This'll Just Take a Minute

Last night before heading off to bed Eri was like what are you doing. I was cutting paper at my desk and muttering to myself and writing drafts on old post it notes that don't stick anymore. I seem to have succeeding once again though. Osamu was very excited when he woke up this morning. I only get one shot at this, but I feel like I'm made for it. Eri is confused by the immense pleasure I get in doing this stuff, maybe in part because I am responsible for our sons believing in make-believe characters. For me it's a wonderful thing. We only get a small fraction of our life to believe in that stuff. I think it's healthy. I have no scientific evidence to base that on except can you imagine going on a road trip with someone who didn't believe in Santa or the Tooth Fairy when they were six years old?

Osamu lost a tooth after eating an apple. Looks like I gotta text the tooth fairy. And hopefully we have a 100 yen coin around here somewhere. At some point the tooth fairy and all those mythical creatures need to start using PayPay or Venmo or whatever. And tonight we finished Charlotte's Web . Well actually just Kenzo and me. Osamu couldn't make the journey this time. He's been sick and it turns out he's just a tad bit not ready for it. He's not sore about it, just a little annoyed because he prefers the picture books. Nothing wrong with that. We finished the last two chapters at the dining table, and every few pages I had to put it down and take a beat to right myself. Kenzo was fine, but he was worried about me. I told him I was okay and he asked why I was crying. I said because life is beautiful and it just gets me emotional sometimes like when we read special stories like this. Those last 20 pages... “Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I don’t deserve...

I had to drive downtown to the company to take care of some business and usually I ride my motorcycle but today was crazy windy and there was snow and hail so I checked to make sure Eri didn't have any urgent business with still-at-home Osamu and I took the car. I love our car. It's so comfy and roomy and I love it when the boys are in the back seat annoying the crap out of each other. Today I just enjoyed the silence. I didn't even turn on any music. Just the sound of the car driving and the weather hitting and my breathing and murmuring about other drivers. Tonight Kenzo caught me capturing a moment of him being sweet to his sick brother...

Osamu was spread out on the living room floor again today. His temperature finally came down to 37.5, which is a huge improvement but still a little more to go. Eri came to my office in the mid afternoon and said she was gonna head over to McDonald's to get some chicken nuggets because Osamu' been binge-watching the Chicken Run movies and he announced he wants to eat chicken nuggets. He has up to this point shown zero interest in chicken nuggets. Eri was like why of all things would Chicken Run make him suddenly want to eat chicken nuggets. Obviously she hasn't seen the movies. She needs to watch the movies. Chicken Run is so underrated and I love that the boys love it. Plus they've been obsessed with the new Wallace & Gromit movie on Netflix and I am a bad papa because I haven't watched it with them yet. Last week Eri made a brick of chashu. It's basically roasted pork loin seasoned with soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar, giving it a savory-sweet flavor. I...

Osamu officially has the flu and he looks it, too. His temperature is around 39℃ and it's been a while since I've seen him so wiped out. He's always such a tremendously energetic boy. Under any circumstances.  The poor guy was camped out on the living room floor all day and slept a lot, but at some point in the mid-afternoon right before Kenzo got home from school he barfed a couple of times and didn't quite make it to his trusty barf bucket so Eri had to wash the carpet and then after she took his temperature again and it was still hovering over 39 degrees she had no choice but give him fever medicine but the standard fever medicine in these parts for situations like this is in the form of a suppository and boy oh boy Osamu was not happy about that. I mean who ever is really? But a sick 6-year-old? And you're gonna put a what in my what? But it worked. And I was of no help. Whatsoever.  I was up in my office on a Zoom call and when it was done I went downstairs to ...

Yesterday left me totally exhausted. Presiding over a barbecue party where you are the only adult and the other members are all super energetic little boys is, not surprisingly, hard on this 49-year-old barely coping mentally and physically dad. Also I love it. I ended up napping on the sofa for a long time this afternoon. That sofa I bought in 2012. Man I've had some good naps on that thing. It's still a fine piece of furniture and I predict it will at some point end up in my second-floor office which I secretly envision one day becoming my man cave. There was drama again this morning. I don't even know why I'm taken aback by it. We have two little dudes in our house who are confident, curious, and live every waking hour with all they've got. Drama is to be expected. The boys were arguing about something or other, Eri got irritated, and I remained aloof which always ends up making things worse. I ceremoniously canceled our trip to the donut shop because of it all b...

