I have survived the trials of shitty hotel wifi more or less unscathed, and had a wonderful time at the test conference. I’m also kicking myself a bit, since said conference was in San Francisco, on the harbor, and Thursday morning was picture-postcard perfect.
Alas, I did not think to take any photos, and by mid-afternoon smoke had started to roll in from the wildfires in the valley. Friday was so hazy that the organizers were recommending that people not go outside unless they absolutely had to, and providing masks for anyone who did go outside.
Oh, yes, and there were flakes of ash drifting onto cars and things.
In other moderately good news, the Bugger-cat had his second appointment with the oncologist yesterday, and he is doing reasonably well. He’s gained a little weight (alleluia, let us rejoice – he’s still way too thin, with his fur sticking up over his hipbones because there’s basically nothing there, but he’s gaining. He’s also (ick warning for the squeamish – after all the cleaning of said ick I’ve had to do in the last year or so, I’m pretty much immune to it) gone from almost pure liquid deposits to deposits with the texture of soft serve ice cream (description courtesy of The Husband). This is a good thing. It means he’s not getting dehydrated and that he’s getting more of a chance to absorb nutrients.
In other words, life carries on as usual. I need to work through the comments from last week (and thank you, everyone for the good thoughts about horrible hotel wifi, cat health, and everything else) and figure out which requested topics I can do a good post on. I also need to pull together a lovely rant on airports, flights, and the inability of airport start to get baggage from the plane to the baggage claim in less than an hour. That was not the best way to end the trip, but I did eventually get home with all my possessions and all my body parts in the correct place. By definition that makes it a good trip – sad that standards have fallen so.
Mad Genius Club 
Kate! Kate! Kate!
Good news on Bugger-Cat. Glad you survived the trip.
I’ve been getting rather nervous because on my last three major airline flights, things went well. that suggests that the gods of travel are planning some sort of revenge – like me going to Krakow and my bags going to Caracas.
Glad you made it back in as many pieces as you started with!
Glad you’re back safely.
I read of events in Cali with mixed emotions. Schadenfreude is the most prevalent. I am going to hell, I know.
It -is- difficult to work up any sympathy for people who keep voting for the idiots who let their forests get built up with brush like that, and let in the a-holes who started the fires too.
I have a few friends that continue to reside there. And of course, the Marines. That is why I can’t look upon events there with undiluted joy.
Understand that a lot of the people in the effected areas are the ones who moved up there to get away from governmental interference, and alas, most of the folk on the “still missing” list for the Camp Fire are over 50, and ones who survived prior fires around their community with no difficulty.
50mph winds, no significant rainfall since May, and not enough water to overcome a severe years-long drought before that. Oh, and a state utility company that reported issues on a line right before the fire broke out. You know, the same one found to be at fault in the previously-most-destructive Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa last year.
It’s been my experience that dealing with either very small children or pets for any length of time will end whatever squeamishness one may have started with in regards to excrement. I’m glad that the cat is improving.
Or, you can work at a pet shop in high school; cleaning all the rodent cages, and acquire lifetime immunity. 🙂 And even get paid!