Hardware

I have started to write these entries at night. I have my beer or plastic cup of wine, Fox and Friends on the TV, the day is behind me, and I have more time to catch up on my google reader in the morning. I think that yes, it is certain, the jet lag has worn off. I struggled to get up this morning. Ah well, all good things must pass. I just need to sleep earlier.

Today was a tiring, but interesting day of work. We started to tackle a secured building-a headquarters building with the General’s office. We are required to have an escort at all times, and before we entered certain rooms, they had to “sanitize” the area, or hide all confidential stuff. Probably nudie mags and manga. We are apparently the first contractors allowed everywhere. Pretty cool. Some people seemed haughty and rude, pointing out that this was sampled, that was sampled, why do we need to sample. Some were entirely amicable and accommodating. Some made the same tired cracks about getting lawyers because they have been breathing hazardous materials for 2 years. The oddest guys were in the super secret- no phone or cameras allowed- basement and vaults. They were really talkative and happy. We go back Thursday to finish up there.

This evening, DL and I were tasked with getting spray glue from the hardware store. He drove and we went off-base. The place was called Joyful Honda. It was crazy-like Home Depot meets WalMart meets Daiei meets Petco meets Homeworld meets a nuclear explosion, AND there was a full supermarket attached. We ogled. Grabbed spray glue-prohibitively expensive here-and went into the market. I jumped right in. I needed veggies. Mizuna, broccoli, baby bok choy, apples, oh my. I can tell you, I am not missing any food from home. I just wish we had stoves so I could cook meat or fish…the pork and beef look amazing, the fish is so plentiful. Ah well, some microwaveable sekihan, tsukemono, and miso soup packets, and all told I got me lunch for a week, veggies for a week, plus juice for my fiber, and only 2600yen. DL bought about two dozen of these tiny containers of Japanese peanut butter. He loves the stuff, but it is mostly sugar. We ate at some soba diner on the way back-higashi upon and 6 pieces gyoza for 500 yen. We only went for one can of spray glue…I will try to take my camera next time we go, but we heard that at another department store in Fussa, they will scold you if try to take pictures inside.