Since we’ve got a new personal thread I thought I’d share some boobzers related news.
I’ve been doing that volunteering I talked about ages ago and it’s been fun. But the people who organise it are sooo disorganised. It’s frustrating to have to nag at people about accepting volunteer help that they ostensibly need/want. But I am dealing with a different person now to do “Broadband for Seniors” where I’ll be teaching older people how to use the internet. She seems more organised and it sounds like it could be fun to do too.
And I’m applying to be a respite foster carer. A woman I work with does it, and she loves it. The organisation she’s with does seem well run and they have a very accepting policy on who they help.
And finally, I’ve started putting together my photography studio, where I will focus on pet photography. All species welcome. 🙂
Sad shit: So friend #1 with cancer isn’t doing so great. If she survives, she probably will never regain the use of her legs at all, and possibly not her arms either. I’ve been trying to visit her as often as possible, and take care of as many things as I can that need taking care of (with her permission). And helping her practice ways to talk with her doctor, who is a very good oncologist but not a very empathetic person, and ways to talk to her home health nurse, who thinks it is appropriate to infantilize her patients. And helping her mother look up the parts of the insurance policy that say that they have to provide a wheelchair that actually fits the patient, not one that essentially provides no back support for someone who can’t really hold themselves upright at this point. There is SO MUCH POINTLESS ARGUING WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
Happy shit: Friend #2 with cancer is doing well, and friend #3 who just had a heart attack is doing great, and I just found out that friend #4 with a high-risk but very-much-wanted pregnancy has made it past the point of fetal viability which means that if she has to have a sudden c-section to save her life the baby will have a very decent chance of survival.
And congrats to MollyRen and Kim on the good things! It’s really nice to hear about good things. Sorry I just dumped a really big sad thing right after them…
cloudiah, glad about friends 2, 3 and 4, and that sucks so much about friend 1. 🙁 I’d never heard of losing the use of one’s limbs as a result of cancer (or is it the treatment?) and that’s fucking terrifying.
@kim It should be! Now I just have to finish writing it. XD
@cloudia I am sorry to hear about all the difficulties you’re having– insurance companies can be nasty things to deal with. Internet hugs and kittens if you want ’em!
Inspired by David, my wife’s and my newest podcast on the manosphere is going up this weekend at http://www.geekuallyyoked.com
AK
11 years ago
I briefly mentioned it on the other thread, but I’m stoked because my puppy passed her third SAR-certification test today. She only has one more to go, and then she’ll be mission certified and able to actually work in the field. This is especially awesome because she’s almost certainly (knock on wood) going to pass that in less than a year since she started training, which is really unusual; our program averages about 18 months from acceptance to full certification, and new handlers are warned to expect up to 2 years of training before their dogs are mission-ready. If she passes in the expected time frame, she’ll be the fastest-certified dog in my team’s 30-year history. It’s not my training, though, this dog is just scary smart and super into the work. I just haven’t managed to mess her up yet. 😉
Sad news, my alcoholic brother started drinking again after several years of sobriety, and in a big way. I don’t even know how to deal with that right now so I’m just focusing on the dogs. I love my brother but holy shit…he went from stable and sober to his wife moving out, losing his job and possibly facing criminal charges within a month because he relapsed in a big way. On top of that a loved one is in the hospital and may not leave it, and I’m just not able to handle it very well.
All the hugs, AK, for the good stuff (yay pup!) and the bad stuff.
AK
11 years ago
Oh, yeah, and Mr. AK is out of town in an area with no phone reception, so all we can do is email back and forth so I don’t even have his support. He’ll be home briefly tomorrow, but then has to leave again for two weeks. That’s almost the worst of it; he’s usually my rock and I can’t even really talk to him.
AK
11 years ago
Thanks, Kitteh. 🙂
tenya
11 years ago
Just to check because I know it was a manboobz thing but possibly too long ago – but anyone going to BronyCon in Baltimore next month? I will be!
ltkessler, I can’t listen to your podcast now (no sound at work!) but just want to say I love the banner photo on your site. Your wife(?) wields a mean lightsabre. 😀
Today my older sister told me all about how much she hates rape jokes, sexist jokes, racist jokes, and so on. It started when I told her about dad making racist jokes when talking to someone – she got quite upset. She then went on to tell me that she hates hearing people use heterosexist slurs in casual conversation (note: she’s straight).
