Surviving 33 With Mild/Much (Circle One) Success

The rain has passed this morning and the typhoon has been downgraded to a tropical storm which has sent the rain remnants away today. Of course, yesterday it poured all. day. long. But even so, my brithday turned out much better than I expected.

I was marching in to the hotel around 11 in the morning after some quick errands to change clothes and head right back out to the mall in the city when I bumped into a woman who moved here only a day before us. Her husband works with mine so we have chatted each other up many a time. We both knew we loved shopping and I mentioned that was where I was headed, so she asked to join me. I was actually thrilled to have a cohort in my days escapades after I so obviously couldn't handle it by myself, so off we went.

We had a great time pulling her big size conversion chart out in every store and trying to figure out what our size might be. We passed through some of the same stores that had daunted me so the day before. It turns out that the sizes I kept seeing yesterday were in fancy European boutiques in fancy European sizes which is why I wouldn't have conversions on them... I was only carrying the Japanese sizes. While her chart was much more helpful, it still wasn't helpful on actually finding our sizes. It seems that it is true that they really don't make clothes here in my size. (I guess that will save me a lot of money! Oh, wait... I can shop online! Still haven't figured out how to ship it here without Kimono Hubby noticing... as he gets our mail and packages. Darn. Suggestions?) I digress. So we gave up on clothes and went in search of umbrellas. We again found a variety ranging in cost from $10 to $115! No I did not buy that one. I bought the $10 one which is red with pink fringes and perfect for sunshine or rain. I know the Japanese usually use two different umbrellas, but as an American, I find savings and dual usage more important... at least in umbrellas anyway. Success is mine already as at least one thing that I wanted to purchase the prior day was actually in a bag in my hands this time. I think the day before, the whole thing got a little daunting with an array of 200 umbrellas in every store and not being able to read Japanese, it was hard to determine if they were meant for sun or rain. Yesterday... there were stickers... for the dummies like us, I guess. Don't care if they call me a dummy because I have an umbrella and you don't. Mweh. (Oh you do? Never mind.)

We also came across toe socks... socks that have an indent between the big toe and the next in for wearing with the special Japanese sandals. I didn't buy them yet but I definitely plan too. Very cute! I did buy some funky socks that are clear with crisscrossed lines all over them. And two adorable hats! (Men... you may have already stopped reading. If you haven't, you might now as this kind of talk will surely disgust you.) One is a tan newsboy cap which was pretty cheap and the other, while not so cheap at about half of the more expensive umbrellas, is a black newsboy style but huge and funky. Very downtown Tokyo and I love it! The thrill of it all exhausted us so we went in search of nourishment and ended up at a Chinese place that Kimono Hubby and I had discovered that overlooks the city where we enjoyed delicious fried rice and dumplings.

Truly was a great afternoon and totally not the like the vision I was having of more puppy dog tears in yet another fancy schmancy store that I had envisioned as my day.

There was one downside. As we walked back to the car, we passed through another market area. We found a store with the cutest clothes and very cheap! We would have carried out handfuls of stuff... if it wasn't for one Japanese man that kept coming over to us and telling us in limited Engrish... "for you? Won't fit!"... and then would practically tear it out of our hands. I know I am a bigger girl than what he is used to. However, I am quite certain that what I had in my hands would fit! There were fitting rooms but he wouldn't even let us in there to try anything on. It was the first time that the treatment here was more than a little rude. We tried not to take it personally and just left to head to stores where the people were nicer about our apparent massive obesity.

It was still pouring when we left, so we got to use our pretty new umbrellas. That made the mean man visions go away and we were all smiles again.

I dropped her off, changed into something nice and even topped the outfit off with the tan cap and headed out to pick up Kimono Hubby. I arrive and have to wait a bit until he finishes work. It takes longer than I expect so I turn the car off to conserve gas. And wouldn't you know... should I even tell you or can you guess... the damn car wouldn't start again. Why would this happen on my pretty day, God?!, I whine and drama away. We have to jump it again and that puts an end to the original plan as we have to take the car back to the mechanic.

On the way, we stop by the store where Kimono Hubby wanted to purchase my present. I have to wait in the car and keep it running as he makes his quick errand. Then straight to the mechanic's for them to check it out the next day. We leave it there and walk, me with head down low again, back to the hotel.

But I get my present right after we get into our room and TRUST me! It is all sunshine and bunnies again and who cares about the stupid dealer who told us the car was fixed but it wasn't! I got a docking station for my favorite-ist Christmas present ever... my IPod!... and now this is my favorite-ist birthday present! And I have missed my IPod. As with everything else, bright little me put the cables to charge it with the computer that is being shipped... along with the cables to upload the gabagazillion photos I have taken and can't show you. So no photos for you and no music for me as all our fancy equipment is dead like a worm on a hot 100 degree sidewalk. But now I have music! And who cares if you don't have photos? (I kid! I do! And you will have them soon too... well after we get the house anyway... but the wait will be totally worth it and you will be Flickr-ing away for hours.)

I had to put my pretty gift away so we could go have dinner. The plan was for a restaurant where you take your shoes off at the entrance and then sat on the floor but that will have to be another day. Instead, we went to the Officers Club where I had a big ole' American steak with all the fixin's! Topped with a delicious glass of Cabarnet and a surprise from Hubby... he had the staff bring out a piece of chocolate mousse cake with a brightly burning candle and sing happy birthday while a table of about 15 Japanese men stood up and did their best to join in. Not the average birthday song!

Back in the room, I went through our daily mail and discovered our first piece of Japanese junk mail. I couldn't read a damn thing on it but it was the perfect way to end the perfect day.

And I get to do it again today! Because it is still August 9th to all of you back home... so I think celebrating twice is entirely reasonable... don't you think?