What do you do on January 2nd? You could spend much needed time working on editing your second novel. But, if your son is being watched by your mother, your wife is available and the weather is hot enough to be comfortable in a t-shirt you go canoeing. Rika and I piled into our little … More Canoeing
I sit down to write this and realize that where I live it is already 2017. Currently I am visiting my parents and the world is still a year behind. Around my home New Years means lots of watching football and in between singing songs and walking around the neighborhood I’ve managed to introduce my … More The First Yet Again
Feel ever so slightly like an accidental jerk. I need to buy apples for work so I stop off at a nearby 7/11. It’s one of those slightly fancy ones that sell fruit. They have two baskets of red apples. Fuji apples for 150 yen and a type I’m unfamiliar with for 100 yen. Their … More Adventures in Apple Buying
When this is posted I’ll be standing in a bus terminal helping to organize about a hundred campers head out for a fun filled five days. Which is why the night before I wrote this about what I leave behind to do these camps. Sunday afternoon I took Leo in his sling (I don’t know … More A Family Day in the Park
I returned from camp two days ago. The original plan was to spend a few days resting, going to work and basically getting ready to go back to camp. Unfortunately, my little boy has another cold. My days of rest have turned into days of parenting. A sick child can’t go to daycare so things … More Rest
The other day when Rika came home she was excited. During the bus ride Leo, our son, spoke his first words. Leo likes riding the bus. There is the movement, the energy. Usually a few old ladies take an interest in him. People come on, people say goodbye. All that is just too much fun … More First Words
My mom has been here for a week. But she leaves tomorrow morning. It’s doubtful I’ll be able to see her before she goes. I’m not ready to say how great it was to spend so much time with her this week. Instead I’ll just say that my son has been really happy getting to … More Bye Mom
Waiting at the train station. My bags are heavy. My body, tired. More stares this morning but I’m the same me. A passing train brings a cool breeze that momentarily chills the sweat on my brow. Another train comes, closer this time, and blocks the breeze. The movement of people adds to the heat. Yesterday … More Commute: An Hour Earlier
I just left a little luncheon to head to work for a little bit. That alone means that today is a slightly odd day. Since my school is having a bit of a special schedule it means I don’t have to be there except for a few hours today. Which is good because not only … More Everyone’s Here
This makes two family related, emotional posts in a row. Don’t worry, I’ll get back to dragons and super-heroes soon enough. But I need to pause and take a moment. Six years ago I woke up as any other day. Sometime after a breakfast I can’t remember I went over to the city office and … More 6 Years
Deadly Troubadour 