Bit sad tonight because tiny Hamish has gone to the big hamster cage in the sky. I shall miss her.

Also, it will sound unbelievably naive, but a part of me goes "if I'm doing all this, and I know a lot of other people who are doing great work as well, how come this world isn't better place? How come my country seems to hit the bottom of its moral barrel?"

I feel much like this at the moment, Shir, so I can empathise. And, just like Andi and LotR, I'm sure quoting Angel's "if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do" is cliche, but it helps me to think of it. I hope something similar helps you.

Glad that health stuff seems treatable, Steph. Thoughts for quick healing.

Steph, phew. I hope you get some relief very soon.

Erin, I'm glad you had a better day.

t moment of silence for Hamish

I have a date in an hour, about which I am completely unenthused. I ought to go shower.

{{{{Seska}}}} I'm so sorry. She was so young!

I went to a meeting about how the university budget cuts will affect our department. I now know a lot more than I did before the meeting, but I still don't know if my contract is going to be renewed for next year. I'm going to email the department head to ask when I'll know that.

I'm sorry about wee Hamish, Seska.

Hil, not knowing is kinda the worst part. At least when you know, you can plan.

And,

Hey, the cabana boys worked! After I bitched early this morning, I had a MUCH better day than yesterday! Woo and hoo!

Stuff that work: Intertubes. Cabana boys. Bitching. Just sayin'.

And, just like Andi and LotR, I'm sure quoting Angel's "if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do" is cliche, but it helps me to think of it. I hope something similar helps you.

We're into dark humor here, personally. Most of us think stuff will take a turn for the worse before they'll get better. We don't think it's a slippery slope anymore, but a free fall without a parachute. So, yeah, dark humor. Because nobody believes people who says that we're getting more and more fascist by the minute.

(Apologies for any typos: I should have gone to bed about 3 hours ago...)

Edit: and oh, Hil. Hang in there.

Very glad your ladyparts are all benign, Steph!

I looked at the biopsied area last night, and I was braced for something like pencil-eraser-sized holes (I couldn't see what the doctor was doing, obviously). It's just 3 spots the size of a needle stick. But I swear to god it felt like she used a hole punch. A SHARP hole punch.

The derm who biopsied my upper arm DID use a damn hole punch. Left two scars the size of a pencil eraser. It turned out to be "just a rash". I only agreed to the biopsy because I thought it was going to be a needle! The moral of the tale is, always ask *what* they're biopsying WITH.

The earache is back. It hurts all over the right side of my head. OTC painkillers haven't touched it; mighty decongestants have opened my sinuses but not made a dent in the pain. I'm now trying a whole pill of Valium in the hopes that it's actually TMJ. At least it'll probably put me to sleep. I usually cut the pills in half.

Actually, the earache started back last July and never really went away. I finally saw a doctor, who said there didn't seem to be anything wrong with my ear and gave me a sulfa drug because I can't take antibiotics, and it helped a little, but apparently not enough. I guess now I have to dig up an ENT guy. Dammit.

Yay benign and treatable, Tep! Zen, ouch. I hope you get relief soon. Yay better day, Erin! I had one too. Got myself a 2011 Ford Fiesta rental car (it's actually quite a cute, though underpowered, little car!) and have been gleefully zipping around doing errands today. Tomorrow I have to get serious about starting to write my portfolio and grade papers since I apparently took the first part of my Spring Break off, but I'm okay with that.

Yay benign-ity for everyone!

And yay better days.

I drove 3 hours south to Portland (after going to bed at 9pm with a migraine and waking up with a very sore back) in order o do 15 minutes worth of work. Ridiculous! Then I told a friend I'd meet him for dinner in Olympia (between Seattle and Portland) and got here early, but could not find a walk in massage place. Want massage!! Waaaaaaant.

I've just received an email at work asking for all my qualifications. I'm finding it a ridiculous effort not to add "All-American good guy and devil-may-care flying fool" to the list.