I was completely surprised (in a good way) because I never knew she was actually sensitive about such jokes. I’ve always known her as very thoughtful and caring, but this really impressed me, especially since almost everyone I know IRL is okay with bigoted jokes.
Of course, even if she said the exact opposite, I’d still have my aversion to such jokes. But knowing that her, my sister, shares my view means a lot to me. I love it when awesome siblings turn out to be more awesome than I expected. ^_^
I’m actually delurking here, but you guys are A+ people AND you love cats, so…
It looks like I’ll be adopting a really sweet cat tomorrow. Like, 99% looks like. This has been a dream my whole life, and a realistic goal ever since I moved out of my abusive parents’ place and into my own apartment last year. I’m excited and terrified.
I want this, I need this, and while /I/ know I can do it, I /also/ know that my parents are going to drag me over coals for this. I literally cannot afford to cut them out of my life, but I have no other friends or family or irl contacts in my life right now, and I know that they’ll be pressuring me to return her or give her up. I’m most worried that my mom will threaten, or even go through with, cutting off my pain management therapy. I am UNABLE to afford it myself, and it’s why I can’t cut my parents off anytime in the near future.
Realistic, they cannot FORCE me to give up the cat, in that they can’t and won’t physically take her away (although they’d definitely consider it), but they’ll put more and more and more pressure on me, I know they will, and I have no other resources to draw on for support. My only close friend lives in Japan.
Hugs, sympathies, congratulations and cookies, as required. 🙂
General kitty update, I noticed her breathing becoming a little more laboured last night, so I’ve got her on the diuretic again, this time at a half-dose so she doesn’t get dehydrated again. She still has her appetite, and is regaining her strength nicely.
We Hunted The Mammoth
Do I get in first?
YESSSSSS!
/twelve year old
Aww, I wanted to be first :'(
Since we’ve got a new personal thread I thought I’d share some boobzers related news.
I’ve been doing that volunteering I talked about ages ago and it’s been fun. But the people who organise it are sooo disorganised. It’s frustrating to have to nag at people about accepting volunteer help that they ostensibly need/want. But I am dealing with a different person now to do “Broadband for Seniors” where I’ll be teaching older people how to use the internet. She seems more organised and it sounds like it could be fun to do too.
And I’m applying to be a respite foster carer. A woman I work with does it, and she loves it. The organisation she’s with does seem well run and they have a very accepting policy on who they help.
And finally, I’ve started putting together my photography studio, where I will focus on pet photography. All species welcome. 🙂
Can we put in happy shit too?
Because I sold an article and am going to get paid monies for it! 😀
grats MollyRen! That’s fantastic. Is it something we’ll be able to read?
Sad shit: So friend #1 with cancer isn’t doing so great. If she survives, she probably will never regain the use of her legs at all, and possibly not her arms either. I’ve been trying to visit her as often as possible, and take care of as many things as I can that need taking care of (with her permission). And helping her practice ways to talk with her doctor, who is a very good oncologist but not a very empathetic person, and ways to talk to her home health nurse, who thinks it is appropriate to infantilize her patients. And helping her mother look up the parts of the insurance policy that say that they have to provide a wheelchair that actually fits the patient, not one that essentially provides no back support for someone who can’t really hold themselves upright at this point. There is SO MUCH POINTLESS ARGUING WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
Happy shit: Friend #2 with cancer is doing well, and friend #3 who just had a heart attack is doing great, and I just found out that friend #4 with a high-risk but very-much-wanted pregnancy has made it past the point of fetal viability which means that if she has to have a sudden c-section to save her life the baby will have a very decent chance of survival.
And congrats to MollyRen and Kim on the good things! It’s really nice to hear about good things. Sorry I just dumped a really big sad thing right after them…
Kim, MollyRen, congrats!
cloudiah, glad about friends 2, 3 and 4, and that sucks so much about friend 1. 🙁 I’d never heard of losing the use of one’s limbs as a result of cancer (or is it the treatment?) and that’s fucking terrifying.
@kim It should be! Now I just have to finish writing it. XD
@cloudia I am sorry to hear about all the difficulties you’re having– insurance companies can be nasty things to deal with. Internet hugs and kittens if you want ’em!
