Sorry for the bad framing. I went to the range yesterday and tried every tip I could think of to get rid of my slice. Afterwards I had a discussion with a friend and we thought maybe my hips are firing way too early causing shoulders and swing path to be very out to in. I tried “swinging to right field” and dropping my right foot back to adjust my plane but the ball would come out to the right and still slice. I’m frustrated a little because I can’t seem to self diagnose weather it’s my club path or face angle or both.

golden dancing gods above the storm

Z-Pinch figurines carved into Stone

Anthony Peratt proposed that a lot of petroglyphs around the world depict glowing plasma that was shaped by a electromagnetic z-pinch.
https://preview.redd.it/aoooslt0yk3b1.png?width=214&format=png&auto=webp&s=8c34e4463eb3f896473f36c46e6ea076e145640f
does anyone know where this graphic comes from? was it published by Peratt? If so in what Paper or Book? Please tell me if you know!
His simulations seem to allign with certain petroglyph figurines.
https://preview.redd.it/c5mi7np1yk3b1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=af27befcb229bb9cd11722cf43c8f89bb0de37da
Sources for the pics above: https://pastebin.com/bWNCKWMu
The idea is that people in ancient times saw these kind of plasma figurines in the night sky.
Where exactly?Earth has quite a few plasma phenomena that can be observed today but they occur mostly around the poles.
It is imaginable that these plasma phenomena could be observed much closer to the equator in the event of very strong space weather.Other ideas propose that Peratts plasma figurines could occur on the surface of other planets, comets, asteroids or on the sun.
Not impossible I guess but these kind of events would need to be gigantic to be seen with the naked eye.

Enter the Crown Flash

But there is another terrestial phenomenon where light is rapidly "shaped" into form by magnetic fields. crown flash:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ds8gFlPJ_shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPk0mKVnnCs&t=45shttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/S1B7l6FIsS0
A similar effect can be seen in these devices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9AU6IQE1uk
Here it is not glowing plasma that provides light but the light of the sun, reflected in ice crystals above a storm cloud.It is supposed that the magnetic field changes in the cloud realign the ice crystals in the air and so form little dancing shapes of light.
​

Z-Pinches on top of clouds

I propose that Z-Pinches could occur above strong storms and instead of plasma it is the ice crystals that are "shaped" by this pinch.
​
golden Gods dancing above gigantic storms
^{original picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Anvil\}cloud%2C_St._Simons%2C_GA%2C_US.jpg)
​
People in ancient times did not only see plasma figurines but figurines of golden reflected sunlight dancing above gigantic storms.
Which is why they started to believe in gods that reside in the heavens and strike the earth with lightning, thunder, hail and rain.
​

Other Sunlight Shapes

I also think that ice crystal light shapes in the sky could have provided early humans with a lot of the symbology that we see later in the art of a lot of civilizations.
Check out pics from this subreddit https://www.reddit.com/atopticsThese are not lens flares. These ice crystal reflections can be seen with the eye but are relatively rare!
​
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https://preview.redd.it/ca7bxysbyk3b1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=ef53ece6bc748172d3e7ee7a233ab15c1cd202ad
https://www.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/kv33h7/double_sundog_at_smugglers_notch_in_vt_yesterday/
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https://preview.redd.it/qug9mnqdyk3b1.png?width=697&format=png&auto=webp&s=81162e9ab76ef5ffaf269e6f418c5f80194e4249
https://www.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/qb4ez1/grand_rapids_yesterday_a_well_timed_rainbow_and/
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https://preview.redd.it/vpvnjo8eyk3b1.png?width=701&format=png&auto=webp&s=d746288d89c21878d9f8c76793b6d4759935afc3
https://www.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/lm4j6g/sun_pillar_with_upper_tangent_arc_by_mike_cohea/
​
https://preview.redd.it/b126r11fyk3b1.png?width=557&format=png&auto=webp&s=64b2490ea8f4f937ad551ba0d3f1898835661ced
https://www.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/jlmk1o/how_does_a_sun_pillar_happen/
https://www.reddit.com/atoptics/comments/f0gfcl/subsun_halo_seen_in_the_sochi_mountains/

Has anyone else had this? I am starting to think that whatever I have is not really a migraine, I was at my doctor a few days ago but they didn't seem concerned.
So basically I had a headache and pressure on my head for a few days and when I pressed on it it hurt, the headache and pressure went away yesterday but got replaced with this really weird burning sensation in both of my temples, the best way I can describe it as I feel similar to how I do if I have a fever but I don't have a fever.
My only symtopms right now are the burning sensation and feeling a bit under the weather, I have had migraines before but this does feel different, should I be concerned that maybe I have something more serious right now?

Im an avid cyclist, had about 10 planned rides for the past 5 months because i have very little time. Only 4 of them succeeded without a hitch, 2 of them I kena-ed rain weather halfway and another 4 was a total cancel. Even yesterday’s rain weather came outta nowhere?? I used MSS to forecast the weather and even they could not predict weather on some days for like the next day..
I only recently started doing long rides like 5-6hours, can someone with experience tell me if this is the usual case or is this year’s weather truly out of whack in terms of the randomness? I mean it is for certain that it is really hot and cold at the extremes but the thunderstorms and rain at unexpected times?

