I have no idea if you are near one but REI should have all kinds of travel bottles.

I feel like the chorus to the new Muse song should be my new anthem:

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Tons of support~ma, P-C. Stay strong!

They'll be pricier than a drug store, but The Container Store has an entire aisle devoted to that sort of travel stuff.

Is Muse what the kids are listening to these days?

Huh, the song "Uprising" sounds cool - P-C, do you like that album?

I haven't heard much from it, but it sounds kinda weird. I'd recommend Absolution or Black Holes and Revelations instead, which are both pretty great.

My brain hates me. I had a nightmare last night …… It was so realistic I woke up shaking and I still feel like I am going to puke.

Me too, sj. I had a really compelling and horrible dream that my dad broke my glasses, and then everything was about how we had to move, and I wanted to break some flowerpots out by the side of the house and I just didn’t dare, so I woke up all sweaty frustrated confusion.

...a corset and a floaty skirt in shades of moss, pink, purple and silver.

Ooooh. Purty! I recommend going two-piece with the bodice and skirt. That skirt sounds appropriate for wearing to Buffistaville. Squeee! Engaged! SO exciting!

What should I do if other family members bring it up?

Behave graciously and absentmindedly. Do not refer to the Issue, for it should die mercifully without further input. Walk away from combustible conversation. Tell yourself you are entitled to boundaries, and your parents are obligated by politeness to fight fair (they won’t, but you can feel superior about their misbehavior.) And then buy Katie a pony for her solid advice, dawg.

I could have done so much worse. So much worse.

Sometimes I like to remind my dad that although I have never finished college (oh, the shame!) I have also never left a crack baby on his doorstep, stolen his TV or asked for money, and I have never moved back in with him. I have never had to go to rehab or declare bankruptcy and he’s never had to talk to the police because of me (since that teenage chalk graffiti incident, anyway). He always has to agree that those are all good things for him.

I had a weird experience today. I was frustrated by the pile of kitchen implements jamming the utensil drawer. Suddenly I looked at the drawer next to the silverware and realized I didn’t have a clue as to what was in there. It turned out to be packed with Echinacea capsules that had expired somewhere between 2001 and 2008, and all kinds of cheap packaged spices that barely had aroma any more. It’s like that valuable little chunk of kitchen real estate suddenly reappeared for me when I wanted to use it. Alternately, it is like I have verifiable problems with my memory and probably should not be allowed to run around loose.

I need to clean my apartment, because looking at the mess is stressing me out, but I don't know where to start. Everything is in the wrong places.

Stay strong, P-C. It is the only way to get past this situation and move forward to an adult relationship with your parents.

Feel better, Ginger. I heard about the car pileup from the icy conditions earlier and was hoping you didn't have to go out for any reason.

Congrats, Erin. DAN is one lucky fella.

I need to get over my super laziness. So much to do, so little motivation.

My head already feels better, Laura. Prednisone has its dark side, but when it works, it works. I have beer. I have meds. I have dog food. I'm not planning to go out among the crazy people over the weekend.