04.30.07: Motor City, Part Deux

Dear Friends and Family,

We drove out to Michigan again, this time to see friends. Normally, we combine the dentist and friends into a single trip, but due to some deplorable planning on our part we split it into two separate trips this time around. In the end, we had a fun weekend, so it really doesn't matter.

Friday night, I met up with Mr. mouse to do the drive over. He picked up sushi and takoyaki (little octopus balls) at Mitsuwa for the drive so I wouldn't need to burn points on fast food. We got in a little after midnight and turned in for the night.

Saturday, we headed out early for the Zingerman's Bakehouse tour. Then, we met up with our friends for some lunch at Zingerman's Roadhouse. Fortunately, we just beat the U of M graduation rush. They all had reservations for 1 o'clock. Afterwards, we spent the day in typical Mr. mouse fashion driving from point to point picking up miscellanea at each stop. Four stops and three hours later, we were back to our friends' house to start making dinner for the usual crew. Mr. mouse made a bunch of dishes - honey mustard chicken, lemongrass chicken, salt and pepper shrimp, flank steak, bok choy, green beans, and rice. We topped it off with coffee and a delicious chocolate cake Debbie brought with her. Then, my favorite part of the evening - we broke out the mahjong set and played until almost 4 in the morning.

Sunday, we slept in and then headed out to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo. We spent most of the day looking at old planes. But, they also had rides for the kids and adults. I'll post links here once Mr. mouse uploads them onto YouTube. After the Air Zoo, we headed home and had dinner on the deck - grilled chicken, semolina bread from our trip to Zingerman's and a salad of mixed greens. We also had a taste off between some 97% fat free hot dogs - will write about those tomorrow in my food post.


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Birthday, Mouse Journal

Dear Friends and Family,

I was mulling through all the things I could write about today. I called my grandfather so that could be a journal entry. Mr. mouse and I discussed my sister last night so that could be a topic. There's the new Korean restaurant we went to Monday night that needs a write up. There's my legs which are not as sore today. Then, I realized I have the MOST IMPORTANT entry of all to write today.

Mouse Journal turns one this weekend!


Last year, on a Saturday night, after a long day of working on the mouse house, I remembered that I had an assignment from work. I needed to open up an account and attempt blogging. Nothing like using the product to gain familiarity with it... So, I did, and wrote my first post to the Mouse Journal. So much has happened over the year, and I think I would remember the highlights of it, but the details, the day by day? Never. You can't. There's not enough space in the brain, at least not my brain. So, what started as a take home assignment from work has become an integral facet of my life.

I have a copy of my posts in Word. And, not counting March and April which I'll archive next week, I have close to 300 pages (299 to be exact) of my life captured. Not sure if anyone will want to read it in posterity, but I'll want to read it. After all, it's about my favorite subject. Me.


Cheers!
mouse

Super Sore Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I can't move. My quads are so sore, I've turned into a penguin. I waddle. I hate stairs. And, I'm not a big fan, at the moment, of things that require me to squat. I am in serious pain.

Yesterday, my legs were sore from my experiment on Tuesday. I assumed the cold and damp exacerbated it all. Ms. Jordan warned me that it could be worse today. And, she was right. I think I'll go down to the gym today and try to walk through the lactic acid. Then, try next Tuesday for another "jog."


Cheers!
mouse

"Jogging" Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

I had lunch with a girlfriend on Sunday, Ms. Jordan. I was complaining to her about how hard it's been to take off the final 10 pounds. And, I was complaining about the fact that my body fat percentage is still higher than where it should be for someone of my height and weight. I told her that a colleague at work had invited me to a 5K/10K walk/run that he wanted me to compete in. It struck me as funny. I'm not fit enough to run in a competitive event! Funny. Ha. Ha.

She recommended I try an experiment. On the treadmill, walk at 3 mph for 5 five minutes to warm up and then speed up to 4.5 mph and see how long I can go for. I've never used the treadmill as a running device, only because I was never sure if I was coordinated enough to not kill myself or make a fool of myself. But, I promised her I would try. I thought I would be able to do two or three minutes before needing to dial it back down to a walk. Well, you'll be so proud of me. I was able to keep it up for 30 minutes before slowing down for my cool off period. Woot!

According to the internet, which knows everything, 4.5 mph counts as a fast walk. I think it's gotta be faster than 5 mph to qualify as a jog. And closer to 7 mph to qualify as a run. I'll try the 4.5 mph (13.3 minute mile) again see how it goes. Here's to breaking through the current plateau.


Cheers!
mouse

April Showers

Dear Friends and Family,

If April showers bring May flowers. What do May flowers bring? Pilgrims!

If there's one thing about buying the mouse pad that has been a source of major irritation, it is that we've had all sorts of problems with water infiltration. And, I think the seller knew about them and failed to disclose them. May her karma haunt her.

We've had pools of water in our dining room. We've had water coming down the stairwell wall. And, a pretty consistent leak onto our stairs. I'm pretty sure each one is caused by a separate leak and sooner or later I'll need to solve for all three. Not sure if the water stains on the ceilings upstairs are related to all this or part of my overactive imagination.

Well as every drop patters in and hits the plastic can I have set up, it'll grate on my nerves. We're free next next Sunday. I'll have to make it a priority. Thunder. Great.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: First leak on the stairs joined by second leak into our dining room. Wunderbar.

Punch Neapolitan Pizza

Dear Friends and Family,

My first nine rating.

Before moving, I was a weekly regular at Punch Pizza. I'm convinced they put crack in the crust and we're all addicts. Margherita with prosciutto and extra basil, please. It takes about a minute for them to make the pizza and another two in the oven before a heavenly pie emerges. The crust is crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside with a nice blistery edge and char on the bottom. A little tomato sauce and cheese on top and it's the perfect balance of ingredients. Mr. mouse ordered a Neapolitan with sausage, my second favorite. If you're ever in the Twin Cities, you must give them a try. They've got four locations now, and I wouldn't be surprised if they continue to expand. The place must mint money.

Overall rating: 9/10

Punch Neapolitan Pizza
3226 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55416 map it
(612) 929-0006


Cheers!
mouse

04.23.07: Twin Cities Bound

Dear Friends and Family,

We spent the weekend in the Twin Cities.

