Hana Matsuri
So P is getting a cold so we got burittos for lunch, boy playing in the bathroom for 20 minutes until he finally poops his pants. Change into spares, weather was looking sketchy, started to rain, but looked like it would clear up. 1pm, got the kids changed into kimono, immediately the whining started. Don't wanna wear kimono, I'm cold, don't want a diaper, the hat hurts, the make up is itchy... 2 hours to kill before the parade starts, so Honolulu coffee to get outta the cold. Bored kids, here play with my phone, kids manage to crash mom's iPhone. Still bored. Now hungry, get sandwiches, too hot! Raining, sunny, raining again, have to pee! Kimono battle in the toilet, grumpy, sleepy... And he passes out just as the parade starts.
Mom and sister head over, shortened parade route, just once around the corner then to the center to wash Buddha and get some chants.
Boy wakes up, wants to go, doesn't want to wear the hat, sandles hurt his feet... Done, back to change, peed his pants in his sleep (but I pulled a diaper on him when he was asleep, over his underwear) so his underwear is wet and his spare is used, so diaper only. Not happy, hitting dad, dad's outta patience, let's boy get dressed himself. Boy. Not. Happy. Dad. Not. Happy.
Leave boy with mom, go home and watch Frozen. Make past for dinner, bath and TV and bed. Epic.
Problems vs solutions
I had a boss a while ago who used to say "my door is always open. But be warned: don't come to me with problems, bring me solutions."
My father also instilled in me similar wisdom from a young age: "the right to complain is inseparably linked to the duty to solve."
Most solutions don't work. And honestly, no one gets credit for effort. But the ONLY way to solve a problem is to try. Inverted: not trying (aka only whining) will never solve a problem. Ever.
Then again, I do give a small hat tip for those who at least acknowledge their awareness of the problem; if only they took that extra step to thinking about a solution.
Like in grad school, my dad's professor had a stamp for "F+" -- SO close, just a wee bit more and it'd be a D-...but alas, effort acknowledged, but you fail.
To wit: Starbucks in Japan. Has free wifi in every Starbucks in this country I have ever visited. Brilliant. Truly awesomely useful. Except for one small issue: it requires a (free) username and password registration. Which can only be done via the internet. But not, alas, done via the login page that appears when you first connect to the free wifi service.
The page says, helpfully, in both English and Japanese, that a valid username and password are required. And that such can be obtained by visiting the Starbucks Japan website, and registering.
Which cannot be done from the current web page, right here, in Starbucks, trying to connect to the free wifi.
The best (and relevant to this story) part is, I have now seen a most helpful sign, in both English and Japanese, written on the bulletin board of Starbucks, above the condiments table. It says something to the effect of: "the free wifi requires registration. Please register from home or somewhere you have an internet connection. Then you can use the free wifi!"
So, clearly there were enough complaints from people trying to use the free wifi but not being able to due to their lack of ability to see into the future with their mind's eye, so Starbucks decided to post this helpful message. At least they acknowledged the problem.
But alas, no one at Starbucks Japan is capable of, perchance, suggesting that they enable a simple registration page from the wifi login page, allowing new users to immediately reap the benefits of free wifi (and of course giving Starbucks the precious user name, email, and login times and places for their customer database.)
Nice try Starbucks. So close! But: F+.
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