What's YOUR problem?

[Ronster]

We got a lot of snow (for our area) and I got the heat lamps plugged in for the chickens but 10 minutes later the power went out...for 4 days. I was getting a little sick then, bt I had to go out daily for wood since the furnace needs electricity to work and I was reluctant to install space heaters. I also had to scrape the road with the tractor for about 3 hours just so it would not be a sheet of ice for the next week and a half. We heated with wood and the repeated in/out cough cough stuff has me barely functioning. I live for the next dose of tussin dm just so the coughing slows..I missed 3 days of work and I am here coughing all over the place.

Add to that we could not shop or decorate much for Christmas. It's like the Grinch did a preemptive strike.

Ho.Ho. cough cough cough Ho.

[Phoebe]

Preemptive Grinch strike, lol!

That's kind of how it is here - each day that I think I'll make progress on seasonal things like decorating, cooking, planning presents, getting pictures made, and each day some new crap arises to take the place of those activities. The kids meanwhile do their best to trash the house. I don't know where I've failed as a parent exactly but the overall result of Failure in this area is clear enough.

[Ronster]

I think we need to put Hallmark on notice. Life isn't neat or pretty. My home is in various states of decay...nICE THINGS, WELL WHEN i HAVE THEM i'M SURE i'LL BE TOO OLD TO REALLY ENJOY A CLEAN CLUTTER-FREE HOUSE.

not gonna retype that deal with the capslock

Anyway I am getting more accepting of the inperfect in my life. I just want to get by and now I want some Chritmas-y feeling and maybe smelling stuff in my home in addition to the normal crud. We live in the boonies and I track mud into the house almost every day I take off my shoes when I come in, but whatever residue is carried on into the house by socks and dogs... I am willing to settle for a clean countertop, table and floor. let all the other clutter stay. I draw my line at disease and accept the not too dirty.

[Phoebe]

You're probably healthier for having a little dirt, you know. Everyone in my house drops their crap wherever they happen to be, including me, but i do it out of desperation and not because it's my normal MO. When things are calm and regular I put everything way properly. I have the house like half-clean but there are piles of clutter and WRONG generated by the kids everywhere. My husband is keen to complain about all this but he either refuses to help solve it or, once in a blue moon, runs through like some terrifying Centurion with music blasting at painful levels (really), ordering everyone else about so that others will fix it for him. It gets results but it's a terrible method and achieves no long-term effect - if anything it disincentivizes people from cleaning, as they classify it with other to-be-avoided nastiness.

[mimekiller]

The universe revolves around me, and yet, it still sucks major ass

[Phoebe]

[mimekiller]

apparently it’s not considered a compliment if you tell someone you like their ‘visible signs of aging’

[Phoebe]

My son has been crying for the better part of an hour because his room is "haunted" and therefore he must sleep in my room, where he is not permitted to sleep at the moment. When the kid is this age, you can explain firmly that the room is not haunted, and that even if it is, that's not so bad and one can sleep through it happily, and then walk away and pursue the heartless "cry it out" method, especially because his big sister is laying there a few feet away and way too many lights are on. But it is still distressing when your kid is crying and crying and crying, because, like, WHY? Why is this happening? Did we have too many toys, pleasant foods, and Christmasy things? What on earth.

[Tahlvin]

[Phoebe]

I like your methods and shall experiment.

[Iantha]

In no particular order:

My microwave died

My power steering went out while I was driving home from work

I was told that I have a super-high IQ which actually had the opposite effect the psychologist expected to have and made me really angry and bitter because here I am, at 36, and just now finished an AA when I really would have loved to be finishing up a PhD by now.

[mimekiller]

If it makes you feel better IQ points are white people making up shit to be more racist so it really doesn't mean anything.

[Phoebe]

That's a lot for one day, argh! Well, if it makes you feel any better, you are SO OOOO SOO OO OOSOSOOOOOOOOO young from my perspective, you really can go do whatever the hell you please in school for a while, kick the ass of the world, and emerge in your 40s as its ruler. We will all benefit, I am sure. I know you said you wanted to be a therapist but consider running for office as a side gig, eh? The microwave, I dunno, fuck it. I am making soup and no microwave required, so I would say, make soup! And drink the rest of the bottle of wine you put in to flavor your soup broth. You know a guy who deals in brakes, I am sure. Somewhere out there, hopefully alive, you have a brakes guy.

[Phoebe]

Sorry, power steering. I got confused. Because I'm making soup and drinking the rest of the soup broth in bottle form.

[Iantha]

[Iantha]

[Phoebe]

None, really. So you're going to have to drink the bottle yourself. I'm sorry. I am 100%, nay, 1000% in favor of your split pea and ham plan, however.

[Tahlvin]

[Ronster]

[DMDarcs]