Slightly Off Ballance

Wait- How Many Chapters Does This Book Have Again?

March 31, 2026

“Time may change me, but I can’t trace time” – “Changes,” D. Bowie

There is a certain kind of quiet that you spend years both dreading and desperately anticipating. I am told it arrives sometime in August.

In August, my oldest heads into third grade, and my youngest takes his very first steps into pre-k. Both of them, off and running at the same time. And while I am absolutely, completely, one hundred percent fine with this — I may have needed a moment.

But here is the thing about quiet: it creates space. And I, apparently, have decided to fill that space with contracts, torts, and legal terminology that I am currently pronouncing wrong in my head. (Voir dire. I have been saying it correctly out loud. What is happening in there privately is another matter entirely.)

I blame Chris. He was looking into the paralegal program at UNC Charlotte, and I found myself leaning further and further over his shoulder trying to figure out if I could piggyback on any of his coursework. As it turned out, only one of us was going to be able to take the class — the other would need to hold down the fort as primary parent on class nights. We made our decision, and here I am. (Chris, for the record, is an extraordinarily good sport about the whole thing.)

Three months in, seven months total. Almost halfway, which feels both incredibly encouraging and also like I blinked and missed something. Some of the concepts click immediately — a satisfying little snap of recognition. Others take a few passes before the “aha!” arrives. In the meantime, I am learning to balance the reading with the laundry, the concepts with the dirty dishes. It is a work in progress. So am I.

Here is the thing, though. This did not come entirely out of nowhere.

I started out in theatre. Sixth grade, to be specific — standing on an actual stage, under actual lights — and what I figured out embarrassingly quickly was that I did not want to be out there. I watched the stage crew work and thought: those people actually know what the hell is going on in this place. The actors got the applause. The crew got the show on. I knew which side of that equation I wanted to be on. Give me the headset and the dark wings and the satisfaction of being the indispensable person that makes the whole thing run.

That instinct followed me through everything that came after. Through the psychology degree and the counseling degree and the years spent doing intake and referrals and documentation in behavioral health. I was good at it. I cared about it. And then I hit a wall that anyone who has worked in mental health will recognize immediately: there is only so long you can hold space for the heaviest possible version of someone else’s worst day.

I left for a position developing “the skills necessary for reading and comprehension, working one-on-one with kids who struggled with reading and comprehension” — children with dyslexia, ADHD, autism — and I wanted the worst thing at the end of my day to be that a kid was still struggling to sound out a word. Not that he wanted to hurt himself. That is not a small distinction.

And then, anticipating the arrival of my first kiddo, I made another deliberate choice — to step back and use every skill I had accumulated to raise my own new family.

So here I am now, on the other side of all of that, with two boys almost out the door and a skill set that has — I am only now fully appreciating this — been pointing in the same direction the entire time. Documentation. Confidential records. Intake processes. Communication across complicated systems of people who all need different things from you. The organized, methodical, indispensable person behind the thing.

Paralegal, it turns out, fits like a song I already knew the melody to, and now I’m learning all the lyrics.

The quiet arrives in August. I will be ready.
Oh Hi- Are you all still here?

November 3, 2019

Excellent!

Maybe I can figure out something to entertain you, in the near future….
Mr. Bowie – A New Career in a New Town

January 11, 2016

You will be missed, you wonderful Alien, you.

Said you took a big trip/ They said you moved away/ Happened oh, so quietly/ They say

– “Everyone Say’s ‘HI’”- D.Bowie

I was probably about 6 or so when I first saw him. He was costumed in this dark material, sitting rakishly upon a windowsill. Playing with his balls.

It was not until almost 10 years later, when I heard this amazingly haunting voice call out to me over the radio about Major Tom, that I finally pieced together this mystery man and how he would forever effect the rest of my life.

