Neighbours

 The past few years we have had problems with our neighbours.  They keep complaining about the trees in our yard.  We cut down the trees but they still complain.  This week it came to a head.  On Tuesday a lady from the rental company came and said that the neighbours had called again and said we should cut the trees, then on Wednesday the leader of the town association came and said the same.  So Mikey called at company that came and cut down four trees, 4 hours of work cost us almost 800 pounds.  Mikey had to pay as I don't have any extra money.  I thought the company was going to do more but apparently not.  I'm so angry about this, I know the yard is a mess but between crazy work schedules, still cleaning out the other house and my health the yard is low on my list of things to do.  This week I had to clean out the pantry, a couple of potatoes had fallen down the back and were growing in there, but of course as I started moving out a few things I found more that needed doing.  Tomorrow I have to tackle the under stairs cupboard and my walk in closet, that is on top of the daily chores!

The disaster of a yard!

The Heat Has Started!

 I was hoping that the cool weather would continue for a while longer, long enough for me to get new air conditioners!  But it was not to be!  Yesterday was hot and humid, up to about 32C.  I went to do a bit of shopping, one place was to check the prices of air conditioners, then a supermarket to pick up some fruit and vegetables.  I was out for less than an hour and most of the time in the air conditioning but I still ended up with mild heat stroke!  Wearing a mask in the heat makes me really sick.  I was hoping that this would be behind us now but the vaccine roll out here is so slow.  From what I've read it could take until September to vaccinate most people!  

The cats are roaming around looking for the coolest places to lie down.  They are very quiet all day but start chasing around and playing at night!  They keep out of the living room as that gets very hot preferring the corridor and stairs which are a lot cooler.  Climbing the stairs can be rather dangerous!

Christopher has been helping out in the kitchen a bit.  He makes a really good omelet but can't fry eggs.  Every time he tries the yolk and white separate!

Christopher's fried egg!

Christopher's omelet, much better!

Hisao's Birthday

 Today would of been Hisao's 60th birthday.  I can't imagine what he would of been like at 60, he will always be 51 in my mind.  This birthday has hit me harder than the others, I think because 60 is seen as another milestone in life and Hisao never got the chance to see it.  What would he be like at 60?  What would our lives be like?  Would the kids lives be different?  So many questions!  We don't realize how important somebody is until we lose them!  Especially these past few months trying to understand Hannah's university, all the paper work before she started and all the paper work and deadlines for the scholarship has been very hard, most days I wished that Hisao was here to sort things out.  But he's not so I just have to get on with it!

Outing somewhere

Exactly one year before he died

I think today is going to be hard!

Yesterday I went to a supermarket that is a little bit of a drive from here but the meat is cheaper so worth the effort.  I was shocked to find that the system for paying had completely changed.  Most stores have self service registers but this store went one step further with carts that acts as a register.  You put money on a card, enter your ID on a screen attached to the cart then as you pick up items you scan them and place them in your bag.  The screen shows a running total of how much you have spent.  All good fun.

The new way to shop.

The cats have found a new way to keep busy, trying to get the lizards on the outside of the windows.  Makes good fun to watch them!

Trying hard to catch the lizard.

Insects

 I hate insects, even the ones that are considered cute like butterflies and ladybirds. There is just something about them that make my skin crawl!  But the ones that makes me scream and run around like an idiot are cockroaches.  Not the small ones that I can squish but the massive Godzilla ones that come out in the summer.  Another reason that I don't like summer!  There's saying in Japan that if you see one there are 30 more hiding, waiting to come out.  I already saw one this week, crawling along the ceiling in the bathroom.  So are there 30 more waiting?  I had hoped that the cats would help but they only play with them, chasing and batting them around.  I'm trying to find something that I can put down to kill the cockroaches but most poisons would be bad for the cats.  I thought about putting poison down where the cats don't go but the cats seem to get everywhere!

Talking about cats I was ready to throttle them last night.  All night meowing, fighting and scratching at my door. At 3:30am I gave up, opened my door to see all the cats lined up in the corridor, they were hungry!  So I gave them food and it went very quiet!  We also solved the mystery of Hannah's clothes being covered in cat hair. I don't let the cats into the bedrooms because we all have allergies so we couldn't figure out why Hannah's clothes had cat hair on them, it was David, we have the photo to prove it!

David rubbing Steve on Hannah's clothes

Cats being cute!

Hannah is enjoying her course.  Until the end of May everything is online, which is easier for her, no getting up early. Part of what she is doing is remembering all the things she did in elementary school.  Today she had to do an art project like she did in 1st or 2nd grade.  She had to make a robot or monster from boxes or other household stuff.  This is what she made.

