{{{Nora}}} Love you.

You're under a lot of stress. You just bought a house. You're trying to be a grown-up. You've got work issues. It's okay to be feeling like this. It's okay. There's nothing wrong with you. Deep breaths...maybe promise yourself that if your brain/chemistry/stress/whatever gets you through the meeting, you will let it cry all it wants once you're home. It might help.

Remember you're loved and valuable and important and it's okay.

{{{{{Nora}}}}}

An acting trick I was taught to help stop unwanted crying was if you try to force crying, you won't. So in moments where you really don't want to cry, try to force tears out and tell yourself "go ahead, cry now, cry, one tear." and it usually stops things.

Our yams have a variety of colours of their flesh, running through to yellow (most are variations on white and beige). They're not that sweet. Sweet potatoes are light green inside, and sweeter.

ita eats mutant yams.

that's good to know, Robin!

{{{Nora}}} I'd say think of beer, but I don't know if that would help.

Don't forget the Alice's Restaurant Massacree....

And I said "Kill! Keeeellllll!!!!"

Robin gets it. Three dead at the scene, and two mortally wounded

I wouldn't have gotten the number correct, but wasn't the first (let's see if I get this right) Crispus Attucks, who was also black. He was considered the first official casualty of the Revolutionary War, if I'm remembering correctly.

Hey, by the way I want to make clear that I am not the lurker who met any Buffistas (that I know of) IRL. It's coincidental that d and Dee are similar.

Oops, spreading misinformation wherever I go. My apologies to d. and Dee.

Hang in there, Nora.

billytea, your peregrine falcon story reminds me that the last time we walked up to Tank Hill, a red-tailed hawk came sailing by on an updraft and hovered over our heads, just 10 feet away from us. It was thrilling.

Gud, I love hearing Leif's little cracking kid's voice.

Erika has a new tag. As does Hec.

{{{{Nora}}}}

Gud, I can't wait to get home and listen to Leif's song. That alone may motivate me to make it through this day!

Nora, the thing that has helped me most with my sudden onset extreme anxiety was telling people. Going places was a problem. But, I found if I told someone there (like at a meeting), that I was experiencing some anxiety and was afraid I was going to have an anxiety attack, it felt like I'd taken a sedative. For me at least, a huge factor in jacking up the anxiety was anxiety over the anxiety, if that makes any sense.

Also? Talking. Get into a conversation with someone, because it can distract you. And chanting to yourself---Sophia recommended saying, "I am calm" over and over to myself, and that's helped, as well.

Bring a glass or bottle of water to your meeting, if feasible, too.