Foundation Poured (along with some other stuff)

Japanese ingenuity

Ah, music to my ears. We have been waiting a couple of years for this day to arrive. The foundation has been poured and construction will soon begin. The weather has been so-so for the past couple of days. Fortunately, it’s a beautiful day and the timing couldn’t have been better. “Golden Week” starts in a few days. Our carpenter will try to squeeze our project in between his other jobs during this busy time. Were expecting a load of lumber (hinoki) and gravel for the new deck. I hope to get my power tools situated in the new garage so that I can start constructing the deck ASAP. First things first, I have to tear out the old deck to make room for the new. A new water line will be installed for the deck and backyard. Next, a weed barrier will be laid along with gravel under and around the deck. The current deck joists will be inspected. A temporary ramp will be built so that the dogs can access the backyard during construction. The deck will incorporate three benches and a sink area. The stain will match the existing logs. Stay tuned…           George

Just a couple of footnotes: Golden Week is a bunch of holidays clustered together. Showa Day (Emperor’s birthday),  Greenery Day, Constitution Memorial Day, and Children’s Day. Many people have the entire week off. Some businesses are closed. I’ll have next Monday off then I go back to work on Tues.-Thurs. and have Fri.- Mon. off. 

It’s a heavy travel time and the tourism industry gets a boost this time of year. I mention this because we live in a tourist area. Many of the locals welcome and depend on the extra business. This is the time of year that we put up our “No Trespassing” gate to keep tourists from wandering onto our property.

Update: The gravel has arrived. The water line and drain has been installed. The drain basin goes down about 1 meter and is lined with concrete and stones. Three of the deck joists will be replaced with hinoki. Even though the existing joist are pressure treated douglas fir, we'll give them a coat of stain to match the rest of the deck.

 

Water line and drain for sink



Gravel for under deck

Some of the joists require replacement

Foundation poured and finishing up

 

Cement cured and the forms removed

Good sized garage and workshop

Finished foundation

 

Future Projects

Erika found someone who was giving away some hinoki logs. We made a special trip to Hasama to pick them up. I have some special projects planned for these logs in the near future. I would like to incorporate some of the logs to make bench posts for the deck. Some of the logs will be used for a couple of indoor chairs for the doggies. Last, but not least, I would like to use a couple of logs for the main posts for my observatory. Observatory? My plate is full of projects and the observatory is in the early planning stage. I’ll just say that I promise it will be REALLY cool and these logs will be put to good use.   George

Kiley and Lucky

Lucky (after a hard day at the office)

Kiley (let's play!)
 

It’s easy to forget how fast the time goes by. It wasn’t that long ago that these two members of our family were puppies. I wish I could slow the clock and spend more time with them. Fortunately, we have shared a lot more time with Kiley and Lucky since we moved to Japan. I wouldn’t trade those extra moments for anything.   George

In Search of Springtime

“Why are all these people roaming around in the fields around here?” I asked Erika. “They are searching for warabi and taranome”, Erika replied. It must be spring. I experienced this springtime ritual last year, but I had forgotten what it was all about. Apparently, Tsukahara is a good place to find warabi and taranome. What are they? Good question. They are plants that are edible. What do they look like? Here are some pictures:

Warabi

What do they taste like? So many questions…I tasted warabi once when my next door neighbor made a salad or something with it. I think my comment was, “That’s it? What’s the big deal? It doesn’t taste like anything.” The reply from our neighbor was, “It supposed to taste like springtime.” My honest reply, “Umm, okay.” I haven’t eaten it since. The taranome is a relatively rare and hard to find. Taranome are the new shoots that come from a hideous looking tree that is covered with spikes. I think it’s so rare because no one wants to have this ugly thing growing in their yard. Lucky us…we have quite a few trees on the property next to us. Taranome is precious because the shoots have to be eaten as a sprout. Timing is critical. In the big cities, taranome is served at only the most expensive restaurants. My reaction to this factoid…why? Well, because it represents springtime.