19M Hello, so I’ve have done some cardio yesterday in a cold and windy weather and now my chest/lungs hurt moderately. I am not used to doing cardio and I think it might be something to do with the cold air being denser so the lungs are working harder to breathe. What are your thoughts?

    Fog rolls up, wisping through and across her vision, gradually covering up the figure reflected in the silverbacked glasswork. For a moment, she stands hunched over, letting the water condense and run through hills and valleys between her cyan scales, liquid tinted by colour, traveling down her tail in a stream of droplets. Drip drop, streaming off the end into clear pools that reflect a shimmering clearer view. Water inches up the yellow walls, coating them with a thin film of liquid, that, when gathers enough, trickles down and enlarges the puddles dotting the floor, turning it into a nascent ocean. The last glimpse she has of the mirrored figure, before it's replaced with a cyan smudge, is the expression of unease, ever present, always concealed carefully behind grey fog.
    Her inner sanctum is soon left behind, doors closed, wet feet slapping against wooden floors scattering droplets, exchanging mental safety for physical sensibility. One arm slips past another, entering the wardrobe, fingers dancing across different shirts and jackets, tip tapping, stopping on the Torimine suit. Soon, tail slipping through skirt, arms maneuvering through shirt and jacket, shoes     slipped on, business-ready. Well-fitted, but a time away from being well-worn. There's not much left for her to grab  from the room, just a quick bite to eat, leftovers from yesterday, hidden away in a darkened cupboard, and then out the door into Salazsar.
    It's pre-dawn, sky  suffused by cloudly dark grey, smatterings of snowflakes whispering through the wind, backlit by lamps and magelight. They stick to her dress and scatter around her whenever the wind changes its aimless flow. She moves down a spiral-staircase, gliding to a lower, more mercantile, level. A much slower, clumsier, snowflake, crystallized by life, not temperature. Step-by-step I descend, until the bottom appears, stonework smoothed from the timeless passage of pedestrians. For a moment she pauses, deliberating, reflecting. Does she  really want to do this? She scoffs, no question about that, a false question, then followed by the real one. Does she really want to to this, today? Joints  grind back into gear, rust shaking off and flaking away, the answer apparent. She has to.
    
    
    "Revlii?"
    She looks up from the paperwork on her desk, staring in the direction of the concerned, male, voice, that softly rumbles through the doorway into the dim office. The light outside is brighter than  inside, making it hard to see a clear figure, instead he's more fuzzy silhouette, eyes glinting against the darkness.
    "Yes?"
    My eyes meet his for a moment, before he glances elsewhere, pretending to stare at the other objects that litter the room, like the paperwork splattered over her desk. They don't stick to any one object for lengthened time, afraid any errant gaze will be imprisoned into eye-contact if it lingers.
    "Listen, are you doing alright? If you need to take a day off you  can, okay?"
    She gives him an exasperated look, accompanied by a smirk. A hint of teeth poke through the gap in her smile, scales at the corners of her eyes crinkle, head tilts.
    "I'm fine. Trust me on that. If I needed a break I would take one."
    A perfect smile, happy quick exhale, through the nose, fingers clutching a quill delicately preparing to be put to page, documents to be signed. The Gnoll looks mollified turning to leave, but not
    "Well, just remember. If you need to take a break I'd be happy to cover for you, it's no issue."
    The last word is rhetorical, he leaves without leaving room for reply. Just her in the office, alone, once again. The only sound the sounds of the paperwork rustling when she places and replaces documents. Lots of paperwork to do, organized into three sections ,one pile growing taller than the others, a combined mix of them.
    In the air is a stale smell that sticks to me, seeping into her clothing, into the chair, into the documents. It's unclear where it comes from, not smelling like ink or paper, but something other, not foreign, however. It's all she smells, nothing else, not the pungent ink, not the dusty office, not perfumed Drakes or mouth-watering foodstalls. But it doesn't matter,  work  to do. Quill reappears against page, drawing lines of ink, curved, straight, forming letters and then words. On this page the final words appear, her signature, always signed, "Revlii Darktongue", exactly the same every time. She places the sheet into the tallest pile, and then places claws upon another and draws the paper over. And then writing again, and signing again.
    
