Play Ball!

Baseball season is here! Ethan's playing in the Peanuts Division of the Continental Little League of Concord and Walnut Creek. His team is the Mets.

Stats Redux - March 18, 2007

Here's an update on stats first posted in November 2005, updated January 2006, June 2006 and October 2006.

Price of Gas: $3.13 per gallon (has fallen a few pennies over the past week, but still near an all-time high; election season must be over; saying that it's due to changing of blends)
Price of Milk: $2.99 for hormone free milk at Trader Joe's ($0.30 price drop since June 2006, but no change since October 2006)
Bridge Toll: $4 as of January 1, 2007 on all Bay Area bridges except Golden Gate Bridge (first month remained at $3 for FasTrak users; FasTrak now available at retail outlets like Safeway and Costco)
Today's High Temperature: 72 degrees F (overnight low of 48)
Dow Jones Average: 12,110.41 (up 162.71 since October update of these stats); and over 1200 since first 2006 trading day
Shopping Days to Christmas: 281 days including Christmas Eve (there are web sites that have this stat, believe it or not)
Dinner Tonight: Carnitas burrito for me, enchilada plate for Dorothy, 2 older kids had rice and bean burritos and the little one had a cheese quesadilla
Average Commute Time: still over an hour (in a 2-person carpool MWF and a 3-person carpool TuTh)
Cost of Area Homes: the median price rose just 0.3% from $618,000 to $620,000 in February 2007; but the number of homes sold slipped by 7.9% to 6,305 for the 9-county Bay Area (the lowest volume for any February in 11 years)
Movie Ticket: $9.50 ($6.25 matinee); still NetFlix customer too, but cut back to one movie at a time recently (just haven't had time to watch the movies that we had)
Time with My Kids: testing the world of Tee-ball with my oldest son; trying to just keep up with our 2-year old who is testing boundaries; and helping my daughter with her math homework

Conversations with Kids - Part VIII

Naomi: Why should we exercise?

Ethan: Because it's good for our health?

Naomi: Yeah, but also because it's good for every body. Get it? Every body!

Cell Phones

If you're in the market for a new cell phone, here's a site that you should check out before shopping.

A Day with the Kids

With Dorothy out with the flu, I was charged with watching the kids.

Up and At'em - wake up the two older ones for school and go take a shower...out of shower and washed, but kids are still on bed (Ethan) or in bed (Naomi)...play "throw the clothes" with kids to motivate them to get dressed...Ethan out to eat a quick breakfast of cereal, milk and breakfast bar...Naomi joins the breakfast roundtable
quick wash up and brush up...get vitamins on the way out the door...Ryan wakes to catch us leaving; I take him crying to Mom...arrive by foot at school; we talk about the phrase "friend or foe"...hug goodbye with kids; Naomi and Ethan hug each other too...back home again

Ryan's Tumbling Class - class of about a dozen kids...Ryan's in the parent participation class...actually that's a good name for the class since I think I participated more in the warm ups than did Ryan (his idea of stretching is to bounce around like a pinball)...teacher says, "why is it that the kids perform better when the dads are around?"...I ask him if he wants his snack (a granola bar); his answer is "no"

Shopping for Printer Cartridges - we make a Staples stop...Ryan asks, "why are we here?" about every 2 minutes...we buy our cartridges and leave...when in the car, Ryan asks for the granola bar and asks, "why are we leaving?"...anyway, I learned that Ryan's favorite word is "why?"

Pick Up Ethan at School - we take the stroller to pick up Ethan before lunch...before we head out Ryan manages to grab a rice cracker snack to take with him...I tell him that he has to share with Ethan...we arrive at the school and Ryan asks, "where's Ethan?"...I tell him that we're a little early...actally we're the only ones in the courtyard area wich surprises me; I thought there would be a few parents milling about, but not a soul and it's only 10 minutes early...we go and sit on the bench by the giant pine tree...Ryan surprises me with this zinger, "Dada, why is there poo-poo in the tree?"...I had no idea what he meant until I look up... the tree has large dark brown, cylindrical pine cones in clusters...oh, what must go through the mind of a nearly 3-year old...Ethan comes out with his class, gives his teacher a leg hug and runs to us... we walk home with Ryan holding onto his rice crackers (he does share them with Ethan when we get home)

