June 14th

After three days of rain and not feeling very well besides I was finally able to get out a little today! Like I said it's been a steady drizzly rain the last three days but the rain stopped and then it was just hot and muggy! Not as bad as when we lived in Panama though... nothing is as hot as Panama! Even so, ponytails are my friend because they keep my hair up off of my neck and also because without them my hair frizzes out. I would show you a picture but it is quite frightening!
Anyway, I hopped our little local bus and headed over to the shopping area of Kichijoji.  I stopped in a bookstore, those of you who know me know that I could live in bookstores and libraries! When I was a kid I once dreamt I died and went to heaven only to discover that heaven was a giant library!
Apparently, Japan shares my love of the printed word! If you are riding on a train here you will see one of three things. People sleeping, people on cellphones or tablets (not talking on the phones  though that would be rude) or just as often they will be reading a book or magazine. There are bookstores everywhere here! Young people and elderly alike all love to read!
After I dragged myself out of the bookstore I headed to a little import store. The import stores are scattered around the city and it's hit and miss as to whether you will find something you want on any given visit. Today, however, was a winner! I found three jars of Salsa Verde (the secret ingredient to a few of my Mexican dishes) and I found grape jam! I have only been able to find strawberry and blueberry and I missed grape, so yay! I also found sauerkraut and Swiss cheese which is what I was actually looking for since I had some bratwurst I wanted to make for dinner but needed sauerkraut and Swiss cheese to go with it. I also was looking for some American style potato chips to go with a packet of French onion dip mix I had found. I didn't find any there so I headed home and decided to try the grocer nearer my house.  And this is what happened:

 I had ridden my bike to the local grocery store and was on my way home when I had to stop for a light. A little truck pulls up right next to me, I look up and tied on to the back of the truck with a single thin rope was a porta potty! It was kind of leaning toward me and I had no where to move until the light changed. I had terrible visions of my ignominious death by porta potty! Fortunately that wasn't my fate today!
So that's the story of what's been going on here the last couple of days ... with me anyway, Gary has a whole different story involving flyers, taxes, and business cards! (so despite not feeling well and all... I still think I had it better off!)