Trial run...

So. He's gone to "a ski association meeting". In Tokyo. A meeting which includes a lot of drinking and eating and a Paul McCartney concert.
And I am going to "an English Teachers' Association meeting". Which, funnily enough, also includes food, drink and an old guy with fake hair belting out songs of yesteryear.

And the cats are going to be stuffed in carry boxes and imprisoned in cages for FOUR whole days and nights at the local vets clinic.

And Okaasan? She stays snugly under her heated table with the TV, lunch delivery box will come, and at 5 pm a friendly lady from the day care service will come and cook dinner and chat. For two nights.

It's all a trial run for next year when we are going to Brazil for 7? 8? crazy nights of international flights and non-stop party for the football. We, the cats, the vet, Okaasan and day care - we all need a trial run of how that will be.

To be honest: the hardest part for me is the cats. They've never stayed in a cage at the vets. Popo is in and out of the vets with the wounds of many fights. Chichi went once for kitten injections and once for a wound check.
They are both going to be sooooooo stressed. And I'm going to be stressed trying to catch them and take them in the carry boxes. :-(

Dear Son left yesterday. He didn't say a goodbye to Okaasan. No point in adding "he's not here" into her thoughts just yet. He was "out meeting a friend" last night, maybe tonight he'll be "got a work meeting"...I'll probably move him to the ski association meeting by Saturday night dinner.
She is fine with her daily routine and me at the usual times.

He has written her a note: telling her that we are away and about the day care staff coming and the cats being away. I'm to give the note to her on Sunday morning, before I leave, so she can understand it all. By then it will only be "away until the day after tomorrow", which doesn't sound so long at all.

I'm in busy mode; so many things that need doing before going away. Work too - I got the offer of two narration/voice over jobs; and had to arrange the subbing teachers for classes I will miss, do Japanese homework, have a hair cut - AND try to plant out the spring bulbs in the garden before the snow comes back and the ground freezes.

Okaasan has been fine this week. Gone to day care happily. Went out and got caught in an early snow storm, I brought her home by car.
But me bad: when I borrowed Okaasan's telephone to boobytrap my classroom with beeps and alarms for a Halloween class, I set the phone onto Manner Mode - twice recently we tried to telephone Okaasan endlessly and got no answer! My fault.
Now, hopefully, it is ok.

And finally - just a picture I took in our local park on an early morning walk. Isn't that beautiful?! Two seasons collide. It looks like Narnia, that way is winter and the Snow Witch - this side are friendly woodland folk and muffins for tea...