New Car, New Problems

The old hatchback has returned to the road with new life under the hood, after a lot of tweaks and probably a pint of blood lost from my knees during testing. The thing can turn a lot better than it used to, so much that I had to pin my leg to the side of the car just to stay planted in the seat while turning. The g-forces were that crazy. The kid took it for a few runs. He seems to be having problems getting it to the hotels for delivery and back home in the same timeframe as he used to in the old car. What gives? It turns out, he confessed that he, quote, "can't drive it fast because it behaves differently". I think I found my secret weapon to keep the kid from racing cars anymore: just give him the keys to a car he doesn't know how to drive.

All the same, time is money. I "forgot" to add a key part to the car that would allow it to go faster than a set limit,specifically to stop the kid dead in his tracks if he wanted to goof off and try to race it again. Maybe he'll figure out, maybe not. So long as deliveries are made, I'm happy.

I'm going to make a small admission. I used to be involved in racing. I won't say how involved, since I know the police can see this webpage, but I have extensive knowledge of the sport. However, I wasn't in Akina at the time, so I still have nothing to do with the apparently infamous Bunta Fujiwara that used to tear down the mountain roads with his eyes closed... oh, those were the days...

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah. Damn kids and their backwards caps.

Deliveries Returning Soon

We have a new engine for the car, and my son was kind enough to donate funds to purchase it. You have no idea how hard it is to find a solid running engine for an old car like this. I wanted something that could withstand the foolish little mistakes the kid keeps making with it longer than the original engine, and I nailed one down after making a few phone calls to friends in the business. The engine is already in the car, but I'm not satisfied with it just yet. It handles roughly right now, so we're going through some aches and pains (literally) trying to tame it enough that it can be driven safely. Think of it like breaking a wild horse. And my poor old knees.

Recently, I've had a few kids come in asking me to give them tips and tricks for driving down the mountain roads "as fast as possible". Why would anybody want to throw their life away so recklessly, and why are they asking me of all people? My advice: mind the corners, mind oncoming cars, and mind traffic law. Anybody stupid enough to race around that road is bound to be discovered in a burning wreck the next morning. You could hit a guardrail, or get caught in the rain gutters. Both options result in a hefty repair bill, so why risk it out there? In my day, we passed time chasing girls, not a time record on an old mountain road. Half of these kids would have their own kids by now, if they were real men.

Speaking of real men, I'm not a street racer and never was, because that's for little boys. Get out of my store, you crazy kids! Who keeps coming up with these rumors that I raced cars? You've got the wrong guy! Just because I know a thing or two about cars, and happen to have just purchased a newer car that looks like a racing car (still waiting on delivery) doesn't mean that I have anything to do with racing.

Can't I just like nice cars?

The Kid Killed My Car

I swear, kids these days.

I got a call early this morning regarding "an old hatchback" that had apparently broken down sporting a Fujiwara Tofu Shop decal on the side. We only have one delivery vehicle, so I knew it was that idiot son of mine finally getting what was coming to him. I had to rent a wrecker to come get him. He was stranded on the old Akagi mountain road of all places. I'm sure that the time he got to spend waiting for me was more than enough to contemplate just how much he'd screwed things up.

As it turns out, he's been racing that poor car against these newer fancy things on the mountain roads for fun. For fun! The nerve of these brats. He says he lost to a "Land Evo", whatever that is. Sounds Korean. I don't know what to think about that. I'm not exactly mad, considering that he seems to be already have been punished enough with the guilt of destroying my car. He even offered to pay for repairs with his paltry part time job salary. I intend to take him up on that offer, but it won't be to repair the car. He fried the engine past the point of repair. It would be more expensive to fix the existing block than it would be to just put a new engine in there, so that's what I'll eventually do. Until then, he's going to be using a bicycle for deliveries and earning my forgiveness.

Apologies to customers for longer delivery times. This is a temporary inconvenience and we will be waiving delivery fees to compensate.

How is it that his child could be possessed to race a 10-year-old car against these newfangled crayola cars with big power and no spirit? I bought that car brand new with my hard earned money when the brat wasn't even in preschool. He should show a little respect for the elderly.

Yuuichi just called.

My friend Yuuichi called a few minutes ago, saying that he apparently saw me driving by the lake earlier this morning. I think he's a few noodles short of a fresh bowl, if you catch my meaning. I haven't been doing early morning tofu deliveries in many years. I hired a delivery boy to do those runs so I could enjoy my sleep at normal hours. Kids these days seem to be staying up all hours of the night anyway, so why not put them to good use?

Deliveries to the hotel on Akina Lake are on schedule this morning. You can't miss the livery decal on the old hatchback.

Welcome to my webpage.

Many apologies if this looks terrible, but I just found out about this internet and putting your words on it. This is the official website for my tofu shop in Akina-Haruna Township. My name is Fujiwara Bunta, and I have been the owner-operator of the shop ever since it was opened in 1985. I sell many varieties of affordable tofu made on-site, by hand, from scratch. Customers can come to the store and buy in person, or take advantage of our delivery option for a small fee. I guarantee that your order will be in your hands "on time, every time" courtesy of my experienced tofu car driver.

There is a rumor going around that I am a "street racer" that used to drive recklessly on the mountain roads in the area. I assure you that I have no relation to this person. I just sell tofu.

I will be updating this page every now and then with local news and observations, since I spend a lot of time outside the store people-watching. You never know what will happen next in my neck of the woods.