I support Nora's non-complainy mode.

HA! I *knew* you would! (ETA: I say this with much affection and actual laughter.)

I know that when I was depressed every little thing seemed like a personal insult from the Fates trying to make my life harder. And that's a very dangerous mindset, I think.

Yes, that's where I am right now, and I agree with your assessment. I don't know how to change it, but I'm trying to at least remember it.

I am not sure if I do or do not support the anti-complainy. On the one hand, I want no one I love to have something to complain about. On the other, if they do, I want to be able to give hairpats and snuggles.

So, I think that Nora's brain and her medications should just start working together to make there be no reason to complain, and then we don't have to worry about it.

I love it when I can solve a problem.

Now I'm going to be a grown up and call the smelly client.

I support Nora's non-complainy mode.

Not that I've ever eye-rolled at your complaints or anything but I support it too. I think just being aware and thinking before you complain will help you narrow down what are actual problems and what are irritants that you perceive as problems because you're generally not feeling well. And that will maybe help you focus on how to make positive changes in your life.

Not complaining is something I have to recommit to (at work mostly) all the time. Mostly because I get sick of hearing myself complain. My boss is remarkably tolerant.

I'll do alla y'all's complaining for you.

Or maybe just mine.

I hate househunting. H A T E. I'm not going to drop half a million dollars on a house sight-unseen, so I'm trying to find a rental that we can tolerate for a price we can handle. I just found a house near a metro stop for the right rent, but the realtor's notes were online: "Can't show b/c large mean dog. Email owner to remove dog before showing house: cardiacjack@..."

So, I'm thinking the "newly renovated" kitchen has been papered in Schlitz cans cut apart with metal shears, and the "renovated" family room is littered with bits of dog toys that "NiggaKilla" the pit bull has shredded. And the rest of the house is probably done in Early NASCAR Revival.

How soon will you be here, Raq?

Chiming in to say that I don't get eye-rolly over Nora's complaints. I just feel bad that she's having a hard time and wish I could help ... same for any other Buffista who's having a bad day/week/month.

And the bit about the school closings - this is DC. People pretend it doesn't snow here and PANIC when it actually does. Or even threatens to. So they've been predicting snow and some of the schools closed to prevent problems. And they were advising people to work from home if they could so they wouldn't have to be out on the roads. Maybe the DC snow plow wore out ....

I hate househunting. H A T E. I'm not going to drop half a million dollars on a house sight-unseen, so I'm trying to find a rental that we can tolerate for a price we can handle.

Have you guys considered B'more at all? Or would the commute be too intolerable?

And they were advising people to work from home if they could so they wouldn't have to be out on the roads.

Supposedly the roads were freezing pretty badly...er...that's my excuse for working at home today anyway.

I'll tell you, being caffeine free really sort of mellows me out a lot, in a real sleepy kind of way. Today is big exercise day though, so hopefully the endorphins will pull some weight around here!

Thanks for all the thoughts. In my non-caffeinated state of mind, I'm just wondering somewhat detachedly what it is that is causing me to freak out all the time. Perhaps it is caffeine. Some of the issues do seem to come from a jittery panicked mode.

There's no email in my office today, and people are kind of going a little funny-crazy.

Sara informed me this morning that "ninjas steal pie."

Because they're NINJAS! They steal whatever they want to! You can't stop them, because they'll just kill you. They'll totally flip out and kill you just for your pie. They might even kill you if you have the wrong kind of pie, like if you have a coconut cream pie but they wanted to steal a chess pie -- they'll kill you for it. They'll still take the coconut cream pie even though it isn't the one they want, but they'll kill you just to teach you a lesson.

Ninjas are like that.