御節

今年も御節をぼちぼちと作っている。手作りや黒豆を母に試食してもらいながら。試食の度、「黒豆美味しい」「田作り美味しい」など毎回感動してくれる。伊達巻を焼いたけどこれはまだ試食できないよと言うと母は伊達巻は「買ってきたものだと思っていた!」と毎年言う。毎年「いやここで焼いたんだよ。(フライパンでね)」と言うがこの記憶はアップデートされないようなので来年も同じ会話をするのだろう。産直に行ったら大きな金柑もあったので甘煮にした。それを試食してもらったら、美味しいもう一個!と言うのでもう一個提供。お正月を先取りだね。家人の実家親戚からも美味しい豪華な御節が届くのだから作る必要はないんだけど、こうして母が喜ぶうちは作ろうと思う。もう何年も同じものを作っているので作るのは何もストレスになっていないのだ。年々楽に作れてる気がする。親戚から今年届いた御節は京都の料亭のものと蟹専門店の2種類であった。値段にしたら数万円・・。私のとは比べ物にならないない程豪華で義母や叔父叔母作ったものが入って居て本当に御節には恵まれている我が家である。

Dec 29th, 2018

来春、今いるところからもっと静かなエリアに移ろうと思ってるそうだ。それならフロリダに居た方がよかったのでは?と思ったのだが。。。

1)   A 65-year-old man was found dead on a road in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, early Friday morning after he was apparently hit by a snowplow.

According to police, heavy snow hit the region on Thursday and the snowplow was clearing a road during the night, Sankei Shimbun reported. The operator of the snowplow called 110 at around 3 a.m. Friday to report that a man was lying on the road near the snowplow.

2)   Police in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, have arrested a 47-year-old woman on suspicion of attempted murder after she tried to strangle her 19-year-old daughter to death at their home.

According to police, Kaori Harukawa tried to kill her daughter at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Sankei Shimbun reported. She then called 119 and said she had strangled her daughter.

3)   Japan’s top government spokesman said on Wednesday his government wants to promote rules that protect free and fair trade for the global economy.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, speaking during a recording of a TV program at Japanese broadcaster BS11, said Japan is ready to explain its stance in trade negotiations with the United States.

4)   The Japanese government is considering sending Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels to the Chinese navy’s fleet review next April, as the two countries are looking to facilitate defense exchanges amid thawing diplomatic ties, a source familiar with bilateral ties say.

5)   He is desperate to accomplish something that will leave his mark on history during his last three-year term as LDP president through 2021, political experts say.

The 64-year-old conservative leader, who has gained core supporters for the hard line he has taken on North Korea, hopes to bring back Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.

But this diplomatic agenda is unlikely to move forward anytime soon partly because of stalled nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.

In May 2017, Abe caused a political stir by proposing to change the war-renouncing Article 9 of the supreme law to put an end to the debate over the constitutionality of the Self-Defense Forces.

6)   Two homeless men have been charged with burglary after a California man said he came home to find them cooking dinner.

Robby Spillman tells KNBC-TV he returned from Christmas shopping last Friday to find the men in his Santa Monica apartment.

Spillman says the men, who stank and wore filthy, ripped clothing, told him they hadn’t expected him home so soon and asked if they could “hang out” for a while.

7)   Authorities say two men were surrounded by customers with guns while attempting to steal tools from a Washington store.

The Daily Herald reports the men, ages 22 and 23, allegedly took four nail guns, each worth more than $400, from the Coastal Farm & Ranch store Saturday in Marysville.

The men walked out of the store and got into a car, only to be surrounded by about six customers with guns raised.

Documents say another customer shot at the driver’s side front tire, while a third fired twice at the rear tire.

Marysville police found the theft suspects’ car unoccupied about three blocks away, with two flat tires and the tools inside. Both men were apprehended after a search.

8)   Investigators say a 61-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested for tearing down a neighbor’s Christmas decorations while drunk and naked.

The Green Bay Gazette reports that Gregory Brannigan faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.

A criminal complaint shows Brannigan’s neighbor called police Wednesday after to report that he was naked, kicking her door and tearing down her decorations. The neighbor told police Brannigan appeared intoxicated.

Officers say the Green Bay man was stumbling and told officers he needed to take care of supposed drug dealers in a neighbor’s apartment.

9)   apanese weather officials say snow is intensifying along the Sea of Japan coast. They are warning of possible transportation disruptions during the year-end holiday season.

10)   apanese weather officials say snow is intensifying along the Sea of Japan coast. They are warning of possible transportation disruptions during the year-end holiday season.

11)   The Japanese government has officially notified the US government of its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission. The US is in charge of accepting applications for joining or withdrawing from the organization.

The action will allow Japan to officially withdraw from the IWC at the end of June. Japan plans to resume commercial whaling from July.

12)   Authorities in some Chinese cities have banned Christmas decorations and celebrations.

Many reports were posted online before Christmas about moves to strengthen restrictions on Christianity.

In Langfang, Hebei Province, an official notice called for Christmas decorations to be eliminated from streets and shops.

In Hengyang, Hunan Province, authorities last week announced a ban on Christmas celebrations on streets.

13)   An eight-year-old boy from the Central American country of Guatemala has died while in the custody of US Border Patrol agents.

US media reports the boy and his father crossed into the state of Texas from Mexico earlier this month. They were detained by border agents and later moved to a holding facility.

14)   Visitors from Southeast Asia have enjoyed a rare taste of winter, when a blanket of snow covered tourist spots in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan.

Takayama City on Friday was dusted with two centimeters of snow that fell overnight.

Foreign visitors were seen snapping photos in front of a popular bridge, with its red parapets capped in white.