On the way to soccer club this morning Kenzo spotted something in the car ahead of us. A cat. Riding in the back seat. Kenzo loves cats. Osamu is more of a dog boy but he was still very interested in what was happening. Since I was driving and all, even though I was stopped at a light, this was the best I could do as far as photography. Somehow the boys made eye contact with the cat and that thing raced to the back of his car and stared down Kenzo and Osamu and we all laughed hysterically because that cat was funny. Mostly because you don't usually see a cat riding in an automobile, and the cat apparently knew it. The boys commented that dogs love riding in cars and then asked about cats. I said look at the cat in that car... does he look happy? The boys agreed that cats in cars is not the best idea. Osamu was on fire at soccer club. He scored a goal and did his usual victory dance. Then the day took a curious turn. I had been checking the weather reports and decided today was gonn...

For one reason or another, I haven’t been feeling so great these past few days. It’s nothing big, or at least that’s how I talk myself down. I’m fine when I close my office door, jump on video calls, and get into work mode. In those moments, I can kind of forget all the stuff that’s bothering me and focus on my job and coworkers. We have a great time, even though, like any workplace environment, there are challenges. Being the boss is exactly as stressful as I always imagined. One reason I’ve been out of sorts lately is Kenzo. This morning was a bit of a drama fest. He’s been home sick for the last four days, and today was his first day back at school, and he wasn’t thrilled about it. Even though it’s Friday for goodness sake. Just one day and then it’s the weekend. He’s eight-and-a-half, and I keep reminding myself of this one truth: he’s not giving us a hard time… he’s having a hard time. Being a little boy is both incredible and excruciating. I sort of remember. Kenzo usually walk...

Another chilly day, another crisp motorcycle ride. I headed down to Izumi Chuo to meet some work friends for a little yakiniku lunch and, oh nothing, sign marriage documents as a witness. It makes me feel all official even though barbecued beef and municipal legal papers are not really meant to be on the same table. I brought my personal seals and took my time writing all the kanji nicely. I shoulda brought my good pen though. The pen I was handed was kinda meh and yes I have become a small-time pen snob. Last year for Christmas Eri got me this amazing pen that changed my worldview and really I should have it on me at all times. I can't even sign up for a restaurant waiting list without thinking this pen is an insult to humanity. Eri's dinners are so amazing. Tonight was cheese hamburg with steamed carrots, lotus root, and burdock. Man I look forward to dinner so bad every day.   Kenzo did his best to eat but he's still not 100% yet. I ate up his remaining rice and hamburg ...

Apparently, my snoring was legendary last night, at least according to the report I got this morning. Kenzo’s still sick, so he slept downstairs in the living room. Eri and I were too wiped out to bother hauling him and all his stuff back upstairs, just to move it all down again in the morning. Eri stayed with him, which meant I had the bed all to myself and ended up sawing logs like a broken vacuum cleaner.  I really need to stop putting off that sleep apnea doctor. My test results came back, and I saw the doc Monday morning. Turns out, I’m just half a point under the threshold for social insurance to cover the treatment. Since it’s expensive, the doctor suggested another test, so that’s the plan. This next test is also something I can do at home, but apparently, the machine they’re sending this time is even grander in scale. Can’t wait for that thing to show up. Gotta call them back and confirm though. I was walking along one of my favorite back streets, enjoying the view of nort...

