ION, I'm sitting at my brother's place, listening to beautiful music, and working on my paper that is due tomorrow. I've got a great opening paragraph. Unfortunately, it really said everything I wanted to say, so now I have nothing else to write. Only two and a half to four and a half more pages to go!

I was practically building a shrine to the four-pack of bottles I found. I was carrying it around and treasuring it like it was my baby.

Does it yell, "WANT BALLS! WANT BALLS!"?

I am still catching up, but congrats to Cass on new niecphews!

Nora, I do think there's depression involved, and I suspect this run of nasty emails is trying to get you to say you won't visit this weekend. That, of course, gives her the opportunity to point at you and say you have abandoned her. However, when someone is being abusive, you have every right to make yourself unavailable. I had this experience, and it was painful to be the one to say to someone who I knew was sick and needed help, "Enough. I can not and will not have anything to do with you anymore," but she was vicious, no where near getting help, and every contact with her was ugly.

(((Nora))) I.m so sorry you're going through this. You're a good friend. It definitely sounds like depression to me. She might not even know she is being so hurtful, because she might truly believe that she doesn't matter to anyone. FWIW, I think you should still go see her, but not if it is going to be too much for you.

The subtext is, since her life sucks and mine doesn't, that I am somehow responsible for her unhappiness.

To quote Tom Scola, I know this one! Except we usually get it from family members.

Unfortunately, it really said everything I wanted to say, so now I have nothing else to write. Only two and a half to four and a half more pages to go!

Does it say "WANT BALLS! WANT BALLS!" ?

To quote Tom Scola, I know this one!

Heh. I was quoting Nora when I said that.

Full circle, then. That appeals to my sense of symmetry and correctness.

Not to crash the thread, because Nora, I really do feel for you, but I just found out my best friend has cancer. Non-hodgkins lymphoma, an easily treatable and battleable one. But man, did I ever pick a crappy time to fuck off to the other side of the world. He's going to be okay. Jesus, I miss him right now, though.

{{{{Nora}}}}

{{{{SA}}}}

May both of your friends battle their respective illnesses and come out better on the other side.

Poor Nora, how yuckful for you. I can tell you it's hard to hear the "my life sucks and yours doesn't" routine, especially when it's used as an excuse for sheer meanness. Good on you for having tried, though. It counts, even if Friend doesn't seem to appreciate it. If I were in your shoes, I think I'd skip the visit and stick to e for the nonce.

In that vein, I present my latest kitty story: Gracie the aged rescue kitty is still cranky and hard to get along with. This morning I gave her a gentle pet and she growled and swiped at me (fortunately, never any claws). I think she has arthritic pain, so I cut her some slack on that annoying behavior. I went off to brush my teeth, and just for a moment, felt something soft brush against my ankle and looked down just in time to see Gracie hobbling away. She never did that before. Somehow I found this more touching than I do the easy and more lavish affections of the other cats. Just a tiny moment, but now I feel all validated in my efforts on her behalf.

How much did I love getting to see Emmett's huge grin as he held his baby sister? Lots!