Sadly it looks like I am finally going to end up in the "I hate my job" ranks of the world. Which, I had a pretty good run, loving my job(s) for the last 5 or so years. But without divulging confidential info, our company is going through changes. And none of them seem to be at all good. I HAVE to stay for another year - have got too much riding on this place. But it's going to drag. My boss is not loving her brand new boss, and we are getting a new CEO shortly (old beloved one just retired). Anyway, there's a ton of upheaval and stupidity and new people who pretend they know what they're doing who OBVIOUSLY don't have a clue. And it all affects me, unfortunately, because I am the Last Stop for all regulatory correspondence so I have to manage upstream.

Gah. I might drink too much tonight. After I feed the dogs.

After I leave the office, I mean.

I've been on some terrifically bad first dates from online sites (mid-1990s). It helped get me out of the house, gave me an evening's entertainment, and makes for good stories. I say give it a try, P-C.

I doubt you are making P-C feel better, but you sure are making me feel better for being married forever. I don't even remember dating.

It's making me feel a lot better about the rightness of my own decision to quit trying!

My worst date was probably the blind date I went on. From wearing half his dinner, to going to his house so he could play (on the guitar) and sing his original compositions for me while his dog sang along... That was fun.

That sucks, java. I always fear that will happen at my company.

I actually have tried my luck with OKCupid and did go on a couple dates with one girl, but that's as far as it went. I seem to have avoided the crazies, though.

I have definitely been on some bad dates, though I think my favorite stories are from the speed-dating I did once. ("I'm a poet. Oh, I should've just said I was a librarian!". And "I read mostly the Star Trek books. But I'm about 50 behind")

Java that sucks about your company. You and I should get hired somewhere awesome. I'll work from home mostly and fly to the bay area occasionally. I think it's a plan.

Sounds good to me, Meara.

The thing is, I'm constantly recruited. But I have a lot at stake here with incentives. So, I stay. At the very least through bonus period. I need to see how all of the changes shake out.

Deena! *extreeeemely gentle tacklehug*

Laura, it's so hard. And you're doing the absolute best thing you can do for B. And it's just hard. You have all my respect and admiration for going about it this way.

I'm glad I'm not in the dating pool.

Although I wasn't actually looking for a date when I met Will, so there's the possibility of finding love in unexpected (online) places.

I haven't had horrible dates, well I'm sure I've had a couple where *I* was the horrible date but the one really bad date I was on I only said yes because I felt obligated and it was bad. The guy was clueless and not very well read - and he worked at a library (although not a librarian).

P-C sometimes you have to learn how to do new things and sometimes learning new things means taking some chances and those chances not working out.

Recently I was in a situation where I overreacted in a very negative way. But my therapist pointed out I dealt with a situation in an entirely differently way than I had before. I reacted the way I did because I have more self confidence and am a bit more assertive.

The way I reacted wasn't positive but the changes were and I'll learn from this and next time maybe I'll react in a much more positive manner.

Have some old working incandescent bulbs to donate. Some normal, some designed for a chandalier , some designed for some kind of spotlight. Since they are incandescent there is no mercury and they can be thrown out. But I'm trying to figure out if there is any kind of organization who could use them since they are working bulbs. We have tons of small theaters around here, but if they so no I don't know where else. Local free boxes say no.

P-C sometimes you have to learn how to do new things and sometimes learning new things means taking some chances and those chances not working out.

It's definitely more likely that someone will meet a potential partner if they get out and do things, but I gotta say that just reading P-C's FB posts exhausts me, because he does ALL THE THINGS. I mean, really. I'm envious of all the cool stuff he does.