This morning after getting my work day going I took a routine trip to the fridge and emerged with two and a half packs of expired natto. The date on the packs was 1/18. Today is 1/21. Cool. For me, eating expired food isn’t a dare or some weird habit. It’s my rebellion against food waste. It’s a duty. As with all things, I gave the natto a quick smell test. Granted, with natto smelling like it’s been aged in an old sneaker factory, it’s a bit of a formality. Confirming its edibility, I scooped it all into a bowl, cracked in an egg, added some soy sauce and a big dab of wasabi, and whipped up a masterpiece. Breakfast of champions. Eri watched the entire scene and was like, “Guess you don’t need lunch today.” I smiled and replied, “I’m probably gonna be fine.” And honestly, I was. Fast-forward a couple of hours to 11:45, and I get a text. It’s Eri, sharing a picture of bacon and shrimp pasta on the downstairs dining table.  “Hey, lunch is ready.” I was in a Zoom call. Then five minut...

Today was one of those family days that doesn’t go quite as planned but still manages to pack in a lot of little memorable moments. Kenzo stayed home from school with a fever. Poor guy was pretty hot at over 38°C. Eri took him to the doctor, and thankfully it’s nothing too serious... no flu, no COVID. Just one of those run-of-the-mill bugs that knocks you out for a day or two. He spent most of the day camped out on the couch, drifting between naps and his favorite Netflix shows. He loves this Malaysian animated series called BoBoiBoy, which kept him entertained while his body fought off whatever’s got him down. Meanwhile, I had my own doctor visit to deal with. I rode my motorcycle across town to see this sleep apnea specialist Dr. Saito. Now, that’s a story for another day (wires, beeping machines, and a lot of awkward breathing tests), but the good news is I’m finally gonna get some treatment. On the way back, I decided to swing by the Matsuya in Yaotome for lunch. I went for the kim...

I had my monthly neighborhood association meeting this morning, and boy oh boy it was a doozy. This one old dude Omori-san must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed because he was airing grievances left and right.  I always show up a little after 8 AM at the community center and spend two hours getting notes from the chairman Nakabachi-san and the other vice-chairperson Abukawa-san on what to put in the monthly neighborhood newsletter. I love making the newsletter but I have to say that when my vice-chair tenure is up in March I'm gonna be somewhat relieved to not have to do this again for a while. Mostly it's a burden on Eri because she has to hold down the fort on her own when I'm off doing neighborhood association tasks. During the meetings this morning I was barely paying attention. I sipped my thermos coffee (with steamed milk and nutmeg added... I'm such a white person) and smiled and nodded and even when I had MC duties I was kinda mentally absent. When I...

When I picked up Kenzo at the bus stop at 13:00 this was the scene. I was thinking good grief what happened. Turns out the sledding trip up to  Izumigatake  was bonkers fun as always but apparently on the bus ride home some of the boys were a little too crazy and it made Kenzo upset. He only likes it if he's in the mood to be crazy too. Just before the bus came to pick them up at 8:30 this morning I managed to somehow get a picture of all the bus stop friends. Kenzo was lookin' sharp in his new snow gear. That kid in the middle is also in 2nd grade and he's easily the tallest 8-year-old I' think I've ever seen. I've chatted with his dad a few times and that guy is the same height as me, maybe taller. The kid on the right is in 4th grade and and he's the shortest in the group. He's obsessed with the shinkansen and even has a fully coordinated Hayabusa themed snow suit. It's a riot to me how many shapes and sizes people come in. So it was just me and O...

This morning I was putting on my boots because it snowed pretty good last night, and Osamu says, "This place is great! We should sleep here tonight. To try it out!" He does that a lot. Says random things that it turns out are things he heard in movies and TV shows. Somehow based on my random and specific knowledge of pop culture I realized he's been re-watching Ghostbusters after kindergarten recently. He also likes to copy Dan Aykroyd when he says, "Get herrrrr!" First thing when I woke up I peeked out the window from the warmth of the bed and saw this. I just stared for a while until the ruckus of morning family life forced me up and at 'em. I skipped my Friday night group counseling session so Eri busted out the good stuff to celebrate the end of another crazy week in style. Beef tongue! I don't know where she picked up this feast but it must've been on sale because she cooked up a major batch.  Osamu and Kenzo even decided it was time to join in ...

