Elections are tomorrow. Current mood: [link] (or, you know, 48 hours, since finalish results will be announced on Wednesday morning).

(I'm reading here occasionally to restore some sanity and faith in my fellow human beings. ~mas and sympathy to those who need them).

{{Shir}} I can only imagine how stressful it is based on reporting here.

I wish I could say it is. There is some degree of apathy/despair, and that is what stresses me - that people here do not appropriate democracy and basic rights, and cannot think of a future that does not only include war. Even if Netanyahu will not make it (and I doubt it), the alternative is someone who expressed the same views and beliefs as Netanyahu. So much for an alternative?

It was also discouraging to try to understand during the weekend to which minority party I want to vote. I wanted a party that has a strong representation of minorities and their interests, especially Arabs and women and LGBTQ folks, and has a social agenda (we need urgent funding of the health system). I also wanted to vote for a party with a basic understanding that there is a climate change and that we need to act on it, sooner rather than latter.

And you know, if I bring it down to only two wishes (doesn't really matter which two), there are solid 3-5 parties I can vote for. (There is only one party that answers all of my wishes but it never gets enough votes to enter the government, so I'm not gonna vote for it. It is still the same party if I give up on the climate change front).

My condolences on your loss, Laura.

I'm glad you had a good day with her, Matt. How is she doing overall?

She's doing okay. She's had an active social life lately, and is getting out for walks and thinking of joining a local exercise group of retired church ladies (which I think would be good in terms of getting out of the house and active even if the actual exercise isn't enough to build much stamina).

aaaaaaahhhh, a coworker (not my annoying teammate) just called to let me know there are layoffs happening at work. Right now, just devs, but it's not a good sign. Also, they're being relocated to a crappy building with an open-concept office. This whole thing feels very sinking ship, and like I should seriously look for a new job.

Except a) don't want to leave until I fully vest in my 401k in late June, b) don't wanna have to start over at a new job with limited vacation, c) jesus christ don't wanna have to fucking search for a new job.

I'd love to look at contract work, but I need to have benefits available in case something insane goes down with husband's job, which is a definite possibility.

Ugh. I had a headache Saturday and did nothing all day. I mostly felt better by the end of the day after taking my meds, but still. Sunday I woke up and was like "yay no headache" except...it came back. To the point where I ended up puking and going to bed at 7pm. And this morning, still in pain. Not super bad but after two days of this I'm so done. And I feel like even if it's not "bad" pain it still is hard to focus and be awake and happy or whatever—moreso when I have head or neck or face pain than if it's an extremity? Anyway. Not sure how to make this go away.

Oh no, meara! Relief~ma!

Ugh, Dana, that all sucks.

I hope nothing dramatic happens until July at least, Dana.

Least bad option~ma for your elections, Shir.

Sounds like it's still worth it to hang on by your fingernails until June, then. But getting your resume in order now sounds like something you could do to give your nervous hindbrain something to chew on.

Post-Toasties: Do you know that if you take a deep toke and then start coughing, you can blow ashes from your improvised ashtray all across your desk?