Saturday proved a tough travel day. The last flight out Friday had canceled, so the morning flights were all full. We landed about two hours after we originally anticipated, putting us in scramble mode for the morning. We headed over to Punch for some pizza. And, then to Caribou Coffee to meet with our financial adviser. From there it was a mad scramble to stop by our dry cleaners. And, then to make it to Frenchie's house for the afternoon. Sun, laughter, a lovely girl in her not so lovely terrible twos, and we were finally able to relax and enjoy the day.

We headed out to the grocery store for some grill items and then to the movie complex for some gift certificates before ringing our neighbors doorbell. Our neighbor, the daughter, was celebrating her birthday so we counted down the seconds until she turned 10 ala New Year's Eve style. From there, we headed over to our other neighbors' house for some delicious curry and chocolate cake. We spent most of the evening catching up with them and everyone shared pictures from their most recent trip - Korea, Florida and Alaska.

Sunday, I met up with a girlfriend for lunch. Mr. mouse opted out and did some shopping instead. It's so good to catch up with friends. I'm beginning to realize I don't have any social network set up in Chicago. I think between the long work hours, the longer commute, the fact that Mr. mouse is local, and that we travel on the weekends, we haven't done much with anyone here in town. I have lunch this week with a work colleague, so that's a step in the right direction. The trip back included a one flight delay, but we made it home in time to enjoy the last of a sunny Sunday.


Cheers!
mouse

Kitchen Clutter Diet

Dear Friends and Family,

Last Sunday, I started on a project to tame our kitchen. I love the simplicity of clear, clean horizontal surfaces with nothing on them. While, given his way, Mr. mouse will fill every square inch with random stuff and then make piles to make space and then fill that space with more stuff. I've been trying to accommodate his preferences, but it's been driving me bonkers. Plus, it ticks him off. Because he feels, sometimes, that I don't do my fair share of cleaning. Well, for me, the first step in cleaning is organizing. So, if I can't do that, I never get to step 2 which is cleaning. Mr. mouse, on the other hand, will skip organizing and jump right into cleaning. Wow, I never realized this would be so complex to explain. Anyway, back to my original point.

Last Sunday, I started on a project to tame our kitchen. In my mind, the kitchen is broken down into seven zones, the island, the sink, the stove, and four counter zones to the left and right of the sink and stove. I managed to clear off four of them - the island, the sink, the stove and the counter to the left of the sink. Well, in the space of four days, the clutter has already crept back onto all four of those zones. So, I'll re-clear them today. And, I'm going to tackle two more zones - to the right of the sink and to the left of the stove. That'll leave one final zone to contemplate - the disaster to the right of the stove.

What's found it's way to the garbage or the donation box so far? 2 martini glass stem holders, random instructions on appliances we no longer own, bag of takeout utensils, a hook for a steamer we never use, a jar of old honey, a plastic tiki cup from a restaurant, a spatula shaped like an airplane, plastic coffee scoop, expired vitamin C tablets, ironing board caddy, WSJ Guide to Money & Investing, WSJ Guide to Personal Finance, batch of old tupperware, two florescent light bulbs, white truffle oil, oil container, Han's cheese spread from the mouse house.

I love the cathartic feeling that comes with throwing things out. I can't wait to tackle those two zones today.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: (10:41 am) Kitchen is clean! It still needs a super deep cleaning where I pull out the Pine Sol and attack every single crack and crevice, but I can breathe a sign of relief. It's clean! It's clean! It's clean! Unfortunately, we had a couple of casualties in the process. The following found their way into either the garbage or the donation box: a spoon rest, an old pot holder, a bagel slicer holder, a box of four wine glasses, old potato chips and tortilla chips and a can of french fried onions.

OMFG - WHAT A USELESS PIECE OF SH!T

I have had more problems with my transitions from old work than I ever thought possible. First is the nonsense associated with my old corporate credit card. I was on a trip just before giving notice and I couldn't file my last expense report before they walked me out the door. This issue is still not resolved. By next month it will impact my personal credit history. I am considering legal action. By the way, getting walked isn't exactly on my list of top 10 fun things to do.

Then was the fun and games associated with rolling over my 401k. The password. What password? The password we assigned after you left the company. Well how would I know it? Well you have to know it. What is the default password? There is no default. How about this password? Nope that was your password when you were an employee. Can you mail me the password? Only if you know the password. Wow. Nicely done.

Now, it's the added bonus of excess contributions. I called close to two months ago to find out the status on it. No reply. No information. Nothing. Current employees get their checks in mid-March. Where's mine? I call again. What information do I need to file my freaking taxes? They tell me if there's anything I need to know they will send it to me the first week in April giving me a week to file my taxes. If I don't hear from them assume everything is okay. I hate them. Okay. Fine. Whatever. No new info from them so I finally sigh a sigh of relief. Then, on TUESDAY APRIL 17TH they mail me an amended 1099-R. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! Mr. mouse duly updates all the info and we file at 11:59 Tuesday night by paper because by this point the online site is down due to server overload. It gets better, on WEDNESDAY APRIL 18TH I get another letter from them telling me the amount of my excess contribution and what I need to do to re-file my freaking taxes. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! The train has left the station, boys and girls. It's a little late to be sending me the info.

Why the tirade now? I just got a phone call from the obnoxious HR department on a recorded CYA phone line making sure I understand my responsibilities to fix their frigging mistakes. This covers them if it becomes an issue that they could absolve themselves of any future responsibility by letting me know today THURSDAY APRIL 19TH that I need to redo my taxes thanks to them. Raises the chances of an audit. Potentially incur fees and penalties. Raises my blood pressure. Takes up my precious time. UGH. I knew they weren't calling to be helpful.

I hate them. I hate them. I hate them. (I still like all my old friends, they don't count.)


mouse

PS: I feel better already.

Time Heals All Wounds, or Does It?

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm Korean American. I was raised with all of the typical trials and tribulations of being Korean American. From my experience, people who chose the KOREAN american path ended up happy and people who chose korean AMERICAN path ended up happy. It's the ones who tried to bridge and meld the two cultural norms into Korean American that struggled the most. I'm one of those people.

Which of the three paths you end up depends upon a whole bunch of things that happen at an age when you're ill equipped to deal with such a big decision. Sometimes it's luck that chooses a path for you, sometimes it's the parents, sometimes it's the child, sometimes it's the community and oddly enough sometimes it's fate. I'm not saying I condone any of Seung-Hui Cho's actions. Nor am I saying I understand them. But, in a sad way, I can understand how he ended up the way he did.

