My New Year's was uneventful. I'm finally going to have Christmas with Mom... tomorrow and Tuesday.

I still haven't sent E his Christmas present. He wants DnD model of buildings I tried looking but what I can find is either really expensive or cheap Temu crap. I can't seem to get the sweet spot of affordable. I'm trying to find something painted because I don't want to force him into a new hobby.

I keep forgetting to call the vet to get anti anxiety meds for Penny . She's been hissy and pissy lately... literally pissy although I've managed to put a pet pad in the one place and she'll use that. The place is right next to one of the litter boxes. There is one none of them are using. I don't know why.

It is crazy busy here. Everyone, including me, has people visiting to thaw out. My son is supposed to get 12" today. He is right in the lake effect path. It is soooo pretty, when you don't have to go anywhere.

I wanted to do the Zoom yesterday with ita's sister, but too much family stuff going on here. I did grab a Ting to drink.

I wanted to do the Zoom but had to work so....and work was good yesterday. I was training the new guy who is going to be responsible for dairy/frozen which will take a huge stress off my team.

But the produce truck didn't come yesterday so there were double trucks today. And one of the part timers got pulled for that. But there were 6 pallets of general merchandise left from last night and there is a new guy breaking down the pallets when they get here into the aisles and ....he is not doing great. Stuff was all mixed up. Boxes were stacked badly. So I spent a lot of time picking up boxes and restacking before I come ups out things out. So it's 1 pm and there are still 3 pallets left. The part time people are gone and I don't know if it will get put out. I can't do anything I would normally do because live freight has to be dealt with first

So I went from YAY things are looking up to...oh God everything sucks.

Matilda and I both getting very excited about Japan now.

For Tokyo we're staying in modern Western style hotel that's centrally located.

In Kyoto, though, we're staying in a Ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese Inn. The place I found was highly rated (especially for their food), offering discounted prices and literally located between Matilda's CIEE center and the language school.

Check it out: [link]

It’s so exciting, David! Can’t wait to see your pictures and hear the stories!

highly rated (especially for their food)

"Meals should be booked at least five days in advance." Wow. [link]

It looks amazing -- I'm with lisah -- can't wait to see photos and hear stories! So excited for you both.

I forget, how long will Matilda be there, and what are her living arrangements?

Timelies all!

Yesterday was kinda hectic. Apparently no plan survives contact with Mr. S. Originally Gary was going to go get him and bring him here for the afternoon. Then Mr. S decided he wanted Nana(Gary's mom) to be there, so they were going to pick her up on their way here. I go to do the weekly supermarket run, and almost as I get home I get a call that =I= need to go pick her up. First I put away the groceries, then I go pick her up. Of course, once we're all here, Mr. S shows little interest in doing something with her. He does decide he wants to go sledding on the barely a half inch of snow that is on the grass. He also decides he doesn't want to go back in time for dinner. As he has to be back by 7pm, that doesn't leave a lot of time to get dinner(It's about an hour from our house to the RTC). I bring Gary's mom back to her house, and return home around 5:20. Gary then takes Mr. S back and I end up meeting him for dinner around 8.

We're supposed to get some amount of snow starting tonight into tomorrow. Don't know how much, but I am expected to try to get to work even if things are closed. Let's hope not much snow has fallen by the time I need to leave tomorrow morning.

It’s so exciting, David! Can’t wait to see your pictures and hear the stories!

It really looks incredible!

I went to a women’s hockey game! We don’t have a team here but the Montreal and Boston teams played and it was pretty great (more for the atmosphere and the “Mansplain Hockey Elsewhere” shirt and similar signs and such, than for the actual hockey which I honestly don’t even know the rules of). It ended in a shootout! Or as my soccer friends and I said, “ooh its going to PKs!”