Well, it's over. She went into Hospice on Thursday, and I got the call already that she's gone. I am unbelievably thankful I got to say goodbye on Wednesday, and to hold her hand, and to tell her I love her.

I knew it would be quick, and I would almost certainly never see her alive again, but I wasn't quite prepared for it to be /this/ fast.

Thank you to everyone for the kindness and the thoughts/energy you spared. I am sure it helped ease her on her way.

So, back when I worked in retail, I was often the only one in my store (Posters, pictures, canvas reproductions, framing, etc etc). And I would often be alone there for HOURS. No way to take an actual break, etc.

But I did get to know the mall walkers. There was one little duo (sometimes trio). Charlie and Dave (and sometimes Dave's wife, when she was up to it.) They would wave hello and say good morning every day. I would sometimes be at the front of the store to make sure everything looked right, and they'd stop and chit chat a couple minutes. Just absolute SWEETHEART people.

Charlie, one day, was solo (Dave and his wife whose name I could swear was Flora, but...it's been a long time - were on vacation), was taking his time, because he told me he was going to do extra laps so he could have a 'fat man's lunch'. A guy kept walking back and forth in front of my store, and I was working at the counter, doing I don't remember what. Guy finally comes in, and is just.. browsing. Fine, happens all the time. We had a LOT of posters and pictures, etc.

He leaves when someone else comes in, and later comes back. At this point, we're reaching creep meter making the back of my neck itch. Charlie, gods love him, swings on in, casual as could be. "Hey, sweetheart, your aunt called about dinner tonight. Your mom and I didn't know if you'd be there, or if you were bringing Matt." Bliiiiiiink. Flash a bright smile. "Oh, sure, Dad. I'll pick up Matt after work, and we'll head over. Should I bring anything?"

He lingers another couple minutes, and looks at the dude dead-on. Dude made TRACKS. We proceed to cover our mouths to try and smother the laughter. THEN? He brought me take out from the place he went for 'Fat Man's Lunch' (Place gives very generous portions), so I can eat without worrying about closing the gate and all that crap, and my boss doesn't have a stroke.

Charlie also, a couple months later, found out it was my birthday, and waited for me to get out at 2, to ask me if he could take me for lunch. Yes. We went to the place he went for Fat Man's Lunch. It was delicious.

So many good mornings at that job involved Charlie and Dave.

So my lawyer called - the employer that fired me for sugar crashes got the filed suit. They want to settle. Here's hoping.

It finally happened. My background check came through. I CAN QUIT HELL.

WOOOHOO!

My aunt is being put under hospice care. I've been told to come say my goodbyes. She's the matriarch, the one who remembers all the birthdays of /everyone/ (and with my cousins' broods, that's a LOT), the one who always has the sage advice but will also tell you to put on your big kid pants and deal with it.

When my mother died, her house was home, while my father tried to handle everything. She was safety and logic and the stories of my dad when he was young, and what my mother was really like. She taught my sisters and I all kinds of weird things, and always made us dance the jitterbug at parties.

I guess I needed to blurt it all out. If y'all could spare a little kind energy - she's a great lady, a tough as hell woman, and one of my heroes. This hurts.

Miracles happen. I just got a conference call that tells me I'm going back to my actual job, effective immediately. The big boss said "We need you to be happy, because we like the work you've been doing, and we want you there when the office reopens."

The immense change in how I was feeling is mind blowing.

I just can't catch a break. My aunt in August, an old friend in September, and my grandmother passed away suddenly this evening.

She's my stepmonster's mother, but I've called her grandma since I was 7. She distanced herself the last couple years, especially since my father died, but I still care.

This will sound weird, but a couple hours after she passed, all of a sudden I could taste caramel corn. Like the taste was so thick in my mouth, I could have been eating it. But that was her thing. If I went to the mall where the caramel corn stand is, I had to bring her some. I'm choosing to decide that means she was saying goodbye.

When a player you loved RPing with pops back up into your MU life.

Well, I just got off an interview.

I should receive an offer letter before the end of the day.

Please gods, let this happen.

I SO WANT TO TELL MY BOSS OFF.

So, on a day when my current job is sucking eggs...

I have started receiving equipment from the job due to start next week. I didn't get a confirmation email, but I think sending me an expensive monitor might supersede that.

@devrex Can I just say I love you for playing Coulson? A good Coulson is AMAZEBALLS.

Happened to me and a bunch of people I play with across a bunch of different games. We all got invited to a "Baymax" server by people we knew in the hobby.

I looked at the 'verify' request and went' "Nope." Messaged my friend who invited me, telling him I wasn't doing that, and he was like "OMG I got hacked!"

And he wasn't alone.

@hella I mean, I've read a few interviews from Pros, who when they have to let a character go, they will sit, have a drink/toast to, write down the things they liked least/best, and/or have a bit of a cry.

@too-old-for-this I love this version. I /may/ have restarted it to make Logan dance around the room with me <.< >.>

@too-old-for-this As someone who lived in Kansas, I can verify this.

@hella I heard this a while back, and I actually enjoyed it. But I refuse to hate Nickelback for writing catchy songs that are formulaic as F, so.. YMMV

@lucidmaus And suddenly I just hear Hotel California in my head

@ganymede I legit posted a dumb, silly, what I thought was fun meme.

Because yes, for years, I felt like Gender didn't matter to them. You love who you love. And I felt like Morticia gave out bi vibes. But she and Gomez are completely, totally 100 percent all in on each other.

I was told no no no. They have to be straight. We need them to be straight because there's no other relationships in mainstream media that don't have the man outright loving his wife. (Like.. say what?)

Another straight male "Like, it doesn't even make sense. Wouldn't "thriving bisexuals" be living out their full sexuality instead of hiding it? I don't get how this is supposed to track, or how appropriating the Adams Family for bi culture would do any good." Because somehow being in a loving, hetero and monogamous relationship means you're... not bi?

And neither of them could see any reason for why my POV might be valid, or see why I might need to see what I see.

@il-volpe I very much needed this today, after making a post about bisexual energy from a fictional couple, and having a straight white male rage at me for it. Oi.

@jinshei All the ones local I see require about 8 million hoops and do more reimbursement than help. The vet I have him scheduled to see apparently will work with you with payment plans, and I know if all else fails, my friend will let me use his care credit, so long as I pay it off.

I just didn't need all the bricks to fall on me at once.