Sometimes Mandated Work Fun is... Fun?

Friends,

I join you now, in the land of the living, having spent the last two weeks traversing grant hell. Eight deadlines parked themselves right beside each other in the span of four days. My brain was functioning, but only just barely. If you have the opportunity to cram all your work deadlines into one week... I would not recommend it. 

BUT! Before grant hell, there was a hallowed and sacred event* for the development department...

 SLIDERFEST 2024!

~que air horns and massive pyrotechnics ~ 

What's Sliderfest you may ask? 

A work event, put on our calendars two weeks in advance, where everyone makes a bunch of tiny sandwiches- duh!  And yes there was decor. 

The competition was fierce and also unexpected. Did we know going into this innocuous day of delicious dishes that we were about to enter into a cutthroat battle for a scratchy, felt, burger-shaped hat? No. Did that lessen our fighting spirit? No, I don't think so. 

The contenders were as follows:

Bagel Sliders from Jessie

Turkey Jalapeno Popper Sliders from Krystal

Chopped Cheese Sliders from Emily

Caprese Sliders (with tiny homemade flags that read SF24) from Jake

Meatball (center sandwich) and Turkey Bacon Ranch (lower right)
Sliders from KB and Jordie 

Zucchini Bread Sliders from me

Before I reveal the winner, I'd like to take a moment and note some honorable mentions. 

Donut Sliders that KB bought (very good)

Kraby Patty "Sliders" Jessie brought in as a bit (horrid**)

The Slider playlist Jordie made (it was comprised of six songs with the word slide in the title)

AND NOW

The moment you have all been waiting for. 

The winner of Sliderfest 2024 was...

Krystal and me! It was a beautiful, amicable tie. 

Here is a definitely not edited photo of us
with our matching burger hats

Stay tuned for the fall when we have... Soupfest? Dipfest? Maybe CSiderfest??

Anyway, on a more personal note, here are some updates, presented in the blogosphere's favorite information-sharing format. A list! 

Mundane life updates from July:

• I tried mushrooms- it was touch and go for a moment but overall I liked it.
• I deleted tiktok and I do think it healed a part of my brain
• that said, before I deleted tiktok. I found this artist! Who, thankfully, also has an instagram account and whose general social media presence I've been finding a lot of inspiration and solace in. She recently sent out a newsletter about making art when you don't have an audience- it was a good reminder that the act of doing something has as much (if not more!) value as the outcome of what's been done. 
• Not working at a farming nonprofit has drastically decreased my intake of local, in-season produce. It has been, to put it mildly, a giant fucking bummer. Please tell me all about the delicious things you've been eating!! 
• My dad, with minimal encouragement from me, bought a catio for my cats. Now I owe him $80. Pictures of my cats (or at least Boba) having the fucking time of their lives are sure to follow shortly. 

*The department has never done this before

**That did not stop us from eating most of them and continuously declaring them inedible with each bite.