Oh. Hi.

Too late to say Happy New Year??

I was jolted out of my winter funk yesterday by a dear reader asking in comments if I was still alive and blogging....

Yes. And...not so much.

Where DID the winter holiday go? I remember a day of skiing. And a few days eating chocolate in front of Netflix. I ran around the house with a piece of string to entertain the cats.

Okaasan is good.
I HAVE visited her. Dear Son - home between ski jobs - also went.
The care home asked me to buy more pajamas and trousers for her, as she is now fatter - she basically forgets the "No food before 11 am"  mantra and joins everyone else eating breakfast. L size clothes will be too long in the leg for her, so I'll have to shop, measure, get them adjusted and deliver them.
I went at Christmas. I went on January 1st. The care home has seasonal decorations and foods. She is in a good place. I didn't take her out in the car because the care home entrance was icy, and one person with the wheelchair and checking her...it's all a bit hard.

My winter holidays got swallowed up in a lot of stuff.

* Old friends sent their college age daughter to stay with me for 2 and a half weeks.
* I did 3 different day trips as a tour guide - still making beginner mistakes and learning a LOT. But it's fun. Visitors from Indonesia and the Philippines - people LOVE Japan! Come many times and love the food, the manners, the public order.....
* I did a biggish narration job for a TV documentary - voicing the 2nd MC on the program. Interesting program about the psychology of how we use things. I hope it gets sold to TV companies around the world.
*  I met an old friend for just coffee. Disappointed I didn't have energy for more.
* I was exhausted.
* I made work change plans for later this year...
* I disappeared into Netflix. The drama "You" and now into the Marie Kondo cleaning program. 

So. Still here.
There is an influenza outbreak at the hospital where my friend is comatose. So visiting is restricted.

Oh. And I joined a UK walking magazine's "Walk 1,000 Miles" campaign - measuring my walking in my smartphone and hoping to burn off the Xmas chocolates. :-)