The seeds of yet another dream can be traced back to family summer vacations spent in the Canadian Rockies from age ten. Unconventional, we spent…
Allen LindskoogApril 7, 2021
The Blog
Sitting in an office waiting room with waiting men, if one were to walk in this office it would seem like some sort of club…
Allen LindskoogMarch 30, 2021
Standing inside a warming hut, the size and look of a one room log cabin meant to house eight, there were more than three times…
Allen LindskoogMarch 26, 2021
Welcome back to Part Dos. If you haven't already done so I suggest reading Part Uno first. https://tokyoliving123.com/dancing-on-the-inside/ Bringing this back to the train ride…
Allen LindskoogMarch 10, 2021
It seems I freaked a lot of people out with a previous post about “My Left Foot.” Those that freaked out either don’t know my…
Allen LindskoogMarch 5, 2021
I wonder if meerkats make good pets? They remind me of ferrets so I assume they would. But I have never seen anyone walking a…
Allen LindskoogFebruary 25, 2021
I lost my left foot to amputation and like a car accident you couldn’t turn away. You just had to look didn’t you. I am…
Allen LindskoogFebruary 22, 2021
This is part II of a two part-er. Part I is below. https://tokyoliving123.com/small-minded-titans-of-industry-part-i/ After that night of tears and accepting this reality I knew what…
Allen LindskoogFebruary 15, 2021
Now don’t be getting sold a bill of goods. Those so-called titans of industry have all kinds of credentials to back up their titles and…
Allen LindskoogFebruary 8, 2021
NOTE: An oldie but updated goodie. University tests complete, grades submitted, winter vacation begins. No time to waste. Enjoy, create, simplify and support. I had…
Allen LindskoogFebruary 1, 2021
I had plans to spend a nice snowy afternoon of writing at one of my fav coffee shops the other day. Expectations aside, you make…
Allen LindskoogJanuary 29, 2021
I don’t know about you, but just when I get a handle on life another hole springs a leak. For most of my life I…
Allen LindskoogJanuary 25, 2021
Two things I’ve always wanted to try. The first has to do with social media, email and texting. For one full week I would like…
Allen LindskoogJanuary 18, 2021
I would like to start by saying, while I wish this were a story about a long running show where three blue men found the…
Allen LindskoogJanuary 12, 2021
NEWS FLASH: An updated post - Read on if ya wanna read about some recent revelations concerning words! Lying low going on two (now four)…
Allen LindskoogJanuary 4, 2021
NOTE: Chronology plays a role in storytelling. Read A Christmas Story (1975) before reading this. https://tokyoliving123.com/a-christmas-story-1975/ Fast forward 35 years. A new story not unlike…
Allen LindskoogDecember 31, 2020
During the winter my Father keeps the thermometer at a balmy 50 degrees. Between my body heat and the four layers of bedding I am…
Allen LindskoogDecember 26, 2020
NOTE: Lately I've been returning to some favorite posts such as this and re-editing. Besides, with Christmas just around the corner, and the difficult circumstances…
Allen LindskoogDecember 23, 2020
I am revisiting and editing this post because I have been for nearly a month in a somewhat self-imposed isolation. While I would prefer to…
Allen LindskoogDecember 21, 2020
Photo Source - Le Mon Welcome to Psalm 2. If you haven’t read Psalm 1 I recommend you do. https://tokyoliving123.com/almost-jesus-psalm-1/ I thought to myself, “Why…
Allen LindskoogDecember 17, 2020
I was, almost Jesus. True story. Having just moved to New York City to pursue the dream of becoming an actor I was praying for…
Allen LindskoogDecember 14, 2020
A while back I wrote a post titled, "Life as Theater." The gist of the post is that we all wear masks to cover up…
Allen LindskoogDecember 7, 2020
People are funny, then they aren’t and then it’s tragic. I am not a fan of Starbucks, but on occasion when I want to mix…
Allen LindskoogDecember 4, 2020
No, not a misspelling or that kind of kooky. Although, you may feel I am as you read on. This kooky is the Japanese word…
Allen LindskoogNovember 30, 2020
What a strange time we are living in. With Thanksgiving upon us I am sure many of you are unable to spend time with family…
Allen LindskoogNovember 26, 2020
“I want to tell you a little story, It makes me feel warm inside. It’s about some friends growing up and all the things they…
Allen LindskoogNovember 25, 2020
I see you, cowering in the corner. I see you doing it alone. I see you afraid to look within. I see you unwilling. I…
Allen LindskoogNovember 20, 2020
