It’s time for that annual tradition: The Unearthing Of The Kotatsubuton.* The sudden dip in temperatures means sitting at my kotatsu, which doubles as my computer table, is becoming quite chilly.
But then it hit me: if I can hold out till this weekend, I can drive up to Takamatsu, find the Loft up there, and buy a new kotatsubuton set. They have some really gorgeous ones…and I chose mine last year kind of on a whim and then kind of regretted it 2 weeks later. (Teddy bears and a blue and yellow checkered print are cute at first…but they lost their novelty quickly, and they’re not particularly neutral, especially if my successor is male.) I figure that it’s worth the “investment” for a really nice set, since these will be out and in constant use (and view) for at least the next 3 or 4 months.
(Never let it be said that I’m not obsessed with that place.)
*What is a kotatsubuton, you ask? It’s a combination of the words “kotatsu” and “futon”–with some Japanese words, when they become the second half of a compound word, their initial consonant sound changes and “hardens.” (H/F -> B, S -> Z, and T -> D, to name a few.) A kotatsu is a low electric table with a heat lamp built into the bottom. The surface of the table is removeable, so you can drape a thick comforter-like sheet, the kotatsubuton, over the top and then place the table surface back on. And underneath the kotatsu, you put another one down on the floor itself, so you’re sitting on one futon and under another one. When the heat’s on, it’s very nice. Mine got me through last winter.
I started messing with the back-end of the Tokushima AJET site tonight for the first time in a while. CPanel’s Fantastico feature provides a lot of built-in software, which is nice…I’m torn between Joomla and TikiWiki. I’ve installed Joomla, but CPanel crapped out while I was trying to install TikiWiki. Once I can play around with both adequately, I’ll work on implementing the site through one of those two.
For now, though, I’m tired. My shougakkou tonight was really unruly, and I couldn’t for the life of me get them to quiet down. I’m going to go stuff my kotatsubuton, teddy bears and all, back into my closet, and brush my teeth and rest up. Taking Monday off has totally screwed my perception of time and where in the week I am.