wed 23 nov af daily

[bear73]

Hey all popping in before work - got big public meeting this am - which I really enjoy - prep yesterday was mental though.
I'm feeling good!

AFBlonde - I would love your job!

Had long chat with parents last night - real laugh and told them how miserable i have been. Dad really surprised me and said if it's that bad - take a pay cut.He also said he had similar meetings to awful one I had and he also had the attitude that it's not ok for anyone to shout - no matter what their seniority.His advice was shout back- err maybe not - but entertaining!! He also pushed back against this, and was told he had an attitude problem rather than just accepting it - must be genetic!

Funnily enough I am enjoying the work and although getting momentarily pissed at stoooopid management politics, it's not staying with me.

Soo good af day all to come - is thanksgiving today or tomorrow?Keep strong during festivities.

[Doggygirl]

wed 23 nov af daily

Morning Bear! Sounds like a very good conversation with your Dad. Also sounds like you are doing great at letting other people's BS go! Thanks for getting things started today.

Pickled turkey? What the sam hill?

Yes Lav - this guy is gonna die. Their mother died of alcoholism. The older sister (not the one who I am close with) "took over" the child rearing of the family and even though they are all long since adults, she is very controlling like an over the top controlling mother. She also is having a hard time accepting that "love" won't heal him. She believes that if she tries hard enough, and prays hard enough, she can get the outcomes in other people's lives that she thinks they need. Obviously it's not working in this case! It's a shame because she is giving him shelter and a way to avoid treatment in a somewhat comfortable setting.

My main concern is the younger sister (my friend) and just reassuring her that setting her own boundaries from both of them is OK to do - and the right thing in the midst of this mess.

Whenever she calls me about their family goings on, I am just grateful I don't have a meddling, controlling mother/sister/family member. ulling

My goal is to get my dual disorders homework started and finished today!! He piled on a ton of reading for this one! It's interesting though - integrated treatment models for addiction + other mental health issues. If homework drives me crazy I will be a candidate! :H

Hey Det - did you post your kimchee recipe? I'm wanting to try some. Did you use whey? I got my whey separated out of the yogurt. The recipe in this book doesn't look like a "hot" one and I want a bit of heat.

All you lovelies have a fABulous day!

One thing is for sure...

DG

[momof3]

wed 23 nov af daily

Good Morning Abber Dabbers,

Enjoyed a 6 am yoga class this morning. Helps prepare me mentally and physically for a day home with the kids. No school for them today!

BlondeAmbition. Sounds like a great job. You are entering a very busy season I would imagine. I see you are from New England. I grew up in RI and MA. I live in Northern Virginia now.

Looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow. It's been rainy here but weather is supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow.

DG, When will you graduate? Sounds like school is going well.

M3

[LVT25]

wed 23 nov af daily

Hello friends,

Today is the last day my son has to be at school for basketball practice by 5:45 am. It is hard for all of us to get up (#2 son is student manager) but today I just sat and watched the sun come up and meditated (in my own way) a bit. I like the extra time it gives me in the day. But I sure run out of gas earlier.

Yesterday I managed to get a bunch of laundry done, and cleaned part of my kitchen. I need to get used to the idea that I'm just not going to get more than 1 or 2 projects done in a day.

This morning hubby got a frantic call from his mom--her dog had stuck her nose where it didn't belong--on a porcupine. She wanted him (or me) to dash up there and pull a few quills. I was still sitting here in my robe when she showed up here with her.:H Needless to say I'm not all that popular with the pets in our family.:H

Our friend with cancer has 2 labs--one is a brother to our dog. Anyway, I found these HUGE rawhide bones at Target the other day. Their mom said they could have them--I know they are confused and hurting too.:upset:

I am NOT a black Friday shopper. I am more of a cyber Monday shopper. I went to Walmart (just slap me) the other day and I swear I was ready to kill someone by the time I got out of there. I will be doing very little if any shopping in stores this year. I lucked out yesterday...I found some jeans online--a brand name my kids like--ON SALE! But wait, it gets better.....an extra 30% off! Free shipping! And then I remembered my son had gotten a coupon in the mail for 20% off! It expired today. So, 4 pairs of name brand jeans, 1 pair cargo shorts, one shirt=$122.00. I was pleased.
I think for hubby I will check into that Directv receiver that covers every room in the house. And for the boys, gift cards.

We are going to in laws for late Thanksgiving dinner. It will be ok, the food will be good.