I am often at a quandary about the thoughts floating around my head about what I see, feel and want to say. How much of…
Allen LindskoogNovember 19, 2020
Well it has come to this. My name is _______ and I’m an ________. The reality we are all addicts in some form or another.…
Allen LindskoogNovember 14, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm6Iz-I5OmQ Listen to the opening lyrics to a song called "Territorial Pissings," from the 90s band Nirvana. A pretty prosperous time in America. Nirvana topping…
Allen LindskoogNovember 11, 2020
10KHRS, not to be confused with 10KLRS A few years back I read a book by the author Malcolm Gladwell titled "Outliers" about how successful…
Allen LindskoogNovember 9, 2020
It’s been a few days since the election and finally we have a definitive decision. Normally, I would be baffled by the continued support of…
Allen LindskoogNovember 7, 2020
Living in Japan we are one day ahead of the US. As I write this it is Wednesday morning. I am at Starbucks having a…
Allen LindskoogNovember 4, 2020
I don’t know if it is aging, the time of the month or year, but my soul aches for the world. Spending the evening and…
Allen LindskoogNovember 2, 2020
I rarely get nightmares. Come to think of it I don’t dream very often. I like to think that dreams and nightmares are our psyche’s…
Allen LindskoogOctober 31, 2020
This was originally published last year prior to the pandemic. It looks as though we are all in this for the long haul. So I…
Allen LindskoogOctober 28, 2020
Think back to your high school days and your best friend? Think of one of the best times you had together. How did you feel?…
Allen LindskoogOctober 26, 2020
Artist - Pawel Kuczynski Words are interpreted through the lens of one’s experience. It doesn't matter if I think I am clear about the meaning…
Allen LindskoogOctober 23, 2020
Waking up late on a recent cold and rainy Saturday morning I did not want to get up. The comfort of my futon, the warm…
Allen LindskoogOctober 20, 2020
Sounding like the man in the above photo, I was pissing and moaning recently to a friend about not having more of a readership for…
Allen LindskoogOctober 14, 2020
oday’s blog post is nothing more than a straight up stream of consciousness exercise in writing. I usually like to add a creative bent with…
Allen LindskoogOctober 12, 2020
TfhaffkgdsghkhkhdF lkksdhsdkfhfkjsahg g ghhsdfkdgdhklp9uf,shdhjf U kjshfdshdfhjksdhjkhdsgkjfkjhjC aakjjhasdfasjkhgljksahghjkhjkgK kjshdakjhhkhadfkjjhkshdkhY jhasdfjkhasdgkjhassg gkjht4kjaskjdgjghkhgO jkasdghkjahsgkjhkgU "Klang klang, klangy, klnag klang that's the sound of the gun going bang bang."…
Allen LindskoogOctober 8, 2020
Depression's got a hold of meDepression, I gotta break freeDepression's got a hold on meDepression's gonna kill me https://youtu.be/kOMdilYvo6I Actually, my depression is not that…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 30, 2020
The size allows for more than the usual amount of coffee. The mug is soft and round with a slight heaviness to it. It’s what…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 28, 2020
Don’t be alarmed I am not a fatalist or nihilist for that matter. I just wanted to grab your attention with the title. While walking…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 25, 2020
High noon Tokyo. Two men fifty paces stare each other down like a scene from the shoot out at the OK Corral. One dressed in…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 23, 2020
Sitting here at the keyboard typing this blog post I am blissed out from fatigue and the remaining dopamine flowing through my brain veins after…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 21, 2020
Japanese graveyard - Photo credit Reiko I was out for an early ride this morning around our sleepy suburban town of Koganei City on the…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 16, 2020
Sitting across from me right now is my favorite person in the whole wide world. We have been calling him Luke since birth. The greatest…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 14, 2020
Photo credit Reiko One of the first tenets of writing I hear from so many writers is to find your voice. For years I wondered…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 11, 2020
There is less than two weeks before the second semester of classes begin. When this time comes knowing that vacation is nearing the end I…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 9, 2020
I used to be an actor if you didn’t know. Looking over the course of life it seems I tend to be a late bloomer…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 7, 2020