    
    It's
    
    
    Street slowly winding upwards, Drakes and Gnolls huddled close together, trying to fit further into the crowd, but also struggling for warmth, this close contact being secretly treasured by many. She aswell, is huddled with them, skirt scraping against other garmets, head covered by wayward snowflakes, face made wet by foggy breath, all     their faces wet. The kind of cold misery that forms bonds, and strengthens friendships Her shoes carefully step over small patches of ice, and once or twice a member of the crowd helps her catch her balance when she slips, and she too, for them
    The sky is a brilliant orange, beauty magnified by the spires and towers that surround  me, distant rooftops glinting orange reflections, eternal burning away of daylight into night. Her path travels upward s, stairs passing beneath her, railings caught, shoes ever click clack and stomp when a slip threatens. The spot appears, between two spires, an opening where the city can be seen down a line, sunset perfectly positioned in the middle.
    Revlii takes a minute to take off my shoes, placing them on the ground, and then carefully clearing a clean patch to sit on. A  white exhale slowly comes, relaxed, as she gets into a good mental position. The sun slowly falls, distant orange chased by coming clouds that arrive from faraway lands. Work was okay today, she thinks, more of the same, but sometimes lack of change can be  good. I might even Level soon if I keep it up.
    Another exhale, tension leaving her body, flowing into the air, quickly washed away by cold winds and burned through by the orange light. Her daily routine is to sit here and watch the sunset, regardless of the weather. There are many views like this one in Salazsar, but this one feels personal, only belonging to me, and her alone. More snowflakes fall, amount increasing, wind also getting colder.
    She dislikes Winter, her favourite  season being Spring, but Winter always brings a calmness with it. Maybe it's how sounds seem to be dampened, the world almost still, vibrations sucked away into snowfall. Maybe it's how the sky looks, blues darker and more inviting, oranges brighter and more vibrant, vying for dominance and turning the sky brilliant shades with the rise and set of the sun. Tommorrow is the weekend, which is nice, I think. Soon the  solstice will  come, and she'll be back on track towards more favoured seasons less inclined to snowfall and chilly air. Another     exhale. Life is good.

I want to get a third party perspective on this. Wall of text incoming.
My son is now just over a year old (first and only child) and for the past 7 months he has been watched full time by my mother in law (MIL – 65F). My wife (33F) and I pay MIL the same amount monthly as we would pay for a local daycare since she watches him from 9am to 6pm M-F. We live five minutes away from her. She loves watching my son and he ADORES her. Additionally, my grand-parents in law (in their 90s) come to her house for two hours every other day to watch and play with my son. This has brought them new life and they love and adore him too.
Background on MIL (65F): She is a retired elementary school teacher who is amazing with children. She is a bit zany and likely has undiagnosed ADHD (as many elementary teachers are), but that is perfect for watching our son. She lost her husband three years ago and began dating someone last year, a few months before she began watching our son (and after we had moved to a place near her with the agreement she would watch him).
Boyfriend (~65-70M): He seems like a nice guy, but we don’t know him too well. He has diagnosed ADHD, so the interactions between him and MIL often are a bit all over the place (many new projects daily, many unfinished ones, not much focus). Now the boyfriend lived in a different state and was a lifelong friend of father-in-law that passed away years ago. MIL and Boyfriend started talking to support each other in their shared grief and it turned into a relationship. He would come out to visit for periods of time (weeks) and stay at her house. The last time, he just never left and has been living there for months (there was never a specific conversation about moving in together). My take is that it could be either intentional mooching to get free rent, free food, and a place to stay in a different state, or it could be unintentional overstaying because he doesn’t realize and MIL isn’t assertive in her boundaries. Don't know him well enough, so I give it a 50/50 shot. Boyfriend is not retired and is a lawyer, so workload fluctuates based on case load.
Safety Rule: We set safety rules for her and our son, which MIL has respected, except one. MIL is great with my son in all aspects except this one (loves him, safe play, teaching him words, relatively baby-proofed house, safe sleeping practices, etc). The one rule that is the issue is that we asked for her boyfriend to be out of the house during the day when she watches our son. The reason for the rule is that (1) we don’t know him that well, (2) when she began dating him she was infatuated to the point where she was unreachable when needed, blew off her obligations to the family dinners/meet ups (think high school crush type of singular focus), and (3) made some poor choices that put her in a situation where she may have been unable to be there for her first day of watching him (she was in Tampa, FL with Boyfriend at his apt and decided to stay and weather out Hurricane Ian since it would be a “fun experience since she hasn’t been in a hurricane before” and they were on the 10th floor). MIL said it was a good choice to not come home early from her trip since she was watching the news and had a day or two to get a flight (also mentioned before that flights were too expensive and rental cars were too expensive). It ended up that Hurricane Ian hit a different city and the airport remained open and she was able to get home, though the news for that whole week was that she wouldn’t be able to make it home. I felt she played fast and loose with her safety and family obligations to my wife and son. If the hurricane stayed on the original path, she may not have been able to get a flight out or rent a car to leave (she feels otherwise). Hurricane Ian hit on Sept 28th and she was set to watch our son starting Oct 3rd. Issue: She does not like the rule that her boyfriend can’t be in the house at all, and if he did come home either we pick up my son or she comes to our house 5 min away to watch him here. She agreed to that rule, but secretly was resentful of the rule without making that known (we found out recently). For four months her boyfriend was working out of the home anyway, so it wasn’t an issue. About a month and a half ago Boyfriend was set to come home early. MIL called, told us, and we asked if she was coming over to our house (per that rule/agreement). She said no, she is not coming over. My wife and I had work calls that were mandatory, were under a lot of stress and it was the middle of the day. Wife hung up in frustration, I put someone else in charge of my work call to go pick up my son. When I got there, I admit I was curt, short, and was focused on getting my son home and not on conversation. MIL felt we were rude to her (and I can see how we were that day given our frustrations and brevity). MIL then unilaterally decided, because we were rude that day, that she would no longer be following the “no boyfriend in the house” rule and just not telling us about it. She has been letting him be in the back room (not connected to the house and on other side of the patio, but he has to come in to use the single bathroom) and after we found out has told us that she made her own rule of Boyfriend can be in the house, but stay in the back room or do projects in the yard, but not to come and interact during working hours. Of my original concerns, I will admit that the infatuation phase appears to be over and she is once again prioritizing her family over her Boyfriend (with this arguable exception).
Yesterday: We confronted her about her breaking the rule. She has apologized for breaking the rule, not telling us, and keeping it a secret. We spoke about this and she now wants the rule amended to be her own rule of “Boyfriend in the back room only” and has said she cannot understand our rule of no Boyfriend in the house during working hours. She has said that rule is unreasonable. MIL doesn't like this rule because she interprets it to mean that we don't trust her to keep an eye on our baby and to keep him safe. For MIL, she says it's not really about having Boyfriend there, it's about feeling we don't trust her. My wife and I are on the same page here and have discussed this in depth.
My Thoughts:
• I don't think our “no boyfriend in the whole house from 9-5” rule is unreasonable. I may be wrong.
• MIL is so great with my son (except this). The whole family loves being able to go see him (can’t do that at a daycare). I worry about this being an issue.
• I feel weird about agreeing to the demand of changing the rule. If she would have discussed it beforehand and said she wants to change it, it may have been more open, but she broke our trust. Agreeing to allow the continuing of the thing that broke our trust doesn’t sit well with me.
Our options:

