Live From 2 Dogs Cafe in Morro Bay

We flew from Albuquerque to Phoenix four days ago. We made certain to unpack all our bags from the car while we were there, because our host warned that things melt when left overnight in the garage... We flew to San Jose on Friday and stayed with friends. I looked around for signs that we were in heart of Silicon Valley and saw none. Well, few. Today we drove by the EBay HQ, and then we left town on the 101 heading south for LA. But...we're spending a day or two in Morro Bay on the way. And it feels good. This evening we walked down to the waterfront to eat fish and chips. Behind us the massive rock the sits in the harbor gradually became enshrouded in clouds starting from the top down.

Just before eating we peaked in the shop that bakes fresh cinnamon rolls all day. They open at 8am with a fresh batch, and we'll be waiting there in the morning. I also talked with a guy who takes people out in a glass bottomed boat every hour on the hour from 10 to 6. He said when they feed the fish (during the boat ride) you can lean over the side and scoop one up with your bare hands. That was an unofficial stuff. It's probably not legal, strictly speaking, to scoop up fish without a liscense. But I'm going to try tomorrow, and hopefully the kids will get to see some sea lions and otters for the first time outside of a zoo. Then we'll head up the coast in the car. About 20 minutes from here you can usually spot hundreds of seals laying out on the beach. People park their cars and walk over to see them and take pictures. So we'll do that, and then stop by Taco Temple on the way back for, supposedly, the best fish tacos in the area.

Sorry if I'm boring you. We head back to Japan in 15 days. On the one hand, I'm just about ready to get back home (to Tokyo). On the other hand, I'm soaking up every detail of these last few days here. Tomorrow, I'm thinking, will be worth remembering if I can help it.

I'm in a coffee shop right now with free wireless. The coffee is good; and as I plugged in my laptop I had this thought. What's the dumbest mistake you ever made in Japan (for those who live/d there)? When we moved into our first place in Yokohama, I unpacked my desktop computer (which I'd actually packed and brought on the plane). The power cord had 3 prongs, but (as you learn) most Japanese outlets are NOT grounded (2 prongs only). Anyway, I looked around and saw this 3 pronged outlet up near the ceiling. "That'll do," I thought. With a sense of foreboding, though, I stood on a chair to plug in my computer. I turned it on, the screen came to life -- for a moment -- and then everything went black. Not just the screen; the lights went out in our apartment, and I figured something was very wrong. Later I learned what happened. Outlets near the ceiling like that one are intended for air conditioners, and they are set to 200 volts or more. Fortunately, my power supply had paid the ultimate price and fried itself to save my motherboard.

So what dumb thing did you do then? Thanks for sharing.

Posted by jw at July 26, 2004 02:37 PM