Many happy returns, Sail! Milk those discounts for all they're worth.

Happy Birthday Sail!

I think this is my third year delurking and sadly I’m losing ground. I feel like the delurkiest! I try to catch up when I can but real life has interfered. I can’t say there’s any thread besides this one I’ve posted in since last year. When I have a spare moment I do try to catch up on Supernatural, Boxed Set, and Natter threads and as is always the case, conversations I have opinions on have long since moved on. I do send mental fist bumps and ~ma thoughts for the Buffistas ups and downs. Since, I’m all delurky, Java cat, my sincerest condolences on your loss. Happy Birthday SailAweigh.

My life is much the same as it was except after eleven years of consulting, I took the plunge into a regular job in corporate America. It was time. I wanted stability, less travel, and reliable health insurance. My new job gives me all that with the bonus of being the place I’ve consulted most. In fact, I moved from a consulting job to a regular job all while sitting in the same place and doing the same thing, with the bonus of paid vacation and crazy things like pension plans. This year did bring more fun travel, Copenhagen & Berlin in June to visit family. It was my first visit to Berlin and wow, it’s an amazing city. I definitely want to go back.

I’m growing more things, tomatoes, squash, volunteer corn, berries, apples and more. It’s been really satisfying to eat the bounty of my own garden. This morning I popped out for an apple off the tree. It’s equally heartbreaking to watch pests steal away some of my bounty. Monkey cat happily guards what he can, failing more than he succeeds.

I wonder if I’ll still be delurking a decade from now? Would that be weird? I think it might be a little weird.

That sounds amazing, ehab! And it's totally fine to delurk once a year! I'm glad to hear from you, but you shouldn't feel obligated to post any more than you want to or are able to!

Ehab, whereabouts in the country do you live? Just curious. Moving to a permajob sounds exciting, and I'm super jealous of Copenhagen and Berlin!!

I, um, still do the same thing I did last year, but for a different company. I still live the same place, and have the same roommate (and quite enjoying it--will be sad when she moves out in just under a year!). We got a cat (technically hers) who is huge (17.5 pounds) and very needy. I still travel a lot, but mostly to LA these days. ...that's about it exciting in my life.

I live in El Cerrito in the Bay Area.

The term permajob sounds terrifyingly permanent.

Thanks for the b-day wishes, all!

ehab, nice to see your pixels! Don't worry about being lurky, we all go through phases where life allows us to play more and others where it pulls us away. I'm in a bit of an away phase right now, too, but I know I'm always welcome when I come back. It's the Buffista way.

Happy birthday, Sail! And I'm glad to hear about the many good things in your life.

ehab, c'mon back whenever. It's all good.

Hi lurkers, delurkers, and nonlurkers!

I post so rarely anymore that I almost feel like a lurker, so my year:

The big news is that Hubs has retired on disability. After much drama (which he'd probably prefer I not go into detail about), the final approvals came in late in the summer.

At the beginning of the year, my closest friend at work became my supervisor. There are awkwardnesses. But overall, I think it's a positive for my career. Not just having a friend in management, but someone who's interested in developing the careers of his subordinates generally.

Still volunteering at the animal shelter on weekends. DCistas interested in adopting a cat or a dog are invited to check us out.