I was distracted from the shit show of our government (and it's parasites) for a few hours by an emergency trip to the vet this morning.

Poor Gilda! I hope the medication goes down easy and is effective.

thanks for your patience. It was all "my toothache loves carrots!" for a while.

Toothaches do tend to block out all other life events. May both Musk and Trump be so distracted by toothaches that they don't notice the polar bears sneaking up on them.

It's my brother's 70th birthday today. He has both chemo and radiation on his schedule this morning. He has his 3 big sisters here so he is pleased. We told him that since he can't eat or drink anything to celebrate we would just get all his favorite things and eat them in front of him. He laughed heartily at the suggestion. He is in good humor and said he has a list of things he is going to consume after surgery. The plan is to do some surgery after the radiation is done so that he can eat again. I'm going with him to his appointments this morning. He is now smoking one cigarette a day, taking one puff and putting it out a number of times. The surgeon was very demanding on that subject. He is trying. He has smoked since he was about 10 stealing dad's cigarettes, so it is a challenge.

I highly recommend 5 Calls for making it easy to call your reps, mostly because of the scripts they provide.

[link]

Personally I'd prefer polar bears whose habitat is being destroyed by the extra heat from his data centers, but I'm not that picky about who does the dragging so long as it gets done.

I suggest a compromise and have Mounties riding polar bears do it.

It's rainy heavily in SF this morning, so I guess I'm not shaking off my trip with a morning run.

Nor am I taking care of a variety of other tasks because my phone is still borked.

So I guess I have to fix my phone, which is more than onerous considering I spent ten days before the trip talking to AT&T to set up my travel plans for myself and Matilda, and one full day during the trip correcting Matilda's phone to functionality which required a trip to the Asakusa neighborhood (which turned out to be fun in its own right).

Anyway, I'm tired of talking to phone people, or in this instance chatting with them online. But one thing I've become very aware of is how completely dependent all the security systems are upon sending security codes via text to your phone (which currently doesn't work), or email (which was an issue with all accounts JZ started with her now defunct work email).

But needs must. My coffee machine was balky this morning but I persevered and finally got it to produce the necessary dark magic. I can't be expected to wade into another techno-bureaucratic slog without caffeine.

Welcome home! Nothing works, including the Federal Government!

I guess the lesson here, both macro and micro, is to focus on the things that I can control, like vacuuming, folding laundry, doing the dishes and chatting online with AT&T.

And the most important mantra I've learned in dealing with bureaucracies after JZ's death: Nothing gets fixed on the first try, but if you keep pecking at it, you can usually sort it out in three.

Just downloaded the 5 calls app. Easy peasey.

Poor Tim probably has the flu (waiting on test results) and I had to get up early to take him to the doctor this morning. I cannot overstate how much I am not a morning person. My brain feels like a sweet potato.

Also, the cat will not stop staring at me to Jedi mind trick me into giving him lunch early. It's creeping me out.

My brain feels like a sweet potato.

I don't know if you saw my post on FB but in Japan there's a hot sweet potato truck that goes around instead of an ice cream van. And he has a plaintive sweet potato cry that he plays over the loud system and the kids all come running from the playground to get their tasty and healthy treat.

It's very alternative universe feeling.

I don't know if you saw my post on FB but in Japan there's a hot sweet potato truck that goes around instead of an ice cream van.

Do those kids even know what they're missing by not being able to get a Scooter Crunch bar or a Spongebob ice cream on a stick? On the other hand, I would like someone to bring hot sweet potato to my house right now.

He is trying. He has smoked since he was about 10 stealing dad's cigarettes, so it is a challenge.

My Dad started around 13 and kicking that habit was rough. He never managed although he tried several times. So addicting.

Do those kids even know what they're missing by not being able to get a Scooter Crunch bar or a Spongebob ice cream on a stick?

Japanese kids are not lacking for sweet treat opportunities branded to beloved characters. Matilda had a custard filled Taiyaki shaped like Snoopy while we were there.

I did some tasks! Not the most onerous one, but I got things out of the sink and into the dishwasher while washing a fair number on the spot, and wiped some (not all) counters down.

The rain has lulled so I think I'll hi-dee-ho to the cafe for Second Coffee and a grocery run.

One thing I've become conscious of is that I don't have a great morning or weekly routine anymore. Everything was driven on getting Matilda off to school and that ended with her graduation. I'm basically a retiree at this point so I need to stop treating every day as Saturday because I do better with structure.

During this time while Matilda is away I want to focus on not just running more regularly but taking something like Pilates. Eating better, losing weight. This would all be helped if I could get frickin' eggs which were a big protein source when I lost weight before.