For the first time in many months I had a video conference with my manager—who technically isn’t my manager at the moment because she’s on partial leave. I used to really enjoy our weekly one-on-ones and didn’t realize how much I missed talking with her until today. We chatted for an hour and a half about what’s going on at work for me and a little about my personal life and the minor anxieties I’m dealing with (ankle, bug bites, Hubby in pain, construction woes, and rogue neighbor). It’s pretty much been a non-summer for both of us, and work is, well, somewhat on hold in some ways until re-organization issues settle and we figure out where our team is headed next. So 2021 isn’t so much turning out to be a do-over but a do-again, only with different stressors.

On the bright side, I scored an appointment with the skin doc, who prescribed a heavier arsenal of topical ointments for the bug bites than what I can get over the counter. Between that and Allegra, I feel more comfortable. While I was at it, I decided to get the first of the two shingles vaccines too. The doc kinda scared me into it because I’ve also been experiencing a little tingling and stinging down my arm near where the bites are. When I step outside my house, I get the sensation of tiny pinpricks on my skin, as if no-seeums are crawling all over me (she admits, at the risk of sounding like she’s going mad). It’s bizarre, and it’s making me paranoid of my own back yard.

Hubby stayed home again today to give his foot a rest, which looks much better. He decided to stain the boardwalk he built earlier this (or was that last year). He’s not crazy about the color, but I think it ties in nicely with our picket fence of a similar color. Later this afternoon we drove around to some more Little Free Libraries to distribute one of my books I’m trying to offload. And as we sit here this evening we’re getting more used to the light in the back yard, made possible by our neighbors. I’m liking it more.