Sniff. You guys. The best. Your kind words have touched my heart and made it feel better.

One of our residents was due for her dialysis treatment yesterday -- usually it's a M-W-F schedule, but it's all shifted because of the holiday, so I came in for two separate hours to take her to and from. I'm only a ten-ish minute drive from work, so it was not too onerous. But somehow it does throw the rest of my week off conceptually -- the thing with T-Day sitting there in the middle of the week wouldn't have helped anyway I suppose.

I hope not being employed is a good thing and not a bad thing

Mixed bag. I hated that job, but I would have appreciated more warning. I have one other contract right now, but yeah, I'm trying to find a new gig.

I am guardedly optimistic that the ~ma worked! I spent all the daylight hours this weekend at the vet's, and they identified a number of things that it wasn't, but no idea what it was. After 4 days of not eating or drinking, she'd lost 15% of her body weight and subcutaneous hydration only gets you so far. The vet gave her some Pepcid yesterday and an appetite stimulant, and we used a dropper to get some broth into her, and that seemed to turn the tide. I stayed up with her last night, giving her broth and then shifting to tiny amounts of wet food, and now she's eating and drinking like normal.

SO relieved.

Great kitty news, Volans! What a relief.

I'm up and making breakfast. That's about all I've got so far today.

Yay, Volans. I hope the kitty continues to improve.

I'm up and looking up recipes to finalize our Thanksgiving menu.

Volans, if not being employed is due to the events of November 3rd my sympathy is somewhat muted. Changes! I hope you are doing okay. I can only imagine your experiences since 2016 have been even more alarming being that much closer.

Sheesh, it has been a Monday morning. I started this post a really long time ago. Let's see how much time has passed. eta: 3 hours! So I missed the kitty update. Phew!

askye, I am sorry about the losses for your poor mom. Sending comforting ~ma her way.

What a relief re: cat, Volans!

How is the weekend already over? Do not like.

I've been thinking that as well, but then I remembered I only have to work two days and then have five off, so that should help.

In other news, my team is doing a gift exchange with a $15 limit or homemade. I am the boss. The person I drew said she likes sweets. Everyone knows I bake. I should send her a couple of kinds of cookies or similar, right?

We are going to be making way too much food for 3 people, especially since one of those people is a 5 year old who things anything we make is "icky".

I know I will make too much, but hope to make some frozen meals with the leftovers. Trying to keep on track with the diet. Just turkey breast made in the instant pot, then my carby sides of sweet potato, white baby potatoes, and stuffing. We have been eating so healthy that this will be so decadent.

To switch things up with the morning oatmeal game I made a oatmeal/pumpkin/banana bread that is so tasty it was off the charts. Added 1/2 cup of walnuts to this recipe - [link] The 'flour' was 2 cups of pulverized whole oats. With the walnuts it was 235 calories a serving (1/8 loaf). I put a tiny bit of peanut butter on top. DH had a couple scrambled eggs too because his caloric needs are substantially different from mine.

Anyway, enough of the boring talk after I note that DH is down 35 pounds and me 11 after a month. Daily routine of oatmeal varieties for breakfast, salad varieties for lunch (wide variety like today is Waldorf), and fish and veggies, vegetarian, or lean protein and veggies for dinner. Lots of walking and swimming. This week adding weights. So much cooking! So many dishes! Much of the loss is just not eating out.

We are, too, sj, and without the five year-old. I'm a pretty big eater, frankly, but I'm still glad for freezers!

I'm so sorry for your mom's losses, askye. In close succession makes that even harder. My Uncle Bill (dad's best friend) died the year after my father did, and it was just gutting on top of devastating. Like, no, really, just stop. (This was mid-seventies, so, many moons ago.)

Uh. And on that cheery note... unicorns, butterflies, puppy dogs, Earl Grey tea to clear the melancholy. I actually only have one of those things. Guess which one!