Some children threw snowballs, while the adults helped themselves to warm grilled rice cakes. The treat, called “Gohei mochi,” is a local specialty.

 

大掃除終了!

何よりも嬉しい!ようやく!

最後はキッチンだったが今年は引き出しや棚の中も整理して何年も使っていない調理器具は捨てることにした。あちこち少しスッキリした。留め金が壊れているグラグラしていた上部の扉は私1人では重くて下ろせなかったので家人が外してくれて、ホームセンターで新しい留め金を買って来て新しいものと取り替えてくれるそうだ。サイズと型式は私には分からないのだが、以前家人は若い頃は住宅メーカーに勤務していたのでそう言うことに私より詳しいのでありがたい。

痙攣薬

母今年最後の病院デー(脳外科)。ドクタがまた母の痙攣の薬を止めるべきかどうか迷っていた。この10年年に一度のペースで「痙攣の薬か。。。」とドクタは迷っている。私は毎年同じ回答をしている。痙攣は最初に脳梗塞になった年に軽く一回、そして次の年に大きく一回あってその時は痙攣による仰け反りが酷くて救急車を呼びました。でもそれ以降は一度も起きていません。それ以降一度も起きていないのが「痙攣が起きないようになる薬」のおかげなのかどうなのかが分からないが、ドクタが何度もこの薬を止めたいと思っている気配は感じる。でも万が一のリスクを考えていつも継続になるのだ。そして今回も継続になった。「副作用全く出てないもんね」とドクタが(毎回)言うので、そう言う厄介な薬なのかもしれないけれど母も私も多分もうこの薬の副作用はいろんな面で吸収したと思う。正直この薬のせいで夕方から私は外出しないようになった気がする。この薬を服用後の母を私は家人にお任せして外出できないから。ヘニョーと母はなってしまう。他の方は違う感じかもしれないけれど、昼間はしゃんとしていても夕方頓服後の母は私のイメージではヘニョーなのだ。ヘニョーの母は心細い状態になっている。薬をやめたら夜ももう少ししゃんとなるのかもしれないけれども、もしかしたら私の喜びや楽さと引き換えに恐ろしいことが起こるかもしれない。。。という不安のためまたしてもドクタに丸投げしてしまった。自分で判断しなくていいのは本当にありがたい。入院もあったが今年も乗り切れた。来年も乗り切れますように。

母がまたここでご飯を食べたいと言うので中華ランチへ。エビチャーハンを注文したら、これ(笑)店主海老愛大きい!

IMG_0634

クリスマス?

冷蔵庫の大掃除。

今年はあまり「ぎゃ」と驚くようなものが出てこないな。。。。なんとなく残念。^^ 恐ろしく賞味期限切れの調味料とか変形した野菜とか。。。。それでもいろんなところにいろんな汚れがあるのでキレイにしたりレイアウト変えてみたり。気がつくと時間が経っている。隣の食器棚の中も整理した。大掃除キッチンシンクがまだ残っているのでコンプリートにはならずだけど一歩前進。冷凍庫の中を全部取り出してテーブルの上の置いた時にご近所さんから「年賀状印刷し終わったらPCが終了できなくなったけどどうしたらいい?」と電話が来たので慌てて冷凍品を仕舞いレスキューに行く。長押しで終了の方法を伝授。^^

午後は母とクリスマスだからと買って来たイチゴのショートケーキを食べながら高校駅伝を見て過ごす。

夕方ふとここ一月気になっていたけど担当外の仕事の某処理のアイディアを思いつきトライ。でもその案はダメダメで、でもその案のためのログを解析していたら、ヒントになるような数値があったので、それをもとにCordexを調べてさらにいろんな関数をadd_xxxxしてログを出したりしてたら、プランBくらいまでのものができた。嬉しい。やったーっ!気分。この面白さは多分プログラマであるから経験できるのだろうな。(冷蔵庫掃除の倍以上時間がかかったのだが体感は10分くらいになってしまう)

夜、1人ドライブに行った家人から「はい」と渡された。クリスマスプレゼント?

IMG_0633

猫の形をしてると全部「竜」にしか見えない。針金職人さんのところで売っていたので買って来てくれたそう。アロエの入浴剤とともに。

「ありがとう!可愛いね!」

と喜んだら

「うん!で!今日はロブスター?」(キラッキラ)

「…え?」(なんもクリスマス的なものは用意してません…自分的には満足な1日であたが….)

「…え?!」

 

ごめん。期待に添えず。^^

Dec 22nd, 2018

 

1)   Flights resumed at London’s Gatwick Airport on Friday morning after drones sparked the shutdown of the airfield for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded or delayed during the busy holiday season.

2)   Japan Airlines Co has found that one of its pilots has evaded breathalyzer tests before flights over 100 times since last year, company officials said Thursday, adding to the series of drinking incidents involving flight crew at the airline.

3)   The top U.S. doctor has called for “aggressive” action against e-cigarette use, which he said has exploded to epidemic proportions among youth and puts their health and brain development at risk.

4)   President Donald Trump is reportedly considering drastically cutting the number of US troops deployed in Afghanistan, following his decision to withdraw them from Syria.

The US government has acknowledged the start of withdrawal of troops from Syria.

President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that his country has defeated the Islamic State militant group in Syria, and that this is the only reason for being there.

5)   A realtor in northern Japan had reportedly stockpiled a large quantity of aerosol spray cans at the time of a huge blast.

The explosion and ensuing fire in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, on Sunday destroyed a building housing the realtor and injured 42 people, including diners at a restaurant next door.

