Got up at 6 today to a nice cool, quiet dining room. Made my
coffee and toast and enjoyed the sounds of cawing crows that are the
norm in the early morning. Can you see the pattern forming? I think
I could live this life style for a long long time if I had the
choice. Up early, simple breakfast, golf, lunch, relax, relax, eat,
relax. I would have to figure a way to add surf, fishing, cycling
and I would be good to go. Some day!!!
Ok back out of the
day dream. Melanie was on the couch as a big bee had chased her out
of her room. So she says. Alice got up shortly after me and I am
sure that as soon as I start cooking the rest will follow. So I am
going to get busy.
1.5 hours later and all are up and full of
my onion, shitake mushroom, red pepper, cheese, special sauce,
hamburger and sweet tomato omelet. It must have been ok as it was
all gone. Ok time to get cleaned up and go get in 9 holes. The girls
are going to the lake.
Matt and I had a really good time
today. I shot the same score as yesterday but I had more good shots
than bad. Matt played pretty good too. Got back to the cabin around
12:30 and Alice and the girls were waiting for us. I whipped up some
good tuna sushi rolls and Matt and I were happy again. We set off to
meet Alice's brother and fam. to head for the TOYS R US store in Nagano and
another 100 YEN store, a big sports store and then a second hand
store.
We shopped for the bat and ended up getting it at
($40.00) Toys R Us as the sport store was way to
EXPENSIVE.
We did have fun looking at all the stuff at the
sport store. They had like everything. Surfboards skim boards, all
the apparel to go with it and just about every other sport you could
think of. I saw some snowboards (just the board) for over $1000.00.
Stuff was really high priced. If we were like super rich we would
have needed a couple more suitcases to go home. But we aren't so we
didn't. I did buy a ping pong paddle though. It was only $10.00 and
it came with balls too.
Melanie saw a pair of really cool
terry cloth pants made by O'Neill but they were just too expensive.
I thought that maybe my friend Mark Mertins could get them for her.
Next stop was the 100 YEN STORE (aka dollar store). And this one was
HUGE. Now this was more like it. All this stuff and none of it
costing more than a buck. A lot of the stuff was made in Japan and
as we are in Japan it was a good place for me to score lots of
gifts. I ended up getting a dozen or so really sharp kitchen knives
and several pairs of really sharp scissors. It's funny how quality
of stuff can vary from country to country. Anything with an edge on
it here is far superior to what we have to choose from in America.
As I was very content browsing and shopping, Alice and the
kids were just as busy. Time pressed on and the stomachs were
starting to growl. So Alice's brother made the announcement that it was time to
go eat. I was too busy shopping and didn't hear him so they had to
come find me. I didn't even cover half the store.
I spent
like 40 bucks so I guess it was time to go. Next stop was the 100
yen sushi restaurant. The fun food and price were all great. The
quality of the sushi was very good. I can not imagine what a fancy
sushi restaurant would be like. We won't be finding out either. I
heard that you can spend as much as $300.00 for 1 plate. Of course
this would be the famous blowfish that they serve here. It is called
FUGU and it is poisonous unlike the ones that I catch here in
Florida.
The conveyer belt sushi bar was very fun. We
stacked up plenty of plates and everyone was full. WHOOPS I forgot
to mention the golf store that we or should I say me and Matt went
to. It was fun but again very expensive. I did manage to buy some
Japanese golf tees and some other small golf items. No more hunger
pains and we thought it was time to head home but Alice's brother's wife suggested
that we go check out the second hand store. They call it the
"recycle store". Once again here we go with the shopping. I like it.
I guess it's in the genes as my mom loves to shop too. Thanks Mom.
After some more cool little finds like an old Beetles CD and
pencil sharpeners and the like we headed home. More rain is falling
and my pillow is calling me. Till tomorrow and another wonderful,
blissful, joyful, awesome day. Good
night.