a Japanese cat relic?

 I could use some advice. 

We've got a short trip coming up. Dogs will stay at a local kennel, and the cat will have the house to himself. I feel okay leaving the cat for two or three days with a gravity feeder, big bowl of water, and a pristine litter box at the ready. This trip will be slightly more than 3 days, and I asked my friend/Boss - a card-carrying cat lover - if he wouldn't mind checking in on Napolion, our cat.

He accepted the mission, said he's got nothing else going on those days, and would be happy to do it. He lives just a couple of miles away, too, which is why I thought to ask him. Normally, I would ask a neighbor kid, but I honestly don't currently know any neighbor kids well enough - a ramification of empty nesting, I suppose.

With a neighbor kid, I would just give them some cash. But what to do with Boss friend? Feels cheesy to give him a gift card or such. 

Any suggestions?

For reference, he's about 60 years old - a single (never married)  history buff and Japanophile. Likes to read (history and Japan, duh), hike, and bicycle. Oh, and he's rather fond of cats.

I'm drawing a blank here.

leave you up in the air

Wednesday was [bike-to-work day]. I've mentioned before how well attended the event is here. This year's was no different. 

Magnum and I headed out, not exactly biking to work as I had the morning off and he works from home. Oh well, free stuff to be had.

Honestly, I mainly enjoy the havoc - being among all the bicycles and various stations set up around town. As is typical, we had two main destinations - the university and downtown - two locations where several stations are clustered together. A pic of this year's loot:

There were food and beverages partaken of, but they didn't last long enough for the photo shoot.

Added bonus: we (nearly literally) ran into Wolfgang on our way to university as he was headed there as well from the opposite direction. We sipped local shop coffee and ate university police burritos together before Wolfgang had to head to a meeting. At least one of us was actually biking to work.

I enjoyed the informative downtown boothery, from which much of the pictured loot was looted. Utilities people had an informative display about an upcoming water project - a representative happily explaining what to expect in coming months. I left with a nicely stocked first aid pack.

The health district also had nice information on display as I never truly knew what all they did. More freebie swag from them including yet more band-aids, lip balms and little hand sanitizers. What most caught my eye, however, were the free Narcan kits. 

I declined the Narcan, hopefully accurately figuring I wouldn't have a need.

And many many more stations - too many to list. Lots of people-watching to be had, including people in both cars and on bicycles that actually just wanted to get someplace despite the the clog of bicycles *razum frazum bike-to-work day*

I spun a wheel in hopes of getting a t-shirt from the Museum of Discovery. Got a sticker instead. 

Oh well, maybe next year.

mammos and mamas

"You have a birthmark on your back?"

"Oh... uh, yeah"

"It's cool!"

"Hmm, thanks?"

Yesterday was a typical Monday. I did a shift at the testing center, came home and had an online tutor sesh. Afterwards, Magnum and I took the dogs for a walk before the predicted storms moved in. Mid dog walk, I suddenly remembered...

"Oh sh*t, I have a mammogram in about 15 minutes!"

I handed Penny's leash to Magnum and high tailed it home, trying to get the optimum balance of speed without working up much of a sweat - out of courtesy to the mammographer. I'm not sure what made me suddenly remember my appointment, maybe a mammogram angel. Anyway, I got to the clinic just in time, acting as if nothing was awry.

The mammographer was friendly as has always been my experience. I think being personable and competent are both parts of the job description considering the procedure. 

In between all the groping and squishing, she made the comment about my birthmark, which I often forget is there. The birthmark is quite large, and not really a single mark, but more of a splotchy pattern covering a good portion of my left upper back.

Some say that birthmarks are indications of how we died in past lives. I figure maybe I was a 3-pack-a-day smoker?

Either way, I'm glad that humiliation is over for another year. Thank you, mammogram angel.

In other news, we did attend coworker Kitty's shotgun wedding reception on Saturday. It was a nice, chill, intimate gathering at a pleasant outdoor venue. The weather cooperated nicely. 

There was an arch where a photographer was capturing pics of the evening. All except for Grandboss, Party Girl, and Sarge showed, and Kitty asked for the coworker contingency to take a few snaps.

