Epic, I'm so sorry. I'm glad you were with her and you could provide her with peace in the end. My thoughts are with you as you navigate the world without her.

School is driving me crazy and I think I'm driving my current professor crazy. With most of my classes I have a 5-8 page paper due each week with a larger portfolio paper due on the last day. Sometimes there are milestone assignments that build to the larger paper, for example an outline during week 2 and the introduction and planned references in the 5th.

I'm currently taking my Project Management Capstone class and we have two papers due each week. The regular weekly paper plus a weekly milestone paper. The week 1 milestone paper description explains the overall concept for the portfolio paper, then a list that includes two section headers with a total of 14 subsections between the two and has a required page count of 2-4 pages. Just listing out the outline and writing the introductory paragraph (which isn't specifically requested in the directions but I'm supposed to get my topic approved) I'm at 7 pages.

I sent one email earlier in the week asking what she expected based on the seemingly contradictory directions and she said "Not very much detail. This is really setting you up to have a nice outline for the final paper". Ok...but you want some detail? Is the introductory paragraph enough? Do you want general statements for each of the subsections? If I were to truly address the 14 subsections and do them justice, I could easily do a page each PLUS supporting tables in the appendix.

I sent her another message today asking for more specific direction. I don't want my hand held but I also don't want to miss the point of the assignment.

On top of all this, the other weekly milestone papers add more subsections for a total of 36 subsections overall, plus more pages in the appendix and the final portfolio page count is supposed to be 12-15 pages. So, about half a page per subsection, plus intro/conclusion and section introductions? Even trying to do that, I'll end up with another 15 pages in the Appendix that doesn't count toward my page count. I get that this is supposed to be comprehensive and I've never been one to write more than what is required, but I'm just not getting how to address the apparent requirements without writing a book.

Dang, I have killed bitches.

For a second, I thought you meant that literally, and it was a little alarming.

I could cut a bitch today. I'm cranky at myself over getting so behind in homework due to being stuck on one of 4 assignments. Only one of the other three assignments is dependent on the one I'm stuck on. But I've had brain block on dealing with the others.

I did get an e-mail back from my professor saying "I am expecting a summary statement for each of the subsections to be fleshed out once the project is approved." So there is that. I still don't get how I'll be able to keep to the overall page count.

But yes, get in my way and I. WILL. CUT. YOU.

I'm so sorry, Epic.

Tep, if your allergy symptoms aren't dangerous, I would definitely try and wait them out, I had every side effect in the book when I started Prozac, as is typical for me, but in the end they almost all subsided. The one that never did was the bruxism, but once I learned how to ease and control it, it was actually a handy way for me to know the fluoxetine was in effect. It took some months for it to build up enough in my system to have the psychological effects (I was taking it for menstrual migraines, which it was definitively effective for, but the primary function was not unwelcome at the time). I also started out at a higher dose and reduced it, and the lower dose was effective for me,

I eventually went off it, because the Mirena lessened all the menstrual related wonkiness (hallelujah) and a lot of my depression was situational, and obviously I made significant changes to my situation. But it definitely worked for me, so I hope it does for you,

So sorry epic!

Tep, if your allergy symptoms aren't dangerous, I would definitely try and wait them out

So far I'm still waiting it out. I'm still having itchiness and sort of a warm feeling like sunburn, but no actual rash or red skin. The obsessive research I did says that itchiness and a flushed feeling can be a common reaction that will probably go away. But if I see any rash, I'm stopping immediately, because that can turn into a condition that will kill my ass dead.

The one that never did was the bruxism

I already clench my teeth when I sleep, so I'll keep an eye on whether it gets worse.

And in unrelated news, this week my therapist made me totally paranoid that I might possibly be pregnant, just because I told her my nausea got really bad last week (SPOILER: I am NOT pregnant). She knows all about my stomach saga, and that I had been having mild nausea for months, so I don't know why she thought telling me I might be pregnant was a good idea, because (1) I'm 46 and I know how pregnancy happens, and (2) she's literally treating me for anxiety and decided to kick me over into a total panic, since my period wasn't due until this weekend. And it showed up on time, thank goodness.

I have never been so happy to get my period, and I want to punch my therapist. But also, Tim needs to get snipped ASAP. (He has an appointment with a urologist to set that up, so it's in the works.) My post-IUD life has no room for this nonsense.

Yay for not being pregnant! That was really odd of the therapist.

Kind of in a funk. A former co-worker/friend died from a e-coli infection. She was only 54. She had worked for me for some time, then for a big medical practice customer for a few years. She had wanted to come back to work for me, but honestly I didn't hire her back because she drank way more than I was comfortable with. But I liked her, a lot, and she was so full of life and love and joy. It really sucks how life can turn on you so quickly. RIP Terry.