Make Lunch for the Kids - play with the kids...check work email and phone messages at work and make some phone calls...make lunch from leftovers...continue to play with kids and keep each other occupied

Pick Up Naomi at School - Take Ryan to school hoping that he falls asleep...success, he nods off in the stroller just as we're arriving at the school...Naomi turns the corner walking with Katrina just like the last time I picked her up (they must be best friends)...this time she spots me and seems to say something like, "there's my dad over there" as she shoots me a sideways glance...Naomi is very chatty talking about the gross boys...we arrive home and Ethan and mom are playing Labyrinth

Take Naomi to Choir Practice - Ethan and I take Naomi to choir practice...we get there right on time, but again I realize that "on time" is actually early...Ethan and I wait in the car for the 75 minutes...I do some work and read about 25 pages of "Totto-chan" by Testuko Kuroyanagi...Ethan works on homework that is due on Friday (he gets to where he is about two-thirds complete)

Shop and Pick Up Dinner on the Way Home - we get take-out at a Chinese restaurant that we've never visited before...we also shop for milk and ham as requested by Dorothy and on impluse buy jello, salami and a couple other items...stand in the 15 or less items behind someone who has well over 30 items (I think they were counting the 10 yogurts as one item)...finally we're home for dinner, washing up, baths and bed time to get ready for a new day

Washing Up Can Be Fun!

And you thought that washing up was trudgery!

Bicycling in Japan - Part III

Continuing this series on bicycling in Japan, here's what Cousin Keiko had to add:

There are differences in bicycle parking between a place like Okayama and a larger city like Tokyo. [My thoughts: Let's put this in perspective though. In Japan, Okayama is viewed as a smaller metropolitan area even though the Okayama prefecture area has a population of around two million. The San Jose, California area has a population of about 1.7 million.]

An ordinary bicycle like the kind that you see at train stations generally costs less than 10,000 yen. Below is a picture of such a bike.


When I (Keiko) lived in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo, I paid to park my bicycle at the nearest subway station because parking my bicycle near the station on the street was impossible. The bicycle parking charge was 100 yen per day or 3000 yen per month. Below are pictures of typical bicycle parking areas near stations near my present home town of Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture. The picture in the upper left hand corner includes a sign that basically warns people not to ride their bicycles across the opening to the stairwell to the bicycle parking area.


Office buildings in Japan do not have bicycle parking because there is really no need. People usually bike from their home to a train station near their home. At the other end it's usually a walk trip to the office. In a smaller city like Kurashiki, commuting by car may be more common. My husband commutes to his office by car. When I go to Okayama station, I use my bicycle to get from my house to Kurashiki station and take the train to Okayama station.

Apartments and hospitals in the Okayama area do have bicycle parking as shown below. The first line of photos shows parking at an apartment complex, while the second line shows parking at a hospital.

Bicycling in Japan - Part II

Continuing this series on bicycling in Japan, here's what Cousin Hisayo had to add on the subject:

Public facilities for bicycling in Japan are poor, especially when it comes to bike lanes. Under present traffic laws, bicyclists have to pass on the left side (left side driving in Japan) within the traffic lane. Passing is allowed only when the paved travel way is 2 or more meters in width.

An ordinary bicycle in Japan costs about 10,000 yen (about $80 at 125 yen per $). Many of these lower cost bikes are imports from China. At most, these bikes have 3 gears. It makes sense to use lower cost ordinary bikes for ordinary every day use, especially with the threat of theft or vandalism present. Recently, battery powered bikes to provide assistance on slopes have gained popularity particularly for the middle-aged, older and women crowd.

Parking at stations may or may not be free. Bike parking when in a building ranges from 1500 to 3000 yen per month. At roof covering-only bike stands, parking is sometimes free. However, many people will not use such dedicated parking areas but instead will try to find an open place closer to the station. For many bedroom communities, this is a common problem because often the bike parking area is constructed after the area has been developed. Then the only places available for such bike parking are further away from the station. If the designated location is say more than 100 meters from the station entrance, people are more likely to park illegally closer to the station than to use the designated parking area. The most common place with large designated bike parking areas is a station. Other areas could be large shopping malls or supermarkets.

