I'm so depressed; I really don't want to go back into consulting, back to the days of never being able to schedule anything, dealing with horrible clients yelling at me, pressure to make sure all my hours were billable, doing proposals and marketing, eating at my desk every day, and all that.

I'm sorry, 'Suela. This is such a shitty, shitty thing for them to do to you. Don't give up on the chance of another non-consulting job though.

People are still changing jobs (leading to hiring), I swear! But still: argh, and suck. And good luck.

Ugh Suela, I'm so sorry.

I'm shocked at seeing Frances Bean all grown up, but really I shouldn't be. The name Frances took a wee spike when she was born, but sank like a stone after that.

I can only speak for myself, but I find that if I don't know the ending, I get really stressed out, and find myself galumphing over great parts of the story just to find out if something really bad happens. Once I know the answer, I am more relaxed and can enjoy reading

I am Sophia.

I'm sorry, 'Suela. As much as I'd like to support veterans, I really object to directives like that. To me, the real government waste comes because there are so many things antithetical to good management.

aurelia! Welcome back from the wilds of drama camp.

I don't mind being spoiled, but I almost never seek it out. My kids do actively seek out to be spoiled, at least a bit. I didn't look at the study, so I have no comments as to its value. I'm not sure why you'd create a study on something like that.

I'm not sure why you'd create a study on something like that.

Because you like to spoil people and don't want to listen to their outrage?

I dunno, it just seems so much of a mileage varying thing that who cares if 95% of people prefer to be spoiled? Be considerate to the 5%. It's not really hard.

There's something wrong with how much I like these garlic parmesan fries. It can't be right.

Ugh, this document is still kicking my ass. And they're going to ask me about it in the one o'clock meeting...

Welcome back from the wilds of drama camp.

Thanks! We had some actual wilds this year. A bear was on campus (on the stage of the brand-new pavilion) the day I arrived. And something was living in one of the walls of my cabin.

Was the bear there to rehearse Winter's Tale?

You'd think, right? But that play was not on the calendar for this summer.

Was the bear there to rehearse Winter's Tale?

Heh.

::exeunt!::