Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Happy Year of the Rat!

Japan adopted the western calendar during (I think) the Meiji Restoration.

We had our traditional soba (buckwheat noodles) last night. This morning we had our ozoni soup. I thought all ozoni were made the same. My dad's side of the family came from fishermen, so I grew up with a seafood-based soup with clams. Sharon comes from farmers and she made ours with chicken. There is supposed to be an odd number of items in the ozoni. She put in chicken, mizuna greens, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, kamaboko (fish cake), daikon radish, and the mochi (rice cake). We also had sides of kazunoko (fish roe), gobo (seasoned burdock root), kuromame (sweetened black beans), and tea with ko-ume (baby pickled plum). Everything was delicious.

The first call of the year has to be done by a male, so I phoned our parents.

We also watched the Rose Parade on TV. We used to go down to the parade route when the kids were little, but it's gotten to be too much of a hassle. It really is worth seeing live if you've never done so before (and also if you're in Southern California).

Happy New Years!!!

Indeed, Happy New Year.

Resolution--oh, boy--but these haven't failed me, and I suggest people who are having troubles with said resolutions, you do what I do. Set yourself on something you know you will improve because you strive for it.

1: become a better guitar player than I already am. Has worked now for three years.

2: A new one: Become a better writer than I already am. Really set on this one.

3: Lose some more weight and keep a healthy mindset in the process. I've dropped about 20 since last year, but my muscle mass has dwindled on the same token.

Hope everyone finds this year's challenges head strong and with confidence.

Happy New Year everyone!