1. Give in and let her have BF there in the house if he stays in the back room and doesn’t interact or distract her during the day.
   
2. Ask that they follow the broken rule for 2-3months to the letter to show that they respect our boundaries, then if they do that, allow option 1.
   
3. Enroll my son in daycare and be thankful for the six months that my son had with MIL.
   

My Question:
How would I go about showing my MIL that I trust and respect her (what she wants) while also being assertive about my boundaries as a parent (along with my wife) and also not have this cause a major issue in the family?
TLDR: We had a rule that MIL’s new BF should be out of the house when she watches our toddler son at her house. She felt we were rude to her one day and decided to not follow the rule anymore and have BF there without talking to us about it. Everything else (except for this) is great with MIL and the situation with our son.

As of yesterday, my wife and I are the owners of a new 2023 Bolt 2LT. We made the purchase through Simpson Chevrolet of Irvine (California). I'll break down the timeline and more below:

• Ordered via texting with the dealership on February 15th. Locked in MSRP at that time. No reservation deposit required.
  • Requested a red Bolt with the infotainment package, adaptive cruise control, and the dual-level charge cord.
• On April 12th we were notified that the Bolt was produced and awaiting transportation.
• On May 15th it was shipped from the Lake Orion Plant Yard.
• On May 29th we were informed that the Bolt was at the dealership. We were notified on May 30th that the bolt was charged and inspected by the dealership and ready for pickup.
• We took possession of the car yesterday, May 31st. It took a few hours as they were having an issue with their systems or something, but it was an easy wait.
• SchoolsFirst FCU (our auto loan provider) was very easy to work with, lowest rates we could find for our area. I was also eligible for the $500 educators discount at the dealership, which was a nice bonus.
• I plan on using the reward points I received towards getting the all-weather liner. I think it's probably worth it, but if someone wants to convince me to spend the points elsewhere...

What did I think of the dealership?
Overall I'm very happy with my experience. We were given the option to purchase an extended warranty and a paint/interior protection package, and declined both. No pressure from them. When we were doing the paperwork we were also informed that SchoolsFirst had some other protection packages that we could optionally add on. We declined those as well, no pressure from their end to accept once again. We communicated only via text until yesterday, they kept me updated on the status of the Bolt and also let me know about other Bolts that came in, in case I wanted to pick one of those up instead. It was pretty easy getting everything wrapped up once it came in. They did mention that they were doing a dealer markup on Bolts now (2k I think?) but apparently we got in under that wire. No "bait and switch" with the price at the end of the day, no BS, so they have my two thumbs up. On a bit of a funny note, the sales associate I was working with mentioned that they were aware Reddit talks about them. I didn't even bring Reddit up, but apparently they are well aware that people are upset about dealer markups. So that happened.
What do I think of the Bolt?
I'm very happy. The Bolt is just fun to drive. One pedal driving and utilizing the regen paddle wasn't as hard to adjust to as I thought. I can charge for free at work (plenty of level 1/2 chargers and some DCFC available), which was a big factor in considering an EV for me. The HOV lane sticker is certainly something I am looking forward to as well. I think the 2LT interior is amazing, and I'm satisfied with the Bose sound system upgrade. I'm 6'2 and I find that I have plenty of space in the drivers seat. I haven't really driven in EV's before and how quiet it is (comparatively) is a bit hard to get used to lol. It's a pretty big difference from what I was previously driving. I was commuting in a 2004 4runner until today. Don't get me wrong, I love my 4runner and Toyota makes great cars but for my purposes the Bolt is just way more appropriate. We need to keep it for surfing excursions as well, and I'm happy to run it into the ground, if such a thing is possible. Anyways, I think it was a great purchase so far especially with the CA rebate and tax incentives still to come. And that's about it!

