Ooops, used a wrong character there.

I think of you and your beautiful altars all the time. I am clearly way behind on getting up to the PNW, and I think it's been a couple of years since I've seen you in person. Must rectify!

Oh man hand massage. One side effect of going back to school is that I am physically writing (rather than typing) all the time. About three weeks in, my long-dormant carpal tunnel kicked back in (last seen in grad school) and while I've got the neuropathy settled, my right hand feels still and bruised like all the time. Hand masssssssaaaaaaaaaaaage, especially from a beloved, would be amahzing.

That sounds like a good plan that will give you options without taking over life.

That's the goal. I may actually end up teaching (!!) at the community college level--with my MA, I am eligible, and could potentially teach in a couple different disciplines. But it's not the most reliable of careers, and having a part-time accounting position would give me the stability to have that flexibility.

How's the pup?

Oh man, still the cutest, sweetest kid to ever exist. I had her best friend over for Thanksgiving week, and they were so ridiculously cute together. Oliver, her bestie, is the white one, and Rookie, my girl, is the brown one. Ridiculous, right? Here they are in their sweaters, cuddling again. Oliver is an American pittie/Jack Russell mix (hilarious) and Rookie is an American staffordshire terrier, so they both only have short top coats with no undercoat. They're usually swaddled to keep them warm, like Plei's greyhounds. Minus the snoods.

Hey P-C, I want to congratulate you on all your literary accomplishments this year. You’ve been working and developing so much over the last few years, and it’s been wonderful to see you succeeding in a difficult industry. I purchased Genius Locii on KS. :)

Thank you!! I will post in here about this ridiculous year at some point.

Good to see you as well.

SA! It's good to "see" you again!

For me, the biggest and best part of this year is that I got Finnbarr FancyPants McGee (my big white fluffy James Bond villain kitty) a little buddy. Eddie (full name Eddie Munster) seems to be a Jack Russell terrier trapped in a cat's body, and he has been a wonderful addition to the household.

The vet said to keep them separated for a week so Finn could get used to the idea of an interloper. As soon as I brought the carrier in the house, though, Finn looked like the kid who'd gotten a pony for Christmas. In less than 48 hours, the two boys were napping together. [link]

If he has a flaw, it's that he's decided that it's acceptable to knock my bedside lamp onto my head to wake me up so I can feed him. I have met beagles with more restraint around food than this cat.

Aw, that's great, Anne!

Congratulations Anne!!!

That is a ridiculously cute photo!

Oh my gosh, so cute!

So...what you're saying, basically, is that you have a Jack Russell and a beagle in cat suits? Okay then. They're really cute!

I have been loving the brotherly love story of Finn and Eddie since you first told it -- literally ever since; it's one of my go-to smile and feel my heart lighten stories that I've kept in a side pocket of my brain for easy access whenever the world starts to crush me. I start to get wrecked; I pull Finn and Eddie out, unfold them, smooth out the creases, and my heart unclenches; I fold them up again very carefully and tuck them back into that pocket for safekeeping.