bathroom progress
Originally uploaded by renfield.
retreat...finally
So after much flood-induced anguish I finally made it up to the retreat.
The long and the short of it: it was loverly. Did me a whole bunch of sitting. Even busted out some more yoga with The Man himself, which helped get my sore back through some of the longer sessions.
Oh yeah, and now I am officially a lobster-bib-wearing layman monk named Renkoku Dōei, so bow down to my serenity or I'll totally muck up your karma, peasant.
Quote of the weekend goes to Brad for telling me, after whining about 3 straight hours of zazen, that I need to "man up." After some moderate consultation we decided that in order to be non-exclusionary the phrase should actually be "bodhi up", though that smells dangerously close to using the word "dharma" like an adjective, which is just universally lame. ("Universally!" Get it? *Snarf!*)
So in the end I did a bunch of meal services, we started with 22 people and finished with something like 16 (including one dude who just up and left...obviously he needed to bodhi up some.) We did a bunch of sitting, I helped clean the rock garden, and oh yeah we did the comedy version of the Precepts Ceremony. I guess it's really supposed to be a fairly solemn and serious event, but with Brad at the helm, all bets were off.
Actually, the ceremony is really boring; besides the fact that I had to prostrate myself (in the Buddhist sense, so don't get any clever ideas) to Brad far too many times, it's just really repetitive because we repeat everything three times. Brad states the precept (don't lie, don't steal, don't desire too much, don't kill unnecessarily, etc.) and then asks me if I can keep it until I die and I answer "Yes I can" and we repeat three times for each one. We were doing ok until Brad goes "Don't live by selling liquor(...I don't even KNOW her...)" and then it was third graders playing Zen. Lots of fun and a good tension release in middle of a 30 minute ceremony that's generally alot more boring, I suspect. Wouldn't have been Dogen Sangha without the goofing off I think. And the fact that we were both attempting to hold onto our scripts and follow along whilst doing all the various bowing, prostrating, incense lighting, etc.
In all it went well and next year I'll be in a better position to organize the whole retreat a bit better (and hopefully won't have to deal with a flooding apartment as well.)
The long and the short of it: it was loverly. Did me a whole bunch of sitting. Even busted out some more yoga with The Man himself, which helped get my sore back through some of the longer sessions.
Oh yeah, and now I am officially a lobster-bib-wearing layman monk named Renkoku Dōei, so bow down to my serenity or I'll totally muck up your karma, peasant.
Quote of the weekend goes to Brad for telling me, after whining about 3 straight hours of zazen, that I need to "man up." After some moderate consultation we decided that in order to be non-exclusionary the phrase should actually be "bodhi up", though that smells dangerously close to using the word "dharma" like an adjective, which is just universally lame. ("Universally!" Get it? *Snarf!*)
So in the end I did a bunch of meal services, we started with 22 people and finished with something like 16 (including one dude who just up and left...obviously he needed to bodhi up some.) We did a bunch of sitting, I helped clean the rock garden, and oh yeah we did the comedy version of the Precepts Ceremony. I guess it's really supposed to be a fairly solemn and serious event, but with Brad at the helm, all bets were off.
Actually, the ceremony is really boring; besides the fact that I had to prostrate myself (in the Buddhist sense, so don't get any clever ideas) to Brad far too many times, it's just really repetitive because we repeat everything three times. Brad states the precept (don't lie, don't steal, don't desire too much, don't kill unnecessarily, etc.) and then asks me if I can keep it until I die and I answer "Yes I can" and we repeat three times for each one. We were doing ok until Brad goes "Don't live by selling liquor(...I don't even KNOW her...)" and then it was third graders playing Zen. Lots of fun and a good tension release in middle of a 30 minute ceremony that's generally alot more boring, I suspect. Wouldn't have been Dogen Sangha without the goofing off I think. And the fact that we were both attempting to hold onto our scripts and follow along whilst doing all the various bowing, prostrating, incense lighting, etc.
