My COVID-19 PCR test came back negative this morning, which is nice. I'd very much like these lingering cold symptoms to GTFO of my head, though. I'll continue to quarantine and test again in a couple of days to be on the safe side.

My mom texted me this morning to tell me she has strep throat (also got a Covid test, but it was negative), and she said "I kind of forgot there are other illnesses out there!" At least with strep throat, you can throw antibiotics at it.

I'll have a normal city commute when we go back to the office!

Woot! Though...is that still long, just not nearly as long as before?

"I kind of forgot there are other illnesses out there!"

Several family members have told me this is the first year they didn't get strep or flu or other respiratory stuff in forever. Hence their desire to never give up their masks.

Though...is that still long, just not nearly as long as before?

It takes me 30-40 minutes to get to our downtown office by public transit or car, so it's a lot shorter with way more flexibility.

Work has reinstated the mask mandate mandates employees. We never actually enforced it for customers. Some of the make up counters had gone back to doing some of the usual stuff but they are back to touch free. And they are going to limit fitting rooms in some way ...maybe.

They are going to consolidate registers since we don't have as many people and probably won't have the level of staff we did pre covid again. At least not in the foreseeable future. And most of the fitting rooms will be turned into stock rooms.

And company travel is stopped. Out store manager made it clear the changes are there to make sure we can stay safe and stay open and that no one wants anyone to be furloughed again. Which would only happen if there was another shutdown.

In my dream this morning, I was new in a job and screwed up payroll. jesseh worked there, too, and stayed late to help me fix it. Thanks, man! You're a mensch.

I am always happy to help!!

Good luck to your dad, Dana.

Good news, shrift!

"I kind of forgot there are other illnesses out there!"

I'm still furious (on his behalf) about my uncle ending up in the hospital with Influenza B last year.

I am always happy to help!!

I need dream Jesse to remind me about all those college classes that I somehow forgot to go to all semester only to realize it right before the final.

Timelies all!

I don't seem to remember whole dreams, just random fragments.

Me neither, Sheryl.

I need dream Jesse to remind me about all those college classes that I somehow forgot to go to all semester only to realize it right before the final.

GO TO CLASS!!

Dream Jesse is the best! As is real Jesse (Why did I think it was "jesseh?" Is that old? Or lj?).

I was finally today able to concentrate really well for a solid five hour work day. I mean, I work partime right now, so that's a day, but my focus has SUCKED for a really long time. So, yay.

I'm sorry, Gud. That is really an unfun feeling.

I'm going to the DC Pen Show tomorrow, mainly to say hi to the super cool people from Galen Leather who are coming in from Turkey. They make (among many things) a journal with paper that is fountain pen aficionado coveted and is apparently going to stop being made (the paper) because Covid and escalating pulp prices... I got a journal from them with this precious paper for my niece's pen and journal heavy using boyfriend for Christmas, and he loves it and uses it only for mathing (he's a PhD math dude at Princeton. Fancy.) I'm going to get him more of them and parcel them out as gifts for as long as possible, because he loves them and, really, what else am I going to get him?

Anybody need anything from the pen show?