I did project-per-post-it list. Some will take a mere hour. Some...well, the goal is to keep busy. And have hardware stores own me (and each postit has a supplies list.) I'm up to 17.

Julie, you did the right thing. Not your job to make everyone feel all rosy about what sound like a horrid situation. Your job is to make you comfortable and safe. I'll be first to admit I've never had a high tolerance for drama and bullshit, but I've gotten more impatient with it over the years. In some ways, it's made me more selfish, I guess, but it's also made me happier and healthier.

Also, I don't really think of hormone reactions as irrational-just amplified. They are emotions I would have anyway, but would get mitigated by other coping mechanisms. Shunted, ignored, dismissed. It's like I don't have a volume knob. So that which would mildly annoy me but I'd blow it off? It's blaring at 11 in my ear. I'm cognizant that my sensitivity is amped, but it doesn't make the feels go away. And it doesn't mean that irritant is not annoying- just my ability to cope with it is altered. And so I'll cope with whatever I've got. And that's fine and doesn't make me irrational. It feels wildly out of control sometimes, especially in retrospect, but, well, I'm still me, just with different tolerances and tools than I'm used to. And that's sometimes uncomfortable.

Little bro starts out sympathetic, then pulls out the "suck it up, we're living with this daily and mom will DIE one day and you didn't go to the Bronx zoo with her!".

I have so many irrelevant things to say to that. One of them being that we were only going to the zoo because it was his desire to see it.

The one relevant thing you have to say to that is "I am not responsible for how you choose to live."

They chose to live it daily. You can choose how to spend the time with those that you want to in a meaningful manner.

She'll die one day and you don't have to remember an awkward, freaked out day at the zoo, pretending. You be the architect of what you want to share with them. And stop answering the phone, but that's just me and all that.

I've blocked both brothers. Thanksgiving will be interesting but short, if it happens at all

Make your own pie. Spend it with people who make you happy.

Make your own pie.

NATLBSB

Hmm, it's about time I changed my tagline anyway.

Julie, what everyone else said,

And in answer to:

Has anyone seen a Brit show called Lovejoy? It's available on Acorn and looks intriguing, but I'd like to know how people like it before paying for it.

I enjoyed the books upon which they were based, for what it is worth. The main character is roguish anti-hero, who ends up taking on outright villains, and thus is constantly forced into the role of unwilling hero. I suspect that to translate it into television, they had to sand off some of the character's rough edges, and play up the charm a bit more than the novels. How useful that info is in evaluating a TV show, I'm not certain. Just realized I should spoiler font the next par.

The main character is an antiques dealer. He is not above forging antiques, committing other types of fraud, or simple theft. He is also a genuine expert on antiques, truly loves them and is a "divvy". A divvy has - a sixth sense that will always let him spot antiques amid garbage; a divvy also cannot be fooled by even the highest quality forgery.

Also spoiler fonting all of this post. Not great spoilers more of character description plus series premise. Still, technically spoilers, so s space it is for any extreme spoiler phobes.

Also the main character is always broke, because as soon as gets any dosh, he spends it on genuine antiques. Also constantly in trouble because he will have sex with almost any willing woman, regardless of marital status.

Morning any east coasters! I am just now going to bed. Though admittedly, I took about a two hour nap from 7-9 or so. But I'm still wide awake! But my feet hurt from the dancing, and there is more tomorrow. So I will try to sleep, and try to get up in...uh...4.5 hours. So I can go take class. And then watch competitions. And then try to dance all night before my 6AM flight Monday morning. ...I have a meeting with my boss shortly after I land. Hoping lots of coffee will help.