shizan

Cutting practice in the AM. Good turn out, and several of the beginners did quite well. Something about not knowing what you're doing means you simply do exactly what you're supposed to do, because you have no preconceived notions, no ideas of right and wrong; you just act.
In Japanese it's called shoshin, beginner's mind. And you spend your whole life trying to get that feeling back.

name that baby

Week 36 and all systems go.
I have culled the name list from 60 to 14 to 5. Here are the finalists:
  • ? (???) Azusa
  • ? (???) Shiori
  • ? (???) Shinobu
  • ? (??) Sen
  • ? (??) Yumi
Keep in mind that final name-deciding authority rests with P, who will invariably choose the name (quite possibly totally unrelated to this or any other name list) once she's had a good look at her daughter's squishy little face.

bento


bento, originally uploaded by renfield.

flipped!

So the good news is Tonchan is flipped into the proper head-down position! This means that in a couple weeks, after she's done cookin', P will be up for having a regular old-fashioned birth. Hours of labor and pain -- sounds like fun!
I reckon all the Chinese voodoo magic needles and incense, plus the thrice-daily head-stands and yoga exercises finally paid off.
So I've cancelled my business trip to Boston in a couple weeks and now we're just in finish-cooking-and-wait mode!