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Bear Necessities of Life

Musings of Teddy Bear Necessity's Household
to Whom It May Concern
スポンサーサイト

一定期間更新がないため広告を表示しています

Posted by スポンサードリンク
- / / - / -
Aghast at Gas Price
I understand that people are complaining about hiked gas prices these days, but let me tell you American people (I'm addressing to our family and friends) that your gas price is still half of what it costs here in Japan.

Here is a receipt from January 25 when I had my car's almost empty gas tank filled up.

What's underlined is the actual cost, which says 13,113 yen. The current exchange rate is at about $1 = 106 yen, so what I paid was about $124.

If in US, according to the most recent premium gasoline costs in US (according to StateMaster.com), in NY, it's $3.34/gallon, so 71.27 liter that I put in equals 18.83 US gallon, which then would mean I'd have paid $62.89 for the same amount. Well, that's about half of what we pay here!

Time for a hybrid?



Posted by teddydale
2-legged Musings / 18:54 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
French Maid
In the last entry, Zoey was claiming that she doesn't do house cleaning, but we actually call her a French maid.



Sorry for being so stereotypical, but you see what we mean?



It's actually not just the way Zoey looks, but it's also the way she is that makes us think she's a French maid. She is also very girly and flirty, you see.

We laugh imagining Zoey with an Ostrich feather duster in her paw saying in a singsong voice,

<< Ooh la la, j'aime faire le ménage à chez vous! >>

but of course, in reality this is what we see.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


This cat certainly does no dusting. LOL.
Posted by teddydale
4-Legged Musings / 11:24 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
Snug Fit
Louie looks rather crammed in his sleeping position.


That's because he's squeezed himself into the little space between backrest of the sofa and daddy.





Are you really comfortable there, Louie?


"Huh?"


His sleepiness must be the answer to my question.

Teddy would have NEVER EVER in her wildest dreams done something like this. She liked her own spaces, period.


It's normal for cats to like tight spaces, though, even if they couldn't do anything more than just sitting there.

They just naturally like the snug fit.



Uh, Zoey? Could you please fluff up the cushion after you use it?


"As if! Cleaning isn't in my contract."

Posted by teddydale
4-Legged Musings / 14:13 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
Winter Beach
Last weekend was one of the coldest days in Tokyo area this winter (40F/33F), but we went to the beach anyway.



We like deserted beaches so that we can let our dog have some fun,



but we still don't understand how surfers can go into the winter ocean.



See the surfer with a surfboard in the right? You can't make it out in this photo, but there were a significant number of surfers in the water.



Coldness doesn't bother dogs, either. In fact, for most dogs, colder the weather, better it is. They become very lively.


"Yiiiippppppiiiiiiii! Here I come!!"

Focusing on a black dog is very difficult even with a digital SLR camera, but you can still see that Louie is flying with joy.

Posted by teddydale
4-Legged Musings / 12:36 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
Excitement
Louie can hardly contain his excitement at meal time. He twirls around in endless circles, but of course when we actually try to get him to do just that, he doesn't cooperate.

Oh well, you can still see how excited he is anyway. Can you believe he used to be a reluctant eater when he came to us a little over one year ago?


Posted by teddydale
4-Legged Musings / 16:08 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
Kitty Entertainment

Tobey and Zoey are focusing their full attention



on TV. What's going on?


















They are watching a DVD for Kitties called "Cat Sitter" starring over 70 exotic birds!


It's a present from Russell's mother. What a riot!


The non-feline boys were entertained by watching the enchanted kitties as well. It's fun for the whole family! LOL.
Posted by teddydale
4-Legged Musings / 19:05 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
New Year's in Japan
New Year's is the biggest and most important holiday in Japan. The spirit is probably comparable to that of Christmas in Christian countries. Most businesses close down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.


Photo from Wikipedia

During the New Year, Japanese typically eat special holiday food called osechi, which consist of not-easily-spoiled cooked food that last for 3 days. There are regional variations, but typical items include sweetened black beans, boiled vegetables, seaweed wrapped fish eggs, rolled omelette, fish cakes, and red sea-bream.

These foods are usually placed in special stackable laquered bento boxes like this one.

The tradition of osechi apparently started over 1,000 years ago in the imperial court of Kyoto. In those days, it was considered a taboo to use a hearth during the New Year's and so osechi was made by the New Year's Eve.

In spite of having said all this, I do not follow this tradition because I do not like most items in traditional osechi. Besides, in this day and age, there's no point in having preserved food even if most supermarkets close for a few days.

So I normally don't do this, but I did purchase osechi this year although it was osechi à la française.



This osechi was prepared by a French chef whose restaurant I frequent in Ginza. Foie gras, abalone terrines, and steaks instead of seaweed wrapped fish eggs and boiled vegetables (although I have nothing against such dishes as long as they are prepared right).
Posted by teddydale
2-legged Musings / 15:19 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!


2008 is the Year of the Rat. It's the year of prosperity and renewal for the Eastern culture.

The Westeners may consider rats to be nothing more than pesky disease-ridden vermins, but in the East, people born in the Year of the Rat (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996) are "respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person.

People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well."

Do you know anyone who is a rat?

For those who know, the descriptions fit Russell quite well, doesn't it?!
Posted by teddydale
2-legged Musings / 10:33 / comments(0) / trackbacks(0)