Before I forget to say it, I learned something today: Liese's pictures don't begin to do her justice

SI belt- tight enough to squish the bones together, not so tight that you can't sit or walk. The elastic makes it difficult to get it Too tight. Extremely unflattering. Over yoga pants. Under jeans, but not against bare skin (that way brings blood blisters). Boxer briefs are helpful.

Thank you for the advice, everyone. I will call an electrician tomorrow.

It's my day off. Why did I schedule my car for a brake check at 8am?!?

I'm taking a day off! Monday driving sucks, anyway (last week's Monday was on a Tuesday, thanks to the holiday.) Besides I have to save my strength for blizzard Ubering.

Jim Cantore is definitely headed for Boston. Sorry, NYC, your historic blizzard isn't going to be historic enough.

They’ve backed down on their snowfall predictions this morning. They’re only saying 18–24″. Not a record-breaker.

Ugh, I am so frustrated. My boss gives me feedback on my work (and "feedback" means "here is what you did wrong"), which I absolutely need in order to improve. But she tells me some things like "Insert [this information] here; this is in the [vaguely named link] in the database," and the thing is, I am *positive* that she had never told me about [vaguely named link] before.

Which is where I need to note there is no real handbook or orientation for freelance editors -- or, at least, there hasn't been for me; when I started editing, my boss just sent me articles and then gave me feedback like "insert standard author query here," even though I had no idea what "standard author query" was (because, as I said, there was no handbook/orientation, so I didn't know "standard author query" even existed). And then I would have to ask what it was and where I might find an example of it so that I could use it, which made me feel like a giant ignorant ass.

So at this point I don't even know how to reply to her when she says "Insert [this information] from [vaguely named link]." Do I bother to say "Hey, I had NO IDEA what the purpose of [vaguely named link] was; should I just click every fucking link in the database?" (There are close to 50 links, so that would be sort of crazy.)

I mean, if I said that, it would be worded professionally. But I feel like if I say that, it comes across as a cringing attempt to explain away why I'm doing what appears to be a half-assed job. I can't DO my whole job if I don't know everything it encompasses, and I sure the hell don't KNOW because no one has ever told me.

One might think the AMA is professional and organized, but the freelance division, not so much.

Scrappy- thank you.

I am going to try to focus on what I am getting done, not all that remains.

This morning: load of laundry in, litters cleaned and refilled, dishes washed, 5 letters to PO, and packed my lunch.

Oh and remembered to bring the lunch which is no small thing.

My brain is still a no fly zone. Lots of faking it til I make it and tears when I breathe wrong.

But I feel like if I say that, it comes across as a cringing attempt to explain away why I'm doing what appears to be a half-assed job. I can't DO my whole job if I don't know everything it encompasses, and I sure the hell don't KNOW because no one has ever told me.

Right -- it's not an attempt to explain away anything, it's an attempt to get the information you need, which your client clearly thinks you already have, but you don't. Just ask.

Home today because getting to work in the morning and back home in time for an afternoon doctor's appointment was going to be too much hassle.

Today is the first day in 2015 that I feel like an actual person instead of just a blob.