Punching people in the throat is very therapeutic.

It was totally worth 2 vacation days to make the trip to Columbia, Mo to hang out with friends I don't see enough and to be in the totality zone. We hung out in their front yard where we could have a little snack table and chat without a crowd around. I wish I'd thought to check how much the temperature dropped. It started at 90° or 91° and at totality was really quite comfortable. Traffic noise stopped, streetlights came on, the daytime insects quieted and the cicadas started singing. Just before totality the color of the light was kind of eerie. It felt like the kind of color processing they do to film when the location is another planet. Then the light coming out of totality was... whiter somehow. It's hard to describe. When totality happened a cheer went up from various unseen backyards, then a little voice piped up saying, "Thank you, moon!"

We did get the 360° sunset although houses and trees obscured a portion of that. We didn't see any stars though because there were a lot of whispy clouds, but those clouds stayed clear of the sun/moon for the duration of totality. I think my location had one of the longer times of totality, too. 2:37. I think only St Joseph, MO was supposed to have longer (2:38) but I heard storm clouds made their viewing party a bust.

I took a lot of state highways with letters for names to avoid St. Louis on the way home and I think that turned out to be a good choice. Traffic on I-55 was still heavy where I joined in at Springfield, IL.

So I just was in with the head of HR, basically reporting on a colleague, and of course the colleague was right there when I came out of the HR office. I think not close enough that she would have overheard anything???

Timelies all!

Mr. S had an appointment/assessment this morning, so I decided to take the rest of the day off. Dropped him at daycare around 11, then went to Montgomery Mall to do some clothes shopping(bleah). Got most of what I was looking for.(Why is it so hard to find regular length, straight leg chinos in Macy's? I found one pair in navy in the right size, but no black pants and the only khaki-ish pair didn't have my size...)

If I were looking for classic chinos, I'd probably go straight to LLBean or Lands End, and order one of each style if need be to find the right one.

Wow, aurelia, I'm so envious. But I just didn't have enough vacation time to trek down to the totality.

I have a fancy new phone! The screen is so bright, and the text is larger! So pleasant.

Had another job interview, which went well. I'm doing an on-site interview on Monday.

Two downsides:

1) They're doing a background check. I'm not sure where my college diploma is.

2) It's in Downers Grove, which Google Maps says would take between 50 minutes and an hour and 25 minutes to drive each way.

It's a 3 month to hire gig. I'd move if I got the permanent position.

eta: From the background check website:

The investigative consumer report may contain information concerning your character, general reputation, personal characteristics, mode of living, or credit standing.

How do they even find out stuff about my character, reputation, etc. What is "mode of living"?

What is "mode of living"?

IKEA or Goodwill?

Maybe they don't want people who've lived in a commune? Or a crack house?