一年もそろそろ折り返し

降り続いてた雨も意外とあっさりあがり、涼しい夜風が肌を通り抜けていく気候になった。でも来週から本格的に猛暑がやって来て、さらに梅雨本番となっていくのだが。いつの間にか一年も半分が過ぎようとしている。ありゃまー。

The rain that had been falling steadily stopped surprisingly quickly, and a cool evening breeze began to blow through the air. But starting next week, the intense heat will really set in, and the rainy season will be in full swing. Before I knew it, half the year is almost over. Oh my.

天の恵み

朝から雨模様。気温は下り坂。帰る頃にはすっかり冷え込んでいた。生まれて30年以上経つ?ポムポムの限定カフェ。今も変わらず人気者なのを知る。帰りに秘密基地に立ち寄ってクルトシュでお茶する。明日はもっと気温が下がって季節も後戻り。夏に水不足にならないように今のうちにアメアメフレフレ。

It’s been rainy since this morning. The temperature has been dropping. By the time I headed home, it had gotten quite chilly. It’s been over 30 years since PomPom was born? Their limited-time café is still as popular as ever. On my way home, I stopped by my secret hideout for some tea and kurtos. Tomorrow the temperature will drop even further, and it feels like we’re going back in time. Let’s hope for lots of rain now so we don’t face a water shortage this summer.

カツカレーの水曜日

朝から一日を通してモクモク空。夏日も今日で一旦おしまい。明日明後日は気温がぐっと下がりそうである。暑いと涼しくなってほしいと思い、寒くなるともっと暖かくなってほしいと願う。ちょうど中間の塩梅の気候を望むのは人の常。

The sky has been overcast all day, ever since morning. Today marks the end of this summer-like heat for now. It looks like temperatures will drop sharply tomorrow and the day after. When it’s hot, we wish for cooler weather; when it’s cold, we wish for warmer weather. It’s only human nature to long for weather that strikes just the right balance.

半袖日和

今日も夏日。朝から半袖でちょうど良い。

夏は何を着れば良いのだろう。

サラッと牛丼ランチで今日を乗り切る。

アフターは秘密基地に籠もったのだけど

写真なし。残念。

It’s another hot summer day. Short sleeves have been just right since this morning.

I wonder what I should wear in the summer.

I’ll get through today with a light beef bowl for lunch.

Afterward, I holed up in my secret hideout, but

no photos. Too bad.

横須賀

今週もモヤイさん🗿よろしくお願いします。

今日は夏日。まだ5月だったような。これでは夏は猛暑になりそうな予感しかない。神様仏様、ほどよい天気をお願いします。

昼下がり野暮用で横須賀の街へ赴く。電車でシュッと行けるが2時間ほどの小旅行。チャッチャと呑んで食べて後は色々お話し。瞬く間に3時間が過ぎていた。またゆとりある時にゆっくり来よう。

何なら泊まればこの街の事が理解できるかな。

Here we go again with Moyai-san 🗿. Looking forward to it.

It feels like a summer day today. It seems like it was just May. At this rate, I have a feeling this summer is going to be scorching hot. Please, gods and buddhas, give us some moderate weather.

I headed into Yokosuka this afternoon to run some errands. It’s a quick train ride, but it felt like a little two-hour trip. We had a quick drink and bite to eat, then chatted about all sorts of things. Before I knew it, three hours had flown by. I’ll have to come back and take my time when I have more free time.

Maybe if I stayed overnight, I’d really get a feel for this town.

武道館、靖国神社、道玄坂、池袋

本日はピーカン。夏の陽射し。午後イチ、初めの予定地、九段下に向かう。ほぼ一ヶ月ぶり。ランチは武道館にある「SOBA CAFE IKEMORI」へ。卵かけご飯ともりそばのセット。予想通りに美味しい。食べた後、サッサと靖国神社へ。大村益次郎の像を見上げこの地に来たことを実感する。ソメイヨシノの標本木を横目に就遊館に辿り着く。増山麗奈監督の「あかねさす海」。素晴らしい感動の作品であった。監督ご本人にも会うことができたのは想定外。この街を後にして渋谷の街に戻る。「おはら祭」で道玄坂は盛り上がる。ほど近いところで昔の知人がパーフォーマンスをするのを聞いてやってきた。本人にも会えた。何十年ぶりだろうか。時間がなかったためお一人の演技を観覧して渋谷を後にする。池袋の東武百貨店へ。今、余り目にすることがなくなったビアガーデンスペースで「池袋ジャズフェスティバル」の最終日。大トリに会いたかった昔の仲間、「はぐれ雲永松」氏がいらっしゃった。30数年ぶりの再会だったが昔の記憶がすぐに蘇った。本人のトロンボーンの演奏は聴けなかったがビッグバンドを率いるバンマスとして強い存在感をしめしてくれた。

