Peterson Family Update, #621

Firstly, the number is a random number and not meant to be anything too meaningful, unless you've got some fun theories you'd like to share.  Mostly, I've done a handful of these kinds of updates without necessarily counting how many there are.  Honestly, after the heaviness of the last couple of posts, I needed to do something a little lighter today.

Anyway, THINGS.

• We're loving our shiny, Chevy Volt.  We've driving around 600 miles so far, only using twelve gallons of gas or so.  AND our electric bill only went up by like $10.  
• Took my first test in my psychology class.  It's been lovely to have a structured learning experience again.  I've already picked out what I want to take next term.
• I broke my computer a week or so ago.  I seemed to tell this mostly to people that don't really use theirs, because when there was a lukewarm response, I had to clarify "No, it's like losing my phone" to get a larger response.  Two individuals actually offered me their own for a while because they never use it.  I don't understand this principle.  I did lose a couple of files that I would rather not have and a few pictures I had drawn, but I have resigned myself to this.  
• We ended up trading my computer and Andy's in to get a discount on the shiny new one that I'm writing on now.  We also bought a cover that is supposed to be super drop resistant.  I keep calling it the "Tactical Cover" because it looks overly tough, in my opinion.  Definitely not marketed to women, so at least there was no pink tax (and, yes, I have already put some unicorn stickers on it).  Our trade it was much better than either of us expected, which I still attribute to Andy's deal-finding talent.  
• Things are starting to wind down from summer at Skyward, meaning that I feel less frantic in small increments and overall more optimistic about the world--summer kicked my butt again, folks.  We have a couple of ideas for how to have some better balance next year (and some things that I can complain about when necessary, based on a better understanding of protocol).  Hopefully this means that we can get out of survival mode and incorporate some additional life components again, like game nights.  
• We took a pile of stuff to Goodwill the other day--definitely could fit more in our car than I had thought we could.  I'm tickled, too, to be able to have less stuff in our house.  The results of some good purging and tidying.  
• I do not understand why establishments that have single-seater bathrooms mark them as men and women.  If you lock the door behind you, WHY would you need to define one for one group of people and one for the other?  According to Andy, there usually isn't even a urinal in these and in any case, you lock the door behind you.  Put a diaper change station in both and take off the male/female placards.  Seriously.
• It seemed that the blog post "The Relationship Escalator" resonated with a LOT of people.  This has been my most-viewed blog post to date--I'm absolutely chuffed about it, actually.  We're all in this together, my friends.  For those of you who feel the pressure to follow steps for the sake of following them, I hope you find your own path in your own time.  For those unaware that they were reinforcing this on others unconsciously, please take this new awareness to treat people with grace.
• I'm so tickled that I can start pulling out my sweaters and boots again.  Hurrah for fall!

Otherwise, I leave you with this PSA for the day.

Darn right.