aesmael

It is easy not to write when things are happening. And I haven't rebuilt habits to compensate for those interruptions. So what's been happening?

New semester semester started up at school, my final year - we hope! - before graduation. It has been so long I can hardly imagine the prospect of having that paper and being able to say I achieved a university.  Remote study so I don't have to worry about commuting to classes at fixed times as well as to work. And to my shock when yesterday I compared my progress on the readings against the subject outline, I find I am more than a week ahead!

Shan't let that get me complacent. Or so I hope - still fear that I'll subconsciously slack off - but I'd sincerely believed I was falling farther and farther behind. It is a great relief to be ahead and I cannot recall when last that happened. Maybe never. I am taking advantage of this to engage in class forum participation, which I normally never do as I feel I need all my energies for keeping up with the material.

I just spent two weeks looking after our dogs while my mother and her husband surprised an older member of the family by showing up on the same cruise she was taking. My sister visited and stayed for the duration to help with the animal care, and that did help a lot. Especially for the days when I was working and couldn't be home at the time they're accustomed to being fed. The new puppy was tremendously exhausting but I think we got her through.

This week I'm home sick. Only a bit of fever and, since last night, an occasional cough and traces of congestion. I'd be entirely capable of continuing to work however it is better at any time to rest if one is sick, to recover better and to lower the chance of infecting anyone else. And especially at this time when we are obliged to be cautious and hopefully slow the spread of a certain pandemic illness, I'd rather keep to myself despite not being to my knowledge at any particularly high risk factor. Given what I'm experiencing currently is so mild, that seems an unlikely case but I can't not consider it.

Work is not great at the moment. I'd like to rant but that would be undiplomatic. I haven't decided if I owe them my silence but I'll likely err that way as it feels the safer. Is it the right thing? I fear not.

Came home to find my family had bought a new set of cat-frighteners. A cordless vacuum cleaner, an autonomous robot vacuum cleaner, and what I think is some sort of electric broom.

I don't know how they can afford these, or whether this is wise, but there you go.

Edit: On closer inspection, I believer what I referred to as an 'electric broom' is actually a steam mop.

(17:24:03) CelestialJayde: Halp! Cat on my 1ke9y088888'
(17:24:06) CelestialJayde: 0
(17:24:10) CelestialJayde: =
(17:24:17) Pazi: *giggly*
(17:24:29) Pazi: Kitten, stop being on the keyboard!
(17:25:43) CelestialJayde: Gone for now, but seems to be his favourite place.
(17:26:05) CelestialJayde: Also he tr=ies to eat my fingers
(17:26:28) Pazi: That is an important part of a kitten's diet.
(17:28:22) CelestialJayde: Control regained.

Yesterday was fun. And decision made for me, about whether to address resume or bank first, via the miracle of homework.

Talking with Q on break, we considered the possibility the returning teacher was not actually her but something which wore her body or appearance and decided that would only justify leaving if the lesson both went off the rails and failed to be interesting, but otherwise discontinuity of teacher identity was not reason to leave. Unless she were a zombie, in which case we flee.

My sister called earlier today to let us know her friend's boyfriend had found a boxed set, and she was going to be keeping one.

We were not really prepared for a sudden influx of cat. Fortunately this is just a small one, a kitten of unusual tininess and high volume. My sister has decided to name her Bella Ninja, for like the ninja she mewls continually at the highest volume.

Perhaps she showed up because we have been having mice, even though we don't much mind them yet.

Don't try to get your books back.

It can be odd first seeing something subscribed to via a different source, but these days I hardly ever check my feeds. Regardless, this is from Jeff Vandermeer|Ecstatic Days via infiniteviking:

Evil Monkey's Guide to Kosher Imaginary Animals*

*probably not this one

    Frogs are smaller than I think. Always.

    Also, it is now that time of year in which flocks of parrots fly around squawking.