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       Stardate: 20220130.1425
       Location: Mickey D's
       Input Device: Gemini PDA
       Audio: A child playing Spanish tablet game, Korean senior citizens 
              in conversation.
       Visual: 2 for $6 McMenu items, black iced tea from another place.
       Emotional State: Fed, relaxed.
       
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       I got some rawkin' good news this past week!  
       
       As some of you know, I lost my pretty good jawb of 17 years during 
       the pandemic in September of 2020.  I even wrote a song about it. [1]  
       I have been actively looking for work as well as doing volunteer work 
       since then, basically just doing the next indicated action each day.  
       
       15 months later, I am finally gainfully employed!  I got a job doing 
       stuff that I love to do, which is work with COMPUTERS!  Do what you 
       love, love what you do! :D Onboarding is lengthy and will take about 
       a month, but it's all good! 
       
       The past 15 months have been challenging but I have been able to keep
       on, keeping on, trying to make ends meet, and survive.  I never lost 
       hope, but there have been some dark times, all of which were just 
       temporary.
       
       Much gratitude goes out to the various communities that I interact
       with, especially SDF, gopherspace, aNONradio, mastodon, etc.  You all
       have carried me and have been instrumental in each day, even though
       you might not know it or even interact with me directly.  I read your
       emails and posts.  I view your funny pics and videos. I follow your 
       projects and passions. I listen to your radio programming.  Thank 
       you for sharing those parts of you with me.
       
       OMG, Alicia Key's song, "Good Job," just came on through the 
       overhead speakers and now I am a blubbering mess in McDonald's...
       silent ugly cry in public...
       cannot stop it...
       tears and snot fill my mask...
       I feel the weight of the stares as I stare at my food and shut my
       eyes tightly...
       the song is over now and the moment has passed.  
       My eyes are burning...
       I think I should go.  
       _definitely_ not happenstance.
       
       [1] gopher://gopher.club/1/users/xiled/projects/tunage/20210303_lawst
       
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