Taranome

Our neighbor’s late husband planted the taranome seeds on the property between us. He didn’t want those ugly looking trees in his yard. Our neighbor closely guards these plants even though they are not on her property… good luck with that. Since we have to look at them, we harvest whatever we want. Erika does her best to give this stuff away. I was told that it makes a very tasty tempura. I was also informed that the white sap that oozes from the severed sprouts are very sweet. The army of ants that invade the trees, after harvest, can attest to the sweetness.   George

Taranome

 

We're Finally Getting Somewhere

It’s time to build a garage. Rather than paying an extra 3000 yen a month for a separate line to the garage, we decided to extend the existing line from our home to the garage. An electrician gave me a few pointers so that I didn’t knock the power out in Tsukahara. I’m still anxious about the whole thing because there is no ground wire. On another project, I’ll be starting a new deck with benches and an outdoor sink. I’m excited because the wood I’ll be using is Hinoki (the stuff that palaces and temples are built from). Hey, when in Japan, do as the Japanese carpenters do. We’re getting a great deal on Hinoki and I couldn’t pass it up. What makes Hinoki so special is that the wood is super strong, resilient to decay and insects. It also looks great.

I was beginning to wonder if these projects were ever going to get off the ground. There has been a rash of construction projects. Finding a reliable carpenter was a challenge. Things work a little differently in Japan. Once a potential carpenter is found, a meeting is held. The meeting is held to discuss mostly personal things rather than business. They wanted to know who they were working for. Why? Simply put, to establish trust. A successful working relationship can only be established based on trust. This was made apparent when I saw the sparsely written estimate. The estimate to build the garage was only half of a page long. In the U.S., there would have been one page for the itemized list of materials and labor charges along with five pages of legal jargon, acknowledgements, and agreements. I was surprised to hear what would happen if something was built incorrectly. What proof do I have that it was supposed to have been done another way? Could I sue? Erika reminded me as to why we hired this particular carpenter…we trusted him. I’m not used to doing business like that. Trust? What’s that? I need it in writing.

Oh, as far as selecting a carpenter…that was interesting. There are not many choices when you live out in the middle of nowhere. In the U.S., I would call up five different contractors and get some bids. I would find out who offers the most for the least amount of money and then check references. Not so in Japan. The way it works here is that once you receive a written estimate from a particular contractor, that’s it. You are committed. You see, before the estimate was done, a personal meeting was held. A trust was formed between the contractor and the client. This trust cannot be taken for granted. It is important to know who the contractor is BEFORE the meeting occurs. This is often done by word of mouth. Trust and reputation make the Japanese economy go’ round.  The carpenter we chose is a neighbor and I have seen his work. He is a traditional style carpenter which appealed to me. The amount he is charging for labor is ridiculously low which is why we chose to have him do the work instead of me.  I’ll do the wiring and finish work. I can’t wait to get started. BTW, trust only goes so far. We made sure that we had a signed receipt for any funds given to the carpenter. Stay tuned for pictures… George

 

 

 

Experience Makes a Difference

Having been an ALT for the past 18 months, I’ve learned some valuable lessons. Many of these lessons are unique to my situation. What situation are you talking about? I’m glad you asked. Well, I don’t speak Japanese. How in the world can you teach in Japan? That’s another good question. In an effort to encourage the teachers and students to communicate in English, the Yufu City B.O.E. (Board of Education) decided that having an “English only” ALT is a good idea. Many of the principals and teachers agreed with this idea. In fact, the level of English (communication) noticeably rose in the Shonai area (where I taught last year). I wish I could have taken all of the credit, but it was a joint effort of all of the Shonai schools. So, how did not being able to speak Japanese help in the effort to improve English conversation? Well, have a seat and let me shed some light on the subject.

Here’s what I’ve learned. If I don’t speak Japanese, everyone else tries to speak in English. This method works if you have the support of the BOE. The teachers needed to communicate with me in order to share the lesson plans. Yes, many of the teachers are doing the English lesson plans. I said “many”… not all (that’s another story). At first, the teachers were scared to approach me. English was terrifying to them. The trick here was to give lots of encouragement. It also helped to use exaggerated gestures and to take a humorous approach to the whole thing. Believe it or not, I would have the entire faculty laughing and having fun while they tried to communicate in English. Before long, the comfort level rose and English communication (however broken and choppy) was established.