I was 15 years old, and looking for a sound that I could identify with. Something that I could embrace as my own, as a soundtrack to keep me going through the rough years of being a teenager and already knowing EVERYTHING. At this stage of our story, I have already figured out that that half remembered scene of a man sitting in the windowsill was Mr. David Bowie, and I had worn down my VHS copy of The Labyrinth. (Actually I’m watching my Blu-ray copy at this very moment while writing this – because it it awesome, and because it’s a little too soon for me to process watching The Man Who Fell To Earth.) So now I needed more- I needed to reach beyond the Goblin City.

My very first David Bowie album was The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Let me just say that this album and I have been through a lot together. First off, middle school is its own level of hell (and an entirely different post topic.) Secondly, my dad was dying from cancer. We knew it was terminal, and we knew it was only a matter of time. And I felt completely helpless.

So I took a lot of walks, with Ziggy as my only companion. From “Five Years” to “ Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” (and back again), I walked while Bowie medicated me. His music provided 15 year-old me the solace and strength to “climb to the top of the mountain” (and considering how hilly my neighborhood was, I occasionally needed the encouragement). Joking aside, though, I needed that album – I needed to cling onto something that I could rely on and know even better than myself at times.

And from then on, my collection grew. The staples were added, along with the rare and the B-sides. Flea markets were scoured for records. Posters went up all over the walls, causing some visitors to remark at their unease of being stared at by so many Bowie Eyes. (Same silly excuse my husband gives me when I suggest hanging the Giant Half Bowie Face poster anywhere that he might come face-to-face with it.)

(As another quick aside- I could not decide how to title this post, so I just hit Shuffle on my massive collection – “A New Career in a New Town” was the first to pop up, and it seemed pretty appropriate.)

I am glad that I face today’s loss having no regrets, as I was able to see not one, but two of his tours (Earthling and Reality.) David Bowie’s presence in my life has been an overwhelmingly positive one, and will continue to be a source of happiness and solace as needed.

My sadness goes out to another 15 year-old girl who has lost her dad to cancer. I hope that she is able to find her own musical solace that will stay with her for the rest of her life.
The Point In Which I Discuss Skull Candy

April 22, 2015

To some, this might look “eerie.” To me it looks like those headstones in the back are having a particularly slanderous gossip session about the headstone walking away in the front left side.

My husband is under the impression that I am rather odd. And morbid. Perhaps he used the phrase “Morbidly Odd,” but I am not entirely sure of that fact. I’ll have to check with him at a later time. When he is not making a squeamish face at me.

One topic that he gets very cagey about is Death. For the most part, about what to do with the other person once they die. To me, this is a very practical conversation, and one that can sometimes provide further insight into who the other person is. For example, my husband has alternated between wanting to be buried or cremated with the possibility of the ashes being distributed in many different ways.

I, however, have expressed my current wish to have my skull removed from my body, plated in either gold or bronze (I’m still debating which one), with my name and birth/death dates engraved on it.

Just like this… but a skull…that is full of candy.

Then I wish to have it passed along the generational line, most likely going to the black sheep of the family. Also, it would be cool if it could function as a candy dish. I really like Rolos, but that’s just a suggestion. Mini Reeses Cups could work too.

I’ve a family member who once placed in the request that they are placed in an urn that was capped by a bowl, so you could pour M&M’s in it, and set it on the coffee table. It’s examples like this that make me believe I come by my choices honestly.

On the other hand, Chris recently mentioned something about getting the dog bronzed at the inevitable point when she dies. So maybe he is coming around to the whole Skull Candy Dish idea after all.
The Trains on Plains Cause Musings When It Rains

January 28, 2015

Once again I find myself on a train, rolling down the tracks. And because there is currently no access to WiFi on this thing, I’ve been staring out the window and musing to myself. (Have you noticed how hard it is to NOT distract yourself these days? I might have checked my phone twice as I started this post. And then I forced myself to put it down and NOT play more Evil Apples. Because I’m musing here people!)

