IIRC the nutria were brought in deliberately to eat the water hyacinth (another invasive species that escaped decorative ponds) and have been impossible to control ever since.

Obviously, couldn’t try gorillas because that whole freezing to death part wouldn’t work although if there’s gonna be snowstorms as a regular thing….

Well. My company, about half of whose business is with the government, just sent out an email with details of all the stuff they're stopping or removing that was DEI-focused. God forbid we have any of that inclusion.

God forbid we have any of that inclusion.

Equity is for chumps.

We're up and getting ready for Matilda's first day of orientation.

The other students in her newly arriving cohort (4 other students in the Second Semester Gap Year) arrived at a hotel yesterday and have already met. We'll be connecting with them at the hotel this morning at 9am, and Matilda will join group activities.

She'll spend tonight at the Ryokan with me and tomorrow she goes to Osaka with her host family.

We both need coffee.

IIRC the nutria were brought in deliberately to eat the water hyacinth (another invasive species that escaped decorative ponds) and have been impossible to control ever since.

They're also edible and their fur was useful.

The female nutria can get pregnant the day after she gives birth so she can give birth to entire litters three times a year.

I am so not in a good headspace right now.

I'm sorry Cash.

I'm not either.

I literally just put away the last of things from San Francisco. From the trip up for JZ. I want to delete that so badly. I am working with zero executive function and this country is making me sad.

I did get a kitty (he's a Facebook rehome because he kept getting out and they didn't want him to die by coyote or car) for the new year! His name is Barkley and he's a korat. His coloring made me research and voila korat minus the green eyes but he's under a year so they'll likely change. Color shift silver gray and his tail is striped bIack and gray. He learned Fetch really quickly with a stuffed mousie. Ten years of German Shepherds and I couldn't make Fetch happen but about an hour and kitty loves to fetch. He loves people, licking nostrils without consent, indoor parkour, does great in the car and accidentally scratching me if a mousie is involved. I got a malinois cat. I was so good about not getting a retired working Mal and got the cat version.

Further research indicates Matilda's cute river critter was a Nutria,

A random watery area next to my non-TJ's grocery store in Portland has them. I was charmed but they are totally invasive. Just also dang cute.

Yay new kitty!

KITTY!

Ken shared this: "Today at our meeting our medical director told us to just move all of the emails from the OPM into a folder and ignore them. Union membership is climbing."

I got bangs!

brenda, I think my mental image of you has bangs. So how old is that?

I went and got my hair shorter than ever before, which is nice in a lot of ways, but I haven't figured out what to do with it. I feel like it could be 20s bob, but right now it's more suburban super-organized young mom. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not me.

I realize I'm finally ready to be experimental with my hair, but my idea of what that means dates from what the cool kids had... in the early '90s.

Nice. Go Ken and Ken’s Director.

My company is not shutting down any DEI programs or mission, but we did hear from our business CEO that they may have to look about how we talk about it. (I.e. the sneaky language that the OPM warned about.) I’m very much hoping that holds.

Today I helped my coworker through a meltdown including talking her out of buying a gun to defend her family in some kind of walking dead scenario by pointing out that a gun in the house is more likely to be used for suicide, and listened to my father urge me to tell Mr. Flea to take this “buyout” offer (which seems pretty sketch so far.)

I did get ice cream when I got home.