flexagon | Promos, some acro, a tattoo

Very little happened until the end, and that was on purpose.

As foreshadowed, promotion discussions at work. Two full days of high-stakes video meetings, not counting prep or follow-up work. It meant I worked from home, no office at all. I got what I most wanted: the case I cared most about, and did the most mentoring in support of, got approved with flying colors. Ironically that case is not my own (temporary) direct report who self-nominated and who I thus did my best attempt for; that one didn't get the promo, as I knew it would not. (To paraphrase slightly, the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a manager's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.) I was pretty brain-dead after all that, and barely made it through my allotted half-day of work on Friday, and then fell asleep during the movie part of my date with the bug.

On Saturday I spent two hours learning dance lifts with the Monk! We utterly nailed the first two tricks, including one that nobody else in the class really got but I found very natural. I traded civil words with Lion, who consistently shows up to these things too. After class the Monk and I went over to Blue-Green Street along with the Monk's friend, and hung out in the gazebo and had snacks and chatted with the squirrel (who gave the Monk some chilies from the garden). Quite pleasant and covid-safe, listening to the rain on the roof and being all cozy underneath.

On Sunday I got my first real tattoo! I wasn't 100% sure it would happen, since the dude hadn't emailed me back after I sent him the artwork, but it did happen. A few hours later I'm having a little bit of the "oh god, what have I done" feeling that follows many irrevocable actions or major purchases, because the design I rendered with loving mathematical precision is now transcribed by hand onto a stretchy medium and it therefore seems IMPERFECT in a way that worries part of my brain. It's about right though, as things go, with the overall effect I was going for. It's going to be fine! I paid $440 entirely in ten-dollar bills, and learned about a new band (Audioslave) and was entertained by tattoo stories.

I failed again to get the new covid vaccine, as my local pharmacy ran out of the vaccines again. Bug got his and was super tired the day after, and I'm rescheduled -- a bit aspirationally -- for next Thursday.

The black swallow-wort seed pods are turning color and bursting.