What's up with you?

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

We had our dog euthanized yesterday. She was a pound puppie and we have had her for 14 years. She developed paralysis of the hindquarters about two years ago and as it has gotten progressively worse our ability to care for her has declined accordingly. She was very much my wife's dog and Mrs. Angakuk is taking it quite hard.

I am so sorry.

[BrotherMan]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

It doesn't matter because whatever color the floor is you can decorate around it and make it look on purpose....okay maybe not you, but I could. So when you get it let me know so I can help you not end up with some terrible bathroom that looks accidental

Silly humangs. You know there are only two opinions that matter on this matter.

[lisarea]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

It doesn't matter because whatever color the floor is you can decorate around it and make it look on purpose....okay maybe not you, but I could. So when you get it let me know so I can help you not end up with some terrible bathroom that looks accidental

It is a gross misconception when people think that because my things don't match, it means I don't have any rules.

I have rules, and the main one is "no matching."

So, like, as an example, I have a few pieces of painted furniture in my living room, painted in three different but coordinated colors, but the rule is that the furniture styles of those painted things are completely different. I cannot have matching or too closely matching furniture styles painted matching or too closely matching colors. That would be heinous.

One time, my mom was over and she commented that this little tableau in the corner where I had a few antique things looked really nice, and I was like, "Yeah, I noticed that. I need to spread that stuff out better so it's not so twee and theme-y."

Then she was like waaah, and I was like

Then, so also, another thing. In the bedroom, we have mismatched nightstands, sort of both generally mid-century modern style, painted the same colors but different patterns, which is exactly the right matchingness. On them, I HAD two metal gooseneck lamps in similar but also not matching styles. Matlock's broke or something, so he helpfully found some monstrosity of a weirdly 80s looking gooseneck lamp that he really likes and he thinks is appropriate. It is not. It is a horrible bulbous cartoon lamp, and it haunts my peripheral vision every day. I try to avert my eyes, but just knowing it's there is enough so that its pernicious wrongness has taken up residence in my subconscious thoughts, causing a variety of illnesses and other disturbances.

So someone else's decorating gave me rabies and anthrax, which is why I am still talking about this in the What's up thrad. I have lamp induced ranthrax is what's up with me.

[lisarea]

Oh, Ang. I got all riled up and defensive, and I couldn't even remember where you'd posted about your dog. I'm really sorry. It sounds like that dog had a nice long life. That stupid spinal degeneration seems to be what usually ends up getting the spoiled and happy old dogs.

Take care of yourself, and be extra nice to your wife for a while.

[Angakuk]

We went out for dinner today after church and I even paid for it. How is that for extra nice?

[irukandji]

this is banjo, banjy boy when no one else is listening… he’s a miniature horse who, along with a mate (noble) came into my care last october…

he is a rescued horse from a stud farm (think “puppy mill”), where he had been left to starve in a dry paddock… he had foster care for about a year with the people who owned noble, but the girls in that family were headed off to college and the minis were being neglected so the decision was made to find them a new home…

here’s the deal….

he is a trauma survivor, and when he first came here, he was still in full trauma mode… could not bear to be touched, significant startle response, dissociative, wouldn’t eat if anyone was watching… just really withdrawn and uncertain about everything…

in recovery myself, for ptsd, i got to see what it was like on the other side of the mirror… slowly slowly slowly he and i made progress… at times he broke my heart and other times he filled it with joy… his recovery was erratic, echoing my own… but he kept making progress toward a more normalized presence in the world…

early this summer, he actually initiated physical contact with me… i was tying out his slow feeder bag and while i was squatting with my head down he walked up to me and pushed against my head with his muzzle… at first i laughed uproariously only to dissolve into tears when the full implication of that action hit me… hard

he had crossed a hugely significant threshold and has advanced much more steadily and readily … this evening, it became even more abundantly evident he was finally in a good place… a great place… in terms of his relationship with humans…

he had a small sore behind his right ear, from scratching on the trees… without using a halter or lead rope, i was able to approach him with an essential oil treatment in coconut oil, offering it for him to smell and give consent, and i TREATED HIS WOUND with minimal resistance… THIS from a horse who 9 months ago couldn’t bear to have me look at him…

it has been pretty amazing to participate in his recovery process…

[Adam]

So as to avoid ensaddening the happy time pet thrad, this will go here.

