Fear the Crab

This year is the first set of winter holidays spent as a married couple.  It’s not that much of a dramatic change, since the “courtship” years prior saw me dividing time between the in-laws and blood-relatives.  Perhaps it is the new living arrangements, however, that makes this year seem different.

We’ve inherited the artificial tree and lights, but the decorations have been retained by my parents for use at their new home.  This leaves Maile and I with a clean slate to make this tree our own, and right now we have a total of seven decorations.

Dog not counted as decoration

Worth mentioning are two ornaments we received as wedding gifts, each a special hand-crafted item made out of an eggshell covered in reflective bead-work.  Despite its implied fragility, the glue and/or cotton stuffing keeps it quite sturdy.  A section of the shell is open so that one can insert a small photograph, while the cotton supports it from behind.  Right now Maile and I have each of our pictures inside, but later we can swap them out for others.

The other decorations are a hodgepodge of items, individually purchased or gifted without semblance of theme.  It is a habit picked up from my childhood, where the old decorations were souvenirs or knick-knacks collected throughout the years, from a variety of locations.  Some of the items were crafts from my elementary-school days, such as stocking-stuffed dolls or styrofoam sno-cones.

The overall effect was a patchwork quilt, an eclectic ensemble of odds and ends which Maile felt gave a “homey” atmosphere.  Since those decorations are not available to us anymore, we’re looking to recreate and capture that same feeling with our own collection.  We started with a few items from earlier in the year, and recently purchased two more decorations to represent 2008.  We will likely seek to acquire one or two each following year until we’ve assembled our own set of holiday cheer.

I’ve heard that there are people in the world who look just like you.  Sometimes these people are not of the same race, perhaps not even of the same gender, but on casual observation it would be like looking at a mirror.

I was recently (read: yesterday) made aware of a bloke named Thomas Beatie.  Apparently this dude has been in the spotlight for the much-publicized circumstances of being a pregnant man, although there has been much discussion about the valid definitions of gender differences (I won’t get into those, and really they have no place here).  Regardless, the guy was pregnant, gave birth to a healthy girl, and according to reports, is pregnant again.

As the news spread about, word has started to circulate around me that this Beatie fellow bears a startling resemblance to yours truly.  I finally managed to score a glance at some images, which included the pregnancy, and I have to admit that, damn, I really DO look like this guy!  We seem to share a similar hairstyle, a similar chin-strap goatee and beard (complete with sparse growth; sometimes I wish I had a hairier face).  There are certain angles of view, certain expressions, that seriously appear to be a duplication of my spitting image.

The similarities apparently don’t end with just the appearance.  Reports indicate that Beatie grew up here, and we’re almost the same age.  I’m not that interested in digging much further to find out if we were elementary school classmates, though.  That’d be weird.

And of course, once people have noticed the similarity, comments have followed in regards to my own belly.  I am not naive to think I don’t have a rather expansive gut.  I am fully aware of the effects copious amounts of alcohol and sedentation have on the abdominal physique.  I just believe the inevitable progression of “so, when is it your turn?” will soon flood my in-box.

Hey, I have no problem with someone being pregnant, male or female.  I personally wouldn’t want to go through it, but I don’t have issues with someone who chooses to become so.

My thing is that I’ve been making snarky comments about my beer belly for way longer than this guy.  I’ve been saying things like, “I’m in the second trimester,” with no real knowledge of what a second trimester would look like, but with the full expectation (har) that I have a significantly-sized gut and that I can and will be made fun of.  If anything, this Beatie-chap needs to throw some credit my way as being the inspiration for his new good looks.  Anything, I guess, maybe even an obligatory, “I saw this guy in town, and I said to myself, ‘I want to look just like him!'”  That’d work.

Or maybe I’m just a trend-setter.

The extra-cool thing I can take from this series of coincidences is that, after seeing Beatie’s “before” photos, I’d be frickin’ hot if I were a woman.

Drywall!

The Corian shower walls will go over this, and stretch all the way up to the ceiling.  Hopefully we won’t have to worry about water getting into the wood after that.

Corian is what we’ll also have for the bathroom counter, but we won’t need drywall on the cabinets for that.  I think.

