Another very mixed week IRL of joys and otherwise but that‘s life right? This week‘s joys:
1. SOTR discussion at my favorite indie bookstore, complete with gifts and a cool tote.
2. Cory Booker and Susan Crawford.
3. Reconnecting with former coworkers at a rooftop reception.
4. Penguin resistance!
5. Shopping at the Amish market, but first breakfast! Including a big bowl of grits swimming in 🧈
#5joysfriday

As a #longtimefed I never attended a conference that was co-sponsored by an organization that had ceased to exist…but that happened today. I guess that explains why they didn‘t have any staff at the event. 😥

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/us/politics/doge-wilson-center.html

I‘ve seen 32/100 which is fewer than I‘d expected, but OTOH many more are on my TBW list. Here are some favorites from what I‘ve seen.
1. Sense & Sensibility
2. Life Is Beautiful 😭
3. Apollo 13
4. The Crying Game

Survey link: https://www.listchallenges.com/academy-award-nominations-list-4-1987-2010

#TLT

Another winner from Ann Cleeves. Vera is as grumpy and insightful as ever, and the story is compelling. I want to jump right into the next one, but I have book club selections to read! #serieslove2025

When I did my journal #wrapup for March, I remembered I also helped me friends find their new cats. A good development, but it did cut into my reading time.

In any event, here‘s a more realistic #serieslove2025 plan for April. Four books instead of eight. 🤣

1. I was a pretty good student in high school and less so in college. (Big fish, small pond,etc.)
2. Tagged book takes place in a school. I enjoyed it on audio.
#two4tuesday

I have to go somewhere later today and don‘t think I‘ll finish anything else, so I‘m calling it for March. My reading pace slowed down a bit for various reasons.
-I couldn‘t find an #authoramonth book I liked
-Two book club selections that were a little long and I couldn‘t get into them until about midway through
-Getting ready for tax return prep
-The world in general 🔥

Nevertheless, I tore through SOTR and loved it.

#wrapup

After a little trip to Panem, I‘m back in Northumberland with Vera. I spent most of the afternoon washing the bedding and reorganizing my bookcases. As usual, a little tweak turned into an overhaul of half the shelves. It‘s good to just sit and read and eat chicken with snow peas. #hyggehourreadathon

Yesterday I spent 3+ hours at The Last Word bookstore in Mt. Airy MD. It‘s a little bit of a drive but worth it. They have a smaller store closer to me that‘s in the midst of a reorganization, and I‘m looking forward to seeing the revamped space.

#sundayfunday

I went to a discussion thingy at the bookstore today. Besides talking books for three hours (it was only scheduled for two), we drank a couple pots of tea and got some swag. Including the chance to choose two ARCs from a stack. ♥️#indiebookstores

It was a particularly stinky week IRL but there was still joy to be found.
1. While walking in the woods, I ran into someone I knew, and we noticed this sweet little flower next to the path.
2. The library held Tolkien Reading Day event with the editor of the tagged book.
3. The PetSmart cashier and I were both singing along with Bruno Mars on the PA.
4. I had shepherd‘s pie with Impossible “meat,” and it was delicious. ⬇️
#5joysfriday

We‘re in the middle of a hostile government takeover, but it‘s still Opening Day.

I have seen 37/100 for this round. Some highlights:

1. Lilies of the Field
2. Mary Poppins
3. E.T.
4. Breaking Away

Survey link: https://www.listchallenges.com/academy-awards-list-3-nominations-for-best

#TLT

Sometimes the memes just write themselves.

As a #longtimefed I would receive regular briefings and training about the importance of OPSEC. During COVID my office had to jump through hoops to be allowed use Zoom.

These people are ridiculous.

ETA: “But her emails…”

1. I hang out with my cat.
2. The tagged book looks interesting.
#two4tuesday

Heartbreaking. #serieslove2025

1. I feel okay today. Exercise class was fun, and we got some much needed rain.
2. Yes. It‘s how I stay in touch with some of my friends and get some (but not all) of my news. On the other hand, it can also be frivolous at best and mean spirited. I make a point not to argue with strangers, as tempting as it may be.
3. When I shut it down a couple hours before bedtime (except for Litsy of course), I‘ve found that helps.
#mentalhealthmonday

That Maryland game was a little stressful, so I‘m going to chill out with some murder and Vera. #hyggehourreadathon

Reading this on my phone while eating a chicken avocado flatbread and drinking a chocolate raspberry latte in this cafe that suddenly got very busy and loud. I‘m tucked away in a corner. #BandBDay

Yes! Madeline Miller was friendly and approachable at my local indie bookstore. #sundayfunday

Either we outrun the storm or the storm outruns us.

