We went out to dinner last night to Din Tai Fong, the Chinese restaurant we went to with Yumiko and Yamachan. This time we went with two friends from my old life, my former boss and his wife. We had a nice time. Wakana stole the show introducing us to verious Chinese dishes and tastes. It was great fun. I couldn't even begin to tell you what we ate except for shrimp shumai and some kind of fried noodle dish. We also had some kind of shrimp dumplings. I am making a lot of progress eating with chopsticks (haschi). I may not disgrace myself when we go to Japan.

I plan to spend this week shopping for Christmas presents and Wakana's birthday present. I am at a loss for the latter. I prompted her into a conversation about hobbies yesterday trying to figure out what would be a good line of gifts. I wanted to buy her some Japanese carpentry tools. When we met she claimed to be a carpenter and later she sadly explained to me that she'd sold the tools when she moved to Guam. After our conversation I got the idea that the tools might not be a good idea. I must not have been too subtle in our conversation for this morning she made some comments about how much she enjoyed building the bench she made for herself.

She also commented about needing a rake and some tools to do yard work. Hah! That would be like the man who bought his wife a vacuum cleaner for her birthday. Carpentry tools are hobby tools. Yard tools aren't. "Here, dear, I bought you a lawn mower... OUCH!"

Today is a great day in the neighborhood, or at least this house. The NEW computer arrives today! Sleek, black, powerful, and up to date, this machine will really fly. I am so looking forward to it.