Some fellow I slightly know dropped in at the shop and said that he had recently put up an addition on his property, and was interested in a dining set. Could I come over that night for some drinking (you have to know the culture), and dinner. All kind of sudden like, but a job like that is a couple months work for me, so I made hasty arrangements with my wife that I would be home late. He picks me up at 5:30, since I can't drink and drive home, and says his wife will bring me back. I get there, see the addition and go through some furniture preliminaries, then they suggest that I spend the night, not uncommon. I reaffirm that it is not in my plans after it had been mentioned by the fellow earlier, and he brings out his favorite elixir, Japanese made Budweiser. Never had it before, and it is a lot smoother than the Bud I knew. I notice that the Mr's. glass gets filled up too, and after a few more times, realize she isn't driving me home. Anyway, by the time I call my wife she is already asleep, but wake her up to say I'm not coming home that night. Its all cool, but I don't feel too good about it. We drink a ton of Bud and when I give them a price for such woodwork, the lady kind of freaks, her eyes popping out like Rodney Dangerfield. Her husband is most cordial and says to go for it, but it appears that the woman controls the purse strings in that household, not uncommon here. Anyway I hit the sack in their nice tatami mat guest room about 2:30 and don't sleep well. Get up to a nice morning and the man goes to work. The lady drives me back to my shop where I show her what I'm doing and how I do it, hopefully put things in a more understandable vein about price. She doesn't give a clue if it might be changing her perspective. Say goodbye niceties, and I end up being too wiped out the entire day to get much of anything done. I might hear something, I dunno.....
