At about 10am today I decided to give myself a night off. It wasn’t that I was having a horrible day, it’s that I was just tired and knew I had to get through a lot to make it through the day. I think that was a good decision. Here’s where I’m at.

1. My van pool driver didn’t show up this morning. Just didn’t show up. We still don’t know why, but eight of us were left standing there with no way down to work. Finally, a few people got in their cars and headed down and a few more of us decided to carpool, but it wasn’t an auspicious beginning to the day.

2. At work the office is moving. Actually, it’s more the office is rearranging. We’re staying in the same place, but the cubicles are being rearranged and all of us are being moved around. My mantra: “I’m an Indian, not a chief.” I’ve been hiding under my desk for about a week now and so far it’s a great strategy. Today was the first day of actual moving and tensions were high. Under the desk, man. It’s where to be.

3. Finn (my dog) is not feeling well. He has a great big hot spot on his rump and acts depressed and like he’s in pain. Historically, summers have not been the best for him, but it’s hard to see him hurting.

4. Bella (my cat, sister to Lola who died in November) is going downhill and it’s not fun. She’s now on soft food and is barely even eating that. The vet can’t find anything obviously wrong, so I think it’s a “make them comfortable” game from now on.

5. My friend Mary Margaret is moving. She and her husband are downsizing from two houses to one. Mary Margaret has great taste and I have always admired her couch. When I heard she was moving I inquired about the couch and recently purchased it from her. It really wasn’t my plan to purchase another couch until I was cat free (my cats are not kind to furniture) but Mary Margaret is moving now and my couch is ready to move along to that great living room in the sky. The “new” couch was delivered tonight and the old couch went away.

Here’s what Bella and Bob think of that.

By the time all the things were delivered and covered and rearranged, it was well past painting time. But I’d given myself the night off, so I wasn’t stressed.

Good job, Tara.