6)   Former workers and their families in South Korea are suing their own government over compensation for wartime labor in Japan. There are about 1,100 plaintiffs in total.

7)   A large number of Central Americans have gathered near sathe US bocrder swith Mexico in the hope of seeking asylum in the US. The administration of US President Donald Trump is refusing to grant asylum to anyone who illegally enters the country.

8)   okyo stocks tumbled on Thursday, following a plunge in New York. The benchmark Nikkei Average briefly fell more than 700 points and sank to a fresh low for the year.

9)   The Japanese government has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in a bid to resume commercial whaling. It cites the recovery of some whale species as a reason.

10)   Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has been re-arrested on fresh charges, Japanese media report, dashing any hopes he could be released on bail.

 

ありがとう

残すところ後10日で今年も終わる。大掃除は。。。まだ残ってるなぁ。まぁぼちぼちやりましょう。家人はうちはこんなにきれいにしているんだから大掃除なんて必要ないんじゃないの?と言うのだが、男子!!いいえ、普段から全然キレイにしてませんから!それにあちこち見てはいけない開かずの扉があって手をつけたいが、体力がない。いや、私は掃除嫌いなのだ。ほんと。それに尽きるな。。。あとちょっと見えるところだけでも頑張ろう。<=自己鼓舞中

12月は母の通院の日が通常の月より多いが残すところあと1箇所来週となった。お天気が良い日が多くて助かった。昨日は病院の帰りに母が「年末ジャンボ」を買おうと言うのでいつものお店へ。(当たったことがないが母が何故か気に入っている)まだまだ一攫千金を夢見てるのだから生きる意欲に溢れていて素晴らしい。今年は久しぶりの入院があって母と暮らす日々もいよいよ終わりなのかな。。。と思うときもあったのだが、退院してからの母は諸々後退したところはあるが、「生きる!」と言う意欲は入院前より強くなった気がする。前向きな姿勢になってるのだ。誰に対しても(私にすら)小さなことでも「ありがとう。ありがとう。」と言うことが多くなった。入院した時からそれが多くなった気がする。母も身の危険を感じていて自然と病院の人たちに感謝を感じていたのかもしれない。毎日ドクターや看護師さんたちやPTさんやOTさんたちに「ありがとう。ありがとうね。」とたくさん言ってくれてていいなと思っていたらそのまま今は母の口癖のようになっている。無意識に言っているところもあるだろうが、その一言がいろんな時間に私の気持ちを癒す。「ありがとう」の威力はアメージング。ずっと「ありがとう」の一言大切だなと上っ面だけで思っていたのだなと今は身にしみて感じる。

Dec 15th, 2018

ハワイに移った先生が副業(?)が忙しくてこのところレッスン無しだったので久しぶり。

1)   Japan’s central government started main reclamation work Friday at a disputed U.S. military base relocation site on the southern island of Okinawa despite fierce local opposition.

2)   The European Parliament on Wednesday approved an accord with Japan that has been dubbed the world’s biggest trade deal, covering economies that represent a third of the world’s GDP.

3)   A Japanese court on Friday sentenced a 26-year-old man to 18 years in prison in a high-profile road rage case in which he was accused of causing an accident resulting in the death of a couple and the injury of their two teenage daughters.

4)   The Japanese government plans to take measures to make regional labor markets accessible to foreign blue-collar workers to avoid them concentrating in large cities such as Tokyo .

5)   The Tokyo District Court on Thursday sentenced Yuya Takahashi, 39, the youngest son of actress Yoshiko Mita, to 2 1/2 years in prison, suspended for five years for possession of stimulants. It was his fourth arrest on charges related to illegal stimulants.

6)   Japan plans to call for the building of “multidimensional” defense capabilities in the next version of its national defense plan, amid security challenges in new domains such as cyberspace and outer space, government sources said Thursday.

7)   Virgin Galactic’s tourism spaceship climbed more than 50 miles high above California’s Mojave Desert on Thursday, reaching for the first time what the company considers the boundary of space.

8)   The neo-nationalist presence known as the net uyoku (net ultra-rightists) is a fairly well-known phenomenon. Their internet sites specialize in hate speech and the whitewashing of what most Japanese and most of the rest of the world call Japanese war crimes. 

9)   U.S. investigators have so far confirmed that a 78-year-old drifter  is responsible for more than 40 murders, authorities said Thursday. Samuel Little has confessed to 90 murders committed between 1970 and 2005.

10)   A group of Japanese Diet members are calling on South Korean President Moon Jae-in to appropriately handle the recent rulings by South Korea’s Supreme Court on wartime labor. They say the rulings run counter to an agreement between the 2 countries.

11)   Fresh data out of China suggest that the ongoing trade dispute is creating uncertainties for businesses and consumers. Chinese officials will likely step up support efforts as the economy faces increasing downward pressure.

12)   Researchers in Cuba have found that the venom of the blue scorpion  appears to have anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties, and may be able to delay tumor growth in some cancer patients.

13)   A Vermont man who is in an ongoing dispute with his town has let officials know exactly how he feels by erecting a large wooden sculpture of a fist with the middle finger raised on his front lawn.

14)   Expanding Chinese cities are generating more food waste than they can accommodate in landfills, and cockroaches could be a way to get rid of hills of food scraps, providing nutritious food for livestock when the bugs eventually die and, some say, cures for stomach illness and beauty treatments.

15)   Police say a Pennsylvania man released from jail immediately stole a car from its parking lot.a

Prison officials say that moments after 36-year-old Thomas Lee Williams was released, he attacked a woman in the parking lot Tuesday evening and stole her car. The Tribune-Review reports Williams crashed about 15 minutes later and ran into the woods, where he was caught.

