{{{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?

Nora, that's so tough. It would be tough even if you were in the same country, so *this* sucks ass.

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

I'm glad she got her job back. Craziness firing someone for good customer service.

Craziness firing someone for good customer service.

Exactly! I make sure to take a trip to my parents' Dunkin' Donuts every time I take Toto out there (and often, any other time) because it is such a fun experience for him. He knows where we are, and they just dote on him. They get more money from me because of that. And I kind of thought that was the whole purpose of the donut hole! To keep kids occupied and happy while their parents do the big Sunday Donut Order. But, maybe I'm crazy.

So, it looks like a package got stolen off of my porch, which is so surprising. I'm very frustrated, as it is part of my babysitting charge's birthday present, which we celebrated last week. I told her I'd have the rest this week because it shipped late. So, not only will I not have it for her tomorrow, but I'm probably going to have to pay for it again.

Now I want a donut. Fortunately there's a deli in my building.

ION, I'm seeing Eddie Izzard tonight!!!!

And it's also exactly 15 years (!) since I graduated from college. Of the 4 roommates I had in college, 3 are married and have kids, and the other just won a fucking *Emmy* award. Overachiever.

ION, I'm seeing Eddie Izzard tonight!!!!

Woo Hoo! I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did.