1. My back started hurting over a week ago. It's improved a little but I'm still getting an ache in the middle on the left side. Will continue to try to rest and also try to get a massage this weekend, hopefully that'll work it out. If not, to the doctor I go. It's a big downer.
2. I skipped the gym today because I forget to get a lunch packed last night to bring to the office. Home for lunch instead.
3. Going to Home Depot tonight. Need a few more window screens, a plant for the bathroom, some spray paint for a chair in the living room, maybe another fan? Gonna be a scorcher this weekend!

That is so impressive about the 5k.

1. It is hot. Daggone hot. My cat is sleeping wrapped around the nice cool toilet.

2. This afternoon I am going to see this.

3. Been eating cheese/crackers and hummus/pita bread for dinners because it's too hot to cook. I miss cooking, but not enough to introduce more heat into my kitchen.

Congratulations, Senyar! That's so impressive and exciting!

TPS, sorry you're having such pain. Back pain is surprisingly debilitating and dispiriting; I hope you recover soon!

1. For a variety of reasons, it's been a week or so since I've managed a full night's sleep. I'm getting pretty fractured.

2. Trivia night tonight!

3. I think I'm going to follow JanetLand's example and pick up some cold food for late lunch. Or maybe just a slushie.

Oooh, JanetLand, that movie looks wonderful, I wish I was going with you to see it.

1. Fighting down a panic attack. I was hospitalized last week for pain and sick and dehydration. Had a recurrence of the pain and started hyperventilating. The pain is gone, took my sane pill, but I'm still trying to get the adrenaline down.

2. Still have not been able to find a house for all of us to fit into, and Fall isn't that far away.

3. With all this crap going on, it's seriously doubtful I can make the trip to CA to see baby brother in August.

That's amazing Senyar! (And TPS, I'm having back pain in the same area too.) *deep breaths* to lysdexic.

1. Despite having drugs (trazodone) from the pdoc that are supposed to help with sleep, I still am having problems. I can only go up another 100mg before I top out at what I was prescribed (300mg). (They gave me instructions to fiddle with the dosage between appointments.) It's extremely irritating, leading to mid-afternoon sleep attacks, and giving me surprise headaches.

2. Feeling quite unmotivated and laaaaaaaazy. Although my mood isn't in the crapper, like it typically does when I feel this way. It's strange for my mood to be on an even keel and not all doom and gloom. Still, I could really use some motivation to actually do things like go to the gym. Or care about school. Or actually give a shit at work.

3. I've been having ridiculous cravings for hardboiled eggs and have been making and eating a lot of them (typically 3 for breakfast and 3 for dinner). I've hit upon a wonderful method which gives them lovely pillowy yolks. (I like undercooked eggs.) Plus, having them with honey mustard dressing and cheese doesn't involve heating. I suppose I should make grown up food, but I live alone so I try to make fairly small batches of things.

JL, I am so sorry you are going to be forced to sit through that. I don't think you'll enjoy it at all. ;)

1. I just got the order from my boss to work from home for the rest of the week because of the heat. Yippy skippy! (If you knew my commute, you'd understand why this is huge.)

2. I'm hosting an NYC meetup this weekend! Or should I say... a beat-the-heat-up? No, I should certainly not.

3. Level 2 improv classes start this weekend. I'm really excited.

Hey, that was all positive. Don't see that from me that often.

Aaand right after I post that, I get the e-mail that class is postponed til Aug. 7th. I'll just have to wait.

I'm really just commenting again so I can say CONGRATULATIONS, SENYAR!

I find all running achievements astounding feats of effort. I can barely make my ass do pilates once in a while.

1. Been reading about rational emotive therapy all morning and, boy, is this book defensive. It's also quite a relic of its time and poorly written.

2. Ohmigod, the tension. It turns out I have a pronounced math anxiety and, holy hell, is it annoying.

3. I've been soaking in brain research from neurotheology to brain plasticity and I still barely know anything. Brains. Braaains.

1. Accutane sucks. Really sucks. In theory it'll cure once and for all my super-oily face, but OMG I have dandruff on my arms and the skin on my lips is peeling off in big sheets. But hey! Only six more weeks to go! :-/

2. The key piece of a long trip fell in place yesterday. In late August I'll be riding my BMW F650 Dakar west to ride a bunch of dual sport (on & off-road.) I politely hit up a friend in Colorado Springs for a place to change tires and he offered workshop space, tools, help and a place to stay!