I want you ALL to know how grateful I am to have you as my cyber friends. :l

Have a great sober day all!:h

[universal]

wed 23 nov af daily

Hi guys,

Well, yesterday was awful. The psychiatrist that the insurance company made me see was awful. She didn't care about my traumas, said that I shouldn't even be trying to deal with them that some things are better left alone. I was like "are you kidding? You're a psychiatrist and you are telling me that the things that cause me great pain and depression and anxiety I should just forget about like they never happened?" Then she told me that as far as she was concerned she didn't "buy" my story and that my therapist should not be trying to help me through my traumas at all but should just be concerned about getting me back to work as soon as possible. When I explained to her that I can't work because of my serious depression and anxiety she basically told me I was full of shit and that I obviously have a major anger problem and then she terminated the interview and told me to get out of her office.
So now I'm panicked because I have a feeling my company is going to cancel my benefits which means I will have to get a lawyer and sue them. I ended up in psych emerg last night because I was so distraught. That is the 4rth time this year that I have ended up in the emerg. So my regular therapist is going to get my emerg documents and let the insurance company know about the psychiatrist they made me see and how ridiculous it was. As if I need this.

My husband didn't even want to leave for work today and my friend wants me to come stay at her place but all I want to do is go to bed. I am so tired. I don't know if I have the energy to go to my friends house but they are worried about me. I just feel so pissed off and depressed and tired right now. Maybe I'll take a nap and see how I feel after. I just don't think I have the energy to go to my friends right now.

aaaauuuuggggghhhh - what fucking bullshit. Excuse the language I am just so lost.

[sunshine_gg]

wed 23 nov af daily

Good morning FABletts,

:l Uni
Don't know what to say... that must have been an awful experience.

LVT... ahhh, porcupine quills. Lovely. Been there, done that with one of my friend's dogs while she was on vacation. So not fun. As for xmas shopping.. I got my son off the list yesterday AND stimulated the local economy. I bought him and g/f a queen size bed (they've been sleeping on a futon unitl now - yuck) from the island furniture store. I may have spent a couple of $$ more than at he Brick/Leons but I saved $70 in gas and 4-6 hours to pick it up.

Momof 3 - bless you... but 6 am, yoga, and enjoy just don't belong in the same sentence :H

DG - hop to it! And no fretting allowed!

Bear - really glad you had such an open conversation with your parents! You should be very proud of yourself.. reading your posts from a month or so ago and now... wow, you've come a long way, baby

That's it for now... I'm running seriously behind. One thing is for sure, though...
Hello to all who tumble in later!

[Accountable for Me]

wed 23 nov af daily

:l Uni! How flippin' awful for you!! You definitely don't need that garbage. OMG! What kind of shrink was that??????? I would like to give her my piece of my :durn: mind. How unprofessional. Holy shit, batman! I hope you can see someone else!!

My treatment went well yesterday. I feel good today. Cleaned up, doing some laundry, about to take Little AFM off to school, then return 2 overdue library movies. Might go an start some Christmas shopping as well. I put the outdoor lights on outside on Sunday, so am starting to feel a bit festive now.

For you wonderful Americans, have a fabulous and AF dinners, etc....

OK, must fly. Have a fabulous day everyone!! Much love! xoxo

[Determinator]

wed 23 nov af daily

Uni extra hugs xxxxxxxx

for what it's worth, having worked with many state government hired shrinks your experience is pretty normal. they deal with hundreds of dirtbags every year that are lazy and have no intention of working since they have learned to 'work' the system and stay home and use drugs/AL. after a while they get so sick of this same client that they tend to think we are all the same. I see this happen with cops all the time too. they end up becoming jaded toward society in general. I certainly wouldn't want that job. I just couldn't do it.

for Doggygirl: Easy Korean Kimchi Recipe

no whey in that one...?

had a pretty negative day yesterday myself. clients that are stupid and order the wrong stuff and then complain to my boss I sent them the wrong stuff. oh well...better to be doing this AF at least.

be well everyone

[papmom3]

wed 23 nov af daily

oh Uni!! What a horrible experience! What kind of psychiatrist was that....? One that is paid by the Insurance Co. who doesn't want to pay your disability anymore. Hopefully a formal complaint can be lodged against her-she has no business working in this business!!
Take care of yourself today sweetie and stay safe! You have been doing so well-huge improvements over the past 6 months. Don't let this one dirtbag set you back. You are stronger than she is!!
:h :l :h

[universal]

wed 23 nov af daily

Thanks guys. I am feeling better now. I had a big talk with my sister and with my regular therapist. She was really pissed and upset and has got a message in with my insurance company about how I was treated. She also called the hospital and got the forms from last night sent to her so she can show them how this "so called psychiatrist" helped me. WE will definitly be fighting them. There is no where in my LTD forms that states they can cut me off until December of 2012 so things should be interesting as we move along.

