Walking near the Downtown library, I stopped in and picked up a limited-edition Prince library card on impulse. As I continued my walk, I quickly realized it’s destined to lie in a drawer—I’ll never actually use it. I primarily check out eBooks to read on my phone, tablet, or Kindle, and even when I borrow physical books, my phone serves as my digital card.
Category: Living
Gasket secret revealed
Who knew? Our washing machine’s door gasket has hidden drain holes. We noticed water accumulating and causing mold growth, but Dwight found the solution on YouTube: remove the gunk from the hidden drain holes. Unblocking them motivated me to clean the air and water filters in the TOTOs, which I do periodically, having read the manual. Such is our pursuit of excitement this quiet Sunday.
A recurring symbol of the season
Our Christmas cactus suddenly appeared in a nook in our home today. Now that it’s starting to flower, Dwight decided to give it this more prominent spot. We reckon the plant is over 60 years old.
The ripple effect of travel: pourovers and TOTOs
In Japan, we buy packs of these pourover single-serve coffee filters prefilled with coffee to use in hotel rooms. On Amazon, I buy boxes of empty single-serve filters to bring when traveling, filling them with locally bought ground coffee. Here, I’m using one left over from our recent trip. Just one example of how travel changes behavior. A more significant example is the ubiquitous washlets in Japan. We liked them so much, we installed TOTO washlets in our home.
Deconstructed turkey served with gratitude
We’re quietly celebrating this Thanksgiving, and the centerpiece of our meal is Dwight’s stuffed turkey thigh (minus the bone), finished with a rich gravy. The stuffing is equally rich, with about a dozen ingredients, including meaty porcini mushrooms. And we have plenty left over for another meal.
From Gold to Cold
The season’s first winter storm hit overnight, leaving three inches of snow. The hard wind brought windchill temperatures into the teens. Took this photo at Gold Medal Park, then back home I retreated under my blankie and asked AI to turn the G into a C.
Keeping track of time
It’s Tuesday evening in Tokyo, but it’s going to be a long Tuesday, 39 hours to be exact. We arrive Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon.
Great Buddha of Kamakura (1252)
Hiked the hills above the town of Kamakura. Descended into a busy town (today is a public holiday) where we checked out this bronze attraction, the Great Buddha of Kamakura (Daibutsu), cast in 1252. This Buddha resides in the pure land of perfect bliss, presumably unfazed by the constant flood of Instagram posts by earthly influencers.
“Cycle Around Japan”* Toyama Bay Edition
Rented bicycles and cycled along Toyama Bay on the Sea of Japan, enjoying views of the snow-covered Japan Alps. Stopped at a picnic table in the grounds of this shrine for a picnic lunch. *NHK (Japan’s public broadcaster) series we enjoy.
Our local haunt in Kanazawa
After a day of sightseeing, we returned to this Izakaya from last night. With just 14 seats, we were the only tourists among a bar full of friendly, local characters. Sumo wrestling played on the television, while the walls displayed sumo-themed photos and memorabilia. At one point the barman held up his phone so we could all sing Happy Birthday to an absent customer.