It actually seems to get easier as I get older. I think it’s because my attachment to time is slipping. Sometimes I think I could easily reverse day and night, which is what I was doing this week.

Coming back was not too difficult. The train is always a pleasure; my only disappointment was that Mt. Fuji was not visible. Sometimes there is a great view from the train. The flights were good. I was able to get some sleep on both of them. Crossing the Pacific I was in business class and was able to make my seat lay down. I slept and also watched a movie, “Hyde Park on the Hudson”, which I missed in the theaters. I had about three hours to wait in Dallas that I was able to spend in the Admiral’s Club. They do that for people who fly first or business class. I hadn’t been in one of those clubs for many years. In a strange way it is conspicuous consumption on a grand scale. It felt like the lobby of a six star hotel, marble and all.

By the time I got on the next plane I was zonked and promptly fell asleep before it took off, waking up to find a cup of great nuts (this was first-class, no little bags of mystery snacks) on the arm of my seat. I refused the lunchtime snack, ate the nuts and went back to sleep.

I was afraid to add my photos to my big computer without doing some upgrading. So, with the help of the wonderful people at the Apple Store I was able to upgrade my copy of iPhoto and spend much of the last two days importing and sorting my pictures.

Here are the pictures from my last day: Narita, the town, about 20 minutes from the airport.  PR on it praises the old-time feeling of the shops, etc. I found only two interesting shops: one sold Taiko drums and one sold bamboo objects. Neither had anything I wanted to carry on the plane but it was fun to look.

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