Good luck with the yard sale!

In totes important news, Joy Reid's new hairstyle is lovely. Saw her last night on Chris Hayes and my sister and I both squealed. Again this morning. It suits her face quite nicely.

did well, together we cleared over $400.

More importantly quite a bit gone: 2 recliners, a tv stand, the old super heavy tube TV, over 40 CDs - that was all my stuff. My friend sold a lot of toys and a stack of wii games plus Guitar Hero guitars, and Atari flashback system, a HUGE homecoming mum thing and her old highschool formal.

Yeah, no need to go actually read that interview.

My head is already explodifying over some women whose reaction to hearing about a little girl who came up with a cute device to help people not forget babies in hot cars with "Oh I could NEVER forget my precious children! Parents like that are AWFUL!"

Three random women. In a row. I suppose it's a human reaction, to be so aghast that it's the first stupid thing you blurt out, but goddamn it it's so lacking in compassion. We're not talking gamblers who leave the kids in a hot car while they go lose the rent money, or druggies who nod out -- we're talking in the large majority of these cases ordinary loving parents who slip a fatal cog -- usually related to dropping off the kid at day care -- and live with it for the rest of their lives.

Timelies all!

Well, today was kind of a disaster. Mr. S wanted to take a shower with Daddy this morning despite a)having taken a bath last night and b)already being dressed. Gary said no, because he's feeling sick, and didn't have the spoons to wrangle a pre-schooler in the shower. Cue temper tantrum that led to Mr. S trashing his room. It didn't get any better from there. I had to go into work for a bit to process a patient sample, and was glad for the time away.

To top it all off, our dryer isn't working.

msbelle, how is Mac reacting to your moving?

In other news, something happened to me at work that I was completely not expected. 2 separate people, one I've worked with awhile, the other was the trainer for the new worktype I'm being moved to. They both expressed admiration and respect for me. It was just little things, like the long time coworker naming a small group team after me for an Bit of working through the new process. I asked him why he named it after me and he said it just made sense to him to name it after the smartest person on the team. If I'd been drinking I would have done a spit take.

Later, I introduced myself to our trainer who only knows us as disembodied voices, many of whom work from home. He's been a great trainer, positive, and supportive. He was Happy to meet me in person and told me he'd noted as me as one of the trainees who was picking the new stuff well. This was after he made the mistake of asking the group how they felt about the new training and was met with a chorus of insecurity from most of the others. One woman had a legit gripe that she'd been told on short notice she would be doing this training, and it had forced her to cancel long term plans to visit her soldier son. But most of it was people complaining about not enough time to learn before we start getting "graded" on productivity ond quality .

I felt bad for the others, but this happens All the time with this company and the previous company who sold our jobs. But several of them were complaining about this being harder for the older people. I know for a fact that there is only one person in this group who is older than I am.

Anyway, the little bit of support I received unexpectedly made me feel better about myself than I have felt in years.

That is so nice quester.

Well Mac is not talking to me about the move. He refuses to look at the house. He still has no plan for himself and he is still not doing the things I have told him to repeatedly do as a member of the household. So in effect, he is choosing to be kicked out on a week.

we're talking in the large majority of these cases ordinary loving parents who slip a fatal cog -- usually related to dropping off the kid at day care -- and live with it for the rest of their lives.

These stories tear my heart out. I get it because these parents are exhausted working parents running on autopilot. The price they pay is unimaginably cruel.

Oh msbelle. I so badly want to shake Mac hard. I wish I didn't recognize that behavior so well. He has had countless opportunities to make the right decisions. Many hugs to you.

Sheryl, I am sorry it is so hard. I hope that you and Gary can find a method of giving each other breaks and covering for each other. Finding time for yourself to breathe at this stage is super challenging, and also really important.

I worry a lot about Mac, but he is truly at the stage where he has to make some adult decisions for himself. I worry about Mr. S, too, but at least he has time, and a stable, loving environment.

I found out that my brothers are both in SC with my uncle while my cousin is seeing to home things (she does have a job, but is probably going to be taking a break from it) in MO. Nobody thought to ask me if I could go down, but then I am the least likely to get along with my strong-willed uncle, who has Alzheimer's, and is now bereaved both of his wife (they'd have been married over 70 years now) and his only son (65). That's a lot of grief and missing support.

Anyway, the little bit of support I received unexpectedly made me feel better about myself than I have felt in years.

That's great, quester!

I worry a lot about Mac, but he is truly at the stage where he has to make some adult decisions for himself.

Yeah.

That's wonderful, quester! You deserve to get positive feedback more often.