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Our phone has started
Our phone has started talking to us. We tried to configure our ISDN terminal adapter to do what we wanted–route our two phone numbers to separate phones. Doesn’t seem like a big challenge. But we still don’t have it right. All of our phones ring no matter which number is dialled. The phone displays caller…
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Anniversary
Today is a full moon, Friday the 13th, and our 11th wedding anniversary. Normally on our anniversary, we visit the place where we were married–Pittsburgh’s South Side–to stroll the streets, windowshop the antique stores and dine at Dairy Queen, just as we did on the day we eloped. This year, we strolled over the Ponte…
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Phone call
Sometimes a phone call is the most wonderful thing. During this short jaunt to the US, I’m keeping busy helping with wedding preparations–always a lot of last minute details–so I don’t have a chance to catch up with friends. But I called one today and chatted for a few minutes. Hearing a voice I love…
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We’ve found a new
We’ve found a new place to live. It took almost three months to find a suitable replacement for the wonderful house we live in now, but we will be out of the current house before the deadline the owner imposed. He’s selling, so we’re moving. The new house is built in the crook of a…
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Sirens tore down our
Sirens tore down our street, then stopped before they receded into the distance. I peeked through the curtains, but coudn’t see where they had halted. But I did see many of our neighbors heading in the direction the trucks had gone. Seven giant firetrucks were parked on the street, a hose trailing over the ground…
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Autumn fruits are appearing
Autumn fruits are appearing on the market shelves. That means nashi, among others. Nashi is very crisp. The skin snaps when you bite into it, and its white flesh yields in juicy, grainy bits. It is flavored like a pear but shaped like an apple. Its color is brownish-gold, a quintessential fall shade. It ranks…
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The mid-September moon draws
The mid-September moon draws people out for annual moon viewing parties. I suppose this harks back to agricultural traditions, when the nation’s rice was harvested by hand and farmers had to work late into the night to get the harvest in before the typhoon rains started. Now the moon viewing parties mainly mean lots of…
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Long distance communication doesn’t
Long distance communication doesn’t always use the Trans-Atlantic cable. I often dream at night. Vivid technicolor visions with sounds and lght. Sometimes good, sometimes scary. Sometimes just bizarre. Last night’s dream featured my friend, Mike, who is getting married soon. I dreamed that were were standing in my kitchen here in Tokyo, talking about the…
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Six month split
Since I first read about them in classic novels, I’ve envied the jet-setters who split their year between two countries. Whether they were doing New York & Paris in the 1890s, or LA & New York in the 1990s, there’s something about that ability to be settled, yet have change, that is extremely appealing. And…
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The veranda outside my
The veranda outside my office is my only thriving garden. The planters out front have all shrivelled and died in the summer sun. The plants on the deck have died, too. But my peppers and basil and lavender all thrive because I seethem and remember to water them every day. I think I will bring…
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