How do you feel today?

[duchess of malfi]

When tonight is over, only three work weeks left until my vacation.

Tonight is a weird night at work, though. Things always get strange in a government facility after a major terrorist attack. And our combat vets with PTSD always get so very upset, especially when civilians get targeted, like this morning. We're going to have 80 year old WW2 vets trying to sign up for active duty again.

[Worm of Despite]

I feel in love--with my computer. Got a new graphics card, 1GB of ram, power supply, etc. Half-Life 2 runs with all the settings cranked up. Makes the real world look crappy! Can’t wait for Elder Scrolls IV to come out!

[matrixman]

Things always get strange in a government facility after a major terrorist attack. And our combat vets with PTSD always get so very upset, especially when civilians get targeted, like this morning. We're going to have 80 year old WW2 vets trying to sign up for active duty again.

PTSD...Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Afraid I don't know much about it beyond how it's depicted in the movies. I'm thinking those vets must be galled to their core to feel so unable to help in this situation.

[duchess of malfi]

Yes. Sometimes when someone has been through something terrible (combat, horrible crimes, bombings, etc.) they can have extremely strong flashbacks to that event for decades afterwards. The attack in London is just the sort of thing to bring up all of the emotional pain from the past for people who are suseptable to such.

For some people it can be visual images (the movie Saving Private Ryan had a very strong effect on some combat vets). For others it can be sounds (we have one guy who sleeps in a closet every year on the night of the Fourth of July because of the noise of fire crackers).

Seeing all of the tv coverage with all of the hurt and bloody civilians is very upsetting to some of our patients. They ended cutting off the cable tv to the psych ward this afternoon, as the patients were all getting very upset.

www.ncptsd.va.gov/

[onewyteduck]

Antsy. Leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow for Colorado. First real vacation we've taken in years. And I just know I'm going to forget something!

Where to in Colorado? I live in Lakewood, but very close to Golden, which is a suburb of Denver, which is in Colorado, which is in the US, which is in....well, I think I should stop.

We went to Colorado Springs to visit my son and his wife, (and my granddog!) possibly the last time I get to see him before he has to go back to Iraq.

Welcome to the Watch, Cagliostro. That's might pretty country you live in!

As for how I feel today? Tired. Stiff and sore (2 days in a short wheel base vehicle with truck seats, topped off by really nasty weather yesterday from Little Rock, Ak on in to home (about 60 miles east of Birmingham) is kind of rough!) Thank you TS Cindy. (Cindy....what a wimpy name for a tropical storm. Cynthia, okay, but Cindy? C'mon! )

The trip over all was great, especially the cog train ride up Pike's Peak. Rocky Mountain high, indeed! I just wish we could have taken more time. I also feel a little broke! Thank heaven for charge cards!

[duchess of malfi]

We went up to the top of Pike's Peak last year as part of our Elohimfest trip. What a view, eh? We drove up, though.

[Loredoctor]

Fatigued: I had a bad seizure the other day and smashed my face - one of my teeth is smashed and I have a bad cut on my mouth. Is it that ******* hard to have a good life?

[Myste]

Oh, honey.

But look on the bright side--now you can get a gold cap with a big diamond set in it for your toof! Think of it as "portable property"--you could get lost in the Sahara, get picked up by the Bedouin, and trade them your toof for kummis and dancing girls! See? Life's not all bad! I'll even come with you--we'll sell our blue jeans for a couple of camels and drink blood tea under the desert moon. All we need is an unabridged Herodotus and a couple of waterskins. It'll be awesome.

[onewyteduck]

LM....I'm sorry. Do hope your feeling better now!

Duchess, if we ever get out that way again, we'll drive up next time. Or the hubby will at least. I enjoyed the train ride!

I am not as beat, not as tired, not as stiff or sore. Sybil (the cat) has finally quit bitching that we went off and left her all alone and not listening to her is an improvement! I have tons of laundry to do, groceries to buy and probably some really bad weather to ride out Sunday or Monday depending on what happens with Dennis......

