立春-Spring/backwards

a few more photos from yesterday's skating adventure to Santa Monica and a couple images from today.

episode 5 of Ai no Uta with Kanno Miho and Tamaki Koji を見ていました... for the second time. if it is raining tomorrow, i will try to watch another couple of episodes. thanks crunchy roll.

Setsubun/Skate Day

oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi.  and sunshine and sakura too.

early morning Sakura

soulshine

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from Redondo Beach to Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach to El Segundo to Playa del Rey to Marina del Rey to Venice Beach to Santa Monica by rollerskates.  i stopped in Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey for lunch.  here are a few photos from my beautiful day for a skate-skate.

more photos tomorrow.  now it time to rest.  i am still sore from yesterday's fall on the tennis court and now a little sore from my 17 mile (28km) skate on this Setsubun tuesday.

in case you had to work today, or in case you didn't make it to the beach today for whatever reason:

the bigger they are . . . the harder i fall

Steve and i played tennis today.  it feels warmer than summer.  and the sky is bluer than blue.   and i am sure my body is going to be sorer than sore tomorrow or even later today.  i went to the gym this morning.  and then to play tennis with Steve around noon.  let's just say i shouldn't have tried to "run down" that overhead lob. Nadal did it yesterday in Melbourne. oh yeah, he is 22 years old, in incredible shape, and the #1 professional tennis player in the world and i am not and not and not. i fell hard looking over my right shoulder and running from the net in the direction of the baseline. i think the ball landed in. i landed hard on my left side. nothing broke. there is some swelling in my left elbow. and a few scrapes on my arms and knee. my left hip is sore.  i took a 5 minute "timeout" and then we played for another hour or so.  i am sure i will be feeling it soon. Steve and i have been playing together for over 20 years.  i think the first time we played was in Pittsburgh in 1987.  somewhere there is a photo of us playing tennis as the snow begin to fall.  today was the first time for me to play this year which probably makes about 5 times in the last couple of years.  hard to believe we used to play for hours almost every chance we got. Steve stays busy with his wife and kids. i think i played once with Mike last year when he was here on an "overnight".  time for a shower and some lunch. and time to put some ice on my elbow.  and maybe take a few aspirin.  if tomorrow is as beautiful as today, i (maybe Steve too) plan to go for a skate by the beach. as Jimmy Buffett sings:

"i'm growing older but not up

 my metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck

 let those winds of change blow over my head

 i'd rather die while i'm living then live while i'm dead..."

my first professional tennis friend Rika Hiraki and her doubles partner Amy Frazier. i took this photo around 15 years ago.  lots of tennis memories from way back then including a few US Opens in New York because of Rika and then because of meeting another Japanese/American two-handed forehand and backhand player (i think) Nana Miyagi. good memories of some nice people.  where are they now?

yesterday and oh yeah, the Super Bowl is on today

more images from yesterday's Chinese New Year's Parade and festival:

watching the magician

getting ready for next year:  Year of the Tiger

The Immortals

on Broadway (the marching band from China in front of them was playing George Benson's "on Broadway")

not even afraid of this dragon

Seriously . . . no, really that is the name of this band

Made in China

me taking another colorful shadow photo

apparently they didn't hear the "fasten your seat belt" announcement

sorry, no Cardinal ponchos on Olvera Street.

not exactly an Arizona Cardinal but close enough

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another nice day for a long walk over the hills,  to and along the beach, in the water, back to the market and home again in time to watch the Super Bowl as well as finishing watching the Men's Final of the Australian Open as well as take a nap as well as etc., etc., etc.  soundtrack for today's walk: John Martyn, Justin Young and Jimmy Buffett.