Now that I'm 34, quickly going on 35, I feel much better equipped to make an informed and purposeful decision on who I am and what I want to stand for. Something to ponder. Sorry, I need to go finish up some work this morning.


Cheers!
mouse

18 Points a Day

Dear Friends and Family,

I've hit a new low in my Weight Watchers journey. With yesterday's weigh in, I am now allocated 18 points a day. I think that's the lowest allocation on Weight Watchers and it'll be what I'm at until I hit my goal weight. Slow and steady wins the race.

Monday, I brought my usual lunch to work and my stomach absolutely rebelled. The lunch was cold. It was uninspiring. It was boring. It was tired. It was unfulfilling. It was clearly time for a change. So, I brought a different lunch on Tuesday to see how it would work.

I packed 3 oz salad greens (free) with 3 oz grape tomatoes (also free) and a lean cuisine (varies but written on the box). I heated up the lean cuisine and tossed it with the salad to make an I-don't-know-what. A lean cuisine salad? It worked. The warmth and the different flavors and the texture and everything was so much better than the fiasco on Monday. I'll probably go the lean cuisine salad route a couple of days to figure out if I can "make my own" (i.e. pack a small tupperware of stuff that I can heat in the microwave and toss with my salad) I think it's the hybrid of the warm food and the bulk salad that makes the combination work for me. So far, different thoughts I have are

• it needs to have a sauce that coats the salad greens like a dressing does and does the heavy lifting as far as providing flavor
  
• I like the carb component so it can't be just protein - so far both noodles and/or orzo are both nice adds, I'm not sure how rice or croutons would work
  
• sticking in other veggies, cooked, like mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and asparagus might add additional texture

Just some thoughts as I explore 18 points a day.


Cheers!
mouse

Tendinitis

Dear Friends and Family,

I realized this week that I'm not as young as I used to be. I hurt my wrist last year working on the cabinet install in the mouse house. And, for close to six months I wore a brace round the clock to hold the wrist in a neutral position.

Well, last month, I was working on adjusting some shelves when I reinjured the wrist. It hurt the next day and then the initial pain went away. I thought nothing of it. Then, recently I had a couple of incidents where I couldn't open the top of my tea cup, I couldn't open an iced tea bottle Mr. mouse closed, and I couldn't unscrew the adjustment setting on one of the machines at the gym. At which point it dawned on me, something's not right. The joint must still be healing.

So, we dug out the brace again. And, I'll be wearing it for god knows how long this time. It's a lovely spring accessory. Hopefully, I've learned to be more careful now.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse's Hot Chocolate Fix

Dear Friends and Family,

I've recently had a craving for hot chocolate for breakfast. It feels very Continental to have it in lieu of my morning tea. It might increase my HDL levels. And, it satisfies my craving for keeping some variety in the food palette.

Ingredients

• 1 cup skim milk (2 points)
• 1 tbs sugar (1 point)
• 1/2 tbs cocoa (free)
• dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract (free)

I know the purists will be horrified, but I've found a way to make it in the microwave. I measure all the ingredients into an over-sized mug, don't sweat the lumps at this point. Heat on high for two minutes. Whisk until smooth. Heat on high for thirty seconds. Voila.


Cheers!
mouse

Zingerman's Roadhouse

Dear Friends and Family,

Last stop on our tour in the quest of a free t-shirt.

Mr. mouse and I ordered a couple of oysters apiece for our appetizer. We both love raw oysters. And these were an excellent start to an excellent dinner. For dinner, I ordered a grilled half chicken which came with pinto beans and green salsa. Mr. mouse ordered a burger with a side of red beans. The chicken was cooked to perfection, still juicy and full of chicken flavor. The green salsa was spicy without being too hot and went beautifully with the chicken. I skipped on the pinto beans since I was full. But, I had a couple of Mr. mouse's fries. They were crispy on the outside with a meaty potato center. I had six of them and each one was better than the last. Mr. mouse's burger was cooked to perfection, as well. He had the oh-so-terrible choice of eating the rest of his burger or eating the beans. The beans won. The red beans were just like the red beans from when he lived in Houston. And, the pinto beans were just like the pinto beans from when we lived in Austin. He looked like he was in heaven.

We skipped on dessert since we had gelato earlier. If they had had the carrot cake on the menu, I wouldn't have been able to resist. Fortunately, they didn't, so I was okay.

Overall rating: 8/10

Zingerman's Roadhouse
2501 Jackson Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103 map it
(734) 663-3663
http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com


Cheers!
mouse

Great Lakes Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

Our default Chinese restaurant while we lived in Michigan, Great Lakes serves authentic Cantonese food. We've always marveled that dim sum is better in Michigan than in Chicago.

I was a little disappointed in the quality of the dim sum this time. I'm not sure if I've become more picky or if they were having a bad day or if it's just not as good as it used to be. The har gao was watery, turnip cakes were cold, and taro dumplings were mushy. The congee and har cheung were still excellent. We'll have to see how they do next time.

Overall rating: 7/10

Great Lakes Restaurant
2910 Carpenter Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48108 map it
(734) 973-6666


Cheers!
mouse

04.16.07: Motoring to the Motor City

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow! It feels weird to post a "normal" entry after a week off followed by a week recapping our trip. I'm writing tonight because I have work I need to do tomorrow morning.

Mr. mouse and I had a full weekend. We drove out to Detroit on Saturday for our dentist appointment. After lunch we had dim sum at Great Lake (review to come) followed by some shopping. We walked through State Street and Main Street before hitting the delicatessen mecca of Michigan, Zingerman's. I got a pot of tea and Mr. mouse got some coffee. We grabbed some empty chairs to enjoy our drinks. While we were reading through some random brochures, we came upon a leaflet for a free t-shirt if we complete the Zingerman's tour in a single day... They have a creamery and a bakeshop in addition to the deli. Both were closed the last time we were here. Looks like they have weekend hours now. So, we finished our drinks and headed to the creamery.

The creamery specializes in cheeses, butters and gelato. Tours on Sunday at noon. We each got a gelato before heading over to the bakeshop. All sorts of breads, cakes, pies, cookies and other goodies in the bakeshop. Tours on Saturday for $5. Looks like we'll be back another weekend to do the tours. We bought some chocolate chunk sourdough rolls, a baguette and some farm bread before heading to the Roadhouse for dinner (review to come). After dinner, we picked up our free t-shirts and drove home.

