We head downstairs. Ferdinand climbs on top of me as soon as I sit down. He smells of cat food.

I pat him and tell him he's not allowed to steal food from the kittens.

But he's not sorry. Not in the slightest.

Dog tax below.

I head upstairs. As I reach the landing, Ferdinand comes out, looking nonchalant. Like, "Oh, hey, mom. Whatcha doing up here?"

"Ferdinand! Are you stealing the cat food?" I ask.

He looks offended. But the bowl of food is 80% licked clean and the cats are nowhere to be seen.

Most mornings, I can hear the kittens running around in the attic with zoomies. But this noise suggests something larger than kittens.

In the bedroom, Amelia and Hazel are asleep in their dog beds. But Ferdinand is missing.

This may account for the Duck Duck abandonment.

Trail goes cold.

Then this morning, while still in bed but after Simon has left for work, I hear loud crashing and movement of chairs coming from the attic.

Clue 2: Ferdinand is getting fat despite no changes in his exercise, dinner portions, or treating.

Clue 3: Husband admits that when he feeds the cats in the morning, Ferdinand follows him upstairs. Husband rewards this by giving Ferd a few pieces of dry cat food on the floor.

Clue 1: In the mornings, when I go up to the attic office, the kittens lament. As I feed them, I notice that Duck Duck is frequently discarded on the floor by the tabletop where the cat bowls live.

Birthright citizenship isn’t unique to the US and I find it weird that they keep saying that.

> Thoroughly piss off all allies by cutting off their energy supplies and insulting them
> Replace Noem with a plumber named Markwayne
> Issue a State Department notice to Americans that we're in danger (from terrorists)
> Give mixed messages on cease fire
> ...
> ...
> Profit?

> Do the shut down just for DHS again in February
> Start a war with Iran and kill their religious leader
> Strand Americans in war zones overseas
> Have no military strategy so we look weak
> Fire Noem and Kent, but leave the kid
> Keep airport security shut down

It means I take fewer cases, but I focus better on the ones I do take.

Employees are necessary for growth, but peace of mind is necessary for excellence. I chose to be small but mighty.

I recently worked with a massive employer-side law firm and was immediately frustrated by their lack of practical advice. Lawyers annoy business owners because they don't think like them. But I do.

I did myself a favor a couple of years ago: I stopped having employees.

The reality? Being an employer made me a better employment lawyer.

Because I know the struggles of headache employees, and I know when employers are cutting corners (and why). My advice is practical, borne of experience.

What I've learned as an employer over decades could fill a book. (And will. I'm publishing a new edition of Employment Law for Small Businesses in the summer. Follow for updates.)

The cumulative math of 20 years in business is brutal:
• Wasted resources and lost productivity
• Lost billing and collections
• Errors and unhappy clients
• Lost opportunities
• Outright theft and dishonesty

That's more profitable to them, even though I have a lot of value to offer the world when I'm treated. But my value isn't to them, and they don't care about the intrinsic value of life.

Profit motive in medicine is evil. We will be a better culture, and more prosperous, with universal healthcare.

The healthcare system in America is designed to cull disabled people. By making me too poor and sick to get care, I will stop trying. Then I will die sooner, which is much better for their bottom-line.

Insurance literally wants me dead.

But I’m too weak. My husband told me he will do it when he gets home. I am to drink a protein shake.

I’m so mad at insurance. It’s their fault that I didn’t have my medication for months, was increasingly and dangerously sick from it, and am now going through this fresh hell.

Cheese and tortellini *everywhere*.

My dogs and cats have been holding vigils over me for days, so they all just looked at me as I started to tear up in frustration. I had to give them permission to lick up the cheese in the floor.

They’ve now eaten up every morsel but I still need to clean.