A friend called, to tell me that they are too busy to visit me in spring. His wife's boss informed his people that they will be busy from April to September. I am happy that her job needs her.
Not everyone is as lucky as she is, at least not today. Some of my colleagues received notice from their boss that their institutional support is likely to be less for the upcoming fiscal year. I feel sorry for the boss that he must not have had a good Christmas and New Year's Day, because he was thinking all the time how to "spread the bad news," unless, of course, he is evil.