Sunday morning we woke bright and early and headed over to the bar to watch the F1 race at Bahrain. No such luck. Closed. We came back home. Mr. mouse headed back to bed. I spent the morning cleaning and organizing the kitchen. Got two of the four surfaces cleared and clean. The clutter is gone and I feel so much better for it. I napped in the afternoon while Mr. mouse did laundry and went grocery shopping. We grilled for dinner - pork chops, asparagus, zucchini and portobello mushrooms with the last of the baguette. Mr. mouse is napping in front of the TV. I'm going to do my two food reviews before heading to bed.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Saturday

Dear Friends and Family,

Saturday, Mr. mouse and I headed home after our week long visit in Korea. I'm glad our neighbors came out with us, since we would have probably postponed the trip if they hadn't bought tickets. We all met up briefly in the morning then split up for the day. Mr. mouse and I headed to the airport. Our neighbors headed to one final day of sightseeing. They had Seoul Tower, Namsangol (a traditional folk village) and Myeongdong (another shopping district) on their to-do list for their last day.

What We Saw/Did

We spent the morning packing and getting ready for our return trip. Mr. mouse did the bulk of the packing while I spent one final morning chatting with my grandfather. He was doing much better than Friday night. I felt good about the trip and the amount of time I got to spend with him while still getting out with our neighbors.

We took a $2 cab ride up a hill to the bus station to avoid carrying our bags up the hill before a long flight. We took the local bus to the airport for 10,000 won. The price was 15,000 won, but we didn't have exact change and the bus driver told us to pay just 10,000, so we did.

We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. They asked us to wait by the ticket counter for our seat assignments which would not be given until 40 minutes before flight time. Let me state for the record, only one person has any clue as to what seats are empty on any given plane. That person is the gate agent, not the ticket agent. And, the gate agent doesn't know until ~20 minutes before flight time. Therefore, at 40 minutes prior to departure, the ticket agent is only marginally better than clueless as to what is happening on the plane. Unfailingly polite, unfortunately incompetent, she nevertheless cleared us for two middle coach seat in the back of the plane. We got to the gate and I asked if there are any aisle seats. We were moved up to a window/aisle combination a couple of rows behind business class. I'm 99.9% sure there were both business class seats and first class seats available. Whatever. I watch Curse of the Golden Flower before napping to readjust my time clock.

We land in San Francisco and go through immigrations and customs. The plan is to try and catch the non-stop from San Francisco to Chicago. No dice. Flight fills up, later flights do not look good. We head to Oakland to try and catch the non-stop from Oakland to Chicago. No dice. The BART takes longer than we anticipated, we miss the flight by about 10 minutes. We decide to stay in Oakland to try and catch the flight from Oakland to Denver. If that works, we can attempt the Denver to Chicago flight. If those don't work, we can attempt any number of Denver to miscellaneous city flights to attempt a miscellaneous city to Chicago flight. This is why I don't need any additional complications in my life. It's complicated enough already.

The Oakland - Denver flight works like a charm. First class, to boot. And, the Denver - Chicago flight follows nicely. First class on a three cabin plane. Like Mr. mouse said on the way out, feast or famine. We splurge on a cab ride home since we're too tired and too cold to want to take public transportation. Home at last.

What We Ate

We had the last of the rice cake soup with my grandfather before heading out to the airport. While we were waiting at the ticket counter, Mr. mouse bought some chicken wings, so we snacked on those and the leftover rice cakes before boarding the plane. For lunch, I had a couple of chicken thighs in standard brown sauce with some potato fingers and veggies. And, as a special treat, I had a glass of amaretto for dessert.

When we landed in San Francisco, we had the spam musubi and sushi from Sankaku followed by dim sum from Fung Lum. It felt so good to be back in control of food ordering. Mr. mouse laughed at me for getting more Asian food after a week of Asian food. But, it's different.

The Family Drama

Nothing new. It all seemed to resolve itself Friday night.

What I Learned

I'm glad we ended up traveling alone. I realized on Friday that my grandfather spends a good portion of each day resting in his room. He tires easily. If we had been on the plane together I would have been up the entire flight watching him incessantly. And, we didn't get first class on the long haul segment. Coach is inevitably more tiring. I wanted to bring him back in comfort, if I could. And, last but not least, the walking distances in the airport are longer than I realized. I take it for granted because I do it without thinking. But, the trip would have been hard on him. I'm glad we were able to resolve it all on Friday.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: The rest of the weekend went quickly. Mr. mouse and I headed to the bar to watch the Malaysian F1 race Saturday night. Then, we slept in until 2pm. Sunday was mostly unpacking, laundry and uploading photos.

Korea Trip - Friday

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday was our last full day in Korea. The week had gone quickly, but we had got in a lot of the local attractions and a lot of quality time with my grandfather. We split up again on Friday. Mr. mouse and the dad headed out for the full day tour of the DMZ and Panmunjom, the border town where a lot of the peace talks have been held. The mom and the daughter headed out for the half day tour of the DMZ only, since the daughter isn't old enough to qualify for the Panmunjom tour. I stayed in with my grandfather, since I had done the tour already during a previous visit.

What We Saw/Did

Friday was a nice, quiet day for me. My aunt stopped by in the morning to see my grandfather. He was resting when she came by, so we chatted for a bit before she headed out on her errands. She made rice cake soup for my grandfather and me to have for lunch before she left. She also made some fish for us to have for dinner.

The mom called once she and the daughter finished their half day tour. They came over to my grandfather's place and we sat and rested for a couple of hours until "the men folk" were done with their tour. Then, they headed back to their hotel room and we had dinner with my grandfather. Like I said, a nice, quiet day for me.

What We Ate

For breakfast, I went out for seolleongtang with my grandfather. I miss it now that I'm back to my yogurt, cereal and strawberries routine. For lunch, my grandfather and I had the rice cake soup my aunt made for us.

The mom, the daughter and I shopped the local market for lunch options when they came over after their tour. We picked up two varieties of rice cakes, some glutinous rice steamed with brown sugar, Korean pancakes, pan fried zucchini, grape tomatoes and kimbap, a Korean roll with seaweed on the outside and some vegetables on the inside.

For dinner, we had the fish my aunt made for us with my grandfather. And, the neighbors had the leftovers from our dinner out on Wednesday back at their hotel room. We headed out into the neighborhood to pick up some local fried chicken which Mr. mouse really likes to supplement the fish and the leftovers. We decided to try a place called Pelicana. We ordered two chickens, one for ourselves and one for the neighbors. We got a seasoned fried chicken and they got the fried chicken. My grandfather ate almost half the chicken. It made me ridiculously happy to see him enjoy it so much.







