back on the island

i got back to tokyo yesterday afternoon.

i splurged an extra 920yen for the skyliner from narita to ueno AND 890yen for a cab from ueno to my house. i could have walked forever to transfer trains in ueno, gone one stop, lugged my suitcase and duffel bag up the stairs (hello no elevator...) and walked five minutes home, but i was too lazy. i just figured my shoulders and back would thank me today. and they are, sort of.

my back had been hurting for several months before going home and i just figured it was stress, but i think it's my mattress; i woke up this morning and the familiar ache in my lower back was back. maybe it's from sleeping curled up in a ball? or not having a box spring? or maybe the mattress just needs to be flipped over? i think i sleep all curled up because my feet get cold (even wearing socks) so i'm debating investing in a 毛布. i have a comforter, and even though it's really warm, it's really light, and i think i need that "heavy" feeling to feel like i'm really "under" the covers. so, i might be in the market for a heavy blanket.

speaking of warm things: i finally broke out the heater that i got from chelsea back in march. i'd put it out on the balcony with the (still?) smelly suitcase and sort of out of spite at it, left it there. in my jet lagged state, up since 4am, i decided around 5:30 to test it out. i wiped it clean, plugged it in and within about 10 minutes was nice and warm! and then not 20 minutes later, it started beeping at me. low gas. oh great.

internet to the rescue! in trying to find out where i can buy gas for this heater, i read some interesting message board conversations about kerosene vs. electric vs. oil heaters vs. kotatsu, but figured they were all moot since i already OWN this kerosene heater. turns out i can just take the gas tank out of the heater, take it to the gas station and fill it up for 428yen, which i did. and now we're back in business. :) it's a bit smelly, but i turned my ventilation fan on and figure the smell is just the price of being warm.

[UPDATE: it's 12:45pm and it just beeped at me again saying it only has 30 minutes of heating time left! 428yen for 5 hours? granted i wouldn't normally be home all day like today, but still! i'm no math major but i'm pretty sure that's not going to save me ANY money. i'd rather just pay the almost 4000yen for my monthly electric heating bill.]

only other exciting news: i had a bunch of new year's cards waiting for me when i got home. i addressed all mine on new years day and finished them with little personal notes on the plane so they're ready to send out today. i got a couple from people that i didn't make one for, so i need to sit down this morning and write those. i didn't get one from some people that i sort of expected to get one from though. i wonder if i just didn't make the cut on their new years card list or if they just aren't sending them out this year...? well, i'm sending mine out today either way.

(it's a photo i took of a sunrise from the top of mt fuji this summer)