{{{lisah}}}

Will backstage-at-A-Christmas-Carol be a welcome distraction for anyone? My office is across the hall from the young performer dressing rooms so I usually get some good overheard quotes. There hasn't been anything quite like the "EVERYONE PUT ON PANTS!!" from years past but today one child has been singing the same handful of lines from Total Eclipse of the Heart on repeat for the last 9 hours. I may request Rick Astley tomorrow.

So sorry lisah. I hope it’s as easy as possible.

Thank you all for the good advice and kind thoughts.

"EVERYONE PUT ON PANTS!!"

There is a ceasefire and a hostage deal. Maybe starting tomorrow, but no confirmation on this yet. 50 of them, out of 238/9. 10 more for each day of truce. Hamas can only account for 80.

It's not that I'm not happy and relieved to know that they'll soon be safe with the loved ones who survived Oct. 7th (if they're not kidnapped themselves). It's just that I didn't take into account this hellish emotional reality show, in which they might be realesed in small groups, with every family learning who is alive and who is not, who is released and who is staying there, over several days. I'm relieved and grateful that some of them are back, but this format is a torment on its own.

Holding you and yours in my heart, lisah. What they said about the hospice nurses. They are so very knowledgeable and compassionate.

I'm relieved and grateful that some of them are back, but this format is a torment on its own.

Listening to the debates on the pros and cons of the deal is rough, but for the families, it is something more than they had yesterday. I hope it proceeds better than anticipated.

Hi. Been reading but not managing to post, still.

A rock advent calendar sounds amazing. Kid me would have totally been into it adult me is tempted but has no money and too much crap already. But I’m delighted to see others jumping on it.

I am on the side of the people, who are amazingly finding ways to live and work together in spite of the best efforts of their terrible, terrible political leaders.

Whole lotta this. And oh man, Shir, I’m not sure I would have thought about that aspect of it. My heart hurts for everyone over there just trying to survive.

Pilates is pretty great, IMHO. I used to go almost every morning at 7 am, but COVID messed all that up.

lisah, what everyone else said. We only had hospice for 3 days, yet they were truly outstanding and I can’t imagine the hell it would have been without their assistance.

I’m afraid I have not great news of my own, at least in the short run.

In short, over the last few days, I have realized that R is massively emotionally manipulative and has been taking advantage of me. I happened to listen to a podcast about financial coercive control, and parts sounded a little too familiar.

The last couple of days, I’ve had an absolute cascade of realizations and finally started asking friends their opinions. (Shoutout to Vortex for having a two-hour convo with me about it last night while I was tripping balls on Spravato).

I’m still trying to process this and figure out what to do next. A bunch of my shit and my cat are up at the cabin. Robby wants to talk and I am holding off on that for now. I don’t know what to say to them.

After an absolute crazy year, this may be the thing that breaks me for a minute. I did get a lot of support from R and there were (past tense, hmm) very good things about the relationship.

I was thinking maybe it was all unconscious, but then I remembered that they are a master dog trainer and a social media whiz at creating a compelling story. So.

Oof, that's a lot, smonster. Wishing you clarity.

All of my best thoughts to you and your family, lisah.

Glad there's a temporary ceasefire, at least, but I know that's not enough.