Really nothing to the usual days except for the brilliance of usual days, appros of really nothing, i annotate for amusement. Carry on in a disinter-mediated manner:
Okayama memo: The thing I really like most about is its very “usualness” {aside from being famous for the Momotaro peach boy story and being a “place you pass through to get to other places”} is also almost always sunny but not today (this Cascadian doesn’t mind the rain though).
My 1st era in Japan in the early 90s, was in Tottori (remote w/ kei-truck), later hiding out near Miasa, Nagano. When came back few years ago, found Okayama was just right / Not a hectic sensory overload city but has big hospital, Immigration etc.
Yes, we “lean heavily” into Momotaro folktale here and the image of a peach is scattered all over from statues to utility pole covers and gosh, peaches with a boy coming out of them can look really funny! And apparently it’s the sunniest prefecture in Japan.
By post: Three pack of organic oatmeal arrived. {always mean to scribble down “tasting notes“ with all the different kinds but never do and never remember which ones were “great“ but all are, you know, good enough} ~ Eat each morning with variety of nuts, berries and sometimes yogurt.
Today by post: hori hori garden tool (this one is artisan made, previously ordered for wife and mother-in-law from off-the-shelf made-in-Japan company) / this one needs sharpened up and it didn’t come with a case/holster :( feels good in the hand though.
Day in the life:
- ate salad with smoked salmon for lunch
- loaded our new tiny dishwasher
- sent a telegram, really
- attempting to remove chewing gum from a pocket of a favorite shirt with ice packs #pending
now a rest before finishing laundry
Next day: One oatmeal, three coffees, two baskets of laundry, two hockey games… Now switching to loungewear and some tax paperwork. Then maybe repair a wicker stool after lunch.
Update: some arcane tax documents prepared, stamped, notarized, faxed, ready to mail in Duplicate etc. Indian curry and smoked salmon/avocado/lettuce salad lunch with darling. Next (going to try) to put a new seat on this wicker stool with hemp cloth and upholstery thumbtacks.
It’s not a masterpiece but it’s decent. Sturdy Polish hemp cloth, rugged long tacks & see how it goes. Hooray for hexagons!
Another day: Couple real interesting comebacks in hockey games to start the morning, onto a 3rd series after starting some “laundry stripping“ and now working on sewing/repurposing some sleeping masks / the straps are always the weak point :(
Laundry stripping: 50ºC water, 2 parts detergent, 1 part washing soda, 1 part borax, .5 part oxyclean, stir stir, soak 6-8 hours, into machine for 3x rinse cycle. Do this with towels, undergarments and other clothes which get a bit sweaty.
Sleeping Masks: repurposed with wide ribbon and short piece of elastic, double stitched with embroidery thread. Somehow, a good project for #MECFS awareness month.
Also, not sure why every sleeping mask comes with a narrow elastic strap – I have approximately 20, all lousy – especially with metal sliders which dig into your head and then the elastic ribbon gets all “fatigued“ and un-stretchy rendering the whole unit unusable :(
Success(ish) 2 sleeping masks modified/reconstructed using embroidered cloth meant for the edge of the tatami mats & a bit of wide elastic. All of this is practice for making my “perfect sleeping mask“ but will not be a #SideHustle personal use only
Regarding eyes/strain: Who needs virtual reality goggles?!
Those just make my eyes hurt anyway! Plus, my imagination can take me anywhere :-) listen to a lot of audiobooks and longform podcasts with the mask so it’s like time / space traveling. Also much cheaper, much :-)
For my delicate eyes and equilibrium, completely spins me out… Friends tell me “they’re way better now“ and yeah they probably are but I’m doing all right without them / don’t wanna risk the headache.
Fever: In other news, our little guy still battling ongoing fever/runny nose so he’s back to the doctor clinic for another test and what not /
always little disconcerting of course (not just because I’m delicate, the wife is a busy small business owner and we live next to grandparents)
Mother’s Day: I guess I’m late to say this out loud *publicly* but on Mother’s Day, we ate ramen.
Oh, here’s the actual wonderful mother and darling son with said ramen at Gakucho here in gloriously usual Okayama.
It’s our favorite place, artistry in Ramen, nuanced and satisfying. Really the only restaurant we’ve been to throughout “all of this“ starting before the baby was even born so he’s a customer for longer than he’s been alive :-)
Lawn and Garden: a few lil projects of late
Repurposed Ikea bookshelf into planting box (cardboard on bottom, mix of soil and compost) and planted beets and carrots (will add turmeric to the other “compartment”).
Laying disused bricks to make a landing spot for iron and wood cart to repurpose as a plant stand, trellis.
Finally, tiny peach on the tiny peach tree.
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