 

ボルシチ

山に戻る前義母からビーツとともにレシピを教えてもらったので作ってみた。なんの野菜を入れても大丈夫それなりにできるから大丈夫よ!と義母が教えてくれたので白菜、玉ねぎ、大根、セロリ、レンコンも投入。

IMG_0627

 

サワークリームがなかったらヨーグルトでもいいと言うので自家製ヨーグルトも投入。レシピ増えた! が、母には「色が怖い。もう出さないで。」と嫌がられた。^^

 

おまけ。

最近写真がないのでついでに自家製ローストビーフ丼。グリルで焼いた後ヨーグルトメーカーにてしばし寝かせておくとしっとりいい感じに。このローストビーフは家人も母もお気に入り。

IMG_0628

 

 

海外に住む友人か送ってくれたアドベントカレンダーもだいぶ穴開きに。年末カウントダウン。

IMG_0629

もどかしい

先日帰省していた友人が「まさごの携帯の電話番号をうちの母親に教えちゃってもいい?」というのでいいよーと伝えたがとはいえそんなに電話がかかってくることはないかと思っていたが、すぐに届け物があるからと我が家に歩いて来てくれる途中で道に(もう我が家が見えている地点にて)迷っていると電話がきたので慌ててお迎えに行った。こうしたことが頻繁にあるのではないかとは推測し、お一人暮らしなので、なんかあったら遠慮せず電話して下さいね!と伝えてあるが、日々気にかけて注力できるかといえばきっと無理なのでもどかしい。義母もそうだが1人でまだ暮らせるほどに元気でしっかりしている2人だけどどちらもちょっとしたことが心細い感じだ。Around80歳。義母は10月に下山していたのだが今回は義兄のもう一軒の家で一人暮らししていた。月に1度くらいのペースで母がディサービスにいる時間に会いに行ってたのだが(家人は行かないと言うので1人で)、昨夜「実は山に戻ってる。また年末に降りてくるから」と連絡があった。やっぱり知らない場所でずっと家に1人は寂しかったのかもしれないな。。と申し訳なく思う。

仲良しのご近所のOさんは昨日来て「インターネット調べてもらいたいことがある」と言うので何だろうと思ったら、ある病気についてであった。。。「家庭の医学」と同じで本人が見ると非常に不安になるだろうから「後で見ておくね」と伝えて、後で調べたら本人ではないが私も非常に不安になってきた。。。病気のことは調べてもいつもどうにもならない。母のことも、義母のことも、Oさんのことも、何も「即解決!」なことが見つからずもどかしい。。。

不整脈

母のペースメーカーの測定後のドクターとの会話で、半年前は時々出ていた心房細動が今日の測定ではかなり頻繁というか常時出るようになってますと伝えられた。これだけ多いとペースメーカーの2本入れた管のうち1本は「もう無意味だから止めました。」そう。そうなのか!「動いていたものを止めた」と聞くとちょっと怖い。年齢的なものもあり特にこれから有効な治療というものもない。脳外科で処方されている血液サラサラの薬と、心不全からくる浮腫み解消のための利尿剤をきちんと飲んで(そのため夜間トイレ回数がかなり多くなるのだ)下さいということだった。母は同じ話を聞いているのだがどこか人ごとのようだった。老いの諦めの境地にもう到達しているのだろうか。

コンプリート

母がデイサービスに行ってくれている間に帰省中の友人と会う。この3日間の帰省中個別で会いたい友人に会い、同窓会2つに顔を出し、親孝行、家族孝行をして、最後のミッションが私で「これでコンプリートした!」そうな。。今回は子供の頃とてもお世話になった母君様(美女!)にもお会いできて嬉しかったな。

日曜日は町内の防災訓練(小学校へ避難して、消化器活動して、炊き出し)もあった。頑張った。(と思う)今日はこれから今年最後の母のペースメーカー検診と心臓外科受診。仕事も年末商戦用のプログラムがあったりしてて忙しく、毎日本当にあっという間に過ぎていく。。。大掃除はぼちぼち。あぁ早く「コンプリートした!」い。^^

脳検査

今週母はCT検査をし、家人はMRI検査。母の脳には小さな梗塞が何個か増えていた。。ドクタはこの程度なら問題ないよというけれどやっぱりそれが夏の入院に繋がったのかもしれないなぁと思うが発見が早かったから大事にならずにすんで本当にありがたい。頑張っているタンパク質制限で腎臓のクレアチンの値は少し下がっていた。これから良くなることはないみたいなのでこのまま美味しいものを食べた後は控えめになどメリハリをつけて維持してあげたい。歌人のMRI検査も問題なかった。彼の貧血は一体なんだろう。んーもやもやするな。

和三盆の干菓子

先月ここ10年香川に住んでいる最初に務めた会社の先輩がお子さんを連れて遊びに来るというので同僚や後輩たちと皆でご飯を食べようということになった。当初は夜会食だというので参加を諦めていたのだけど、また私の都合に合わせてもらって会えることになった。(後輩たちよ、いつもありがとう!)先輩に会うのはなんと20年ぶり。全然変わってなくて嬉しかった。お子さんが先輩に似てなくて可愛かった(おい!)その時お土産でもらった和三盆の干菓子が本当に美味しくて綺麗で毎日少しずつお茶のお供に楽しみに食べていたのが無くなりさみしい。

貧血

家人の健康診断で[貧血]で再検査がかかっていて、検査に行ったのだが理由がわからないらしい。貧血なのだけどヘモグロビン量は多すぎるのだそうだ。[サラメニア]かもと言われたので聞きなれない病名だと調べてみるとhttp://www.nanbyou.or.jp/entry/847なのだそう。。。なんだか良く分からないので違う病院で検査してもらうもそこでも「うーん」なのだそうで、再度違う病院へ。そして結局理由はわからずじまいのまま血液検査の結果の紙が増える。私が結果を見ても全然わからないHとかLが付いているのは分かるが。。。最後の病院でまた3ヶ月後に検査しましょうということになった。飲酒も食べ物も特に注意しなくて良いそうだが本当か?!

