Stephanie, is there any chance that you could have the partner and keep the culture? Maybe he'd like to run and/or have coffee breaks and an iPhone! :)

Steph, that is hard. Good luck. Maybe there's something way more awesome on the horizon!

I would hope so! You're still a good friend, though. (I'm a little boggled that she called you at 5:30!)

Well, she needed to drop him here at 6:30 in order to be at work on time, and we live a half hour away. Her husband has meetings scheduled all day and she had a field trip at school. So, if I wasn't going to be able to do it, she needed time to think of a back up plan. Which makes perfect sense when it is not actually 5:30 in the morning. Plus, she brought a latte and a bagel.

Just back from the quarterly dreaded doctor's visit. Good news, for a change. My blood pressure is down, my A1C is down. I'm doing something right! Now if I only knew what it was. One good thing about having a fat doctor, he laughed too when I read the A1C and said "Donuts for celebration!"

Then I had a mammogram. Damn, I wish they'd improve that technology. Why do I ahve to be up on tiptoe once she's got me curled around the scanner? And I've got a bruise developing on my ribcage from where the shelf dug in.

Yet to occur--the pap smear with my usual doctor--it's weird, I'm reluctant to have him do it because by now I know him too well, but we can all be professional about this. Also, My First Colonoscopy, still to be scheduled. Yay?

Teppy, I'm sorry about the work stress. Whatever is going to happen, I hope you know soon - waiting for news is so hard.

Information some here might use: My sister and family with celiac disease report that Trader Joe's gluten free pizza is very good.

Information some here might use: My sister and family with celiac disease report that Trader Joe's gluten free pizza is very good.

Heh. I eat that pizza about once a week. I'm impressed with whatever dark magic they used to make it.

Steph, I always see medical editing jobs advertised, which i'm sure you could do. I've subscribed to a freelance writing jobs daily alert, too, and there are always a lot of jobs (although, to be fair, some are short-term gigs). If you want the email for it, just let me know.

You might also be able to pick up some non-medical editing, which could be fun.

Meetup has suggested I join a group called Creative Soapmaking and Cocktails. Honestly. The soap would totally ruin the cocktail. And vice versa, I'm sure.

Thanks for the reminder, Connie. I need to start the colonoscopy routine, too.

And a note to medical researchers: If you want the eternal devotion of the entire world, develop a more comfortable way to have a mammmogram.

develop a more comfortable way to have a mammmogram.

I'd think there'd be something you could do with ultrasound.

Still, I've got big tits, so there's something to work with. Women with tiny tits must be in agony. But I feel ridiculous having to scoop my breasts off that damned shelf.

I think that if Big!Boss thought it was important enough to tell us all about, then it's more likely than not that we'll be bought.

I think it is a good sign that Big!Boss told you what was happening. It shows an intention to do the right thing. LOTS of organizations would not give any advanced warning at all. So here's hoping for a nice chunk of severance coin, followed by a bit of wonderful time off, and then exciting new employment where you are valued and surrounded by competent fun coworkers.

Still immersed in an overwhelming bunch of stress here. Coming at us from all directions. We really need to get past some of this.