It was just upsetting as I had hoped that I could end up with more people to help me but sometimes things just don't work out that way I guess. AT least I have the support of you guys, of my sister and my family and my therapist and family doctor. They have all the forms and admittance papers and paperwork from the 2 treatment centres I have been to so I can't see how the insurance company can try to cut me off. And if they do, then I will hire a lawyer and kick their asses. I will not let them beat me up like they do to so many people. I know 3 people who have severe depression and anxiety who didn't fight when they got cut off because they just didn't have the energy. That's what the insurance companies expect. I don't have the energy either but I figure a lawyer will.

Anyway, with that said I am now looking for a family therapist because this is just killing my husband watching me go through all of this. I hope we can get some therapy together so that I know how to help him as he watches me go through this. Life, crazy shit eh?

[Turnagain]

wed 23 nov af daily

Uni....I get really angry about insurance companies. It is not their aim to help provide services - it is to save money and/or make a profit for those involved...be they highly paid managers or the holy shareholders! I didn't realize you had to deal with that crap in Canada! Do provinces have insurance regulation divisions where you can file a complaint? Is there a mental health ombudsman in your area? Someone like that can help you navigate the bullshit. I am so sorry you have to deal with this.

DoggyG - can you take a day off for the holiday? You have been working so hard. We are proud of you and all you have already achieved!

AFM - glad to hear your latest treatment went well and you're feeling good and functioning.

Det...sorry to hear you had a BAD day. Hope today is better! Always glad to see you in chat.

You too, Sunni....that was fun.

AND KAS...where are ya hunny? You are a funny one in chat, too!

Hugs and warm thoughts to M3...P3...LVT...Bear....and all you regulars who have yet to check in!

Finally...for those of you wondering about my 'pickled' turkey...here's the brining link with a great scientific explanation about why this method is so yummy and delicious. I recommend trying it on a whole chicken first. Rule of thumb....brine the bird one hour per pound.

I ended up getting the LAST turkey at Costco yesterday and it is a whopper - 26 pounds.
omg! We have 9 people for the dinner...our guests will be leaving with leftovers!


All About Brining - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Now I have to figure out how to make pie crust again. It has been a decade since I've attempted homemade pie. I'll still just be pouring in the filling from a can. But hey - you gotta start somewhere, right?

I am so excited to have a sober holiday ahead of me!

[Lavande]

wed 23 nov af daily

Afternoon Abbers!

The entire day has gotten away from me & now I'm watching EB (my almost 3 yr old grandson) who seems to be spiking a temp
Come to think of it my kids always came down with some viral funk between Thanksgiving & Christmas

Uni, sorry yetserday sucked so bad for you.
I spent one year of my life working for an insurance company & I'm here to tell you - they don't want to pay for anything if they don't absolutely have to pay.......
Glad today is looking up for you.

Turn, I have a recipe for pate brisee (french style pie crust). It's awesome & fairly easly
Refrigerated pie crusts from the supermarket are awesome too!!!

Hello to everyone here - I'll be back later after this semi-sick kid goes home.

[papmom3]

wed 23 nov af daily

Hey Abbers!
Wow, its been a busy 2 days on this thread! I'm feeling super tired and draggy these days. Not sure why.

DG-enjoy the short break even if you have to keep up with the work. You're doing great!

Hope greenie got to her sis's safe and sound.

where is Marshy? Did they go away again?

Kas-snow? Skiis? Oh my!

Sunni-did you get the barn all buttoned up for the winter? Can the horses stay in there now?

Turn-enjoy that turkey tomorrow! My bro did that one year and it was delish!!

Blonde-you still alive? Are you home safe and sound?

Deter-so sorry you had a yucky day. Enjoy tomorrow and RELAX!! or __________ with DX-which ever is to your liking!!

AFM-god you rock!! So glad you didn't have any nasty side effects this time and that you can enjoy the rest of the week. Are you still working at the SPCA?

Lav-hope poor EB isn't too sick tomorrow!!

LVT-I'm so sorry your friend is going downhill fast. You are such a great friend to them both and I'm sure the bones for the dogs were appreciated to no end! Hope your HB was able to get the quills out of his mom's dog!!

