We opted for the Buffet breakfast this morning instead of room service, and it was a fascinating mix of Western and Asian options. Also, I get a daily newspaper in English and I have to say I have really enjoyed having a physical newspaper to read over breakfast.

The Buffet also reminded me of the great innovation that is Asian Banquet Eggs. (They mix baking soda into their scrambled eggs so they neither dry out nor get wet, but simply stay fluffy).

Matilda has started her new ESim code and is diligently awaiting the QR code. This is all so hinky it's giving me flashbacks to the mysterious and aggravating issue we all had in offices with Printer Drivers.

It really ought to be easier and more seamless, but then again I spent 18 months locked out of my AT&T account.

Matilda is eager to get her nails done in Tokyo and Jilli has given me a Side Quest so...off we go.

Glad to hear the Japan Adventure is continuing apace.

I'm not as sick as I was, but definitely improved. But as head colds usually go with me, the ick has moved towards the throat and lungs, so I'm now on cough medicine.

At least I can sit up and watch TV, so I watched FOUR movies yesterday, including both all-star versions of Death On The Nile.

Well, the EPA sent out an email (after close of business on a Friday?!) that all remote work agreements are rescinded and employees are expected back in the office (what office? Mr. Flea hasn’t been in one for almost 5 years) on February 24. We’ll see what the next steps are…

I wish I was roaming around Tokyo, even if my esim card wasn’t working.

*sigh*

It's the Christianized version of the Khmer Rouge method, starting with the government workers who actually keep things working. They must be removed from their jobs, preferably by quitting because we've made it impossible for them to come work in an office that doesn't actually exist.

Alas too many Trump voters are going to be really badly affected by this in the near and distant future, and the propaganda machine will tell them it's the fault of DEI and trans.

That's just abominable, flea. I'm sorry.

Yay for passport!

Japan continues to sound delightful.

all remote work agreements are rescinded and employees are expected back in the office

I can only imagine the number of thousands of families disrupted by this action. Burning it all down. Putting incompetent heads of departments in place whose objective is to close down the department. Making it miserable enough that employees leave. And yes, the propaganda machine will somehow blame the consequences on 'the others', whether that is DEI, or the Dems, or whoever is being targeted at the moment.

I'm grateful to have the Japan narration to distract me! David, when you get back and things settle down, I will get tips from you and Cashmere for planning my trip.

Here at Casa Holt my world is still a bit bright, although better every day. I have some peripheral flickering when adjacent to a bright window or screen, but they say that it is just the incisions that are healing. But the colors, man! Must be trippin'.

Brendon is suddenly the head coach for the varsity team because the previous coach quit with four games left in the regular season. Short version of entire season has been drama drama blah blah politics academia drama drama. Former HC had taken the position when his son transferred to the school, then the first month of school he transferred the kid to some prep school in CA, which was too good an opportunity to pass up. He stayed while the wife moved and continued to coach a team not good enough for his son. He was crap coach with a 3 and 13 record when he quit, after several of the team had quit over the past few weeks. The principal called DH and asked him to take over, so he asked his assistant to take over JV and he jumped into it. He has coached the last 2 games, winning both and all parties are excited. It is a lot, but the powers that be at school are providing him anything he asks for and we need to make a decision as to whether he will continue this next year. He loves the kids and has a good relationship with the department heads, so I'm thinking it will probably happen. That was the really short version.

I hope he can wrangle work and life and everything to continue that if he wants to -- between his enjoying it and knowing how great it must be for the kids to have him as a coach in their lives, that'd be great.

I still remember my volleyball coach so fondly. Just one or two little random things he did that were completely mundane but made me feel... competent? Seen? Something. He was also my gym teacher one year, and we were doing calethstenics, and he said, "Prior! Come up here and show the class how to do the crunches..." Me! Showing other people how to do a *physical activity* right! WHAT. I mean, crunches -- right? No big. But we did them at practice, so he had me demo. Seriously, forty-odd years later, that still makes me smile.

Wrangling work and life and everything is indeed a challenge. The administration has agreed to purchase the fancy AI video system which does the statistics and all kinds of amazing video feats. Doing film and stats is enormously time-consuming. Insane as it is, the coaches have always done the laundry at home, and they have agreed to take over that function. Again, time consuming. He'll have an office with a computer and all that so he can work there without having to balance a laptop on his knee. They want him to stay. He could be a full-time employee if he will do some substitute teaching. He tutored math in college, so he could do that. Just not English!!

There are a lot of details that would need to be worked out, but we have time for that. I assume that there will be standard recruiting requirements, but kids, parents, and administration all love him so if he decides it is what he wants then it will likely happen. It is 100% his decision because that is how we roll, but he asked my initial feelings, and I think it is now or never and he should do it. The school is 7 miles away, so only an hour in city traffic. (jk, but it can be 15-45 minutes depending on bridges, time of day, the usual city stuff)