Toddson, almost all of my knowledge of children is from having been one. And I don't know (and am not asking) the details about your situation growing up. However, I do know a thing or two about mental illness.

If niece's mother has significant mental health issues, she needs to get them treated. If her mental health issues are harming her daughter, they're significant. Friend may prefer to spin it as, "You're depressed," without bringing in any current or future effect on niece.

"Getting treatment" means contacting a mental health professional. Contacting a GP for medication is an acceptable first step if we're talking about an immediate short-term response to a serious problem, to be followed up by contacting a mental health professional. Lifestyle changes are also acceptable as immediate responses to be combined with other treatment.

As to things I remember from being a child mumblety years ago. Kids tend to think their situation is normal, so niece may not necessarily think anything is wrong even if it is. Which means she may say and even mean, "I'm fine," when she really isn't.

And, ((((vw))))

Finished a paper for my grantwriting class today. (Hope to move to the non-profit sector.) Anyway I thought of our earlier discussion about students to who submit stuff with big fonts and margins, as I changed the font to 10 point, and the margins .47 so as to avoid having to spend any more time cutting out additional words to fit the into the four page single spaced maximum. We all have our writing flaws...

VW, yeah I hope you get treated better.

{{vw}}may your day get calmer and more fun

Toddson - talk - I have no kids, but I work with kids. I do my best to be a non parental adult in the various kids lives. If you can be nothing else, you can be a haven for your niece.

Sail - glad everyone is relatively speaking ok. I keep trying to explain - the word accident is used for a reason.

And bonny, perfect isn't what you are looking for - but if he can't do the repairs properly - hiring somebody and taking it off the rent might be an option. and privacy - for you and your clients is not an acceptable area for mistakes. What if the reason you hadn't answered the phone was because you were in the shower?

What if the reason you hadn't answered the phone was because you were in the shower?

This is another fine point. And given my proclivity for long baths, more likely than not.

Yeah, the one moment of what looked like insight, but is surely a coincidence, the said, "I know it's just simple stuff and I'm sure that makes it even more frustrating."

I just wish I thought that glimmer of awareness would translate into improvement but after 9 years, I know it cannot.

Perhaps this is a zen challenge of some sort. I just dunno.

The only thing that motivated my old landlord was me telling him that he was "taking advantage of my good nature" by not fixing things properly or in a timely manner. hooray for guilt!

And now I was just swarmed by a shitload of bees. I thought a car had kicked up some pollen or something (I'm not very bright, apparently...also I was paying attention to Toto), and then one of the construction workers (there's a big hole in the street right now) yelled, "Lady! Get out of there!" I have no idea where they came from or where they went when they left, but I didn't get stung so that's all I care about.

so ... that'll give you, um, bees?

hooray for guilt!

If only! During the 'discussion' when I said that I have to protect my client's rights to privacy and would never leave work out if I'd known he was coming, he made a statement like: Oh, YOUR business suffers?! How about MY business when you complain about my dog crapping in the yard?"

I just looked at him for a minute and then blurted out, "You are joking,right?"

Yeah, somehow I've quashed his personal freedom by not wanting to walk past festering piles of dog crap...or to have my clients (or anybody else visiting) walk past it either.

t hangs head in dismay and contemplates suicide by ice cream

How about MY business when you complain about my dog crapping in the yard?"

Wuh-huh? People only stop coming to his store if you tell them about the dog poo? Customers don't notice it otherwise?

Something smells funny.

suicide by ice cream

Silly, ice cream is a cure-all, not an end-it-all.

((vw)) I'm sorry today is not your day.