In some cities, bike rental systems at a reasonable cost have sprung up. The cost for such bike rentals is comparable to the cost for parking bikes.

There really is no need for providing bicycle parking at urban work sites. Most commutes are not conducive for biking to work. The most common commute modes are trains, buses and private auto. [I don't think bikes are allowed in stations and on trains and buses either.] Commuting by motorcycle (50-mL engine variety) may be more common than commuting by bicycle.

Bike parking at the work site may be more common for a suburban office or factory where many workers live nearby.

What is the Cost of a Bicycle in Japan?

A colleague recently asked me if I could find out from my relatives in Japan what a typical bicycle that one would use for commuting in Japan costs. Interesting question.

I went to school in Japan for one year; and actually my bike was my main form of transportation between home and school, between home and store, to the train station, etc. But I never really thought too much about the cost of biking.

The bike was passed onto me from a student who was finishing up his stay in Japan. It was a rather plain lime green bike with a beige colored seat. It had a flat rack on the back where I could bungee my school bag or whatever I needed to transport. It was an everyday bike that I used every day. When I left Japan, I passed the bike onto another foreign student to keep the chain going.

Based on on-line information uncovered by my sister, a good commute bike in Japan probably can be had for about $100. However, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many of the commute bikes parked at train stations are hand-me-downs or bikes bought on the cheap. It is an everyday almost disposable commodity.

Christmas 2006!

Bay Area Activity Destinations for Kids

The Bay Area has much to offer for kids (and for parents who are still kids at heart) interested in learning about the world in which we live.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum - [1931 1st Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA] Connect with wildlife and learn about the animals found in our backyards and open spaces. At Lindsay Wildlife Museum you can have close encounters with many live, non-releasable wild animals such as an eagle, hawk, fox, snake or mountain lion. An on-site wildlife hospital treats more than 6,000 native California animals every year. The museum also features changing art and natural history exhibits, classes for children and adults, and a discovery room with hands-on activities for children.

Our kids like the scavenger hunt where they have to search for animals in the museum ranging from mice to whales (okay, there's not a real whale).

Bay Area Discovery Museum - [557 McReynolds Road Sausalito, CA; in the Fort Baker area at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge] The nationally recognized Bay Area Discovery Museum is a one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor children's museum that offers a full range of programs for children, parents, school groups and educators. Located on 7 and 1/2 acres in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Fort Baker in Sausalito, CA, the Museum's unique programs feature hands-on art, science and environmental exhibitions, performances, special events and ongoing educational curricula... all with a focus on fun!

A favorite for our kids is the outdoor play area complete with a small fishing boat and a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose - [ 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA; has its own VTA light rail station for easy transit access] The striking 52,000 square foot purple building, designed by Mexico City-based architect Ricardo Legorreta, signals the purpose of Children's Discovery Museum to serve the needs of children, families and schools as a center for learning and discovery.

A favorite activity for our kids is the waterworks exhibit.

Oakland Zoo - Nestled in the rolling hills of 525-acre Knowland Park, the Zoo is located at 9777 Golf Links Rd., Oakland off Highway 580, and is home to more than 440 native and exotic animals. The Oakland Zoo is a non-profit organization, managed by the East Bay Zoological Society. Founded in 1922 by Henry Snow, the Zoo has been located in its current Knowland Park location since 1936.

Located just outside the zoo is a small area with amusement park rides for kids - have to admit that this is a favorite for our kids.

Habitot Children's Museum - [ 2065 Kittredge Street, Berkeley, CA; in downtown Berkeley] Habitot Children's Museum was founded by parents and educators in 1992 to meet the unique needs and interests of infants, toddlers and preschoolers in a safe and appropriate community setting. Habitot opened its first facility in downtown Berkeley in 1998, after six years of community outreach and fundraising.

Lawrence Hall of Science - [Lawrence Hall of Science #5200, Berkeley, CA] Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is a singular resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematics education, and a public science center with exciting hands-on experiences for learners of all ages.

