@ Taiyokan onsen ryokan in Gunma
Originally uploaded by renfield
Chiepon's childhood home! Which is great because her nephew is the same age as Tonchan so I have not seen my daughter for hours because she is off playing with him.
found!
For the past few days I have been missing my work ID. I keep it in a little black Tumi business card holder, with some cards and other insignificant bits and bobs.
At first I thought I left it in a pants pocket but I checked with the dry cleaner and he didn't have it.
So I figured the Tonchalizer had done something with it, as I remember she was playing with it on Saturday afternoon.
After much agonizing and tearing up the house looking for it, I gave up and got a new ID at work...and then this morning there it was sitting on the window shelf behind the trashcan in the bedroom.
Ah, the keen insight and cunning of a two year old!
At first I thought I left it in a pants pocket but I checked with the dry cleaner and he didn't have it.
So I figured the Tonchalizer had done something with it, as I remember she was playing with it on Saturday afternoon.
After much agonizing and tearing up the house looking for it, I gave up and got a new ID at work...and then this morning there it was sitting on the window shelf behind the trashcan in the bedroom.
Ah, the keen insight and cunning of a two year old!
breakfast of TonChampions
- Cheese (single slice, processed)
- Chocolate (individual wrapped, milk, two pieces)
- Nori (unflavored, strips)
snacking on koganeimo
snacking on koganeimo
Originally uploaded by renfield
Spent the day at Ueno Zoo with Baba and Tonchan. She liked the bears and birds and gorillas, she watched the porcupines eat carrots and fed the goats and sheep grass, but her absolute favorite part of the zoo? The monorail!
Mama's got some great photos and blogged it too.
On the way home she fell asleep but woke up when we got to Starbucks in Roppongi Hills so I carried her home. Then we watched sumo and snacked until dinner.
playing with layla
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.
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. "
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. "
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!
tonchan directs
tonchan directs
Originally uploaded by renfield
I think she likes the music classes at school. Here Tonchan directs P and baba in a rousing chorus of "ABC". She's got more rhythm than I, and whenever baba sings she says "Shhh! No quiet please!" so she's got a decent ear for music, too.
playing with layla
playing with layla
Originally uploaded by renfield
This bodes well: Ton loves having a little kid around. She wakes in the morning and the first thing she asks is "Baby?" If she hears Layla crying she goes into the guest room and gives her a toy and jumps around trying to make her laugh. I only hope she is this nice when it's her own mom's baby, not some other random lady's kid who is staying down the hall for a week.
fruit dessert
fruit dessert
Originally uploaded by renfield
Took my Finance team out for some supposedly veggie dinner in Roppongi Hills. Ordered the black truffle course, but they were out of black truffles so instead we got...lots of MEAT! I love the vegetarian concept in Japan. Vegetarian = with vegetables. In beef broth. Restaurant was high on style, quality, and price, low on satisfaction and volume. Typical of the 'Hills.
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