Thanks for the birthday happies. Had a quiet brunch with a couple friends. We had an awning and it was raining so that was nice and cozy.

That sounds good, Trudy. Glad to hear it.

Title bump seems like it ought to be an easy ask. Good for you for figuring out you want it!

I am home, cat is fed (poor thing had to go over 24 hours with no new food, her complaints were slightly more desperate than when it has been minutes since her dish was empty), and I'm working. Did nothing this morning but talk on the phone, really, but I am exhausted. Also, forgot Dad's car is a stick shift until I got into it to back it out of the garage, but that skill set came back to me pretty fast. I do feel like I should try to drive as little as possible until I can give it back, and try to make that as soon as possible, though.

Ugh, lisah, I hate it when job tools are not accessible! Also that the job search process sucks, it certainly does. Much ugh.

So sorry about the headache, meara.

I have a petty complaint: my title. Not my job or my salary, just my title.

In my itty bitty company it used to be a rule that people chose their own title when we ordered business cards. People always gave reasonable appropriate titles so it worked out.

Timelies all!

That's awful -t. Hope that you get the best possible outcome.

In my itty bitty company it used to be a rule that people chose their own title when we ordered business cards. People always gave reasonable appropriate titles so it worked out.

That's fun.

Jesse definitely the perception of your title across the organization is a part of it though! So if others have better titles that IS part of it! Good luck.

I really am craving some crunchy salty thing (Fritos? Or some kind of chip) but have none in the house. And going to buy them seems like a bad plan. So instead I sit on my couch. Let’s see if I outwit my cravings through laziness!

Let’s see if I outwit my cravings through laziness!

Do you have popcorn? Because that'll usually work for salty cravings.

Laziness can do a lot!

I did not have popcorn, so I went to Trader Joe’s and bought fancy potato chips and some sort of Indian snack mix, and also fried plantain chips. Mostly because I remembered I need coffee, which motivated me to go there. TBD if I will actually eat dinner though.

I snacked.

We have an Aldi's here now. Opened a couple of days ago. Not a Trader Joe's but also not an hour away. Still useful to me apart from where I have no faith in their wine and beer yet. But I likely used to get that feeling at TJ's too.

The latter half of July was a mostly fun road trip with Boy and Shelby. We spent time with family at Lake Tahoe and she traveled well. The Boy and I already know we travel well.

This was a huge spending a lot of time together with one side of the family that he knows and then meeting masses of the other side of family at the 50th anniversary of my uncle's anniversary of his ordination which is quite something when you aren't Catholic. I mean, I'm not either but I do the cross my arms 'not a vampire, I promise' get a blessing at mass and later talked to my favorite priests at the dinner many of whom I have not seen since the last party for his 25th and they could drink me under the table.

Shelby drank something sketchy (she's the sketchiest water fan, but no more) and we've been home caring for pancreatitis since we got home ten days ago. Today she finally ate dog food that she can eat for the rest of her life. She was so close to being hospitalized at the ER because she wouldn't eat at all and then would only eat bone broth and boiled chicken with SQ fluid supplementing her.

I've been a wreck. Pancreatitis is the scariest diagnosis she could have gotten. But I think we turned a corner. And thank god for pet insurance or this would be a different post most likely.

Especially as I know pancreatitis as a fatty foods issue. Which is can be. Shelby was triggered by toxicity. But her recovery and the rest of her life? Low fat. Because pancreatitis can come back.