Super congrats/super sympathies all around.
Inspired by David, my wife’s and my newest podcast on the manosphere is going up this weekend at http://www.geekuallyyoked.com
I briefly mentioned it on the other thread, but I’m stoked because my puppy passed her third SAR-certification test today. She only has one more to go, and then she’ll be mission certified and able to actually work in the field. This is especially awesome because she’s almost certainly (knock on wood) going to pass that in less than a year since she started training, which is really unusual; our program averages about 18 months from acceptance to full certification, and new handlers are warned to expect up to 2 years of training before their dogs are mission-ready. If she passes in the expected time frame, she’ll be the fastest-certified dog in my team’s 30-year history. It’s not my training, though, this dog is just scary smart and super into the work. I just haven’t managed to mess her up yet. 😉
Sad news, my alcoholic brother started drinking again after several years of sobriety, and in a big way. I don’t even know how to deal with that right now so I’m just focusing on the dogs. I love my brother but holy shit…he went from stable and sober to his wife moving out, losing his job and possibly facing criminal charges within a month because he relapsed in a big way. On top of that a loved one is in the hospital and may not leave it, and I’m just not able to handle it very well.
All the hugs, AK, for the good stuff (yay pup!) and the bad stuff.
Oh, yeah, and Mr. AK is out of town in an area with no phone reception, so all we can do is email back and forth so I don’t even have his support. He’ll be home briefly tomorrow, but then has to leave again for two weeks. That’s almost the worst of it; he’s usually my rock and I can’t even really talk to him.
Thanks, Kitteh. 🙂
Just to check because I know it was a manboobz thing but possibly too long ago – but anyone going to BronyCon in Baltimore next month? I will be!
Wow, that is absolutely terrifying, AK. Lots of prayers and good thoughts headed your way.
mollyren: congrats!
Cloudiah: I’m sorry about your friend. Fuck cancer, and insurance companies.
AK: hugs.
ltkessler, I can’t listen to your podcast now (no sound at work!) but just want to say I love the banner photo on your site. Your wife(?) wields a mean lightsabre. 😀
Kittehserf, she’s a priest!
Today my older sister told me all about how much she hates rape jokes, sexist jokes, racist jokes, and so on. It started when I told her about dad making racist jokes when talking to someone – she got quite upset. She then went on to tell me that she hates hearing people use heterosexist slurs in casual conversation (note: she’s straight).
I was completely surprised (in a good way) because I never knew she was actually sensitive about such jokes. I’ve always known her as very thoughtful and caring, but this really impressed me, especially since almost everyone I know IRL is okay with bigoted jokes.
Of course, even if she said the exact opposite, I’d still have my aversion to such jokes. But knowing that her, my sister, shares my view means a lot to me. I love it when awesome siblings turn out to be more awesome than I expected. ^_^
@Cloudiah and AK
Ugh, I’m really sorry to hear about what you two are going through. =[ That’s a lot to deal with. Internet hugs offered.
I’m actually delurking here, but you guys are A+ people AND you love cats, so…
It looks like I’ll be adopting a really sweet cat tomorrow. Like, 99% looks like. This has been a dream my whole life, and a realistic goal ever since I moved out of my abusive parents’ place and into my own apartment last year. I’m excited and terrified.
I want this, I need this, and while /I/ know I can do it, I /also/ know that my parents are going to drag me over coals for this. I literally cannot afford to cut them out of my life, but I have no other friends or family or irl contacts in my life right now, and I know that they’ll be pressuring me to return her or give her up. I’m most worried that my mom will threaten, or even go through with, cutting off my pain management therapy. I am UNABLE to afford it myself, and it’s why I can’t cut my parents off anytime in the near future.
Realistic, they cannot FORCE me to give up the cat, in that they can’t and won’t physically take her away (although they’d definitely consider it), but they’ll put more and more and more pressure on me, I know they will, and I have no other resources to draw on for support. My only close friend lives in Japan.
Do you guys think I can do it?
Hugs, sympathies, congratulations and cookies, as required. 🙂
General kitty update, I noticed her breathing becoming a little more laboured last night, so I’ve got her on the diuretic again, this time at a half-dose so she doesn’t get dehydrated again. She still has her appetite, and is regaining her strength nicely.
Cool!