Caramel Apple Day!

Mood:

Caramel apples are awesome!They're also very messy...But, it's worth it! I kind of like the plain original ones with just the caramel around the apple, the most. There are other types too. Some people roll it in nuts, and some drizzle chocolate syrup over the caramel. 

I didn't feel well enough to go to services yesterday morning.And, oddly didn't read the Torah portion or parsha. I've been trying to read them every week. I think I've read this last one so many other times, so it's not like I'm really breaking the 'cycle'. This time it was on Noah, and the one before was the very first parsha of the year. (The very beginning of the Torah.) I'll definitely get back to reading the next one!

We recently got a green tea sampler. I love it so far!I've had the Moroccan Mint, Chai Green, Fusion Green and White, Ginger Peach, and Pomegranate Raspberry. The only one I didn't really care for is the Pomegranate Raspberry. It smells, and kind of, has a fishy taste. At least, to me it does.I really liked the mint and chai ones so far. Very interesting stuff. We also got a pretty good lemon tea, that I've been off and on with. Since I took out sodas, and most sugary drinks about a year ago, there hasn't been very many options for me other than tea. I've become much more healthy because I took those out of my diet, though. There's so many different teas out there! And, I've always loved tea. Plus, it has a lot of health benefits.

Just went out to the store for, what was to just be, chocolate. Realized we needed things like more fruit, and while we were in the produce section, someone we knew saw us and decided to talk. 

She's the type of person where you don't want to be rude, but you know right away she'll want to talk for a long time if you give her the chance.Very nice lady, but she kept talking to us for so long I almost forgot the other stuff we needed. But, she also wanted to ask if I was going to the Hadassah meeting on Tuesday. I felt like I was being talked down to last time, so I was very reluctant about it.But, she really wants me to go with her. At least, I'll know one person who'll treat me like another regular person. So, I agreed to go with her. We might have another person drive us, but if she can't, this lady will. She just hates driving at night.

This time, the meeting will start with a dessert potluck. I wasn't sure about what to bring.So, we looked around the baked goods area, and I decided to get some pumpkin/walnut/chocolate cookies. They're more like huge cakey muffin tops. Really good, and I hope it'll be a hit.One 'cookie' is very filling. So, I'm hoping there will be a few left over for us. There's about 20 of those babies! Doubt there will be that many people. For our dessert tonight, we decided on apple strudel. The market makes a really good one. 

We both really wanted a fire in the wood stove, so we got some more kindling and some wood burning bricks that were on sale at the market. When we got it home, I tried to get it going. Almost got it, but it went out twice before really getting to the logs.Dad helped a bit after that, and it's finally going! Feels good. Our house gets cold inside this time of year, so it's good when we have a fire. You can feel the heat all the way upstairs. It's amazing!

I was hoping to get it going myself, because Dad has something weird going on with one of her eyes. She called the nurse hotline and they agree with her that it might be a detached or torn retina. They told her to relax, lay down, not to make sudden movements, and to stay off the computer until Monday. She has an appointment with an ophthalmologist then. Of course, if things get worse before that, she has to go to urgent care. If they're not open, then it's the emergency room. Oh joy.Anyways, I didn't want something to happen to her, but she ended up helping me. She has a hard time staying away from the computer, too. I would, as well. 

Watched the movie, Liar Game: The Final Stage, yesterday. It was pretty cool. Although, for some reason I felt it wasn't as intricate with the twists as the 2nd season was. I could guess what was going on, long before the characters caught on. Next week, I'll watch the next movie, Liar Game: Reborn. Yes, they beat the final stage, but apparently there's more. 

Watched Sword Art Online yesterday, too. Kirito actually beats the game, by killing off the game's creator. But, the game creator had attacked him first, and ended up killing him at the same time. Kirito woke up in the real world. The creator said the players that died would lose their minds, and become a vegetable. Essentially, killing them in the real world. Yet, he's not a 'vegetable'. He's plenty aware, and pretty much back to normal. Just has to work on gaining his muscles back. He found out where Asuna was being kept, and has been visiting her every week since he woke up. She's still in a coma. Apparently, her game's headgear still looks like its on. A disturbing pervy man plans to marry her while she's still in a coma at the hospital soon. Kirito's going to try to stop it. (They were married in the game, and were living in a nice looking cabin in the woods.) I don't see how there's a possibility of the game still playing when the world literally crumbled to nothing. But, there is, apparently. Judging from the new opening and ending sequences. I guess I'll have to see what happens. 

Rearranged and got rid of a lot of songs. Some were really bugging me. Sad, because I used to love them.Started playing Heralds of Chaos on Gaia yesterday. Interesting war strategy game. I'm into that kind of stuff, so I kind of got sucked in. Also, saw an interesting profile on one of the dating sites. He had shown some 'interest' in me. Which they phrase as him wanting to meet me. He loves his cat, doesn't drink, has similar interests, etc. I'm a little nervous about responding, but I probably should.

