This'll Just Take a Minute

I don't know if this is normal in other places outside Japan, and I suspect it's not based on my casual observations because most of the world is depressingly filthy, but this morning was our kindergarten bus stop appreciation and cleaning day. The other moms and I brought out brooms and dustpans and trash bags (well actually Eri prepped for me) and cleaned that section of sidewalk we use daily for the kindergarten bus, and that little guy Atsuki-kun who's the younger brother of Yumi-chan, one of the kindergarten kids, was delighted beyond belief. He has a laugh, no actually a chortle, that makes me smile to my core. The part I love is that every bus stop for our kindergarten, and there are dozens around Sendai, as well as the bus stops for other schools, all engage in this erratic behavior of physically showing gratitude for using a public space to send our kids off to school even though junior high kids and old people walking their dogs might sometimes be inconvenienced b...

Eri writes a blog too. I've never seen it. Apparently it generates revenue. Today we drove down to Taihaku Ward for a Hawaiian lunch. And after Eri posts about it on her blog the restaurant is gonna refund the entire check. Like over 5000 yen. Obviously our blogs are different. Mine actually burns resources instead of generating any sort of "reward." Also obviously we blog for different reasons. Like for example I got in the car this morning and noticed the odometer and thought hmm I should capture that bit of curious minutiae that even I won't care about 20 minutes from now. I was just like whoa so many sevens I have to share this with the world. From where we live in eastern Izumi Ward to the downtown Sendai part of Taihaku Ward it's about a 30-minute drive. It was a chance to have some one-on-one deep talk with Eri, which these days we kinda don't get a whole lot of. Usually our talks are after dinner time, bath time, story time, teeth brushing time, and al...

It was Emperor Naruhito's birthday today. He turned 65. It was also my boss's birthday. He's 51. The national holiday was for the emperor though. Auntie Kyla got a crick in her neck and made sure to tell us she doesn't blame our sofa. I loved watching Eri awkwardly putting a menthol compress on her back. And we did it again. This time we got in the car and drove down to Nagamachi and played and ate at IKEA. They have a kids play area that the boys love but really IKEA is just one giant big box play area where grown-ups and kids can frolic about and nap and eat and impulse-buy.  Also our IKEA has awesome views of the bullet train coming and going from Sendai to Tokyo.  My only impulse purchase was hot dogs. One hundred yen. Two for me and one for Mu. Well I snuck another one in for me when no one was looking but what can ya do. That Scandinavian mustard is so dern good.  We were gonna visit the Sendai Streetcar Museum, one of our favorite places, but luckily I checked on...

Auntie Kyla, Kenzo, Osamu, and I kicked off our morning by hopping on the bus before 9 AM and catching the subway down to Kita Sendai. Our mission was a bit of geocaching, a bit of exploring, finding good eats, and of course visiting some of our favorite play spots. Kyla is into geocaching, and over the years, she’s dragged me into it as well. Not that I mind. It’s like digital treasure hunting, with a global community of fellow seekers hiding little surprises in places you’d never think to look. The boys, of course, are all in because of the words "treasure" and "hunting." I love it because it gives me an excuse to wander aimlessly through places I’d never have a reason to go otherwise, looking highly suspicious while rooting around for tiny boxes left behind by strangers. It’s a hobby that pretty much guarantees you’ll spend a solid amount of time grinning to yourself like an idiot. I also talk to myself. Come to think of it I'm amazed no one has called the co...

Another classic Soccer Saturday with the boys... running, kicking, and burning off all that endless little boy energy. But this weekend had a special twist: Auntie Kyla came to visit from Kobe! Kyla and I go way back to 2013 when Bruno and I hired her to work with us. She’s one of those people who just brings the fun wherever she goes... loves to talk (even more than me, which is saying something), always shows up with Legos and video games, and is just as into the outdoors as we are. No wonder the boys adore her. After a day of action, we huddled inside for dinner. My homemade macaroni and cheese, because comfort food and snowy nights just go together. We ate, laughed, and watched the snow fall outside, a perfect way to spend a winter weekend. Good company, good food, and a little snow magic.

