Timelies all!

I work at NIH and the template email showed up in my inbox. Ugh.

We are flying to visit my folks in Florida tomorrow. No snow where they are, but it'll be warmer than here. We get back Sunday night.

For the first time in 2 years I have successfully linked my external hard drive (holds all my music and backups of pics) to iTunes/music AND I’m getting to update the music on my phone and offload pics!

It’s very exciting.

And because I’m slightly OCD and my anxiety likes a project, I am getting album artwork off the interwebs for anything Apple music is not producing (odd what they “do not have”)

News doesn't make it to me most of the day, and I've been trying to avoid it. But on the way home I saw the thing about Trump declassifying info about JFK/RFK/MLK Jr assassinations and felt sort of disoriented by not being appalled by something he did. I mean, the next story more than made up for it, but it was a weird minute there.

On the upside, my ex-boyfriend just posted that anyone who's "okay with what's happening" should "go fuck yourself you rancid piece of shit," which raised my spirits. I dated the best people.

Hec, thank you for injecting some outside goodness. That is one nice hotel, and goes against every stereotype I've ever had about Tokyo.

Trump declassifying info about JFK/RFK/MLK Jr assassinations and felt sort of disoriented by not being appalled by something he did.

My first reaction is that he did it to distract from something HUGE he's about to pull.

As in, everything.

EPA staff cannot hold meetings with outside parties. DHS disbanded all "affinity groups". The names of all probationary employees are to be reported.

I'm feeling slightly less panicky now, because my staff are probably reasonably well protected: they were hired into remote positions, and that does come with some protections: we cannot unilaterally change the terms of their employment without notice. I may end up back in the office 4-5 days/week, which I just will have to live with.

But nobody is able to focus on their work and everyone is twitchy.

That sounds a little better, Suela.

Obviously the whole point of the back to work orders is to get people to quit without payoffs and and layoffs.

Something went awry with Matilda’s ESim On her phone and it is making her so anxious trying to navigate a big city without her phone.

So we took special excursion via Metro to try to rectify it. But now we’re in a Starbucks near a visitor center just for the Wi-Fi (since our sim plans aren’t working ) and to take a pee.

Things conquered: getting money at 7-11, riding subway and making connection to get to Asakusa, seeing Karnarion gate and major outdoor shopping arcade filled with middle school kids roaming around after school in their uniforms and many women wearing beautiful kimonos (you can rent them here).

Things that conquered us: Suica cards, ESim set up, bouts of frustration and bickering.

But Matilda just bought a new plan and allegedly we can pick up the activation code at the visitor center two blocks away.

eta: We were indeed able to get a new precious one-time only login code for an ESim account. And we're back at the hotel with a robust WiFi connection. So we're taking a pit stop then we're going to get ramen, just an 8 minute walk from the hotel.

Loving your travel report, Hec! Keep it coming!!

I think I would be anxious trying to navigate a new city without a phone, too! Because in this day and age, I would not have prepped myself with transit maps and best routes to get places and restaurants and, and, and like we had to do in the olden days.

Loving the vicarious travel! I hope you get tickets to the immersion installations you were talking about -- I watched the video. So cool.

I shipped out the box of (largely useless) files, etc. from the client that was giving me such agita last month, so a psychic weight is lifted. Ahhhhh.

It's 26 whole-ass degrees here today. Practically balmy!

It is a delight to see so many posts while I have been giving my eyes a break! Excuse any blatant typos as the world is still pretty bright.

The explanation for Elon's fascist display is that a person can be both autistic and a fucking Nazi.

Clearly

Suela, you’ve been on my mind these past few days. So enraging. I don’t know who else around here (directly, immediately) impacted, besides possibly flea’s DH, but I’m really sorry for all this painful unnecessary and ultimately destructive bullshit you’re dealing with.

I can't say it better. Complete insanity

I am overjoyed at the Smay trip to Japan. DH has so many wonderful memories from his years there. I look forward to reading many update posts!! Yoki kokai wo!

Warm wishes for all the sub-zero folks. I found the plastic window stuff you tighten up with the hair dryer works pretty well for drafts. I think we are supposed to get into the 40s here, which means iguana drops, which is hysterical, but dangerous since people think they are dead.

Good news: the pituitary adenoma has shrunk. Benign neglect for the win!

Well done, body!

My business warehouse is now in an evacuation warning zone. We just told the folks working there to get the heck out.

I hope the predicted rain is the right balance of gentleness to be helpful and not harmful.

Sounds like your surgeries went well, Laura -- can't wait to hear how you like your new view once your eyeballs settle down.