My yellow labs are Markie, almost 14, and Zeke, just turned 11. It's warming up outside and their mobility issues are skyrocketing. Zeke fell up the back stairs yesterday and now refuses to use them, he goes around and sits at the front door when it's time to come inside. They haven't slept in bed with me in months, I'm ready to lose the bedframe and just leave my bed on the floor for a couple of years but I can't quite convince my husband because he's had a hip replacement surgery so he has a bit of trouble getting up from a low position.
The weather is warming up but it seems like both my dogs are shutting down. I'm hoping swimming therapy will help in the close future but I'm just so sad that my crazy hyper kids are now low energy, laid back, don't make me go so far so fast old guys. It's heartbreaking.
We're even replanning our summer trip to go the long way around so we avoid the ferry because there just isn't enough space for them to get in and out of our car. An extra six hours of driving time but gas is about the same as our ferry tickets so I'm calling it a wash.
My husband is going to redo the back stairs this weekend so the kids can get up easier. Make them longer and less space between steps.so they feel more comfortable.
It just makes me so sad. They're still happy and loving. They have a pretty good quality of life. It's not time yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be soon. My dog savings account is ready for in home euthanasia and I'm definitely doing it that way if I get the choice.
I'm just so sad that they're suffering but still give me the biggest smile,seeing their heads at.the window looking for me when I get home from work. Markie still bites me in her excitement.
I try to live on the moment with them, knowing it's closer to the end than the beginning. It's just so hard to see them struggling and I can only offer minimal help. Pain meds and salmon oil help a bit but there's no cure for old age.
It just seems like the summer weather coming on is exacerbating their mobility issues, and that makes me sad.

I graduated in another area. I've been working in that area for 8 years. I burnout. After not knowing what to do in life, I'm thinking in do a grooming course when I have money to afford it.
BUT, my fingers get wrinkled in the water, and sometimes, really, really fast. It doesn't matter the weather in the city. Yesterday I washed some dishes and my fingers were so wrinkled that it seems that a part of them would fall.
I was sad. So I asked myself if I can still be a dog groomer with this, if the body gets used to it, if there is some form of protection like gloves.
If someone can respond it, I appreciate!

Hi Everyone! Proud owner of a new CX-5 CE, purchased yesterday. I am deciding what should go where, and am curious to know what other owners have settled on. What things have you chosen to stash in the center console, door pockets, cup and bottle holders, armrest box in the rear seat, and the "cargo sub-compartment located under the luggage board"? It looks like with the 3" above the spare tire I could put blankets and tarps there. Also, what is this "Lower Cargo Area" referred to on the WeatherTech web site, and is it only usable if I find another place for my spare tire? https://www.weathertech.com/mazda/2023/cx-5/cargo-line

I'm a recovering alcoholic who's been sober for 2 years now. My wife had multiple emotional affairs over a 10 year period. After finding out about them there were a couple of times she created fake accounts to continue with the EA. All of that resulted in my leaving her on the basis that she was responsible for all our marital problems. We were separated for 3 years before I finally went to rehab and got my shit together. She agreed to work on things after I got out and we moved back in together about a year ago. Not sure where to fit these things it in but she's always refused marriage counseling and we have a dead bedroom.
I've operated under the assumption that the EA's were a result of/coping mechanism for my alcoholism. During the separation period my wife re-friended one of the AP's on social media and is still friends with him. When I found out I told her I was uncomfortable with it but she was dismissive of that because "we aren't talking to each other or anything". A few weeks ago I cracked and snuck a look at her phone and there were messages between them as late as the week we moved back in together - the messages were basically "how's the weather" type conversations, but over the weekend I saw her looking at his profile when she didn't realize I was behind her. Yesterday, she got an email on our shared laptop that her social media password had been changed. As a result of all this my anxiety has skyrocketed and my trust has plummeted. I plan on talking to her in 2 weeks about things (it's a long weekend so it will give us time to process) and going over all this and asking her to either agree to go our separate ways so we can both find the happiness we want or to try and come up with another option. But the only option I can think of is spyware.
I'm looking on feedback about the following:

• Would you consider the "we're not talking" a flat out lie? A lie by omission/white lie? Not a lie at all since we're still "working on things"?
• I feel like spyware on her phone (with her approval) would help rebuild trust - what do you think? (I don't feel like an open phone policy would work as she's circumvented things before) . The down side is that I'd end up seeing EVERYTHING and I believe that might be just as anxiety provoking as not knowing.
• Have any of you required spyware as a condition for reconciliation? What is/was your experience?
• Am I crazy/stupid for even wanting to try at this point? I do truly love her with all my heart but I'm not sure if she still loves me or just cares about me or is just flat out using me.