How about the students? Oh, that was easy. Kids are naturally curious. If they wanted to know something about me, they had to ask me in English or at least use gestures. Gestures are a great way to communicate in any language. Occasionally, a student would ask the teacher to translate. If all else had failed, they used a dictionary or a smart phone. Smart phone translations are sometimes strange and often humorous. Erika and I don’t believe in these 21^st century gadgets. It’s better to struggle through the communication barrier and to learn some things along the way. Did I mention that students are curious? If I had spoken Japanese to the kids, they would have easily found out what they wanted to know about me in a very short time. Quickly, I would have become another boring ALT to them. By speaking only English, the kids were able to take small bites to satisfy their hunger to learn more about me. I was able to keep the students curious which meant that they were interested in English and American culture for the entire year.

I was told that my contribution to the betterment of English conversation in the Shonai area was greatly appreciated. In recognition, I was transferred to the Yufuin area. Huh? I understand why (experience makes a difference), but I was just beginning to make some progress in Shonai. I guess that’s how things work in Japan. I have to start all over again. I hope my efforts in Shonai won’t be wasted and forgotten. Change is hard, but reverting back is easy.    George

 

There's Been a Change

Goodbye, Shonai. Hello, Yufuin. I was transferred to another area of the Yufu City School District. The good part is that I’m closer to home…really close. Tsukahara Elementary School is located within walking distance to my home. The bad part is that I don’t know anyone. Everything is brand new to me. In my life, change equals stress. So, I can expect to be stressed out for a couple of weeks to a month. In Shonai, I was accustomed to small classes. Yufuin Elementary has almost 400 students. The school has been recently remodeled and it comes with all of the bells and whistles. The brand new teacher’s room is gigantic. My initial response was that it felt cold and unfriendly. The four other schools are much smaller and I’m relieved to hear that.

Opening ceremony will be on Monday. I’m anxious, nervous, and excited to get the new assignment. I hope I’ll be able to influence the students and teachers in a positive way. I left Shonai with the impression that the students and teachers enjoyed English. I’ll work hard to bring that same enthusiasm to Yufuin. Wish me luck.     George

Cool Gadget

I wanted to share this cool gadget that I received as a gift. It’s a staple-less stapler. It works very well. The attached point is stronger than a staple. I think the inventor is proud of his/ her work because there is a window to view the mechanism in action. Pretty cool, huh?   George

Merry-Go-Round

The ALT’s who work for the BOE in Yufu City are on a yearly contract. The contracts expire at the end of this March. What’s so unusual about this little bit of news is that none of the ALT’s are sure if they will be rehired. Each year our contracts are reviewed and we have to go through the interview process. This is emotionally stressful especially when a student asks if I’m going to teach their English class next year. All I can do is shrug my shoulders and tell them that I don’t know. This has led to many unnecessary tearful goodbyes.

ALT’s aren’t the only ones that have to endure this guessing game. Teachers, nurses, and administrators are rotated every so many years. Principals and Vice Principals are shuffled around also. No one is exempt from this merry-go-round. This makes it really hard to form lasting friendships. I’m not sure what the logic is behind this. I do know that it’s heartbreaking to tell a sobbing first grader that you may not see them again. What’s even worse, one of my schools had an official going away ceremony for me. A couple of weeks later, I was back at their doorstep with my renewed contract. I hope I won’t have any going away ceremonies this year.   George

Angels to Monsters

The sixth grade students in Shonai graduate next week. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I’ll miss them terribly, but I’m happy that they’ll be moving on to bigger and brighter things. Not having any kids of my own, I’m not accustomed to watching children grow up. I’m astounded at the changes I witnessed in the brief fifteen months that I taught. What I found most interesting was the stark contrast in attitudes the students had towards school (in general) after progressing from fifth to sixth. I think I could best describe the change as going from angels to monsters. In the smaller classes, ten students or less, the change was less profound. I think the HRT had a lot to do with it. When I asked the HRT what made the class different from the others, the reply was, “The students care about each other. They are happy to be with one another.” The HRT was also quick to point out that the students made the difference, not the teacher. I disagreed and I praised the HRT’s ability to cultivate, motivate, and stimulate the student’s interests. I’m sure the parents helped to transform the kids also. I don’t know if the size of the class had anything to do with how a child turned out. From my brief experience, it seemed to make a difference. My classes ranged in size from three to thirty. I know that’s considered small, but even in this range, the difference was noticeable. The kids in the smaller classes received one-on-one. I don’t know about the other subjects, but that made a big difference for the students trying to learn English.     George

