I'm feeling pretty chipper today. Don't know why. Had a fight with the cat last night and she got put outside for the whole night. Wish I could somehow get through to her that I won't desert her, won't go away permanently, she has a spot for the rest of her days. She just would not stop talking last night and wanted out, then in, then out, then in. Finally I said no you are not going out again and she just got louder and louder, whereby she got put out unceremoniously and told to stay away for a number of hours.
Okay, I have the photos up and finally ready. They probably need a bit of fine tuning, but they are all there. Two albums - take your pick.
Flowers, Gardens and Autumn colour and
Japan visit
Hope those links work. There were some problems on that website a while back. Grab yourself a coffee, sit back and relax and click the View Slideshow button and wander down the narrow roads with me.
Now let's see what you have all been up to.
Nita - I know where you are coming from. It all gets too hard and you think you will never get where you want to be. Courage friend. Take it one day at a time. Give yourself a pat on the back for each day you achieve your goals. Take a rest from exercise at least once a week. And every so often, pack the DH in the car and go somewhere you haven't been for ages. Stay overnight if you feel like it. We need to have some life in our days in order to get through the days of our life. There is only one life. Make sure it is not all discipline, good food and good works. There has to be something to nuture the soul as well.
Hal - Japanese foods. Well you know me - I like food period, Japanese or otherwise. So what did I eat over there -
We had Sushi at Gonza one night. Gonza is a franchise (I think - sort of) and it was the last night of trading - they were closing the doors. So we got all kinds of Sushi Nigiri and it was fairly cheap.
Then we had a Tempura night. Oh the tempura batter was so light and crisp - it was yummy. My friend had a plate of sashimi (raw fish) which included puffer fish (fugu) which can be deadly if not properly prepared. I declined and she is still alive to tell the tale.
One night was Okonimyaki which is a sort of cross between pancake and omelet with lots of cabbage and fish flakes and other veges. Quite nice although I'm not raving about it. It certainly was filling.
We had temaki sushi as well - that's sushi where you pick up your nori (seaweed sheet) and fill it with whatever you want. There was a huge variety of fish, prawns, egg, eel, roe, avocado and natta (fermented soy beans) as well as tofu.
In Nagoya City I had Domburie - which is rice with (in this case) chicken and vegetables, but you can have beef or pork or egg or curry.
Most of the above comes in a set - soup, pickles, the dish, green tea, etc.
Other food that comes to mind is Omrice (omelet stuffed with rice) a Japanese pizza - can't remember what the Japanese name is unfortunately. The miso soup is actually quite nice. It grows on you and depending what they put in it can be very filling. Pickles (some okay, most blah) come with everything. We went to a bread shop where, when you buy some bread, they give you a bowl of mountain vege soup and a cup of coffee free. When I say bread shop, it is nothing like a franchised bread shop here. It's a building on its own, stuck in a tiny village halfway up the mountain and is really for the rural population. However she does a roaring trade on Sundays for half the neighbouring city. Photos are on the web.
That's about it for food. There was other stuff, but much of it tastes similar since rice, soup and pickles are staples. Mind you living on that soup could take pounds off you.
Mooz, Good luck with the exhibition. I know you will do well. I have that one of the Giants causeway on my screensaver. It reminds me of you everytime I see it. Love the colours.
Oh and what a great weightloss. Well done.
I day - hmmmm a new bloke huh. Enjoy it. It could be fun.
Cat - hi where did you get to!!!
Duty calls, gotta go.
Let the holidays begin...
That is awesome. Have you been doing anything different? I see you said following WW is what you are doing. I have a coupon for free registeration until early December. Hummm... Hey I saw the 'biscuits' you talk about in the store I mentioned above. They were imported from Scotland, and I found myself thinking of you. They were what we would call a fancy cookie here. So, have you found any new recipes from the fine folks at WW that are working for you? 
One guy said the first thing he did was hire a personal trainer. I have a feeling, can you imagine?
I hope your shoulder pain fades quickly, how are you? Are you cooking for the holiday?
to me...LOL...
