Posting this [link] only because it illustrates that some people have even worse management skills than those referenced in here, sometimes.

A manager fired an employee for giving what amounts to a single "donut hole" to a toddler. Total retail worth? 16 cents.

And on that note, and a lot of what we were saying earlier, there's a second piece on transgender kids on NPR.

And sensibly, it seems to explain the option of hormone-blocking puberty, so that kids can then decide at like, sixteen, whether they still feel strongly about being transgender. If it was a phase, they can go ahead and go through regular puberty for their born gender. If it's not, they can take hormones for their chosen gender, and be a heck of a lot more able to "pass" as an adult. Which is awesome, if you want your kid to have a better life, right? And so much easier to believe your kid really means the choice by that age than at five or ten.

Which is awesome, if you want your kid to have a better life, right? And so much easier to believe your kid really means the choice by that age than at five or ten.

Wow. I hope that that works as well as it sounds like it could. That would sure take a lot of thinking, if I were ever in that position - because I would be wondering about the long-term health effects of mucking about with the hormones like that. But then again, if the kid would be doing it for sure as an adult, anyway.... May there be the Highest wisdom for people facing these decisions (and I'm sure glad it's not me, today).

{{{Jilli}}}

{{{vw}}}

continued health~ma for KT (cuz, ya know, pneumonia! Shit don't go away fast!)

But part of that requires that I don't make him feel bad about it, and frankly using the pics as blackmail might do that.

There was more. So much more. Tired. Long day. I did go see "Iron Man" this evening. When I got out, the car next to mine had a Nevada plate with "BUFYNGL" and I had to think, "are they Buffy & Angel fans?"

Total retail worth? 16 cents.

still stealing. I've had to fire someone for eating a pretzel they swore they were going to pay for later.

{{{Cash}}}
{{{Jilli}}}
{{{vw}}}
{{{thems that needs hugs}}}

I know I've been a bit gray for a while, but work has been nutso.

Speaking of work, I just got the best kind of promotion ever--the kind where they simply gave a name and a jump in pay grade to the stuff I've already been doing.

If it was a phase, they can go ahead and go through regular puberty for their born gender. If it's not, they can take hormones for their chosen gender, and be a heck of a lot more able to "pass" as an adult.

That's really interesting, and kind of awesome that it's possible!

OTOH, going through puberty was sucky enough at 11 that I shudder to think what going through it at sixteen would be like. Ugh.

I also wonder how difficult it's going to be for those kids to go through high school as "kids" when all their friends are turning into hormone-addled teenagers. (Probably not more difficult than going through high school transgendered AND flooded with pubescent hormones, but still.)

"Once we officially knew that [Armand] was transgender it was like, 'What do you need? You tell us.' We weren't going to try to control anymore; we'd been doing that for years. So it was like, 'What do you need? What do you want?' " Danielle says.

Made of win.

Oh, goddamn. Though completely unsurprising, Tom's mom needs to go into a nursing home facility. We both have no idea how to deal with the logistics of the house and her stuff from here, except I'm pretty sure it will require going back into the credit card debt we're just now starting to get out of from the September trip.

It's not that I'm just stressed about the money- it's just a stressor that magnifies the already super stressful and sad situation. I wish I were home with Tom right now so I could hug him.

{{Jilli}}

{{{{{Nora and Tom}}}}} I'm sorry that it has come to that. Good luck figuring out all the logistics.

A manager fired an employee for giving what amounts to a single "donut hole" to a toddler. Total retail worth? 16 cents.

Oh, dear. The workers (all of them!) at the Dunkin’ Donuts by my parents would be in SO much trouble, then. When I go through with Toto, he gets two or three!, which he eats right out of the workers’ hand, through the drive-through window.

IOW, ridonkulous.

Speaking of work, I just got the best kind of promotion ever--the kind where they simply gave a name and a jump in pay grade to the stuff I've already been doing.

Awesome! YAY! Congratulations!

Oh, Nora and Tom, I’m so sorry. Hugs and love to you both.

In my PCP is awesome news (can’t I somehow convince her to not follow her dreams and stay at the clinic where she is now? Oh, that’s selfish, huh? Damn), she called and got me an appointment at the clinic, before the clinic even opened, then called to tell me about it so I “wouldn’t have to call and wait on hold.” She also wanted to see how I was doing. But, isn’t she awesome?