A @Sacchan@wandering.shop

Well, ended up staying in bed with cat instead of going to the hospital to clean again. Their account had no info on today, and also I think I need the day to plan my hiking trip for whenever I can actually go so it doesn’t feel like my dreams have been completely squashed

The southern prefectural hospital was filled with water for most of 1st floor. Thankfully no one died but they’ve still got a lot of work before they can reopen. Volunteered 9 am-11:30 and then we got called off because of a power leakage. Found info on how to volunteer from Twitter, which I regretfully re-signed up for. Lots of high schoolers: I think some of those were closed today.
I’m within biking distance so might as well go tomorrow even if no updates on Twitter

For those curious, here’s the waterline outside our apartment parking lot (maybe clearer in 2nd picture) and a pic of typical road! We were lucky here

It’s the “eat and drink my feelings” phase of the large scale natural disaster!
There’s not much we can do until the volunteer centers get set up anyway.
Our area was lucky. Everything drained away but all the sidewalks are dirty. Flooded maybe a foot or so?

We evacuated when the city told us to, but to higher ground, because our designated shelter wasn’t higher than where we were. We brought emergency rations (from kit I bought), 2 water bottles, cat food and toilet & 2 bowls, cat (of course) and carrier, tbrush and tpaste, towels, my passport, raincoat, phone chargers, extra socks and undies. Sleeping bag. Lots of blankets already in car. I forgot: phone charger cord, wish we’d had cat leash and rainboots.

I’m very pleased with what we opted to bring, when and how we evacuated, and how we decided to come back. Nature doesn’t mess around.

We spent last night to this afternoon either evacuated on a hill in our car with the cat or trying to get back to our (thankfully unflooded apartment)

Meanwhile, in Japan, a pretty awful typhoon is coming and everything for the weekend is cancelled except “sit inside and pat the kitty”

So I went to a local event today! Lots of traditional dancing, 95% of which I’d never seen because lived in a neighboring but different prefecture. I loved it! It was free, and I got to socialize with a lot of older ladies.
The constant “are you an English teacher?” gets annoying but I’d better get used to that by now, because Japan’s gonna Japan...maybe I’ll try countering with a gentle “we’re not all English teachers...” (while thinking: for example, some of us don’t speak English...)

@sophia I can’t figure out how to show you but I just retooted this wonderful pic of a grackle parent with a classic expression

My theory about tofu (maybe wrong):
Do the current step of cooking to it, like “seasoning,” or “apply heat” until you think “this is ridiculous” and THEN, only then, might it be enough.

*For 2nd time this week, drove the mobile death cage to supermarket (all the while thinking that I probably shouldn’t call it that and other things in my head, not helpful). Now I remember how I survived driving before, though: repetition of the same routes and *music*!
*Reached out to friend
*Got ticket for local event because I’m going to get out of the house, and be near other humans dammit
*Had lots of satisfying autumn-y soups
*Uh also worked a little

Another day, another loss to spoiled kitty (as it should be). This time he wailed tragically in front of my closet until I opened it and is now fast asleep in clothes box.

Ha, I just got a several decades old twinge of “it’s going to ask me to switch CDs now”
Riven had a lot too. Like 6 or 7? (I looked it up: 5) A new disk was super exciting though, that was the good part

Time to replay Riven!

Aw he sent me a bird video to identify, hooray

Augh, when will husband give update on how he’s doing on overseas trip...*gnaws on fingernails*

I drove to the supermarket today all by myself! Panicking all the while! But I did it!
Driving is terrible and I hate it, but I’m going to do it sometimes because my fears are not the boss of meeeee *thumbs nose at fears*

Cat is snoring. Watching a little “Voyager” and getting distracted by Janeway’s hairdo.