Mmm mmm mmm… what a weekend.
On Friday I didn’t need to go to work – Visek Day, the Buddhist celebration of the life, death and enlightenment of the Buddha. After playing catch with Zen for a while and going for a swim, I chilled out at home all day reading RSS notes from various feeds I get, playing guitar, hanging around. Lovely. In the evening Zen and I watched The Castle of Cagliostro, a Lupin III adventure. It was fun and both of us enjoyed it. This was the version dubbed in English that a guy I went to high school with, David Hayter, does dubbing for (he’s Lupin).
Saturday morning Naoko baked up her first batch of muffins; she didn’t drown them in butter or sugar, so they ended up tasting more like scones, but that was all right with me. I did a lot of work all day, but we did go to see my colleague and her family and chill out at their gorgeous ground-level apartment with a garden out back. Â Scrumptious. Â While Naoko and Zen went to Codomo Club downtown, I went back to work, play guitar, drink beer.
Sunday was softball day, this time it was a tournament at Turf City.  Got up  at 5:40 AM, were in a cab by 7:15 all ready to play.  Zen was a catcher, and he was very excited about getting suited up and being a really great catcher.  He caught the pitcher’s throws well and threw them back to the pitcher well, but he didn’t have the confidence to get players out at home when there was an opportunity, there’s not that sort of teamwork yet with the kids. But that will all come. Zen was strong and reasonably confident throughout the whole game, we’re so proud of him for doing such a good job. He’s only had a bit of training, and I’m sure he’ll quickly become a very good catcher helping the team with lots of important plays.
I was an umpire for one of the games, and this was not much fun for me – besides standing out in the sun (and the rain – clouds formed and we had a short downpour, play was called off for a while until the rain passed), I also got hit right in the nuts by a stray softball when I wasn’t looking: the kids were practicing throwing the ball to each before the inning started and one of the balls made a beeline for my gonads instead of to the other kid’s glove – direct hit, OUCH!!!
But I was okay – it was only a softball after all, and it was a little seven year old who had thrown it, not Tiger Woods; unfortunately, the team lost two games, and we headed home just after noontime. A bit sad that the team lost, but in a way it was better for us – Naoko and Zen are on the redeye from Singapore to Osaka tonight (departure: 1:15 AM), and they didn’t want to spend all day out of doors.
Naoko’s yummy baking!!!
Cinnamon rolls!!!
Muffins that turned into scones!
Muffins that turned into scones, Part 2!
Naoko’s yummy pizza!!!
Naoko's super-pizza: half with olives (for Peter and Naoko) and one half with pineapple (for Zen)
Cool clouds!!
Sunday morning cloud, Part 1
Sunday morning cloud, Part 2
Zen’s softball day!
Zen getting suited up
Peter and Zen
Zen and his softball team
Zen the catcher at the left. That's me in the red shirt at the far right acting as second base umpire.
Zen as a catcher