luminousone

Well, the possum hasn’t come in for a week. I’m sure it will be back at some point, but it must be getting food elsewhere.

That is too funny!

Time to update. Work is intensely busy - I turned in a few weeks of overtime hours, but the project is beginning to slow down now. My assistant remarked that if I ever left, she would decline to do that part of my position, haha! Spring is upon us - one week we had sunny hot weather up to 78° on a Thursday, and snow the following Monday. In Portland, they had enough wet sloppy snow that toppled trees and made a mess of traffic. Where I live, the snow did not stick. But - it was cold enough this week that snow has stuck in the neighboring hills. And my friend said that the snowpack is at 100% on Mt Hood, which will help with the drought conditions of the past few years. it is pretty to see the snow up in the surrounding hills. On my walks through the park, we are now seeing lilacs, delphinium, fruit trees, and wildflowers in bloom. I looked for the fawn lilies I usually see there but I don’t see them this year. But- the past month we have seen a fox curled up in the grass! So that was cool. Last week there were two other foxes nearby, chasing each other. They weren’t there today - too cold and rainy. We saw a nutria, though, and a few herons. Speaking of wildlife, I heard a noise in the middle of the night, only to discover a young possum in my laundry room. Ugh! I was able to shove it out to the garage with an Amazon box over it, and I hoped it would find its way out the cat door. It did come in for 3 nights in a row to eat the dry cat food, but it hasn’t been in for a week. My cat doesn’t seem to be too bothered by it, and it didn’t seem phased by my cat. Turns out that my neighbor with dementia likes to feed stray ‘cats’ in her backyard, and that includes the possum and my cat, according to her caregiver, haha. Anyhow, I just don’t want wild animals in my house! Maybe I will close off the cat door - but my cat is one that will not be contained. Ugh. Talked with my older son who is moving to Minnesota in a month. Younger son is still making his music in his dad’s attic. We’ll see how long that lasts. Nothing else exciting. My assistant counted out only 9 weeks left of school, so we are in the home stretch! It has been a tough, tough year, but also so needed and so rewarding. The state said schools can be mask optional. Our school has delayed that transition, but will open that option up at the end of April. I’ll still wear mine though. Case rates are rising a bit with the latest variant.

Wilted roses instantly slight teachers. AROSE

Meek archeologists need great overcoats. CACHE

I’m really ready for spring break but I have to wait a few weeks.

I’m sure there is a reason. Big cats live in prides and the hunters bring their kill back to share with the group, so it is a natural instinct for domesticated cats. I’m not sure about dogs though.

Show Herman our cute kiwis. Munch

Bring only oversized knicker socks. SWIPE

Forgot to say that my cat brought in a rat last week. I thought it was dead, but I ushered him outside. I went to bring in my garbage can and he dropped the rat in my driveway, which then started running toward my leg for safety and boy did I scream! And then I worried that my neighbor would think I was being assaulted, so I loudly yelled “bad kitty” so they wouldn’t call the police… The rat got away.

Well, so much for my older son moving closer to me! He just made an offer on a house in the Midwest. So he will go to the temperate climate of the Bay Area straight to snow (and mosquito!) country. We will see how he likes that… In other news - he and his buddies all signed up to be bone marrow donors when he was at university 10 years ago. He just found out he is a match for someone. He is going to first donate stem cells, then bone marrow if needed. He continues to surprise me. Younger son still has little voice, so he has stopped singing for now. I think it is a symptom of Omicron, because several of my coworkers had similar symptoms, and dizziness too. I had the day off today, which was so nice. I went and did some major grocery shopping for staples at a store that has great prices but is farther away and doesn’t have delivery. But I had time today, and a long list of staples that I get there every few months. Work was crazy last week - kids were hyped up on sugar and Super bowl and Valentines and full moon. Ugh. So may challenges. Hopefully this week will be better. Spring is around the corner, but not quite ready to arrive yet. It was in the 40s today, but is supposed to go below freezing overnight. It is currently raining- and although there is no snow in the forecast, I do wonder what the morning commute will be… I heard that parts of Portland got a bit of snow today…

Turn around nicely, Gracie Olivia! OLIVE

Yes! I have seen muskrats (or nutria) swimming and at first I thought it was a beaver but later I saw the long skinny tail of a nutria. The park I hike through has several young trees that have been gnawed, and a few gnawed down. In the creek and pond there are a few places that appear to be beaver dams. I just never see any, but for sure there is fresh evidence. The park stewards ave put protective chicken wire around the trees they want to keep. It would have been fun to see some fox pups, like I have in the past. But they also tend to be elusive.

Wait - did he have COVID recently? Could be lymph nodes or inflammation. My office mate said that after COVID she had dizziness and tinnitus, and the ENT said that he had so many patients with similar post-COVID long term symptoms.

Ugh. But at least the odds are in his favor. The hard part is the waiting to find out yes or no. Prayers for him and your family!

In time, I expect that your guardedness will wear off. After all, your previous seemingly great jobs unfolded their dysfunctional practices in time. In a sense, you have PTSD from those experiences.

It has been a while since I was last here. Life is just moving along. Work is busy but it is good to be in person (most of the time). Although I do miss being able to do my dishes, cook my lunch, do laundry, and be home for deliveries… And skipping the commute. Haven’t heard much from my older son since he left. But I think he might be able to move back to Oregon in 8 months, so then I might see him more. Younger son still calls me every week and we chat about his music and my work and health. (Which sounds so boring!) As far as my health, so far so good. Still in cancer treatments - pills and monthly shots. Dr says my bloodwork is looking pretty good. I go for my 24th treatment this month, which means it has been 2 years! Dr just put in authorization for another year of treatments. As far as COVID, I work closely with little students but we all wear masks. We have to fill out a contact tracing log every day and so far I have not been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive, so that’s good. Plus I’m vaxxed and boosted. My office mate’s housemate has COVID so she worked in another room last week to stay away from me, which I appreciate. Because it is possible that my meds make me immune compromised. And every time I get a virus (or vaccine) then my cancer blood values go up. Too much for my body to juggle I guess. Went for a 4 mile walk today. It was cloudy but I was hoping for some sunshine to break through. At least it wasn’t raining or snowing. I saw some blue herons, turkey vultures, a kingfisher, lots of geese and ducks. Also saw evidence of beavers but I’ve never seen one. And no foxes this year, although I suspect the dens are still there. Tomorrow- I have to food prep for the week. And do laundry. All that fun stuff. Plus, online church. After my walk today, I was too lazy and got nothing else done…

When will they do a biopsy?

Oh no! Your family has been through so much lately!!

Double ugh…

Oh, I just now posted something similar on my journal. Monday is “Staff Development” day, then students are *supposed* to return on Tuesday. I don’t think there are any plans to delay students returning, unfortunately. I am concerned.

Yes, focusing on the positive is a great reminder for me!

The case rates are really going up in my county, as well as our state. I wonder what it is going to be like with school starting up next week…

Younger son dropped by today while he was in town for an appointment. I wish both boys could have spent more time together and with me, but I didn’t want older son to expose younger one (unvaxxed) to the virus.

Older son flew home yesterday. He said that he probably wouldn’t have flown if he had known about the omicron variant. He is vaxxed and boosted though, and used the saline sinus rinse kit I got him, and a few of the rapid tests I provided. Now that he is home, he won’t go anywhere because he works from home.