Welcome back to part two of a two part series titled, "Tales From the Dark Side of Tokyo." If you haven’t done so, check out…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 4, 2020
This is part one of a two part series of true stories experienced along the Tamagawa River which begins in the mountains snaking its way…
Allen LindskoogSeptember 3, 2020
I debated as to whether or not to make this public. Part of my daily writing process is to do fifteen minutes of warm ups.…
Allen LindskoogAugust 31, 2020
I spent the better part of the evening the other night watching a Frontline documentary video on the farm workers of California. The challenges they…
Allen LindskoogAugust 26, 2020
No not the title of the David Bowie song, rather a comparison between two train stations in Tokyo. Shinjuku, one of the biggest train stations…
Allen LindskoogAugust 25, 2020
As you know by now I bicycle a lot. Usually 5-6 times per week. My routes are anywhere from 40km - 200km (25 - 125…
Allen LindskoogAugust 23, 2020
Well going with the continued theme of video-like blogging. This one is from today atop my trusty steel steed. On my way back from an…
Allen LindskoogAugust 22, 2020
Today I am trying something new. I am going to start posting videos on a relatively new platform (alternative to the behemoth YouTube) called Cinnamon.…
Allen LindskoogAugust 20, 2020
Standing in front of our condo waiting for my son to come out before going skateboarding at our local park. It is the hottest time…
Allen LindskoogAugust 19, 2020
“Let’s give it to Mikey. He won’t like it, he hates everything.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQ0LZSnJFE Like Mikey, in my younger days I was never satisfied. There I…
Allen LindskoogAugust 17, 2020
This is part 2 of a two part series from my book excerpt edited for blog reading consumption. If you have not read Part 1…
Allen LindskoogAugust 14, 2020
Thought I would try something a little different. This is the first of a two part excerpt from my yet to be published book -…
Allen LindskoogAugust 12, 2020
This is part 2 of a two part series on Greed. If you are coming to this for the first time check out part 1…
Allen LindskoogAugust 10, 2020
Part 1 - Let's Talk About Greed Have you ever experienced greed? My first response and maybe yours too, I am not a greedy person.…
Allen LindskoogAugust 7, 2020
Look up the definition of abide. Go ahead. No? Of course you didn’t, you don’t like to be told what to do. I’ll do it…
Allen LindskoogAugust 4, 2020
I am going in a completely different direction with this latest post and head straight for the stars. First let me preface what I am…
Allen LindskoogJuly 29, 2020
I want to fess up to something. I originally posted a longer version of this last year. With so much going in the world it…
Allen LindskoogJuly 27, 2020
Whenever I listen to the loudest voice in my head it is usually not a good sign. I don’t mean in some serial killer kind…
Allen LindskoogJuly 24, 2020
Experiencing the world with yet another piece of the veil lifted. The view is a little clearer. I wonder if that is really what life…
Allen LindskoogJuly 22, 2020
Minnesotans are not known as braggarts. We are humble to a fault sort of folks. I suspect it has to do with our Scandinavian roots.…
Allen LindskoogJuly 19, 2020
Well the 1st semester of teaching is winding down. That means a ton of free time on my hands until mid-September. Well free in the…
Allen LindskoogJuly 15, 2020
For some reason I do my best thinking when I am on my bike. I think it is the feeling of the wind, open spaces,…
Allen LindskoogJuly 13, 2020
A recent revelation, "No big deal." No big deal in the sense that I do not have to make a big deal out anything if…
Allen LindskoogJuly 11, 2020
Growing up I was very sensitive. I used to take things so personally. In hindsight I had a tendency to wear my heart on my…
Allen LindskoogJuly 9, 2020
The title of this blog is one of a few mantras I say every morning. The key is to live by them and not just…
Allen LindskoogJuly 8, 2020
I used to be an actor many years ago. I was bit by the acting bug in a big way in my late 20s. Starting…
Allen LindskoogJuly 6, 2020
I like to start my posts with a story based on experience connecting and letting it influence my writing. Today, Saturday, July 4th 2020, my…
Allen LindskoogJuly 4, 2020
Looking in the past and being consciously aware is really living in the present. And because I know I am doing that, I have a…
Allen LindskoogJuly 2, 2020