In all it went well and next year I'll be in a better position to organize the whole retreat a bit better (and hopefully won't have to deal with a flooding apartment as well.)
found the leak
found the leak
Originally uploaded by renfield.
There is an overflow tank underneath the bathtub, in case anything starts leaking. Well, the overflow tank (which holds several hundred liters) overflowed, thus the wet carpet. The water also leaked out into the other two rooms, soaking the tatami floor and parts of the closets.
They have now ripped out all the carpet, removed all the tatami, cut a whole under the sink and smashed a hole in the bathroom, drained out all the water, and set fans and dehumidifiers all over the apartment.
They now have to call in the marble specialist to remove the entire bathroom wall, pull out the bathtub itself, completely drain the overflow tank, remove and replace all the piping, and rebuild the apartment.
Suffice to say that for the time being we are living in a furnished apartment conveniently located between the Tokyo American Club, the USA Embassy and the Russian Embassy, in a lovely 3 bedroom in a tower from the seventies call The Mansions.
So not sure if I'll be making it to the retreat at all this year...
sick...?
So as Tonchan gets better and better I get worse and worse...this sucks, because I actually haven't been sick in quite a while.
Last night I thought maybe it was just hayfever (some late summer plant called butakusa in Japanese) because my runny nose snot was clear, and according the Runny Nose Snot Matrix that means allergies.
But then I woke up this morning feeling the long-forgotten aching in my joints. Went to the tiny little drug store in the basement of the office, conveniently located between the restrooms and the Irish Pub, and got the 1050 yen "Fast Acting Cold Set" which consists of: two bottles of genki drinks and a handful of vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs. Actually I quite like the taste of the genki drinks and all morning I was wired so the stuff certainly works. (Probably the 25 mg of pure caffeine in there doesn't hurt either.)
My throat doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm still kinda achy and I think I'm starting to get a cough too.
Well at least this weekend I won't be doing much but sitting, literally.
Last night I thought maybe it was just hayfever (some late summer plant called butakusa in Japanese) because my runny nose snot was clear, and according the Runny Nose Snot Matrix that means allergies.
| Runny Nose Snot Matrix | ||
|---|---|---|
| Color of Snot | → | Diagnosis |
| clear | → | allergies |
| yellow | → | cold |
| any other color | → | alien implant in brain has ruptured |
But then I woke up this morning feeling the long-forgotten aching in my joints. Went to the tiny little drug store in the basement of the office, conveniently located between the restrooms and the Irish Pub, and got the 1050 yen "Fast Acting Cold Set" which consists of: two bottles of genki drinks and a handful of vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs. Actually I quite like the taste of the genki drinks and all morning I was wired so the stuff certainly works. (Probably the 25 mg of pure caffeine in there doesn't hurt either.)
My throat doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm still kinda achy and I think I'm starting to get a cough too.
Well at least this weekend I won't be doing much but sitting, literally.
mellow weekend
Just as well that Tonchan's sick, as it's been a hot and nasty weekend. Spent most of the time indoors with the disease monster. Actually, her fever was gone by Sunday, though now she may be getting the tell-tale red, non-itchy rash. Anyway she's been bouncing all over the apartment and generally in good spirits, though not not eating. We're not really trying to feed her too much until her stomach gets better. She doesn't need the food anyway; gets all her goods from breast milk.
She seemed much better so I ventured out this morning to Shibuya to check out suitcases and buy P a new digital camera. I am looking for a carry-on that I can use without checking in luggage. Figure I can wear one suit and pack the other, plus five shirts and the various fixings, laptop in my shoulder bag and carry that on, too.
Tumi's 20-inch carry-on is la bomba, but I think I might have to go for the extra 5cm and get the 22-inch. They both have a garment bag built into the top flap, but I fear that the 20-inch is too narrow for my suits. I'm guessing that on international business and US domestic first class I can get away with a slightly-too-large carry-on...then again every other business-travelling a**hole is thinking the same thing, eh.