Every three weeks, I gotta see my head shrinker. He asks me the same questions every time, and I always give him more information than he actually wants. But the main thing is, he prescribes my antidepressants. In other countries, it’s called Zoloft. I hate to admit it because I want my life and choices to be entirely my own, but that stuff has saved me. Completely. I don’t even know what happened to make it necessary. But if I didn’t have that prescription, I’d probably be either dead or in some serious trouble. Like sitting in a foreign jail with no access to diplomatic assistance. I know that's dramatic but I do think that was a path available to me under the circumstances.  After my appointment, I always take the same walk... Hirosedori to Kitayobancho, or even Kita Sendai when I attend my group counseling session. That's another story. A good one though. Sendai is a beautiful city. In Japan, they call it the City of Trees. I love city walking. Especially here. I stopped to...

An old friend once told me, for sure over 20 years ago, that the pictures we take of mundane, everyday things will be the ones we cherish the most in the future. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I was in my 20s. Like most folks, I figured the "important" photos were the big moments… birthdays, graduations, vacations, parties. And yup, those are great. But now, as I scroll through my pictures, I see the wisdom in those words. Tonight, I took some pictures of a regular Thursday night bedtime for the boys. Nothing special. Just them in their cute little boy bedroom, pajamas a little ruffled, stuffed animals here and there, Pikachu night light on the corner table. A scene that happens every night. And yet, I already know these will be the photos I look back on with a lump in my throat one day. Hell, I’m getting verklempt writing this.  Because the everyday things… they don’t stay everyday forever. When we’re in it, daily life feels repetitive. Rushing out the door to schoo...

Another morning of snow. It’s really beautiful, except for the shoveling and the moment when you open the car door, and a pile falls onto the driver’s seat, melting just enough before you can sweep it away so that you’re left with a cold, damp butt on the drive to the bus stop. It was still below freezing when we got there, and the roads were icy. Osamu and I even slid backward down a hill on the way. Not the first time, and I’m sure not the last. He was cool with it. Kinda scary, but what can you do? The bus was 45 minutes late. Apparently, the icy roads on the Sendai Bypass caused some sudden mayhem. Usually, by morning, the nighttime snowfall loosens up, but since it was still below freezing, that nice, soft, fresh snow had turned to ice, and the whole town turned into an automobile ice capade.

Yesterday started rough. I woke up exhausted, still feeling the effects of the night before. Too much barfing, not enough sleeping. Eri had already made me a doctor's appointment, and I tried to dodge it, but she insisted. Of course, she was right. After a stomach event like that, I had no real excuse not to go and oh nothing I was in physical pain. The doctor said it was probably a stomach bug that’s been going around. His advice: take it easy. Then Eri mentioned that I had chugged a big cup of ice-cold green vegetable juice first thing in the morning (like I always do actually) because I was so dehydrated. The doc physically recoiled and told me to cool it with the cold drinks unless I wanted my stomach to stage another revolt. He prescribed a bunch of meds and sent me on my way. I tried to work. Managed to get some things done, though I'll have to go back and fix them the next day. Slept a lot. At one point, I even passed out at my desk in the late afternoon. Meanwhile, outs...

This morning was my second-to-last neighborhood association meeting as vice-chair. Two years of meetings. Two years of budget meetings and organizing events and MCing this and that. Two years of making sure our monthly newsletter was not just informative but something people actually wanted to read. And I’ll say it... our newsletter has been the best it’s ever been under my watch. Yes I toot my own horn today. Surrounding neighborhood associations have looked on with envy. I just hope whoever takes over for me knows how to use Canva. After my meetings, Eri suggested we go out for lunch. I was of course on board. I suggested Steak Palace because I love their salad bar. And once again I made the most of it. A little too much, actually. From the moment we got back in the car, I felt... off. At first, I chalked it up to overeating. A personal best in poor portion control. But this was different. By the time we got home, I was totally useless. I lay down on the couch and hoped a nap would r...