The Family Drama

When my aunt was over, she asked if my grandfather was really going to the Sates with us. And, I told her yes, we were taking him Saturday morning. She mentioned that she was worried about his health and that my uncle had told her to try to dissuade him. Hmm... in my parents' crazy logic my uncle and aunt secretly wanted me to bring him to the Sates... are my parents wrong or are my aunt and uncle using reverse psychology on me? This is why this stuff drives me absolutely nuts.

My dad called Friday night to speak with my grandfather. Catalyst #1: my brother asked my dad if my grandfather was coming, he had gotten a phone call from Mr. mouse saying we were bringing him. Catalyst #2: my uncle called my dad to ask if they were going to the airport together to pick up my grandfather, he had gotten a phone call from my aunt saying we were bringing him. Catalyst #3: he hadn't gotten a phone call from Mr. mouse or me saying we weren't bringing him. In typical fashion, my dad's talk with my grandfather lasted about 2 minutes and you can hear, my grandfather couldn't get a word in edge-wise. My dad essentially said, don't come out. I bought a plane ticket to Korea. I arrive Monday morning. There's no need for you to get on the plane.

My grandfather was clearly upset when he hung up. The truth finally comes out. This is about the house. He was madder than hell that my dad is coming to Korea. He wanted the chance to speak with both of my parents together. He contemplated going to the States with us, if by going he can prevent my dad from coming. I felt like I was in the midst of an arms race face off. We tried to calm him down. He went into his room, still visibly upset. I was worried for his health.

Mr. mouse and I moped for about thirty minutes and then my grandfather knocked on our door. He asked if we could call my mom for him so that he can speak with her. They spoke for almost an hour. He looked a lot better when he hung up. They talked through the house and clearly some older underlying issues. He's okay with everything now. There's no need to go and no need for my dad to come. Except, my dad bought a plane ticket and is coming out regardless.

Situation resolved. Mr. mouse and I will head back to the States sans grandpa. And, he's okay with it. Really? Couldn't they have had this conversation like thirty years ago and prevented all of this angst? Kids these days...

What I Learned

They're all equally guilty in this whole fiasco - my mom, my dad, my grandfather, my aunt, my uncle, and a second aunt and uncle. Mr. mouse and I were mere pawns in their game. I'm done with it all. I've preserved my relationship with all parties and walked away unscathed. But, no more straws on this camel's back. I'm done. They next one will cause it all to break down.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Thursday

Dear Friends and Family,

We headed downtown with the neighbors. I needed to pick up my grandfather's visa at the embassy; then, it was more sightseeing and more shopping before we split up for dinner. They were on their own for dinner while Mr. mouse and I met up with another cousin for dinner.

What We Saw/Did

We met up with the neighbors at the train station to ride in together. From the train station we headed downtown to the best book store in all of Korea. It's located in the basement of the Kyobo building at the Gwanghwamun station. Mr. mouse picked up some pencils. I picked up some children's folk tales that are written in both Korean and English to practice my Korean. The daughter found a couple of books for her friends including one written in French for the French teacher staying with them.

Next on the agenda was lunch. After lunch, we split up and I headed to the embassy while Mr. mouse and the neighbors headed to Gyeongbokgung, another palace located in downtown Seoul. Fortunately, it was warmer outside so it was nicer walking around than it was on Monday. It took about 10 minutes to pick up the passport with the visa. I called to ask where I should meet them. No answer. I assumed the phone was in the mom's purse so I sat down in a park to wait for their call. I figured it is a good time to contemplate options on the family drama. No good ideas popped into my head. I called several more time. No answer. Just when I was about ready to give up and head back to the book store I realized I had been calling their hotel room not their cell phone. Duh! We met up.

Apparently, I missed the dad being surrounded by a school group. I guess Caucasians are still a relative novelty in Korea. Fortunately, Mr. mouse caught some of it on video.



We were torn between going to the National Folk Museum and Seodaemun Prison. We decided on the prison and headed over by train. Seodaemun Prison is a former prison turned into a museum, ala Alcatraz. The prison is from the time of the Japanese occupation and housed anti-colonial activists. The daughter found the whole experience very disturbing. And, to be honest, I was a little freaked out as well. But, we walked through the somber buildings and vignettes and I came away with a clearer understanding of the less glamorous parts of Korea's very recent history.

With about two hours to go until we met up with my cousin for dinner, we headed back to the National Folk Museum to see if we could get in for the last hour/hour and half. No dice. So, we hung out, reading our guide books, munching on bananas and collecting ourselves before walking back to City Hall. We found a neat little book store where the mom found a great book of pictures and the daughter a nice book of Korean stories. We bought a couple of CDs. And, then we split up for dinner.

Mr. mouse and I headed back to my grandfather's place after dinner. Grandpa's up doing errands again. We turned in for the night and talked through our options. We came up with no good answers. We left a message for my brother telling him we're bringing grandpa home. Would he be available to show grandpa around? We went to sleep uneasy.

What We Ate


For breakfast, I had leftover walnut cookies and Mr. mouse had a green tea donut from Dunkin Donuts. For lunch, we went for Korean Chinese. Mr. mouse, the dad and I had the jjajangmyun, a black bean noodle dish. The mom had the jjamppong, a seafood noodle soup. And, the daughter had fried rice. We ordered a tangsooyook, a sweet and sour pork dish, to share as an appetizer.




For dinner, my cousin took us for pho, the Vietnamese beef noodle soup. We split a couple of spring rolls and an order of pineapple fried rice to round out the meal. Then, we headed to another restaurant for tea. I had a sweet potato latte which was surprisingly good. I love Korean sweet potatoes, so I might be partial.




The Family Drama

My dad called Thursday morning to say that he would come out to Korea "sometime in the future" so there was no immediate need to bring grandpa home. I had serious doubts if sometime in the future would ever materialize into a real trip. I spent a fair bit of time thinking about my options. No obvious right answer. I was leaning towards bringing my grandfather back to the States with me. Figured I'd rather make life a little harder for my parents than my grandfather. Also, they had had a chance to say no. So, I felt they deserved to learn that their decisions had consequences. Mr. mouse agreed to fly my grandfather back to Korea when he was done with his visit.

