A Week Before Christmas

It was a peculiar situation, probably the first time I've encountered it in my life: I was in a large supermarket where there were virtually no potatoes on sale.  All they had on sale were two bags, with six potatoes each, of locally grown spuds...and they weren't even labelled as "jyagaimo" - the Japanese name for "potato".  I guess I'll have to wander down to the grocery store on the corner tomorrow....

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Expenses spiraled a bit out of control the last few months.  I purchased a used guitar on Halloween.  This year we were advised that our company wasn't going to be holding Christmas parties.  They were to be advertised as "Bonen-kai" - year-end parties.  That was fine.  The next point didn't go over so well with our school - the teachers and staff had to provide some form of entertainment.  We were told that the teachers up in Yamagata city were going to perform some songs accompanied by guitar.  That didn't fly well with the crew at our school.  One fellow has stage fright, another can't play any musical instruments or carry a tune, and yours truly hadn't played a guitar in at least 30 years.  Nonetheless, we had to do something.  Our manager offered to rummage up a loaner guitar from a friend.  "Okay", I said, "I'll give it a go".  "Play Clapton's 'Tears in Heaven'", was the next line from our manager.  I think I said "Maybe" to that.  A couple of weeks later when we reconvened to discuss our bill of entertainment, Mr. Clapton's song was ditched in exchange for much simpler material.  After five weeks of practice we were able to put on credible performances of "Proud Mary", "Diana", and "Country Roads".  Mr. Stage Fright delivered karaoke renditions of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Names" and the Eagle's "Desperado"...after consuming a considerable volume of alcoholic beverages to calm his nerves.

The other big expense came up mid-November.  I took my car in to have the snow tires mounted.  The mechanic started the work and then brought one of the tires into the waiting area of the gas station where I was having a coffee.  There was screw wedged into the tire.  He pulled it out and showed me a 1.5cm long screw.  Through the course of the following conversation I found out that the tires were 8 years old based on a year of manufacture stamped on the tire walls.  Time for a new set....paid for on a credit card.

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In late November I noticed that there was a car occupying the parking spot next to mine in the building parking area.  It had been open since my neighbour moved out about two years ago.  I took heed of that and started to park my car a bit closer to the centre of my slot.

A week or so later there was a knock on my door one evening.  I was a bit puzzled as I wasn't expecting any parcel deliveries.  Once I opened my door I was greeted by a fellow who introduced himself as the owner of the car parked next to mine.  At first I thought he was going to complain about a lack of space between our cars but such wasn't the case.  He wasn't the least bit upset looking and he gave me a small gift which indicated that he was a new resident in the building.  I was a bit surprised as this is the first time I've been on receiving end of this custom since the time I moved into this building.