Congrats flea!

So, for the past few weeks we've had a mysterious loud rattling sound that we couldn't pinpoint, almost every day, in short bursts which start and stop. No matter where you stand in the house, it sounds like someone is running a jackhammer directly over your head (except, there's nothing in the attic with moving parts that can rattle). I've been completely panicky that something important is broken in our HVAC system.

Today, I solved it! When I was leaving to take Aeryn to school, I happened to turn around just in time to see a woodpecker going to town on the tin chimney (that connects to all the ducts in the house). Ha! Caught you, bird!

Congrats flea!

My condolences about the Biscuit, Liese. You gave him a good life.

Last night on my drive home two little girls (one 2 or 3, one maybe 6) darted out in the crosswalk at the last moment after I thought they were waiting for a gap in traffic. Turns out my brakes can take my car from 45 to 0 in about two car lengths if I slam them hard enough. My nerves were shot for the rest of the night.

I happened to turn around just in time to see a woodpecker going to town on the tin chimney (that connects to all the ducts in the house).

Oh my! That would make an incredible racket!

Good grief, Matt. Good thing you have a strong heart.

Oh man, Matt, that must have been rattling.

When I was leaving to take Aeryn to school, I happened to turn around just in time to see a woodpecker going to town on the tin chimney (that connects to all the ducts in the house). Ha! Caught you, bird!

Insert Woody Woodpecker "ha-ha-HA-ha" laugh here....

Also I've never packed prior to just before bed the night before a trip, ever. But I see that as a feature, not a bug.

I went to Outback to get a drink and calm my nerves immediately, and even after dinner I was rattled enough that I left my credit card behind.

Understandable. Frankly I hope the screeching brakes scared the crap out of them too!

Yikes, Matt!

There was a woodpecker in our neighborhood when I was a kid that would rotate among several metal chimneys when he wanted to be loud. I think it was only in the spring? I just here the scrabbling sounds of Byrd feet perching on my chimney here, not nearly as loud but very interesting to the cats.

Yipes Matt, what a scare! Thank goodness for your quick reflexes

Congratulations, flea!

Meara, I lurves the name Whiskey Business.

Since my brother is getting his Masters in psychology, he and I regularly text each other to engage in an APA vs AMA style manual shit-talking flamewar. Good times.

I find this hilarious. Text conversations with my brother consist almost entirely of bad puns and obscure emojis.

Liese, my condolences on the Biscuit.

flea, congratulations on the new job! I think?

Other adult professional humans also have get-up-and-do-it problems!

Zen, I didn't think I had executive function problems until I recently realized that I have executive function problems. Oops. I've been trying to set up systems for myself not only to list the thing I need to do, but also to break it down into smaller tasks. Like, what do I actually need in order to do this? Will I need to go to a store? Do I need to do this now, or can it wait? If I need to do it soonish, what's the first step?

So, like, replacing a lightbulb would go: 1) Notice lightbulb has burned out. 2) Turn off/unplug light source. 3) Remove bulb from fixture. 4) Write down bulb information. 5) Find time to go to the hardware store to buy replacement bulb. 6) Replace bulb in fixture. 7) Pat self on back.

For Zen and the other depression people, here's something I pulled off Seanan McGuire's Tumblr a while ago. I keep it on hand for when things look bad:

DEPRESSION LIES. WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE. WE KNOW ALSO THAT SOME THINGS GROW STRONGER WITH REPEATING, AND SO: DEPRESSION LIES. DEPRESSION TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE WEAK, BUT YOU ARE STRONG—SO STRONG. YOU CARRY THE DNA OF SURVIVAL IN EVERY CELL OF YOUR BODY. YOUR BONES ARE LACED WITH THE DUST OF GALAXIES, YOUR MIND IS POWERED WITH THE SOULS OF SUNS. YOU ARE A MIRACLE WALKING, AND YOU ARE STRONGER THAN THE LIES YOUR MIND ATTEMPTS TO TELL YOU.