慌ただしくあちらこちら動き回ったが収穫の多い一日だった。

It’s a beautiful, sunny day today. The summer sun is shining. First thing in the afternoon, I head to my first destination, Kudanshita. It’s been almost a month since I was last here. For lunch, I go to “SOBA CAFE IKEMORI” at the Budokan. I order the set meal with raw egg on rice and mori soba. It’s delicious, just as I expected. After eating, I hurry over to Yasukuni Shrine. Looking up at the statue of Masujiro Omura, I truly feel that I’ve arrived here. Glancing at the specimen tree of the Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom, I arrive at the Shuyukan. Director Reina Masuyama’s “Akane Sasu Umi.” It was a truly moving and wonderful film. Meeting the director herself was completely unexpected. I left this neighborhood and returned to Shibuya. Dogenzaka was buzzing with the “Ohara Festival.” I heard that an old acquaintance was performing nearby, so I went to check it out. I even got to see him in person. It must have been decades since we last met. Since I was short on time, I watched his solo performance and then left Shibuya. I headed to the Tobu Department Store in Ikebukuro. It was the final day of the “Ikebukuro Jazz Festival” at a beer garden—a sight you don’t see much these days. My old friend, Mr. Nagamatsu of “Haguregumo,” whom I’d been hoping to see as the headliner, was there. It was our first reunion in over 30 years, but memories of the past came flooding back immediately. I didn’t get to hear him play the trombone, but he made a strong impression as the bandleader of the big band.

I was rushing around all over the place, but it was a very rewarding day.

手羽先三昧

週末の1日目。いいお天気に恵まれる。

一週間の疲れた身体のケアに朝から銭湯。

サウナ、黒湯、日替わり湯に加え、最新マッサージ機で身体のコリをほぐす。ランチは初来店のお店でラーメン＆カレーの最強コンビで胃を満たす。午後、打ち合わせが終わったあと、いつものお店で大量の手羽先をあてに呑み明かす。仲間とのトーク楽しくて仕方ない。

Day one of the weekend. We’re blessed with beautiful weather.

To soothe my body after a tiring week, I head to the public bath first thing in the morning.

I enjoy the sauna, the black hot spring, and the daily special bath, and use the latest massage machine to work out the knots in my muscles. For lunch, I fill up on the ultimate combo of ramen and curry at a place I’m visiting for the first time. In the afternoon, after a meeting wraps up, I stay up all night drinking at my usual spot, munching on a huge plate of chicken wings. I can’t get enough of the fun conversations with my friends.

青空広がる

昨日の事。ルーティンの🗿モヤイさんに一週間の見守りお礼をして一日が始まる。この時点で空は真っ白。いつでも雨が降り始めてもおかしくない天候。

お昼前、六本木交差点の上空は雲一つない完璧な青空が広がっていた。素晴らしい。いいお天気は気分も高揚させる。オクラがのった何やら身体に良さそうなランチを腹に収め午後に入る。

夕刻、久しぶりに品川へ向かう。直行バスの本数が減ったため電車で向かう。残念ながら高輪口の工事の進捗状況を見ることはできなかったが相変わらず多くの人々が駅連絡通路を行き交う姿を見て、この街が元気な事を目の当たりにした。

この後、さらに炭水化物を注入して家路へと向かう。

一週間皆さまおつかれさまでした。

Yesterday. I started the day by thanking 🗿Moyai-san for watching over me all week as part of my routine. At that point, the sky was completely white. It was the kind of weather where it wouldn’t have been surprising if it had started raining at any moment.

Just before noon, a perfect blue sky stretched out above the Roppongi intersection, not a cloud in sight. It was wonderful. Good weather really lifts your spirits. I tucked into a healthy-looking lunch with okra and headed into the afternoon.

In the evening, I headed to Shinagawa for the first time in a while. Since the number of direct buses has decreased, I took the train. Unfortunately, I couldn’t check on the progress of the construction at the Takanawa Exit, but seeing the usual crowds of people coming and going through the station concourse, I could see firsthand that this city is full of life.

After that, I fueled up on more carbs and headed home.

Thank you all for your hard work this week.

一日乗り切った

相変わらず怪しい雲行き。それでも雨に出会う事なく一日がすぎる。慌ただしいバタバタも一段落していつもの秘密基地で軽めのディナー。

The skies still look a bit ominous. Still, the day passes without a drop of rain. With the hustle and bustle finally settling down, we enjoy a light dinner at our usual hideout.

怪しい雲行き

週半ば。水曜日はカツカレーの日(自称)。いつ食べても美味しい。いつまでも続いてほしい「七番」。大谷選手、久方ぶりのホームラン。彼の一発は皆に元気を与えてくれる。このままの勢いで。

夕刻、空が怪しげな雲行きになった、と思ったら急な土砂降り。ほんの数分の出来事だったが一気に気温が下がるほどの凄まじさだった。

お家でスイーツ食べながらくつろぐ事にする。

It’s the middle of the week. Wednesday is “Katsu Curry Day” (in my own words). It’s delicious no matter when I eat it. I hope “Nanaban” stays around forever. Ohtani hit a home run for the first time in a while. His home runs always give everyone a boost. Keep up the momentum.

In the evening, the sky started looking ominous, and before I knew it, it started pouring. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was so intense that the temperature dropped instantly.

I’ve decided to relax at home and enjoy some sweets.