One of my parent's dogs died while I was home visiting this weekend. She was never really my dog, since they got her shortly after I moved out, but for the last 16 years she's always been a part of the family, and for several of my younger brothers she was one of their childhood dogs. The thing I remember most about her is how it was actually sort of unpleasant to pet her, since she had the greasiest fur I have ever felt on a dog, even right after a bath, but she was such a sweetheart that you couldn't help but love on her, and then go wash your hands, because ew. We've known it wasn't going to be long for some time, but on Sunday she collapsed, with very labored breathing, and while we were debating whether or not we needed to take her to the emergency vet for a painless end, she died, while my mom was gently petting her and reminding her what a good girl she was. We built her a box and dug her a grave in the backyard, right next to the previously deceased family dog, who she knew only briefly.

Her brother from the same litter is still going strong, and in much better shape than she was, and really great shape for 16. He still runs and plays with my brother's puppies, although he only has a minute or so in him at a time.

[SR71]

On my way back from Cleveland I stopped into my hometown, thinking to visit a friend I haven't seen in a few years. I stopped in the bar to see if any other old acquaintances were about, which they weren't. I asked the bar maid if she had seen Brian lately. She said he was dead. I got that weird, verging on shocky feeling you get when you get that kind of news.

"How?"
"He shot himself"

So, I went to his house, which stands empty. Lovely old log house, exposed style. Empty. I stood on the porch where he'd thrown me parties when I used to visit on leave. After a while I cried, sobbing into my hands. I went up the road to where his older brother still lives. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from him. It was pretty dramatic, involving a gun pointed at blood family, a struggle, cops. He said similar scenarios had happened several times in the past few years. I really could not have expected this in a million years. I can't think what to attribute it too. Alcoholism? I knew he drank a lot, but I had always thought of him as pretty stable in spite of that. He was usually a quiet drunk, and I had never known him to be ill natured or cause trouble. Maybe it had something to do with Eric. Brian had given Eric the rope he used to hang himself, not knowing what it would be used for. I had noticed that Brian had seemed withdrawn and distant after that. I don't know. Brian killed himself in March of this year. Eric went seven or eight years ago, I think. I wish I had followed up on my intentions to visit Brian when I have had them the past several years.

My two best friends from childhood are both dead now, each by his own hand. I feel pretty lonely. There is no reason to go back to my hometown anymore.

[Crumb]

That sucks, man.

[lisarea]

I feel really weird saying this, because I really don't know much about it, but I've been thinking about PTSD and related things lately based on some other threads here.

I've known quite a few people over time who've been through some pretty devastating things, and who tried to deal with it on their own. And they do. Most of them at least are tough and strong and capable, and they're capable of pushing things aside and focusing on the things they need to. So they get by day to day, but the effects can seem to eat away at and really just kind of haunt them over time and slowly, sometimes subtly sort of change who they are.

And I don't know, but I can't help but think that maybe if they sought out some sort of counseling, it might help them work through these things head-on, rather than pushing them aside and having them over.

So like I said, I don't know much more about it other than that grief counseling is something that exists, and that it might help you even if you don't think you need it. Because I like you a lot, and don't want things to change you like that.

[Ensign Steve]

Hello. We are at the Dragon con. We have enough friends.

[curses]

Woooooo!

[Ymir's blood]

library!

[Ensign Steve]

List
Next!

[curses]

No U

[Ensign Steve]

Did you ever wonder what live-action is like? We're living it.

[Ymir's blood]

[Ensign Steve]

Bort! Don't front. Your name came up in convo, in the context of "you know who really should be here?"... and you weren't the only one.

[Ensign Steve]

Also, !

[BrotherMan]

Everborty should be there.

[Ensign Steve]

Also, everypony needs to be here too.

[Dingfod]

I'm ready to be relieved of command and sent to the old pipeline controller's home to spend my declining years.

[BrotherMan]

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Hello. We are at the Dragon con. We have enough friends.

The idea of DragonCon fascinates me, but I don't know if I am into anything enough to attend...except to look at all the cool. Pls send cool superhero costumes for Kiddo to my phone

[Ensign Steve]

You really should bring him, in a Star Wars costume, maybe? This event is really fun for kids of all ages. There are plenty if people here just to look at the cool and plenty of cool to look at.

One of the best parts is how absolutely confused and terrified the SEC football fans are. There is always an Alabama game at the GA Dome the same weekend and they just cannot cope with nerds in costume, it is so precious.