Timelies all!

I'm sorry, Laura.

Laura, I'm so sorry to learn that Zoe has passed. I teared up while reading your post though, because I thought, "What a good death." She was not in distress, and she was surrounded by the people she loved so much. Love to you and your whole family.

I would have no qualms about still going to the concert if it didn't involve missing school to do so. The gift was not this particular concert; it was A concert in 2019. So we could find a summer concert or a concert that's on a weekend to go to. (But she wanted this act the most.)

Flea, since there was work she didn't do, and this wasn't just an academic struggle with a difficult subject, I think I wouldn't take her out of school for it. I think I'd go for another concert. It seems like a reasonable consequence, with enough sting to drive home the point, but doesn't undo the present aspect.

That said, you're not a chump (and not mean) either way. And you're not failing. You're not failing because you're there, you're loving her, you care about her education, and you're trying to be fair. That's all you can do (no matter which concert you decide upon), so you get an A.

Hey Flea, I think I'd take her to the concert she wants, and then have her take summer school and lose the dream job. This concert is The One, and it won't affect her grade, at this point, to go. It was a Christmas gift, and I think it tarnishes the joy of the gift if you start hanging strings from it. The job, however, is a reasonable consequence, in my opinion, because the loss of it is a direct consequence of not doing her current job. Then, maybe, talk to her about plans and ways to help her work out how to avoid this consequence in future. It gives you a lot of good will, and if you explain your thinking to her, then she has the opportunity to work with you to help her succeed instead of resenting you.

serial, because it deserves its own,

Laura, I'm so sorry for your loss, and so pleased for Zoe that she got to feel the love until the end. I wish there was a way to make it easier for you.

Sorry about those consequences, Theo, but yay, no F in math.

I'm always reluctant to delete something I posted that turned out to be dumb--it's like trying to hide my own dumbity, and that just seems like wimping out. I said it, I got called on it, and I copped to it. It's all right there, like some sort of morality play. (deep breath) and now we're moving on. If it's deleted it always feels like shameful defeat to me.

But I don't claim to speak for anyone but me.

I am so sympathetic, flea. I have no answers for you, but I do feel you in that situation.

Is this where I wave at Zen and Karl, or no? Where am I..?

I'm hanging out on Netflix of these evenings with Monty Don and S3 QE. I'm still having trouble investing in scripted tv. I think it's my reality-assaulted attention span. And I'm so over superheroes it's not even funny. Superheroes, post-apocalypse, space horror, and creepy horror. Jeez. Time to read a book, huh?

I have been reading a lot more than I've been watching TV lately, Bev. It's kinda weird!

I've been trying to stop my screen time (laptop and phone, not necessarily TV) after 9:30 or 10, to help with my sleep. As you can tell by the time stamp, I'm not successful 100% of the time. I'd say maybe 60% of the time I get off screens by 10 p.m., though, and it does seem to help.

I've been watching little but British competitive antiquing shows for the last while. They have the same rotating stable of experts to help out the civilians, and they're hysterical. In one of the recent ones, the host and the auctioneer are looking over the haul before selling them, and they're talking about the resurgence of interest in vintage baking ware. "I put it down to the recent spate of baking shows everyone's so interested in," the host says. The auctioneer nods sagely. "Mrs. Berry has a lot to answer for." "Yes, indeed." It tickles me to see how the cultural bits I'm interested in filter into the general British world. I had no idea Dr. Who was so entangled in daily life.

I do not want to go to work today. It's the equinox and this week has already been 3 million years long, so today should be a holiday.

Augh, my CW is super-stressed because she has too much stuff going on, including some personal stuff, and I sympathize, but I really don't like being put in the position of being her therapist.