mama, p & ton


mama, p & ton
Originally uploaded by renfield

conference calls

If I may get my bitch on for a moment here:
Friday night 9pm conference calls suck, for many reasons.
I've already worked a good 60 hours in the office (never mind the hours spent on the blackberry. And I sleep with my cellphone next to my pillow. Not kidding.) and I am not in the mood.
You, on the other hand, have rocked up to work in London some time before noon in order to get on the phone with me and explain that you have not, in fact, read the reams of documents and lengthy email responses to your questions I have prepared.
In fact, you have a whole different set of questions which only manage to establish that you have not been paying attention, and even if you were, you don't get it.
And yes, I would just love to make some more documents for you to answer your additional follow-up questions so that you can ignore and not read them, and then we can get on the phone again, including a bunch of other people.
The only reason I am on the phone with you in the first place is because your counterparts here in my time zone are physically incapable of actually taking responsibility and making a decision, so they defer to you, he whom doesn't know nor care, isn't willing to bother, and will end up deferring to someone in New York anyway.
At least I got to make snide comments about you in Japanese to my coworkers, right under your nose.

zen

Just finished Brad's latest book. It was of course most excellent, especially the parts where he calls me a "sword master" and a "tough guy". I love it!
The flooding of my apartment figures reasonably prominently as well, so it's like I'm basically famous now.
Therefore please click on the link to the right and buy the book. In quantity.
Actually reading the book and writing about reading the book on my blog are just excuses to avoid doing my daily zazen, which as I'm sure you've figured out already is really. boring.

However something must be happening because the other day Tonchan grabbed the tiny zafu (ass cushion) that found it's way into the living room and sat on it and said "Papa, this one...like this" and tried to cross her legs and I had one of those Dad Moments.
Not one of those Dad Moments when you think "Wow, my lovely little daughter is learning and growing!"
But one of those Dad Moments when you think "Holy crap! Was she watching me pick my nose when I was brushing my teeth that one time too?!"

Speaking of teeth, I got mine cleaned this morning. I have already mentioned numerous times (about every six months for the past 12 years I think) how awesome my dentist be.* Turns out they just (well in the last six months at least) remodelled the tiny reception area to the tiny dentist office. It is now all cool modern wafu, with traditional wall-paper patterns in soothing colors and all quite tasteful. Yeah, my dentist kicks ass.

* For those dangling grammar police who prefer "how awesome be my dentist" I can only quote Churchill: "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put. "

post dentist


post dentist
Originally uploaded by renfield

20 minutes

Hit the dojo tonight for about 20 minutes. Just jumped into an ongoing class and went through a few kata. Did about 3 minutes of teaching. Nice to do my own mellow training for a bit. Lately I have no patience with myself. And if there is anyone else in the dojo, invariably I am asked to teach. Much prefer the dojo to be empty when I want to practice, otherwise I really get nothing done. *sigh*, that's how it is these days.

singing abc


singing abc
Originally uploaded by renfield

She got her rhythm from her dad and her voice from her mom. Don't ask why she's wearing an apron: I have no idea.

french fries


french fries
Originally uploaded by renfield

Spent the day shopping with mama and tonchan. We hit Tokyu Hands in Shibuya and then bought a bunch of quilting material at the cloth store for the new baby quilt. Skull and bones -- love it!

Then went upstairs and had lunch upstairs at TGIFs. Tonchan has been snuffling all weekend, her nose running just as fast as her little feet. She didn't have much of an appetite but with a pile of ketchup she did some damage to her fries.

Then we walked up through Aoyama, Ton happily dozing in the stroller...until we got down to Nishi Azabu crossing and some truck with a monster speaker blaring it's cheap trash collection and moving services at 150 decibels woke her up. We headed up to Roppongi Hills for a 'Bucks break, then hit the slide park and came home.

Mama made a mountain of potato pancakes that we had with steak and apple sauce. Tonchalizer liked the potato pancakes but still wasn't so hungry so she only nibbled a bit and chomped a couple bits of steak.

She doesn't have a fever but is sniffling and snuffling so we suspect it'll be a nice cold in a day or two...or she'll blow it onto a friend at school and pick up an even more pleasant virus!