One of our favorite features is the view of the Bay Area from its location above the UC-Berkeley campus.

Chabot Space & Science Center - [10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, CA] Chabot Space & Science Center (CSSC) is an innovative teaching and learning center focusing on astronomy and the space sciences and the interrelationships of all sciences. Its observatory, planetarium, exhibits, and natural park setting are a place where a diverse population of students, teachers, and the public can imagine, understand, and learn to shape their future through science.

A favorite for our kids is the museum of mirrors up on the second floor of the museum.

Tilden Regional Park - [Berkeley, CA] Tilden Park has several activities for children. These include: the Herschell Spillman merry-go-round, the Steam Train, the Golden Gate Live Steamers, the Pony Ride, the Little Farm and the Tilden Nature Area and Environmental Education Center.

Children's Fairyland - [Oakland, CA; adjecant to Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland] Created in 1950, Children’s Fairyland is a historic 10 acre outdoor park and educational facility in which children’s literature is "brought to life" through fairy tale exhibits, animals, and talking storybooks that children activate by turning a "Magic Key".

Their web site says "Adults are not admitted without children. Children are not admitted without adults."

Pixieland - [Concord, CA] See our previous post regarding Pixieland.

In a future post, we'll write about places we've visited outside the Bay Area.

Conversations with Kids - Part VII

Saturday - January 20, 2007

We are all crowded onto our couch in the family room.

Dad: Ryan, where's mom?

Ryan: She's at the beach.

Dad: So what are you doing at the beach?

Ryan: We're swimming.

Dad: What do you like to eat at the beach?

Ryan: French.

Dad: Do you mean french fries?

Ryan: French fries.

Dad: What do you like to drink at the beach?

Ryan: Apple juice.

Happy New You!

