October 4-6 Painfully dull in 2016

The night of Tuesday the 4th passed without anything of interest. I went to the barber to try and get a shave, but I hadn’t made a reservation, and he was full. I waited for a while, reading all the while (on my cell, sadly), and, finally, needed to make it to dinner on time and told him I’d be back tomorrow (Wednesday/yesterday). He was apologetic, but, it was fine. Walk-ins take their chances. Dinner at Inoue was very slow, which was disappointing as I wanted to get to the bath house quickly. I finally finished, made it to the Abirukan, and was shocked. It turns out that they periodically flip the men’s and women’s onsen. Thankfully, I saw the kanji and the attendant helped me. Otherwise, I’d have committed quite the faux pas.
In some ways, I liked the ladies’ bath more than the men’s. Granted, the difference is which one has a portable sign in front of it, but, the one that I first went into is, for whatever reason, solidly the men’s bath in my mind. However, on the whole, I think that I liked the men’s bath more. I thought that I liked the ladies’ bath more, at first, but . . . that has changed.
The layout was more difficult, partly because it was mirrored in some ways, and novel in others. It had everything that the old bath had had, but the massive central onsen of the men’s bath was replaced by a two tier with a waterfall. There was no air jet chair section, but there was a separate air jet bath. However, the electricity was the difference. The layout was somehow just wrong. I couldn’t position myself effectively, and I couldn’t get my muscles positioned the way that I wanted them. For whatever reason, nothing seemed to work out. I also think that I zapped myself too hard. However, the hot baths were hotter and the cold bath seemed a bit chillier, though that may have been a function of the hot baths altering my perception. I also tried to stretch a bit while in the baths. This was likely a mistake.
On my way into the bathing area, the attendant, a cute old lady, had given me a visiting card. Tuesday was double points, so I got two stamps. As she’d seen me there on Monday too and not given me a card, she gave me two points for Monday. She was incredibly sweet. There were a gaggle of grannies around as well, and we chatted a bit, and it was really enjoyable. Hooray for baachan.
I then went home, did very little, and went to bed.
Before I forget, the issue of Satsuma’s magazine for September (talking about August) had one of my students on the cover. I feel like it was Nene-chan, but maybe it wasn’t. It’s horrifying. I have such a hard time with names and faces and it keeps getting harder. Maybe headaches are tumor . . .
Anyway, the next day, I woke up feeling sore, which surprised me. I’d gone to bed incredibly sore. I’d gone to town on the electricity the night before, but, as I’d hurt Monday night and felt great on Tuesday morning, it stood to reason that I’d feel awful on Tuesday night (I did) and feel great on Wednesday morning (I did not). Also, sitting in my chair injured me. Somehow, I hurt myself by sitting. No idea how I pulled that one off, but, as I regularly pull muscles by sleeping, it’s not overly surprising. Or, it oughtn’t to have been.
The day went downhill from there.
The night had been a rough one with odd wakings, and a strange dream. I dreamed that I actually was in the ladies’ onsen. With ladies in it. Including some that I knew. However, my subconscious is frustratingly prudish and I didn’t get to see anything. Seriously, my dreams are dull. I almost always reject the girls who want to have sex with me on moral grounds, wake up, and hate myself. Or there are strategic objects blocking things. My sexy dreams tend to be, at best, PG-13. At any rate, the night was rough and odd and there was a horrible typhoon going near by. We’d had uncommonly high air pressure the day before, and with a typhoon just barely skirting us, I, of course, went down for the count with a terrible migraine. It was awful. However, I had four back to back morning classes, and, as I’d already missed work last week and Ebihara Sensei was out sick (presumably; she was certainly out), I didn’t want to inconvenience everybody by taking off. I thought that maybe I’d go back after lunch, but, fifty period was Inori Sensei’s audited class, so, I sat in on that. I’m a bit . . . something’d, that she didn’t ask me to participate. I’m not any emotion in particular, and I’m not strongly any emotion, but I feel vague twinges of a lot of emotions whose names all give off a much stronger impression than they deserve in this context. Anyway, it was lucky enough, and I just watched along with English teachers from the other schools, and Kumei Sensei, and the Principal (who I found out used to be an English teacher). I was glad that Kumei was there as I was in quite evident pain, and it was nice that people know that when I go home, or stay home, it’s not an easy decision.
I finished work, went home, and then smoked. The day had started to settle, and my head was feeling a bit better, but, it seemed as though that would be something to help. It was, and it helped quite a bit. I don’t like that I’m doing it sometimes again, but I’m just going to reminds myself that they’re medicine and not toys. And, frankly, I don’t want to take Excedrin again until my stomach is in better condition. Then, it was off to a shave. The barber even lowered the price because he can get me done in five or ten minutes. He just does my neck and then makes the line on my cheeks. Those are the two things that I can’t really do, so I don’t mind paying $5 to have somebody do that once or twice a week. He also suggested that we go drinking. Earlier that day, Obara Sensei, the music director, and I discovered our mutual love of history. And he also speaks Chinese! It’s odd that, in Japan, I’m starting to get interested in Chinese. I think part of it is just a general mental awakening. Anyway, I digress. Obara also suggested that we go drinking. I’ve got to get my stomach settled. Party times await! So, after that I had dinner at Inoue. I got the exact meal that I’d hoped for, and I got in and out quickly. I then returned home to rest rather than going to the onsen or the eikaiwa. Somewhat disappointing, I know, but, what is there to be done? I then smoked the rest of the pack of cigarettes until I felt better, played way too much Civ, and went to bed. I found myself unable to sleep, and I had a rough time winding down. So, I read some of The Tale of Genji, and tried ASMR. ASMR doesn’t help me to sleep these days. At all. Sadly. Still, it was nice to relax a bit.
I woke up this morning sore and sleepy, but felt amazing because yesterday had been so utterly miserable. I had a half dozen Skype messages from mum basically asking me if I was there. I’ve told her, for six years, to not do that. If you message somebody with content, sure. If you say that you have something to say, sure. If you do an, “Are you there,” every day or two, sure. That’s fine. But you don’t message somebody eleven times without them responding, especially when six of these are waiting emojis or passive aggressive greetings. That was frustrating.
Today has been dull. I taught three classes, but I’m incredibly sore. I think that the doctors and everybody is right: I need to relax. I am probably more stressed than I realize. But, I don’t know how to relax. The only thing that sounds appealing, lying about with a lovely girl and watching silly shows whilst snuggling followed by an ASMR style back rub is really not likely to happen. I know it’s odd, and insane, but I do feel as though somehow, something like that would make me deserve it; though I obviously don’t now. Well, who knows.
Not a great deal else to report. Well, beyond Kat’s request. That sounds amazing.
Hope all is well.