Hey There! It’s 8:44 AM EST, 19°F, light snow.
Welcome to 2026! The weather is ringing in the new year with snow and cold. I am guessing anyone planning a First Day Hike in this area is re-thinking it.
Yesterday was busy indeed, and while I think it went some way towards relieving some anxiety, it’s not all gone. The weather turned quite snowy as the day went on, and so I stayed in all day. Just as well, as there was enough to keep me busy.
The first order of business yesterday was doing a test packing for Japan and seeing how much stuff equals 22 lbs (10kg). On first packing, I got up to 21.5 lbs, which is great. But of course there is stuff I don’t have yet I want to take, so that’s not a final number, and will require purging. The first thing to purge was my computer. I am in fact typing this on a Mac Mini with a portable Mac bluetooth keyboard, and as far as I can see, this will be enough for ten days to look up information and stay in touch with people. That’s all I really have to do - a computer is overkill. I also had a small camera in the bag, but I think that’s gonna go as well, since I have my phone as a camera. At this point, though, I believe I can stay within the limit, as at one point I had it all down to 20.5 lbs. I have to be ruthless.
That took up most of the morning. After lunch, I decided to watch the highlights of the Ashes and not the complete tests. I felt the need to get that out of the way so it wasn’t on my plate anymore. I knew Australia was going to win the third test anyway, which they did by 86 runs, and that retained the Ashes for Australia. I watched highlights of the 4th test, and it looked like a wild one, more like a T20 contest with two innings rather than a test. England appeared to go back to “Baz Ball”, and the entire test was over in two day, with England winning its first test on Australian soil in some time. Today or tomorrow starts the 5th test, but the Ashes are fundamentally over. So I won’t be worrying about the 5th test.
Later in the evening, my brother called with news of our accommodations. We will be sleeping “family style” in Japan, with everyone on a tatami mat in one room. Some locations will allow for three to a room, but privacy will be at a minimum. Total cost for the entire trip for accommodations is $414/person. So while it doesn’t sound exactly charming, it’s incredibly cheap, and if it’s OK with my sister-in-law, I think I can put up with it for 10 days or so. Not ideal, but not bad given we are going at the height of the cherry blossom season.
Dinner was lentil soup and homemade Italian bread. The lentil soup is an Italian tradition for the new year, supposedly bringing luck. I spent the better part of the evening doing research on attractions and sights in Japan to see if anything has to be arranged in advance. This is really a shrine and temple trip, so at this point I haven’t found too many places requiring advanced reservations except possibly the Imperial Palace. I’ll be adding to the list in the coming days. Bedtime 11:05 PM
‘Til We Meet Again!