Nov 17th, 2018

あれこれあってあっという間に一月経ってしまった。また頑張ろう。

1)   Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks on the possible return of 2 of the 4 Russian-held islands at the center of a long-running territorial dispute.

2)   A group from the main governing Liberal Democratic Party has suggested that Japan should start developing its next fighter jet within 2 years. It calls on the government to consider taking the initiative in the expected multilateral development of such an aircraft.

3)   Foreign media have reported Japan’s cybersecurity minister’s admission that he doesn’t use computers.

Yoshitaka Sakurada made the admission during questioning by an opposition lawmaker at a Lower House committee meeting on Wednesday. Sakurada is also the minister in charge of preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

4)   A memorial for Momoko Sakura, a famous Japanese manga artist, has been held in Tokyo.

Sakura’s most popular animated cartoon, Chibi Maruko-chan, has been aired on Japanese TV since 1990. The show also has been broadcast in 60 countries and territories around the world. She died of breast cancer at the age of 53 in August.

5)   A Japanese national research institute will import strains of Ebola and four other deadly viruses to improve detection processes amid a rise in the number of foreign visitors to the country.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases plans to bring the pathogens to a facility in the western suburbs to Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but will not push forward without local support, a health ministry official said.

6)   Women in Tokyo are most in favor of having single-sex carriages on public transport, according to a poll in five of the world’s biggest commuter cities released on Thursday, despite such policies facing growing criticism.

A Thomson Reuters Foundation survey of 1,000 female travelers in Tokyo, London, New York City, Cairo and Mexico City found less than half supported women-only sections on trains and buses to boost safety.

7)   esting by AAA shows that electronic driver assist systems on the road today may not keep vehicles in their lanes or spot stationary objects in time to avoid a crash.

The tests brought a warning from the auto club that drivers shouldn’t think that the systems make their vehicles self-driving, and that they should always be ready to take control.

AAA also said that use of the word “pilot” by automakers in naming their systems can make some owners believe the vehicles can drive themselves.

8)   A US judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate the White House press pass of a CNN reporter.

A federal district court in Washington handed down the ruling on Friday.

9)   Seven more bodies have been recovered in wildfires in the US state of California, raising the total number of fatalities to 66.

Firefighters continue to battle the blazes a week after they broke out in the northern town of Paradise and in southern Ventura County, near Los Angeles.

10)   Japan Coast Guard officials have confirmed that this year there have been 105 incidents in which wooden boats, presumably from the Korean Peninsula, have washed ashore, or have been found drifting in Japanese waters.

The officials say the number of such cases exceeded last year’s figure of 104 as of Thursday, making 105 the highest since the recordkeeping began in 2013.

11)   Authorities say a pro football fan charged with drunken driving after a crash told police he drank too much because his favorite team isn’t any good.

Wayne police say 57-year-old Christopher Greyshock, of West Milford, was charged after he rear-ended another vehicle about 5:15 p.m. Sunday. The crash came about an hour after his team, the New York Jets, lost 41-10 to the Buffalo Bills.

12)   A British fisherman had to be rescued from a cliff face after fleeing an aggressive colony of more than 50 gray seals and their young pups, the coast guard said Monday.

The fisherman was walking on a beach Friday near Green Stane cliff in southeastern Scotland when he came across the seals, who became agitated and aggressive. He climbed up a cliff face to escape but became trapped before reaching the top and had to call for emergency aid Friday night.

13)   A Goodwill worker collecting clothes and other items at a Texas sorting center was surprised to find an albino python. 

The python was  in a pile of clothes when the worker discovered it Thursday at the center in Fort Worth.

 

Oct 27th, 2018

定着してたと思ってた語彙がスッと出てこなくて我ながらびっくりする。。。それでも週に一度拙い言葉でものを考えてアウトプットするの楽しい。使える語彙が少ないので物言いがダイレクトになるのが逆に気持ちいいのかな?

1)   Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met in Beijing. Both say they’re determined to turn a new page in the relationship between the two countries.

Xi said, “As the international situation changes, China and Japan are becoming increasingly dependent on one another.

2)   Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda has now returned to Japan. He had been held hostage by rebel forces in Syria for more than 3 years.

3)   A government survey has found that more than 410,000 cases of bullying were reported at schools in Japan during the 2017 academic year that ended in March. The figure was the highest ever.

4)   The Okinawa assembly has decided to hold a referendum on a plan to relocate a US base within the prefecture. The assembly approved the ordinance on Friday by a majority vote. 

Voters will be asked if they approve the plan to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station within the island prefecture.

5)   A UN envoy has urged Japan to halt the return of children and young women to nuclear accident-hit Fukushima, calling the government’s radiation exposure limit too lax. But the Japanese side is refuting the advice.

6)   Farmers in the city of Tome in Miyagi Prefecture have started exporting their own brand of rice to make up for declining sales in Japan.

A ceremony was held on Thursday to mark the first overseas shipment of Hitomebore rice. Trucks left the warehouse with 13 tons of rice that will be shipped to other parts of Asia and the United States from the major rice-producing region.

7)   An extraordinary session of the Diet started on Wednesday. The session is the first since the latest change of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this month.

