The cardinals in my yard seem to approve of the birdseed this year, even nibbling a bit at the stale leftovers from autumn before I refilled the feeder. Late last year only breadcrumbs seem to tempt any wildlife into it.

Aw, birds paying visits.

I am almost done with my 9 hours of ERP: Fundamentals training which seems surprisingly irrelevant to my role for something with "fundamental" right there in the name. Do I need an hour on how to manage fixed assets? I mean, I'm a little interested, but not an hour's worth of video interested and I am pretty sure I will never ever actually need to know any of that. I was pretty excited to have a new ERP, honestly, but this is sapping my lifeforce pretty hard.

That sounds like a lot of training, t!

Any buffistas want to do a FaceTime-and-chores this weekend? I really need to spend some time going through and sorting clothes and deciding what to keep. But it’s more fun and easier to sustain with someone else “there”!

For now, though, soccer.

I have been told there's a 40 hour long training coming up. I hope that's not really true. Or is spread out over a longish time.

One of my neighbors was taken to the hospital in an ambulance last night. He’s lived in the complex for ~30 years, so he’s sort of a fixture here. He’s also a lifelong smoker with cardiovascular problems, so I’m a little worried. It’s a strange feeling being reminded of how fragile humans are. Yes, tragic, violent deaths are happening in the world as I type this, and that’s horrible. But also, I opened my blinds this morning and the guy I always wave to and exchange “good mornings” with wasn’t there, and that’s disconcerting. My world is a few degrees askew.

It's a rainy Saturday so my plan for a run in the woods isn't gonna work. However if you're in Kaiser you get a free digital membership in ClassPass, which is kind of like Peloton, I guess. So I guess I may do one of those.

Today is a day to sort through things and prep for summer, and also get the house ready because there's a good chance I will come home tomorrow with a new rescue dog! So excited: I really need to have a dog in my life, or I don't get my steps, and roll directly from the bed to the laptop. Not healthy.

W/rt the retirement discussion, we were very lucky that Dad invested aggressively, and had a long career in the defense industry. So there was still a fair amount in the accounts when he passed at 89, enough for a distribution to all my sibs. But if he'd lived another five years, I don't know that it would have covered all his care.

I am beginning to think about retirement, but I need to see a financial planner. Work is making me tired, although I mostly enjoy my job, but if the election goes badly I am not sure I'll have the patience to wait out the looming autocracy. My federal pension will be minimal, so I'll be dependent on my 401K/IRA, and those are subject to the whims of the market. I could sell my house, but then where would I live?

Bah. I hope everyone has a good weekend, and wish me luck on the dog hunt!

I'm helping my niece put together her business card and logo for her new career as a Death Doula.

My suggestions:

Easing Your Path at the End of Your Life

Bringing Your Life To Completion

Checking off all the boxes before you're in the box

Crusty Swamp Witch Will End You

There’s no reason she can’t have more than one. The first for clients, the last for difficult vendors?

"On your side. By your side."

Have been having a delightful day with Shir! Man, I need more Buffista face time. It's a boon to the spirit.

This morning we did the Library of Congress, which, lovely, but they are renovating, so most of the collections were not available, and the Jefferson Reading Room is closed to non-researchers in the weekends. We viewed it from above.

Found food at Eastern Market. Didn't find the actual place we were looking for, but did delicious soup!

Now we're waiting for our timed entry to the Spy Museum at 4:30p. Dinner after at a well-reviewed vegan place near Shir's hotel to Co off the day. Tomorrow, National Gallery of Art to start.