Sleeping Annabel: [link]

When we put her to bed, Clifford and Kitty were tucked next to her and were NOT wearing party hats. She was also under a sheet and a quilt, which ended up on the floor and out of sight.

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After my mom was diagnosed with ALS (well, actually, at some point after she lost the use of her legs), my parents put me in counseling. I was 12, and all the counselor really wanted me to say was that my father was sexually abusing me. Which couldn't have been farther from the truth, and made me absolutely distrust all psychological counseling for years and years.

That sounds like the time I went to a counselor in college to talk about my issues with my mom, and all she wanted to talk about was why I didn't have a girlfriend. Never went back.

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I borrowed the Wicked soundtrack from the library. It was not true love at first listen. But I had it on repeat b/c the radio was boring on my way to/from AC. Now I'm addicted, and can't get the songs out of my head!

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Ok, Lehane country it is. I'll shock my cousins some other time. Wicked cool, huh?

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Sleeping Annabel: [link]

We walked in one night and this is what we saw. Apparently she'd been having a party.

What? no empties? Man, we gotta teach that kid how to party!

I went to a counselor in college to talk about my issues with my mom, and all she wanted to talk about was why I didn't have a girlfriend. Never went back.

What's kind of funny is, my folks got divorced when I was 5, so "they" (not sure who) thought it best that I go to the school shrink to help me through it. All I remember about the one or two visits was playing this board game where you roll, land on a space, and draw a card that has a question. The one question I remember was "what do you think if a boy stands with his hands in his pants and plays with his pennies" and I was like "whatever, quarters are more fun cuz you can play that basketball game, but thats at a table with a friend" and the shrink was like "um, that doesn't say 'pennies' that says 'penis'." I told my mom how the guy was asking wank questions, and I didn't get called back down to his office again.

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I can totally relate to the bad experiences with 'shrinks'. When I finally decided to risk my father's threats being promises, I opened up to the head of the mental health center at my university.

She spent the entire session yawning and fiddling with things on her desk and, despite my wailing and basically falling apart, at the 50 minute mark she asked, "Why are you here again?"

I was devastated in the moment and did not seek help again for 6 years. I see now what her deal was...NOBODY wants to have to do mandatory reporting and then have stories recanted, get into legal woes, etc. Not an excuse by any means, but I get where she was coming from.

The thing is, the bad experiences we've had do not need to represent a profession, a practice or even a person. That woman might have been very different on another day.

The bottom line was, Iwas miserable and needed help. I kept trying until I found it. That is my right and my responsibility.

Trust me, it's easier to stay unhappy in this culture than it is to swim upstream...but the work is, in my experience, totally worth it.

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(((Nora))) - Good grief. That's just dreadful - I'm so sorry.

On a different note, though - HAPPY BEVDAY!

Yeah, I quit mine. But I was hardly the model group member for that group of Birth Survivors due to my disquieting tendency to blurt out things like "Okay, who'd you fuck?" I wasn't wrong. But that just made it worse

So. Much. Love. Although I may have to wrestle with SuperPornyPants for your hand now, eh? Fine, fine. (I'm thinking jello? Or perhaps chocolate mousse in lieu of mud?)

And I have to chime in with a mighty virtual hug for the whole damn Buffista community - I'll only be repeating what other people have already said above, albeit with an English accent. So let's take it as read, 'kay? I love us, and I love here.

Meanwhile, I must squee about the shoes I bought! I have bought ACRES of fabric for making clothes (once I've lost more weight) from the Chon Buri Fabric market, and I have also bought 3 pairs of shoes. They are awesome. I may have to post photos. (Keep in mind that generally these days I only wear ballet shoes. Well, 'kay, generally red ballet shoes covered in sequins, or maybe black ones with glitter, but you get the general sense of flatness, right? Now I own kitten heels! Like - grown up person shoes! For ladies! Not clompy shoes! This is a Whole New Vista in shoe ownership!)

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Skipping a bunch to just say that the show on the Disney Ship is progressing. I have a totally frelled sleep schedule since we work all night. I've only been off the ship in Canaveral. I can't wait to get back home on Sunday night and see Kristin.

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He lives! Missing you, honey.

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Love you sweetie. Have to log out now before I run out of internet time.

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