There is something wonderful about riding on a train. For me, one reason is because you get to see elements of the countryside that you don’t usually get to see. Instead, you see the dirty parts, the industrial parts, the backsides of places that don’t care what graffiti has sprung up on its flanks. Where everything is a bit more run down, and a bit rawer that you would usually see in your other types of travel. You can see the piles of rusted cars and their tires. You can see the gravel pits and lumber yards. And you can see all of the small town charm that these places help to fuel and employ. From a train you can see the panoramic view of the nice townhouses and the rundown abandoned shack, divided only by an overgrown line of shrubs and trees and a lack of awareness.

Look at the blurry countryside speeding by!

From the train you get a constantly changing sliver of American life; outside the window, and right next to you.

On the train, there is usually a varied selection. For example, today we have a young man in his 20’s who presents as MR. He is holding a conversation with a grandmotherly type in the seat behind him. Across the way is another young man who I imagine could be headed back to a late college class after a particularly “fun” weekend. On the next row sits a young girl around 12 or 13 years old, who does not look daunted by her solo trip at all. Somewhere behind me I can hear the snoring of someone who has been lulled to sleep by the swaying rhythm of the train.

Back outside, I watch as we pass a homeless camp tucked away in a wooded valley; blue tarps strung up with various piles of random objects collected around the site. A few miles down, there are two box cars situated in a wooded clearing with obvious signs of habitation. Across the street rise the walls of suburbia.

As I sit here, being rocked back and forth, it helps me reflect on how, to me, trains have always been a symbol of movement. Throughout my life, the sound of a train whistle has been the sound of a promise; no matter what going on around me, there is at least one thing out there that is moving forward with a purpose. At points in my life, trains would even be a symbol of escape. When I was in undergrad, I would watch the trains going past campus and see them as something that would take me away from places, people, and whatever it was that was adding to my anxieties. (Perhaps I thumbed through too much Kerouac.) Watching them now, I am able to see trains more as something that can take me to places, instead of just away from them. But whether I am coming or going, taking the trip is something I hope I will continue to enjoy.

All Aboard (Guess who can’t take a steady picture on a moving train!)
Step Eight: Say Sayonara to Japan , and Look Towards Future Randomness

January 26, 2015

My final day in Japan was a long one. From the onset, I knew that I would have to catch a flight late that evening. But first there must be food and a considerable amount of walking to still be done!

Today’s “Let’s what the locals eat” experience took us to MOS Burger, where I tackled a Spicy Cheeseburger. Because I am occasionally dumb and forget that Spicy Foods and I do not always agree. But never mind that now.

I look nothing like my advertisement picture. But I am still tasty, in a “I GET EVERYWHERE!” sort of way.

Following a fortifying lunch where, once again, customer service was top-notch and beyond what I’ve experienced in many state-side establishments, we hopped the rail back to the Harajuku station. It was time to experience …. Takeshita Street!

This ever-changing entrance decoration greets you as you embark on the mind-warping journey down Takeshita Street.

We ventured through the crowds, a sea of people, punctuated by a few glamorous mermaids of original fashion. And while I didn’t manage to capture any good pictures of these individuals, I did manage to find some interesting shots nonetheless.

This is the entrance to Lady Gaga’s personal closet. (I failed to notice the “No Pictures” sign until after the fact… Ooops!)

I hate spiders, but for this, I would make an exception.

When I travel, I always find it interesting to see what graffiti and the like that gets put up by the locals. Because after a while, it all starts to look the same, no matter where you are.

The real melting pot of the world.

Venturing off Takashita street, we wandered up to (what I realized after the fact) Tōgō Shrine, located off of Mejii Dori. And while we did not have time to go explore, I have put it on my “Return To” list for the next time. Because I am going back. Yep. Gonna happen!

You eluded me this time… but next time.
(Although, for all I know, that red sign is saying, ” closed- no entrance.” So, yeah… )

We continued down the other way on Mejii Dori, towards Shibuya Station. From everything that I have read since the trip, it is said that what Takashita is for the more crazy fashion, Mejii Dori is for the more trendy fashion. I would have to agree – everyone was quite the fashion plate.

However, being me, I was more interested in the odd architecture and random art displays. Because that is how I roll.

I was designed this way. This crack? All me.