Hannah's monster

Too Early

 This year, so far, nature has been too early.

Cherry blossoms in March instead of April.  Azaleas in April instead of May.  And now the rainy season has started, 20 days earlier than usual.  The last time it was this early was in 1954.  I don't like the rainy season. As the name implies it rains a lot, but for me it's the humidity that drives me crazy.  Yesterday, after the rain had stopped the humidity was still 80%.  Everything feels damp.  I feel as if the life has been sucked out of me.  To help combat this I usually run my air conditioners on the dry mode but at the moment two of my air conditioner aren't working.  I wish they were a luxury that I didn't need but they aren't. Once the real heat starts I know it will be killing for me.  Better bite the dust and go shopping.

David had to go to the police station on Friday.  No, he's not in trouble but was a witness to an accident a few weeks ago.  Mikey and David were on the way to Kusano to clean out my mother in laws house (it's still not finished). On the way they stopped to pick up some coffee, it was 6am.  Just as they were getting there coffee there as an awful crash out side, when they looked they saw a car had run into something, the can was wrecked but the driver was okay. David called the police while Mikey helped the driver. Because David was the one who called the police he was asked to go in and give a written statement.  Apparently the driver was drunk and sleepy, had a tire blow out and lost control of the car.  For his effort David was given 3000 yen by the police, about 20 pounds.  I was very surprised by that!

And because my life isn't stressful enough the cat have to get in on the act.  Last night Alan, one of the black cats, was foaming at the mouth. I was so shocked, I managed to catch him and wipe the foam off.  He went on his way only to come back a few minutes later foaming at the mouth again.  David and Hannah grab Alan and found that he was covered in washing up liquid, he was licking to get it off and that was why he was foaming at the mouth.  David and I got him in bathroom and managed to wash off the dish soap.  Alan struggled to get free, soaking me and the bathroom floor.  But we got the soap off, Alan went off to sulk, he is still miserable today!  I have no idea how he got soap on himself,  one of the mysteries of cats!

Who's hiding in the towel?

It's Sam

Steve and Alan watching the lizards on the outside of the window.

Back to Work

 We took a weeks holiday, which was nice but we are now back to work.  I like my work, which is just as well as I don't see retirement in the future!  Teaching can be fun but it is tiring, especially teaching kids.

Also parts of Japan are in a state of emergency.  Unlike the lockdown in England there are no laws to impose the lockdown and no fines.  People are asked to stay home unless it is necessary.  Things that are considered necessary are food shopping, hospital visits and work, but working from home is encouraged.  Schools are open but universities have gone back on line.  The prefecture we live in is still okay.  It's not a main area and for the most part is countryside.  But Hannah's university has moved to fully online because the neighboring prefecture is in lockdown and a lot of students come from there!  It would help if the vaccines were being rolled out a bit faster.  But it seems to be taking a long time, plus a lot of people are refusing the vaccine.  This seems to be a thing in Japan.   I remember when David was a baby the government with drew the MMR vaccine and replaced it with 3 different shots.  The Japanese people didn't like the idea of a foreign vaccine.  I think the same thing is happening again, they want a Japanese developed vaccine, which could take ages! 

We have been visited a few times by a few cats, I have no idea if they are strays, they seem cared for.  Of course Hannah puts food out for them.  I think she would take them all in if I let her but I don't have money for the vets and bringing in other cats I would want them checked for diseases!

Visitors!

And this happened.

David dropped his watch on his dinner!

Golden Week

 The beginning of May has 3 consecutive national holidays, together they are called Golden Week. Before coronavirus hit this would of been one of the busiest holiday times.  Most people don't take holidays even if it is in their contract.  To help out the tourist industry the government has made a lot of national holidays.  Almost every month will have at least one day holiday.  So banks, post offices, city halls, etc are closed, most offices close and of course schools are closed.  Because of the sudden increase in coronavirus cases in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo most people will have opted to stay home this year.  I've never gone anywhere on Golden Week as the lines for everything are just crazy.  I have thought of going back to the UK but the prices are almost 3 times more than usual!

So Golden Week this year started with Hannah's birthday.  19 years old. She got spoilt, as always.  I gave her a necklace and ordered a printer for her.  The boys got her games and books.  And of course we had a lovely dinner courtesy of David, three kinds of fired chicken and sashimi!

The rest of the holiday is being dedicated to cleaning.  I need to do as much as possible this month because I know that after June and the rainy season it will be too hot and humid to do more than the basics.  I really don't like summer here!

Hannah's cake, tasted better than it looks

David's creation, ginger pork on a bed of lettuce with tomato and 

avocado!

Fluffy sulking

Lion King?