Keith picked me up and we met Joanna for brunch at a Swedish diner that used to be funeral home. Nice stained glass. If I knew the Swedish meatballs and potato sausage were that good, I would have ordered nothing else. And DAMN the cinnamon rolls were good. Way, way too much food for any single human to consume in one day let alone one sitting.
Noticing the giant super-sized Vitamin Shoppe down the street I realized: Americans wouldn't need so many supplements and health clubs if they just didn't eat such crap in such ridiculously large quantities. Food is just too cheap in this country, it's silly.
I wanted some jeans (no I don't own a pair of jeans; never really needed them) and failed to purchase jeans in Japan because I'm not an androgynous, skinny little Japanese Boy.
So Keith and I head over to the Gap on the edge of BoyTown. And they have a wall of jeans. Light-dyed, pre-washed, boot cut, easy fit, loose fit, at waist, below waist, slightly below waist, flared, 1969-style, classic cut...can't I just some, y'know, jeans? Like, a pair of jeans? That fit?
Grabbed four different colored, different styled pair of jeans, all the same size, and tried them all on.
Found a pair that sort of fit; at waist, so when I sag them down to below waist to oh-so-fashionably show off my boxers, the crotch is properly mid-way to my knees. Pulling on those below-waist jeans reminds me too much of the wedgies my brother used to give me as a child. No need to relive such trauma in the name of fashion. For whatever reason, classic fit straight leg is baggier than loose fit boot cut. Or something like that. Anyway, $50 bucks and I got a pair of jeans. Hallejulah.
Went downtown and checked out the art museum gift shop. Got a couple of cool art neckties including a Keith Haring wolf-pattern tie, and some toys and stuff for whomever. Then went over to see Miller at his office, checked my mail, and grabbed a caffeinated bevvie before heading back to the dojo to do some cutting.
Miller showed up as we were setting up, and we got to it. Keith was using the cutters Neeley left at the dojo from last time, and Miller was using his Nyosudo 'steel iaito that cuts.' And damn, that thing could cut. Great work by all. And I gotta say that kotetsu that Tony hooked up with, that thing cuts like a light saber. I wish I could take it back to Japan with me. I have a custom-forged sword coming this month, but if it doesn't cut as well as that badboy, I'm gonna have to figure out how to get that blade to Japan, because it's a beauty and I love it.
After cutting they had an aikido class, and then I ran the iai class. We went late and managed to get through the first 10 kata, pointing out the details for everyone to work on. Most folks still using too much armage to swing, not pushing through with the hips, so that's homework. Noto, too -- gotta slow down and relax, take your time and control the sword at all times.
After class we went to Matsuya to get some Japanese food. I wowed the waitresses with my Japanese, but of course the sushi chef himself was Korean. I love America. Good sashimi, though. Refrigerated shipping is the modern world's greatest invention.
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