People might notice that although this is the fifth day of work on my bathroom, it’s been over a month since the last time we visited this sanitary sanctum in progress.  Situations like these, I just remember what my coworker said about construction, particularly when done by family or friends:

“Good.  Fast.  Cheap.  Pick any two.”

A few years ago, I expressed an interest in figuring out what my family’s kamon was, or even if we had one.  My paternal grandmother has three kimono in her possession, each given as a memento.  Two were very formal kurotomesode (picture) from her mother and her mother-in-law, worn by each at her wedding.  At the time, she told me this was the kamon of her mother-in-law:

Chou

I figured this must be the crest of my grandfather, since it came from his side.  However, my grandmother can no longer remember which kimono was whose, so there is a chance she mixed the two up.  Maybe it was this crest, from the other kimono?

Myouga

The point might be moot, though.  I learned later (through a source I can no longer remember) that women were not obligated to wear their husband’s crest on their formal kimono, so I cannot state definitively whether or not my inherited crest is the butterfly, or the ginger, or neither.

For reasons unknown, I put off the search for other pursuits, and when I resumed it recently I went back to my grandmother, who showed me the third kimono, a gift to my uncle (my dad’s brother) for boys’ day.  Since it was a formal kimono with five kamon on the sleeves, chest and back, I felt that perhaps this one was the true crest of my family:

Sasa

The kimono even had protective paper over the crests, perhaps indicating a custom-make.  However, from everything I’ve been able to glean about kimono, kamon, and my family, there is a very good chance that this kimono was simply purchased as-is, or perhaps already in possession of someone who decided to hand it down to my uncle.  Which meant that this crest could potentially be mine, or representative of a completely different family (related or not).

In order to be sure, I hired a local company that offers research into Japanese family crests.  I figured if a third-party could confirm or deny my findings, it might be worth it to know for sure.  I sent in the required data of family name and region we came from.  I even added these pictures of crests as well as the kanji for our family name, as it might help narrow the field.

* * *

One month later, I get the result:

Meyui

For me it was completely from left field.  I did not expect a totally different crest, though perhaps I should have, given the rather arbitrary mutability of kamon historically.  I wish the researcher who found this crest included some kind of statement, even if it was as simple as “I don’t know whose crests the others are, but this one is actually yours.  I found it at Someplace, Somewhere.”

By “arbitrary mutability,” I mean that kamon often underwent small changes as it passed from father to son and beyond, usually an indication of the later generations attempting to establish their own significance.  Kamon also held more weight in the past, but with time people kept taking new ones or making them up as they went along. It stands to reason that at some point in my family’s history, someone somewhere picked up this crest.  It could have been adopted a very long time ago, or as recently as those that sailed the Pacific to settle here.

I still can’t definitively state that the above is actually my family’s crest.  Even though the result comes from a third-party, it’s possible that they just slapped any old design on fancy paper and called it mine.  Or they’re completely legitimate and after extensive and thorough research via family temples and graveyards, they have discovered that this is the true kamon of my familial name.

Maybe it doesn’t matter.  What does the kamon represent?  Is it a link to the past?  Does it regale with legends of old, of battles won and lost, of honor and glory found?  Is it something I show to people and say, “Hey look, this is my crest, it means awesome?”

If the kamon is a representation of the family, I think what matters more is what I do with it now.  Perhaps the true significance of kamon is as a visual symbol of how I lived this life, what values I upheld and what people remember of me.  Perhaps the kamon is as much a reminder as it is a symbol, that what I do and how I treat others has consequences.  Like the corporate logos of famous brands, people may associate this kamon with my current and future deeds, and that is certainly something worth remembering.

The new Americast tub was installed today.

The tub

This type of tub doesn’t have legs and relies on a 2×4 secured against the wall underneath the back ledge.  Apparently that length of wood is what supports the tub, along with the wall itself.  The plumber told me something about putting some kind of material underneath in the space between the tub and the concrete base, but I didn’t quite understand whether it was for support to dampening the sound of water against the surface.

One thing I was not aware of when I bought this tub was that there are certain no-nos when it comes to cleaning it.  I can’t use Brillo pads or abrasive cleaners like Comet.  Instead I have to use a sponge or rag with mild cleansers such as dish-washing liquid or Liquid Tide.  There are also peculiar strips on the bottom of the tub, whose documentation indicates they are to prevent slippage, but apparently they also prevent dirt from being cleaned off.  The plumber said that no matter what I do, eventually these now-semi-invisible areas will become quite noticeable.  I can only hope the staining matches the walls, to make it look intentional, you know?

