Meanwhile, our database hasn't had a GUI update in what seems like decades.

OMG, I am in the awful position of HAAAAATING our work database/software, which is ancient and has to be run through an emulator and is awful to work with and so user-unfriendly....but I also really don't want to have to learn the new version that they are slowly rolling out, because I've not used it before and don't know all the tricks and twists (because it's apparently better, but not awesome, so there are tricks and twists). Oh, change. Why so hard?

I have a Skype interview for a position that I really want tomorrow--one in my ideal location (northern lower Michigan). One thing that may be problematic is that they want budgeting experience. I kept an eye on a website development project as a project manager, once. Does that seem like something worth bringing up?

You mean you monitored expenses? Sure!

Jesse, I take a lot of Advil for cramps, but today I stayed home from work to apply a moderate amount of wine. When will that menopause begin?

You mean you monitored expenses?

Yep. I got quotes, checked off work completed vs. work billed, etc. I haven't done a lot of it, but I have done it.

Definitely say that!

When will that menopause begin?

Right?? As I get closer, my cramps have gotten bad again -- they were so good in my 30s!

Note that Advil does promote bleeding (though not as bad as aspirin!) but on the other hand, it relaxes muscles so that may help with the cramps.

I was surprised when the doctor suggested staying away from Advil when I broke my toe, but evidently inflammation is actually kind of good for healing bones. I try to stick to mostly Tylenol because other NSAIDs make my ears ring more than normally.

I've been away from computers and internets for almost 48 hours. Shocking! Unfortunately missed Kat's birthday during that span, so happy belated birthday, Kat!

We went to visit DH's father in the country, and came home with a baby frog that we found by the pond. So today's main adventure will involve buying some supplies to take care of the frog -- crickets and I don't know what else -- and trying to ID the little guy. (I'm guessing a gray tree frog but I'd like to hear from someone who knows.) Not going to buy a big terrarium until he's bigger, for now we are housing the frog in our old fish bowl.

The other big excitement of the visit was going to a family friend's house for a poolside barbeque, which was interrupted by a summer thunderstorm. We were watching the horizon while swimming, so everyone cleared out of the pool before the deluge and lightning hit, and less than an hour later the storm had moved on.

Oh, from way back but I wanted to respond to this from Rick:

but for kids, no matter the degree to which they throw themselves into it at the time, it doesn't necessarily stay with them. They are highly responsive to the collaborative environment that was created, but it doesn't mean that they have the self-consistency and self-regulation to make it stick.

I see this with my son especially. He can sound so very rational and grown-up but he doesn't usually follow through on all the big boy things he says. I tend to see it as a persona he's trying on for size.

We don't handle a lot of our client hardware needs, but those that we upgraded from XP we moved right to 8.1. DH had suggested moving them to Windows 7, but I insisted that they go to 8.1 and just deal. No sense in having to live through two updates in a short time. Of course 8 will go away in no time at all and we'll have to deal again. Change is bad. Dislike Change.