I woke up at about 2, and hadn't made a bank appointment because I wasn't sure if I wanted to go today. I did some breathing exercises and argued with myself whether to go. (At last a got a decent practice in last night.)
I finally got up, got online and got an appointment for 4:15, and headed out about a quarter to 4. I've been pretty good lately about getting there a few minutes late instead of a few minutes early, which minimizes the time hanging out in front of the bank. The guy even told me I'm welcome to bring my bike in, and I said if I see questionable characters outside I will.
The IRS had cashed my check so I have a bit less than $3800 in there now. So I've got my 2020 taxes covered plus about a thousand "wiggle room". I'm glad I've been such a good saver!
Next on my agenda was to make that long ride to Mitsuwa Marketplace for not only sake but the mask I bought there, a brand called "OneMask" is enough nicer than the ones I've been wearing that I decided I'd get a couple more. They're thicker and stay in place on my face.
So I rode up there and got my stuff including a nice chirashi bowl, a "One Cup Ozeki" to go with it, and went to my peaceful place at the edge of their parking lot and ate. When done I looked in Kinokuniya at the Genki 1 book again ... it looks like a lot of work and I don't have that much free time but then, what am I going to do, start learning Japanese when I'm 62 and in Hawaii. Could it hurt to start on it now? Even if I just dabble at it, it would be better than nothing.
I rode back - it's an hour each way - and rode around downtown a bit. There's a homeless guy who generally has a dog and a cat and sits on the sidewalk by Caffe Frascati. I'd not seen him in ages, and I said it was good to see he was alive and OK. I handed him the dollar I had on me and he was really thankful - I bet! I don't know how panhandlers have been getting by this last year. I've offered him musical instruments, and gave him a radio I wasn't using, and I guess he's just a really average guy as he has no aspirations or plans. I like to think if I were really out on the street I'd work on sign-lettering or on busking or something. As it is, in 3 years I'll be living in some small room, and learning shakuhachi and busking with it will be my "career".
Downtown was really dead. I stopped at the Amazon place for bubble mailers and then went to Japantown where I also rode around a bit, and noticed something - a place I thought was just an ice cream place turns out to serve spam musubi, bentos, bowls, etc you name it. Plus they have occasional fund raisers for the Buddhist judo club so I'll have to at least get things from there when those are on. I had the nicest talk with the guy working there, too. I ended up getting a spam musubi and a beer and ate and drank over by The Arsenel. No one gives a shit if you drink beer on the sidewalk these days.
I got back here, put things away yadda yadda and packed some things that have to be packed before midnight. Then I decided I was hungry again and ended up making something like wonton soup except I guess it was shrimp gyoza soup. Pretty good, too.
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