Status report: MRI day. Trying not to have surgery, but I might need it.

What’s made me happy lately:

1. Chester’s 9th year with us. He has saved my life too many times to count. He has also cost me hundreds of thousands of pesos of damage, because he only chews expensive things. At least he has a sense of humor though. He’s become slow, his fur is less shiny, he’s lost weight, but he’s still my Chester. I can’t imagine a life without him. Here’s hoping I don’t have to find out soon.

2. Hotpot. Our family has a new favorite hotpot place, and I love to see it. We’re very routine people, and barely change our usual places to eat, especially if my dad is involved. A successful intro is almost miraculous because of how hard it is to pull off, but we did this past weekend.

3. Being back in my own space. I’m a little afraid of how much I like my own time, and my own space. Because of how fortunate I am with my work being remote and my family understanding what it means, anyone I see on a regular basis is someone I made an effort to be in the same space with. So when it goes awry, so does my mood. My buns and my friends who still show up may be sick of me, and I keep getting told I should go out more, but it’s so hard to do it. So I’m grateful I can take on Little Mermaid’s Ursula persona and just eat and complain in my own cave.

Songs of the week:

Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey

Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen

Losing Me by Gabrielle Aplin and JP Cooper