Another Muggy Monday

iPod morning commute music: R.E.M., Out of Time (1991)

I became an R.E.M. fan about the time of this album and Automatic for the People (1992), and they remain my favorite albums by the band. Losing My Religion is just a great song, a classic in cryptic lyrics. I later went back to buy Green (1988)and Murmur (1983, the year I came to Japan), and also bought Monster (1994) and New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996) when they came out, but I never enjoyed the newer stuff as much, and stopped buying their CD's. For me, R.E.M. remains, primarily, and early '90s band.

Tatsu's graduation went well. All the students made short (2 or 3 minute) speeches, and he did an especially nice job. Kaoru, Alisa and I were very proud of him. Afterwards, Tatsu went to a private, all night party in Osaka, while we went to a friend's house for a private party of our own, mainly consisting of parents who had children at the international school from kindergarten like ourselves.

Saturday I had to come into town to escort some of my ESS Club members to a meeting, then came home. I watched the USA/Italy World Cup game early Sunday morning, slept in afterwards, and then took our Mazda MPV in for a recall, something to do with the power steering. It wasn't much of a Father's Day at my place, but I did call my dad to wish him a happy one. Finally, last night Alisa and I watched the Japan/Croatia World Cup game from 10 p.m., though I'm afraid I slept through the second half.

And now it's back to work in a hot and humid Osaka.