• Daily Life

    Weekend of Death

    In an otherwise nondescript weekend–almost no tours, tests, parties, interviews, meetings, events or obligations–death reigned supreme, and by that I mean the Death Machine was my prime mode of transport. Although as I noted yesterday, in the one appointment I did have, I was also killed off myself, albeit temporarily. The Death Machine got its name from being like a near-death experience with every ride, particularly because it takes some time to learn how to properly balance to ride the recumbent. But the bicycle has also been notoriously fickle, breaking down at the most inopportune times. A couple of years…

  • Daily Life

    Washout

    Heavy rain put a dampener on any outside activity this morning, but it was a good chance for other activities, notably the family dinosaur throwing herself into a bath. She’s the clumsiest bather imaginable and watching her trying to bathe always fills my heart with warmth and hope that she’ll eventually get the practice down right one day. No luck so far, though. Otherwise, it was a great day for the garden as the rain poured down in the morning and the sun is coming out now. It looks green, lush and healthy. How long it will remain like that…

  • Daily Life

    Brush With Death

    I got to have a brush with death this morning. Nothing serious, of course, as I’m referring to a log-awaited photo opportunity with our bottlebrush in full bloom and the Death Machine as we refer to the rickety old recumbent bike which seems to offer the opportunity of terminating life every time it is mounted. As a pun lover, I’ve been waiting for the chance to use this headline for a while, but preparing the Death Machine for a ride takes time as I have to uncover it, set up the lights and flagpole to make sure drivers can see…

  • Daily Life

    Glimpses of Gloriousness

    For a few seconds this morning, I got to have a couple of glimpses of gloriousness. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed Tokyo’s outer suburbs have had some amazing sunrises and sunsets. The old sayings about red skies in the morning and night seem to have been put to bed as we’ve had many days with both and rain either turning up or not falling in contrast to the conventional wisdom. Due to timing, I’m lucky enough to be out on my bike on most days now as the sun appears in the sky. This morning I was…

  • Daily Life

    It’s All Happening Here!

    Pushed for time and all other sorts of resources, Kangaeroo was surprised to note this morning that it had been almost 10 days since the last post on the site. So much has been going on, some of it pretty crucial, that time slipped away. To borrow a turn of phrase made popular by one-time Australian cricket captain and commentator (and fellow Victorian) Bill Lawry, it’s all happening here. I guess it’s best to go forward by category. Among Kangaeroo’s interests over the past year has been the Aussie garden. A crucial part of that garden is the lawn, traditionally…

  • Daily Life

    Well, At Least We Found Out

    Kangaeroo’s housing estate has recently been afflicted with a spate of bicycle thefts and vandalizations. As an avid cyclist, this hit Kangaeroo hard. Mrs. Kangaeroo’s winter gloves were stolen, forcing her to head out into the freezing cold winter morning with her hands unprotected from the elements. Kangaeroo’s spare road bike and the death machine were also vandalized and various equipment and accessories were stolen. Enraged, Kangaeroo headed to the police to report the issue, even if only to be able to received formal notification to enable making an insurance claim. Astonishingly, instead of largely ignoring a bicycle-related theft issue,…