3. I need more time to read. I've got three books from the library and two coming from Amazon. I'm not sure where to cut my time budget to do this.

1. Had a bit of a melt-down yesterday and was thisclose to cancelling my trip to our family reunion, but I had a nap and felt much better afterwards.

2. Got the rental car today only an hour later than booked thanks to the rental agency. Good thing I booked it a day earlier than really necessary.

3. Half-packed, doing a load of laundry and will get to the cats stuff (getting them prepared for a few days alone) later today.

Senyar, that really is wonderful. I can't walk 100 yards without becoming out of breath.

don'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanicdon'tpanic

workerant, fiercely jealous of your #2!

Senyar, you're so inspiring. I even looked on meetup.com for a couch to 5k running group near me but alas, there are none.

workerant, have you ever tried Epiduo? I have been prescribed it for acne and it is amazing, and evidently for some it's an alternative to Accutane.

1. I want to go for a walk or to the gym but my damn ipod is dead and needs to charge for a while. And I want to listen to Savage Love podcasts when I exercise but itunes won't let me sync them to my ipod for some reason.

2. My SO sucks at emotional support. He just gets uncomfortable and doesn't know what to say, and in my current state this translates to "I don't give a crap," which I don't really think is the case.

3. Looking forward to a very activity-filled weekend including a trip to the shore and going to see Daniel Tosh do stand-up.

Every unguent my dermatologist prescribes makes my face peel all over to the point that I can't use it.

It can be hard to be emotional support when you have no idea what to say. Words can seem so futile.

It can be hard to be emotional support when you have no idea what to say. Words can seem so futile.

This is true, and to be fair I don't think I'm any better at it than he is.

amro, I almost didn't comment in your post from yesterday because I didn't know what to say that wouldn't sound trite. But I figured to say something is better than to say nothing. And that's usually true. In a relationship, there needs to be an understanding of openness, and that neither person will get defensive or lash out if the proffered concern seems insufficient. Sometimes, you don't know what to say other than, "That sucks," but it's nice to know someone cares, even if they can't communicate how much they care. You have to allow the small steps in between, and then through talking about issue after issue, you build the vocabulary between yourselves. If you say, "That's terrible" or "that sucks" and are met with "It's more than terrible, you insensitive clod!" then you withdraw and feel like, "Why bother?" It's hard to be understanding when you're hurting and/or your feelings are raw, though.

Dunno if that helps, but that's how I've always approached it.

workerant - I hear you. the first month of Accuatne is hell on earth. I saw results in month three. Hang in there.

Thanks Eid, I will keep that in mind. I didn't say anything negative to him about it, and I won't.

I don't imagine you did. These are learned behaviors, from past relationships, or parents...

Senyar, awesome achievement! Good luck with the 10k - remember, there will be times that you will be in pain and think you can't go on, but you can and you'll get over the pain. Once you get in shape for it, running is an awesome high.

I'm a bit like your SO, amro - just because he's maybe not so good about expressing it in words doesn't mean he doesn't care, though.

1. Feeling kind of anti-climactic after the weekend's challenge. By Wednesday all the aches had gone and I really don't feel like I walked 96 km at all. I was expecting to be sore for a couple of weeks.

2. Got attacked by arsehole co-worker in a meeting organised by the union yesterday (mostly because he felt I shouldn't be there, not being a member of the union, although I was invited by the union), which made me feel a bit shitty. At least the union organiser did the right thing and told him to pull his head in.

3. Looking for a new goal now that the challenge is over.

Woo hoo Senyar!!!

TPS, I'd suggest acupuncture with traditional Chinese medicine docs -- that put paid to my back pain.

1. Wishing for just a little more summer around here. Not to the point of stifling heat, but a continuous week of high 70s/low 80s days would be nice.

2. Really irked at local mass transit folks for closing our parking lot at the commuter train station for over a year, requiring muddy slogs from temporary parking lot to train, then re-opening to reveal that they actually cut the available parking in half. I'm not the first to notice the only other parking option is more expensive than just driving downtown and parking. There's no bus service to the train for most of us so this is just stupid.

