Back to work today, although it’s a short and quiet week, which is conducive to continuing to drink from the firehose of knowledge about my new team. I wrote an article today for a team newsletter about a particular new product and service one of our internal customers is developing. I had no clue what I was talking about, instead, just reworked some content from a presentation to make it sound good. Sent it to the subject matter expert in hopes that he’ll be so appalled that I got the details wrong that he’ll have rewrite it for the newsletter. That’s one way to get reluctant content contributors motivated.

No contractors showed up today but I’m told they’re supposed to start tiling the bathroom this week. Now I see why they built in such long lead times to the construction schedule; whereas, if they showed up every day to chip away at the work, all these projects would have been done at least a month ago.

Today is Love Your Freckles Day, which—along with Celebrate Redheads Day—has been something I’ve had to grow to accept being born with. It’s not easy growing up a redheaded, freckled-faced kid when redheads were not celebrated at all. Instead, we’ve been the object of projected rejection as evidenced by the phrase “treated like a red-headed stepchild” for years. In fact, I’ve even used that phrase. Ah well, I care little these days, especially since my face freckles are largely faded (thanks in part to taking care in the sun because of skin cancer), and my red hair has gotten so dark, people who’ve known my only for the past 20 years or so don’t believe I’m a redhead. Proud to inherit and own my coloring. Thanks, Grandma! Besides, all my favorite colors look good on me.

Went for a mid-afternoon walk since it’s starting to get dark before I sign off work. Despite that I want to do more evening walks, I’m also listening to my body, and when it says, “Get outta that chair and outta the house,” I listen. Autumn is, thankfully, lingering with warmish days, gearing me up for winter ice and possible snow later in the season. After experiencing snow in all months of the year in Montana, this midatlantic climate suits me.

Mamacita still not feeling well, but she’s being looked after. Looking forward to seeing her again soon.