What I Learned

I learned a lot about my grandfather and my dad while visiting the prison. The prison was built in 1908 by the Japanese. Japanese occupation started in 1910, the year before my grandfather was born. The occupation lasted until my grandfather was in his mid-thirties. That's how my grandfather learned to read and speak Japanese. And, how one of his first jobs was in a Japanese department store. My dad was born in when my grandfather was 27 years old, during the occupation.

The Korean War started in 1950 while my grandfather was in his late thirties only five years after the occupation ended. It lasted until he was 42. By the time the war was over more than 80% of the public facilities and 50% of the housing had been destroyed. To put it mildly, life wasn't easy for him. Thinking about all of that during our trip to the prison made me even more reluctant to disappoint him by not taking him back with us.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Wednesday

Dear Friends and Family,

We did a ton on Wednesday with our neighbors (mostly commerce related) while my grandfather did his own thing. I figured he needed some rest and down time after going out Monday and Tuesday, especially with a trans-pacific trip looming in a couple of days.

What We Saw/Did

We started the morning by touring the food market by my grandfather's house. It has a variety of food and non-food items for sale. It's like a farmer's market, only more extensive and open every day of the week. We tried some calamari from a food stall before heading to our first shopping destination - Apgujeong.

Apgujeong-dong is Seoul's upscale shopping district. We walked through a couple of department stores to see what sorts of merchandise they sell and then hit the streets to look at the individual shops. The daughter ended up buying a pair of Converse sneakers while the dad ended up buying a pair of Nikes. For the mom? A Hard Rock Cafe Seoul t-shirt to add to her collection. We also wandered into a store that sells hanbok, the traditional dress of Korea. They brought out an album with hanbok pictures and gave us a refreshing fruit drink while we looked at the album. They were really nice to us even if they knew we had no intention of buying. Hospitality, it's so rare anywhere nowadays that when you get it you're pleasantly surprised.

We thought we would head to Itaewon next, a shopping district located near the U. S. military base in Seoul. It's a fun place to pick up affordable souvenirs and clothing. But, when we got to the train, we realized the Itaewon stop was on the same train line that goes out to the World Cup Stadium which was on our itinerary for later in the week.



The timing seemed fortuitous, so we went out to the Stadium before heading back to Itaewon. We took a couple of pictures from the outside and found an unlocked gate into the stadium. We considered checking if there was a game that night after we decided going through the unlocked gate would be a bad move. Then, Mr. mouse discovered that they give tours. He's so smart sometimes. We took the tour and got to see the field, the locker rooms, the press room, etc. before heading to local shopping mall attached to the stadium. We picked up some bananas, some soju (an alcoholic beverage distilled from rice or sweet potato), some hot-cold mints and other consumables before heading back to Itaewon.

Our first Itaewon purchase? A pair of gloves for the daughter. Mr. mouse then got some personalized luggage tags embroidered. The daughter got one for herself and a couple as souvenirs for her friends. The shop was located in a back corner of an underground mall - we'll never find it again unless we stumble upon it accidentally. We found a good souvenir store to finish off most of the souvenirs needed. Mission accomplished.

What We Ate

Mr. mouse and I had breakfast with my grandfather before heading out for the day. If you guessed seolleongtang, you guessed right.

We bought some walnut cookies from a street vendor for a mid-morning snack.

For lunch, we decided to try a pizza place in Apgujeong. I got a margherita pizza while Mr. mouse and the neighbors split a couple of pizza (seafood, bulgogi, salad and cheese). We figured everyone needed some variety after a couple days straight of Korean food.

We headed to a Chinese restaurant in Itaewon for dinner. We started with the chicken wings and then ordered four dishes. Let's see how good my memory is... chicken with broccoli, Mongolian beef, Schezuan chicken and chow mein. Voila. Okay, I admit it. I looked at my food journal to jog my memory.

The Family Drama

Neither Mr. mouse nor I can remember what prompted the initial call on Wednesday to my parents, but we're sure something did. We bought a phone card from the subway station Wednesday morning and tried calling my mom from the first department store. She was dropping someone off at their house and said she would call me back. She called me back just as we were headed into the second department store so I sat for awhile in front of the store on a bus stop bench to talk with her. The sun felt good.

Back were all the questions. Why does grandpa want to come? Is it to see America? Or to see relatives? Or to talk with my parents about the house? Uh... maybe you should ask him since I hardly have a clue here on this one. Then she starts into a typical long winded, over-complicated, convoluted explanation including all of the melodramatic historical context and I'm again reminded that my family is not normal and nothing is ever simple for them. I'm beginning to wander why she told me to bring him if it's going to involve this much emotional toll on everyone involved.

It'd be great if the story ended here, but sadly it doesn't. We get calls throughout the morning from my mom to talk more. I hate it when she tries to convince me that her point of view is right. She might believe it's right, but the logical arguments for them fall apart for me. Honestly, I don't have the patience for it. My life is complicated enough as it is without adding in any additional factors. Thankfully, they sleep for awhile giving us a couple hours respite before it all starts up again in the evening when they wake up.

This time it's my dad. And, my dad (not to be confused with "the dad" who is my neighbor) doesn't talk with you, he talks at you. You don't get a word in edgewise and he feels like he's just had a fruitful discussion. Now, he's explaining to me all the reasons grandpa shouldn't come. First off, I'm madder than hell that they're effectively doing their best to ruin my day. Second, I spent an entire day dragging a 96 year old man who needed rest across town to get a visa yesterday. Last, why on God's green earth did they tell me to bring him in the first place if it was going to lead to all of this?

My dad leaves me with the oh-so-helpful, just tell him something, anything, make something up, I trust you to take care of the situation, you're so smart and creative, you're the hope and future of the family, you can do this. Gee, thanks Dad. I hang up in tears.

Mr. mouse and I talk some, on the way home, on what to do about the whole fiasco. We ponder taking my parents' advice and just making something up. We ponder just bringing him to the States as we first agreed. We get back to the house without reaching any conclusions.

Grandpa's up. The laundry is running. He's clearly been busy as a bee all day getting ready for the trip. He asks about the status of his visa. He asks about the cost of the ticket. He asks about the flight times and when we need to leave Saturday morning to make it to the airport in time. He is so excited. He is so happy. I just can't do it. I can't bring myself to tell him I'm not bringing him. If he were to ask me why (which believe me he would) I've got no good reason to deny him. So, I don't. I tell him his visa will be ready tomorrow. I tell him we won't know the cost of the trip until we're back in the States, and that we need to leave by 10 AM on Saturday to make our flight. I ask him if he needs any help. Then, I turn in for the night.

