Couldn’t wait, I’m back on the chilidog diet after a two week break. Besides, it’s a chance to make some wiener buns in the new pan. The sponge, with unscalded half and half mixed half and half with water, an egg, and a few tablespoons of sugar seemed like a good thought. A little diastatic malt and vital wheat gluten made it in there too. The flour, salt, and yeast got in there too – pretty much winging it. No time for details, two weeks is a long time to go without a chilidog.
I bought a copy of Lost In Translation on Saturday and Liz & I watched it yesterday while gobbling down a Yankee pot roast. The movie was everything I wanted it to be: Tokyo = Vegas on psilocybin-laced steroids, life in a lit-up pinball machine. There was a video game parlor in Shinjuku that’s a mandatory visit on every trip, not to play but just to watch (games involving drumming and dancing skills, you see many of ‘em here), crazy Japanese TV (one time, I watched The Wizard Of Oz in my room, dubbed in Japanese. It didn’t matter, I knew all the dialogue) and simple timeless story of innocent accidental friendship pictured against the intense urban backdrop. But Roger Ebert says it better.
It hit me about halfway through. - I’ll be there in two weeks. That brings on a feeling of dread and anticipation every time. It happened again this morning when my travel expenses were approved. It always seems that my business travels to Asia happen while there is heightened tension. Last time, people were marching in the streets of Seoul. This time, there is a lot of anxiety about train stations and there will be subway rides every day.
It’ll be okay, thoughts like those only add to the excitement. You get over there and everything seems normal.
I wonder if they have chilidogs in Tokyo.
5:42:22 PM 
|
|
