Day Eight: One of the two dogs actually likes getting a bath.

Day Nine: Work innovation and experimentation.

Day Ten: Mixed blessing? The street getting unnecessarily repaved again motivated me to finally get the dead truck hauled over to the mechanic. Been putting it off, knowing the answer is likely to be $$$, but better to finally know and go about coming up with a plan for how to deal with/solve it.

Day Eleven: Veterans Day. Those that served and continue to serve.

Day Twelve: When you find out your truck needs $5k worth of repairs, it becomes one of those days where you’re pretty much just grateful you didn’t keel over/pass out from shock/heart attack/futility-and-hopelessness. Also, boozy-and-marshmallowy hot chocolate season.

Day Thirteen: Parental units that are good sounding boards and advice givers…and to personally have the willingness to ask for/take advice.

Day Fourteen: Fuzzy socks and bed-warmer dogs.