Hah, my tree is still up because I’m lazy and it makes me happy, but I like your reasoning too. (I was using epiphany and then was going to call it lazy after that, but yeah)

We always keep our tree up until the Epiphany. My grandmother used to call it “little Christmas”.

I self-soothed with My 600Lb Life, which is running a new season. It's a guilty pleasure that I have no explanation for.

It's early, so I haven't looked at the news yet.

We are also keep the tree up through epiphany people. Or I am, because raised Catholic, and Bob is because I care. Also we both like having the tree.

We have white string lights outside all year and I'm hoping some of my neighbors keep their outside lights up longer this year. It would be cheery to have them all winter.

We kept some string lights up all year after last Christmas, and we, and our neighbors just referred to them as the COVID lights. We'll keep them up until . . . I dunno.

We are three blocks from the DC line and about 5-6 miles north of the Capitol Building. Lots of helicopters last night, and police cars outside the houses of the House Rep and Senator that live in the neighborhood all night (at least they were there when I walked the dog last night, and this morning).

If you haven't read Jamie Raskin's statement about the suicide of his son, it's an amazing read. [link]

If you haven't read Jamie Raskin's statement about the suicide of his son, it's an amazing read. [link]

The Sun printed it yesterday. What a terrible loss. Fuck mental illness.

I was wondering how you were doing, Sparky1. Stay safe

I don't have any kind of excuse for why I don't want to work today but I'm having a real hard time trying to convince myself to do anything and then I'm doing it real slow

I'm on day 2 of wanting to scream and/or physical hurt people/things. These fuckos in DC starting with Trump, including the Senators and Reps objecting, and the terrorists who vandalized, stormed and desecrated the Capital need to punished swiftly and firmly and it WILL NOT FUCKING HAPPEN.

Also, someone in another division in my building tested positive after being in the office Tuesday. We found out yesterday and were told we could go home if we wanted. I know who it was by virtue of my position and had no contact or space sharing with the person so I planned to stay and work from the office the rest of the week. I get in (late) to work today to find the building empty save the janitorial worker. Apparently the big boss told the other division chiefs to have everyone work from home the rest of the week, mandatory - not optional. She, however, did not tell her own staff.

I am now back home and it took me over an hour to connect remotely. I am going to get SO LITTLE work done to day and I can't really seem to care.

I was on edge yesterday about how M's mom would react to the Capital being attacked. She doesn't like Trump but I over heard her expressing fear at the idea of the Senate flipping.

She thinks it horrible. She told me her brother who voted for Trump is ashamed now (my feelinf on that is too little too late).

M's brother told her last night he wished he had been there and had thought about driving up.

I don't know if M knows this. I did tell his mom I wasn't surprised and that is another reason I haven't gone over to their house and I won't be going over there in the future even when Ovid is resolved.

I want to email my dad about the heated talk we had beige the election and tell him this is what I was afraid would happen and why I was so vehement when talking to him.

She, however, did not tell her own staff.

Not helpful.

I had a Zoom call with my sisters this morning where we all vented about yesterday, so that was cathartic. I can't say all the rage is expelled, but I do feel functional, more or less. At one point I was re-enacting my screaming obscenities at Ted Cruz while I was listening and driving yesterday... my DP came in and said, "Honey, you're scaring the cats..." (I wasn't really; it was funny. I am not generally a screamy person.)

I did not attack any of the Junk Room yesterday, but I'm headed back in there today.