But it wasn't a wasted trip

It was a nice, albeit brief, getaway. I took the train from Yonago to Okayama, a trip I haven't taken since...the last time I took this test, two years ago. Since then, they've upgraded the trains that run this route, replacing all the old bench-style seats with more comfortable bucket seats...(I kind of liked the bench seats better. Easier to stretch out when you didn't have a seatmate.)

When I first took this particular train, back when I interviewed for my current job, I was struck by the beauty of this region. The train tracks follow a river for most of the route, and although the river is armored and fortified like practically all of Japan's rivers, the powers-that-be decided to let the river retain it's natural meandering course, rather than the straight-line concrete ditch style that is more typical.

[inside joke for Doug] BEHOLD: the power of Nature. [/inside joke]

Also, I went to a Freshness Burger for the first time in years. MmmMMMmmm. There is one near Tenmonkan Dori in Kagoshima City that I often visited. This time, I had their "Classic Double Double Burger." HUGE Double cheeseburger, with real cheddar, and lots of veggie-type toppings. SO greasy. SO bad for me. SO delicious....

They also have a Spam Sandwich that I really like. For some reason mentioning this caused everyone else in the old Kagoshima gang to gag. Oh well. (^_-)