I am attempting to be an optical illusion. You going to take the inside stairs… or the outside ones?

After all that walking, we needed a moment to sit down and have an always convenient hot beverage.

Hi! There’s a hot beverage machine right over there.

While enjoying said beverage, I heard a child yelling. I have no idea who or what she was yelling at, but I’m pretty sure that all the windows in this building were 1) really high up, and 2) closed.

Sometimes you just have to shout out and hope someone is listening.

No hair was let down. No keys were thrown. No acknowledgement given. But she still looked pretty proud of herself, so at least she had that going for her. Which is nice.

Finally, after much walking, Nathan announced that we had made it to our final, and pivotal, Tokyo Experience. Which I shall share with you now. It is the crosswalk outside of Shibuya Station.

What is so important or interesting about a crosswalk? Well…

Mesmerizing … isn’t it?

And with that image, dear readers and spambots, we have (finally) reached the end of this epic saga. I hope you have enjoyed trailing along with me on this adventure. And now that it is done, I feel I can start posting more random amusements on this blog. Hope you will stick around!
Step Seven: Pay-Up on Step Six’s Promise

January 13, 2015

The beautiful thing about other cultures and other languages is that everyone sounds the same when they are on a roller coaster. The squeals of anticipation, the screams of enjoyment (or terror) the nervous laughter as you find yourself hanging upside-down, and waiting for the breaks to release and send you 90 degrees straight down.

Yes, we are all the same when we ride roller coasters.

I learned this lesson on Day 5 of my excursion into Japan. (Look – I am determined to finish this darn travel essay, so you are just going to have to bear with me, and deal with it. There will be shiny, more up to date things, once I am done here, I promise. So just shoo if you need to and come back later. )

Bright and early, Nathan and I struck out to the famed Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, because the only logical thing to do while you are in Japan is to go view Mt. Fuji from the top of one of the highest roller coasters in existence. So we ventured out from Ōme, Tokyo to Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, a little over 80km away, with a traveling breakfast, as one is supposed to in these situations.

A steamed pork bun

How do they fit so much tasty in such a small package?

and pancake sandwiches

I am made by sandwiching syrup and butter between two pancakes. I am delicious. See how happy I make the car?

…perfect for making your way to a fun-filled day of “Do I really want to go on this ride?” and “ Oh god, why did I want to go on this ride?” And lastly, “ LETS GO BACK ON THAT RIDE!” Because this is how I approach all roller coasters, and important life choices in general. I became more and more excited as we got closer to our destination and I could see the great feat of nature that the park took its name from.

OH HAI THAR! I am going to dominate your viewing area for the remainder of your day.

At the time of year that we were currently in, there was still a think blanket of snow covering its top, and being the non-skier that I am, I imagined how fun it would be to ski down Mt. Fuji in a completely safe and not-at-all-dangerous way. Because snow.

Eventually, the ultimate FUN ZONE appeared upon the horizon.

ARE WE THERE YET!!1!!!!

We walked up to its gates.

An unimposing gate, for the adventure that lies within.

And we faced our First Opponent.

Fear not. Just make sure you have secured all of your belongings.

It was wind-y …… It was tall.

Tall coaster is tall!

First ride of the day!

This is how I gear myself up to be rapidly dropped from a great height.

It was AWESOME!

Now that we were warmed up, we decided to go for SPEED over height.

They all survived… Barely

Unfortunately, I was far too focused on OMGFUNTIME! that I did not take as many detailed pictures. So you are stuck with words. Words of power and awe. Words that defy description!

OK, perhaps not that last part.

So, as previously alluded to, the next big coaster we rode was Dodonpa.

It is the hot-rod of roller coasters, with its, ” Hey, Watch this!” attitude as it counts down, and then launches you through a chute at over 170km/h. Or not. Sometimes it tricks you, and makes you think that there is a problem with the launch, only to shoot you out in a surprise move of mechanical prankishness. Because it can.

Next was Takabisha.