Sagitta 900

 

 

 

Here’s a couple of pictures of my Sagitta that I built over 25 years ago. It’s ready to fly as soon as the weather cooperates. I originally built the plane for flying on the slope. The plane is designed for a hi start and that’s how I’ll be flying it. It’s nice to have a flying partner (Erika). She can look for the parachute and retrieve the line. Shhh…don’t tell her. She doesn’t know that she’ll be doing all of the hard work. More pictures, later.   George

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

エネルギー源

オーストラリア旅行という題材で数ヶ月いろいろな表現等を学んできた。その国、特に将来訪れてみたい国について学ぶ時は、言葉だけではなく、その文化や習慣、歴史等も含めて知っておくことが大切だと思う。オーストラリアのアウトバック旅行をしている最中（会話の中で）、アボリジニーの話が出てきたので、ジョージが彼らの楽器ディジュリドゥを吹いてみせた。もちろん生徒たちもチャレンジしてみた。以外に大きくて重かったので驚いたようだ。何事にも興味を持ってもらえると嬉しい。私もカナダやアメリカで琴を披露することがあったが、海外の人たちが自分たちの文化に興味を持ってくれるのは嬉しいものだ。会話はそういう中から発展していく。言葉が話せるからと言って、共通の話題や興味を持つものが何もなければ会話は続かない。国際社会の中で、多くの国々の人たちと人間関係を築いていくためには、言葉だけでは難しい。

 

先日、弟がアメリカ出張を命じられた。簡単な英会話を教えてくれと訪ねて来たが、それよりも大切なことを伝えることが多過ぎて、彼が無事に生きて帰れるのだろうかと心配になってきた。弟の会社に私を講師として雇わなか交渉しろと言ってみたが、笑い飛ばされてしまった。私はアメリカで２年間だけ日本の某大企業のアメリカ支社で働いたことがある。表面的には穏やかに見えたが、そこには日本人とアメリカ人の間にかなりの温度差を感じた。実際、たった２年で、社長が３人も入れ替わり、弁護士が介入するケースが２件。以来アメリカでは日本の会社で働くことは避けた。弟の出発前に言いたいことが山ほどあったが、結局は充分な時間がなかった。こういうことは日頃から心掛けておかないと無理、とは分かっているが、ついつい。。。心配し過ぎだとは思うが、これもついつい。。。

生徒たちの中から、将来アメリカやオーストラリア等で仕事をする人たちも出てくるだろう。私が仕事や生活で２０年間経験してきたこと、失敗してきたこと、学んできたことなど、できるだけ多くのことを生徒たちに伝えていきたいと思う。他のクラスの子供たち数人にもディジュリドゥを披露すると、実際に手で触たり、音を楽しんだりしていた。子供たちに多くのエネルギーをもらう分、私たちもできるだけ多くのことを伝えていきたい。彼らが大人になるまで、元気でYESを続けていくことができるだろうかと不安になることもあるが、こうした日々の努力と、それを受けてくれるエネルギーが私自身を支えてくれている気がする。

ふっ。。。

１月に倒れてから検査入院の予定を待つだけで充分ストレスが溜まっていたのに、それに加え、乳癌再検診有りの結果を受け取ったときは、正直コントロールを失った。無料検診の券が、探しもしないのに、まるで誰かが机の上にそっと置いていったみたいに、無効寸前に目の前に出てきた。タダだからというケチな気持ちで受けたからだと後悔しても後のマツリ。封を開けて思わず涙が出た。犬の散歩をしながら１時間、涙が止まらなかった。試されている時だから、強く乗り切らなければ。。。なんて考えながら宗教じみた神頼み。自分らしくない。。。と、色んなことを言い聞かせながらも、最悪なケースがついつい頭を過ってしまう。さてどうしてジョージに報告しようか、翌日の週末はまた涙とストレスに埋れて過ごすのかと考えただで頭痛がした。取り敢えず、彼の帰宅までの１時間は、頭の中を整理するのがいっぱいだった。週末は、薪割りや教材作り、家の片付けなどで忙しさで気持ちを紛らわし、嘘をついているわけではないが、報告していないという罪悪感で２日間を乗り切った。翌月曜日に病院の予約を入れた後、ジョージには伝えた。彼の反応を見た時、やはり週末に報告しなくてよかったと思った。

