I can't overstate how happy I am to be working again. I missed the challenge of a shut down dog, planning and problem solving with people to best manage stress while aiding proper socialization. I'm really enjoying training again, working with what my coworker and I think is a Taiwanese Mountain Dog and teaching the command 'wait' It also feels amazing to bond with these animals through play.

While my job is providing intellectual stimulation, I'm still prone to thinking of my past. I recently learned two people I was once friendly and close to are now in prison on unrelated charges, and while I am curious, I can't believe how low a point my early 20s were. How close I was to situations that would have ended in my arrest or death... It's a lot to think of. And yet, it didn't. I'm thankful to be where I am now, even if it's still not ideal.

My partner left yesterday, and I feel a bit bored again. I've discovered I've developed CHS, so getting high is out of the question unless I want to be sick the rest of the day. I didn't realize how isolated I was out here, but without something numbing me to the days, I'm aware. I've considered going out more, but I'm wary around strangers and moreso sober. It just feels tiring to deal with.

I've decided to shrink my blog/diary down since it was annoying to keep up with. I think if I play around with an RSS feed, I could potentially do daily updates again, but until then longer form posts will be the norm. Definitely no time cap on them, just updating when I feel like it.

I'm attempting to finish up AGOT this month, and I definitely missed a lot just listening to audiobooks. The discreptancies between Ned and Robert are more obvious on the page, as well as the evidence of Jaime showing to love Tyrion deeply, and a certain dislike growing towards Cersei even before meeting Brienne. I also find myself enjoying Danaerys far more as she grows into a competent leader. I'm specifically attempting to read into the theme of knighthood: its ideals in a feudal society versus the reality under feudalism. As I continue, the theme pops up more in regards to its reality in Jaime and Brienne's story, but the idealism is really set up by Ned and Sansa. We'll see what I'm able to pull from the story.