2 peices of news from me:
First-DD finally bit me!! Happened Monday morning when I tried to stupidly take some fur out of his mouth. I knew it would happen eventually. It wasn't a horrible bite but it bled pretty bad. I was able to clean it out and dress it and I've had no problems with infection. I've already started the training for "drop it" I should have done years ago. :b&d:

and second, yesterday I got a surprise check in the mail from my old mortgage company. Just short of $400. That and the check for the car repair from the Ins co ( I've decided not to repair the car-not worth it and it's only cosmetic) allowed me to buy a new laptop today. My old laptop was ancient by todays standards (3 yrs old ) and the moniter had blown and I'm missing a few keys on the keyboard. There was a great deal on an HP G series with a 17.3" screen and built in webcam PLUS it has a numeric keyboard!! That is key for when I work from home. It has a ton of memory, it's very fast and probably is way more computer than I need but it was time and the deal was super super good. For less than the non sale price of this laptop, I also was able to add a 500 GB external hard drive that will make transferring my stuff over a piece of cake as well as I will be able to set up weekly backups which I've never done before (bad Papmom). I'm too tired to set it up today so will tackle it either tomorrow or Friday. On one hand I hate the fact that my lifestyle revolves around technology which means shelling out constant $$, but on the other hand, technology is hopefully going to allow me to make some serious PT money that more than offsets the expense. I don't think I'll be able to write this purchase off as it will not be used as part of my business at whatever percentage it needs to be but that's OK.

So that's my exciting news for this week. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and seeing my whole family. Saturday is the big dog show cluster with tons of vendors, agility, conformation and the best part of all, a free lunch after the papillons are judged. Sunday is the NH and then back to the grind on Monday.

See you all tomorrow before I commit extreme gluttony!!

[BlondeAFAmbition]

wed 23 nov af daily

Hi Abbers! Sorry to be checking into this daily thread so late in the day! I have been straight out at work for the past 6 days straight and I am relieved that it is finally OVER. Now onto the Christmas rush but by some miracle I got black friday off (well, no miracle...I worked today which is our busiest day of the year, being in the food business and all), so I am looking forward to Thurs & Fri off! Tomorrow I won't be making any food other than my spiced pumpkin cupcakes to bring for dessert...yummy!

Feeling tired tonight and just had a nice shrimp dinner and salad. It turned bitter cold and windy today...first pouring rain this morning, then wind and freezing cold. About to make a cup of Gingerbread spice tea and that will warm me up a bit! Then maybe veg out on the sofa and catch a movie with hubby. Tomorrow is a rare treat...a day off together, whoopeee!!! We can actually have breakfast together and coffee. Bought some pumpkin spice flavored coffee for the morning and am anxious to try it.

As I stated in the Newbies Nest, this is my first sober Thanksgiving holiday in 20 years, can you believe it? I can't! But I'm grateful to get through one...and I'm not even 40 yet. Drinking during holidays was always a big part of my family so even before it was legal for me to drink at TG and Christmas, my family let me. Sad, isn't it? Well, I am well stocked on my favorite seltzer water and plan on bringing a few of those with me. This time tomorrow night I may be stuffed, but I won't be drunk and stuffed, and I feel wonderful and relaxed now that I don't have to think about AL anymore. It's over.

Tomorrow, we will take that cute dog in my Avatar for a long walk on the beach before we head over to my SIL and BIL for dinner early in the afternoon. One of hub's older brothers is flying in from Iowa today and we rarely see him so that will be a treat.

There will be 3 very heavy drinkers with us tomorrow at TG. One being my mother, who I'm guessing will drink a large bottle of wine by herself by the end of the night, if not more. And then my 2 cousins, who are gay, who drink pretty much straight vodka and then wine with dinner. And most always, one of them gets really nasty to the other (one is my blood cousin and the other is his partner, but I call them both my cousins), and sometimes a fight will break out and it's so embarrassing for everyone. So I'm praying that that won't happen but I know that when vodka is involved, it's risky! Wish me luck that I won't have to break up an arguement at dinner with the 2 of them and also that my mother doesn't get too drunk. Is that too much for a sober girl to ask for on TG? Laughing but not really funny when you think about it.

As Sunny says, one thing is for sure...

Turn-I am with you on looking forward to the sober holiday!

Lav-Yes, that is our little doggy and yep, we have a big yard for her to roam in. Plus she gets a good walk every day. She's just extra hyper at this point in life but I have heard that about Jack Russell breeds! My last dog was a St. Bernard...talk about night and day when it comes to hyperness in dogs! Molly Moose, may you rest in peace my sweet girl...I still miss you!

Well, this turned out to be a rambling post, sorry about that! I hope you all have a lovely evening and Wonderful Turkey Day tomorrow for all my US friends out there. I'm grateful for you and all the MWO'ers around the Globe who have been instrumental in my recovery. Thank you all.

Sleep tight!

[BlondeAFAmbition]

wed 23 nov af daily

LOL, cross post Pap, yes, I am alive and well and made it through my extra long work week! Sorry about your bite! I hope it's not too bad. Have a lovely day tomorrow with your family and best of luck with the event on Saturday. Here's to celebrating Thanksgiving in blessed New England my NH friend!