The Webcam Is Online

I put a webcam up showing the street in front of my house.
It's a little side project I've been working on for months now thanks to my mother's love of webcams around the world. The cam is being hosted at iloveyu.jp my onsen/sento/hot spring/bathing in Japan site. That site is completely under construction also. Until it's finished this page might not be the prettiest, but at least it's online!

A Rainy Saturday Morning In Kurakuenguchi

Taken earlier this month, it shows some heavy rain falling in Hyogo Pref., Japan. Today the rain was so heavy in the morning that a weather warning was issued and classes were canceled. Although there were no classes, I still had to go to work. The rain didn't rain constantly today, as it did on the day I took this video, but I rained extremely heavy in bursts lasting a few minutes.

Cheap Sake - Prime Draft, The Hite.

06.22PrimeDraft-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Prime Draft - The Hite.

No it's not a movie. No it's not a even "beer". It's a happoshu, and it was 105 yen at the Lawson 100 on Route 2 in Nishinoimya. And...

It had no flavor.

There was no hite of flavor or taste. Just mildly beer tasting liquid.

But for the price. Not too bad compared to some of the more expensive happoshu out there.

Father's Day Treat

06.20Father's Day Treat-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

This was my Father's Day treat from my lovely sister-in-law Mayako. I'll send a little Japanese gift to the reader who can guess what it is. Guess in the comments, please.

Kubota Baby Scale

We got this scale from one of Yuko's friends. (Thank you so much for that!) I love this box. The '70s colors, strange medical-ish feeling fonts and design were great, but look at the picture of the little kids there. It's like space children flying to earth on their space-scale-ships.

Hello Mia!

06.06TakingMiaHome-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I haven't been writing on this blog (sleepytako) or working on iloveyu.jp too much recently because of a new addition to my family. Mia was born on Monday, May 31 at 8:14AM after a very long night. We took her home Sunday, June 6th. The photo was us in the clinic for the last time. My wife and I are super happy and, as you might tell from the photo, super tired. Although I have a blog for Mia, mostly for family and friends, I hope to post some of the odder, quirkier bits about being a gaijin-papa here at sleepytako. I've got some great packaging photos coming up this weekend, but for now I need to shower and sleep.

Things I Love: The Mukogawa River

A video I took while on a bike ride to Amagasaki. It was a great early summer afternoon and the water was so beautiful.

Cheap Sake - Gold Onigoroshi

Surprisingly this box of karakuchi sake isn't making me gag, it's actually quite nice. Being that I'm enjoying this box of 100 yen booze this isn't that interesting. I thought this 100 yen swill would make me gag and I'd drunkenly describe how horrible it is to you. Drat.

Anyhow, I can wholeheartedly recommend Gold Onigoroshi box. Only 100 yen at your local home center.