This has been a bit of a rough week. My uncle had a massive heart attack and died on Saturday morning. It was a horrible experience, and I'm not going to recount the details (for everyone's sake). Today one of my best friends from college told me that his brother's fiancee died as well. She had been in critical condition for a while, since her ( Read more... )

Note: This will be a difficult post to read, as it is brutally honest, and unadulterated. This is the first post (sadly) in a series of posts in which I attempt to disentangle the clusterfuck that is my current life. This is as much a historical record as it is a memoir of this period of my life, and since I have to post it all from my Blackberry ( Read more... )

I have not been on here for a week, but I have been dealing with a family crisis.  In fact, I wanted to give everyone a brief update.  My father was killed in a farm-related accident on Wednesday of this past week.    I am at home for the next two weeks to take care of my mother and my grandmother (even if my mother is extremely resistant).  Right ( Read more... )

I recall reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden for a book report at some point in college.  I quite enjoyed the book, until I about three quarters of the way through.  I believe that was the point where the book changed from a celebration of nature and its wonder to a discussion of how rabbits and small woodland creatures were his "friends."  These ( Read more... )

I just wanted to post some birthday wishes to one of my LJ friends.
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Today a friend issued a challenge to me to see how long I could avoid Facebook.  Since I work all the time alone in an office, I spend many hours just watching other people live their lives through their status feeds.  Now I have to stay away from my favorite online hangout for at least 48 hours.  I have to break her record.  If I win, I not only ( Read more... )

So a friend of mine from undergrad is coming to visit tomorrow for Rosh Hashanah.  We have known each other since 1998, and she is always a lot of fun.  I'm a little nervous throwing her into a group of PhDs and graduate students, but I have a feeling she'll do fine.  Until this year, I've never been offered a +1 to a Jewish high holy day before, ( Read more... )

Last night I slept better than I have in at least the past 5 years.  It felt so good that I simply don't know what to do with myself now.  I guess I should work some.  Of course, life is tricky right now, as many of my friends are having a rough time.  It is difficult to balance my work, my extra energy, and taking care of my friends ( Read more... )

I think I've been on my new meds now for about three months...maybe a little more or a little less.  How's it going?  Fucking awesome!  That is the only way to explain how I feel right now.  My insane (and severely misplaced) guilt is gone, as are my negative self thoughts, and the dark cloud that was following me around.  I believe that I've ( Read more... )

Over the past couple of days I successfully moved into my new place, juggled various pet sitting duties, spent some time with an old friend, and worked my ass off on campus. Things are going fine, except that I cannot get the Internet to work in my new apartment. I have no Ethernet card in my laptop, and I cannot hook up my Wireless Internet ( Read more... )