During the 48-day session that will run until December 10th, the government and the ruling coalition parties hope to pass a  budget bill for this fiscal year that ends in March next year. The bill is focused on funding restoration efforts from severe natural disasters that hit many areas of Japan this year. Constitutional amendments could also be a focus of debate in the upcoming session.

8)   The US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent in the July to September period, higher than the 3 percent targeted by the administration of President Donald Trump.

9)   India’s Supreme Court decided on Tuesday to allow so-called “green” firecrackers to be used during the Hindu festival of Diwali next month. But the ruling is getting a mixed reaction.

The court banned traditional firecrackers in and around the capital of New Delhi amid growing concerns about air pollution.

But people will be able to set off ones that emit less noise and smoke for 2 hours a day during Diwali, and for shorter periods on Christmas and New Year’s eves.

10)   A caravan of migrant Central Americans is continuing its trek north in Mexico toward the United States. US President Donald Trump has hinted at sending troops to block their entry into the country.

The caravan began with about 160 people in Honduras who left a northern town there on October 13th to escape poverty and poor security.

A number of the migrants entered Mexico by swimming across a river along the border. Local authorities say the caravan now comprises about 6,000 people.

11)   Japanese retail giant Rakuten is teaming up with Walmart of the US to start an online grocery delivery service. The move is aimed at taking on rival Amazon as well as other retailers in Japan.

Rakuten will jointly operate the service with Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu, which is a Walmart subsidiary.

12)   Researchers in Austria say they have detected tiny pieces of plastic in human stool samples for the first time.

Plastic garbage that flows out to sea breaks into pieces called microplastics that are smaller than 5 millimeters.

There’s growing concern that these bits of plastic are being consumed by marine life and are affecting the ecosystem.

13)   The Dow Jones Industrial Average in New York has erased all its gains for the year, after another tumble on Wall Street on Wednesday. Uncertainties over the global and US economies sent jitters through the markets.

Market players blame the continuing US-China trade frictions and Saudi Arabia, which is under fire over the death of a journalist.

14)   Authorities say a man apparently set a California home on fire while using a blowtorch to kill spiders.

KFSN-TV reports 29 firefighters were called to a Fresno housing development Tuesday night to put out a two-alarm blaze.

Authorities say a man was house-sitting for his parents when he tried to kill black widow spiders with a blowtorch. He got out safely, but the home’s attic and second story were damaged.

15)   An Arizona man who fell to the bottom of an old abandoned gold mine shaft, broke both his legs, fought off a trio of rattlesnakes and went two days without food or water before a friend heard his cries for help is lucky to be alive, said the head of a rescue team.

“He is a very fortunate individual,” Operations Commander Roger Yensen of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Mountain Rescue Posse said Thursday of 62-year-old John Waddell.

 

秋晴れ

IMG_0578

 

ミーティングデーアゲイン。新人さんにご挨拶。人手が足りないもんね。

健康診断の結果も返って来た。今年もコレステロールがまた微妙に高いくらいで特に問題ないようだ。ほ。

ズガニ

家人の眼科デー、と言うことで、病院帰りに季節のズガニを食べに行く。

IMG_0568

IMG_0569

 

IMG_0570

釜飯は食べきれず、お持ち帰りに。

仕事のこともぼちぼち

新規の案件についてのミーティングの日はお休みを頂いている日だったので「抜きで進めててください」と伝えたところ「ではミーティングの日を変更します」とのことで私の都合で伸ばしてもらっていた。その間、他の人たちが前もって事前調査を進めていてくれたようで、諸々説明の後「とにかく仕様の勝手が違っていて全然分からなくて。。。」と言うことだったが、、、私がかなり知っている案件であった。5-6年ブランクあるから大丈夫かな?と心配だったが、基本はあまり変わってないようだったので、とりあえず必要な申請手続きだけお願いし、それをやってもらっている間に必要なデータの紐付けファイル類を作成してアップロードし、諸々プログラムを書き、メインのデータ送信してすっと完了(昔と比べデータ処理がすごく速くなっているのを発見!!)会社の人たちにはびっくりされたけれど、申請や項目カテゴライズなど、近道を知ってただけだから驚かせて申し訳ない。その経歴言うと仕事がちょっと増えそうで怖いので言ってない(酷い!)ことも申し訳ない。。。それにしても昔の私Good Job!

ショッピング

母が秋の洋服を買いたいわーと言うので、よしよし、そうして女心を忘れないのって大切だわー。と出かけた。。。。って私も見習わなければ。女子力母よりなし。

隣町にあるお気に入りの店をぐるぐるするも今回は気にいったものがなく「欲しいものが一個もなかった」と残念がっていたが、同じお店の別の店舗である2件目のお店でシンプルなボーター柄の薄手のニットを見つけることができた。ディスプレイの間が広いので車椅子も楽に動けたのでありがたかった。お店の方も我儘を言う母にニコニコ親切で色々広げて見せてくれて素材の説明も丁寧であった。無事購入。そのあと今度はお昼ご飯にまたラーメンを食べたいと言うので調べたら母の行きたいお店2件は残念ながら休業日だったので、通りすがりの中華ファミレスに入ったところ、昔ながらの味のラーメンがあり、そこはそこで気に入ってくれた様子。シメには杏仁豆腐もペロリと食べていた。それにしても本当にこの頃彼女はラーメンが好きだ。私の作るご飯が淡白なのかな。。。むむ。

Oct 13th, 2018

ゴミと豊洲とキノコ狩りの話。フロリダを襲ったハリケーンは彼の住んでいたエリアはそれほどの被害はなかったそうでお友達の家なども無事だったそうで安堵したそうな。

1)   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday the government is considering designating May 1 next year, when Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne, as a one-off holiday, in a move that would create a 10-day Golden Week holiday period.

