Not much bread but plenty of circuses

As crap as CNN is, I haven't changed the channel for months. This is a pattern with me. When I lived in New York, my fingers knew only 1 button on my remote control: the ON/OFF button. "ON" meant NY1, totally repetitive and in some weird way, soothing. While CNN is not so soothing, especially lately, the truth is I haven't watched TV like a regular person since I was an undergraduate.

I'd just returned home after some important errands, one of which was picking up my potassium cyanide (I mean potassium iodide!) pills, which I was able to get because I have access to the US base here and they're handing them out now (just in case). In all likelihood, they will go into my emergency back-pack "stash", next to the champagne, thus filling an important lacuna in my survival toolkit.

After making sure I knew what these pills were all about, and miming putting them in a climate-controlled container that will maintain them at the recommended temperature, I found myself channel surfing in an attempt to get away from the gloom and doom of the news. Am sure it's just in my mind, but could swear some CNN announcers looked as if they were suppressing the kind of joy that I associate with discovering that it's Christmas all over again while reporting that smoke was issuing from two reactors in Fukushima. But they are consummate professionals, so I know it was just me being peevish.)

Changing the channel was perhaps a mistake. I ended up watching an "isn't it wild and crazy what people with nothing better to do decide to video for our viewing pleasure" show. Particularly impressive was the segment featuring a guy in spandex shorts throwing a lap top towards another guy--also in spandex shorts, who "caught" it between his butt cheeks multiple times. TV is always surreal here, at least to me (dang language barrier!) but tonight's piece (of ass) took the cake. Lesson of the day: as much as possible, stick with your established routines.

In other news: Still working my way through boxed wine -- which predictably tastes exactly the same as when I opened it almost a week. Do have champagne chilling though! Think it's time to go hunting for a remote that meets my needs: ON/OFF.

It's good to have priorities during a crisis

Several non-Japanese friends have left the area or country. Others are vociferous in claiming that such actions are not necessary. And others, like me, are in a state of constant vigilance, passports at the ready, just in case...

I feel sad that the real horror of the tremendous loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami has been eclipsed by the question-riddled situation at Fukushima. Vewwy, vewwy tired, but realize that being merely exhausted is actually a privilege given what has actually happened to so many.

Think I'll take the day off tomorrow -- not just from work, but also from CNN saturation, from various conflicting assessments and prognoses, and from what amounts to earning e-credits towards a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in my futile attempt to get a handle on what is really going on.

When my very own, (my precioussssss!!!) first ever box of wine runs dry, I will scurry out and grab a bottle of bloody expensive champagne. Unlike some other basics, I'm sure finding good champagne will be easy as pie. Yes, I said it: At least for me, good champagne IS a "basic" in a crisis like this.

Once purchased, I will not add the champagne to my "bugger off" bag. I will drink it. While doing so, I will consider the logistics of taking a "weekend" trip; not because things seem so uncertain or because I'm freaking out, but because I'm ready for a break from being caught between what feels like manic denial (work), borderline panic (where the fuck are the English muffins!?) and a feeling that disturbingly resembles numbing boredom (recreational activities have tapered off markedly of late - even playing Scrabble is no fun). At the very least, I'm certain I will sleep better in a hotel room somewhat removed from the situation here. Will unplug the TV as soon as I arrive.

Perhaps I will buy two bottles of champagne so I can have a "travel bottle." If I must worry while on my trip, I will try to confine my concerns to the possibility of bed bugs.

Thinking Time

The rolling black out for my area didn't happen this evening. I was all prepared, thanks to a friend who picked up a case of water, candles and batteries for me. I joked that I'd also like a box of wine and he actually brought that too. It was my first time opening one and I almost panicked because there was no instruction booklet, but eventually figured out how to gain access to the spigot. I'm normally a wine snob but I thought "under the circumstances...." However, while "enjoying" tumbler #3 in the wake of another aftershock, I realized that "under the circumstances", I should have requested a bottle of good French bubbly.

In other news, a good friend sent a message this evening saying that the Australian consulate is advising its citizens in the 8 affected prefectures to leave! The Canadian consulate hasn't done that (yet), but I finally registered as a Canadian living abroad. I guess I will go to work tomorrow and--assuming it's not too cold and doesn't (acid) rain-- cook curry with the kids outside at lunchtime, since officials say that radiation has not reached levels that "directly" impact human health. I hope none of these kids are "indirectly" affected and thus don't end up having have X-babies "when they grow up" because they continued to play baseball, soccer and tennis outdoors every day during this calamity. Not that I have anything against X-babies per say (in the sense of the ones brought under the avuncular wing of Commander Picard -- oops! Wrong sci-fi extravaganza!-- I mean Charles Xavier from the X-Men films.) But that is probably just negative thinking brought on by insomnia. Melatonin clearly isn't doing it's advertised job for me these days. It seems as if I may actually be getting close to really wondering "what would [insert revered thinker/spiritual leader/god figure/rockstar, etc . of choice] do...?

Food was here...Now it is gone (aka flight of the Twinkies)

People are stocking up on the bread, the Japanese equivalent of Twinkies (not sure if they have Twinkies legendary perpetual shelf-life though), and cup ramen noodles. Potato chips also seem to be considered survival food. I keep patting my walnuts, pumpkin seeds and dried mango and telling myself that it's okay...

The truth is things are not so bad....here

Another day, another couple of aftershocks. All is still okay where I am. Unfortunately, I'm ready to kill the composer of CNN's "disaster" lead-in music. But that's my fault for being unable to tear myself away (the English broadcast is invaluable). It's hard to focus on doing much else while not at work. The truth is that in this complete shit storm, I have the privilege of being merely "inconvenienced" (sporadic train service; rolling black outs; no Twinkies(tm) or Ring Dings(tm) or Ho Hos(tm) on the shelves at the convenience store (forget bread!)) by what for thousands is an utter nightmare. Am just beginning to wonder whether my rock climbing harness should go into my "bug the fuck out bag" (carabiners were a no-brainer -- they are small!); but so far have been content to settle for undies,toothpaste, toilet paper, matches, beef jerky, and 800 mg ibuprofen. And of course, a cutlass. Not yet at the point where I wished I knew an iodine tab dealer. But definitely thinking that, in the future, I will stop hoarding my mattress money in coins. Off to do something to chicken, potatoes, turnips and carrots...