Some attitude adjustment

 Yesterday was just a long, difficult day: two lectures in a row, a short break, another lecture, a break to eat lunch and prep lab, lab, then at 3 pm a gen ed council meeting that ran for an hour. Home for a bit, grab some quick dinner, go down to church. Elders' meeting and board meeting. Home around 8 pm (I arrived on campus at 7). Had to call my mom as this was our usual night to talk. So I didn't even practice piano, and I can tell that on the days I don't get any "me" things done (things that are not just work) my mood is worse. 

Today, I had one class. Came in for my office hours, did a little grading I had (the bulk of the grading is for tomorrow but I needed a break), did some updating of stuff, typed up the AAUW minutes from last week and attended to a few other things. Taught.

When I walked out of class, I realized: my exams for next week are done and submitted. I've done the necessary grading. I don't have any office hours. And I need to attend to some life things (I was almost out of milk, and I was on my last OTC antihistamine - which I need to take every day now to prevent hives)

So I decided to take the afternoon off. Ran to the grocery and got milk and also a few things ahead for future meals (I am going to have the cabbage/sausage/potatoes a couple nights, and I bought a (small! they are expensive now!) steak for one night, and got the cheese necessary to make pizza (I have a jar of sauce on the shelf).

And walking out, I saw this:

Not shown, to preserve their privacy (no tag number shown online) is the octopus "skeleton" they had dangling from the trailer hitch (where "truck nuts" sometimes go on a different sort of person's truck). I found it amusing. (it's hard to see but it's implied the skeletons are cannibalizing Santa Claus - there is a Santa figure in a cooking pot). 

A couple people and I on Twitter were having a discussion of skeletons, one of them disappointed (she is, IIRC, an anthropologist) that a "science dude" was making a stink about the "inaccuracy" of the Halloween skeletons, especially the ones like the spider and octopus ones (they don't really have bones) but she and I felt like the POINT of these is that they're unrealistic and fun. So the science bro was going "these foolish people they don't know better" whereas many of the people buying those things are actually amused by the whimsy of a skeleton that's not accurate. ("I think to myself, it's just a show, I should really just relax")

Anyway, I was amused by the display someone took the trouble to set up in their truck bed.

Then I ran to Walgreens. And I found my very own "inaccurate" (though this one is not so terribly inaccurate) animal skeleton:

It is roughly rubber-duck sized, which makes it even better. So I bought it and it's now sitting with my little Shiba-dressed-as-a-pumpkin and the owl I bought at Target this fall and the goofy squishy cat dressed as a ghost from last year's Halloween Doki Doki crate. 

("It's....it's SMILING at me..." heh)

I also went to Lulu and Hazel's. Getting there lately has been challenging, they are choosing not to open on weekends. (Good for them, but it also means it's harder for someone like me to make the time to get there, though later in the week they are open a bit later in the day). I bought a larger piece of the fabric I was wanting to use for sashing (but knew I didn't have enough of) for the current top I'm working on - I had thought of mixing in an additional fabric, but meh, I like this one and want it all to match. And they had a couple charm packs of a fabric line I had admired, but not bought, on closeout.....so I bought four with the idea that I have a pattern that calls for four charm packs from the same line, and now I can have a quilt of this fabric. Also I made plans to run up a backing for the Chandelier quilt and take it out to them next week - they seem not to be too backlogged. 

I also got to pet the friendly boxer dog they have there. They keep her in a room with a baby gate across the doorway but when I walked by she put her paws up on the gate and looked imploringly at me, and I knew she was friendly, so I petted her and she licked my hand and wagged her little stubby tail. She also tried to put her front feet on my arm (to keep me there) but the owner warned me that her claws were sharp ("I tried to Dremel them down but she's afraid of the noise") so I didn't let her. 

I know I've said I am not comfortable around dogs in general, but there are certain ones where I trust their owners and know the dog is friendly that I am. 

And I bought these:

They are pins with cat heads. They are going to either be part of my mom's Christmas gift or go in her stocking (And dangit, YES, unless there's some absolutely horrible new variant that can defeat the vaccine, I am going to see her for Christmas, spending one Christmas alone* was more than enough for me)

(*While my mom's still around, and after she's gone, I'll have to figure something else out)

I also ran to the Amish store to get more of the pickled corn I like. Saw, but didn't buy - and might go back at some point for - wee tiny little squeeze bears of local honey (like: much tinier than normal) and I thought that might be another fun stocking-thing to give her at Christmas. 

And I thought  - maybe this weekend, which I am taking off, I go to Denison and spend a bit of time doing some Christmas shopping in the "fun" stores in the downtown. Since I have time, and since there's the rumbles of "supply chain shortages" (though for locally-produced things - which is what I'm looking for - that's probably less likely). 

I might also want to go back to the Amish store and see if there's anything that might be good as part of my brother's gift. I'm thinking of getting him some hot sauce again from the local gourmet shop, but maybe there are also some fun jellies or something that he'd enjoy. (I like to have their presents before Thanksgiving; when they come to have Thanksgiving with my mom I can hand off my presents then)

I also plan to give a little love to my long-neglected crochet afghan tonight. I do need to make time to work on stuff for me; I think that's part of my malaise, I let work take over my life.
 

I do think - as long as I'm careful (masking up, not hanging out in a crowded place), I can probably safely do a bit more than I've been doing - and with the bridge no longer being scary the way it was when they were working on it, I can get to Texas a bit more often. 

I also wrote out a BUNCH of halloween cards - I had quite a few. If you're one of my usual "card buddies" or you sent me a halloween card, you're getting one. If you want one, and aren't sure if I'm sending you one, e-mail me (or comment); if you would like a card and I've not sent you one before, send your address (though I doubt I have any International postage left, and the card wouldn't reach you in time anyway if you're overseas - and apparently the USPS is just.....not sending?....to some countries at the moment, which feels wrong to me)

But that made me feel happy. (I don't even care if I get a card in return, I just like sending them out.) I am also sending my mom one and my niece one.