January 19, 2019

Saturday - Sunny and clear

I got up this morning long before F did. He had told me last night that he was going to go to the onsen this morning, but he didn’t. I got up around 9:30 and he didn’t really roll out of bed until close to 10:30. That normally would be fine, except we had an appointment at 11.  We didn’t actually leave here until 11 am so we were a little late. It didn’t matter too much, however. 

While I was waiting at the appointment, I finished reading a book that I’ve been reading for the last two and a half years! It’s the kind of book that you can’t really read straight through, it’s a book of mini-biographies of weird and wonderful people in history. I liked it a lot, but couldn’t spend a lot of time at a time on it. It was called "The Book of the Dead - Lives of the Justly Famous and the Undeservedly Obscure" by John Lloyd & John Mitchinson.

After our appointment was finished, we went to a bank machine and then back to the house. We picked up K and went to Naa for lunch. It’s the farmer’s restaurant that we go to sometimes. It was really good today and not very busy at all. That made it nice and our food was quicker than usual. Hurray for that! I suggested Naa because I know that K and F like it and our meal wouldn’t have a lot of meat in it. K didn’t have any at all, and F only had a little, as did I.

We visited a farmers market after, but I didn’t get anything, K did. We came back to the house via a gas station to pick up kerosene.

F and I went out around 4 pm which was soon after we got back to the house. I suggested going to a hardware store for a new towel rack. I broke the one in the kitchen a couple of days ago by accident. We found one, I got a couple of hooks for here in the bedroom, and F picked up a thing to help him charge his phone. 

We each had a cream cafe au lait at Komeda Coffee. That was a big tall glass of milky coffee with soft ice cream on the top. I liked the ice cream, but the coffee wasn’t too memorable. Probably next time (!) I’d have plain iced coffee with ice cream.  I had only wanted to stay for an hour max, but F wanted to stay longer.

Although I had suggested going to the curry restaurant for dinner, we decided to check the nearby grocery store for bentos for dinner.  F picked up a couple of raw fish ones for himself and K, I couldn’t bear another helping of rice today so got some bifun noodles and some pepper chicken.  We had our bentos with some iced tea and then some stollen for dessert. K really likes it!  I’m a bit amused at how much she likes the things I contribute to dinner. 

As there weren’t any movies in Tsuruoka for me this week (there were some new ones that F could have seen, but he rarely goes without me), I suggested that we stay in and watch a couple from the DVR.  So, we had a double shot of Paddington!  We rewatched Paddington and then I made a bit of popcorn and we watched Paddington 2. They were both terrific.  Hugh Grant was in the second one and was so funny.  For me, it is rare to watch a family movie that the main character is so positive and I still like it! I admit that I was rather verklempt at the end of the second film (and maybe the first if I’m really honest.) F enjoyed them too and I think it was fun for us to stay in and not spend a huge amount of money tonight!

That’s about it for today. F says he might go to the onsen in the morning with his mother, and after that, I’m not sure what we’ll get up to. I’m hoping that it will be good.  Come back later if you choose and find out. Until tomorrow….