Last week was a doozy. It started on Monday with the terrible interview, and continued with some general ongoing uncertainty at work, with some of our contractors being let go while there are rumors that there could even be significant changes or even job losses on the government direct-hire side over the coming year (a civil service job is no longer the secure guarantee that has usually been presumed); two last-minute, short-deadline, but very high-profile projects at work; several skipped lunches yet longer workdays nevertheless; an ugly conflict between two of our staff that came to a fever pitch on Thursday for which I had to intervene, but which still is very tense; and an emotionally stressful week in any event, for its significance as the week in which my parents’ anniversary would have fallen just a few days before the one-year anniversary of my father’s untimely death October 3^rd last year.

Thank goodness for a relaxing weekend, in which Jeff and I spent some time in the kitchen, baking and cooking together, which turned out to be physically and emotionally very gratifying.