There is room for everybody on Couch 72

He wrote my favorite short story, which for the longest time i attributed to Ring Lardner. But i recently found a copy of it. It was about a piece of chewing gum. It was in our 7th grade reader or thereabouts.

thanks RTS...
I am not FB friends with anyone on here. Thankfully most of you don't hold my compulsion for privacy against me.

Still, if you don't mind friendly animals
And can learn to stand the smell
Well, welcome home
to Happiness Hotel

I love friendly animals
grew up on a farm so I love the smell
and thank you for the welcome.
Hotel Happiness!

Only four, I think. The Pearl (as an assignment for Swedish class, when I was about 14), Of Mice and Men (around the same time, also in Swedish, and I think I borrowed it from the school library), The Wayward Bus (ditto) and Grapes of Wrath, which I think I read in English, a few years later. I particularly remember The Pearl, because our wonderful Swedish teacher read parts of it out loud to us.

Hey Punky - welcome!

What Swedish books are children required to read?

I am soooooo tired and miserable. Had a minor surgical procedure Monday and aspirated while under anesthesia. Been doing everything they told me to do- cough medicine, antibiotics, etc but getting worse. Doctor sent me for a chest x-ray and put me on stronger antibiotics today. They think I may have pneumonia. Never had it before but so far not enjoying myself with whatever this is. Sucks to have to take a rest after walking across the house.

Miss everyone around here. Sorry I've been so quiet.

Murray... sorry to hear you aren't doing so well... I hope the stronger antibiotics kick in soon.

It's good to see you posting

I'm trying to decide what to do when my YT (young T) moves. I only have a few weeks left. I only let myself think about it in brief spurts.

I've been on that T search website but not seeing anyone inspirational jump out at me that is in my insurance plan. Also then there is that whole man vs woman thing. My age and younger men seem okay. Older men might be a serious issue for me. (my creep radar goes off big time) Women who keep their distance (emotionally) are okay but when they try to move "closer" I sort of flip out....

YT mentions it for like 3 minutes every session and my answer is always... I'll think about it ...

I don't think there are any authors that are required reading. There is no literary canon, and teachers get to choose which books to include in the curriculum. At least I think that's how it works - it's been a long time since I left school, and I have no children. From what I can remember, we read August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Torgny Lindgren, Karin Boye, Frans G Bengtsson and probably some others as well. I'd be surprised if most school kids did not read at least excerpts of Selma Lagerlöf and August Strindberg, who are arguably our greatest authors.

hey peeps .I had a great morning (YES I REALLY DID) the last time I got together with these girls to do some crafts there was one woman who was kind of stand offish and I felt I was annoying her. I went today and was hanging with the same woman and she was friendly and we had a great time .it did my heart good..i am trying to work hard on the thinking people hate me and all .and I am also trying to give them a chance also. my T had given me some ideas to use while I was on this get away and it worked well for the most part. I just hope some day I wont have to work so hard to convince myself that people don't automatically want to hurt me or hate me . with out going way over to the other end of the scale saying .who am I to even think that anyone would even want to put energy into hating me ,and for the most part am invisible to the world. someday I hope to find that grey

welcome punky

I've missed you, murray. I hope you feel better very soon.

wikid, I hope you fel better, too, soon. I think it's enormously cool that you got a green shirt, but it doesn't surprise me even a little bit.

RTS - ugh, that's tough.

yay granite! So glad you had a good time.

I don't think I had to read Strindberg. I don't remember reading anything by him. Definitely read some stuff by Selma Lagerlöf though. I also remember I had to read Doktor Glas by Hjalmar Söderberg.

I have read Red Pony, Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl and started the Winter of Our Discontent. I was an English major as an undergrad.

Good for you, Granite!

Hope you feel better, Murray. That happened to me once during a procedure. It is absolutely miserable.

Hope all the new people feel welcome.

Does he have anyone he could give you referals for?

He wanted to know if I wanted to go back to T2 (the female T who offered to do reduced session for me) or he could give me referrals. Once I said probably referals then he asks well do you want a male or female? and then I'm back to saying UHHHHHHHH... I'll think about it.

Why not ask him for a couple of names of men and a couple of women? Just to keep your options open?

Two days ago, it suddenly occurred to me: what if I just started calling people (my pdoc, my insurer's behavioral health unit, one of the hospitals' psych units I've been in, the National Suicide Lifeline, etc.) & said: "You've got to do something... I just can't stand this anymore! I can't do this for another minute!" ? I feel like that sometimes... like I just can't stand it anymore. I can't stand the depression, the anxiety, the anger, the exhaustion, confusion, the feelings of helplessness / hopelessness, and on and on... Anyway, I wonder if anyone would actually try to do anything or if it would all just meet with the same sort of disinterest I already get?

I know what my pdoc would do... well actually I wouldn't even get to talk with him. I'd get the clinic's voicemail, I'd leave a message for his assistant, & she'd call me back later in the day when she got around to it. She'd tell me maybe I should make an appointment for a date sooner than my next follow-up. And if I did that, my pdoc would listen for a minute or two & then suggest a couple of med's he could add to what I'm already taking. And that would be that.

What anyone else might do, I don't know. Maybe the police would suddenly appear at my door. Of course, I can't actually do this. The high temperature today is supposed to be 0*F. And I have to walk the dog. If I don't do it, my wife has to do it after work in the dark. And besides, I know these occasional feelings of desperation pass to be replaced by feelings of dull acceptance. Still... there is a part of me that would love to just come unglued & begin screaming at people that someone has got to do something!

TS, please consider actually calling someone or going to the hospital. Your wife would rather walk the dog after dark in the cold than have you harm yourself. Please take care.

MUE...I've been thinking about you and hoping you are doing well.

I will do that. There are like 5 others in his office... 2 are males but they are older...like 60 and that for some reason makes me anxious. The other 3 are women. I hope he is able to provide names of people outside his organization - that his hands aren't being tied from doing that by his employer. I'll ask when I'm willing to talk about it. I don't want these last weeks to be about him leaving...

What do you think it means when a woman you hardly know stares at you relentlessly at meetings, begins dressing like you, cuts all her hair off so it's punky links yours, throws a hot color (purple) in her hair similar to yours (pink) and now shows up at another organization your involved in that she's never been in before?

Creepy.

Well, the good news is, my apartment passed annual inspection today by the county housing authority. Now I just have to finish filling out the paperwork for my recertification.

I was thinking that maybe backing into that pickup truck the other day might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The adjuster is supposed to come today, and they usually cut me a check on the spot. I already have someone who will fix the damage on my car, for probably a lot less money than one of the usual repair shops. So I may end up with some extra cash from the insurance. Considering the bad financial news I got today, that sure would help right now.

I want to cuddle with my beagle and take a nap. The insurance guy will probably show up around the time I fall asleep. Oh well.