It was January 2nd...Ryan and I had just returned from walking Naomi and Ethan to school when our neighbor greeted us with a "Happy New Year!" I called out "Happy New Year!" in return. And my little shadow chirped out "Happy New You!" Now Ryan's been chirping out "Happy New You!" to everyone he encounters. Just this morning he chirped "Happy New You, Mommy!" It crossed my mind to try to correct his pronunciation, however, he may be right on course with the use of "you" in place of "year." After all...isn't that why we make new year's resolutions? We make resolutions that we hope will make us a better person...a "new you." So, everyone, good luck with those resolutions this year and Happy New You!
~~~ Dorothy ~~~

A Hero

We're in the midst of the college bowl season. It's gotten so cliche to say that there are too many bowl games, but it's true.

But there's something that I cannot really stand at all. It's when the announcers talk about the courage of a player or team who is just playing football. "That was such a courageous effort." What are these people talking about? Do they realize what words are coming our of their mouths.

Contrast this with what happened yesterday in NYC. A man performed an act that really was courageous. One 50-year old Wesley Autrey jumped onto the subway tracks to save a total stranger who had fallen into the way of an on-coming train. Wesley tried to get the man back onto the platform, but wasn't able to do so. So he did the only thing that he could. He pushed the man into the space between the tracks and laid on top of him to try to make sure that the both of them would stay below the train's under carriage. The train passed over the two of them. They emerged with only a few minor injuries. Quite amazing. And you thought this was only possible in movies.

I'm fairly certain that I would not have been able to do the same if I saw someone fall in the way of an on-coming. Autrey is quoted as saying, "I think I did the right thing. And it ain't about being a hero, it's just being able to be here and help the next person."

Conversations with Kids - Part VI

After dinner at my parents' we're just sitting around when...

Dorothy: Ryan, stay away from the outlet. That's not a toy. You might get zapped.

Ryan had been sitting in the dining room chair that Ethan sat in for dinner. He was leaning back in the chair reaching for the speaker cord plugged into an outlet.

Yuki: I remember when I was in Sand Point I got zapped a couple of times. One of the times was when I was washing dishes. Our house had a light in the kitchen that had a metal on/off switch that I reached to turn with my hand still in the water.

Casey: What happened?

Yuki: I just swatted the light away as hard as I could. That's all I could do. I think that maybe only you were home or maybe it was dad.

Ethan: Did it hurt?

Yuki: No, there wasn't enough juice.

Ethan: What if there was a whole cup full?

Coated Pretzel Sticks

From Dorothy's kitchen...

Coated Pretzel Sticks! I helped lead a moms group in making these this holiday season and made some batches to give away as well. Several people have asked how to make them. These are oh so yummy and easy to make!

What you'll need...
chopped nuts (I've used a mixture of peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts)
toffee bits (Heath brand is sold in the baker's aisle)
approximately 12 oz. or 2 cups of milk chocolate or white chocolate chips
approximately 1 Tablespoon shortening
bag of pretzel rod sticks

What to do...
In a pie pan or plate mix chopped nuts and toffee bits and set aside.
Place chocolate chips in a microwavable cup or bowl. Heat in microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate has melted. Then add shortening to melted chocolate and blend well.
Dip pretzel rod in chocolate and/or use a spoon to coat the pretzel rod in chocolate. Then roll coated rod in nut and toffee mixture to coat.
Set aside on wax paper till set (approximately 1/2 hour).

How much does it make...
Quite a bit!

How many calories are in one chocolate dipped pretzel...
Who knows...just enjoy every last calorie!

Twists on this...
Try using mini chocolate chips or cake/cookie sprinkles.
Or try using food coloring to tint white chocolate or colored chocolate melting wafers.

2006 Holiday Season

This was the year that our little Ryan discovered that he can entertain. Others learned that he likes to dance and sing. "You and your sister, you know were a little shyer. Tatsu was not so," said my mother. She could have been talking about our two oldest in comparison to Ryan.

Our three kids got in plenty of quality play time with their cousin Lianne, the precocious four-year old daughter of my sister. It was quite the foursome with plenty of make-believe, laughter, and making up. Childhood fun that is especially memorable for grandparents.

Although there were several outings for food, as Dorothy put it, "the best part of the vacation was your mom's cooking." This for Dorothy was so not only for the sushi and other sumptuous Japanese food made for us, but for the fact that she did not have to cook!

Of the food outings, perhaps the highlight may have been Hiroshi's Restaurant (reviews) located at 2501 Eastlake Avenue in Seattle. We found our way there one night because my sister's husband (the best bass player in Seattle) had a gig there. Listening to overpowering jazz in a slightly small Japanese restaurant located in a quiet strip mall would lead one to believe that the owner must be a jazz fan. The music was good, but the food may have been an even more pleasant surprise.

Another interesting find was the indoor snowfall at Pacific Place in downtown Seattle. It was similar to what we experienced at Disneyland at the end of their nightly fireworks show but better because it was in an indoor confined location. Okay, it was somewhat corny and not real snow, but it is some place that we will probably take our kids next year. This year we only stumbled across it when we were out sans kids to enjoy a dinner out and do some last minute shopping.

This was also just the second time in all of our trips to Seattle where we experienced snow. Although this years' version was more like half-melted icy snow the morning after a light dusting of snow. We managed to make what amounted to a four-inch tall snowman. Whoo-hoo! We did this for Ryan since this was his first experience with snow.

Happy New Year and best wishes to you for 2007!

The Eby

We have a new addition to our blog: Photo du Jour. When the mood fits us we'll post a timely photo.

The Eby is the trophy that has passed from hand-to-hand to the champion of our fantasy football league (BAFFLE, The Bay Area Fantasy Football League for Engineers). The trophy is named after the first commissioner of the league, Eric Eby.

We just concluded our 16th season. The league has 12 teams with 8 teams making the playoffs. The four nonplayoff teams play in the Toilet Bowl for the right to the first pick in the next draft. There are three original team owners who have yet to own The Eby, with yours truly being one of the three. Maybe next year.

Conversations with Kids - Part V

Ryan: We're going shopping!

Ojiichan: Have fun, go buy lots!

Ryan goes to Obaachan...

Obaachan: Go ask Ojiichan for money so we can buy a lot.

Ryan: Ojiichan, I need a penny.

Obaachan: We can't buy anything with a penny!

The Play

It's been 24 years since the most amazing play in college football.