Lots of New Inventory, figured i’d post again
All of these are up for the cheapest price on Discogs (for their condition, sometimes by considerable amounts) and are CHEAPER here than I have them there. Feel free to try and price match me with any legit sellers I am flexible and truly believe these are all great deals. Happy to work out bundle deals on 3+ depending on the purchase amount.
Shipping is $6 to the US, No matter the size of the order! International DM for rate. If you want more specifics on what pressing it is and what not here is the link to my Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/selle66Records/profile
The Acacia Strain - 'C' (7' Single, Limited, White w/ Olive Green Splatter) NM/NM - $28
Agnostic Front - United Blood (7' EP, 2009 Reissue, Clear) NM/NM - $15
Archspire - Bleed the Future (Original Cassette) NM/NM - $28
Arkaik - Nemethia (LP, Blue and Gold Swirl) NM/NM - $42
Asobi Seksu - Fluorescence (LP, Limited Pink) NM/VG+ - $10
Babymetal - Metal Resistance - The One- (Limited ED Boxset with CD and Bluray) VG+/VG+ - $35
Bauhaus - Burning from the Inside (LP, Blue, Reissue) VG+/VG+ - $17
Beatles - Yesterday and Today (1983 Reissue) G+/VG - $12
Beatles - Revolver (1983 Reissue, IN SHRINK) VG+/NM - $25
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (Pink Target Exclusive) NM/VG+ - $35
Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love! (Blue Walmart Exclusive) NM/VG+ - $18
Courtney Bartnett - Things Take Time (LP, Blue) NM/VG+ - $12
The Cure - Faith (RSD Limited Numbered Gray vinyl) NM/NM - $80
Dance With The Dead - Loved to Death (LP, Clear, Repress) NM/NM - $55
David Gilmour - David Gilmour (LP, Promo, OG) G+/VG+ - $10
DIIV - Oshin (LP, Purple, Limited Reissue) NM/VG+ - $32
Dyscarnate - With all their might (LP, Bronze) VG+/VG+ - $18
Echo & The Bunnymen - Bedbugs and Ballyhoo (12' Maxi, OG) VG+/VG+ - $5
Enslaved - Heimdal (LP, limited Black white marble, sealed) - M/M $30
Fit for an Autopsy - Oh what the future holds (LP, Blue Green Swirl with Pink Black Splatter, Sealed) M/M - $15
Fit for an Autopsy - Hellbound (LP, Limited, Bronze) - $30
Genghis Tron - Board up the House (LP, One etched Side, original) VG/VG+ - $18
George Clanton - Slide (LP, 2nd Press, Black with Blue Swirl) VG+/VG+ - $28
Ghost - Seven Inches of Satanic Panic (First Press Black 7’) NM/VG+ - $22
Gloom Influx - Twilight (Limited, Purple) NM/NM - $30
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F (Lost 77' Mixes) (LP, Reissue, Limited Edition, Pink and black) NM/NM - $35
Hour of Penance - Paradogma (LP, Yellow) NM/NM - $32
J Dilla - Donuts (2x12, 2016 10th anniversary edition) VG+/VG+ - $37
John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band - Plastic Ono Band (2021 Reissue) VG+/VG+ - $20
Kanye West - The College Dropout (Most recent reissue) NM/VG+ - $15
Kraut - An Adjustment to Society (Red Reissue) G+/G+ - $10
Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club (Black Gatefold) NM/VG+ - $15
1985 Walt Disneys Fantasia - (2xLP, Gatefold) VG+/VG+ - $8
Michael Jackson - Got to be There (Original with hype sticker) G+/VG+ - $8
MICROCHIP TERROR - Illegal Experiments (LP, White red splatter) - $30
Modern Baseball - You’re Gonna Miss it All (Yellow) NM/NM - $20
Nails - You Will Never Be One of Us (Green Casette) VG+/VG+ - $10
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (180gm reissue) NM/VG+ - $18
NOFX - Pods and Gods (7’ EP Orange) NM/VG - $5
Pearl Jam Christmas 1998 (7’ promo) VG/VG+ - $25
Pearl Jam - Someday at Christmas (7’) VG+/VG+ -$8
Pearl Jam 2002 Annual Vinyl Single (7’ Promo) -$4
Pearl Jam - Christmas 1999 (7) G+/VG+ -$10
Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese (LP, Reissue, 200G) VG+/VG - $28
Rings of Saturn - Gidim (Cassette, Purple, sealed) M/M - $28
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Blu Ray and Vinyl Pack, shrink torn a little, but sealed) M/NM - $45
Rush - Hemispheres (LP, Original, PRC) VG+/VG+ - $18
Rush 2112 (LP, early reissue, gatefold) VG (lower end)/VG+ - $9
Scour - Black (10’ Marbled) M/NM - $23
Sematary Grave Man - Butcher House (CD) NM/VG+ - $80
Sick of it All - Death to Tyrants (LP, tricolored, limited 2014 reissue) VG+/VG+ - $21
Sick of it All - Last Act of Defiance (LP, limited, clear +CD) NM/VG+ - $18
Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (2xlp, black, rare first press) NM/VG - $120 ($120 UNDER MEDIAN)
Soundgarden - Superunkown (Original US Clear) NM/VG - $225
Spelling - The Turning Wheel (2LP Green /300) - NM/VG+ - $50
Steely Dan - Greatest Hits (Canadian Yellow 70’s pressing) VG/G+ - $15
Sylvester - Someone Like You (original 12', keith harring art) NM/NM - $16
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Runaway Girls (7’ Blue) VG+/VG - $15
Weather Report - Heavy Weather (Music on Vinyl Reissue, 180g) NM/NM - $22
Within Destruction - Deathwish (LP, Red) VG+/VG+ - $35

