Nutria are basically rats.

It's been a long couple of days, and it's hard to feel anything but depressed and powerless.

Apparently, Florida has nutria, but I don't think I have seen any. (maybe my cats saw them first?)

Kitty! Barkley sounds like an absolute delight!

Today, I got the all-clear from the eye doctor to swim, go to the beach, bend over, or do all the other previously restricted activities. So I am watching TV. Well, tomorrow is another day.

KITTY!!!!!

I am so enjoying the Japan adventures.

It sounds like our Uni has renamed a few offices, but the DEI Council I am on is still going and we had our Lunar New Year Celebration as planned.

I am sending ~ma to all those more affected.

Yay Laura to be cleared. Losing the beach would be terrible!!

I also really understand that everyone is superstressed right now, but I need everyone at work to not go to eleven for tech issues. I say that as a person who often goes to eleven. I am in this weird spot between IT and faculty/Students as an Instuctional designer and often butt heads with first line support, but when we get to level 3 support, let's just give them a moment (especially when we think the problem is that you put in an incorrect link, but you won't give us access to your video!) That is my work vent. I feel like the time in my young life when I literally grabbed an actor in a quick change by the shoulders, shook him, and shout whispered "YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN". Like, people do not need to be emailing all the deans if we don't solve something in two hours.

Timelies all!

First off, hell no, I am not resigning or retiring or any of that bullshit. It's also damned annoying that we can't order things for the lab without explaining why it's an emergency.

The trip to visit my folks was fine, if not as warm as I'd like.(Still warmer than up here.) Mostly went out to eat, and sat around while my folks watch various cop type shows(NCIS and Walker, Texas Ranger-no, not the recent one-mostly)

Matilda and I got up, got out, and got coffee. Then I walked her to her orientation and she was so antsy, I left her alone at the meeting place and asked her to text me when the staff and other participants had collected her.

Got updated that they found her and they went off and did tie-dye.

I'm looking up lunch options for myself.

Oh, we did the public hot tub last night! Very warm and relaxing and I had it to myself.

We are moving out of this fucking house in three weeks and the roof just decided to start leaking.

Plane crash at Washington National Airport DCA. Flight from KS hit a black hawk helicopter apparently. Flight was a commuter size plane, not a full size jet.

Jesus, msbelle. So awful.

I got all hupped up on a post-work Manhattan and called both my senators to rant about the RTO order and how it will affect (my agency's) ability to do our national security-related jobs. Dunno if it will make a difference, but my staff are freaking out: 4 of them are full remote, and 2 of those are nowhere near an office they can reasonably report to.

Our higher command is providing NO FUCKING GUIDANCE on any of this: yesterday the HR people forwarded a PDF that included links to the stupid "Fork" message at OPM and nothing else. Thanks for nothing, assholes. (But then again our HR sucks and always has.)

My boss is trying his best, but it's clear he's very frustrated by the silence from up the chain of command. They're all terrified to do anything that might be seen as opposing TFG's requirements, even though what we do is shit that even the GOP wants us to do. If half of us civilians leave, the agency will really fucking struggle.

So now I'm watching Star Wars: Rebels and drinking some cheap Pinot Noir, and trying to enjoy having a WFH day when in 2 weeks I will have to go back to the office full-time.

Oh, and flea, tell DH to read the article at Just Security about the Fork offer. That whole situation is bullshit and I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

I’m going to be shocked if there are any survivors. 64 on plane 3 on helicopter.