DOGE wants to destroy the covid tests that were being sent out to the public, but were stopped for now. Grab them while they are there!

Zooming in to celebrate Beverly today! Happiest of happy birthday wishes. May the day be filled with treats and may the year to come bring an abundance of joy.

Happy birthday, Bev!

The team we worked with at OPM were all fired, the Office of Communication. We’re not sure what it means for our contract yet so we’re just keeping on keeping on.

Oof, lisah

Happy day, Bev!

Yikes Lisah. My bff works for the NIH and said several of her coworkers were fired over the weekend. Which is just shitty—like, why over a long weekend? Or on Valentine’s Day? Have the decency to wait until people are back at work on Tuesday or some shit. But there is no decency to be found. I feel like for a couple days I was calming down from my “fuck we are all fucked and the economy is fucked and fascism is here and how do I fleeeeeeee” internal narrative and now it’s back.

Every day just feels a little harder, doesn't it? I'm still trying to figure out how to get involved in community efforts. I'm still doggedly writing postcards for the April 1 election. I'm trying to find a bank that will cash my treasury bonds, but I fear it's already too late. Mailing them in will likely be a waste of a stamp. In the meantime, I need to find a dress to wear for my nephew's wedding and one part of my brain is saying why not spend a fortune now before US currency is worthless? It really is too much, but I mean... [link]

Oh, that is very pretty! A lot of money, yes, but I hear you on the currency thing, that is kind of a sensible argument...

I'm so worried all the time about everyone - people I know, people I don't know, there are just so many threats out there. I'm trying not to let it flatten me but I don't have a lot of JustDoTheThing energy at the best of times so it's hard.

Low key mad at Neal Stephenson just in a general way and maybe specifically about Anathem but not wanting to inquire too deeply. And weirded out that Infinite Jest had war with Canada as one of its things

Rejoining the world, at least this part of it. My son and GF finally flew home last night after their flu delay. It took them 12 hours. One thing after another. I thought their flight was at 6:15 because the previous 2 were at that time, but this reschedule was for 2:12. We drove like lunatics and picked them up in front of condo, got them to the airport at 1:45! It was the first terminal and the 2nd gate so I watched them go through TSA, messaged them to leave their shoes off and run. I stood and chatted with the counter person who verified that they boarded. I watched them running, which was pretty funny. Other than a Tuesday afternoon they wouldn't have had a chance. Anyway, they got to Chicago and the connection to Syracuse was delayed a bit. In Syracuse at around 11 and found his car covered in ice. It took them an hour of defrosting and chipping to get on the road. Then when they got off the thruway and on to city streets at 1:30 this morning he got stuck 3 times trying to make it home as the local streets weren't plowed. Get home and they have no power due to the storms. This morning they have power, but their modem fried. Fun times.

That said, I caught up on the 5 Wordle puzzles I missed during my overwhelmed days. (Got 100% this month!) Now for the rest of the puzzles. I wish they all had archives. I'm not competitive enough to care about streaks blown.

The world is just too much. I took my car in for some pain work (trading it in), and the body shop guys were Ukranian. I wanted to hug them although I didn't say anything. Yes, after 7 years of driving Tesla despite him being an ass I just can't anymore. Being an ass and idiot is one thing. Dismantling my democracy is another.

Sending love to all whose lives and/or livelihoods are being destroyed. Sending gratitude for those fighting the good fight. I haven't found the strength yet.

Went to bed earlier, got up earlier, and went running by 8:30. So I'm already feeling fairly productive.

I'm going to run a couple loads of needful laundry and then continue the dusting of the bedroom. It's sort of like the Scouring of the Shire.

Oh, and I really need to clean the Guinea Pig cage which is really an unpleasant solo task.

eta: Sheesh, Laura! That's no ordinary trip home. I have a friend visiting from Rochester on Friday and I'm hoping they can avoid snow delays.