autographedcat

I never seem to have the drive and energy to put my thoughts down here.  I think if I did, it would be a bot that just screamed every few hours.  We have one of those on Mastodon, and I share those posts reasonably often.  

Lessee...  Since November:

Job outsourced to Data Center company who absorbed employees that would be outsourced.  Re-badging, they call it.  So at least for the time being, I have a job doing my job and getting paid by someone else.  After that transition, lots of layoffs happened.  And now the hospital is closing clinics.  A few to start.  We'll see how many more as time goes on.  Medicaid funding, of various types, has been the issue, and I can't imagine things drastically improving.  Pretty sad for former co-workers.  New employer is ok.  I am told I will have more opportunities once we get the hospital transitioned over.  It's...  going to be an experience.  Hopeful for them. Not hugely optimistic though.

Related to COVID stuff, Cue Health got caught messing with their reagents in their NAAT COVID tests, and lost their FDA approval. Among other things, this resulted in them declaring bankruptcy  and dropping out of the testing business.  We were directed by the FDA to destroy any remaining tests we had.  That was ouchie.  We did find an alternative that turns out had better pricing.  Metrix tests by Aptitude.  Same accuracy.  Good stuff.  So that was good.

Relatedly, still masking in public and generally avoiding public when I can.  There have been work related flights that then involve a strict protocol afterwards to make sure the family is safe. So far we've been both diligent and lucky.  Coming to grips with the public reaction to the pandemic has helped prepare me for the reaction to the general state of things today.  Empathy largely took a walk to some other planet and left us to fend for ourselves for a while.  Still have a lot of anger and resentment about that. 

Relatedly there, I spent some time in NM visiting family.  Lost both my parents in the space of two weeks back in February.  One in a year plus battle with heart failure and another coming to the end of an 8 year battle with Alzheimer's.   Both long separated for decades.  Not sure either knew about the other's state.  I wasn't close to either, so for me it was a finality to grieving that had been going on for a long time.  Visiting family involved a lot of fence-mending.  Turns out having a narcissist in the family really creates artificial strain on relationships, and once they are gone and notes compared, a lot of sympathy and empathy comes out to comfort each other.  Not at the loss, but at the welcome release from their absence. The prevailing theme of the time was, "At least he won't be able to hurt anybody anymore."   Live your life with enough awareness and empathy that this won't be the mantra uttered by your loved ones over your body when you die.

Spring and summer has brought with it another chance to get some tomatoes going in the yard.  We don't have a plot to grow with, so I use grow bags.  Got lots of seedlings this go around, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of them.  Did an experiment where a local gal suggested starting seeds a little later to account for the cooler spring temps and her assertion that the plants would catch up to ones started earlier that then undergo stress from the temps.  We shall see!  The early ones are tall and blooming and hopefully setting fruit soon.  The later ones are doing well.  I just hope they have time to catch up and fruit.  Need to also get the Basil in.  It is usually pretty fast.  

Otherwise things are mostly chugging along.  Trying to maintain my sanity and health while surviving in the world the way it is.  Trying to continue to be kind and caring and helpful when possible.  Not without its challenge, but it is really the only way to make it out ahead.  

Hope you all are well!