The plumber also installed new copper pipes for the water, as well as the Grohe pressure valve designed to regulate it all.

The shower pipes

The line for the shower head is off-center to accommodate the handshower system we purchased. The plumber will install the bar in the center so that the shower head is situated in a more-natural position.  He remarked that most showers actually have a fixed head and a separate hand-shower, using a diverter valve to determine which one water will flow through.  I told him that my experience has always been with a single outlet for water, whether it was a fixed shower head or a hand-shower.  He didn’t seem that impressed.

Here’s a closeup of the shower valve.

The pressure valve

This thing is super expensive, but it’s supposed to last a long long time, so hopefully it will pay for itself in the duration.  I don’t know if that black cap will stay on, but on the outside, this particular trim will cover it.

From what I can understand, the pressure valve will maintain a constant flow, and the handle is used more to determine the temperature.  This is slightly different than what I am used to, in which the handle controls the flow and a separate knob (often set in the handle) controls how hot it gets.  I’m sure I won’t mind either way.

The materials for the wall repair arrived, and much work was accomplished.

New wall, base

There’s still a bit of work left at the base, but it is progress nonetheless.  I’m particularly happy about the replacement of that wooden beam.

New wall, top

The redwood planks used to repair the wall were pre-cut.  I guess the size has changed over the last 40 years, because it obviously does not line up the same.  I am not too worried about that, however, since this section will be covered by the shower tile that will reach all the way to the ceiling.

Closet floor

The workers also replaced the rotten section of floor in the bedroom closet next door.  The gray stuff is a protective sealant that will be applied along the edge, in the hopes that it will prevent future damage.  We also sealed the exterior.

Exterior wall, base

This is the area I referenced earlier, where the slope and years of rain are strong contenders for being the cause of all this trouble.  The rain gutter spout right next to it probably doesn’t help.  We plan to do something about that, perhaps get a cheap plastic “extension” or some kind of diverting funnel to move the water away from the house.

Maybe drop it into the neighbor’s yard.

One year after the events in this post, the UH Systems Darksiders took the field once again for the AUW softball tournament.  Almost the same rules as last year, with three-inning games, 10-run mercy rule, and 20-minute time limit.  This year, all teams were required to field a minimum of two women.  Some of us believe our team was responsible for this rule change, since last year we only had one woman, and she didn’t play all the games.

Maile came with me this year.  I think she’s my good luck charm.  At the stadium, we found a sticker on her jacket, with a number the same as on my team shirt.  We don’t know where she picked it up from as it was on her back, but we thought it was a strange and rather interesting coincidence.

Played against HCC in our first game. We won after three innings by a small margin, perhaps no more than a couple of runs.

Played against UH Manoa in the second.  This was another game won after three innings, but the we had to play from behind and rally in our last at-bat.  I was particularly lucky in this one; at bat, with two outs and runners on first and third, I lined to the third baseman.  I figured I was done, but the ball squirted out of his glove, I reached on an error, and the winning run scored.

Played against WCC in our third game.  This was a brutal game that lasted the full twenty minutes.  Thankfully we were ahead by a few runs at that point, but this game was another lucky break since we were on the field trying to stop their contact hitters.

Single!

Our three straight wins put us in the championship game.  Unlike last year, we would only need to beat the opposing team once to secure the victory.

Our opponent from the loser’s bracket was our first match-up, HCC.  They did what we did last year; fought their way through to earn a spot in the last game.  They definitely were looking for the upset, but did they have the legs?

We lost the first game on a controversial call.  Bottom of the third, down by one, two outs, bases loaded, I was up to bat.  I hit a weak grounder to the shortstop, and out of the corner of my eye I could see that the fielder wanted to get the force at second, but the baseman wasn’t there.  I hoped that delay would ensure that I beat out the throw.  It did!  My foot fell on the base, followed by the ball in the glove.

