Hey, folks. Hell of a week.

. . . no, is too much. Lemme sum up.

Jim, Ken and I left Salt Lake City and moved to Washington five years ago (he's in Bellevue, we're on Bainbridge Island). Ken is now 32, graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in anthropology, and seems to be a happy and competent human being. We're both delighted to know him.

I've lived here for three years and while it falls well short of the marketing (because humans), it suits my solarpunk-loving heart.

There was some health stuff earlier this year, which is pretty much resolved; family loss, which is very recent and most definitely not; otherwise not much has changed.

It's good to "see" you all again.

Hi amyparker!! Your community looks amazing. Good to hear that things mostly seem to be going well. I'm sorry for your loss. Ken is 32! It is normal that mine are grown men, but somehow other Buffista sprog remain children in my mind.

Grateful that you are still here, Java cat!

I probably think responses much more than I post them.

Same here for sure, aurelia!

Ken is 32!?! Time needs to slow down a bit.

Hey other lurkers! Good to read your pixels/font. Aurelia, I feel you. I do the same thing. And I know I haven't posted in a long, long time.

Hi, Java!

amyparker, I don't believe you have a 32 year old. But then, my "kids" are 38 and 39 and I have a hard time believing that at times!

That looks like a cool community, amyparker!

Am I a lurker? I try not to fall too far behind on reading threads, but I don't have a sense of how much or little I post. I probably think responses much more than I post them.

This is how "am I a lurker?" I am - even the post about being caught up on reading but forgetting to post because it's so much later or feeling like what you were going to say has already been said...has already been said.

I'm still working in the same place, but due to some major disappointments, etc., I'm low-key looking to change that.

Still in the same house (currently a shambles due to extended plumbing nightmare, but soon will be back to all mine).

Recently had my heart...bruised, not broken. But continue to live in hope and am trying to view it all as a learning experience...because, even as old as I am/feel, I'm not ready to give up on love just yet.

Still Irish dancing, recently started Scottish dancing, recently joined the committee for the local Dr Who convention, so still trying to force my introvert self to not default into hermit mode. With some degree of success.

Still doing a 5K a month (thanks for the idea, Kat!), pics from Carrera de los Muertos will be up on Sunday. I really appreciate the virtual high-fives I get on FB from all of you!

Still blessed to have this community in my life!

well, Fuck. this is an awful way to de-lurk.

Just finding out about Connie Neil pulled me back. I can barely keep up with myself these days let alone keep track of my friends.

Work is getting increasingly weird with learning new work, having the computers switched out, and the phones too, to be more in sync with our new Indian Overlords. and they do this shit without warning. I came in one day to find my desk had been moved. at least my computer had been moved. I had to grab the rest of my stuff and dump it in the new cube in time to log into work. then there has been the tortuous "migrating" to the new company's computers. they gave a a day but not a time. They just showed up at your desk, set the new computer and screens up and then left us to learn from each other how to log in and what quirks the stuff has. fun. NOT!

I am now posting from a $60 macbook that David Jensen helped me find. so, happy to have a keyboard to type on instead of a tablet.

I'm still ignoring the passage of time, except when I can't. I miss the watch and posts so much! and damnit, noone else is allowed to die until I do. permission denied!

I love you all.

My job as House Coordinator at a group home has been very challenging. We have been desperately short-handed. Since it is in my job description to fill in open shifts, from the end of July through the end of October, I had precisely 4 days off. Exhausted doesn't cover it. Good thing I love this work.

P.S. we have a new cat.

I guess I'm technically over the deadline, but eh.

So, to follow up on home-buying in 2017 and getting married in 2018, I had a baby this June. He's almost 5 months now, and is locomoting like an incompetent rabbit, getting up on all fours, then flinging himself forward and landing on his chest (and improvement from his prior face-planting). He is deeply fascinated by the glowy light box and the cats, so he's pretty clearly From the Internet. He's also quite the social charmer, and makes friends wherever he goes.

We've almost finished the garden-level in-law suite, since there's only one hotel in town, and only have 1 room left to repaint/renovate, so I hope to be able to say that that's done by next year.