That hump? Yeah – you pause there. At 90 degrees. Looking straight down. BEFORE THEY RELEASE YOU.

I think this was my favorite of all the coasters we rode, for two reasons. 1) Because even if you know that it is going to pause you on that hump, you still find yourself yelling, ” Why?! Why must you do this?!” to the gods and roller coaster engineers alike.

Steep would be an understatement here.

And 2) because this coaster is EVEN SNEAKIER than Dodonpa. “How?” you might ask…. Simple:

Just because that rise you see coming up from the ride is the first thing you can see,does NOT mean it is the first part of the ride…. Oh No. It is not

No, the first part of the ride is in the dark. After a neck-breaking turn. Away from what you think is going to be the beginning of the ride. With many twists. THEN you get to the outside part. Thinking back on it, my first reason is probably directly caused by the second reason. I now have a third reason.

So before venturing off to the final coaster of the day, I shall share with you some other views of the rest of the park.

There were ants.

I felt like Godzilla.

There were Zombies.

Nathan kept trying to convince me that I really, really wanted to go in here. I did not.

There were Nekos.

It was cold, and water rides did not appeal to me at the moment.

And there were Angels.

OK, now that we’ve seen the place a bit more, let’s move on the the big kahuna. The white whale. The ghost pepper hot wing challenge.

Eejanaika

This is the mother of all coasters here at Fuji-Q. This is the coaster that you seriously question your life choices before, during, and for some, after riding this marvel of mad engineering.

4-D Coaster… Closest I will probably ever get to a time machine.

I tried to get a good picture, but the entire platform insisted on rattling the whole time.

This might have been why.

There was so much screaming.

But we went on the ride. We survived. We did not throw-up.

I did not regret this life choice at all.

And that ended day 5. It was a wonderful way to enjoy that part of Japan, that many outside travelers do not take the time to do. If you get the opportunity, seize it.

I leave you with motivational posters. Or advertisements. Or both.

There is much delight nestled inside of this doughnut.

This watermelon got off easy.

I never considered this application of awesome spiked watermelon power.
Intermission, and Some State-Side Adventures

September 2, 2014

This weekend, my fiancé and I decided to go camping. At this point in our relationship, we had not actually “gone camping” in any real sense of the phrase. And by that, I mean, we had not strapped heavy bags to our backs and proceeded to hike over rock formations to get to our final destination. Chris wished to remedy this oversight on his part, and declared that Labor Day Weekend was THE BEST TIME EVAR! to fix this problem.

Now I have done a fair share of car camping in my day. Heck, I was a YMCA Indian Princess AND a Girl Scout. I even inherited a hiking backpack from my house. (Short story: I bought a house, and the previous owner gave up on clearing out all their junk, and didn’t want any of it afterwards. In that junk were some treasures, including a good quality hiking backpack. Also, a lawn mower.) What I had never done was use this wonderful treasure out in the wild (or really, ever), so I was relatively little assistance in getting everything that had piled up in the living room actually INTO the pack. I did, however, know how to make peanut butter sandwiches and how to pack them so they would not get squished.

After a lengthy packing process, 45-minutes of searching around the house for car keys (which we did not find), and running by the sporting goods store to buy a new sleeping bag, as mine was woefully too big to even consider hiking with, we started off on our 2 hour drive – in the dark- to start hiking – up a mountain – for the first time – with a hiking backpack strapped on my back.

The first realization that our trip might not be going according to the original plan, was getting lost in a rather backwoods area where we were greeted by the local Cujo. No signal to our phones meant that we were super-glad that Chris had the forethought to bring along a folding paper map. PSA: Kids- Learn to read an actual paper map. It could save you from Cujo and those guys from Deliverance.

Eventually, we made it up a winding, foggy, gravelly, almost fall off the side of the mountain, road that appeared to perhaps be leading to our proposed destination. At this point the clock is creeping on in towards midnight. We had reached a feeling between determination to get to the end of whatever road we have found ourselves on, and terror as to what might jump out of the foggy woods and murder us. We had seen a fox earlier; Also Cujo. Relief at finding ourselves on a paved road leading to the parking lot of the trail-head was great and exhilarating.

