Day Job Happenings – I got some semi-sad news this week as one of my longtime mentors announced he was taking a promotion to another facility. This is a man who I’ve worked with for the better part of fifteen years, and who has helped me improve my career. Probably also saved it from prematurely exploding. He was the one who orchestrated my return when I took the ill-conceived promotion. I am happy that he’s going to be taking on new challenges and doing more of what he loves doing. It will be very strange not to have him around.

Tea Happenings – The Wife and I have decided to get into the loose tea game. We each have our own infusing mugs and I have one to go to the office. We also have a bunch of tea we picked up – mostly Earl Greys and Chais. I don’t think I’ll use them for the sweetened ice tea I take to the office. That’s just stuff Derek drinks to cut down on his soda consumption, and it’s just too expensive to use the “good” tea. So, now I’m getting used to having hot tea every morning and on the look out

Bird Feeder Happenings – For the last couple of years, we’ve had essentially three bird feeding “stations” or “areas.” We have a couple of small transparent bird feeders attached to a window on the side of the house, a small bird feeder right outside the back door, and usually two feeders on poles – and later the trellis – in the backyard. Since I went back to the office, the ones in the back yard have been neglected. Part of it was The Wife was quickly putting food into the feeders, and the ones in the back took a lot more time (unhooking, opening, clearing, filling). I finally saw a new feeder that looked easy to fill. Which is good because the ones at the windows mainly draw doves and grackles – and are essentially cat entertainment. The one in the backyard draws different birds and more for my watching entertainment.

Board Game Happenings – While The Wife, MIL, and Mom went out for pedicures, The Brother and I sat down to try out a board game. Skara Brae is a game where you are managing the ancient village and trying to make sure that your settlers are fed as well as trying to make their life a little better. It is a “resource management” game. Essentially, you’re gaining resources from cards and spending those resources. A lot of different types of resources, including “bad resources” that do nothing but clutter up your inventory. I found it to be very entertaining.