Member News

[Deadlokd]

My eldest daughter just got more bad news.

Last December, just after Christmas, she fell three metres off a flying fox and broke her left arm just above the elbow and three breaks in the wrist. She still hasn't regained full use of her hand. The nerves have been slow to regenerate, so she hasn't been able to play the saxophone or guitar. She hasn't been able to play sport properly since the accident either. She's kept her chin up. When she was told several months ago that the nerves were dead she didn't break down (fortunately that dickhead doctor was wrong). She's had a rough trot so far this year.

And now we just found out that she has hyperthyroidism too. The poor kid, who's only 13, has had enough. Can't she just have one stress free year?

[Deadlokd]

Correction, hypothyroidism.

[California Tanker]

Well, one month on from the Afghanistan notification, my formerly 85-man unit has swollen by about a dozen troops who bailed out of other units to join us, with more to come. To counter that, I had one trooper who's looking to file for Consciencious Objector, but is still willing to deploy. The latter is obviously the larger headache, I hope I'm not landed with the paperwork.

NTM

[LadyShea]

We've started potty training Kiddo in earnest and I hate it. I had hoped he would just decide to do it one day, but he was completely uninterested. Because he is both strong-willed and extremely cautious/wary (don't know how else to describe this trait), he is resisting the drastic change and breaking my heart.

Why do some things have to be so unfun? Walking and talking just happened with joy, giving up his bottle and now using the toilet require(d) unpleasantness

[LadyShea]

I got a part time job for Christmas. At Target. I have to go pee in a cup today to make it official. I interviewed with 3 people yesterday...seemed overkill for working the sales floor but they took it seriously.

I haven't worn a name tag in 15 years. I haven't been a peon in almost 20. My new manager is, like, a teenager. Thinking back to when I was a retail manager, many of my employees were way older than me, so I will be nice to her and do a good job for her.

It's all very weird, and I considered backing out last night. But, we could use the extra money (homeowners insurance almost doubled, taking up the wiggle room we had in our budget), and with hubby's weird hours to allow him to stay home with Kiddo, it made more sense for me to get a second job than him.

[Ex-zombie]

I had a mini-stroke in March of this year and it left me with some neurological damage. I have problems with my short term memory. Sometimes I jumble up the order of words when speaking . I hope that doesn’t happen when I write.
While being on the immune suppressants for rheumatoid arthritis, I have had bronchitis twice and pneumonia once. I started having lung toxicity while on the methotrexate so my doctor changed me to Arava. The Arava finally kicked in last month and for the first time in eighteen months I am finally without pain. I learned that I am not a martyr when it comes to pain. I was turning into an asshole. My younger brother is addicted to pain killers, so I only used the percocet when I absolutely couldn’t stand the pain. I knew I was in pain but I didn’t realize just how much until it stopped.
I quit my job. Between the pain from the rheumatoid arthritis and the lung problems I just wasn’t up to working. Now that I am pain free I would like to get back to work but I don’t know how feasible that would be with the short term memory and speech problems.
I guess this isn’t really current member news but I wanted to let everyone know how I have been doing.

[Count]

I realise that this is hardly news-worthy. I also realise I -barely- qualify as a member. But shaddup and let me brag anyway!

I got a high distinction in Psychology for my major assessment piece.
That is cool on account of I didn't actually...y'know, study. I somehow managed to top the class. I didn't study and I didn't cheat and I done good. Iz proud. I can haz accolade?

[vremya]

I may (fingers crossed) have a job! I should find out in the early part of the week.

I need an income I can count on, and this would give me some sorely needed exposure to how an actual law firm works.

[Petra]

Good luck with the new job, vremya!

I no longer have a working computer 'cos my mobo finally died. So see y'all when I have one again.

[JoeP]

I'm in Botswana.

[Lauri D]

Hey all. Haven't been around much lately, just surfing through occasionally, so let's see what's new:

*dad got remarried on the 22nd (right before Thanksgiving) Still not sure how I feel about this! I've known his new wife my whole life - she and her late husband were lifelong friends of my parents so we traveled together, etc., she's not an unknown entity by any means, but it still feels kinda weird... in the big picture though I'm mostly happy if he's happy and he seems happy so I guess I'll adjust!

*chose to spend first Thanksgiving ever *not* with family but instead went out with b.f., visited a friend I hadn't seen in over a year, etc. - great decision! Way lower stress and no dishes!

