Hey Zen!

Hi Laura! That was an adventure. Turns out I'm a dummy, but I needed a new password anyway.

Hello, Buffistas. To quote Crowley, I'm back.

I can see that. (I just had to provide the response.)

I'm not doing the dance.

Hey Zen!

Dylan's favorite uncle died in his sleep last night. He'd been hospitalized all last week due an autoimmune issue with his lungs that had led to a slow decline over the past several years and had just gone into hospice care. The timing was such that people were able to say goodbye, either by FaceTime/email or in person, which I know felt like a blessing to Dylan since both his parents' deaths were sudden and unexpected.

So we've been thinking and talking about death a lot of late, which somehow on Saturday evening led to us singing "Because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for me" to as many tunes as we could think of, all while laughing hysterically.

After which Dylan sat down and wrote a perfectly beautiful farewell email, very loving and full of wry humor, telling Uncle Warren how much he'd meant to him and been his example for the kind of husband, father, and human being he wanted to be, so I guess we needed that.

Timelies all!

Hi Zen!

ION, I have been going to a personal trainer for a few months. I hate doing it, but I need to build stamina and strength while I can, instead of let my chronic illness and back issues turn me into an invalid.

I hate it. I hate it SO MUCH. And the ME/CFS post-exertional malaise is no joke. But it's helping. I still hate it.

I agree that gifts for nurses are very common. Especially of the food variety. Count me in.

David, I have experience with both a g-tube and an NG tube with Grace and also with my friend David who had a G-tube for a few years on ensure as an adult. Oh and both of my kiddos had TPN for a few months. I can answer any questions from the caregiver side if you have them.

Also, completely non related, I have no idea why my tag is what it is.

I am saying a spell of thanks and prosperity for Renee and Roan and all their loving, competent peers.

Atropa, I just signed up for NOOM _and_ a course on the science of stretching. My first impulse was to make brownies to celebrate. You can see the problem with my mind.

I am 100% on the HATE IT bench. But. A hyper stressful menopause has led to an unhealthy shape change, awful joint pain, weakness, a dramatic loss of muscle, and tons of emotional eating. This has caused a big concern about my 63 year old body never coming back from this dissolution.

I'm saying all this out loud mostly to keep myself accountable. And to support you in doing whatever seems right for you.

As a pretty weak flex, I'm happy to say that I have regained my ability to get down on, and up from, the floor without the use of my hands. AND, I can do a full, relaxed squat. It's not the most graceful one I've ever done, but my feet are flat for the first time in many, many years.

I hate it all so much, but I'm determined to be the exception!