but I am connected to the day to day questions and there is a lot to do today.
By 11:00 A.M. I am at work carving new dragon waxes to wrap around the gemstones that I recently purchased at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Rainy Day Valentine
We wake up to grey skies and rain. The weather matches our under the weather state of health and demands little of us. Art is now sick, but a day behind in the symptoms. He grimaces when I tell him he that he will feel worse tomorrow. I doubt if John will escape this bug but remains healthy so far. We spend a quiet morning in our apartment writing, doing homework and sending e-mail.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Settling into a Routine
We sleep until almost 9:00 A.M. My muscles hurt from yesterday’s ride and my sore throat is turning into a cold. We spend a quiet morning in our apartment. I make coffee and send e-mail. Art goes out for a ride returning with sashimi and sushi. There is a fish market just a few minutes from us. Following Art’s directions, John and I walk the 10 minutes to the fish market.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Biking for Beetles
Art takes off on his bicycle early to get a hair cut and to pay for the internet wireless card that he “purchased” for me yesterday. I am able to connect to the internet thanks to this amazing card but yesterday Art wasn’t certain that it would work in our apartment and Willcom allowed him to take the card home and try it before paying.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Sunny Sunday
My throat was on fire during the night but my hoarse voice disappears with my first cup of coffee brewed in our very own apartment. Art loads my computer into his backpack and takes off by bicycle for the internet café. He is hoping to get me connected at last. He returns an hour later with three days of my e- mails downloaded. A bouquet of flowers chocolate or champagne couldn’t have made me any happier!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Internet Crisis
It’s good to wake up in our own place. I sip cold tea and write last nights blog. We don’t have internet in our apartment so we load our computers into our backpacks and set out to walk the 20 minutes to an internet café. We arrive there just after 9:00, order our coffees and find a corner of the café to call our own. Art’s wireless works perfectly, but mine is somehow disabled. I stay calm, but I am pretty stressed out over this situation.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Home Sweet Home
Our morning routine at the Super Hotel is becoming less super each day. We pack after breakfast and spend time on our computers until we must leave for the 10:00 A.M. cleaning crew. We have three hours to kill before Mitsuro will come to help us move into our apartment.