[LonesomeTonight]

Welcome to the couch, old and new! A place to hang out - sometimes you get immediate feedback, sometimes you don't.

Shouting, "Cool Whip" tends to bring others out from between the cushions if you're feeling lonely.

This is a chatty thread. All are welcome. We're kind of psychologically oriented, sometimes. We try to be supportive. At times we discuss what that means.

It’s a place to plop down on the couch when you come home from work or wherever, or wake up in the middle of the night, or check in at lunch, rant a bit or not, and be among friends.

We advise you not to drink or drug and text your therapist ("T") - we speak from experience...

Sometimes the thread moves fast and you might get overlooked; sometimes it moves slowly and all you hear are crickets. Sometimes you get hugged or thanked pages later. So if it's a bigger question, you might want to start a new thread.

Grab a cushion, a spot on the floor, or an armchair in the corner (or with us) and make yourselves comfy!

Continued from Couch 160

161 is a Hexagonal Pyramidal number

[Amyjay]

Sitting atop a pyramid.... ouch!

[LonesomeTonight]

We'll make sure there are some good pillows up there!

[healed84]

[StressedMess]

Hey new couch! I'm sorry to say the little has the flu again. 2nd year in a row and we actually got the shots this year, grrr. Hopefully you're all warm and well.

[stopdog]

Sorry to hear about the flu - hope she recovers quickly and that you don't catch it.

[StressedMess]

Thanks SD, yes please I don't want to catch it!

[atisketatasket]

So for my Social Psychology class, I have to write something called a "Contact Hypothesis Project." Meaning, I have to go out and experience some diversity, something different from my norm.

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple, talking to a homeless person, attending a Bible study group, attending an AA meeting (isn't that against confidentiality?), or attending a "mommy and me" group (no). Anyone got any ideas?

Though apparently we can make up the encounter too.

[stopdog]

A mommy and me group? Ack.

[Argonautomobile]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

So for my Social Psychology class, I have to write something called a "Contact Hypothesis Project." Meaning, I have to go out and experience some diversity, something different from my norm.

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple, talking to a homeless person, attending a Bible study group, attending an AA meeting (isn't that against confidentiality?), or attending a "mommy and me" group (no). Anyone got any ideas?

Though apparently we can make up the encounter too.

Have an immigrant community in your town? Go to a restaurant there. Or just say you did.

ESTE TACOS SON MUY BIEN! GRACIAS!

Extra points if you try to read the foreign-language newspaper someone left on a table.

[88Butterfly88]

Yay, new couch! Feel better stressed.

[kecanoe]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

So for my Social Psychology class, I have to write something called a "Contact Hypothesis Project." Meaning, I have to go out and experience some diversity, something different from my norm.

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple, talking to a homeless person, attending a Bible study group, attending an AA meeting (isn't that against confidentiality?), or attending a "mommy and me" group (no). Anyone got any ideas?

Though apparently we can make up the encounter too.

AA has open meetings which are, well, open! Open to anyone who cares to attend. These meetings are sometimes attended by people who attend other 12 step groups but do not claim alcoholism. So spouses, adult children of alcoholics. Or people with other addictions. Or curious people or people writing papers. You would be welcome at an open meeting.

One thing I am curious about is Drumming. After reading Artie's posts about drumming, of course.

An ESL class. A worship service in another language or culture. Live music that would appeal to a younger group. Go to a meetup with gamers (assuming that is not you). Attend Anime night at the library.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by stopdog

A mommy and me group? Ack.

An Ack within the first page of the Couch? I think I just set a new record.

[chihirochild]

<whine>

cooooooouuuuuuch!!! i was supposed to see my t this afternoon after a three-week break b/c she was out of town (which was preceded by a two-week break because *i* was out of town) but i got called into the icu because the intern who was supposed to be in the icu by himself today is stupid and can't do his fricking job on his own, and then the icu like EXPLODED with all these super sick people and then one really sick patient who had been there forever (>2mo) up and died out of the blue and then my resident was crying and my co-intern was not magically un-stupid and my attending had to leave early and i was supposed to catch the bus for the t appointment in 10 minutes and my conscience was like, "if i leave, there is a non-zero chance that someone in this icu is gonna die" so i had to call and cancel and when everything had calmed down a little i called to reschedule and the receptionist was like "well the first time you can see her is feb 9th which is ANOTHER THREE WEEKS (usually i see her twice a week) and i didn't have it in me to argue with the receptionist and be like "no you don't understand this whole thing is ridiculous and not my fault" so i just took the stupid appointment and usually t squeezes me into her schedule somehow in a way that the receptionists can't/don't but there is no way for me to communicate with t directly even though we actually work within the same hospital system and definitely have access to each other's email addresses but THERAPY IS REALLY WEIRD so that isn't an option.

it will probably work out fine in the end b/c i have a pre-existing appt with pdoc tomorrow and he also works within the same hospital system (they're in the same clinic) and assuming i can actually see him, he'll tell her what happened and she'll find a way to fit me in before the ninth and she'll have the idiot/lazy receptionist call me to let me know when and it'll all work out. but still. i'm sad.

</whine>

Originally Posted by kecanoe

AA has open meetings which are, well, open! Open to anyone who cares to attend. These meetings are sometimes attended by people who attend other 12 step groups but do not claim alcoholism. So spouses, adult children of alcoholics. Or people with other addictions. Or curious people or people writing papers. You would be welcome at an open meeting.

One thing I am curious about is Drumming. After reading Artie's posts about drumming, of course.