Tsurezure Monochrome

Mood:


By Fujifabric. It's the opening song to Tsuritama. This just seems so laid back, and fun. In fact, the English title of it is Lazing Around, Monochrome. (Tsurezure actually means tedium.) The lyrics really fit the series. Fun, yet has a dark tone. The anime has an interesting dance to it. Fujifabric is a rock band that formed in 2000. Their name's an homage to the textile company which a former member's father owned. They have an interesting sound. Might look into them some more.

The weather's finally warming up!I actually went for a walk today. Hope to get back into doing it everyday. Now that I have comfortable jeans, it's easier.


Got a Japan guidebook that looks pretty good so far. Also, got a bilingual atlas book of Japan. So, I can see both the Japanese and English names of places. Kind of nice.I think these will be useful in the future as well. The guidebook has its own map, but it has different info, oddly. 


Went back to Furano on my 'trip', to see what the guidebook said about it. And to continue with what it had, for interesting spots in Hokkaido. Also went to the cheese factory in Furano (saw some interesting youtube vids, Google Earth had interesting info on it, and I went to their website), Farm Tomita (famous for their lavender fields), an Ainu village (interesting looking shops and stuff there), saw some Marimo in Lake Akan, and I'm now in Utoro. They say Utoro is probably the most remote place in the book. Yay!There should be some interesting things there. 


I also wanted to try a new toothpaste, because the one I was using wasn't doing much. (It was also running out, but didn't help with my sensitive teeth.) So, I tried a Crest 'Pro-Health' one. It has weird crystals that make it gritty. (The grit goes away after rinsing a bit. So not bad.) I think I felt clean afterwards, though.


Also, I had a no alcohol listerine as a mouthwash. Thought it was ok for a while. But, I got this weird white globular slime coming off my teeth about an hour after using it.Then, noticed I had some slight burns to the roof of my mouth. So I decided to do away with that one, and try another. (I've been using listerine for years, so this was weird.) I'm trying out another no alcohol version, which is also a Crest product. It makes weird purple chunks right away, but after spitting it out, it's gone. Not sure if I like it yet.I think it's better than the listerine was, though.


Found a lot more songs on Sunday.Some from the first Bleach soundtrack, some I'm rediscovering, and a couple of Jpop songs. Even though I took just about 2 days away from playing my clarinet, I felt rusty today.I have to stay on top of it! Played a couple of klezmer tunes, and some Mozart pieces. 

Watched 26 Years Diary last night. It was a pretty good movie. It was a joint Japanese and Korean project. Based on a true story, too. Although, they also made it more 'dramatic' than it was in real life. But, it wouldn't be a movie if they didn't do that. It's about Lee Su Hyon's life and death. It shows his life from when he was a 26 year old Korean student in Japan. Including school life, and a developing romance with a Japanese student. He died in 2001, along with a Japanese photographer (Shiro Sekine), who were both trying to save a drunken man who had fallen onto the tracks at the Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo. I looked up his story, and both Japan and Korea regard him as a hero. His father said he always worried about others more than himself. He seemed like a real mensch to me. 

Started watching Sword Art Online on Saturday. I was surprised at how good it was. The art was amazing, and so far the characters are interesting.In 2022, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG), called Sword Art Online (SAO) is released. With the Nerve Gear, a VR helmet that stimulates the user's 5 senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. An unexpected event occurs, when the creator prevents the 10,000 players from logging out. If they wish to be free and log out of the game, they have to make it to the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, should their in-game characters die in the game, so will their bodies in the real world. Kirito's a skilled player who tested the beta version of the game, and he's determined to make it to the top, and be free.

Started watching Ghost Mama Sousasen (Ghost Mama Investigation) today. Has a couple of actors I really like, so that's already a big plus for me. Seeing her die, and her family react, was a bit close to home for me.But, it seemed more 'real' than a lot of dramas try to do. It does have a touch of goofiness, but there's definitely a serious side. First grader Tonbo, is the type that's easily scared. One day, he decides to try on his deceased mother's glasses, and he ends up seeing her. She died 3 months ago. His mom, Choko Uehara, was a police officer. Even after her death, she likes to investigate things. She now solves cases with her son, Tonba, as a partner. She died in a house that was targeted by a serial arsonist. She was trying to save a kid. She succeeded, but died in the process. After death, she investigated, and in the end was able to catch the serial arsonist. So, that's nice they got that taken care of right away, and she knows who killed her. I hate when it takes like the whole series for that kind of thing to be solved.

Posted another chapter to a couple of dA groups and mangafox. They weren't new, but those groups hadn't read them yet. I'll probably start writing chapter 17 soon. (Either tomorrow or Wednesday.) Kanji for today is: 声. Or, こえ (koe),  こわ (kowa), しょう (shou), せい (sei). It means voice. 

Worked a little on the meme. It's harder to draw a chibi-ized character than I thought. I plan to have Ravel as a chibi in a cow costume. I think being mistaken for a cow might humiliate him. He's usually mistaken for a devil, but this seems worse to me. Plus, I'm trying to make it look ridiculous. Not sure if I'm succeeding.

Typed some more of that You Maga article up, went over a Japanese lesson, and read an article about an orchestra having a farewell concert in honor of a music critic who recently died. He was 98 years old.