Still Kicking

This weekend marks 15 years since my liver and the rest of my body shook hands and decided to give it a go together. There’s been a few rocky patches, but they continue to mostly play nice with each other. It’s rather like getting a cat and keeping it in a room filled with lots of things you like; the cat is eventually going to claw the furniture or pull the curtains down on itself, but the room remains mostly intact, as does the cat.

Been back at work for four weeks now, and it’s like I never left. The ankle isn’t bothering me too much. I strongly suspect that all the up and down stairs I do, along with walking on uneven surfaces, has been better physical therapy for it than if I’d actually agreed to pay someone three times a week to make me exercise it.

Because I’m me, work remains a weird place to be. One of my co-workers, who has been a thorn without a rose since his arrival, was recently rewarded for bad behavior with a promotion, which I have discovered is the fastest way to move up the ladder in a government agency. It’s my understanding that late last week the Cheeto-Haired One Who Must Not Be Named made moves to make it easier to fire federal employees. I don’t really know more details (should go look them up, I guess) but if true I guess it proves that even the most highly inept can get something right.

In different news, The Professor and I are looking into taking a big vacation next year. My initial impulse was Australia, but I stumbled over a two-week agricultural and cultural tour of New Zealand that fit right into our window of opportunity and sounds perfect. I don’t know if we can pull it off financially, but I’ve sent off for more information. I might finally achieve my life-long dream of meeting a weta up close and personal. Wouldn’t mind seeing a tuatara as well, but I suspect that would be more difficult to pull off. A sheep show and deer farm are promised, along with a tour of a winery and the promise of a chance of a kiwi sighting (bird, not person). I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but visiting is something I’ve wanted to do since childhood so it’s hard to keep expectations completely tamped down.

The Prof just swung by and made a semi-sarcastic remark about me blogging about Solo, the new Star Wars Movie. I wasn’t going to, but now I guess I have to. Yes, I saw it last night. Yes I enjoyed it. Yes, Han shot first. Not the best of the bunch, but then again it didn’t have Anikid or Jar Jar, so it will never end up in the lowest ranking either. It really isn’t worth writing about, but I don’t want my money back either.