An ESL class. A worship service in another language or culture. Live music that would appeal to a younger group. Go to a meetup with gamers (assuming that is not you). Attend Anime night at the library.

I was gonna suggest a drumming circle!

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by ArtieSwimsOn

I was gonna suggest a drumming circle!

There are a surprising number of drum circles around here, per Meetup.

I must admit, art, it was my first idea. Your influence on us Couchies is not to be underestimated.

[ruh roh]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

So for my Social Psychology class, I have to write something called a "Contact Hypothesis Project." Meaning, I have to go out and experience some diversity, something different from my norm.

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple, talking to a homeless person, attending a Bible study group, attending an AA meeting (isn't that against confidentiality?), or attending a "mommy and me" group (no). Anyone got any ideas?

Though apparently we can make up the encounter too.

Attend Sunday service at a Black Baptist church?

[WarmFuzzySocks]

Originally Posted by Argonautomobile

Have an immigrant community in your town? Go to a restaurant there.

Or a market.

You could walk around and look at all of the things you had no idea were foods. Maybe even try some.

I'll third the drum circle idea, too.

[LonesomeTonight]

Originally Posted by chihirochild

<whine>

cooooooouuuuuuch!!! i was supposed to see my t this afternoon after a three-week break b/c she was out of town (which was preceded by a two-week break because *i* was out of town) but i got called into the icu because the intern who was supposed to be in the icu by himself today is stupid and can't do his fricking job on his own, and then the icu like EXPLODED with all these super sick people and then one really sick patient who had been there forever (>2mo) up and died out of the blue and then my resident was crying and my co-intern was not magically un-stupid and my attending had to leave early and i was supposed to catch the bus for the t appointment in 10 minutes and my conscience was like, "if i leave, there is a non-zero chance that someone in this icu is gonna die" so i had to call and cancel and when everything had calmed down a little i called to reschedule and the receptionist was like "well the first time you can see her is feb 9th which is ANOTHER THREE WEEKS (usually i see her twice a week) and i didn't have it in me to argue with the receptionist and be like "no you don't understand this whole thing is ridiculous and not my fault" so i just took the stupid appointment and usually t squeezes me into her schedule somehow in a way that the receptionists can't/don't but there is no way for me to communicate with t directly even though we actually work within the same hospital system and definitely have access to each other's email addresses but THERAPY IS REALLY WEIRD so that isn't an option.

it will probably work out fine in the end b/c i have a pre-existing appt with pdoc tomorrow and he also works within the same hospital system (they're in the same clinic) and assuming i can actually see him, he'll tell her what happened and she'll find a way to fit me in before the ninth and she'll have the idiot/lazy receptionist call me to let me know when and it'll all work out. but still. i'm sad.

</whine>

Hugs, that sucks... I hope you're able to get a sooner appointment with your T...

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

An Ack within the first page of the Couch? I think I just set a new record.

We're pretty diverse, do we count? You could say you hung out in a yurt

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

So for my Social Psychology class, I have to write something called a "Contact Hypothesis Project." Meaning, I have to go out and experience some diversity, something different from my norm.

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple, talking to a homeless person, attending a Bible study group, attending an AA meeting (isn't that against confidentiality?), or attending a "mommy and me" group (no). Anyone got any ideas?

Though apparently we can make up the encounter too.

Besides the drumming circle idea, I forgot to say I also think it might be fun to make up an encounter too.

My next class doesn't start for another 2 weeks. I'm taking Positive Psychology next.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Examples of previous topics include stuff like doing yoga in a Sikh temple,

a. Yoga in a temple? and,

b. A Sikh "temple" (it's a gurudwara, thank you very much and doing yoga there would be super.................weird).

So much for (dis)proving Allport.

Just....

Btw, I'm having flashbacks to grad school now -- I spent a ton of time dissecting Allport's Nature of Prejudice (my diss advisor hated all things Allport and was a major Blumer fan [the focus on social interactions is idiotic and what we really should care about are relative group positions in terms of wealth and all the correlated socio-economic stuff]).

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

a. Yoga in a temple? and,

b. A Sikh "temple" (it's a gurudwara, thank you very much and doing yoga there would be super.................weird).

So much for (dis)proving Allport.

Just....

Btw, I'm having flashbacks to grad school now -- I spent a ton of time dissecting Allport's Nature of Prejudice (my diss advisor hated all things Allport and was a major Blumer fan [the focus on social interactions is idiotic and what we really should care about are relative group positions in terms of wealth and all the correlated socio-economic stuff]).

Maybe it was a made-up encounter?

Maybe Blondie’s teaching the course?

Remember...caaaaaage match.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Maybe Blondie’s teaching the course?

Remember...caaaaaage match.

Touche. Sigh.

Maybe there's a podcast on doing yoga in a Sikh temple.

Blondie very.....very.....very painstakingly pronounced D-i-w-a-l-i and apologized for her pronunciation.

She seemed to notice it happens around October.

I felt like I should give her a gold medal for participation + powers of observation.

Btw, more on Blondie-tunes -- she's sent me more than half a dozen text messages today about the potential snow tomorrow and asking if I want a phone session and if not, hopefully we can see each other coz she'll really really...like really....try to make it in tomorrow.

I finally just said I'm not coming in tomorrow and nor am I doing a phone session and miraculously, I may just survive till Sunday.

I am sure all of Info's prep for snow days is stocking up on Viagra.

[atisketatasket]

If you give her a gold medal for participation, that will give her false self-esteem...oh wait, she already has that.

I like this arrangement where we snark about each other’s therapists.

ETA: wait. Didn’t you have a session in the snow last week?