Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
coco's kindergarten class
Coco (Madoka's daughter) is the one in the hat.We went to pick her up today and I became the gaijin ゛toy.゛
Saturday, March 15, 2008
whale meat
before you launch into a tirade, the answer is NO,I did not have any. but for those of you who are curious, this is whatwhalemeat sashimi looks like. the really dark meat is regular meat,then there is bacon,skin and tongue. one good thing is that none of the animal goes to waste but still, I cannot bring myself to eat it.
Sake competition
This was very cool. Line a bunch of sake up,six to a table and do a blind tasting. the object is to match them to the labeled ones on the other side of the room.
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went to ｍａｓｕｍｉ brewery today and had shinshu soba for lunch,along with tasty sake,of course. masumi is a pretty well distributed sake in the US. really soft and drinkable.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Buitoni pasta bar!
Originally uploaded by js_hale
I was in a rush to have lunch in Azabu Juban earlier this week - I happened upon a brilliant little "pasta bar" restaurant - it's counter seating only, and you come in & choose from 15 different types of spaghetti. Fantastic. I got the 和風 Japanese seafood pasta. Shrimp, squid, bits of fish, etc. and nori sprinkled on top. A little dashi and olive oil to mix up the flavors. It was perfect!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
the Newest Ockner
Baby Girl Ockner (my niece) was born on Feb. 28th. Peter and I went to see how Mom and Baby were doing this weekend. In the US, apparently can only stay 1-3 days in the hospital after delivery, depending on if it was natural birth or C-section - I haven't had kids yet, and I'm already envious of Japanese moms who get to stay 5 days for regular labor, and 10 days if they've had a C-section! Peter and I will start trying to have our own in April, so I'm already starting the research on what will work best. Maybe flying to Japan?? ; )
Monday, February 25, 2008
Snowing in Tahoe
Peter and I decided on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Tahoe - we had a BLAST. Snow was non-stop all weekend, and it was REALLY coming down as we were trying to get back on Sunday. Saturday was great skiing, and we made the most of our Sunday morning by taking the dog snow shoeing - with waste-deep powder, it was quite a workout for the whole family. Our shoes went 1-2 feet down into the snow with every step, and Teddy looked like he was swimming through the powder!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Fire! (he he...)
What is it about fire that fascinates young boys? Apparently some never get over it. We were up in Covelo for President's Day weekend, and Peter got to do all the things he loves - chainsawing, piling firewood, and setting things aflame. Teddy is somewhere out here, running around with Piper, which he did all day every day until he collapsed from exhaustion. I helped a little with the chores, which I didn't mind at all - we also went on a long bike ride, slept in each day, and were fed copious amounts of delicious food!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day hike
Goin' to the beach!
Took Teddy for a romp on the beach on Tuesday morning. The weather is unusually warm for this time of year - when that happens, you have to take advantage of it! Teddy had an awesome time rolling around in the sand and playing "keep-away" with the other dogs.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday brunch with the Folks
Mom and Dad were in town this weekend - Dad was attending a glaucoma conference. You can't see Teddy, but he was lying down at my feet. We went to Judy's Cafe in the Marina. As you can see, it was a GORGEOUS, clear day with hardly a cloud in the sky. We continued on to Crissy Field where Teddy got to swim and frolic with other dogs. We finished the day at Matt & Kassy's house and had dinner at Pizza Antica, an upscale yet kid-friendly Italian place. The ricotta-potato gnocchi was FANTASTIC.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Back home
A happy reunion. Teddy has been on particularly good behavior these last 24 hours. Peter and I are still jet lagging. We arrived home just as Mom and Dad were arriving from Florida for a visit. Teddy and I met them & Pat for lunch in the city. Beautiful weather, too - all in all, it's good to be home!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
chikage's first yakiniku
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Originally uploaded by js_hale
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Back in Tokyo
Back in Tokyo now - fighting jet lag. Imagine the fun. Tired or not, I actually have fun no matter what when I stay with Ren and Hiroko. Will try to take some more pictures soon - we had a stellar Saturday in Shibuya, shopping for oddds and ends at Tokyu Hands and my favorite store in the world, MUJI. Tomorrow Ren promised to take me to the "cool" MUJI store - they're all cool, so my curiousity is piqued. Work starts on Monday, so tomorrow is my last day to play.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Poocher loves the snow!