I end up crying my eyes out before going to sleep. The stress is becoming unbearable.

What I Learned

No new revelations. It was a day for taking it all in and processing. No major new light bulbs. At least none that I remember now.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Tuesday

Dear Friends and Family,

Tuesday we split up for the day. Mr. mouse and our neighbors headed out to the zoo while my grandfather and I spent the day at the embassy applying for his visa to visit the U. S. We met up to go out to dinner with my cousin who moved to Korea a couple of years ago from the States.

What We Saw/Did

The embassy is located in central Seoul, clear across town from my grandfather's house. I felt bad having to drag my grandfather out after he had such a long day Monday, but didn't have a choice. The person on the phone at the embassy made it clear he needed to be there in person to apply for the visa since it was an expedited visa.

Mr. mouse headed to the local internet cafe to fill out the forms we would need for the visa application before heading out to the zoo. Then, I headed out a second time to write an invitation letter and affidavit of support to submit with the application. My grandfather and I got his photo taken for the passport and got on the train to go to the embassy.

When we got to the embassy, we had to fill out a second form and then I needed to run to the bank to pay for the application. The embassy doesn't handle the money, it requires you to pay at a local bank and get a small stub of paper showing payment. It accepts that paper as certification of payment. Don't ask. It is what it is.

We were told the visa would be ready on Thursday. And, I could come alone to pick it up for my grandfather.

We headed out to lunch and then home for some rest before heading out to dinner.

What We Ate

My grandfather and I went out for breakfast Tuesday morning before heading over to the embassy. Another day, another bowl of seolleongtang. It's a larger breakfast than I'm used to, but it's a good way to start the day. Routine is good when you're 96 years old.


For lunch, my grandfather took me to a place that specializes in samgyetang, a ginseng chicken soup stuffed with glutinous rice served with a shot of ginseng wine. Purported to be excellent for your health, it's still not one of my favorites. But, I enjoyed it because I enjoyed the company.

For dinner, we headed out for my favorite, soon tofu. We grilled some pork kalbi (short ribs) and samgyeopsal (uncured bacon) for an appetizer and then order the tofu as our main dinner. Life is good. My cousin's wife just had a baby a couple of days ago so he headed home shortly after dinner.

We headed out to our neighbors' hotel room to finish off the night with beer, Coke Light, Choco pies, Keebler cookies and other late night snacks.

The Family Drama

When we got home from beer with the neighbors, I called my parents to share with them the good news. Visa should be ready and flights were looking good. We'd be arriving Saturday evening with grandpa.

And, the fun begins. My mom is strangely hesitant and ambivalent. Maybe it's not a good idea. Maybe grandpa shouldn't come. No real reasons, no real anything. Just kinda beating around the bush and frustrating me. We hang up and I'm annoyed, but it's typical of my parents so I brush it off and go to sleep for the night.

What I Learned

Korea is a country steeped in Confucianism. I don't know a lot about the details of Confucianism, but I can see the result of it in how everything seems to run. It feels like a series of parallel and prioritized obligations to a variety of parties including your family, your parents and your country and I'm sure a bunch of others. Again, not an expert here. Today, I learned that I resent it and disagree with it and will not let it bound me any longer. Don't get me wrong. I am still patriotic. I am still a part of a family. But, it's because I want to be not because I am supposed to be. Hence, if I no longer want it, I no longer will be need to be bound by it. This is a big one for me, because it removes a lot of psychological baggage I've carted around my entire life. I feel freer for it.

I spent a good piece of Tuesday morning annoyed. Forms, lines and bureaucracy weren't how I wanted to spend my vacation. And, I really didn't want to drag my grandfather out. I thought he needed rest. And, running to the bank against the clock, my anxiety and annoyance were beginning to rise. But, at lunch, I realized, I got to spend an entire day alone with my grandfather listening to him and talking with him and sharing. And, I'm not going to get a lot more of those days in the future. It made me realize how precious the time is and I was thankful for it. The anger and frustration and annoyance melted away and I was left feeling like I had just experienced something profound and precious.

My mom does it. My sister does it. Maybe I used to do it, I'm not sure. But, now it pisses me off to no end. If you want something, say so. If you want to know something, ask about it directly. Don't beat around the bush and take a circuitous route that gets at the answer indirectly. It wastes time and guarantees a less correct answer than a direct question would yield. Plus, it results in grouchy mouse. Fortunately, with my new found release from the bounds of obligation I can choose to play the game or I can choose to have nothing to do with it.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Monday

Dear Friends and Family,

Monday was our first day in Korea. And, my grandfather wanted to take us out. I was a little hesitant given his age and the fact that it was freezing cold out. But, he was so eager and seemed to be doing so well, I agreed to have him come out with us. In the end, it all worked out okay. I could tell he was tired by the end of the day, but I think he enjoyed getting out of the house and spending time with us.

What We Saw/Did

Cheonggyecheon

New since the last time I was in Seoul. Cheonggyecheon is a river walk through downtown Seoul that used to be a two level highway. It is a delightful place for Seoul's salary men and women to take their daily constitutionals. We walked about halfway down and enjoyed crossing the water many times on the stepping stones provided.

a typical Korean market

My grandfather wanted to take us through an old school Korean market to give our neighbors a taste of local Seoul. The stalls are tiny and each store specializes in one thing only. The main customers are wholesale purchasers who come early in the morning, but they are open all day. We walked through the electronics market which will probably be gone the next time I am in Seoul as the area is zoned for redevelopment.

Jongmyo/Changgyeonggung

My grandfather took me here when I was in Seoul in 1998. So, it was a repeat trip for me. Jongmyo is the location of the ancestral shrine of one of Korea's dynasties. Attached to it is Changgyeonggung, one of the royal palaces. It's got a phoenix motif which indicates it was part of the queen's administration (dragon motif would indicate it was part of the king's administration). The cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom and the park is pretty extensive, but we were hungry and cold and eager to get inside for dinner so we walked through the main portion only.



What We Ate



My grandfather and I (and sometimes Mr. mouse) went out for breakfast every day while I was in Seoul to a neighborhood restaurant that specializes seolleongtang (a beef soup made from ox leg bones) which we had every morning. The soup is served with noodles, slices of beef and scallions with a bowl of rice and kimchee on the side. You add a combination of salt, black pepper and red pepper according to taste. I prefer it with a little salt and black pepper. My grandfather uses just salt. Mr. mouse varies it every day.

