The UK dropped compulsory masking last week…
In other -obviously completely unrelated- news, cases in my local area almost doubled in the last week 
It’s supposedly dropping overall in the country, but…
Thing Interview minus 50 minutes… I have a bottle of acceptable wine to open later- fingers crossed it’ll be to celebrate it going well, not to drown sorrows of forgetting my own name or how to speke Inglesh or something.
Closer to 20 minutes as I respond, but everything is crossed for you. I’m sure it’ll go swimmingly!
Toby is snoozing, second load in the washer, first in the dryer, and I need to think about lunch. I think we’ll be spared another snowmageddon - I see some promises of rain, but that’s it. Here’s hoping!
Another day of regular chaos.
Weird, I dreamed my printer went full Sorcerer’s Apprentice with assorted Federal documents. 
That was my nurse Mom’s criteria for letting me stay home sick.
But I hope Pooly heals up quick, Boofae.
: waits anxiously as Thing is in progress :
Thing interview over - though even if I am successful, there’s one more round! They did imply that was more-or-less a formality, if I get through this one though.
And now I wait…
My stoopit powerpoint presentation froze and crashed with one slide to go, but I think it otherwise went OK, and I don’t think that worried them too much, as there were computer problems all round. Thanks for all the assorted appendage crossings; I hope no-one fell over!
Now I just need to get tomorrow’s assignment done… It’s most of the way there…
Is Thing still in progress? It’s been 2 hours. How long does The Thing go on? I’ll keep body parts crossed indefinitely–just wanna know.
My son texted me, “Happy 2sday, Mom!” I’d forgotten today is 2/2/22. I’m having Italian sausage for supper, so that’s my salute to ground hawgs.
For some reason, I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, so I didn’t wake until 8 a.m. My Instacart order was already on the doormat. I ordered several cans of soup for post-op meals, and I just don’t feel like lugging that stuff myself or dealing with the babushka cart today.
Brrrrr! It’s cold out there.
Cookie, I hope the thumb therapy goes thwell.
Thank you! As long as the surgeon doesn’t do the same, I should be OK. 
And I’m sorry Poorly is broken. Which toe is it again?
My daughter just punched me in the face. Overlygirl was horsing around near my desk and was showing me how someone taught her to fight. She was shadow boxing and and connected right with the bridge of my nose. I was wearing glasses, so it hurt more than it would’ve otherwise. Dammit.
I hate it when kids do something ridiculous on accident. I feel a duty to be mad, but I’m honestly not mad (it was clearly not intentional), but I should act like I am because isn’t that what parents do? Oh, well. I just told her to be more careful next time and to let me get over it. I’m already over it, even though it was just 10 minutes ago. I guess I don’t have to get mad after all. Even the simplest things with kids are complicated now. Gah.
I am procrastinating. My Sis-in-law called me last night to tell me that one of my cousins in Michigan died suddenly on Sunday. He was only 65. His mother, my only remaining aunt, is the sweetest, kindest, most loving, and lovable person in the world, and she’s devastated. With the time difference it was too late to call her last night, but I need to call her this morning. I’m dreading this call. So I’m distracting myself while I work up my courage.
If anyone wants to cross some digits for be it would be appreciated.
Monday I had nothing to do in the afternoon. I got all of my work done in the morning. Yesterday was the first of the month. DATALANCHE!
VanGo Love you too! How did the High School musical set making go?
Shady I’m interested to see what happens with that gaming device. Please report back. I probably stopped gaming in about 2011, so it sounds about right for me.
BooFae Your foot is broken? Erg. Will your reg GP see you?
FCM Well, now that it’s foggy the troopers have other things to do: like tend to accidents caused by people who don’t have headlights. 
Metal Mouse I’m glad folks are finally masking up. I’m sorry to say it’s likely been a long, painful lesson to get to that point. How is the new gym?
Cookie I know what you mean about the paper. We’ve been tossing and we still have so many boxes of paper. I think it just breeds while we’re not watching.
My mom’s criteria: fever over 100 or vomiting. I think I missed school for a week of pneumonia once, but otherwise was there. Yay me. 
Nut when do you find out about A THING next round?
nellie “2sday” how did I miss this? Whee!
talky This is a chance to flex the other tool in the mother’s tool box: guilt. I’m mostly kidding. Mostly. Some wincing, and a strategic ice pack might drive home the message to be more careful.
Bumba all digits crossed. My condolences about your cousin.
Yesterday we met with our financial advisor and we have a plan for the rest of the year. It feels good to have that done. My husband was happy with the results, but also wanted to get it all done immediately (which is not the plan). sigh
Today is windy. Very, very windy.
