Preparations

This morning's program was remarkably mellow. With neither oryoki nor a residents' meeting, I had over half an hour free after breakfast, and managed to catch the end of a Belgian bike race online. We did not have nenju either, as there is no weekend for us this week, so we couldn't truthfully call hosan.
We woke up to torrential rain again - I have lost count of how many storms have come through in the past ten days, but it has been predominantly wet. Happily it has cleared up right now, so after doing the newcomers' table again - with the usual fascinating array of stories of what brought people here today - I popped out for a quick hour on the bike, getting in a few laps of Twin Peaks and some fresh air before hunkering down for the week. I had time to run some laundry, so I have clean sheets and jubons for the week, which feels important, and I have bathed and shaved my head, so at least I start clean-shaven: I follow the old shingi of not shaving during sesshin, so my face will be pretty fuzzy by next Saturday; hopefully my mind will be going in the other direction, from tangled to smooth, though with the shuso ceremony to organise, that may not happen.
I have a couple of hours of organising to do still, finishing off the seating chart and distributing all the information, but at least I feel somewhat well-rested and ready for the task in hand. Which is just as well, as it is heading my way regardless.