First time poster, but avid reader of AITA, and finally just want some outside perspective for my own situation to know if IATA all along.
For some background, I (33F) dated my now husband (36M) for 13 years before he proposed. Family and friends constantly nagged him about when he was going to propose but he's the type of person that doesn't take big decisions lightly and needs time to think things through for himself and doesn't give into peesocietal pressure.
Throughout out relationship we've had ups and downs, but always worked through it. One fight we constantly have though is that he accuses me of "never listening" to him and "not consulting" him before making decisions that affect both of us.
A couple examples: (just within the past 3 years or so)
1) Our friends invited us to join their trip to the Maldives - we both really wanted to go, so I booked the resort right away with my own credit card, noting that we had until a month prior to the trip to cancel without penalty/fees. I then let him know what I did and that we have plenty of time to discuss/decide, but we're covered either way. He blew up on me saying I never listen to him because he said we needed to discuss it, and I booked it without consulting him. I explained if I didn't book right away we would have risked not getting the same dates as our friends, and it was months away so we had time to cancel if we decided not to go. [We ended up going and it was amazing.]
2) I was discussing set-up options through email with the wedding reception venue (we had a small court wedding and reception, which we planned within a month) and I asked if a certain setup was possible. I was told it was, and I let my husband know that it was a possible option. He didn't like that option and was upset that I even asked about it without consulting him first. I reminded him it's "not-set-in-stone" but that just made him more upset because he took that as I made the change already, and now we have to ask to put it back again. He again accused me of making decisions without him. [He doesn't believe in therapy but agreed to go to couples therapy after our honeymoon... the honeymoon was cancelled due to bad weather in Mexico, so we have yet to go to therapy.]
3) We were asked to bring ice to a family party. We had been to his cousin's house the night before but took an Uber and so they took the route as instructed by the app. The day of the party I drove. I let him know that the route we took the night before is not the route we usually take - so when we get closer could he look up 711 to take us on the route that we took to get ice last time? He was on his phone but commented as if he understood. Then he asks, "Was it 711 that we went to last time?" and since it seemed like he didn't hear me the first time I said, "711, but it's not on the route we took yesterday." He blew up on me. "You never listen! That's not what I asked!" [I ended up dropping him off at the party and did some retail therapy instead.]
Now to the current issue:
I drafted a text, which was meant for my cousins, and sent it to my husband with the preface: "Just talked to my mom. Going to text [cousin1] and [cousin2] (unless you have edits)"
He originally agreed with the text, so I asked, "ok to send?" but then he further questioned the context saying, "So what happens if I don't want to come?" because the text stated that "we" would be attending my uncle's birthday party. He had asked me on multiple occasions prior if I was going because he said he didn't want to go, but I let him know I didn't receive a formal invite yet and was still waiting to hear from my mom about plans for the weekend after that birthday party weekend. I had texted him that draft the moment I heard from my mom. She didn't want to do anything the weekend after so she suggested we come the weekend of the birthday party (this was the "invite", and she would let my aunt know) and we can lump together the other occasions into that weekend, rather than travel to my hometown 2 weekends in a row.
With this new information from my mom, I drafted the text to let my cousins know the proposed plans because they were waiting to be updated too, but wanted to let my husband give his input about the proposed plans first and opened it up for discussion with him, hence the "unless you have edits". He again claims I never listen to him (because he said he didn't want to go, but I wrote "we" will be there) and I made plans without consulting him (because I wrote that draft text without talking to him first). In my defense, he never gave a reason why he didn't want to go. My mind went to his usual reasons: he doesn't like that uncle, and he doesn't like going to my hometown multiple weekends in a row [because I do actually listen]. But now that we wouldn't be going 2 weekends in a row, and because this uncle is getting weaker and may not have many more birthdays, I thought he might want to come now, but he has the option to let me know he still doesn't want to by telling me to "edit" it [because I do think to consult him before finalizing plans].
Well now he thinks IATA because I won't admit that I was wrong for "making those plans" without him. He also misunderstood "edit" to mean "help me with my grammar and spelling" which I reminded him I have NEVER EVER asked for his help with that (he's the bad speller and constantly asks me how to spell things) and says I should have asked him why he doesn't want to go (he said it's exactly those usual reasons). [As of now he is not coming with me and thinks everyone will be talking about him behind his back because they're expecting him to come. I told him no one cares because I didn't make those plans it was just a draft text.]
I admit I like to get things done and plan ahead (I've been waiting for my mom to tell me her schedule for weeks), and I constantly juggle multiple things at once (I'm a manager at work, and at home - for my household, for my parents, for my extended family, etc.) so I drafted the text to save time/kill two birds with one stone: inform my husband of the updates, give him the chance to give input, and inform my cousins after. Am I the asshole?

