Woody's at home!

Our youngest cat, Woody, is home today after a five-day stay at the animal clinic. Blood in his urine led to some tests that revealed a tumor in his gall bladder but a CT scan indicates it is likely malignant. He will return to the clinic on Sunday night for an operation to remove part of his gall bladder and stay for four nights at the clinic.
 
He has a tube through his nose that leads to his stomach in order to feed him. He wasn't eating at all during his stay at the clinic and the vet felt he needed some food. The vet also recommended a few days at home to allow him to build up his strength before the operation. He's asleep on his bed now and seems very content to be home. I can't tell you how happy we are to have him home with us.
 
お大事にウディー!

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Sent from my fabulous iPhone.

Lunch at Goro's Diner

This morning, after a work out at the sports club in Aoyama, I walked to Goro's Diner to try their burgers, rumored and reported to be very good. It is a small place and easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. Moreover, the place seats only ten people. There were only two people in the diner when I arrived but the place filled quickly afterward.
 
To keep my comparisons of burgers around Tokyo fair, I generally order a cheeseburger with everything that comes with it normally. I don't add anything extra so I can taste the basic offering.
 
The burger was served up in a reasonable amount of time, perhaps ten minutes. The burgers at Goro's Diner are anything but short in stature. I suspect the buns are specially made for them as they were thicker than most places. After a couple of photos by the iPhone (and instructions from the staff on how to attack the burger), I took my first bite. OMG, love at first bite. This is one fine burger.
 
First, let's address the meat. The single patty was clearly made of fresh and high-quality meat. It is grilled but not charbroiled so no burnt taste but instead, a juicy and noble burger. They have shown the meat a lot of respect in cooking the meat to perfection. Also evident in the first bite is an ever so slight hint of curry perhaps? I think the onions (note the layer of onion below the patty) may have been seasoned with curry when they are cooked. Whatever it is, it is mild and reserved but adds an incredible element to the taste. Nothing in the burger overpowers anything in the overall taste experience. Everything just fits together properly.
 
The fries with the burger were also perfect. The right amount, the right seasoning and just crunchy enough.
 
Is this the best burger in Tokyo? It is hard to say since I continue to explore the multitude of places specializing in creation of burger heaven. But the size of the diner, the classic rock music, the attentive service and the spectacular burger rank it as one of my favorites. Cheeseburger and a Coke was ¥1800.

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A morning walk through Roppongi Hills

This morning was chilly and cloudy but I arose early and headed out for a walk through Roppongi Hills with my camera. Roppongi Hills is one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, incorporating office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheater, and a few parks. In my opinion, the design and layout of the development is terrible and follows no logic or flow. But I do like the shapes, angles and spaces for photography. The place gets quite crowded during the day and evenings so early morning is the best time to take photos if you want to avoid people.

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After a rainy morning in Tokyo

A rainy morning in Tokyo gave way to a warm and sunny afternoon. I stepped away from my work just in time to see the weather change and took these images from our front veranda. A little remaining rain is visible on the roof of the building in the foreground in the second image.

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First tasting of new confused vodka

Tonight I made an initial tasting of the latest of the confused vodka series... and I think we have a winner. Last Saturday I started an infusion of fresh strawberries, basil and orange. The flavors of all three elements infused quickly and the color of the strawberries transferred within two days. It was difficult to see any color transfer from the basil as it remained its usual intense green. But the final product has a pale pink hue and a wonderfully complex nose.
 
The first tasting was the product in the raw without any ice. Pleasant and well balanced, if not a bit mild and dry. Probably a real delight if frozen. Next I prepped a martini glass, threw some ice into a shaker and added the vodka, a touch of Cointreau and touch of simple syrup. Wonderful! The strawberry taste comes through first, followed by the basil and finally a hint of orange as the flavors dissipate. This is probably as complicated a recipe as I would recommend for this vodka. The flavors are too delicate and complex to use the vodka for more intense cocktails. It would, however, be interesting to try it with a sparkling wine as a sort of aromatic WIld Mustang. But not on a school night.

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(Sorry... photo of Basil-Orange-Strawberry Vodka not available due to Inauguration Ceremony)

Winter Sunset in Tokyo

Today the temperature rose to 15.3C, not quite the 16C high that was forecasted but 6 degrees higher than the average for January and 7 degrees warmer than yesterday. En route home today I passed a group of young girls skipping rope and giggling as if it were the first day of spring. Dramatic changes in the weather often bring dramatic skies at sunset so I hastened my pace to get home before sunset and quickly grabbed my camera.
 
I shot this image from the rear veranda at our place. The roof in the foreground is a new building and recently completed. Fortunately for us, the top of the building is below our place, thanks to local zoning laws unique to our district.

Tomorrow is the coldest day of the year, according to the lunar calendar and temperatures should rise to only 9C.

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More Infused Vodka Fun

The fun with the infused or confused vodka continues this weekend with a combination flavor attempt. Basil, orange and strawberry. The basil is left whole and the strawberries are sliced. The real challenge comes with the orange. You need to use the peel only and carefully remove all of the white pith, which can add bitterness to the flavor. A sharp knife is the best tool for the job. Stay tuned for an update next weekend on the final result.

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Sent from my fabulous iPhone.