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My mother-in-law has acquired a photo mat with 17 cutouts. 17 just happens to be the right number for her to be surrounded by baby photos of her children, her children’s partners, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchild. 16 babies, one matriarch. My partner’s photo is a vertical-format portrait, which means he’s deprived of his cranium… Continue reading Lost Stories

On a recent flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, I found a Canadian passport. The owner of the passport would have been in for a surprise when he reached for his passport at US Border Control. Maybe he had a NEXUS card, or maybe United Airlines would have to fly him back to Tokyo where he… Continue reading Travel Gear: Wot, No Passport?

I had thirty minutes to kill before boarding a bullet train, enough time for a bicycle-themed walk. I was outside Hakata Station, the busiest train station on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. I tried to walk predictably so as not to confuse cyclists who shared the sidewalk with pedestrians. About 17% of… Continue reading Cycling Around Hakata Station

Next month we’ll be taking our nephews and their parents to the UK. Today the mother of the nephews asked me about adapters for UK electrical outlets. I had anticipated the question and had stocked up on this necessary item. Ax-Man, a local surplus store had a supply of UK adapters at 75 cents apiece.… Continue reading Travel Gear: UK Electrical Adapter

I’m planning a June trip to the UK. We’re bringing our nephews (7 and 8) and their parents. We start in Edinburgh, Scotland, then hop on a train to Morpeth, Northeast England, near where I grew up. We’re carrying backpacks and we won’t be taking cabs. I expect my nephews will revel in small things… Continue reading Journeys Through the Eyes of Children

As I get older, I find it’s best to focus on one task at a time. In fact, a task can become so engrossing it pushes out thoughts of everything else. Some would call this a deficiency of aging, I call it an advantage. Last Wednesday, it was time for a bike ride with purpose.… Continue reading Urban Bike: Purple Rain Tour

My nephews will giggle when they see this sign in June. I’m taking my nephews (7 and 8), their parents, and my partner, Dwight, to the area where I grew up. I took the photograph last year in the main train station of my home town, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. I expect a few bathroom… Continue reading Bathroom Humor

Train stations in Japan can be busy places, but boarding trains is an orderly process. In mainline and subway stations, symbols on the ground show where to form lines. When a train arrives, each door aligns with the queuing passengers. Train stops are brief, trains run on time. But things can go wrong. I can’t… Continue reading Uncomfortable Scene, Comfortable Food