再検査までの２週間、いろんなことを考えた。意識が朦朧とした中で考える死のことと、「万一癌で、残された日をカウントダウンしていく日々の生活」を、はっきり意識がある状態で死を考えるのとは随分違うものだ。あまりにも準備すべきことが多すぎる。アメリカでは会社が生命保険まで掛けてくれていたので、お金の心配もいらなかったのに、日本に来てからはギリギリの生活で、保険すらない。金銭的な問題、ジョージのこれから、数切れないほどの問題ばかり。。。

先日の再検が終わるまで、ジョージには気付かれないようにしていたが、目の痙攣が止まらなかった。癌の可能性がほとんどないと言われたとたん、目の痙攣が止まった。先月倒れた時の打撲で、まだ胸の辺りまで痛みがあったが、もしかして癌のせいだろうかなんて変なことまで考えてしまっていた。ジョージに電話で再検結果を報告してから、一人でクルクル寿司を食べに行った。すごく人気のあるお寿司屋さんなのか、すごい行列。カウンター席一人と言ったら、一分も待たずに座れた。すごく得した気分。お寿司をコンピューター画面でオーダーするなんて、日本は公的機関よりお寿司屋さんの方が進んでるね。。。なんて関心しながら、隣の男性に話しかけたら、迷惑そうな顔をされた。若い（？）女性＋一人＋カウンター席というのは印象が好くないのかな？それでもストレスが半減した私は、上機嫌でクルクル寿司を堪能した。多分ジョージのストレスはまだまだ続くであろうが、私はこの２週間で学んだことを忘れず、一つひとつ実行していかなければ。。。と思うと、ますます忙しい日が続きそうだ。失神の検査入院はまだまだ延ばされそうだが、ノーカフェイン、ノーアルコールの我慢人生を送っているのだから、神様もそこまで意地悪はしないだろうな。

Commitment

The other day I was at school and the principal gave an award to one of the teachers. He handed the envelope to the teacher and the rest of the faculty applauded. Later, the principal explained that the award was for the teacher building a new house. Lacking the Japanese skills required to ask more about the subject, I nodded and smiled. I mentioned to Erika about what I had observed and she told me that the envelope had money in it. The teacher was being was rewarded for, as Erika delicately put it, “Congratulations for going into debt.” After laughing out loud I asked, “Why would anyone be congratulated for going into debt?” Erika replied, “The teacher can’t divorce or leave her job now. She is showing responsibility and commitment to her family and friends…I guess.” “I see,” I replied. “Then we should have received an envelope full of money when we bought our home in Tsukahara?” I asked. “Nope, the house must be new,” Erika noted. After giving what she said some thought, I remarked, “Well, I guess building a new house is a big deal in Japan. It’s not like the teacher could move in and resale it five years down the road. The teacher is stuck…I mean committed, to that house, community, and career.

It’s not like the U.S. We buy and sell houses and not give it a second thought. Good luck trying to resale your house in Japan. Home buyers want a new house. When a house is purchased in Japan, it’s purchased with the intent of living there until you die. As far as community, in the U.S., were lucky to ever meet our neighbors. Speaking of meeting neighbors…when we moved to Hasama, it was required of us to give each neighbor a welcoming gift. We were also told that a fee was required (kind of like a home association fee) to live there. Erika convinced the community leader that we were only renting and that we were living there for only a few days a week. She also mentioned that she wouldn’t use any of the community services such as receiving the city newsletter (which she can easily pick up at city hall) and using the community garbage bin. I’m not sure how that was received. In Tsukahara, we really don’t have any neighbors. We had to give a gift to the person who built the community garbage bin. So far, no one has approached us to join the community. The volunteer fire department asked for a donation. That’s completely understandable since we are surrounded by dense brush and trees. The interesting thing about the fire department donation is that they post the amount that was donated along with your name. Of course, the people that gave the most were at the top of the list. The list is placed on the community bulletin board so that everyone can see. How’s that for peer pressure?

As far as commitment to career, in the U.S., I was committed to my career for as long as my bank account was happy and my employer was happy. In Japan, especially teachers, once you’re in then it’s for life. I heard one teacher say that it is really hard to get fired from a teaching career. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. It’s nice to know where the next paycheck is coming from, but a complacent teacher is a bad teacher.     George

R.I.P.