Since this sub was so helpful in planning, I wanted to share my itinerary and trip report! We had an incredible first time in Japan and I can't wait to go back.
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:

• We’re New Yorkers in our 30s who have been planning this trip for about 6 months.
• My bf has been learning Japanese for about a year, and I’ve been learning for about 5 months (a mix of Pimsleur and Duolingo).
• Boyfriend is into history and baseball, I'm into skincare and nature, but we’re both big on food so that was our number one priority.
• He has a peanut allergy and avoids all nuts. He learned to say that in Japanese (私はピーナッツアレルギーがあります - "Watashi wa piinattsu arerugī ga arimasu”), and every restaurant and hotel was understanding and careful. Luckily most cuisine is nut-free anyway, but we managed not to have any close calls in 2 weeks which is amazing.

Some overall learnings:

• If I were planning this trip again, I think I would skip Kanazawa. It was a lovely town and the food was amazing, but we wished we had spent that time with a night or two in Osaka instead of just making it a day trip from Kyoto.
• Even if you’re not a baseball fan, Japanese baseball games are so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
• I packed a suitcase and brought a fold-up duffel bag, and halfway through the trip I moved my clothes to the duffel and just used the suitcase for souvenirs. It was a great idea but we ended up buying an extra suitcase at Donki our last day anyway.
• We both felt a bit underdressed compared to locals, especially in Tokyo. I wish I’d packed more dresses, skirts and trousers and fewer jeans and tees - the only people I saw wearing sweats, athletic wear or cutoffs were other tourists. Obviously you can wear what you want, just be aware you’ll stick out! Also, women are generally more covered up, even on warmer days, to protect their skin from the sun.
• If you go clothes shopping, take your shoes off in dressing rooms. I made a right fool of myself.
• Clothes sizing is wildly different in Japan. Know your cm measurements! Your size here may be hurtful to your ego.
• People line up to get on the train (check the ground for a guide of where to stand) and let everyone off before they get on. This seems obvious, but I’ve been living in New York so long that I wanted to weep tears of joy every time.
• If you’re new to sitting showers: there are two buttons. One is to fill up a bowl of water, and the other is to turn on the handheld shower head. Both automatically turn off a minute after you turn them on, but you can also turn them off manually. You sit on the little stool and there’s usually a mirror in front of you, which is… a humbling experience. There are usually also scrubbing washcloths.
• The worst train station toilet was still nicer than a goddamn Nordstrom bathroom. It was a pleasure to have IBS in Japan.
• At many European and American historical sites, you pay a hefty flat fee to see everything. In Japan, you can usually get into the temple grounds for free, then pay for each individual building you go into. Most were 400-700y/person, which felt really reasonable.
• We came at an almost perfect time (mid-May) weather-wise. Most days it was clear or sunny with a high in the mid-seventies. We definitely got some rain, but less than we were expecting (maybe 3-4 rainy days and 5-6 rainy nights).

Hotel Reviews:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.

Tuesday: Arrival, Shinjuku

1 PM: Arrival at Haneda
We got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.

Wednesday: Harajuku, Meiji, and Shibuya

7 AM: Hotel breakfast
Up early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.

Thursday: Shinjuku

4 AM: Earthquake
The phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!

Friday: Hakone

7 AM: Set up luggage forwarding to Kyoto with hotel
Luggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.

Saturday: Travel to Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Gion

8 AM: Breakfast, travel to Kyoto
Took the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.

Sunday: Arashiyama, The Golden Pavilion and Tea Ceremony

8 AM: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.

Monday: Fushimi Inari, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Imperial Palace (kinda)

9 AM: Fushimi Inari
Our plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.

Tuesday: Day Trip to Nara

8 AM: Travel to Nara
We took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.

Wednesday: Day Trip to Osaka

7 AM: Depart hotel
Started by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.

Thursday: Travel to Koyasan, Temple Stay

8 AM: Bus from Kyoto to Koyasan
The transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.

Friday: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District

7 AM: Service & ritual at Eko-in
The day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.

Saturday: Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum

9 AM: Kenroku-en Garden
We walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.

Sunday: Travel to Tokyo, Tokyo Giants Game, Ueno Park

7 AM: Travel to Tokyo
Grabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.

Monday: Tsukiji Food Tour, Kapabashi Dougu, Akihabara

8 AM: 3-hour Tsukiji Food Tour + lunch
We started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.

Tuesday: Senso-ji, Flight

9 AM: Breakfast, Senso-ji
We got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.