Couch 239: Cape Coral Couch

Yep, when I went WAH (work at home) I brought home my work computer and they shipped me new monitors (we have 2, because of having to use so many different programs to do our jobs) cuz the ones in the office are like mounted to the desks. They've since life-cycled my computer and now I have a tiny one that's more the size of a modem! I also have a WAH kit which is basically a big ol' router that sits between the monitors. At my next life-cycle date I'm supposed to be getting a laptop that will replace the little computer, that will attach to the monitors, so then I'll have 3 screens. Oh, joy.

But yeah, it's all work's equipment.

I have become re-inspired to start writing stories again. When I set up my new laptop last night, it knew so much because of having a gmail account (ooeeoo big brother) and it imported all kinds of stuff - including access to google docs where several years ago I had saved quite a bit of a story I had been working on at the time. Over half of the document is thoughts/plans/character development (there's a therapist in it and it appears that I was modeling her after L) and the rest is actual story. I printed it and I'm going to read through it and see if I can get back into the spirit of it, and actually finish it. From the little bit I already read, it shouldn't be hard to get back into it. I thought all of that writing was lost forever because I couldn't find it on old laptop - I'd forgotten I saved it to google drive.

Well done for back it all up artie.

Well I decided to continue another 8 weeks in the coaching/cbt thing and just changed my program and scheduled my next session, I'm going to do the social anxiety one this time. When I just went through the initial questions, I realized I guess I do struggle with it more than I realized... just, working at home I don't really deal with other people in person all that much. I will still have C as my coach which is good I feel like we have good conversations.

I'm so sorry. I'm glad you have L through all of this.
Nice! Proud of you
Good for you to keep tackling these issues.

I got my hair cut for the first time in like 15 years at a salon today and it was AMAZING. I got two shampoos, so got to get two head massages, lol. She specializes in curly cuts, so it came out really well.

velcro, you are so lucky! It is hard to find someone who knows how to cut curly hair well.

Glad you enjoyed getting your hair cut, Velcro, and that it came out so well!


I absolutely love the salon I go to now that's near where I live. At first I thought they were way more expensive than like Great Clips or whatever, but when I thought about it, I was like, they're really not that much more expensive cuz they just charge one price for the shampoo/conditioning/cut/style and do all of it, where at Great Clips sure it can cost less, but they just spray your hair with water and you walk out of there dripping (well i do anyway as I have very thick hair that holds a lot of water lol) unless you pay extra for the other stuff so.... it's really not that much more plus they have tea and fresh-baked cookies at the salon. And the guy at the front desk who takes payments & schedules is a sweetheart.

I returned the new laptop this afternoon, I decided the screen was just too small. Now I need to try to find a bigger one online as they didn't have any bigger than 15 inches at the store. Plus I want one that doesn't have that S Mode on it, I had never heard of that til yesterday, but it means you can't use any programs that aren't microsoft approved or whatever, and there's a couple things I use regularly that aren't.

I read your post about the IUD @ScarletPimpernel. I'm so, so sorry you're having to go through such a sadness.

So I joined a hard of hearing only chapter of Toastmasters International. My first official meeting, I’ll be the Wordmaster, so I have to choose a word for the speakers to work into their talks.

I asked if there were guidelines and was told it should be a word that people kind of know but don’t use very much, like “bereft.”

So there go defenestration, kallipygian, abd paraclausithyron.

I'm so grateful for L. Sadly, she will not be here for two weeks. She leaves on the 5th...the same day I get the IUD. I've asked T and L to be with me in spirit that day. I hope some couchies can be with me too.

I would have been curious as to the kinds of talks they'd have given using defenestration!

I hope you like the group.

Hugs, Scarlet....I can be there with you in spirit, too.

So, this is really weird, in a good way: I went to a concert (by myself) in the next state over tonight. When I was walking out of the garage, I asked what I thought was a couple how to get to the park where the concert was. They were going, too, and when they learned I was there by myself, they asked, "Do you want to hang out with us?" I said OK, as they seemed nice (though sometimes I like to be on my own at shows). That's not the weird part.

First, it turns out that the guy used to teach in the county next to where I live and now works in the field in which I got my master's (health science), in the specific area in which I did my internship (and in which I applied for the PhD program), maternal and child health. He said the (major university) where he works may be getting another grant for the program, so he could see if they have any work for me.