It was a bit cold to be motorcycle riding, but I've got a good winter riding jacket and a super neck warmer. There's still snow on the ground in places where the sun doesn't hit much so I gotta watch out and avoid those streets. My Yamaha SR was not built for Sendai winter. It's definitely a spring through autumn ride. I've been re-inspired to eat lunch at places in our neighborhood and then write reviews for them on Google maps. Today I tried a place that I've walked past a thousand times and thought every time I oughtta try that sometime. Well, today was finally the day. It's called Bunbuku . And it was a delightful surprise. We've been living here for coming up on seven years and I'm just now getting to these little tucked away spots that are within a ten minute walk from our house. Last week I tried this other little greasy spoon joint called Ajihei and sat at the counter and had their liver and leek stir fry set and holy moly it was incredible,...

This is sort of becoming a winter habit. Turning on the hot carpet in the living room when it's cold and snowy outside and just conking out after a bowl of Eri's udon. And today Eri captured photographic evidence of my lunchtime laziness. Dinner time was warm and delicious. Smoked duck and a steaming bowl of lotus roots and konyaku.  I've really been into the late night snacks recently. One reason surely why I've been gaining so much extra weight. Tonight I snuck into the kitchen and made a mini oven pizza and dumped natto on it and it was sumptuous.

Eri asked me this morning as I was getting ready to head up to my office to start my work day if I wanted mapo-don for lunch. I tried to be cool. Who would say no to that? Spicy tofu and pork over a bowl of freshly steamed rice. Plus Eri's mom brought us some of her homemade pickles the other day so that was the side dish. After that I lay down on the hot carpet in the living room using both Baymax and Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear as pillows and conked out for about 30 minutes.

Last month, after years and years of hemming and hawing over it, I went to see a cardiologist about my sleep apnea and snoring. It's been getting so bad. I sleep tons and feel tired when I wake up. I doze off during the day and often take long naps that never really refresh me. I see photos of myself from even just 5 or 6 years ago and my eyes are different. My face is different. The other day a package arrived. It was a sleep testing device. I made sure to read the instructions more than once and last night I did it. There was a thing I had to attach to my left index finger with a device that I wore like a big clunky watch and a wire that I taped to my arm all the way up under my pajama sleeve that had a diode on the end that I stuck to my chest.  At some point while I was sleeping one of the wires got detached. Oh well. I sent it back to the doctor this morning so we'll see what happens. I might have to do it again. I just feel good about taking steps to do something about th...

The plan was just to check out the Vegalta Sendai cheerleaders show at the mall and maybe grab a donut. The boys and I took off at 10:15 and when we got to the Tomiya Aeon Mall indoor parking garage it was a dank, cold, freezing, wet cavern thanks to all the melting snow. The boys and I navigated through the dark, treacherous pathways, dodging carts and cars and deep puddles, and when we got to the escalator entrance the view made me stop and take a moment to stare.  I was like hey guys check this out... but there's a moving walkway and they're little boys. In my mind attending a Vegalta Sendai event, no matter what it is, is supporting our team. Apparently, however, there are exceptions I have been told. Apparently showing up to the cheerleader show at the mall on a Sunday morning is not exactly being a Vegalta soccer fan per se. More like just your standard issue Benny Hill loving middle aged dude. Well I enjoyed it.  The boys hit the arcade after putting up with this malar...

 The sun came out but everything was still covered in a good thick blanket of snow when we took off for the first soccer Saturday of the year this morning. The boys were shaking with excitement on the drive over, and we listened to the Coco soundtrack again in the car.  One of my favorite parts of the week is snack time with the boys on Saturday mornings. While Osamu's kindergarten group plays Kenzo and I walk over to the Yamazawa supermarket and grab snacks and sit and talk in the little cafe area they have set up with free green tea. We just chat about whatever is on his mind and I cherish it. When Kenzo's elementary school group starts I do the same thing with Osamu. When Osamu starts 1st grade in April he'll join the elementary school group and my days of spending two hours at soccer will come to an end. I talked about that with Kenzo and he suggested that from April we just go early, do snack time all together at like 10:30, and then they can be on time for 11:00 socce...