Lenny

Mortgage and three cats (plus a clingy stray and three chickens outside). Luckily the husband has a good job so we’re ok.

I always try to live my life imagining this all being a memory to my elderly future self, and thinking about how I’d be reacting to it. Am I feeling strong pride or regret about my choices? Is there something that feels like it matters right now that will totally be forgettable in the grand scheme? It really helps me when I encounter difficult decisions, and it’s how I realized that I need some time to realign myself with the things that bring me joy.

Best of luck to you, I have a sense (knowing nothing about you) that elderly you is SO freaking pumped that you’re doing this.

Congratulations! I am working out my notice period of my job right now, I am taking December to regroup and will begin job hunting in January. It feels so liberating!

As a Brit we were always taught to gently disturb leaf piles before jumping in them or throwing them into the fire, just in case hedgehogs were in there. The habit has stuck, although I now just rake our leaves up onto the mulched beds and leave them. The chickens will then pull them apart and consume any living thing unfortunate enough to live there.

The problem is, I only ever see furries when they’re doing weird kink shit. I go to regional burns, and this last one had a small furry audience, not all from the same group. One day I was exploring on my bike and saw one of them doing a shadowbox strip tease. Later, another one (again, from a different group) wander into our camp wearing a diaper and holding a baby bottle. I know that the burn culture can be a little more sex forward, but I only seem to encounter furries at burns, and furries at burns only ever seem to be doing kink stuff.

What did you grow?

Graphic design of print on demand products. I started it in 2017 when I was between jobs, put in serious effort for about two years, I still make around $200 a month passively from it. Doesn’t pay all the bills but it does give me a decent chunk of beer money.

I’m now exploring choice mushroom growing, as there is a shit ton of money to be made in oysters and lions mane rn.

I just handed my notice in to a job I tried to quiet quit, but failed at. Turns out I have too much guilt to just not work, and intentionally becoming shit at my job seems to feed the imposter syndrome in my brain. Anyway, I decided just to cut ties, and we are parting on good terms. I am working my last month now, and will be officially unemployed as of December 1st.

I am FUCKING THRILLED! For the first time in 25 years I’ll be intentionally not working and not looking for work, and I’ll also not struggle financially because of it. I plan to find a job in early 2025, but I’m gonna enjoy a few months to myself first. I’m gonna indulge in my hobbies, enjoy my home, my yard, take walks, have coffee on the deck, sleep in. I’m going to use my office for my own personal endeavors and explore starting my own software project.

I’m already dreading looking back at this period and wishing I was still in it.

We’ve been here for over 140 years, and I’ve never seen a single ghost.

The call is coming from within the house.

Cat 1: adopted from someone on Reddit who had taken in a preggo stray.
Cat 2: adopted from a shelter, was found in a hoarder house.
Cat 3: adopted from a shelter, was found in a Penske truck.
Foster cat: appeared on our window ledge, theory is she was dumped with her litter outside the pet shop nearby.

I’m anticipating more rescues in our future because people are selfish assholes who think spaying is cruel, but are totally ok with overpopulating the world with cats that don’t receive adequate care and often die lonely.

High as balls cat 3 (Fran) after her gabapentin fueled vet day.