Gud, let us know if you've reached out to someone.

In other news, I have watched so many Law & Orders today -- I love it!! And I also got a couple of things done around the house, including making a big pot of excellent chili. It's a little salty, but I'm assuming that will mellow out in the freezer, which is where most of it is going.

Gud, absolutely 100% what everyone else has said. The person with whom you participated in a marriage ceremony years ago (she is not your wife or partner in any real sense of either word) is cruelly, toxically wrong. And at some level she knows it. If you can't push yourself into some kind of protective action for your own sake, think of E and L: you're telling them it is acceptable for one partner to treat the other in this way, that this is the way they should expect to behave, to treat those they love and to be treated by them as adults.

PLEASE hear us, please believe us.

In infinitely more trivial news (it did not belong in the same post as what Gud is wrestling with), I've been stuck in the apt. all day, hiding away from the smoke and gunk, and have thus been binge-watching scary shows (Matilda is in a filtered-air-filled mall with friends) and organizing like a fiend. Matters have now reached the point where everything looks several times worse than when I started. I know it's going to turn pretty soon, but GOD it's disheartening right now.

My massage therapist is a new step mother, and she was saying every time she told the 7-year-old to "clean her room," the kid would start trying to organize everything, which of course means everything gets way worse (for a while, ideally)! She finally figured out how to tell the kid that she means "get everything off the floor." Way more doable!!

Tim started his new job full time today (for the last 3 weeks he's been half at his old job to wrap stuff up and half at new job for training). At his old job, he never got home before 6:30, and that was a good day. It wasn't uncommon for him to get home at 8:30 or later.

He got home at 5:30 today. And his boss says that leaving on time is normal around there. That means that, if you average it out, he's getting back a MINIMUM of 10 hours a week. His quality of life is going to improve so much. I'm so happy for him, I can't even express it. His old job was running him down so, SO much. My prediction is that by Christmas he'll seem like a new man.

Eeeee! I'm so happy for Tim! And for you and for Murderbiscuit; that's the kind of thing that's a balm and a blessing to the whole family.

That is wonderful, Teppy! Congrats to you both.

I've lost my DH to basketball season again. He's coaching at a different school. I haven't met them yet. First game is next week.

Still no idea what I am doing for T'day. I miss having huge holiday dinners here with both families. So up in the air completely.

That's so great, Tep!

Excellent, Steph!

His quality of life is going to improve so much.

I AM DELIGHT.