It is a lovely day in the neighborhood. My computer has NOT returned, but I’ve been allowed to copy my files over to a network drive, and I’ve become resigned enough to my fate to install a ssh client and make myself at home at the communal computer. The competition has bowed to my superior need, prior claim, and, probably, the fact that I let them into the building when they forget their ID badges.

I have been alerted to the presence of BABY SQUIRRELS in the immediate vicinity, and of course shall investigate this alarming intelligence at the first available opportunity. Baby squirrels are, of course, quite alarming, and require judicious attention.

In other news, I today opened the door cautiously for an unknown individual. He appeared to be wearing a name-badge indicating he was a seller of some description. They are always haunting the building, handing out candy to the right people and ignoring the rest of us. This one was dragging a hefty sort of case behind him, which looked like some sort of industrial cooler. I assumed, of course, that this contained samples, or freebies of something biological and boring. Imagine my surprise, then, when he paused by my desk and said, “I hope you aren’t on a diet!” and opened the lid of the case to reveal a panoply of ice-cream bars and treats on ice.

Now, I am, in fact, monitoring my caloric intake (‘diet’ is not the word), but there are temptations which are too much for a girl to bear—just as occasionally someone shoves a plate of fresh, glistening strawberries directly at my mouth and I heartily ignore my food allergies for one delicious irresponsible splurge. A lovely great Good Humor ice cream sammich, all for ME! The lowly administrative assistant! But you see, I have since learned that this fellow’s company is not the largest lab supplier to my employer, and so he works a bit harder at all aspects of his ingratiation and persuasion. Therefore it is due to the free market that I am sitting in a state of feline post-canary-prandial bliss, purring inaudibly as I bask in the reflected sun from the skylights and tippety-type away at my commandeered computer. Tra la!