We did a few poses for the photographer, and Magnum took a few like this one captured between poses. I think it's a more realistic display.

I'm contemplating if we should really be in charge of a pricey component of people's professional futures.

into the sticks

I'm having a coffee craving right now. Soon, we will walk somewhere to get some (hafta earn it). In the meantime, I wait for my hair to dry because I'm not one to put in such effort as blow drying my hair. Luckily, we live in a dry climate.

Speaking of dry climate, yesterday, Magnum and I went for a little hike in the morning - someplace we hadn't been. We did about a 4-mile loop at Bobcat Ridge. Nice to get out in the sticks. 

Much of the area was burned in a big wildfire of 2020 (as if there wasn't enough dumpster fire going on that year), and most of the "trees" were blackened husks.

Along the way was an old cabin - built in1917, so not THAT old - that we were welcome to go into and snoop.

This awful piece of furniture was labled "Birthing Chair". 

Omg, can you imagine?  I did, but wish I didn't.

Outside the cabin was an information plaque about the cabin's history. It featured a grainy black-and-white photo of a smiling woman and a baby girl who'd lived there at some point.

And all I could think of was that smiling woman plopping that wet cute baby out onto the dirt floor from the Birthing Chair.

Later this evening, I think we'll go to coworker Kitty's shotgun wedding reception. They were to have gone to the JOP yesterday for the actual nuptials, and today's plan is a pretty informal bash. 

Kitty is about 7-months along now. No birthing chairs in her registry.

working for it

In a rare situation for me, I'm blogging from a Starbucks™. I took my little Toyota in for its annual oil change and decided to wait for it nearby rather than schlep back home - about 2 miles. Typically, the shop  calls and tells me the car's ready shortly after I get home, leaving me to just turn around and schlep on back.

So now that I've decided to wait for it nearby, they'll probably not get to it for hours. Yes, this is an annual event for the car and me since I drive it so infrequently and not very far. Even so, I haven't met the suggested oil change mileage.  It seems I've driven about 1,000 miles since last summer's service. Honestly, sometimes, I drive it around just to keep myself in practice.

Today, being Juneteenth - a federal holiday - the college, including the testing center, is closed. I am typically off on Wednesdays anyway, so nothing out of the ordinary for me. As is typical in the summertime, our customer numbers are relatively low. 

The testing center is part of the college, but also operates as its own entity. We administer tests for students with approved accommodations, but also provide a whole lotta "high stakes" tests - professional licenses and certifications. So summers are mostly those professional tests.

It's been slow as far as volume of customers goes, but seems like we've had a lot of high maintenance tests lately, making it feel like we're busy as ever. Expecting to be able to kick back a bit at work, but being faced with these work demands during summertime reminds me of a meme I came across recently:

I've only got one tutee currently, and I'm not complaining. I rather like having the mellow workload during these summer days. I tried reading a particular book, but it was horrible. I saw advertisements for the movie "[The Idea of You]". It's based on a book, so I erroneously figured, "It was made into a movie, so it's probably a good book"

Wrong!

I kept reading, however, because I figured, "It was made into a movie, so it's probably going to get better".

Wrong!

So I stopped the insanity and am now reading a much better book. 

Okay, it's now been over an hour since I dropped off the car, and I'm thinking of heading on home - the obligatory coffee I purchased, rather unappealing with over half remaining. As a bonus, however, the  "heat wave" is taking a break here in these parts. It's a lovely morning for schlepping up the hill. 

like a shadow on me all of the time

I had a work anniversary this week. Three years at the college. I didn't really know the date I started, just remember it was summer of '21. But a higher up, who is three rungs above me on the org chart, started emailing out work anniversary announcements as they occur. 

I think most feel these anniversary emails are kind of lame, and don't we get enough emails? No doubt, the higher up thinks it's morale building or such. Anyway, my work anniversary happened to fall on the same date as Boss's. Three years for me, TWENTY-FRICK'N-FOUR for Boss. 

We marveled at his working there for 24 years, in different capacities anyway. 

"I was in 5th grade when you started", commenced Kitty.

After that, we all pondered and chimed in

"I'd just gotten my Associates degree", from Sarge.

"I was home with three little kids - one of them a newborn", my contribution.