During our day's excursion, we stopped for coffee at a place called Texas. And, before entering Jongmyo we bought some street food to snack on in the "old men's park." We got fish shaped pancakes with red bean paste inside, some Korean doughnuts, and my grandfather bought "the Daughter" a bun filled with bean paste. I think he really took a liking to her.

My grandfather treated us all to lunch/dinner Monday. We went to a restaurant in downtown Seoul that he always brings Mr. mouse and me to when we visit him. He ordered beef soup for all of us. And, it was just what was needed to warm us up on a cold day.

We headed back after our meal to rest. And, met up with the neighbors for a late night meal at the restaurant next door to my grandfather's place. It was late and we were exhausted. We got the kalbi (short ribs) and the samgyeopsal (uncured bacon) and grilled it at the table. We also ordered the bibimbap for everyone to share and I got a rice dish which is essentially the burnt pieces left over when you cook rice. Some beer and tea and we were ready to call it a night.

The Family Drama

It started with an innocent question Monday morning from my grandfather. If he wanted to visit the States, would we be willing and able to take him back with us? It took me by surprise, but I was secretly hoping that maybe he was interested in moving to the States, something we've all been encouraging for awhile now. In reality, I thought it was more probable that he wanted to see my other relatives and maybe wanted a change of pace for a bit while he still had the energy.

We called home to check with my parents and they said sure, if grandpa wants to visit, you can bring him back.

What I Learned

Seoul in spring is subject to seasonal weather variations just like Chicago. I brought a couple of thin sweaters and mostly short sleeved shirts. Bad move, mouse. It was jacket weather all day Monday.

Although my grandfather enjoyed the day out, we should have attempted one attraction with him, not two. He was really tired by the time we got home and I was a little worried. He was fine the next day, but better not to push it next time.


Cheers!
mouse

Korea Trip - Days 1, 2 & 3 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)

Dear Friends and Family,

We're back home!

I missed posting my blogs every morning, but truly enjoyed my morning routine in Korea of spending quality time with my grandfather. I'm going to be using this week's blog to write about the trip - one day at a time. Depending upon how it plays out, I might end up doing my posts at night. We'll see.

On a side note, Mr. mouse is up as well, which is not part of my usual morning routine. And, he's annoyed. The photos I scanned in last week are causing him all sorts of grief now. I'm sorely tempted to say, "I told you so," but I figure I don't want to add to his frustration. And, since that computer has all of our photos, music and stuff on it, it crashing is not a good thing.

What We Saw/Did

In classic mouse family fashion, we decided at the last minute to leave a day early. I was working from home on Friday, so after a mad scramble to finish up my work work, I started the mad scramble to finish up my travel work. We packed in record time; loaded the dishwasher; took out the garbage; checked the windows, doors, stove, oven, and alarm clocks; and bolted out the door to grab a cab to the airport. The plan? Try to catch the London flight to hopefully connect to the Frankfurt flight to hopefully connect to the Seoul flight. Hope is not a strategy. The London flight filled up with a church group who missed their earlier flight due to a delayed flight. Instead, we flew out to LAX for the night to figure out our next best alternative. Making lemonade out of lemons, we got the exit row out and watched Casino Royale on the flight.

We got to the hotel at midnight. Checked in. And, slept for four hours before heading back to the airport. Looking at our options, we decided heading up to Seattle looked like the most likely route. And, if it didn't work out, we've got a ton of friends we could look up for the night before trying again on Sunday. First class to SEA. As Mr. mouse says, feast or famine. We had a three hour layover in Seattle. Then, fortunately, we got on the flight to Tokyo, en route to Seoul.

We got first class to Tokyo which meant true lie flat seats. Wow, that was nice. I watched Dream Girls and then settled in for a nice, warm nap. Life is good. Had a three hour layover in Tokyo which was just enough time to do some duty free shopping and pick up a small snack. Back at the gate, we got on the flight to Seoul. Final leg of our outbound journey. And, first class to boot. Nice!

We landed about 30 minutes ahead of our neighbors (the Dad, the Mom, the Daughter), so we waited for them at their luggage carousel before heading into the main terminal. Once in the main terminal, Mr. mouse and "the Dad" scouted the airport while "the Mom", "the Daughter" and I watched the luggage. Armed with some Korean money (the won), two rental cell phones and our luggage, we headed out to find transportation into the city. Taxis run between 70,000 and 80,000 won (roughly 1,000 won to 1 dollar) to take the five of us from the airport to downtown Seoul. We opted for the bus which costs 8,000 won per person instead. You load the luggage into the luggage compartment under the bus and hop in for the ride. Totally comfortable and affordable.

We got off the bus right by my grandfather's house. We put our neighbors in a cab to go to their hotel and started walking. Unfortunately, neither of us remembered the way to my grandfather's house. We took the train last time and arrived in the daytime. We walked aimlessly for about 45 minutes in the dark with our bag before finding his house. The next day, we realized we walked past his house twice the night before. Nice.

We let ourselves in and started to settle down for the night. I was a little scared because I hadn't seen my grandfather in 5 years and you never know what you're going to find when someone is 96 years old. He got up, shortly after we came in, to use the bathroom, noticed the toilet seat was down and began to look around the house. We got up and had a chance to catch up for a couple of minutes before we all turned in for the night. Fortunately, he seemed to be doing very well. I felt much better than when we first walked into the house.

What We Ate

Friday night, before catching the flight to LAX, we got McDonald's at the airport - chicken McNuggets (1 point per piece) and barbecue sauce (1 point per package) and a side salad (free).

On the flights:

• to Seattle: fresh fruit, strawberry yogurt, crackers
• at the Seattle airport: pretzels
• to Tokyo: champagne, warm nuts, roll and butter, crab cakes, seafood bisque, salad, Japanese bento box, strawberries, port, hot fudge sundae, roll, fresh fruit, asparagus, breakfast sausage
• at the Tokyo airport: sushi
• to Seoul: champagne, warm nuts, soba noodles, sushi, fresh fruit, chocolate cake

What I Learned

After a week, I think we can find my grandfather's house the next time without getting lost. And, more importantly, at 96 years old, my grandfather is doing amazingly well. He's in good health. He's mobile. He still has his vision and his hearing. And, he's mentally with it.


Cheers!
mouse