So, lukewarm bland nonsugary food suggestions?

not-piping hot pasta?

mashed potatoes. cheerios and milk.

I suppose you're sick of oatmeal already Tep (or wouldn't like it if it wasn't hot enough to bother your tongue)?

Mashed potatoes or a baked potato?

When I've been sick (so this isn't so much a tongue thing) I like plain white rice and milk (like hot cereal, although I do put a little sugar on it).

Have you tried eating a Tums or something. I know this is sickness related, but maybe your pre-sick self gets extra acidic, and it might help your mouth?

Can you put the question of end results aside enough to focus on the learning? I know that your situation with GG is what inspired you to study in the first place, and it makes the whole question of your eventual conversion (or not) seem pretty urgent, and I don't want to sound either unrealistic or pollyanna-ish when I say "just do it for the love of study!" But don't think of it all in terms of cramming for a test, so much as exploring something strange and big and cool and frequently kerfuffly and (again) strange, with occasional commandments to get drunk and read at the dinner table. Which, now that I think of it, sounds strangely like fandom.

This is beautiful, amy. And when you said the part about "frequently kerfuffly" I immediately thought, "Oh my word, fandom is pilpul preparation!!!" even before I got to your last line.

Have you tried eating a Tums or something. I know this is sickness related, but maybe your pre-sick self gets extra acidic, and it might help your mouth?

I actually do have heartburn, now that you mention it. Of course, that could be from not eating due to TONGUE PAIN but my stomach still churning out acid. Bah.

I might try the mashed potatoes plan. Or maybe just a glass of milk. Hmm. Most bland food is white, or close to white. What up with that?

And the laser beams! The laser beams they shoot from their eyes!

That's actuaries. Bilytea is disseminating misinformation to augment his cover identity, obviously.

Conversion is a big deal, Gris, but it's also slow and not about pressure. You're finding out of it's right for you, and everyone involved in the process is just there to help you figure that out, not judge your worthiness or studiousness or whatever.

Tep, toast? Melba, perhaps? Maybe yogurt. Or cottage cheese.

ION, a job just fell in my lap. I start tomorrow and it only lasts 3 weeks, but it beats my previous personal best hourly wage by 67%, so that's pretty cool. And I get to try out commuting by ferry, so I'm looking forward to that. i hope some of my professional clothes still fit.

Go you, -t!

Yay for the job -t.

General poll: what did you do after you graduated college?

First thing I did was read about a dozen novels straight through because I never had time to read for joy when I was in school. Then I opened up a business with my boyfriend that graduated at the same time. (now DH) I was 34 when I graduated, so it wasn’t so scary.

Today is my 8th day without smoking.

Snuggles close to Nicole since she smells so pretty and smoke free.

I didn't smell a joint until college

Hee. Let’s see, I started HS in 1967. Smelling joints pretty much a common HS thing for me.

I'm going to take a week away from the board.

You’ll be missed. I understand the need to get centered. Take care of yourself.

Mmmmm mashed potato

Scrambled eggs. Pasta with just oil and garlic. Personally I wouldn't go for any dairy, but my stomach doesn't react well to lactose under the best of circumstances.

General poll: what did you do after you graduated college

I don't remember what I did immediately after. Probably slept a lot. But the year after college graduation was when I was a substutute teacher in 2 school districts by day and slung popcorn at a movie theater by night in an effort to save up enough to go back and get my teaching credential. The saving up went pretty well, the getting of the teacher credential nsm.

Go Nicole with the not-smoking! You are now well into the time when, if you want a smoke, you can remind yourself that you'll have to go through withdrawal again if you backslide.

What everyone else said, sj. Take care, and let me know if I can do anything.