Miscellany: did i forget to tell about hats, barbers, cards & winter clothes? – Dave Olson's Creative Life Archive

Miscellany: did i forget to tell about hats, barbers, cards & winter clothes?

I’ve done it, left the house for something other than a medical appointment… Heading to get a haircut, bus lets me off right near a sweet shrine so can I go toss in some coins and ring the bell and ask the 80,000 kami for a favor or two

Outfit: The crown/hat was handmade by a generational milliner in Springville Utah / a gift from a legendary artist friend who inscribed the headband with “uncle w33d” and hand written quote from Richard Brautigan. And yes my jacket (I gift from older brother) has a “Dave” name patch on it I added later.

New Year Cards:

Festive/holiday/new year cards ordered.

Next step is ordering the special “national lottery” commemorative new year stamps for domestic (¥63) and a whole bunch of ¥100 stamps for international plus airmail stickers

https://twitter.com/uncleweed/status/1730046953545974048?s=46&t=sNeMxnSlfnGTsFM1KbojgQ
Interesting results so far
Ps i am def in minority

Re: New Year cards, Shout out to the folks sending 300+ I wonder why people send no cards? Is it no fun? Is it a hassle? Is it expensive? Is it for old analog fogeys only?

{I guess that could’ve been a poll question}

+ not only did I make 300 for our family card but also another 40 for wife’s business and 20 more for Ichiro’s own custom Nengajo for pals + we can go to post office and stamp inky dragons

I might stop by the post office nearby the barbershop to see if they have any 100¥ stamps in stock. Most times, the post offices don’t have any – or maybe only a few – so better to order quantity online. Alas, design of this new denomination (up from ¥70) is limited to 1 choice.

Update, later: ordered both ¥100 international postcard and ¥63 special edition new year of the dragon stamps from online shopping, should be here in a couple days along with the printed cards, business and kids cards to be printed at home.

Barber on break: Kind of love it, the shrine was no go as the hack arborists were they’re running diesel engines so came to barbershop where there’s a whiteboard note saying “be back around 14:00” and a couple cigarette butts. Made myself a coffee and cooling out for a minute

I’m amusing myself thinking about any kind of store in the USA (yes yes, I know you have some exceptions you’re gonna tell me) just leaving the door is open, TV on, kerosene heater going, laundry machine running and leaving a note on a whiteboard next to the ashtray

His father was Barber and retired in the 80s, nothing has changed except for one calendar in the corner and a different coffee machine

Me and the barber, I’m the one on the right // I’m even trying to smile

Reminding myself: when I get home, gotta go out to the barn into the winter clothes bin and pull out a few seasonal appropriate scarves… or maybe do it tomorrow, whatever

Update (later): And I didn’t make it out to the barn to pick out some winter clothes… It’s getting chilly

Looking across the street in envy to the bus stop with seats/benches, the stop this side of the road does not have such luxury

These are not are persimmons however a very lovely seen… We have so many persimmons, so so so many. All kinds, all textures, all softness levels.

We made jam, vinegar, dried ones, soft ones, raw ones but still can’t use them fast enough

Bonus: By the way, any of you pals here in Japan doing / performing Santa Claus at the kids’ school or otherwise? Being the foreign guy with a beard in provincial Japan means I always get to be Santa Claus at the school, & this is year 4 for me with the big goal of not going home with a smorgasbord of viruses, germs, colds and what not / of course, I have my own outfit and while the beard is not quite as long as I would like, my “method acting/naturalistic approach” makes up for it :) – and no, the kids don’t sit on my lap they stand next to me respectfully and bow

Beard coming in pretty decent for Santa Claus

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