Soccer Saturday again. The weeks are flying by, and it’s kind of freaking me out. Five months until I hit 50, and sometimes I feel like I need to find a way to slow things down. It’s all going way too fast. Kenzo was home sick last weekend, so he was literally jumping with excitement to be back on the field with his friends today. It wasn’t even that cold, at least not as bitter as it’s been all week. The sun was out, and all the kids were in high spirits. While Osamu played, Kenzo and I snuck off for a car wash. I went for the wax option. Winter grime makes everything look so dreary, and I wasn’t the only one who had the same idea... long line of guys waiting to get their cars back to looking decent, at least until the next snowfall. Osamu was beyond thrilled when I announced it was time for Family Make Your Own Pizza Night. Ever since our first one last year, he’s been steadfast in his dream of opening  Little Pizza Shop...  a place with a big, open dining area but tiny pizz...

Eri got me chocolate for Valentine’s Day, like she always does, because she’s sweet like that. I had some during my morning meeting, sipping from my fresh thermos of coffee, which I pour a little at a time into my glass mug, expecting that perfect balance of bitter and sweet. But the chocolate was Earl Grey flavored, and I have to say… it didn’t really pair well with coffee the way I like. I ain't no choco-snob, but I’ll take a good dark chocolate over a fancy tea-infused one any day. Still, it was good because it had Eri's love in it. Speaking of things that didn’t quite go how I’d like... my Friday management meeting. It dragged on and on... one of those calls where some parts matter, but a whole lot of it just feels like background noise. This is where working from home is such a blessing. Sure, I have to stay engaged, but at least I can sip my coffee in my cozy upstairs corner office, occasionally zone out and check the news, or better yet The Onion, and fire off some memes...

Every morning, on the short drive to the bus stop, Osamu insists on choosing a song. Well first I start with my choice and when we get to the top of the hill in 3-Chome he always says, "Can I choose a song now?" It’s become his little ritual, calling out requests from the backseat. Mostly it's a song I know and that I can yell at Siri to play while I drive, sometimes it’s something from a movie or a random YouTube discovery. But this morning, he surprised me: Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House. The opening notes hit, and for a second, I wondered... does this resonate with him, or was it just a random pick? But as we drove through the quiet, winter-morning streets, he sat there, listening, really listening. "There is freedom within, there is freedom without..." I think it’s a song about resilience, about holding on when the world seems determined to pull you under. It’s about something slipping away, but also about the quiet determination to keep going. I gl...

Kenzo has been hesitant about school and Friends Club for months now. Every morning since September, Eri has walked him to school... his daily security blanket. I know he’s just eight, and this is a phase, but I can’t help but be concerned and overthink it. The thing is, he almost always comes home in a good mood. Once in a while, he’ll mutter that school wasn’t fun, but I'm pretty sure that’s standard. Today, Eri was at Osamu’s very last kindergarten open house, so when Kenzo got home, it was just me. I had been working at the dining table downstairs with the curtains open onto the world and enjoying the heck out of the peace and quiet. I even cleaned the fish tank and loved it. Kenzo came in and put his stuff down in the living room and said he had a good day, then immediately followed it up with, “I don’t wanna go to Friends Club.” “Why?” “Some kids bully me.” That got my attention, but I’ve (mostly) learned not to jump straight to problem-solving. Kenzo is sensitive. He feels ...

Man, I conked out so hard on the living room floor tonight. Right after bath time, before story time. I barely remember. Completely exhausted. Big adventure day. Another in a long series I hope the boys will remember when they’re older... our first IMAX movie, a downtown city outing, and some life lessons in the game center. We left the house at 9:15 a.m. and didn’t get back until nearly 6 p.m., totally spent but full of pizza and memories. The Wild Robot in IMAX was totally stunning. The scale, the colors, the sound. We could feel every gust of wind and rustle of leaves. I made sure we had prime seats, row G, right in the center. Two big buckets of popcorn too, which, according to Kenzo and Osamu, I  absolutely should not  be sharing. “You should get your own!” they kept saying. I think a little bit of popcorn thievery is well within my rights as the papa. After the movie, we headed through the cold and wind across to the game center on the other side of Sendai Station. Being...