Tonight I went to a really good restaurant in a really random location, and I'm so glad I took a Lyft!! All's well that ends well. (And without a mile walk through non-neighborhoods.)

It's too quiet in Natter. Therefore I shall post nonsense. Because I can.

Why do I have such terrible veins? When they need blood they always end up going for my hands and not even liking those much, even after putting warm packs on them. I tried to hydrate before the visit because I knew! And it still didn't help

Sadface, meara. That's no fun.

Sorry, meara! I grok your pain. All my veins hide at the first hint of a blood draw. Getting it taken from the back of my hand makes me want to barf. It's too sensitive there, dammit! Just get a knife, it'll be easier.

I habe the opposite problem. My veins are like a gusher! they jump back from them. I also have a low normal body temp- not sure if that contributes, although my theory is that it contributes to me being hot all the time.

My work head is spinning around. I feel bad and I think the temp we hired can do the job, but I don't think it is going to be 2 weeks of training, I think it will either be a year of training or she will leave. I am not sure why/how some people just a few years older than me have literally now grasp on computers or the internet, but it is challenging. It has taken me longer to show this person some little things that go between out network drives, bos, and our learning management system than it has ever taken me to show a student worker. I can't even begin to tell her that there are like 5 more systems she has to learn that I haven't even exposed her to yet. It doesn't help that I have been doing my job for 15 years, so I have like 300 shortcuts that don't make sense to people.

The other thing that is different is that I have to actually acknowledge that I am over-qualified/over-smart for the position I was in, so all these things that people rely on me for because I was good might not actually be the expectation of pay and rank, and that I am unusual. I hate to say that. I think everyone deserves an opportunity and my job is not that hard, but basically I have been doing the same job for 15 years, I have connections all around the university, and I understand the university system, all of which are not true for my replacement. I am just trying to provide her with as many resources as I can, and since I am not moving anywhere, just do things. It doesn't help that my old boss , my new boss, and her new boss are all on vacation for the first few weeks of training.

I'm reading about Russian attempts to stoke the vaccination debate and I'm wondering how we could convince the Internet Research Agency that the big new debate is about cilantro, or salad shooters, or... muffalettas?

Timelies all!

Quiet here for the moment.

Dad update: he's doing well! They prepared us that he would probably end up in the ICU after his surgery, but they put him straight in a private room. He's feeling a bit sore, but otherwise well and says he will probably be getting out of the hospital Monday. Thanks for all the ~ma. It's meant a lot during this stressful week. It's hard to be away during a health crisis, but I'll get to see him next week.

Hooray for the good news!