I prefer the word dawdle to procrastinate even though they pretty much mean the same thing. Dawdle is more enjoyable to say. I also think…
Allen LindskoogJune 28, 2020
The path we walk while wide early in life tends to narrow as we age. It may be our lot in life depending upon how…
Allen LindskoogJune 25, 2020
I wonder if I will ever really run out of ideas or topics to write about. It does seem as long as I am alive…
Allen LindskoogJune 23, 2020
PHOTO CREDIT - https://www.instagram.com/reiko_foodphotos/ I have had a lot of friends during my lifetime. Only some are still around and most others have faded away.…
Allen LindskoogJune 22, 2020
Let me say this from the get-go, this is not going to be some gushing fanboy post about his genius. It’s a preface to something…
Allen LindskoogJune 20, 2020
Something that been on my mind as of late, and notice it in so many areas of my life, is the question, how much of…
Allen LindskoogJune 20, 2020
I had lunch recently with two older Japanese guys that I see weekly at the gym. Both are retired and in their 70s. On occasion…
Allen LindskoogJune 17, 2020
I like this simple two-letter word that is used in a myriad of ways. I think it has a deeper more poignant meaning than the…
Allen LindskoogJune 15, 2020
Who am I to judge about what goes on behind the scenes of Tokyo train stations? All I know it remains a secret. One can…
Allen LindskoogJune 11, 2020
It is quite amazing how our past experiences inform what we do and who we are today. We are not the same people and yet…
Allen LindskoogJune 10, 2020
So often we start something only to give it up in a short time. Whether a diet, exercise program or a creative endeavor like writing.…
Allen LindskoogJune 10, 2020
I have been thinking about instinct lately. We all have it in and it comes in different forms. For some it is a feeling, others…
Allen LindskoogJune 8, 2020
This is another take on a topic I have previously written about. Recently listening to a Sam Harris Making Sense podcast I am inspired to…
Allen LindskoogJune 7, 2020
This post is inspired by the movie "Dark Waters" directed by Todd Haynes I saw the other night. Without giving too much away, the gist…
Allen LindskoogJune 5, 2020
Welcome to part 2 of a 2 part series. If you missed it you can read part 1 here. With reluctance I accepted this fact…
Allen LindskoogJune 3, 2020
This is part one of a two part series. When my son was first born ten years ago (his birthday is February 15th). It was…
Allen LindskoogJune 2, 2020
Graffiti courtesy of Banksy Sitting in my favorite local non-corporate owned coffee shop on the outskirts of Tokyo on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, it’s hard…
Allen LindskoogMay 31, 2020
The topic of global warming came to me during an early morning bike ride along the trustworthy Tamagawa River. Tucked in behind a not-so-powerful moped…
Allen LindskoogMay 29, 2020
Photo Source - Jason Rosewell - Unsplash I used to be an actor many years ago in both Minneapolis and New York City. During the…
Allen LindskoogMay 28, 2020
Just for the hell of it I decided to revise a story I wrote over a year ago titled, "Let There Be More Blood." A…
Allen LindskoogMay 25, 2020
Okay let me preface today's post. I am not religious, spiritual, yes if sitting on a cushion feeling your breath come in and out of…
Allen LindskoogMay 20, 2020
People come along in life at just the right time. I am on the train debating whether to listen to the new Liam Gallagher album…
Allen LindskoogMay 13, 2020
With so much information coming from so many sources nobody really knows the truth. I know the narrative has gained so much momentum saying anything…
Allen LindskoogMay 12, 2020
As some of you know I am currently working on a book - 10KLRS. Thus far it is going on nearly two years with another…
Allen LindskoogMay 10, 2020
Everyday is a new day. Every chapter is a new chapter. Staring anew everyday. Start from that place life is much easier going. If we…
Allen LindskoogMay 5, 2020
I like that I can get things done that I put my mind to. I am still a flawed individual that much I know. Yes…
Allen LindskoogMay 3, 2020
I trust my instinct and act on it. Meeting someone on a random corner at a random time last week turned into a nice bike…
Allen LindskoogApril 30, 2020
People only get a slice of one’s life and pass judgments on that slice. The reality, people never know what goes on hour after hour,…
Allen LindskoogApril 23, 2020
About Me
I am a Minnesotan living in Tokyo, Japan for more than a decade. I occasionally love to share my day-to-day experience through this blog.