She seemed much better so I ventured out this morning to Shibuya to check out suitcases and buy P a new digital camera. I am looking for a carry-on that I can use without checking in luggage. Figure I can wear one suit and pack the other, plus five shirts and the various fixings, laptop in my shoulder bag and carry that on, too.
Tumi's 20-inch carry-on is la bomba, but I think I might have to go for the extra 5cm and get the 22-inch. They both have a garment bag built into the top flap, but I fear that the 20-inch is too narrow for my suits. I'm guessing that on international business and US domestic first class I can get away with a slightly-too-large carry-on...then again every other business-travelling a**hole is thinking the same thing, eh.
keeping cool w/ frozen sausage
keeping cool w/ frozen sausage
Originally uploaded by renfield.
This is how we kills two birds with one stone: gotta defrost the frozen sausage for dinner, and gotta keep Tonchan cool to fight her fever. So: we strap the frozen sausage onto the baby!
my first cold!
my first cold!
Originally uploaded by renfield.
So this little monster is all grumpy and fidgety, not really eating, crying alot more than usual. About midnight she just won't sleep and she's warm. Really warm. P took her temp and it was 39C!
So this morning we took her to the hospital and the doctor said she's got a cold! It could turn into something slightly more serious but even then it's no big deal. Good timing to get sick on a three-day weekend; we're all gonna just hang out and stay cool.
belgian flemish dutch
Some genius has sub-titled a disturbing Belgian kids show, adding English subtitles to the Flemish Dutch song, phonetically and hilariously. NSFW at all, by any means.
sunburn'd
Forgot to mention that in SF, the sun was bright and strong, and as a result my smooth-shaven dome was nicely reddened.
Now I have a wonderfully peeling, sun-burnt head and I haven't shaved it in a few days because it's too damn painful.
So next time: a hat!
Now I have a wonderfully peeling, sun-burnt head and I haven't shaved it in a few days because it's too damn painful.
So next time: a hat!
nyc
Renfield
Originally uploaded by Guzilla.
Schedule in NYC went something like this:
wake up, breakfast, office, lunch, meetings, dinner, tv.
Managed to have greasy Chinese food, killer Italian, 4 slices of Two Boots Mr. Pink, and a lobster at Black Pearl with Lee and Chaziness. The lobster was aggressive and fought valiantly, but in the end it died in gastronomical peace.
And now I'm in the lounge in JFK waiting to go home!
pacific heights
Too much up in Pacific Heights!
Originally uploaded by George Arriola.
Riding the lady bugs in the park with Corr and Maia.
shovellin' in the park
shovel 2
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Took the girls to the park and waited for Jenn and Peter (and dog Teddy.)
At the park not only did they have the new super-safe squishy floor and lots of cool jungle jim equipment, but they also supplied these most excellent heavy duty earth moving shovels. I quickly mastered the complex manual operations and proceeded to dig so effectively I managed to relocate the entire park 37 meters to the southwest.
After such hard labor we had lunch and then goofed off for a bit. When I came back, the ladies was sliding down the stairs nekkid, so Jorge and I went up the street for some take out Chinese. Ah, the magical joy that is sweet and sour pork!
bye-bye la
Well the 2nd annual West Coast Taikai was a rousing success; managed to start and finish on time. I used my new HC to try a 4-roll yokonarabi as well as a 4-roll futomaki. Almost made both of them and can easily blame the mistakes on not being used to the new sword (truth is closer to I basically don't know what I'm doing.)
After the tournament we headed out for Mexican food and the Japanese posse stuffed themselves on chips and salsa, tacos,and refried beans.
Then back at the hotel we took over the lobby bar and cause trouble into the wee hours.
Now I'm sitting in LAX waiting for my flight to SF.
After the tournament we headed out for Mexican food and the Japanese posse stuffed themselves on chips and salsa, tacos,and refried beans.
Then back at the hotel we took over the lobby bar and cause trouble into the wee hours.
Now I'm sitting in LAX waiting for my flight to SF.
nose
鼻！
Originally uploaded by piroko_kuroda.
I think I've blogged this before, but I miss my daughter and I love this photo because it really shows how much she appreciated me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)