Crazy Weather and An Earthquake

 The weather over the weekend was awful.  Tokyo and the surrounding areas the temperature was in the upper 30sC.  One city broke the record for the hottest day in June, 40.1C.  That is really crazy.  The rainy season in that area finished 22 days earlier than average. Where we live the weekend saw a lot of rain and thunderstorms.  Saturday was  really bad rain all day and thunderstorms for about 3 hours.  I ended up with an awful headache but I had to work, so not fun.

The cats aren't happy.  It's too hot for them.  They line around dozing all day but then are up and racing around at night when it's a bit cooler!

These two usually fight but it's too hot

Keeping far away from each other

Then Sunday night we had an earthquake.  I didn't feel it, just a 1 here.  The epicenter was in the same area as the big earthquake we had a few years ago.  I'm hoping it was just a one off thing and not the start of loads of earthquakes.

Of Course

 I got heat stroke!  I was trying so hard not to use the air conditioners.  I thought because it hadn't been that hot, upper 20'sC that I could manage.  I forgot that the humidity makes it difficult to cool down.  Woke up Friday morning feeling sluggish and over tired.  I hadn't slept well.  I woke up very hour or so soaked in sweat.  So I put feeling tired down to that!  By lunch time I realized that I had a fever, 38C, then came the headache, dizziness and nausea.  The only thing I could do was hydrate and lie in a cool room.  Because I acted quickly I could recover.  But I'm still tired.  Looks like starting my summer schedule, get up early, about 4am to do chores and make lunch, then rest and stay with my air conditioners for the rest of the day.  I'm not looking forward to the next electric bill. 

The cats are also looking for a cool place to lie.  They don't like the air conditioners, they sit and hiss at them!  

Fluffy decided the toilet was the best place to sleep.

Stretched out in the corridor.

When the cats lie like this it means it is HOT

Busy

I really need to learn not to have too many extra things to do at the same time!

Saturday to today has been non stop.

Saturday was busy teaching.  Mikey volunteers at a few community centers near here every other Saturday.  While he is teaching there Hannah and I do his classes here.  I still have my classes to do.  So every other Saturday is crazy busy, plus all the other chores that need to be done.

Sunday Mikey asked me to go to my mother in laws house.  We are still cleaning out.  Basically only Mikey has been doing it but it's taking a long time.  Christopher and I went to help.  Managed to throw out 10 large boxes of stuff from the kitchen/dinning area.  Plastic tupperware that looked like they were from the 1970's (smelt like it too),  teapots that had been left with stains, bowls, burnt pots and pans.  Somethings I left because they are useful soup and rice bowls, plates of all sizes, glasses and Japanese tea cups.  Most of those things are still in the original packing, also I know that my mother in law only bought very expensive stuff.   Mikey and Christopher managed to move out the old chest of drawers, it was so rotten that it fell to pieces!  Mikey got a good fire going and loads of the papers and wooden stuff got burnt.  We have to hire somebody to take the non burnable stuff.  Then we have to tackle the yard and fields.  Good job I need exercise!

Entrance

Hydrangeas

Side of the house, this was a parking space!

Kitchen, I'm taking a break!

Mikey with the fire.

Yesterday was my yearly hospital check up. 4th one so only one more to go!  Nothing hurts but being prodded and poked at for hours is not fun.  The worse thing was getting my blood pressure.  The first machine didn't work, the second one was put to low, it squeezed so hard I thought my elbow was going to break.  Bit disappointed that my blood sugar is still high, bit better than before.  Have to work on that.

Today I've just done my chores, made lunch, will make dinner later.  Nice easy day but from tomorrow its back to being busy.  

And the rainy season has started, two days of non stop rain.  But it's cool so doesn't feel to bad, yet!

Hisao's Birthday

 He would of been 61 today.

As always this day has left me feeling rather sad.  On Facebook I see my friends going on holiday with their husbands and wish I could do the same.  We use to talk about all the things that we were going to do when the kids were grown.  We both wanted to travel, to see places in Japan and abroad.  I know I can go alone but it wouldn't be the same.  Hisao often talked of taking up painting again.  It was one thing that he loved painting and drawing. I'm happy that the kids have inherited this artistic flair from him.  They can all draw but David and Hannah are very good.

One of Hisao's paintings

Spent the morning looking at photos.  Brought back many memories.  I'm glad we took so many photos.  They are one of the few things I have left!

Maybe 13 years ago

Hannah's birthday

After being in hospital for a month

Long time ago!

CATS

 I love my cats.  They can be funny and very endearing.  I find comfort in talking, playing and stroking them.  They fight a lot but that is all part of being a cat.  They each have their own unique personalities.  Fluffy sleeps in the oddest places and has a bad habit of falling off things.  Alan likes to moan, a lot!  Sam has become a love bug.  Frodo and Steve work together to open doors and windows.  The entertainment is endless.  But they are shredding like crazy.  There is cat hair all over.  I took a shower the other day, grabbed a towel to dry off and ended up covered in cat hair because one of the cats had fallen asleep on the fresh laundry. The floors are covered in clumps of hair, it gets into corners and under things.  I spend ages sweeping and vacuuming the floors.  I finish one area to find another needs doing!  We have been brushing the cats as much as  possible, but brushing 9 cats completely everyday takes far too long!

A few photos of the culprits!

middle of the stairs is the best place to lie down

Fluffy on the edge of the table, and yes, she fell off!

Cute when sleeping

Alan looking serious.

Shopping

 Yesterday I went shopping for the first time is the price hike.  I go to a discount supermarket for most things and a more expensive one for things that are unusual.  The lay out of the discount store is vegetables and fruits, fish, meat, dairy then the other goods, tins, four, oil etc.  At first I thought things aren't that bad.  Of course peaches were expensive, 600yen for two small ones, about four pounds.  Most vegetables were okay, same with the meat and fish.  But then I got to the flour.  Last week a kilo was 190 yen, yesterday was 220 yen.  Even the cheaper brand use to be 129 yen, now it's now 180 yen.  Oil has gone from 220 yen for a liter to 350 yen.  I noticed that most things have gone up over 20 yen.  That is a real price hike.  So I can see that my shopping is going to be more stressful!

The other thing I was shopping for was a new phone.  We need a house phone for the English classes.  We went to 3 stores but they didn't have any in stock. The Singapore lock down means that the stores haven't been able to buy any.

And I have the perfect excuse not to do the dishes.  Fluffy likes to sleep on the edge of the sink.

My excuse for not doing dishes