1. My friends adopted Snoop and his brother Steve!
2. In my exercise class for a change of pace the instructor swapped out one of the songs for the Cupid Shuffle.
3. Lunch at a local Mediterranean restaurant.
4. I had a good chat with my financial guy who talked me off the ledge…for now at least.
5. We won HERstory trivia at the brewpub, thanks in part to my crack research into the history of women and beer. ⬇️
#5joysfriday

This book should be right up my alley, but for some reason I just can‘t get into it. I checked out something else for #authoramonth so I‘ll see how that goes.

Welcome back @TheSpineView 😀
1. My favorite spring flowers are pansies. I love their little faces!
2. My mystery book club requested a flower-related cozy for our May selection. I found a “bunch” on cozymystery.com including the tagged book. Unfortunately, it‘s not available at the library, but look at that cover! I mean, a cat AND a corgi?!
#two4tuesday

While POTUS was cutting IMLS, he was also dismantling Voice of America and Radio Martí. My career as a #longtimefed started at VOA. I later spent a few years at Radio Martí, where I met my husband and my best friend.

These agencies were not without problems, but they didn‘t deserve to be one more tradition thrown on the scrap heap of history. Meanwhile the “champion of Cuban freedom” does nothing.

Last week I was discombobulated by the time change and didn‘t have a #hyggehourreadathon at all. This week it‘s dark and windy, but the promised rain hasn‘t materialized.

We just had corned beef and cabbage, and I‘m settled in with the tagged book. It‘s for book club tomorrow.

My sister‘s book club was reading this, so I loaned her my copy. Many years ago. In her defense, at one point she offered it back after the meeting, but I suggested she hold onto it until she finished it. I‘m pretty sure she doesn‘t even know where it is now. That‘s okay. I‘ve read it twice and definitely have no desire to read it a third time. 🤣🤣
#sundayfunday

I have a complicated relationship with Williamsburg. My sister went to college there, and I was determined to go anywhere else (contrary teenager syndrome) but ended up there anyway. As a #longtimefed I sent colleagues all over the world but never traveled myself, for the first 10+ years.

Then my first work trip was to…Williamsburg! My very last work trip was to nearby Chesapeake, to learn more about processing travel reservations and vouchers.⬇️

As a #longtimefed I‘ve seen staff cuts before. Now I‘m seeing some stunning “whataboutism,” comparing the Clinton-Gore cuts to what DOGE is doing.

Though my agency at the time was minimally affected, I had issues with the initiative.
-Government as a business
-OPM staff laid off during the process
-Increased reliance on contractors

However, there was a logic and process to it. Employees were treated with empathy, which is apparently now a sin.

It looks like the awful CR was passed. Thanks, traitor Dems!

I don‘t have the spoons to write a #longtimefed post today, so I‘ll be back tomorrow with a fresh take.

Meanwhile, I‘ll leave you with this. I was running errands today and saw the most ridiculous cybertruck ever. (Even more than the one wrapped in a realtor‘s ads.) It was painted bright green on the bottom and jet black on the top. I guess it‘s supposed to look like a convertible?

1. Sunday was our associate pastor‘s birthday, and we had this delicious mango cake (no murder, thankfully).
2. Upgrades at the local park.
3. Another art show at the community center. This work is called Basin of Beauty.
4. My spouse made a delicious (but not photogenic) lasagna, using tortillas instead of noodles.
5. My friends are still looking for a cat, but I saw on the shelter‘s website that the mouthy kitten was adopted. #5joysfriday

Still not many (14) but some are pretty memorable.
1. The Pride of the Yankees
2. 12 Angry Men
3. Gaslight
4. To Kill A Mockingbird

Survey link: https://www.listchallenges.com/academy-awards-list-2-nominations-for-best
#TLT

As GSA is the federal government‘s property management agency, OPM is the HR agency. Perhaps I don‘t have a clue, but it seems to me that when you‘re massively cutting your workforce, you don‘t want to cut the staff that will be processing all those retirements and terminations. At least let the dust settle first!

As a #longtimefed I can verify that retirement actions take months to process in the best of times.

For what it‘s worth, this morning I used 5Calls to contact my senators and ask them to vote against the pending continuing resolution.

In “normal” times, I wouldn‘t favor this approach. But we‘re not in normal times. Republicans have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. As a #longtimefed I found the kick-the-can budget process to be disruptive, especially when it would drag on until March. However, we‘re already living under massive disruption.

I‘ve seen a lot of misinformation about government employees on social media. One of the most ridiculous assertions is that government employees don‘t pay taxes. This is news to me! I‘ve been paying taxes on my wages since I started working in high school, through college, and as a #longtimefed for 35+ years. I still pay taxes on some of my retirement income. The same applies for teachers, firefighters, state workers, and other public servants.

