Hi, folks! I did not mean to take a temporary hiatus from YLF, but life intervened and it just kind of happened. What's new?

I wish I could say that my absence was due to something wonderful and exciting, but that wasn't the case - and it wasn't due to anything particularly awful, although work has become really sad and stressful once again in the past few weeks. My direct team is reducing staff and one of my favorite coworkers is leaving the company. But I have a job, at least for now, and I've started searching in earnest.

B recently celebrated a birthday, and we went out with some friends to local pubs and eateries. I wore my JAG pull-on bootcut jeans, a cobalt blue pussycat bow blouse, turquoise pumps, hammered metal earrings from B, and bronze beads. I'm loving cobalt blue these days. It wasn't raining so I just used my cognac leather jacket for warmth when dashing from the car to the bar. Had a great time, though since I wake up at about 5 or 5:30 AM, staying out until 2 AM is haaaard.

B. and I are also thinking of making an addition to our household. In the long term we definitely want a dog, but right now the time isn't quite right with my long commute across the lake. In the short term, we're seriously thinking about getting two rats.

I've noticed that rats can be sort of polarizing pets - people either know how wonderful they are and love them, or they are just grossed out by the idea. For those of you who are unfamiliar with them (I had rats as pets when I was a kid), they are more or less the "dogs" of the small animal world. They are intelligent and affectionate. YouTube is full of videos from owners showing how they have trained their rats to respond to verbal commands - coming when they are called, playing fetch, doing tricks. I never trained my childhood pets to do anything so elaborate, but I could trust them not to run off when I put them on the floor - I'd click my tongue and they would come running, and they loved to snuggle in the hood or pocket of my sweatshirt.

We would definitely get a pair, because rats are very social animals and tend to get lonely or stressed when they are solo pets. I'm thinking that Blinkin and Dill would make cute rat names (one from B's and my jointly favorite movie, and one from my favorite book. Bonus points if you can name both!)

So, that's the idea for the short term.

How's everybody doing lately? I have so much catching up to do!