Do you have a team or other cohort? How are y’all doing?

My team is intact, but I'm only starting to find out who all is gone, so it's been chaotic. I mean, I woke up Friday morning and checked my work calendar to see a last-minute meeting with a description that had me scrolling through my email to find out if another colleague had died, or if it was layoffs like everyone had been worried about. And then I got to get out of bed and login to work to see if I still had a job. Fun times!

The general sentiment in my cohort is that we're feeling demoralized and experiencing some survivor's guilt.

Yay for sleep!

Oh boy. That sounds very unpleasant

I knew one great grandparent into elementary school. One grandfather died when I was in high school, the other when I was in college. My grandmother died before I adopted Mac, but my grandma lived to 100 and it will be 10 years since she died this year.

It’s weird to me that I don’t have guilt about not giving Mac a second patent, but I do wish he had 2 sets of grandparents. I got so much from mine.

I only really knew one of my grandparents. I don’t really have any distinct memories of the other three. Not only did they die when I was very young, they were also all up in Canada while we were in Southern California.

JZ, hooray for good sleep!

Oof, Shrift. I'm glad you're employed, but... yeah.

I've been fortunate when it comes to grandparents. I'm the oldest child of young parents, who were also each the oldest child. I knew all my grandparents and one great-grandparent and didn't lose a grandparent until I was in my 20s. I have one 96-yr-old grandmother still living. I need to figure out a time to visit her since my Christmas trip was cancelled.

So glad you're still employed, shrift! My brother is still employed as well, but yikes.

Happy to hear you are getting good sleep, JZ!

I worked through dinner tonight because it was work I could do and was something specific and confined that just required a bunch of research, and it was so pleasant compared to so much of what I do now. Don't be a supervisor, people! Sigh.

I'm glad you're still employed, shrift - and also sorry it's rough.

So glad you're feeling better, JZ. I hope your people can tweak the cocktail successfully quickly.

Fell asleep at 8p. Now I'm up. Yippee.

I’m glad you’re feeling better, JZ. It’s hard to overestimate the value of sleep.

I’m feeling like traveling—it’s been years since I’ve gone anywhere but to visit family. While this year might just be a jaunt to the NC mountains, I’m thinking Montreal might be nice for my next non-family airplane trip. Has anyone been there? It looks fun.

It’s hard to overestimate the value of sleep.

Truth. It's good to hear you got some of the good stuff, JZ.

I'm sorry things are so disruptive, shrift. Ugh.

Kiddos are back in NY. The visit went very well.

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born (my maternal grandfather when Mom was 5, so she barely had a chance to know him), but my grandmothers lived until I was in college so I feel fortunate to have had many good years with them.

I'm the baby of my generation on Mom's side of the family, just a few years older than the most senior of my once-removed cousins. On Dad's side I'm the 4th oldest among the currently living, and expect that #2 will probably outlive me.