Steph, you can only pull up your socks (tm Ginger) so many times till you really have to admit that, yeah, that's a lot. And you're entitled to acknowledge that.

It is a normal reaction, but I don't think that means it's not worth seeing a therapist about if you think it would help. I can understand that it's just one more thing to think about and deal with, but just because you know why you're upset doesn't mean you have to deal with it by yourself.

I don't know who, but someone sent me a beautiful flannel pillowcase, trimmed with a pink gingham pattern. It is exquisite and I adore it. It was wrapped in the loveliest tissue paper and ribbon. They also included the most wonderful card that says all the right things. So, even though I've not been around here lately, huge thanks to my precocious seekrit solstice santa. You made my day. There may have been allergies.

xposty with Facebook.

Steph, seconding everyone else: totally normal, still sucks.

Husband of a friend on FB is being one of THOSE guys about the Hydra!Cap thing. "I love it when they shake things up! Getting upset about it is just silly! lol!" I calmly mentioned that he (a tall good-looking white guy) probably wasn't coming at the character from the same perspective as every other fan, and that I personally found it awful, but he's being cheerfully oblivious and I'm just not engaging with it. No good can come of it.

I know what you mean about feeling the shitty stuff catch up and pile on, Tep. There are only so many spoons to be had. Would it help to take a day off and just read or slounge?

We just got back from dinner. I may have referred to our hostess as Pippi Gothstocking.

Just because it's a perfectly normal and reasonable reaction doesn't mean that getting help dealing with it is a bad idea. This year needs to chill the fuck out.

I know what you mean about feeling the shitty stuff catch up and pile on, Tep. There are only so many spoons to be had. Would it help to take a day off and just read or slounge?

Once I get through my editing tomorrow, I basically have the whole weekend -- well, not free, because there's a family shindig Sunday, but with no super pressing obligations. [Related sidenote: Hil, I'll message you tomorrow, because I'm about to go to bed.] [We also still need to see Civil War, BTW.]

Honestly, I'd still be overwhelmed with all of this even if my IBS weren't flaring, but it's just the straw that broke the camel's back. (Or, I don't know, colon.) It's not crippling pain, but it's constant, and I'm at the point where I don't even know what I can safely eat, because everything makes my stomach hurt. And because it's an inflammatory disease, it's been flaring for so long that my hands are swelling and all of my joints hurt. I know it's all related, so I'm not freaked out or anything, but I am entirely out of spoons and OVER IT.

Steph, Xander may have said it best when he said, "... you've got my support. Just think of me as... as your... uh, you know I'm searching for supportive things and I'm coming up all "bras"...."

All I can do is laugh at this point. A work thing is about to implode. It's not in any way my fault, but it is going to be my problem to deal with, and it looks like I'm fucking going to have to fucking work all fucking weekend to fix a problem that I didn't create.

Unexpected lunch with one of our besties who happens to be in the neighborhood! That is exactly what I needed, even though it doesn't lessen my workload.