2)   U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized Japan, China and other countries for dumping into oceans a massive amount of garbage that has drifted ashore on the U.S. West Coast.

Trump said a “vast,” “tremendous” and “unthinkable” amount of garbage is floating to the West Coast, causing a “very unfair situation” as the United States is charged with cleaning it up.

Trump cited a trilateral trade deal revised recently with Mexico and Canada as the first U.S. trade agreement ever to include commitments by the parties to cooperate in addressing land- and sea-based pollution and improve waste management.

3)   A man died after he fell, seriously injuring himself, while picking mushrooms in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, on Wednesday afternoon, police said. The man suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital by helicopter where he died about five hours later. 

Since August, 11 people have died and six others have been injured while picking mushrooms on mountain slopes in Nagano Prefecture, Fuji TV reported.  

In the latest case, Shigeya Komatsu, 62, a local farmer, fell about 100 meters down a mountain forest slope. According to the police, he had gone mushroom picking with a male relative, and lost his footing.

4)   Japan plans to expand the scope of foreign nationals who can stay permanently, the government said Friday, as the aging nation seeks to loosen its traditionally strict immigration rules to cope with acute labor shortages.

Under a scheme slated for launch in April, foreign nationals who have Japanese-language proficiency will be given a new resident status to work in sectors deemed short of labor, such as nursing, construction and farming. Depending on their skills and experience, their stays can be extended repeatedly with no preset limits.

Japan, known for its cautious stance on immigration, has mainly accepted highly skilled professionals in such fields as medicine, law, education and research to date.

5)   The possibility of esports joining the Olympics program has gained traction in recent years but not everybody involved in the sport favors it.

Rahul Sood, the CEO of esports betting company Unikrn, believes the benefits for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) far outweigh those for stakeholders already invested in electronic sports gaming.

Last November, the IOC recognized esports as a sporting activity and it is set to be a full medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

6)   Auctioneers take part in a wasabi auction at the greengrocery area on the opening day of the new Toyosu market, which has been relocated from Tsukiji market, in Tokyo, on Thursday.

7)   The US government has announced restrictions on exports of civil nuclear technology to China to prevent its diversion for military or other unauthorized uses.

The Department of Energy issued a statement on the new policy on nuclear technology controls on Thursday.

The policy will in principle ban exports of US civil nuclear technology to China’s state-owned companies.

8)   Hurricane Michael left 6 people dead and many buildings destroyed by strong wind in its path across Florida and other southern US states.

Michael made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

9)   A US Congressional panel has asked the International Olympic Committee to change the venue of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, citing human rights abuses by the Chinese government.

The bipartisan panel released a letter addressed to IOC President Thomas Bach. The same panel issued an annual report on China, accusing the country of detaining more than one million Uighur Muslims.

10)   The new governor of Okinawa in southern Japan has asked the prime minister to launch new talks on a plan to relocate a US military base in the prefecture.

Denny Tamaki met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo on Friday. The meeting was their first since Tamaki was elected last month.

11)   Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has expressed a negative view on a move to revise the Constitution next year. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aiming to submit amendment proposals at the Diet this fall.

Later, Koizumi told reporters that it is impossible to revise the Constitution next year.

He said approval from more than 2 thirds of the Diet is needed to initiate constitutional amendments.

11)   Australians are up in arms over the use of the iconic Sydney Opera House for advertising.

The New South Wales government decided to allow a horse racing ad to be displayed on the World Heritage building.

Upset citizens gathered in front of the building on Tuesday to protest the move, using flashlights to disrupt the projected ad.

12)   

 

川掃除

今年2回目の川掃除の日。雨にならないかなーと思っていたら早朝は雨+雷。よしよしと布団の中で喜んでいたのに、7時半ぐらいには雨も上がり虹が綺麗に西の空にできていた。雨天中止の放送をするのは8時だったが町内会長から連絡なしのので、ああ決行かとトボトボ川へ向かう。するとすでに三役さんと何人かの役員たちが川を上から見てなにやら相談している模様で私も上から覗くと、あれ?雑草もゴミもない。川清掃されている!?どうやら先週市の方で護岸工事なるものをやったらしく、その際ついでに清掃もしてってくれたのでは?ということらしい。

と、いうことは?

川清掃。中止!(やったー)=>通常の公園清掃へシフトチェンジ

小雨が降り出したけれど前回の川清掃のハードさを思い出すと、雨の中枯葉を履いたり、雑草を抜いたりもあまり苦にならないのが不思議だ。

清掃後家に戻ってお風呂を沸かして朝風呂タイム。川清掃をしてきたと思った母が「お疲れ様でした!」と労ってくれた。

ハリケーン

フロリダを襲ったハリケーンのニュース動画を見たら。。。凄まじかった。これからああいうのが年々増えるのかな。。。怖い。

ピリッ

もう自分とはあまりにも考え方が違うなぁと思う人は周りにいないお年頃になったが(だんだんそういう人たちとは会わなくなってくるから)、今週は某人との衝撃の会話があって、

「そ、そうか。そんな風に思う(考える)のだなぁ・・・」

とショックを受けた。家人に今日こういうことがあってね。

と説明すると、「へー、そりゃブラックだねぇ」の後に、でも

「アンタはこの頃ピリッピリッとしているからね!」

と笑われた。昔はスルーできたんじゃないの?ということらしい。確かにそうだ。昔ならそうだったかも。昔は誰がなにをしても何を言ってもスルーできたよ。本当に。でもただ「あれ?」思っていたのを「聞かなかった」ことにしよとか、我慢とかしてたのかも?