*b.f. got laid off a few weeks ago so the plan to buy the house is kinda up in the air, but relocation is always a possibility so that's kind of exciting
*went to Chicago to deal with a old and moldering case that the "courtesy supervision" unit didn't want to let go and the judge tossed it out and said "you're done here" (I refrained from doing cartwheels of happiness down the hall and got on the plane and outta town instead)

*leaving Saturday for an eight-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera (Acapulco, Ixtapa and Manzanilla). If the new battery for my digital camera gets here before then, will take lots of pics and post 'em upon return!

*been volunteering at a soup kitchen in Costa Mesa about 30 hours per week except for this week and next because of travel - enjoying it a lot. I have "re-learned" that I'm pretty competent at a variety of things and interacting with people, weirdly, is apparently one of them. However, cutting hundreds of bell peppers is decidedly NOT one of them. Fear of cutting myself prevents me from doing the fast chop-chop thing. I guess that's why food processors were invented...

*got that old familiar pinched-nerve-in-the-shoulder feeling coming home on Tuesday night, I think it had to do with lugging baggage all around O'Hare and then being cramped up in the seat on the plane Feels a little better today since I spent most of yesterday doing absolutely nothing and sticking on those "Thermacare" pads that are meant for arthritis.

I guess that's about it... I did finally discover the whole "facebook" thing which apparently helps consolidate keeping in touch with people and stuff. Who knew? I mean other than everyone except me

[Sock Puppet]

I'll be scarce at least through next Tuesday or so, as my wife is having minor surgery Monday (yes, the fun never ends for her these days). In years past she would have been kept at least overnight, or for several days, but these days I wouldn't be surprised if they expect me to take her home 5 minutes after closing and set up an IV for her at home. So I may be a bit busy.

[ms_ann_thrope]

I'm having one of these in June:

[Legs]

* Legs to be named Mother of the Year

Tomorrow I am taking Horse Girl and 2 of her girlfriends on a birthday present weekend getaway.

We are going to downtown Toronto, via s-t-r-e-t-c-h limousine (which is a surprise for the girls) checking into a nice hotel, having dinner, seeing a show which I have front row tickets for and back stage passes afterwards to meet the cast, then we are staying over at the hotel, having a fancy breakfast, shopping and seeing a movie before our limo ride home on Sunday afternoon.

3 teen girls and I, wish me luck

[Sock Puppet]

Mrs. Puppet got out of her surgery okay, although she is pretty much immobile and in a lot of pain. The surgery was at 8:30 am, and they had me pick her up at 11am. It's absolutely fucking nuts the way they do anything and everything to minimize hospital time. If you can make it out of the parking lot before you bleed to death, you're discharged.

Anyway, I'm home but playing nursemaid. Not having a lot of fun, but we're okay.

Internet access at work disappearing swiftly as the day progresses. Can make no promises re: being available after this post, assuming I get that far.

[Caligulette]

I am going in for regularly-scheduled yet still anxiety-producing tests tomorrow. What I would like is to pass the five-years-after-cancer milepost without someone saying, "Hey, what's that there on the ultrasound?"

Also they want blood. Lots and lots of blood. I'm wee, they should cut me some slack!

[Caligulette]

To update - I did not get blood drawn today, but got the ultrasound which they said looked fine. (I will be getting blood removed next week. I just wanted to go home after being there for hours and not having had breakfast.)

Still they are talking about the distant possibility of surgery. But they need to see this and that and the other before that and the upshot is another appointment in six months, as usual. Apparently thyroid cancer is tricky business, and since I did not get irradiated last time, they want to do it now if they do take anything out. Edit to clarify - I do not have a diagnosis of cancer.

BUT I FEEL FINE

and really just wish they'd stop talking about possibly removing bits of me. They seem so eager, and yet it always ends with, "of course, it's up to you." I choose NO.

[Deadlokd]

My Mum, step-dad, three sisters and niece arrive from Ireland tomorrow, so I won't be online much, if at all. It's going to be an awesome X-mas and New Year.

[Nullifidian]

Most people who hang out in chat know about this already, but...

I GOT TWO NEW KITTIES!

One of them is a two year-old male named Aristotle. The name was given to him by the San Diego County Animal Shelter workers.



The other is so far unnamed, and he's a five month-old seal-point Siamese, with a little bit of tabby mix (one can see faint stripes along his tail).

[inland wave]

so very cute!

[One for Sorrow]

I finally graduated and got a BA in psychology! I know it's largely useless, but I'm very excited about it anyway.

Also, this should be my D post. I've been at this forum since the beginning and post more here than anywhere. So, congratulate me on this too, because I don't want to wait another five years to celebrate a real posting milestone.

[seebs]

Today is my 14th anniversary. I've been married for 14 years now.

To the same person.

Consecutively.

[Legs]

Congrats OFS


Congrats Seebs

[LadyShea]

Leaving for Disney tomorrow