All in all, I'm good!

[Dragonlily]

Michael.

[duchess of malfi]

Michael.

Oh yes, indeed.

[CovenantJr]

Today I feel...sick with dread.

This is going to seem a really petty concern compared to many of the others in this thread, but it's a major worry for me. I'm more afraid of this that I am of my undiagnosed illness.

My girlfriend's birthday. Yes, it's that small a thing. I'm bad at buying presents at the best of times, and girlfriends are the hardest of all. I don't understand womens' tastes, so whatever I get her will be vile to her. And there'd be no benefit to her telling me what she wants, because it wouldn't really be what she wants anyway. It has to be something romantic, and yet somehow I have to figure out which is the right romantic item. For example, she like jewellery of butterflies; but it's not as simple as that. "That butterly is beautiful, but that other one is horrible." WHY?! Why is one horrible and one beautiful?! There's bloody the same to all intents and purposes! And I'm supposed to pick the right think to give her?!

Put it this way, I was with my last girlfriend for nearly three years; that's two birthdays, three Christmases and three Valentine's Days - and in all these special occasions, I never once gave her a satisfactory gift. If was always "That's...er...interesting...er..." then an ill-concealed discard. Every woman I've known is like that when it comes to Special Occasions. Ok, it might not be the perfect present, but surely the fact that I spent three months agonising over it counts for something? Apparently not. It's always the same, and I feel physically sick with the dread of the next one...Hannah's first birthday since we've been together...this friday...

[Edge]

Y'know: the best possible thing you could do, is consult with a friend of hers - with the very important proviso that she (the friend) can be discreet... i.e. that no word will ever reach your gf's ears that you had help from anyone.

[Damelon]

GLAD that I'm done with work today!!!!

[Avatar]

Y'know: the best possible thing you could do, is consult with a friend of hers - with the very important proviso that she (the friend) can be discreet... i.e. that no word will ever reach your gf's ears that you had help from anyone.

A very tough proviso to be sure of. Personally, I almost always give jewellery, but I'm lucky in that the GF and I share similar tastes, and I can usually guess what she'll like. Silver and simple is usually a good bet (unless she hates silver ).

New album by her favourite band? Dunno. A tough one to be sure. Good Luck.

--A

[ur-bane]

Hey CJ....it shouldn't be that hard.
Think back at all the things you did with your gf since you've met her.
Certainly at one time or another she pointed to something in a store or a store window and said, "Ooh! I like that!" Or maybe saw a TV commercial with something she wanted.
And even if she didn't yet, by the time next birthday comes, she most likely will. Pay attention to those things. You don't have to understand women, but you do need to understand your woman.

Avatar's suggestion of silver is a good one. (I'll take silver over gold any day.) Find a silver butterfly on a silver chain. Make sure it is petite...feminine. Something small (No...this is not "Cheap"..but unless she likes huge gaudy jewelry, the smaller the better (up to a point).

A very fine silver chain with a hollow silver butterfly (Hollow means outlined--like the lead in stained glass without the glass). Perhaps a small stone or two on the wingtips.

If all else fails.....a dozen red roses in a nice vase ought to do the trick...and of course a romantic dinner for two at a nice restaurant (Umm...Burger King or McDonald's doesn't work here... )

If you've already been intimate, some sexy lingerie might be nice. (For her, not you. )

Good Luck....and remember...pay attention to all the little things for next year.....you'll thank yourself for it.

[Revan]

It's my birthday, I feel quite bad actually. I'm still waiting for a suprise million pound cheque, but I don't think it's coming this year... man, that's the 19th year running that damn cheque hasn't come... I sometimes wonder why...

[Avatar]

Maybe next year dude?

Oh, Ur-Bane, some excellent suggestions there.

--A

[Damelon]

Maybe, Darth, you'll get your check next year.

[Revan]

*sighs and looks off in the distance* maybe... maybe...