"I wasn't born yet..."

Yeah, that would be Mango. Not even born yet! Well, she was at least a fetus.

I streamed "Baby Reindeer" on Netflix while doing boring tasks around the house, and finished this week. Seen it? Party Girl recommended it to me, and it turned out to be different than I expected. Got pretty deep and dark, but kept me interested. 

Now the real-life "Martha" is suing Netflix, but that's another story.

I thought it was well acted, particularly the actress who portrayed Martha, but I can't really say if I liked the series or would recommend it. It gets dark and creepy, and the main character - who played himself, as it's a true story about him - was so often stupid. Do I like him? Feel empathy? Mmmm, dunno. 

The story is more than about Martha, the stalker. It goes back to "Donny" being groomed and sexually assaulted by an older man Donny thought was trying to help with his career, and how that messed Donny up for, maybe, ever.

Make smart decisions, people!

Oh well. Played in the sketchbook some this week. Fat bird and a face.

the unclean, the broken

I had a teeth-cleaning appointment scheduled for this week, but the dentist's office called over the weekend, saying the hygienist broke her shoulder - no teeth cleaning happening just yet. 

Ouch. How might one break a shoulder? I'm thinking mountain biking mishap? Seems to be a common injury among the partakers and fits the time of year.

Speaking of time of year, we're having us a heat wave. Nothing terrible. Temperatures should get to mid-90s today. I went for a run this morning, and the last couple miles were a struggle in the heat. I maybe should've brought some water, but, ack, such a pain to carry.

As it was, I popped a Nuun® tablet into my water bottle once back home, and I was quickly back among the living. 

Now I'm using the dry heat to my advantage. Those pesky weeds that grow in the driveway cracks? Can't stand 'em. I doused them with white vinegar, which usually makes quick work of the pesky weeds when applied on a hot dry day. I'd rather not do the commercial weed killers. The murder attempt captured by the driveway cam:

Now we wait.

At least I survived the weed spraying. Coworker Sarge called off a couple of days ago -"threw my back out". He made it in yesterday, moving quite gingerly. I asked how he injured himself, thinking maybe he was doing some heroic handyman project.

He was on a bike ride with his kids, and they stopped at a store. He bent over to lock the bikes to the rack and - *ZAP* - down for the count. 

I hope my dental hygienist was at least doing something more adventurous than reaching for a lock when she broke her shoulder.

summer daze

I was out running this morning. It's getting noticeably hot, and we're expected to hit close to 90 F tomorrow, I think. Anyway, I was out there while it was still relatively cool, determining that the top I wore was not as cool as I'd hoped.

My phone rang and I had a sneaking suspicion it was Boss calling. Sure enough, we're a bit short staffed today, could I come in (on my day off)? Yeah, why not. These are the lazy days of summer. So I'll go in later this afternoon.

Assistant Boss, Mango, has taken a lot of sick days, today included. We've had our suspicions that maybe she's slacking, but I do think her symptoms are legit. Monday, she had a couple of "appointments" that I hope are to investigate her health issues. 

I'm no professional, but I suspect she may have undiagnosed endometriosis - or maybe it's diagnosed already.

Speaking of "female issues", I've worked a bit more with Kitty now that she's transferred and works primarily at our campus. Recall that she's pregnant, due in late August. She'd rightfully earned the reputation as a slacker, and continues to demonstrate that level of work ethic.

On one hand, I kinda like how "easy going" she is and just know that I will be carrying most of the load when working with her. She just goes with the flow and will be shotgunned wedded to her baby daddy in a couple of weeks.

I was asking about her upcoming nuptials, and she forwarded me an invitation, so now I guess I'm invited?

 It's a little confusing to me. She's late 30's, with a degree from a decent university, but hasn't done much career-wise. Now she's starting a family. Part of me wonders if marriage and motherhood will jump start the adulting... but I have a tough time seeing that happen.

Not my biz, and maybe since I'm used to working with goal-oriented college students, Kitty's go-with-the-flow vibe feels strange.

On that go-with-the-flow note, although it's been dry recently, we did have some uncharacteristic humidity a while back. I got out my sketchbook and pens.

This owl. My spirit animal?

My hair in humidity.