3. Hmm, don't really have anything else. Stay cool, all of you bunnies in sweltering environs.

Woo hoo to Senyar! Every now and then I think about doing something like that, and then I don't. (More things to discuss with my therapist.)

1. According to a nice and lengthy call with the nurse practitioner line associated with my health insurance regarding my puffy and swollen feet, I am apparently retaining water like no one's business. It is suggested that I put my feet up and rest for a few days, drink more water, and reduce my sodium intake. I want to work on my website and play World of Warcraft. Clearly, something in me needs to give.

2. "Destructive Negligence" sounds like an awesome name for a band. It is not, however, an awesome thing to have lurking in your psyche.

3. Just added to my list of things for after we move: Find a new general practitioner and finally get an OB-GYN. It's been way too long since I've had a pap done.

1. Husband gave me an Asus Eee Slate as a "Congrats on getting into grad school" present. It rocks. It is also awesome. Also, it is rad.

2. The giant bushes that are crowding the front walk at this house bloomed and are apparently hibiscus! It makes me feel a little like I'm in Hawaii when I schlep back and forth from the door to the car.

3. My daughter is far away for the rest of the summer visiting her grandparents. I miss her, but I also like not being "MOMMY" for a few weeks.

workerant - my brother-in-law took Accutane as an older teenager, and it was a rough time but he has the best-looking skin in the family now. Hang in there!

TPS, I'd suggest acupuncture with traditional Chinese medicine docs -- that put paid to my back pain.

I've been thinking about that! I just need to find a place, is all!

1. Took the boys to a water/amusement park yesterday. Discovered that we are NOT hot weather people. Spent most of the time in the water park, had a great time, and despite re-application of sunblock, we still got some sunburn.

2. My dastardly groundhog is back, and has now eaten a beautiful pumpkin plant that sprang from the seeds of a pumpkin from last year. I have sprayed with soapy water and hot pepper spices. Keeping my fingers crossed.

3. I am actually glad that my pesty boss is back from vacation. Please don't tell him I said that.

1. I'm back from nearly three weeks in Asheville and very excited about the coming semester. I've been assigned one of my heroes as my advisor; we've already had our first argument and it was great.

2. There were some big changes at work while I was away, but I think they were good ones.

3. My new place is so much nicer than the old one. There's a shady private walled courtyard with variegated ivy and a huge camellia tree and a chimenea. Inside there's a real grownup-size 1950s kitchen with yellow tiles and a crazy museum-piece O'Keefe and Merritt gas stove. There's a big fireplace set into a brick wall. And a lovely deep comfortable bathtub. Big windows, too, and good cross-drafts. The only odd thing is the sound of what must be raccoons galumphing across the roof at night.

Redvixen, I can imagine you getting hella burned. . .ouch!

1. We are in Ashland, for the second of our annual trips here. Staying in the Columbia as usual in a slightly more expensive room than usual, up in front with the other swells. A lot different from the back of the hotel for just 20 bucks more.

2. Saw The African Company Presents Richard III last night at the Festival, which I, among most people assumed would be Richard III presented by all African-American actors. But no, a play about a group of free blacks in NY in the early 1800's, standing up to the establishment and getting slapped down. I loved it, although now that I look in some past reviews from other places, the play has gotten lukewarm reviews at best. Tonight, a very gay Pirates of Penzance. (Ironically, the Decemberists played last night a few miles way in Jacksonville.)

3. The WiFi here in this hotel is a lot faster than mine at home and tempted to just go ahead and buy and download Lion while I am here.

Little late to the party, but:

Wednesday morning we landed at LHR, and made our way northward to the Peterborough area, where we'll be living for the next 3-5 years. We'll be in temporary housing for several weeks, but the house we're planning on renting is huge and rambling and wonderfully set amidst horse pastures and sheepfolds and fields of oilseed rape. My beloved spouse is rapturous, my children are only slightly nonplussed. Our four cats, after much expense and reams of paperwork, arrived yesterday no worse for wear. Our rental car should arrive presently, at which time I would suggest anyone driving in the East Midlands pull over directly and stay off the roads.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Welcome to the UK, tortillathehun! Are you from here originally or is this a new venture?

New (ad)venture, and I'm all agog.