I test flew the ASW 22 this past weekend. The weather was perfect. I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as performance. The plane had plenty of power. As soon as I let go of the plane, it took off like a rocket. Erika was busy trying to take pictures. I couldn’t get the plane to fly level. I turned the motor off after a couple of minutes.The plane came in for a very fast landing. The wings and tail survived in great shape. The electronics and motor were also okay. The 30 year old fuselage was brittle and it shattered like an eggshell. It was an exhilarating 2 minutes followed by shock and grief. We salvaged what we could of the fuselage, but it was hopeless. Erika did her best to calm me down. She reminded me that I had a lot more important things to worry about. She’s right. The strange thing is that I can’t wait to fly again. I’ll be installing the electronics in the Sagitta. I built that plane in 1985-86. I’ll post pictures as soon as I get started.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rest In Pieces ASW 22, it was fun while it lasted.   George

Crepes and Kitchens

Erika purchased a portable cooktop from Trial for a reasonable price of 1500 yen. She felt sorry that I had to cook at the stove while she enjoyed her crepes sitting at the kotatsu. In Seattle, we had the same setup. I could cook and eat at the same time. Along with the crepes, we had bananas, pudding, whipped cream and jam…yumm.

After our kitchen is remodeled, we’ll be able to start baking all kinds of goodies. The kitchen will be as large as our kitchen in Seattle. All of the fixtures, cabinet doors, flooring, tiles, even the garbage disposer were purchased in the U.S. before we moved to Japan.

I think I miss the Cuisinart mixer and our convection oven the most. The Cuisinart is sitting patiently in the box waiting to be used. The oven still needs to be purchased. When I remodeled the house in Seattle, I completed the entire house before I did the kitchen. This meant that we didn’t have time to enjoy our beautiful kitchen. The remodel in Tsukahara will be different. The kitchen will be started as soon as the garage and deck are completed.   George

Patience

I have to do many things, but I’m not sure where I should start (or finish). The house is slowly taking shape. I’ve been removing water stains and clear coating the exposed logs in the kitchen and living room. It’s a painstakingly slow process to remove water stains. Over the years, the spruce has developed a “warm tan” patina. It’s a beautiful color and it’s almost impossible to reproduce. So, this brings up a valid question…“How do you remove the water stains without removing the patina?” Good question. The answer is…very carefully! The tools that are required are as follows: Water and a razor blade. I forgot the most important thing, patience. Each water stain must be moistened (ironic, isn’t it) and gently scrapped with a sharp razor. If it is done with T.L.C., the wood that is removed is minute and the log ends up looking like it’s brand new. This technique works well with stains that are less than a 1/16”. Deeper stains require more drastic measures. I’ve had to splice in wood with some of the more severe stains. Usually the area is rotted and it only makes sense to remove the damage. I have some old trim that matches the patina of the logs perfectly. No sanding is allowed as this will only remove the patina. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but if all else fails, EnergySeal hides all sorts of things.

Recently, I was removing stains around the upper portion of the “great room”. The ceiling height in this room is over 25 feet. Erika was nervous about me being on the extension ladder. She kept asking me, “Is this really necessary. Do you have to do this? I hate this!” “It’s not necessary, but it will look good,” I replied. “I want to do this. I don’t want our future customers to think we have a leaky house.” I don’t think she was happy with my response. Eventually, she settled down and took a few pictures.      George

Time to think

この２ヶ月で２度も倒れてしまった。２度目は救急車のお世話にまでなった。このまま死んでいくのならそれでもいいと思った。誰かに迷惑を掛けながら病院生活だけは嫌だと、救急車を呼ぶべきかどうか迷っている間に。。。まあ色んなことを考えてしまった。。。が、目の前で号泣する彼の顔を見てると、死ぬ前にやるべきことがたくさんあるなあという責任を感じてしまった。

血の気を失って冷たくなっていく自分の手を見ながら、首と肩の痛みで全く動けない自分を、かなり客観的に観察できるものだと不思議にも思った。救急隊員が来た時、血圧が３０・５０だった。痛みで体が動かず、体力もなくなっていたので、声がなかなか出なかった。状況説明を通訳までしながら救急車で運ばれた。彼の心配そうな声だけはわかったが、取りあえず一人で行く方が良いと判断した。

