Because I'm a crazy dog owner, here's one more family picture of us with Kato: [link] He looks so good in that picture! I just love it.

Aw. Kato's such a cutie!

He's a handsome old pup. I love how he has grey fur down his front, like ruffles on a tuxedo shirt.

Well, fuck. My SIL has been moved to a HQ generic position. The company loves her (hence not fired) but the ongoing litigation makes her toxic to the state with the state agencies overseeing childcare. She's working the hell out of it, but still.

Steph, here's to getting some physician-directed sinus help as soon as you can. Vertigo is no fun.

sarameg, I hope your knee gets better quickly.

Dear Coworker Who Is Old Enough To Be My Mother:

If we are in the house van with a couple of people with intellectual disabilities, please keep your seatbelt buckled until the vehicle is stopped in a place I intend to park. Leaving aside your personal safety, it behooves us to model good safety practices for the people we serve. When I stop the van in the middle of a parking lot and say, "I'm sorry but I have to ask you to put your seatbelt back on," please do not huff and say, "Just pull in to a spot, we're almost there. This is kind of ridiculous." Whereas I agree at the ridiculousness of the situation, you might be surprised at what I consider the source of the ridiculousness. You have by now noted that I will, in fact, not move the vehicle unless I am fairly certain every one inside it is buckled in properly. Something you don't know, and I will never tell you, is that once upon a time our Regional Director took my request to stay buckled up until full stop with much better grace than you.

With all due respect,

Me

Fans of Nathan Hale should definitely check out the graphic novel series Nathan Hale's Hazardous tales, by a guy whose real name is also Nathan Hale. My kids love them. He even made World War I comprehensible for 9 year olds. (There are bunnies.)

The kid adores these things. I started her with the Donner Party.

Sorry I disappeared. Decided to get offline and try to de stress. Not sure it worked. I just woke up because I'm itching like mad. Thanks for the support.

I hope the vertigo dissipates, Steph.

Consuela, may the antibiotics work.

Sara, just a whole lot of ugh to all of your current situations. I hope your knee heals quickly.

I do the same thing with my mother, Andi. Good on you for sticking to your guns.

Itching sounds like a lot like stress icing on a stress cake. Of course, no one actually wants a stress cake. I hope you find a way to refresh yourself, Maria.

The thing with the seatbelts is very much a "give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile". If I let people undo their seatbelts in the driveway, pretty soon, they're undoing them up the block.

Up. Brain still too busy. Morning shopping for necessities, afternoon with ex-neighbor friend, swim, evening with her at another friend's. Then time change, housecleaning, swim, manicure. I'm tired already. Which I shouldn't be, but it's morning and I just want to nap with the cats.

Timelies all!

Hugs and ~ma to all who want/need them.