Unfortunately, the umpire didn’t see it that way.  I think he was just trying to make things interesting.  Besides, I had made a few mistakes whilst playing first (couldn’t stop some errant throws on the force-outs), and I think those undoubtedly put us in that position in the first place, so there was no reason to argue the call.  We had one more game.

Our team woke up in the second game.  We gave up four runs in the top of the first and only managed to score one during our at-bat.  However, in the second, our defense made no mistakes, and our bats came alive to score nine.  That’s how it would end after three as we held on and got the last remaining outs to secure the win.

Final game

As a team, we’re now back-to-back champions.  I heard through the grapevine that a lot of teams this year were pretty sore about losing to us, and had stepped up their practices to keep pace.  Now that we’ve won our second tournament, I’m pretty certain all the other teams will be gunning for us.

Or they’ll change the rules again.

Champions

A dumpster arrived for all the stuff we’re removing.

Dumpster

It’s more than big enough for the bathroom, which hopefully does NOT translate into “throw anything else we don’t want in there,” since I’m paying by weight.  Someone was doing this the last time we had a dumpster, and while the difference was negligible, it still came out of my pocket.  I’m looking at YOU, neighbor!

As the rotten wood was cut away, more and more of the water damage became apparent.  Particularly disturbing is this area, where a post would be to shore up the ceiling in this area.  This, too, will have to be replaced, and it definitely calls for more work.

Missing: Wall

The “plate” under the vinyl floor, which separates the house from the concrete foundation, is also damaged.  The wood has become so rotten that nails cannot stick to it, and for who-knows-how-long, the exterior wall has not been attached to the floor!

Bath and closet floor

We are starting to suspect that the water damage originated from the outside.  Years and years of rain pooling outside, instead of draining away from the house, was instead soaked upwards from the planks there.  Maybe such a thing doesn’t happen often, but I think over the course of four decades, even a millimeter of rain seeping into the house would eventually deteriorate everything to the extent we see here.

In fact, the concrete outside has a slight, almost imperceptible slope down towards the house.  It’s something that I never noticed before, but I’m certain that water would pool near the base given enough water, and we’ve had enough heavy rains to make a fair guess as to this being the root cause of all our problems.

I was also wrong about the house all this time; it is not double-wall, it is single-wall construction.  I no longer remember who or what it was that gave me the wrong impression, but it could be that I heard it a long long time ago and never questioned it, because it didn’t seem like an important detail.

Work has begun on the shower.  They’ve ripped out the tile and got to the damaged section of the wall, and now they have a fairly good idea of how much repairs are needed to make things right.

Gutted shower

The workers should be able to keep everything the same on the left, with the exception of new copper pipes for the plumbing.  The tub will be replaced, too.

This part, however, makes me go eek:

Water damage

This is the damaged wall.  The water has affected the wood up to about the four foot mark, which is a lot more extensive than I imagined it to be.  Actually, I should honestly say that I did imagine it this way; I just hoped that it wouldn’t be true.

The contractor tells me the water has gone through to the other side of the double-wall, particularly the corner section.  We took a peek at the bedroom-side and sure enough, we found cracks in the paint around the same level as revealed on the bathroom-side.  I never noticed this before, but when I push on the bedroom-side wall, there is a noticeable “give” that makes my wallet scream.

Tomorrow they plan to remove the tub and start repairs on the wall.  It will be a noisy, dirty, dusty, and expensive affair.

As referenced in this post, our bathroom will be overhauled extensively, much to the disruption of our daily routine.  I think this is the perfect time to document the evolution of this sanitation sanctuary.

Here is the bathroom pre-renovation:

Before!

Yes, we have a phone in there.  It’s rather convenient for us, perhaps not so much for the caller.

This is the reason for the renovation:

Damage, Bath

Damage, Closet

Now how is that conducive to basic health and hygiene?  The second picture is from the bedroom next door, in the closet.  As you can see, the damage is much more extensive, and perhaps representative of what’s going on inside the double-wall construction.  If the wood has rotted away this much, it’s a sure bet that some nastiness is brewing within the bowels of the bathroom.

Hopefully the work will not reveal other problems hidden beneath.  This is already costing me.

Here is a preview of things to come:

New bath fixtures

Discuss amongst yourselves whether or not I’ll add the computer or upright fan.  Who knows?  Perhaps browsing the dregs of the internet requires some adequate ventilation.