朝起きたばかりだったので、Tシャツ一枚とトレパンのみ。靴下も履いていなかったから、痛い上に震えるくらい寒かった。タオルケットを戴いたが、朝のミーティング中に何度も看護婦さんを呼びつけるのは申し訳なくて、薄手のタオルケット３枚（２回も呼びつけてしまった。）で震えながら硬いベッドの上で、午前中ずっと過ごした。脳に異常なしということで、脳だけはしっかり余計なことを考えさせてくれた。こういう時こそゆっくり休めばいいものを、かなりつまらないことまで、いつもの倍以上も頭が回転してしまった。電話で仕事の調整をして、ジョージに電話を掛けた時は、既に携帯に充電が必要になっていた。残された充電分で病院の道を説明するほど、私も病院の場所に詳しくなかった。

寒いので靴下を買いたいが、お金がない。お腹が空いたので何か食べたい。売店はあるが、お金がない。ジョージに電話をしたいが、充電器がない。さて支払いは？いろいろ回されて検査したけど、それほどお財布には入ってないし、彼はATM機など使ったことがない。一人暮らしの不便さが身にしみて感じた。と、また彼の将来が不安になった。

病院で一日考えた結果、「なるべく早いうちに先に死んでくれるかな」と、なんとなく彼に聞いてみた。すると、「嫌だ、やっとで日本に来れたのに、まだまだしたいことがいっぱいある」と言われた。アメリカの医療費は高いと言われるが、ダブルで保険に入っていた私たちは、医療費をほとんど支払ったことがなかった。私が足の手術をした際も、一円もポケットからは出ていない。お給料、有給、病休、福利厚生の全てが数分の一に減った今の苦しい生活も、彼にとっては最高の幸せらしい。日本に帰国して、いったい何が得られたのか、正直、？？？？？？？？？？大きな疑問。学校の子供たちや、ほとんどの上司、同僚とは仲良くやれているらしいし、とても気に入っているようだ。願わくば、こういう環境の中から、彼に良い友達が数人でもできることを願っているが、こればかりは私の努力ではどうにもならない。

専門医曰く、ノーストレス、ノーアルコール、ノーカフェイン。。。って、「いったい何を飲むんですか」と真剣に聞いてしまった。色も味もない水が私は好きではない。ストレスだってコントロールできるくらいなら、もう少し若さを保てているだろう。きっとストレスと皺の数は比例しているにちがいない。それでも彼のためにしっかり自分に責任を持っていきなければと、また皺を増やしてしまいそうだ。

Dog Door (Number 3)

 

We have a balcony that has not been used since we moved here. Every morning, the dogs wait patiently for me to open the door to access the balcony. They like to bark and howl at the volcano and deer…I guess it’s a thing that dogs like to do. We decided to install a dog door (dog door number 3) to give them the freedom to bark and howl from the balcony whenever they desired to do so. We also have doors that lead from the entryway to the dining room and from the dining room to the fenced backyard.

Before I cut the wall, I used a wire/ stud detector to check for electrical wires. I found two sets of wires located where the door was going to go. I spliced in some additional wire so that I could build a dog door frame to protect the wires from exposure. I was surprised to find that the exterior walls are framed with 2X6’s. I was also happy to find that the studs are 16 inches on center. Our home was built the North American way!  

Next, I cut the interior wall to size. When I was sure that everything would fit, I used a diamond blade to cut the exterior wall. It was -5C outside and I didn’t want to leave a hole in the wall for too long. I caulked the framing and door and installed the outer dog door trim.

I was having so much fun that I decided to decorate the outer door area so that it mimicked the exterior of the house. I made an “A” frame that was complete with hand cut cedar shingles. I’ll trim and paint the whole thing to match the house when the temperature warms up.

This was the first time that I cut the exterior wall of the house. I was hesitant at first because the walls are made of cement backer board. The diamond blade cut through the wall like it was made of butter. That’s promising news for another huge project I have in mind. When I finally get around to remodeling the house, I will need to remove a few walls. I want our future guests to enjoy the views from anywhere in the house. The new deck and garage are the next major projects before the remodel. Hopefully, I can get started on those fun projects before the rainy season…summer.   George