Hey There! It's 7:56 AM EST, 24°F, light snow.
Back on track this morning on the last day of 2025. The days are fast ticking off until traveling to AZ begins. Time moves faster than you'd like.
Yesterday I started off the day at the ophthalmologist. I have pigmentary glaucoma, and I usually see him twice a year. All is normal. The pressure on the optic nerve seems to be under control, some early stages of cataracts but no immediate need for surgery, peripheral vision still good. Good outcomes all around. I got my eyedrop prescriptions and blood pressure medication filled to take to Japan. I also received a clean bill of health from my blood work, although my glucose is just a tad high at 107. My doctor is not concerned about that.
When I came home I had a lox, onion bagel and cream cheese sandwich for breakfast, splitting it with DW. Then I set about trying to organize myself for packing for Japan. I have to take everything I'll need for Japan with me to AZ. I am very anxious and concerned about the luggage weight limit on Japan Airlines, as it is only 22 lbs (10kg). I was going to buy another suitcase, but I have decided to try and use the one I have already, which I think is too small. but it's 6.5 lbs. (~3 kg) in weight. I have to get the dimensions today.
Later in the afternoon I called my brother to see how he was doing getting accommodations. He seems to be having trouble finding inexpensive ones. This is also spiking my anxiety. I offered to help, but he was sort of dismissive, so I will wait a bit and see what he comes up with. He's looking at places outside Tokyo and considering day trips in, which is not a bad idea. I am not going to Tokyo for the nightlife, so commuting is an OK option as long as it's less than 30 minutes by train. I am still on the fence about the Japan Rail Pass.
I got a lot of stuff delivered yesterday, including a sling bag, a small flashlight, a luggage scale, and some location tiles. I have to be careful about overdoing the tech. I may consider not taking a laptop, just my iPad Mini. Today is going to be filled with testing my loadout for the trip.
Dinner was a very good cauliflower cheese pie with potato crust. DW found a new recipe she'd never used, and it made the potato much softer and creamier. After dinner I checked into another style of accommodation in Japan that's a step up from a capsule hotel. If I were traveling alone, I'd probably used upgraded capsule hotels myself and store luggage in a locker, but I'm a little constrained by other travelers. I finished the day with another session of Ashes cricket, watching until Australia was bowled out in the second innings of the third test. England is on the ropes, and at this point I may simply watch the highlights of England's second innings and get to the end of the third test quicker. Something tells me AUS has already taken the urn, so my interest is fading a bit. And with my travel anxiety rising, I should look for other things to do as I prepare to head west. Bedtime was 11:15 PM.
I am not much of a NYE guy, having passed that stage long ago. I do understand the psychology of renewal and resolution and starting fresh, but I don't get too much into the celebration. I'll be in bed tonight before the chimes ring at midnight. But I will note as the year ends that I have been writing here since August 3, so that's 5 months of consistent, almost daily writing. This has somehow helped the time to pass, and while I am not sure at all if I'm any better a writer, at least I have been able to write something almost every day, and that for me is a success. So I made my resolution in August, and I've managed so far to keep it going. 2026 is shaping up to be a full year. Bring it on!
'Til We Meet Again!