Quiet Day in Hirosaki

So, we were all shattered yesterday - mainly the hot humid weather just drained us.  We decided we were way overdue a quiet day and as our room in the B&B is so huge, it is actually nice to hang around and use it.

Eye on the ball

First job after breakfast was to do some laundry - there is a coin laundry just round the corner.  We stepped outside and were very happy to find it was cool and breezy.  We put our clothes in the washing machine and then took Tom's new baseball kit to the local park for a try out.

Initially we were all rubbish, but gradually we got better and better.  Basically the key is to catch the ball in the leather webbing rather than in the palm of your hand, it is a great feeling when it goes right, and of course you can catch balls you wouldn't normally because your hand is a couple of inches bigger.

It was fun playing in the park and nice that it wasn't so hot that all you did was sweat.  We returned to put our wet laundry in a dryer and then went back to the park to carry on catching practice.  We were having to share the park with a group of old people who were playing ground golf, basically golf without the holes.  They were having a great time, lots of giggling and breaks.

He jumps...he catches

When our laundry was finished we headed back to the house to put it in our room and then headed into Hirosaki on the bus to get some more seat reservations.  We had seen a rather nice looking tourist train on the tracks the other day so Matt did some investigating.  It is one that hugs the coast, the full trip takes 5 hours, but we can shorten it.  We wanted to go tomorrow but there were only 2 seats available. Argggh, however, there were seats available for Wednesday so we decided to do that.

We then had a rather cheap lunch in a noodle shop in the station.  We had forgotten to bring Tom's chopsticks with us, so he had to use the usual disposable ones.  Although he hasn't quite worked out how to use them yet, he did a very good job.  Maybe that is the way he learns to use them - out of necessity - either use them or starve, quite an incentive in Tom's world!

We then decided to look around the high street of Hirosaki, and sort of lost quite a bit of time, mainly in a home furnishings store where they had a set of massaging furniture.  They had moving back cushions, hot back cushions, foot massagers and a rather fierce hand massager - so fierce that Matt squealed in pain and had to remove his hand rather quickly!  Tom loved them all, he isn't shy in trying out these at all, in fact we had to walk out the store and disappear in order for him to leave!

Decent cider!!!!!!

We seemed to end up in an 100 yen store (of course) until Matt noticed the time and we had to get back to the station for the bus back to the B&B (there is only one an hour).  We stopped off early so that Tom could visit the big electrical shop that our host had pointed out - he was hoping to get another train.  He could, but it cost more than he could afford, he has bought a lot of stuff here, so we figure he should be happy with what he's got.  Can't spoil the boy too much!!!!!  Oh, almost forgot to say the bus stopped outside a sushi-go-round.  We peered in and guess what - the sushi is delivered on shinkansens.  We will be returning!

We then went to the supermarket to purchase tea: a bento for both of the boys and salad for me followed by apple pies.  Then back to our room for scrapbooking and blogging.  Oh and get this, we cracked open another bottle of cider which we picked up in the supermarket, and guess what...it was drinkable, so much so that we will be buying another before our time is up.  Hurrrrraaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy.

 A lovely quiet day, just what we all needed.