Afternoon all. Was ready to start my taxes when I realized I was missing one 1099-DIV form. Tried to call the place, but their phone message says the last ones were mailed on 31 January and to leave 10 days for delivery, so they probably wouldn’t respond anyway. So I’ll wait a week and see if it shows up.
Did make it to the gym, played with gear for the upper body since my legs got a workout the last time, and then finished it off with 20 minutes on a pedal-bike machine. So comfortably sore. Rain is not heavy or blowing, just the sprinkles never stop and it’s likely to be that way through Friday. So good day to be inside. And Sunny, it is a very nice place, lots of things to do there. Here is their website: https://phaze3fitness.com/
Bumba, digits are all crossed; hope it goes well.
Nut, hoping the news is all good on the Thing.
talkie, I remember an old Mel Brooks sketch, where he was asked “How do you feel about women’s rights?” He replied “Women’s rights are fine; it’s their lefts they need to work on.” Overlygirl keeps that up, you’ll have to buy here a pair of boxing gloves…
Cookie, thanks for the tougue-twister and hope the thumb does better.
OK, onward in to the afternoon and try not to lay down anywhere.
I am STILL testing COVID positive. I am NOT HAPPY.
Harrumph.
Toby has been returned to the loving arms of his mama, I deposited a check, and got the replacement bulbs for my car. Since they came in a pack of 2, I went ahead and replaced them both. So that’s done.
Supper will be Polish sausage and sauerkraut. Maybe salad, too. Or not - I haven’t decided. And maybe crinkle fries if I have some in the freezer. I’ve had a chicken carcass simmering for several hours - guess it’s time to pick the meat off and pour it into freezer bags.
Speaking of Toby, he took a 3-hour nap - 1030-1330 more or less. When he woke, I changed him, fed him, then it was time to get rid of him. All in all, a peaceful early afternoon.
‘In the next couple of weeks’ officially- off the record, they’ll start letting the successes know probably from Moanday, but if I’m not top of the list- and I ain’t that optimistic- it’ll likely be later. I don’t know how many applicants there are, or how many Things there are available, so I really have no idea how likely it is.
{{Bumba}}
Anyway, it’s not even 9, and I’m going to bed. I’m sure I used to have more energy than this.
Nut Back into pretzel mode. All crossed. 
She’s treating for the “trigger thumb” that developed, probably because the arthritis in the big joint was causing me to use the tendons instead of the muscles to lift things.
Not a Pit Boss officially yet. Mostly den mother, because I apparently have a serious “glaring at” look.
Not much snow or ice here. Yet.
The cats keep dumping themselves outside, to my amusement.
Cats: “WTF is this cold wet nonsense?”
Me: “Maybe don’t run outside into two feet of snow?”
Crabby old lady cat: “Yeah, nope.” darts back inside, takes 18-hour nap
Dumbass teenage boy cat: shoots out into snow past his elbows
DTBC: “derfuck???!?”
Me: *laughs @$$ off
Evening all. Back from a day of making sets for the stoopit musical. I don’t remember if I mentioned what show it is…it’s Legally Blonde. I’ve read the script, and ugh, it is truly terrible. I know I’m not the target demo, but, woof. I think we’ve got 2 more weeks of building, then a week of painting for me.
This whole having pros build the set for a high school thing is weird to me. When I did plays in high school we built everything, under the vague instruction of the director of the show. Grumble grumble, spoiled kids these days.
Nut Things crossed for the continued process of A Thing.
shoe Moar stories of CATS.
The weather guessers are calling for 9-12 inches of snow on top of the 10" already on the ground over the next 2 days. Yuck.
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That describes our HS set construction crew. They were kind of off on their own and did great work. When I was head of props one year, they obligingly made furniture for me (parsons tables). I loved those guys.
Yikes on the snow.
Mooooooom, you were wise to replace both lights. My dad always taught us to replace anything there is a pair of on a car at the same time, given that they likely have the same mileage / hours on them.
Appendages crossed for the Thing nut.
Hugs to you and your aunt bumba.
Today at irk, I went to power down a phone with a picture of the Sacred Heart as the screen saver and had to tap where his nose was. I think punching Jesus in the nose would likely send one to hell, wouldn’t it?
My sausage today was in the form of meatballs in the Italian wedding soup.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
I wish to share a Yoshi story. Yoshi is our youngest dog. My kids have been known to say when you gaze into his eyes there’s nary a thought to be seen. It is very windy here today, with gusts to 45. Yoshi is not a fan. There are 2 doors on the rear of our house into the backyard. One is from our bedroom and the other is from the main room. When I let Yoshi out this morning, he stayed out very briefly. Shortly thereafter, he went over to the other door and asked to be let out over there. Oddly, it was still windy and he came right back inside.
I don’t know whether to be proud that he thought of it, or embarrassed that he doesn’t understand how inside versus outside works. Both? He’s our special boy.