Couch 167 1/2; Tennis Anyone?

Your exchanges with info are sometimes quite similar to mine with the first woman.

Maybe I should go live in a cave somewhere. My yard has become overgrown. I have anxiety about calling someone to come take care of it because dealing with people on more than a cursory level makes me anxious lately. I'm also anxious because I know my neighbors are probably irritated by my yard. I'd weed eat it myself but I don't know where the batteries are and the thought of digging through all the stuff in the garage to find them fills me with dread. All my husband's stuff is out there and I just don't want to deal with any of it. So I get home today and one neighbor is in my yard with a shovel, apparently weeding something. She's out there with another neighbor, an older woman who is not the most pleasant person I've met. They keep calling me a shortened version of my name, so today I just told them that's not my name. Then the old bat asks me when I'm going to do something about this mess. I told her I'd take care of it when I get around to it and that she was rude then went into my house. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut but I was annoyed and didn't feel like dealing with any of this. I felt ambushed in my own yard. I've managed to mostly avoid my neighbors for 10 months. I just want them to leave me alone. I feel like I don't belong here anymore.

Actually it's the Aldi store brand, labeled "Little Salad Bar." Sabra is the only one I remember as being that high in fat. I used to buy Tribe and that one's 3.5gr. I only buy the plain variety because I don't really like other flavors mixed in.

And NP--those ARE rude and obnoxious neighbors! My yard is horribly overgrown right now because of the weather and having 3 different guys flake out on me. I finally got someone hired, but now it's raining again. If I found a neighbor giving me crap about it, I'd tell her to either get her mower or shut up and go home!
I'm not subject to a HOA, though, so that might make a difference.

Wow, NP, that's awful about the neighbors! Sorry you had to deal with that...they should have left a note or something if it was bothering them, not just start digging in your yard!


I wonder if it would be better just to hire someone to do it--though I understand about the anxiety in dealing with people. You'd probably only have to interact with them very briefly though, like when they're starting and finishing.

NP- That is rude of the neighbors. I mean, if their intent was to be helpful, asking if you need help is the way to start, not heading to your yard with a shovel.

Do you know what kind of battery you need? If you're not up for calling a service (is there a service that you can call and pay over the phone?), maybe buying new batteries would be easier than facing the garage.

I guess I should mention that last year they offered to pull some weeds after the fire happened and I told them it was fine. But I didn't think that I was giving them access to my yard in perpetuity. I hate conflict and I can't handle it right now.

There may be a lawn service where you can book it on line. We have that sort in my city.

Or maybe she moonlights there?

Good luck with your submissions!! Go get 'em you!!

Writing Fiction A Guide to Narrative Craft (Janet Burroway/Elizabeth Stuckey-French/Ned Stuckey-French)

it includes both instruction and actual short stories.

I just finished reading Chapter 1 which is about the writing process and talks about journal keeping, freewriting, choosing a subject, reading as writers, and writing workshops. Our class btw is designed as a workshop. We'll have both class discussions and group discussions - the smaller group discussions from what I understand will be to share our original writing and give feedback to each other.

Chapters 1-4 are assigned for this first week. The first class discussion is due Thursday night and is an Introduction of ourselves. That won't be so hard. Then we have 3 more assignments due June 3 night: 1. Class discussion on characterization 2. Group discussion characterization workshop and 3. Write and submit a 500 word "writing autobiography". I guess the 3rd one won't be so hard, since she gave some guiding questions.

I must be a special brand of crazy taking this as a 5 week summer class!!

The fact that you still went on to your therapy session means you value Info’s sage wisdom over.........a plate of hot wings?

My person used that text when she taught a couple of her classes.
I took a lot of classes with Burroway when I was an undergrad.

I have never eaten at a Hooters. Perhaps we should have the Couch annual dinner there this year, instead of showing up at SD’s and demanding she smoke us some meat?

I have never been to a hooters either.

I've only been to Hooters once, years ago.

A friend and I once considered going to Hooters but we were at the time, hanging out with a bunch of very proper couldn’t-possibly-be-more-left hippie granola Birkenstock-wearing queers who took serious umbrage and asked us to consider if we’d ever thought about The Objectification of Women? And, while we were at it, could we please also educate ourselves on Andrea Dworkin’s writings? And, so on and so forth.

So, we didn’t bring it up again and I guess I never quite got around to it.

(Note to self — if the usual mother topic gets to be a bit much with Blondie, ask her about the idea of visiting Hooters as a quintessentially American experience.)

I feel like I'm taking too long to get over this. When is everyone going to give up on me? My own mother doesn't even call to check up on me.

I know we’re just words on a screen to each other, but I don’t see anyone around here giving up on you.

There is no time frame for healing *hugs*

I had bad dreams last night, and they stuck with me all blinkin’ day. Here’s what made me cry: Yesterday I used my last tea bag of my favorite tea, and even though I knew that the company was out because I’ve been trying to order it for months, I made a cup of not-my-favorite tea and checked anyway and they finally had my tea in stock.

Bad dreams=Bad day.
Cried over stupid tea.
Because I COULD order it.

That one tiny good thing tipped me over the edge. (Bleep.)

H is in the er for high blood pressure They think it's either the wpw or diverticulitus.

Eta: It's definitely a wpw flare up.

I'm glad you had that tiny good thing. Hugs if you want.

Had my Lupron shot yesterday and it’s hitting emotionally and physically now. Still in bed. Should go to the gym. Or at least eat breakfast.

Hugs, Scarlet--is he still in the hospital? I hope he's OK.

Does it help at all to just take a day off and stay in bed?