Microblog

Walked past recently closed Rudolph’s Bar-B-Que. Dwight and I first met there 31 years ago at a birthday brunch.

Snow fell while we jogged.

Posted Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo.

Slowed down for breakfast at Open Book’s cafe. Hundreds of miniature open books hang from the ceiling.

Selected window sheers.

Satisfied my craving for an authentic ramen bowl at United Noodles, an Asian supermarket.

It’s a perfect day to be a couch potato: rain all day, and a novel just released in the US today.

While I ran errands Downtown, the IDS Tower had its head in the clouds.

Posted Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things.

Stocked up at the Mill City Farmers Market under the watchful eye of Anton Chekhov.

Used NFC (near-field communication) to read the outstanding balance on my Japanese Suica stored-value card: ¥421, almost four US dollars. The balance expires in 2028, but I plan to spend it much sooner than that.

Woke up from a deep sleep near Seattle. “Anything you need?” asked the flight attendant. “The best cold beer.”

On my way to Haneda HND for my flight home, popped into TOTO’s Tokyo “demonstration showroom,” occupying two floors high up in a Tokyo tower. For good, practical reasons, most Japanese have TOTO’s washlets in their homes; we’re having them in our new home

Walked a level path through extensive marshland surrounded by mountains in Nikko National Park. After yesterday’s tough trail, I went easy on myself today.

Hiked a gnarly trail: extensive tree roots, scree, erosion, fallen trees, 2,300 feet gain in two hours, no switchbacks. Walking down was even harder than the climb. A guy, older than me, was doing this with camping gear. Mount Toyama (7,230 feet), Nikko National Park.

Walked for hours around an area of temples, shrines, and woodland paths on a hillside near Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo.