We had a really good weekend – a big party on Saturday and a day of rest on Sunday to readjust.
Most of Saturday Kuniko was in the kitchen, putting together the dishes she wanted to serve. In the end we served about ten different tapas, and putting them all together is a big job. But a day in the kitchen cooking and sipping mimosas is a good day for us. We had a great time, listening to music, talking about our upcoming trips, and spending time together.
The Yamajis and Fukumis showed up right on time, and Ms. Yamaji was all over the Fukumi’s new son, Hiroka. He was very well behaved, and only cried now and then. Ms. Yamaji was a pro – she did a great job. I was playing some quiet tunes in the background, a mix of island music and reggae, and that seemed to keep the kid relaxed and sleeping. Meanwhile the adults were busy catching up on neighborhood gossip and discussing current events. We managed to kill about six bottles of wine, and Ms. Fukumi had a tiny sip of each one – the first alcohol she has had in almost a year. I opened up an old bottle of port that was made in 1989 – and we drank it 25 years after my high school graduation. Yum.
The dinner went over well, and we had a great time with everyone. We were pretty zonked the next day – that was a lot of wine… Kuniko went into Osaka to spend some time with her friends, and I cleaned up after the party, sat and watched a movie, and played video games.
We finally booked our hotel for Porto. After drinking the port the other night I am that much more excited to enjoy the city. Our planning is pretty much over now, we’re all planned until August 12th, when we meet my parents at the Toulouse airport. There is even talk that we may have a chance to meet Nancy and Lynn in Paris before we fly back to Japan. That would be fun to bring everyone together in Paris for a big night out. Maybe we should start looking for some good restaurants…
