Happy to hear you are done with estate stuff. I can see the light now and hope I will have no more estate stuff to deal with after the end of this year.

I had a credit card highjacked and they ran about 30 charges in 20 minuets. I immediately got in contact with the CC company when I got notice of the first two denied charges but four charges went through as I was talking to the CC people. They saw them at the same time I saw them and yet I still have to dispute those four charges that went through. Idiotic system.

I took my network apart and cleaned up cables and tied them up and then re org'd my desk. I feel so virtuous.

Many things happening with my orange guy, Ginger. I'll write more later.

I am feeling tired and burned out by work. The actual tasks I can do with little difficulty, but the people I have to deal with - fortunately only in writing - are awful. Nasty, entitled, rude, demanding people.

But I'm going on holiday to Scotland next week, Edinburgh, Stirling (cousin lives there) and Glasgow, on the train, with a few days in each place, exploring and taking lots of photos. It'll probably rain, but I'll dress for that.

I'm so glad to hear about the estate stuff, mightshould. If it's any comfort, on the NHS people only get hip replacement surgery when they've been on the waiting list for several years and will qualify for the surgery once they have become too disabled to walk, so if you can get it in a few months' time, before it gets too bad, then go for it.

Sorry about the CC problems, arse_hat. I'm anticipating having to go through a lot of two-factor authentication next week when I'm using my card 400 miles from home.

Hi! Just back from a very rushed week pingponging all over England, seeing the friends and family who happen to live near where my husband had meetings. He's still there, about to hop on the eurostar for two frenzied weeks of yet more meetings in four or five countries. Glad that's not me but it was good to be in England for the first time since the lockdowns.

Pips, if you're reading this, are you the Pips who recently showed up in George Saunders's Story Club? There's no way to message people directly over there but i guessed it was you and if so wanted to say hello. I'm Andrea there but I don't comment much.

Considering adding a few more chickens to the flock. Will send pics if/when that occurs.

Best to everyone, and big hugs to those of you going through rough times.

Hi tangerine-- I am, indeed, that pips. Small world! I have a humble but hopeful substack of my own as well (writingatwindmills.substack.com). I'm impressed with George Saunders's substack and the participants there. I promised myself to limit monthly fees, but I may break that promise and become a paid subscriber so I can have full access. In any case, thanks for saying hello!

I hope Senyar is OK. Big storm. Her area of travel seems mostly away from the worst.

She seems okay and is making the most of the vacation from what I can tell. Hopefully there's not a big mess to clean up upon her return home.

Late to the thread, as usual. I feel like I need to hit the lottery to be able to do all the things I really want to do.

In the past two weeks I spent time with family and my Other Half on the seashore in Wildwood, NJ. The ladies in the group all went bird watching (saw a Short Billed Dowicher, a life bird for me!). We had fun despite it being the sixth straight weekend of rain in NJ.

Following that, I had a cortisone shot in my left shoulder (that has a torn rotator cuff). If this doesn't work, I'm looking at surgery in the future.

And then, I went whale watching in Cape May, NJ. Three different Humpback whales. It was thrilling. From the bottom of NJ, then we traveled to the Poconos, PA, to Penns Peak, to see the Pink FLoyd tribute band "Floyd Nation". They were fantastic!

I so much prefer doing fun things than working, ha ha.

Sounds like fun, redvixen! I loved seeing the whales in Alaska. Hope the shoulder feels better.

Thank you Pips! Honestly, surgery doesn't scare me. As long as it fixes the issue.

I'm back from Scotland, after a wonderful holiday - Edinburgh, Denny (visiting a cousin) and Glasgow. The storm was due to hit Edinburgh on the Thursday of the week I was there, and everyone was battening down the hatches. I'd made plans to have dinner with someone I'd never met - I'd been her Secret Quonsar on the blue a few years ago, and she was absolutely lovely in person. It rained that day, but the storm moved north and Edinburgh was spared the worst, although the following day every train going north had been cancelled, as flooding was really bad in the north of Scotland. There was a lot of rain in England too, but no flooding here, thank goodness.

Scotland is lovely, and although Edinburgh is beautiful (the Old Town reminded me a lot of Reykjavík), I really liked Glasgow. There's some amazing architecture there, but it was sad to see so many buildings that needed restoration. Property is very cheap there compared with London - huge loft apartments three times the size of my place for half the price. Tempting, as there's a lot going on the city in terms of art and culture ... but the weather would put me off, I think.

Now I'm home and today was my first day back at work, nothing too bad. My new manager is lazy and leaves me alone to get on with the work, which is fine with me.

I have a busy weekend ahead - The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas, with Marina Abramovich and Willem Defoe at the English National Opera on Friday, and a local theatre production of Twelfth Night on Saturday. Hopefully work won't grind me down so much that I'll be too tired to enjoy the weekend.

"The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas, with Marina Abramovich and Willem Defoe"

Jealous.

info

It was amazing, arse_hat.