So Much For Summer....

Well.... Summer has come and gone.  This year's summer was a bit of cool and soggy affair.  So I didn't do a heck of a lot.  I did attend a local Obon-odori (Obon is that time in Japanese tradition where it is believed that the souls of the deceased pay a visit to our mortal realm.  The "odori" portion is from a Buddhist tradition.) and for the first time in decades, actually participated in a dance.  I also made a couple of quick trips to Sendai to renew my visa.  Aside from that, I spent the summer slowly cleaning up my apartment, getting a bit of exercise on my bicycle, and taking in a handful of movies at the local cinema.  And of course there was my friend's yukata party which accounted for the one time I wore my yukata this past summer.

The defining moment of my summer was the night I received an e-mail from Canada advising me that my father had passed away.  I didn't get any sleep after that and it goes to say that the next few days were a bit of a train wreck.  It's strange but right now I just don't have anything I want to say other than "It happened".