Peter and I were in Tahoe this past weekend - it was Teddy's first time in the snow and he took to it just like the water. It's tough to say which one he prefers! This was taken at Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe. Makes me wish that there was such a thing as doggy skis....Peter said that dogs are allowed on the slopes in Telluride....we might have to check that out soon!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
New Year's Dinner
Peter and I had an awesome New Year's with the crew in the city. House parties are the way to go - we had every intention of heading down to North Beach at some point, and ended up staying at the house party we were at because there wasn't much of a point in going out. The next day, we sat on the couch watching the Rose Parade and college football - the customs of New Year's Day in the US never fail to bring out my southern roots - namely, food and football. I got to see Michigan beat the Gators, which I was happy about. I had to explain a couple of times that I cheer for anyone who plays AGAINST Florida - why? because I am an FSU fan! This answer resulted in confusion for my non-southern friends and required further explanation. In the South, where children come out of the womb destined to cheer for a specific team (in north Florida, it's either UF or FSU), football is at the center of the universe for most people - the only other exception (in some cases) being church and Jesus. Despite my very mixed feelings about where I grew up, I do get nostalgic for the fervor of southern football - the passion of it is intoxicating, and the drama of the rivalries could easily overwhelm one's better judgment - how many things can you say that about?
Anyway, Peter and I came home that evening and I made Hoppin' John and sweet cornbread (pictured) for dinner - ham and black-eyed peas for good luck, and collard greens for wealth! I make a healthy version - I use lean ham slices, versus a ham hock or bacon fat - and low sodium chicken broth. I saute the collards & onion in olive oil & garlic, then add roasted red pepper seeds for a little kick. Sweet cornbread is also not strictly traditional, but I like it better than savory cornbread. Plus, Peter takes it to work and has it for breakfast!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Muffins!
I was inspired by Patty's amazing cooking up in Covelo - I decided to make muffins from scratch. They weren't as good as Patty's, but Peter LOVED them - so I'll call it a success. I snapped this picture of myself, pointing proudly at the bran muffins, made in part from Trader Joe's "Bran Clusters with Raisins" cereal - I don't think it's the ideal cereal to use, but it's all we had - you're not usually supposed to 'experiment' with baking, but I couldn't resist. I got lucky this time - they were pretty good!
Christmas in Covelo
Peter, Patrick and I piled in the car last weekend with the dog in tow & headed up to Covelo for Christmas. It was AWESOME - peace and quiet, acres of land for the dogs to run around, horses, fresh air....and Peter's mom's AMAZING cooking. Who could ask for more? Patrick is nursing a torn ACL - he just had surgery, and this was the perfect place to covalesce. I'm sure he'd agree that he was spoiled rotten, as we all were.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
First Christmas Wreath
Now that I'm all bonified as a married lady, I am venturing into the Domestic Arts. This wreath is my very first attempt - I still have no idea how I managed to tie the bow so that the ribbon's design faces outward - it's nothing short of a miracle - a Christmas miracle!!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Hilltop Swing
Teddy and I found this swing on a recent walk - our house is surrounded by these beautiful, golden hills that make for great hiking and exercise. It's part of the trade-off of living in San Rafael vs. San Francisco - true, it's not the city - but then again, it's NOT the city! :)
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Hikin'
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
"Naahts of Laaghts"
Peter and I went to Florida for a week's worth of post-wedding parties. This was the "Nights of Lights" fundraiser party & we're on a horse-drawn carriage with Mom and Dad in the back, Travis, mom's friend Tara & her husband and Misty (right). Immense quantities of food and beverages were consumed throughout the week - now that we're back home, it's time to work it all off! And yet here I sit, blogging...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Our idea of Heaven
Just another Tuesday morning at the Preserve. This was our view waking up each day we were there. Our last day & a half was like a mini-honeymoon. Spectacular place. We had a running joke that there were secret servicemen running around after us on walkie-talkies saying, "Cue the hummingbirds! Cue the wild turkeys!"
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