The drawer on my desk is officially giving up on life. It’s falling apart in slow motion, so I had to evacuate all the pens and tiny desk trinkets before they staged a dramatic escape onto the floor. At this point, the drawer isn’t really a drawer; it’s more of a suggestion.
We’re still working on my new desk, but Mother Nature had opinions. It got cold, which means staining and polyurethane are now on pause unless we want a science experiment instead of furniture. So we had to start over with the staining and polyurethane.
Honestly, though, it’s kind of cool. It’s a learning project. One day I’ll have a beautiful new desk… and a drawer that actually wants to be part of it. The drawers will actually be separate from the desk; we are building that after the desk is done. I will have to take a picture of it later to better describe it.
Each morning when the kids wake up, they wander into the office to say good morning to me, like a tiny daily parade. It’s actually really nice and one of my favorite parts of the day. The girls come in for hugs, still half-asleep and warm, sometimes insisting on sitting on my lap and crushing me.
Alex, however, brings memes. Not hugs, memes. And not just one polite “good morning” meme, either. This is merely the opening act. The memes continue all day long. I’ll be trying to focus, and suddenly he’s back like, “You gotta see this one.”
So yes, mornings start with affection and laughter… and then gradually turn into a full-time meme subscription I never asked for but somehow can’t cancel. But it’s alright. Sometimes the distraction is nice.
Does anyone else wear their headphones even when nothing is playing? Because I do. Most of the time, if I’m at my computer, my headphones are on, silence and all. I’m not listening to music, a podcast, or a video. I’m just… wearing them.
They’re noise-canceling, and honestly, that’s the best part. It’s like putting up a tiny “do not disturb” sign for the world. The house noises fade, random sounds disappear, and suddenly, my brain can breathe. Sometimes I think my headphones are less an audio device and more a comfort item at this point.
Chris is staying at his grandpa’s house now. His dorm had become too expensive since his scholarship didn’t cover housing. He dropped his dog, Everest, off here today while he went to school, and I’m not sure yet when he’ll be back to pick her up.
I’ve been checking on Merlin and Everest every so often. They’ve mostly been outside. I did bring them in for a bit while I was reading my cybersecurity book, but they were a little too rowdy, so back outside they went.
Again, I’m not sure what to write about. It feels like, because it’s Friday, I should have something exciting or profound to share, something fun, something end-of-the-week worthy, but alas, I do not. No big plans. No dramatic stories. Just… vibes. Very calm, very quiet vibes.
The house is unusually peaceful, which is suspicious in itself. No chaos. No loud opinions being shared from another room. Just the soft hum of existence. The only remotely funny thing happening right now is a small but significant domestic standoff.
O’Malley has claimed Mimi’s bed. Not borrowed it. Not temporarily occupied it. Claimed it. Fully settled in, unbothered, radiating the confidence of someone who pays zero bills and fears no consequences.
Mimi, rather than asserting her rightful ownership of said bed, has chosen a different path. A noble one. She is now lying on the floor next to me, because apparently removing the cat from her bed is simply not an option. The bed belongs to the cat now. We all know the rules.
So here we are: one cat living his best life, one dog peacefully accepting defeat, and me, documenting the moment because this is apparently the highlight of my Friday. And honestly? I’m okay with that.
Tomorrow we’re heading over to a friend’s house, so that should be fun and a nice change of scenery. For now, though, I’m settling into a quieter plan: I’m going to make myself some tea and read.
I’m still working my way through the Prydain series, and I really need to get to book two soon. The library deadline is looming in that polite but slightly threatening way; a few weeks sounds far away until it suddenly isn’t. So the mission is simple: drink tea, read, and make some respectable progress before the book has to go back home.
