I was going to enthuse about roasted cauliflower (summary: SO GOOD), but then Tim made blueberry pancakes for dinner because I was stressed and sad, and I gotta say, blueberry pancakes are pretty fucking awesome.

Blueberry pancakes are, indeed, pretty fucking awesome.

Banh mi today (this is your fault, Hec)

I take full responsibility. I actually tried to make my dinner sandwich somewhat banh mi...ish. I only partly succeeded but it wasn't a failure either. (My instincts weren't bad but I think I know how I could correct on at least two fronts. All hail Salt Fat Acid Heat.)

I used to make vegan Shepard's Pie for JZ all the time. The meaty part was soy crumbles sauteed with mushrooms, with mashed potatoes on top.

I only have the tedious little bits to address before our trip to Japan but they're the kind of things I avoid until I wake up at 3am the night before and realize I need to address them or we're fucked. So...probably tomorrow.

We are leaving on January 22nd which is pretty fucking soon.

That is soon! Get cracking on those tedious bits before they swamp you

Matilda has received her homestay family assignment in Japan.

I was a little thrown by them residing in Osaka, but it's basically like her taking BART from Oakland to SF then a Muni train to her destination.

The Bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto can be as short as 15 minutes (depending on what time you take).

Homestay: Ota Family

Notes: This homestay family is comprised of a mother, father, and two daughters. The mother works part-time, the father is an office worker, the youngest daughter is a nursery teacher, and the eldest daughter is an office worker. The eldest daughter no longer resides at home. They are friendly and kind family. They are looking forward to meeting you!

Children: 2 daughters: Ota Kiroka (1999) & Ota Kasumi (2002)

Neighborhood Notes: This homestay is located in a residential area. It is conveniently located near multiple convenience stores, a hospital, and park that follows Ai river.

Interests & Hobbies: The mother enjoys Kendo and country guitar. The family enjoys language learning and cultural exchange.

Pets: 1 dog

Mom does Kendo and country guitar! They have a dog! The eldest daughter who is out of the house is a little younger than Emmett. The younger daughter is a four years older than Matilda.

Matilda will be psyched to live with a dog!

From what I can tell her route to the train station is along the Ai river. It's a half hour walk or 11 minutes by bike. After she makes all her connections the Kyoto station she arrives at is two blocks from the language school.

I just looked at a video of the Osaka to Kyoto train and the stations are also marked out in English, and the trains, of course, are very clean and well maintained.

Plus, the chances of her running into Shonen Knife are greatly improved!

Oh, that all sounds really good! The transit sounds similar to when I took summer classes in Berkeley commuting by BART from Lafayette, but faster, and that was quite pleasant and felt so much more grown up than when I was just walking from dorm to lecture hall during the year.

Oh, Hec, that sounds just amazing! I am so thrilled for her. I can't wait to hear tales! Do you suppose she'd maintain a blog just for the Buffistas? (Kidding. Mostly.)

I'm so excited for Matilda! What an incredible experience she'll have.

If I haven't mentioned it yet today, the basement/foundation repair company is still at our neighbors' house. I'm beginning to think that they aren't repairing a hellmouth; maybe they're trying to conjure one.

lol, I don’t know how many of you are on TikTok, but it’s been pretty funny all the “welp, it’s been a good ride, where to next?” Today I saw one that said “y’all this is how the firefly universe starts—we all migrate to RedNote and learn Chinese swear words from regular people!”