I can't see to type in a title...

I was working at a customer site in the Mid-West this past week. This particular site has been hit hard by the out sourcing of the manufacturing staff to overseas manufacturing sites. I had to laugh (and snap a picture) when I walked by this eye glasses collection box. I guess the manufacturing staff aren't so amused.

Stealth Dinner shots

There's a real art form to taking good, unobserved, pictures during meal time. I snapped this little baby at dinner one night this week. I was trying to make a choice between this meal, and a different meal that looked (in the menu) like a volcano shaped out of raw meat. I was leaning towards the meat volcano, but decided to ask the server for his input.

Take my really bad Japanese, the servers really bad English, and together it made for a worse combination. I think the server suggested this dish, so I gave it a whirl. I'm getting better at eating noodles and I don't wear them on my glasses or shirts so much anymore, but this meal was a challenge. The sauce thickened up a bit when I mixed in the egg. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 6. It lacked any zip or vigor. I should have gone with the meat volcano. Next time I will.

I have the beer , and the dinner to go with it, please

So I found a family owned restaurant a bit off the beaten path near my hotel. The dining establishment itself is fairly forgettable, but, the beer, my word. The meal pictured cost about 800Y. The beer cost 700Y. The beer itself, which the picture doesn’t even begin to do justice, was more like three full beers. It was gigantic. It was amazing.

I’ve had dinner there several times this week.

What's so bad about peace love and, uh, free?

I realized this week that I'm drawn, like a bee to a flower, moth to the flame, to any kind of product in the mini-marts that has something attached to it. Like something for free. So this trip, I'm collecting these little things that you see attached to my Dakara. I'm not sure what they are, but I think you attach them to your cell phone. I may remove my collection from their packages and hand them out as gifts when I return home.

(Sssshhhhh, don't tell on me.)

(I did almost buy a big drink last night that looked like it had some sort of tampon attached to the top. In the end, common sense took over and I opted not to buy it. I wish I had though. I went back tonight and it was sold out.)