So then my daughter came up. I mentioned her being autistic, and the woman said one of her sons is autistic and has some specific quirks in common with my daughter, like I'd mention something, and she'd say, wide-eyed, "Really? My son does that, too!" (turns out she and the guy aren't a couple, just close friends, though they seemed more than that). In mentioning what her son is really into, the one was animals, and she said, "He really loves his guinea pigs." Me: "Seriously? Guinea pigs? I have them, too!" There were a few other things as well.

We exchanged contact info at the end, so hopefully we'll stay in touch (and maybe the guy can help me with a job!) If not, then at least I had some nice conversation and human connection at the show.

That's cool, LT, I'm happy for you.

I'll be there in spirit too, Scarlet.

H just left for a job to El Paso, TX so he'll be gone for about 12 hours including going to the pickup here in town, and stopping for gas and food. Nice quiet day for working with no interruptions. Yay!

Thanks, Artie! The woman, J, already reached out to say it was nice meeting me and that she was glad I got home safely, which I appreciated. Trying to figure out if there's a way to sort of navigate a friendship/acquaintance-ship without being weird?

What's interesting to me is that I met them in part due to Siri/Google Maps confusing me, which led to me missing the turn to the garage and having to take a big 10-minute loop around the city (there's a river in the middle, so I had to cross over that) to get back to it (while Siri kept telling me to do an illegal U-turn in the middle of a major road!). Which frustrated me and stressed me out--I'd never been to this particular city, so don't know my way around at all. But then it was like, "OK, maybe this happened for a reason."

It ties into what Dr. T was saying the other day regarding my losing one of my freelance accounts (through no fault of my own--account is leaving the company I work for). He said he had a client who lost his job, and he was really upset about it, then 3 months later, he found a job he liked more and that paid much better. And how he likely wouldn't have left the other job on his own, but getting laid off ultimately led to something positive. That he doesn't so much believe in some sort of divine intervention thing, but it's a case where something that seemed bad ended up turning out well in the end.

He was applying it to my job situation (I may be able to get more work from this company, or it could inspire to find something elsewhere, even full-time), but I'm thinking it could be a way of looking at life in general. (I'm really not sure what's going on with my somewhat more positive mindset lately, but I'll take it!)

I do think at times of how many things--good or bad--had to happen to get me to certain places. Had I not had such a bad experience at my second journalism job (very critical boss), I wouldn't have been looking for new work (or at least may have stayed in journalism) and wouldn't have ended up at the company where I met my H. And then, of course, D wouldn't have existed.

I'm more spiritual than religious, but it does help me to think that there is meaning behind things, especially the more negative ones. OK, I'll stop rambling now!

That's awesome, LT! I do believe things happen for a reason.

I got stung by a bee today. Luckily, I was at the grocery store and went straight to the pharmacy and they helped me. Also glad I'm not allergic! Still, my thumb is sore, swollen and stiff.

It's great that the pharmacist was able to help you, Scarlet. I'm sorry your thumb is sore.

I think about all of that kinda stuff too... like, all of the things that had to align the way they did for my son to be in existence, and how I cannot imagine my life if I hadn't married h and brought him into the world... I think about it whenever I get upset with h - I can't ever really wish I'd never met him/married him because then I'd have never known the joy of knowing my son. I doubt anyone else would have taken me on back then (other than h) cuz I was a mess. Y'all think I'm a mess now, I was a real mess back then...

Aww.
1. I don't think you're a mess. I think life and healing is messy. But not you yourself.
2. My guess is that all of us are better now than in the past. Least that's the hope, right?

That's at least has been my goal especially with therapy: to learn and heal and grow.

I was a handful in my past too. Look at how I was when I first started here! I was judgmental and confrontational. Definitely naive. And I still am sometimes. But I've also grown a lot learning from you all and therapy and just experiencing life.

I think you've made huge strides, Artie! You seem more confident and self-aware. I look up to you and many of the members here.

There is a pridefest going on at my neighborhood park - It is super busy but hopefully it ends in time to walk my dogs before it gets super dark - my twitchy blind dog doesn't do well in large crowds. And he is twitchy enough just on a normal day. He is a very sweet boy but if he was a human I would want to put him down. I almost squashed ancient cat today because twitchy dog was being clingy and I tripped over him and into frail demento cat.

I am playing pickleball with a group of old women - we call ourselves the DOLs - decrepit(or demented depending on the day) old ladies

Thank you, Scarlet!