A Little Bit of Japan in L.A.

ロサンゼルス旅行でちょっと日本気分を味わいました。
ダウンタウンのリトルトーキョー内には日本のスーパーもあったよ。おしょうゆ・めんつゆコーナーがとても充実していた。

のどが渇いたので、カルピス買っちゃった。ライチ味。こちらではカルピスの「ピス」がおしっこを連想させるため、「カルピコ」と名称チェンジで売られています。

そしてもっとも行きたかったのは紀伊国屋。本屋ではオットがビミョーにつまんなさそうにするのであまりゆっくりはできません。かなり無言のプレッシャーを背中に感じるのよ。
でも目当ての「聖☆おにいさん」を大人買い。日本では一冊580円ぐらい？だけど、こちらでは1冊10ドルぐらい（泣）なので、たった7冊でもかなりな大人買いよ。
日本の洋裁の本も買ってみた。そろそろまた裁縫し始めないとね。

While we were in Los Angeles, I enjoyed a little bit of Japan there.

We stopped by Kinokuniya (a book store) and bought some Japanese comic books called Saint Young Men. I had bought volumes 1 through 4 when I was in Japan a couple of years ago, and wanted to buy more. It's a story about Jesus and Buddha sharing an apartment in Tokyo while vacationing on Earth. If you want to know Japanese religiosity, this book is a great example.

I also bought my very first Japanese sewing book. It is Simple Chic/Dress Up Dress Down by Machiko Kayaki. I usually do not like Japanese sewing fashion because they are all like a pillowcase dress, but this one has many basic styles that I can totally see myself wearing.
I know, I have to go back to my sewing room soon.

Spring Break and Harry Potter

春休みに、ロサンゼルス旅行に行ってきた。ちょっと私たち、結構頑張って毎日働いてるから、休みも必要よね、ということで。有給消化しないといけないのもあるが。具合が悪いユキには申し訳ないけど、ユキが具合悪くなる前にチケット買っちゃってたし。

三泊四日なので飛行機で預け荷物にしなくていい程度の荷物で、以前作った旅行カバンの出番が初めてやってきました！
使ってみての感想：ショルダーストラップにも肩が痛くならないようなパッドつけておけばよかったな。

ちなみに今回の旅行のメインイベントはロスのユニバーサルスタジオでした。
とても楽しんだけど、最近の乗り物は皆３Dの乗り物ばかりで、ジェットコースターが好きな私としてはちょっとがっかりなばかりです。
4月から正式に始まるハリーポッターの乗り物に乗るには時期を逃したな、と思ったら、運よくお試しで乗り物やってる日だった！ハリポタなパーカーまで買っちゃった。
あぁ、明日からまた仕事頑張るぞ。

We had a short visit to Los Angeles for our spring break.

Since it was a 4-day trip and I could get away with a carry-on luggage, I was finally able to use my weekend duffel bag I made last year. Here are my thoughts on the bag: definitely need a shoulder pad for the shoulder strap, and need to stitch down the D ring on the bag where the shoulder straps are hooked since the D rings are loose in the tab and they rotate around. Other than that, it was a perfect size for this short trip.

Our main thing in the trip was to go to the Universal Studio. We were lucky that the Harry Potter was open (which is not officially open until April) so we totally had fun in Hogsmead. I even bought a Griffindor hoodie. Yup, tried the butterbeer, too.

Though I enjoyed the Universal very much, I have to say I was very disappointed at the recent trend of 3D rides. One, I do not like wearing the 3D glasses, because I have to wear them over my regular glasses, and two, I think it's lazy for the builders to rely do much on 3D visual effects.

At least I enjoyed the "Flight of the Hippogriff" ride (a proper, though very short, roller coaster in a Hippogriff shaped basket), and rode it twice. And the "Mummy" ride (roller coaster in pitch-blackness) was properly scary.

Valley Fever

先日の血液検査の結果がやっと返ってきて、ユキ、やっぱりバレーフィーバーだって。
いや、具合が悪い原因がはっきりわかってよかったわよ。

日曜に獣医さんに行って、夜から薬のみ初めて、月曜の夜にはびっくりするぐらい具合回復してたので感染してるんだとは思ったし。
感染症といっても、伝染はしないし、砂漠地帯では4匹に1匹はかかるっていわれるぐらい良くある感染症なのであまり心配はしてないんだけど、まだ足腰が弱ってるのがちょっと気になるわ。
ライチのときは6ヶ月ぐらい薬のみ続けたけど、ユキは症状もちょっと重いし、足腰にもきてるから、長くなるかなぁ。

So it has been confirmed by blood test that our hyena dog has Valley Fever.
We went to the vet on Sunday and started on medication that night and by Monday night, she was MUCH better, so we knew it must have been Valley Fever. We are kind of glad that now we know why she has been sick.

Valley Fever in this desert region is pretty common in dogs; it is said that 1 in 4 dogs here get valley fever. Our other dog was on medication for 6 months when she had it and she's been doing good since so hopefully this one can shake off the disease soon, too.

One concern, though, is the price hike on medication. Fluconazole (Diflucan) is the most common anti-fungal medication and its price has hiked up as much as 10 times in the last few years. One-month's supply of Fluconazole can easily be $150.

I called 5 different pharmacies and researched what's available online. Walgreens was the most expensive: whopping $12.89 per tablet. Just 1 tablet! (and she will need 2 tablets a day). We may have to get compounded version, which is much cheaper.

At least she is reacting pretty well on the medication and she's not pathetically sick like she was last week so I'm grateful for that.

Third Time is a Charm?

いや～、もうユキの具合が良くならないうえに、彼女、咳し始めたのよ。
砂漠気候のこの地域では、バレーフィーバーと呼ばれる真菌感染症にかかる犬が多くて、わかりやすい症状が咳なのです。
ちなみにライチも3年前にかかりました。
咳のほかに、間接が痛くなったりするのもあるので、もしかして靭帯に異常があるわけではなくて、すべて感染症のせい？
そんなわけでこの2週間で3度目の獣医さん訪問となりました。
3回の獣医代で7万円は軽く超えてますよ、どうします？
血液検査の結果が出るのは水曜ぐらい。犬の薬が増えて怖いです。７つのうち二つはライチのてんかんの薬で、あとはユキの痛み止め、抗炎症薬、咳止め、抗生物質、抗真菌薬。

So the dog is still not doing any better, and last night, she started coughing.
In this desert climate, a fungal infection called valley fever is pretty common for dogs, and the most common symptom is coughing.
Our other dog had it 3 years ago.

So we have to re-group our thinking; maybe the joint pain and lethargy she was having was part of valley fever symptoms?
Hence our third visit to the vet in 2 weeks.
After another round of $350, she had a laser therapy for the knee and we will get the titer test result in a few days.
Now, in addition to phenobarbital and potassium bromide for the other dog, our hyena dog will have to take cough tablet, antibiotic, Tramadol, NSAID, and fluconazole.
Need to cook some rice to calm her stomach.