I finally got my testing card, making my brown belt test, a week from tomorrow, official. I am terrified. I know the material but thanks to my knee and then my foot, it isn't hard coded into my muscle memory. Brown belt tests tend to average about 5 hours. I haven't been working out as regularly as I used to, so I know I'll be gassed. I'm determined to push through, but until the day gets here, I think I'll have huge butterflies. And I'm watching NOAA.com for the weather forecast. Oh, and my dad will be in town that day. I already have CJ, K-Bug, and even the bf ready to take him hiking, to the botanical garden, anywhere but to the testing dojo.

Erin, glad to hear its not serious but sorry to hear it wasnt easily identified and fixable!!

I went out dancing, which was fun, and was amused that I got asked if I was gay. Because we were in a gay bar, and I don't usually get that anymore. What made it weirder was it was coming from a guy who I had assumed was gay! But apparently he's not--just friends with many of them. We had danced together last week and had fun, and he wanted to check, I guess. In any case, I was pretty amused to have to tell him I like the ladies.

well, I suppose you could have been bisexual and/or open. Gotta respect the man for being so optimistic.

erin, continued nothing~ma and pain resolution~ma.

I'm awake at 5:15 am after going to bed at 1 am because Frankie's chewing his foot on the bed woke me up. His back left footpad is now raw and I am now worried. Couldn't see anything wrong. Guess I'm going to the emergency vet today? Ugh.

Erin, I have a friend with liver cysts, I don't know if they are exactly what you have. She has pain that's very reactive to what she consumes. I know alcohol is bad, and garlic, and fatty food. (Prob. anything that the liver is known for absorbing toxins from.)

Well, hello there. I wasn't away, I was just constantly 150-350 posts behind. But I read them.

First, health and general ~ma to all buffistas and their pets. To Aims and the Pixdesigns and Sean and erin and smonster and meara and omnis (oh, babe. Tell your ass I'll kick it if it'll continue to mess with 'ya) and Ginger and Laura and bonny and to Hil and Steph. I hope I didn't forget anyone.

I also planned meara'ing, but there are references I had to delete because I couldn't remember the context anymore. Gmail drafts will only take you so far, I guess.

I did some searching and research and I came to the conclusion that religion comforts me. It gives me something more to count on

Aims - FWIW - I know far more intelligent and compassionate (or, you know, just "mensch") people who are religious than just intelligent people who are compassionate to their fellow human beings. I tend to see religion - at least mine - more as a culture than a faith, and that's why I define myself as "mostly secular" and not as 100% secular. It took me some time, with my ultra-secular upbringing, to find out that there are some nice aspects in Jewishness that I actually like and would like to have (even not if to practice) in my life. It gives frame and context and even some sanity if it's done right.

I like to think this is a safe place to type the stuff we shouldn't elsewhere, at times.

Hell yes.

Thank you for sharing, bless your little heart

I'm Gonna use this THE WHOLE TIME now. (Hi, I was raised in the south. Not your country's south, and yet, a south).

And last, to the edition of "your pixels nearly made me choke on my food, numerous times":

billytea: "Hey, maybe we should cross out 'GOD' and write in 'THE PARTY'."

And that's where I nearly chocked on my salad.

Can we send B's GF's mom after the manager at the dog walking outfit bonny works with? Oooh.

Once again, nearly getting chocked by my (another) salad (on a different day) and your pixels. I spot a pattern here. Salads are evil!

It's the last day of the holiday, and I wish a good New Year to those of you who celebrate it. Myself, I'm having an angry migrainated day, but all in all, I think I'm doing better, and till now holiday was good. I realize, slowly, how angry and stressed I was, because I was doing so much all of the time, and also because I could channel the anger to motivation (not anymore). I'm also re-understanding myself these days. My self image on who I am became very different than the one I had in mind in the past few years, and it's OK; I probably came up with it when I was 22. Lots have changed since then, including me. So I try connect the dots towards a new image that works for me, try remember what is it, anyways, that works for me, and letting go of the stuff that's bad/not working anymore, and not going beyond the resources I have and trying to get enough sleep, only I tend to forget all of that whenever I reach balance. I still didn't figure how to stay in a balanced place.

The last semester of my MLIS will start in a month, so it's deadline season now. I'm also trying to figure out how to make a minor career change (from ed-tech to governmental org), but I'll only be able to do this transformation in March. My current job is in a great place that I love, but I'm just a bit tired from years of commuting an hour in each direction to another city. Getting my life back fully in Jerusalem will take a while.

Edit: editing for grammar. As always.

Happy New Year, Shir! May 5774 by filled with blessings and love for you and yours.

Erin, bless your plagued belleh. Hairpats and praise for your liver and high hopes for good results on Monday. It's great that you've found a workable pain management plan. I hope you get decent rest as a result.

Good luck, Suze! I'm told brown belts are quite fashionable. I hope yours fits easily...in every sense.

Thanks bonny, was feeling a bit invisible. I slept but I'm still stressing. There are three levels of brown and then it is black.

Best of luck, Suzi.

Good luck, Suzi! I'll be keeping fingers crossed for you!