Tokyo Tidbits

run in the neighborhood

Glorious day... Mt. Fuji isn't hiding today!

I used to jog regularly but with the cold, it's been too hard to get out of bed in the morning. I have to use an electric blanket at night to stay warm (there's a reason you find so many foreigners commenting on how houses have no insulation here...). By morning, my body feels like lead. I get so lethargic and I really should do a little something to get my blood moving.

Well, I just figured out a perfect way to get myself out of bed. You see, my cats have nothing else to do but sleep all day and I've noticed some extra rolls on their tummies. Part of this is b/c I used to leave food out for them all the time figuring they'd eat only what they need. Now I'm filling their bowls twice a day only. By morning, they are quite hungry and they sure let me know. Even after the alarm went off, I used to snuggle up to half an hour in bed. This morning though, Wakame came up close and stared at me, and believe me, you can feel a cat's stare. Katsuo was a bit more physical; he came up to my face and kept patting me with his paw. Needless to say, I got up, fed the cats, and went for a jog.

And of course, I took my camera phone:
- 2 school girls in the uniforms with their ランドセル (randoseru), backpacks from an old German design (I used to have one in red)
- The shrine I run to and the surrounding area that is swept everyday. Not a leaf in sight.
- Someone's yard with a big tanuki (raccoon known for its magical ability to transform itself...like Ponpoco in my favorite Miyazaki Hayao movie).