My exhilaration tamped itself down as the heavy realization of having to hike up the mountain before we could set up camp strapped itself onto my back along with my hiking backpack. The air was cool, and clammy with mist, and I thought to myself, “We wouldn’t be attempting TOO hard of a hike, especially as this is my very first hike with a pack, and it IS getting on towards 1AM.”

Around 2:30AM I started contemplating my life and the choices I had made in it. My headlamp cut a swath of eerie light through the dense fog, as I waited for Chris to return from searching out the correct trail. We had already retraced our steps, and this was a last ditch attempt to get up the damned mountain before the sun came up. The forest hummed and chattered, and every few minutes Mrs. Dog Dobalina would stand at attention and warn off whatever lurked in the fog and dark that coming any closer would not be in it’s best interest.

To my relief, Chris finally found the missing trail (it was there THE WHOLE TIME!) and I allowed myself to be pulled up the rock face by a very excited and energetic dog. (Truly, this is the only way to hike in an upward motion. Going back down is another risk entirely.) Remarkably, we made it to the top in one piece, and continued to stay in that state as we hopped over the jagged boulders that rose suddenly through the perpetual fog. I looked around, as the wind picked up and whipped through the shrubland, the misty-white fog lazily drifting past my head like whips of smoke. This was a realm that birthed fairytales and folklore. Looking up, I could catch a fleeting glimmer of the stars, starting in patches and then opening up wide enough to see the Milky Way.

(Side note- It was really, really dark and by this point I was not in a picture taking frame of mind, so you are just going to have to put on your Imagination Caps, people.)

Exhausted, we made camp; patting each other on the back for making it up to the top, and vowing to never do that again. (Say it with me now: I SWEAR! I will NEVER do that again!). Another round of recognition went out; I for thinking to make peanut butter sandwiches, and Chris for making sure they made it up the mountain. I must say, that peanut butter sandwich under the open (and occasionally) starlit sky was the most enjoyable wheat product and nut spread I had eaten. (Nutella- If you are reading this, I sincerely apologize. I will always love you.)

Morning broke excruciatingly early, at the sound of the dog protecting us and the tent from the danger of wayward hikers in search of the sunrise. OK, it was a bit after sunrise, and to be fair, it was a great spot to check out the morning view, so I don’t blame them in the slightest. And any hard feeling at being woken up so gosh-darn early, were replaced once I caught a glimpse of the now fog-less view all around me.

Some views are worth waking up for.

Looking out over the vast expanse of a forest bed just throwing off its covers of morning condensation, I realized that it had been completely worth it.

The Mountains were just waking up.

The late hours, the getting lost, the heavy bag, the aches and pains in muscles I didn’t even know I had used; All would have been for not, had I given up and refused to go any further, or worse yet, gone back to curl up in the car.

A girl and her dog. Also whatever it was that Lina is looking at. Trust me, you don’t want to know.

This was way, way better than waking up in a car after refusing to climb up a mountain in the dark with blinding fog.

And yes, we did find Chris’s keys. Eventually. After days of searching.

They were hanging on the back of the closet door.
Step Six: Realize Your Lazy Day is Just Filler Until You Post the Next, Really Exciting (No- REALLY) Day of the Adventure

August 21, 2014

So day four started off nice and slow, with an onigiri (or two) that I had picked up at the 7-11 the night before. (It was like I KNEW I’d be moving slowly the next morning.)

One was salmon and one was tobiko or masago. As to which was which….

I took the time to dump all of my photos from the past few days onto my laptop, and reflect back on the trip so far. Slowly, I was allowing myself to accept the fact that I was actually in Japan. Also, I was realizing that I was completely smitten with this whole country, even more so than when I first started planning this whole trip.

