I'm so sorry, Maria, but I kind of love your dad right now.

What sj said. {{{Maria}}}

It's true, Maria. It's wonderful to know people like your dad are real.

Joining in on the love fest for Maria's dad!

I alternate between rage, relative calm, and a fucking avalanche of anxiety. My super liberal parents and brother will be here for Thanksgiving, so that will be fine, but then we'll go to Oklahoma for Christmas, which... I'm not sure what to expect, really. Usually M's family doesn't talk politics much, but he has one aunt who is already being super obnoxious on FB, and I'm thinking of ways to shut conversations down just in case.

I have also committed myself to saying something if I hear any racist comments, not just over the holidays, but from now on. They're pretty rare in my circles, but even so, I can think of a couple of instances when I should have called that shit out, and didn't. And that makes me burn with shame. No more.

So you know how several of us are triggered by the Cheeto-in-Chief's face? It's not just us. It causes revulsion and anxiety and other negatives in a lot of people. I have this really bad.

And i just realized that it's a federal regulation that his photo be prominently displayed in every federal building.

I had to leave a lunch & learn thing yesterday, because what was supposed to be a talk about writing better exams somehow became a discussion of whether or not Bill Clinton has a sex addiction, and I just could not handle it.

I am finished with my first week.

The store is small...we only have about 20 people working. The stocking staff is me and a guy and a supervisor. The guy is nice but he's in his 20s and so is faster and stronger but I'll get there.

We are just setting up the store and next week is training.

I need to ask about work gloves my hands are going to get ripped to shreds.

Only had a few moments where I put my foot in my mouth. OH and I got high fived by someone when I mentioned archive of our own. One of the 19 year old was talking about their shows and it came up.

Maria, so much love to you father.

Steph, honestly, be ready to leave if you need. I'll be friend in need if we swap numbers. Have an escape plan.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts on clarinet and sax. It's very helpful.

I'm glad your first day went well, askye! Fannish coworkers are a plus.

I missed it, askye. What kind of store are you working in? Glad to hear it is going well so far.

So now my roommate wants me to keep Frankie in my room because the fact that he's having accidents in the common space makes him "uncomfortable." But he won't take him outside to pee, which might reduce the number of accidents. This despite the fact that until his dog died last month she was having accidents in the house, and without being asked I started taking her outside so she could pee. It doesn't help that he hit me with this right as I got home from work and I haven't had lunch yet. He also shut Frankie in the room but left the cat with kidney failure out, and the only litter box is in my room. I hope she didn't pee anywhere.

I'm just done with the world.