Hi everyone!  Its been awhile since I posted an update.  I do pop in from time to time but steplife remains (relatively) peaceful for me so thankfully not too much to post about!

Bratty McBratFace, now 27 years old, started med school a month ago in the Chicagoland area.  She was so happy to be accepted and seems to be very motivated to succeed in her career.

In the year prior while she was applying and interviewing at med schools, she unilaterally decided it would be great to move in with Grandma McBratFace, you know, to help her.  Grandma McBratFace is 91 and still lives mostly independently, DH's sister lives nearby and stops in to help her with some things (grocery shopping, bills, etc).  I rolled my eyes when I heard this but not my circus, not my monkey.  

DH and I visited Grandma McBratFace in July while Bratty was living there.  We stayed in a hotel cause DH knew there was no way I would stay there with Bratty there also.  I watched the interactions between Grandma and Bratty and half the time Grandma seemed very annoyed, and the other half of the time she seemed neutral or even enjoyed Bratty's company.  I could understand the annoyance as Bratty wasn't that busy this summer ahead of med school and 'hovered' alot around Grandma.  Grandma, do you want water?  Grandma, do you want lunch?  Grandma, do you want applesauce?  Grandma, do you want...etc etc etc.  It would drive me insane but Bratty was proud of 'helping'.  Once we all went out to dinner and Bratty felt it necessary to 'read', meaning shout, the menu across the table to Grandma.  'Grandma, the first entree is pan-seared chicken breast.  Pan-seared means its not breaded.  It comes with sweet potato fries.  Grandma, I can make you sweet potato fries at home if you like...'   So wierd.  The visit just underscored how little I like Bratty as a person.

Oh, Bratty is no longer vegan.  For now.  She is dairy free and tried to pass off a 'cheesecake' she made to us without mentioning that it was a dairy free cheesecake.  I knew better and politely asked her if it was dairy free, and she admitted it was.  I then politely passed on dessert that day.  She looked annoyed but I could care less.

So when Bratty was accepted to a med school in the area she made the assumption that she would continue to live with Grandma and commute to the school (1 hr + each way).  Grandma finally told her no and asked her to move out so she had to scramble to find housing near the school before the semester started, but she did find a place.

Grandma McBratFace is now safe again LOL.

Other than that, DH and I are enjoying married life.  We are planning a 3 week trip to Patagonia in November, and when DH retires at the end of 2025 we plan to buy an RV and see the country.

Our golden retriever puppy is now a wonderful almost 2-year old dog.  She is sweet and well-mannered, passed her Canine Good Citizen test, and will be tested next week to work as a therapy dog.  She will make a great therapy dog - she is calm and just loves all people, especially kids.  Typical golden temperment!

Well, thats all for now.  Here's hoping the steplife boogeyman stays far away from us all!