Nathan had set it in his mind that I could not truly experience Japan until I had sampled CoCo Ichiban. Nathan can be very correct sometimes. This was one of those times. CoCo was a wonderful experience, from the moment that we walked in the door and received international menus. Not just English menus. Not just picture menus (though there were fantastic pictures involved.) These were INTERNATIONAL menus. If I had wished to order in Portuguese, I could have. Another wonderful thing I noticed (and this is not just limited to CoCo) is how, at many of these establishments, you have the ability to choose a variety of portion sizes. And this is not just your average fast-food sizing; this is full on personal customization. You want a lot of rice? a little rice? Any of the in-between rice sizes? ALL OF THE RICE?!? You got it! The same goes for sauces and toppings.

As I was not currently conditioning for any eating challenges at the time of our visit, I chose a modest amount of rice and chicken cutlet curry.

It might look underwhelming, but I would probably eat this every day if I could.

As we ate our ever-most-filling delight, I began to ponder where the local Japanese person might go if they were in need of new tea cups, tatami mat, lumber, art supplies, and a hamster, all while checking out a giant tortoise.

“Why, they would go to Joyful Honda!” my cousin gleefully exclaimed. And thus our next venture was secured.

So very Joyful!

So basically we explored all over this wonderful land of ALL OF THE THINGS, and I picked up a trinket or two, but I failed to take any super awesome pictures. Every so often, I like to just enjoy being in the moment rather than trying to capture the moment. I wasn’t being super lazy, I swear!

I did, however, think to capture this gem. I think all elevators should carry this, or similar adorable warnings, to keep me from getting my fingers crunched by their doors.

Crab will always beat scissors (though I imagine rock might beat crab)
Step Five: Split Up a Whole Day into Two Posts and See if Anyone Notices.

August 11, 2014

As we made our way back to Harajuko station, my cousin and I were greeted along our path by a beautiful display of luminaries and projected light.

I am stealing this idea for my Pinterest board.

There was a number of flower light projections all down the path.

Warning: Luminaries may be able to see into the depths of your soul.

All of which lead us to a spectacular performance of Kabuki Theater.

Even without knowing what was going on, it was pretty cool to watch.

Some of the traditional performers from Tōhoku region.

As we marveled at the production in front of us, wondering at what cultural heritage event we had stumbled upon, an older gentleman behind us took pity on these two clueless Americans. In halting English, and with many hand gestures, he explained that these performers were actually from Fukushima. All in all, the whole production appeared to be a very big “To Do”, with many people enjoying the rare chance to see the Meiji Shrine and its park after dark.

Oh! Candid Shot!

And why, you ask, was this entire event going on? Well, it wasn’t until after the fact that we realized we’d stumbled into the beginnings of the 100th anniversary of the Empress Shoken’s passing.

But we had made dinner plans already, and we needed to scurry on to Shinjuku and the tasty yakiniku hiding there.
As you can see, there was much tastiness to be had.

The meat- It was plentiful.

I even tried my hand at manning the grill!

On this edition of Cooking with Kate, there is the possibility of everything catching on fire.

Once stuffed full of tasty meaty goodness, we ventured out to find a nightcap. I now regret to say that we did not have the time or inclination to wait for a spot in the Robot Restaurant, but we can all at least sleep happier knowing that a place like this exists in the world. Instead we found a small, hole-in-the-wall cigar bar, where the main table actually wrapped around the piano, and everything was served in crystal.

That’s a 12 year McClelland single malt there, in case anyone cares.

It was pretty fantastic.

I had spent a wonderful day, out and about, but the most surreal moment had yet to occur. As we took our train home, I experienced the crush of the late night crowd, and maneuvered my way to grab a much-coveted seat. I may have even joined my fellow commuters in fighting off the inevitable urge to doze off once sitting. Once exiting the train, I immediately found myself naturally heading up the left side of the stairs with the rest of the crowd, without even being prompted. With them, I watched in a detached state, as two inebriated salary men began shoving and punching each other on the stair landing.

I continued on my way out of the station and into the slight drizzle; a realization finally starting to bloom in the back of my mind:

“Huh. I’m in Japan.”

The trains are pretty wonderful to watch.

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