Today we celebrate Sheryl's birthday! I hope you are being spoiled today and that the year to come brings peace, tranquility, and an abundance of joy.

In, yes, the world has gone mad news. My newsfeed this morning says -

U.S. considers $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal with Iran

It is a release of the $ from frozen funds, and they hand over their enriched uranium. I just can't even.

Yay Shir!!

I am so glad it is Friday.

I hereby to report that a. I did manage to take the TOEFL at a testing center, and b. There was a mini F2F and I got to meet Nilly after it!

Double win!

Not the best week for medical appointments in my immediate family. Mom's cancer screening didn't come back clear this time, so she's going to have to go back in for surgery next month (she did get twice as long between surgeries as the last few times though, so that's a positive).

Meanwhile, the electrophysiologist I saw Thursday seems to consider my heart arhythmia much more concerning/urgent than my cardiologist or GP do, and is trying to get me into a nanopulse ablation clinical trial in the next few weeks. It kind of made my head spin with the rush of it all, but her reputation is sterling so I'm going to trust her opinion.

I also found out that my psychiatrist is moving away with no replacement found as yet by the clinic, so I'm kind of up in the air there with a placeholder appointment for his possible successor. I might have to switch to my GP prescribing my antidepressants, which is probably okay since I've been on a stable dose since 2018. But he's not comfortable making changes to metal health meds, so I'd prefer to have a psychiatrist on the books in case I need to do that at some future point.

Sending an abundance of health~ma your way, Matt.

Bonny and beth b have birthdays today. Hoping they are well and are having good times.

One of my neighbors started a Mahjong group here at the condo so I am learning the ropes. Right now, it seems incredibly confusing, but I am enjoying learning something new and the socialization aspect.

Not the best week for medical appointments in my immediate family.

I had three medical appointments this week, including my Dermatologist taking six biopsies off me, and another doctor saying my blood pressure was elevated.

Whee.

I woke up this morning, remembering the few times I had to attend Catholic church with Jacqueline (Matilda being in the xmas play being the usual occasion) and the part where you stand up and shake hands with all your neighbors and say "Christ be with you" or "Peace be with you."

And I thought, I need an exchange with strangers where we shake hands and say "May the Executive Function be with you." "And also with you."

Happy Birthday Bonny!

Happy Birthday Beth!

I guess I'm just weirded out that I'm being rushed into surgery for an issue that I've never had a noticeable symptom of—it's all test results that have no connection to how I actually feel and were originally prompted by an unrelated routine procedure. I suppose that's better than waiting for things to go wrong in a way that does affect my daily life, but it's such a 180° from what I'm used to with mental health care, where getting treatment was like pulling teeth even though I was in enough distress to be more or less nonfunctional.

My grandmother's church did "the Peace" when I was growing up. I miss her old friends who saw this as a way to welcome me into their community. They were so gentle with me.