と言うと「だから、もうそういうのはいいんじゃないのー?」とまた笑われた。(無理して合わせなくてピリッと文句など言っても!と言うことらしい)

 

[俺]なんか昔っからピリッとしてるからね!確かに。^^

塩害

IMG_0555

先週も町内の仕事諸々(放送、広報、会合などなど)を淡々と。台風の風で大切に扱っていたコキアの葉っぱが半分枯れてしまった。。。塩害実感。来年は頑張ろう。

Oct 6th, 2018

先週のあげてなかった。もう木曜日か!

1)    The cost of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has already soared to 2.81 trillion yen ($24.7 billion), more than double the last official estimate, according to calculations by the Board of Audit.

2)   Japanese police referred to child welfare authorities a record-high 37,113 suspected victims of child abuse in the first half of this year, a report released Thursday showed.

The preliminary figure marks an increase of 6,851 children aged 17 or younger being affected, as compared to the same period last year, according to the National Police Agency.

3)   The mayor of Osaka says he’s ending a six-decade sister city relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced to have sex with Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura this week sent a letter to San Francisco announcing he’s withdrawing from the largely ceremonial relationship, the San Francisco Examiner reported Wednesday.

4)   Japan has decided not to take part in an international fleet review in South Korea next week after Seoul effectively asked Tokyo not to fly its “Rising Sun” flag on a warship, Japan’s defense minister said on Friday, the latest spat between the two sides.

5)   New Okinawa GovDenny Tamaki said Thursday he will dedicate all his strength to trying to block the Japan-U.S. plan to relocate a key American military facility within the southern island prefecture.

The radio personality-turned-politician won Sunday’s gubernatorial election with a pledge to stop the controversial plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded residential area of Ginowan to the less populated coastal district of Henoko in Nago, both in Okinawa.

6)   U.S. President Donald Trump and Abe agreed in a meeting last week in New York to start negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement on goods, or TAG. The move is a concession by Tokyo, which dropped its earlier insistence on a multilateral approach to trade issues.

7)   Kumamoto councilwoman who took baby to work kicked out of conference for using cough drop.

8)   A survey has found that radio was the most useful means of getting information after a powerful earthquake hit the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido a month ago.

9)   Typhoon Kong-rey is battering Japan’s south. At least 10 people have been injured. It’s the second storm to hit the region in less than a week. The typhoon is moving north over the sea. It has caused blackouts in some areas.

10)   An escapee from a police station in Osaka Prefecture carried out a daring deception, purporting to be a cyclist while he was at large. He evaded the police for 48 days.

Junya Hida, indicted for robbery and other charges, escaped from a police station in Tondabayashi City on August 12th. He was apprehended after he was caught stealing food last Saturday in the city of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The police discovered Hida pretended to be a tourist travelling by bicycle, along with another man whom he met.

11)   Japan’s space agency, JAXA, says it has successfully released another landing probe from its Hayabusa2 spacecraft toward the asteroid Ryugu. JAXA made the announcement on Wednesday morning, Japan time.

JAXA says it won’t be able to confirm whether the robot has landed on Ryugu until late Wednesday afternoon at the earliest.

12)   US Vice President Mike Pence has sharply criticized China over a naval incident in the South China Sea last month. He says the US “will not be intimidated” as it counters China’s increasing maritime presence. Pence claims China’s aggression was on display when its warship came within about 40 meters of the USS Decatur that was conducting freedom-of-navigation operations.

13)   A man who made a dramatic escape from a French prison by helicopter has been captured after 3 months on the run. Redoine Faid escaped from a prison in July by jumping aboard a helicopter.

Prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference on Wednesday that investigators acted on witness reports last month of a man walking around in a burqa, the traditional Muslim women’s wear.

14)   The Japanese government has lodged a protest with China after learning it placed a buoy inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga spoke to reporters on Wednesday. He said the government protested via a diplomatic channel after it confirmed the buoy was on the Japanese side of a median line that separates the 2 countries’ exclusive economic zones.

15)   The US jobless rate in September declined to its lowest level in nearly 49 years, suggesting a further tightening of the labor market. But employment growth has missed market expectations.

The Labor Department said on Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent. That’s the lowest level since December 1969.

 

秋のご飯

ご近所の仲良しのOさんから電話があったので伺うと「これ!」とマツタケ3本ほどを渡された。おおおおおー^o^と言うと 、

「全部あげるからまた何かにして半分戻してちょうだいな(笑)」

もちろん!了解ですとも!

何がいいかな?と母と相談すると即答!

「マツタケご飯と茶碗蒸し!」

ってことで「と言ってますがどうでしょう?」とOさんに打診すると

「いいいい!それでお願い!」

と言うので昨日はマツタケご飯とマツタケ茶碗蒸し!なんと豪華な!

Oさんの旦那さんが器を返しに来てくれた時

「マツタケご飯がすごく美味しかったけどどうやった?」

「全部マツタケの力です!」ほんとこれ間違いない!

そして瓢箪かぼちゃを手渡された。

「バターナッツというんだってよ!」

とOさん旦那様。知らなかった。名前だけでも美味しそう。

「これも半分よろしく!」

バターナッツ、どうしましょ。

 

嬉しい!

IMG_0552

 

友人が作ってくれたバッグ ^o^ 可愛い!

中にポケット2つ!

IMG_0553

 

そしてバッグインバッグがさらに可愛い!イニシャル入り!

IMG_0554

 

友よーっありがとう! 母が超絶絶賛だったよ!!