1. I take an exercise class on Mondays. I‘m feeling a tiny bit sore, but I had a good chat afterwards with a couple who are taking the class together.
2. Bookriot has the tagged book on a list of must-read books about mental illness. It features a young woman who bounces around the foster system when her mother (played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie) goes to prison. Movie & book are both intense.
#mentalhealthmonday

As a #longtimefed the only “DEI” employment initiative I ever saw in action was Veterans Preference, which was established by law in 1944.

Was it sometimes a hassle to “clear” a veteran who had applied for a job? Yes. Did it sometimes feature a qualified veteran who turned out to be perfect for the job? Yes. Did it lead to an unqualified veteran being hired instead of a qualified non veteran? No.

At one point as a #longtimefed I was pretty familiar with the Miami airport, whether as the destination or a transit point. I also spent a long day at the airport greeting arriving participants and getting them onto the right shuttle bus. For another conference, my room overlooked the main runway.

Anyway, in addition to the sandwiches from La Careta, I also like the artwork on the walls.

I‘m cheating a little on this answer. This isn‘t the last book I bought. However, it‘s the next book I‘m buying. I ordered it several days ago from the bookstore, and I expect they will have it in pretty soon.

I started reading it on Libby a while ago, but I realized it has a lot of “exercises” that were awkward to do in that format. I finally got around to ordering my own physical copy! It‘s probably even more relevant these days.
#sundayfunday

Happy International Women‘s Day!

As a #longtimefed I worked with and beside many strong and talented women. While I wasn‘t aware of any job discrimination (or “reverse” discrimination 🙄), I certainly observed micro aggression. Especially within the Defense Department! One year on Women‘s Day the Director gave all the women a flower and acted as if he was doing something.

Be that as it may, Rebecca Solnit has an insightful blog to check out. ⬇️

There‘s no new #longtimefed post today. Just a reminder about the Amazon boycott. I understand there‘s also a Target “fast” during Lent.

Meanwhile, if you haven‘t yet encountered the Hostile Government Takeover song, enjoy!

https://youtube.com/shorts/9rgHC9P7FjI?si=EkOXZwaRTfHqIglC

1. Nando‘s stores in the DMV will give out free chicken to federal employees 2-5 this afternoon.
2. I‘m helping my friends find a new cat to add to their family. I met a mouthy kitten at the county shelter and learned of a private rescue at a local coffee shop that also has delicious scones.
3. I watched 6888 instead of the performative rally at the Capitol.
4. I got the rest of the way off Goodreads and deleted my account. ⬇️
#5joysfriday

This book is well written and tells a compelling story, striking a balance between avoiding the dull and dry procedural elements & not turning the spy craft elements into a Bond/Bourne parody. Nonetheless it was hard for me to read at times.

As a #longtimefed I‘ve never been a big fan of real life espionage stories, but it hits differently at this stage in history. That‘s probably about the finest point I can put on it or need to put on it…

When I was a kid this movie was on TV every year at the holidays. It‘s the only movie on the list that I‘ve seen. Some of these movies I‘ve never heard of before, some of these posters are scary, and a few of these movies are actually on my TBW list.
1. The Thin Man
2. Top Hat
3. Goodbye Mr. Chips
4. The Adventures of Robin Hood
#TLT
Survey link: https://shorturl.at/qm3jM

As a #longtimefed I worked in a total of seven different buildings. I saw on Bluesky this morning that the current regime has offered hundreds of federal buildings for sale, about a third of them in the Washington DC area.

You would think a real estate genius would know that selling multiple properties at once, when the agency managing those properties has had its staff cut, might not bring the highest price? Or maybe that‘s not the goal?

I watched this movie on Netflix. It‘s pretty good. I also drank some Bailey‘s.

Even as a #longtimefed when I knew there was a chance he (yes, always a man) would say a sentence or two that pertained to my organization, no matter who was giving the SOTU address, I wouldn‘t watch. It‘s been mostly performative for a while now.

Tonight I might run the floor cleaner to drown out the TV in the other room, but more likely I‘ll watch Netflix with headphones.

1. I haven‘t recently lost a friend or family member, but my response to what‘s happening in this country now is a kind of grief. Which is a complicated set of emotions…
2. Last year I attended a grief seminar. I wasn‘t experiencing traditional grief at that time either, but I was “mourning” the loss of what I had thought was a close friendship. During the seminar I received a valuable insight:

YOUR FEELINGS ARE YOUR FEELINGS
#mentalhealthmonday

I spent more than half of my time as a #longtimefed at the Defense Department‘s regional center for Latin America and the Caribbean*, and that‘s where I was working when I retired. The place I knew is completely gone now. I‘m sure this notice I saw on Facebook Saturday was not voluntary, but I‘m disappointed nonetheless. I don‘t know if it will even help them survive the axe. Dr. Perry (but NOT Ash Carter) signed a letter appealing to Congress ⬇️

During tonight‘s #hyggehourreadathon I‘ve been peeking in on the Oscars and reading this #authoramonth selection.

Look at these beautiful endpapers!