For the last six years, the local art museum has hosted a Dia de los Muertos celebration, with a traditional ofrenda open to the public from the 26th through the 3rd. I walked down, wrote names on a piece of paper and left flowers and a candle, and joined several other people in crying and telling stories. All of the offerings will be removed tonight, taken off-site and burned, and the ashes given to the Sound.

The bigger portion of today - five hours' worth! I must love my friend's kid - was spent with a friend at a high school regatta, which translates to "watching teenagers goof around in little boats, trying not to roll our eyes too hard when the goofing off leads to one crew going in the water (they were okay), and walking the local trails along the inlet during the long stretches with no wind".

I have not done much except work today. Work was...it started out frustrating because so much isn't getting done and new people are making mistakes. (Seasonal help is such a mixed bag) I've been training the new people and gotten praise for that. The assistant store manager over us told me that there is a clear difference in those newbies I've trained and others so she wants me to do as much training as possible.

Since I'm the full time person who isn't a brand specialist I've been trying to take on some responsibility for seeing that certain things get done but I was getting some push back and started feeling like I had overstepped. I talked to the assistant manager today about that and she said that since they've asked me to act as a trainer they've also given me added responsibility to follow up and continue making sure things are getting done properly etc. Based on some other comments she has made I think she wants to find some more responsibilities for me, I'm not sure. So that gave me a boost.

As key, it sounds great that you are a good trainer,

I am ready to go to sleep, I unpacked an entire box of books, and moved books piled on the radiator to a shelf, I think it is good, my apart emend if definitely the cleanest it has been since moving ion? My new bed is comfy and my kitty cuddly,

I do wish I had a few more days offf, just to make sure. But beggars can't be. Choosers.

You're almost there, Sophia. You've earned that bed and that snuggly kitty.

Good job, Sophia. You really opened a can of whoop-ass on your dwelling. May it all go the way you want it to. Boop the kitty's nose for me.

I really want to see "We have always lived in the castle"

We have always lived in the castle was good! I only recently read it as well, so I went I. Remembering the "twist".

Before ai leave, I Justhave to take out two bags of garbage and move the carpet cleaner is upstairs. This can never happen again.

OMG, the video for Miss World has a big thing saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness!"

My mother used to say that all the time, and I quote it to the boys.

Having a teen helper is great. There are a number of things that physically are a lot easier for young men to handle.

I just saw the news about Connie. I'm stunned.

More and more, I'm appreciating how difficult it is to start life over after reaching a certain age. Connie made it look so easy that I could imagine her at age 85, exploring Machu Picchu or somewhere equally exotic.

Just saw the news about Connie, too. Very sad.

Not much to say after seeing that.

I'd love to hear stories about Connie Neil, if you'd like to share them (but I'm thinking a bit about shiva here, and that's part of what you do in a shiva. So I get it if that's not your thing).

Gud and Fred Pete, other than the news, how are you doing?