Well DT, I got the place... and at the original rent no less (thanks, sloppy REAs!). Payment has gone through so it's official.

I'm relieved but also... now that it's real my heart is also filled with incredible, crushing sadness. I know it's going to be good for me to downsize and cull and open up my life to new options but I am so, so, sad to have to let go of my comforts here under such ugly circumstances. I can't even bear to look at my plants, it breaks my heart. Such is life though, isn't it. Change does not always happen the way we want it to. (and this isn't by far the worst experience I've had having to leave a house)

My plan for tonight is to just make a meta-list of tasks so that I don't feel too overwhelmed, but after that I'm going to just let the emotions flow through and watch an episode of Shrinking and take it easy. No stiffer up lip tonight. The work will start tomorrow. I know I'll get through this, there is joy on the other side. ❤️‍🩹

A step in the right direction but still weaksauce compared to WA banning them outright. They ruin not just the lives of gamblers and their families but also pub culture in general.

Eeeeee!!!!! I accidentally found the cat's cuddle spot!!! 😻😻😻 it's much closer to the TV than I would normally sit but I decided to sit there while petting her and she CRAWLED ONTO MY LAP. I nearly died. I didn't have my phone but when she got up for a bit I grabbed it and sat back down and here she is purring up an absolute storm. She hasn't cuddled at all the whole 2.5 weeks I've been here - I'll sit here all day long to feel her purring contentedly against me1. Oh please kitty cat don't let this be a one time thing. We can chill any time. Any time at all. <3

I made it to Sydney for my birthday today and the weather really put on a show. Short sleeves and sun hat and 500% good mood despite feeling like I nearly died a few times on the fucking roads. Getting thoroughly spoiled for the weekend. Made a few professional contacts this week too which was rewarding

E: thanks everyone for the lovely wishes!! Somehow lemmys notifications weren't working so I saw nothing until now when I'm just about to go to bed and thought I'd check the dt. It's actually great not being on a device all day. I've decided I'm going to go on more long trips and get through the backlog of Conversations with Richard Fidler

Well, after a very brief final review early in the morning I can finally say... I'M DONE!!!!!!!! FOREVER!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!

Happy Friday motherfondlers! Guess who got the job 😎😎😎😎

Well, pending standard preemployment checks, the links for which if they don't come through today should arrive on Tuesday. Fingers crossed I can get it all sorted by the end of next week :D

I really need to stop procrastinating on getting a car though because even though this job won't exactly pay enough for all running costs after rent and bills (being two days a week), I've been meaning to get one anyway and have savings kept aside for that. Plus I'm slowly feeling more positive and motivated about getting my arse off crosswords and cooking up side gigs to supplement this as I want

e: didn't want to clog up dt with replies to everyone but thank you all for the congratulatory messages :D

Every fibre of my being wishes today was Saturday...

E: also, holy COW the Medicare safety net is amazing. 475 psychiatrist appt, would've been ~265 out of pocket with the normal rebate. Today the full safety net rebate came through - I've paid $46 out of pocket for a 90 minute consult. That's less than 10% of the total fee. Awesome.

Dear readers, I have figured our why despite all the meds and other morning rituals I felt like a fork had been stabbed in my brain and all hope was lost.

The carefully made mocha this morning, I have just discovered, was but a mere hot chocolate - with the freshly ground coffee still waiting patiently in its canister, aeropress dutifully washed of yesterday's hasty activities but not a second time... I'm not sure how to resolve these heinous vicious cycles where a lack of coffee causes a lack of coffee and therefore the end of the world.

Anyway, the situation is currently being rectified and I remain mortified at this horrific act of self-abuse

Sox wants you in her office for a serious discussion. SEE ME MEOW.

I'm guessing it's too many hobby farmers and anti government/homesteading types who don't understand the seriousness of this shit, it's like Covid all over again. Plus I'd heard feral bee colonies were an issue too.

But I'm surprised you didn't know it was here, if it's a topic of interest? Varroa mite was big news earlier this year when it was first detected in NSW, the reporting was rather dire.

And on the seventh day, Our Lord God the Bot #001 dutifully ran its code and then ran off with the cat.

This neck pain is getting worse again and doing me in. A friend recommended a physio that does Sundays and I've pulled the pin and made a booking first thing in the morning. I've never seen a physio before. Not like I have stacks of money to do this but it's affecting everything and next week will be very hectic so I'm not going to sit around waiting for it to get better

I'm on the plane and about to go... I'm just gonna make this trip work! Au revoir.

✅ pulled an all nighter from 4pm to 7am and actually completed everything in the project with the hours given

✅ packed everything up and returned it all to the office

✅ actually had a good one on one reconciliatory chat with the boss who owned up to being severely burnt out and dropping the ball with staff - seriously planning to accelerate his retirement and handing over of the business

✅ still made it to the Christmas thing and actually enjoyed it - even won $50 - and had many long goodbyes, everything ending on a good note

✅ jammed in some last minute heavy grocery shopping on the way home despite insane traffic, and then dropped the car off elsewhere with 5 min to spare

✅ grabbed some brisling sardines on the way back for a simple repast of rice and fish

✅ almost caught up on messages, finally sinking into the couch; fully awake and engaged for 34 hours and counting...

At long last, it is all done. And I am proud of myself for finally arriving here. I'm so happy that the slate is clean and I made it... Bring on the next chapter in the new year!!!

But for now, an extremely well deserved sleep.

Woops. Apparently had a tiny bingle while parking on a narrow mountain trail in Japan and was in such a rush that I didn't even notice I had bumped into anyone else. The other driver had a dashcam though so they got in touch with the police and I had an urgent email from the rental company, who thank god took care of everything - there was no excess or fine or anything and they reassured me it was all okay and everything was covered. Couldn't sleep last night from the anxiety and just gave a statement at the cop shop so that the relative insurances could follow up. I'm so grateful for the lovely lady at the rental car place who was extremely calming and reassuring... 😔

couchrat says goodnight

It took 6 weeks but I got my ridiculous $200 parking fine waived! Thank goodness... I really didn't need an extra cost on top of everything else. Never making that mistake again. Not parking there after June this year anyhow!

Good on the nurses for negotiating a decent pay rise so that they're less horrifically underpaid. It's such a dangerous and important line of work.

Not my cat but my adoptive niece...

Sigh. I actually completely missed whatever went on the past few days. Was on a cat sub from a Google search at 6pm last night and then saw the melb sub was open again.

Part of me really doesn't want to know which regs did what the days prior.... part of me really needs a break from social media altogether. I kind of just vaguely hoped the sub would reopen and things would go back to what they were slowly, but from your comment and seeing some posts here today it seems like there's been an irreparable rift beyond just what the admins and mods are doing.

Anyway it finally got me over the line. Hi guise

Oh no. Came home last night to see a white rose placed on the windscreen of my opposite neighbour's car. She's elderly and the only one who talked to everyone and knew everything about the place, but been unwell for quite a while and I haven't seen or heard from her in months. I remember how lonely and weak she was at times.

Just heard some noise outside my door and opened it to see... her sister and niece were there in her apartment and they confirmed the worst. :( RIP, N. You might've been a bit of a curmudgeonly old soul at times but I hope you meet many wonderful fluffy kitties wherever you go. (She loved soxcat)