Going for ramen later

 Tonight is when I go for ramen at the shop near the apartment.  I didn't have a lot else to do today, but as Jen said this morning, it's good and necessary to have down days at home now and again.  It let's us recharge.  I did need to do grocery shopping, though, so I did do that.

I bought some soda called Calpis (カルピス）which is a "refreshing blend of sweet and tangy made with cultured milk."  My guess is they mean cultured like yogurt and not in a supporter of the opera.  It was pretty good.  Kind of like Squirt, but not as sweet.  I also bought some sudachi, the tiny lime-like citrus fruit the region is known for.  They are meant to be used in dishes and not eaten like an orange.  Naturally, I ate one.

It's very hard to peel.  The skin is thin and tough and there isn't much pith.  Adding to the difficulty, the fruit is smaller than a golf ball.  I used a knife to trim the skin off.  They are very tart, but I wouldn't say very sour.  I'll figure out how to use them.

One last thing I'll leave you with is a picture of the masks I dyed on Thursday.

The one on bottom is what they both looked like Friday morning.  I rinsed the one on top in running water, and it came out blue.  I rinsed the other as well, and it is blue.  Here is what they look like after having gone through a wash cycle.

 

Not deep blue, for sure.  However, they kind of have a faded denim look.  They still smell like grass.  I was worried they won't fit my face well.  There's some pulling at the ears, but my nose, cheeks, and chin are all covered.  It works for me.