What's been on your mind lately?

Queer theory, transgender theory..connections between gender, sex and sexuality. I know that’s what I always think about (you’d say) but since I’ve entered my PhD program, my study into these matters deepened.

Band, grades, homework, friends, and sleep. Typical high school stuff.

My mindset the last few months revolves around my self discipline with my finances during these rocky times and seeking continued right work that allows me to use my natural strengths and gifts in a manner that promotes my highest self.

Also, my ongoing “work” of attracting right relationships that allow for full expression, total honesty, and those that have more on their minds than their day to day mundane life tasks. lol

What to do with my newly diagnosed back issue of bulging disc. Some days I feel like me and other days I’m in crippling pain, completely demobilized. I’ve been wondering what I can do anymore as far as exercises and lifestyle that won’t aggravate this since I’m told there is no fix. It’s been kind of depressing and has affected the planned honeymoon activities.

Classes, my major, money/finding a job, moving vs staying, astronomy, trying to read a lot more, trying to learn a lot more.
I’ve been feeling incredibly indecisive in every aspect of my life lately (lately being the last like 6 years…) and I’m really trying to figure something out.

And just to throw in a more shallow one: my hair. I’ve had it pink for a few months and I just dyed it dark blue. If I can’t get a job at Barnes and Noble or some other alternative-hair-colour-friendly place, I’m just going to give in and dye it brown and apply somewhere else.

I just had a big snowstorm in my area and quite a few of my friends and family don’t have power. My family and I am trying to help them best we can.

My best friend which happens to be my girlfriend too and in the last months we’ve been living 400km away….

How to celebrate life during my 50th year (which, God willing, I will begin enjoying in a little over eight months).

I’ve been wondering if my current depression is situational or if I need a med change. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist next week.

There is something else on my mind, but I’ve been saving it for a fluther question. Soon, maybe.

@tinyfaery, maybe a new happy avatar to start November off more cheery?

@tinyfaery That explains a lot, hope you get it all worked out soon.

Ohhh, I have a dull worry about the economy (and my 401(k) in particular); I’m busy at work as we ramp up all the planning for next year, and those musings occupy a good deal of my conscious thoughts; I daydream about things that can never happen; I ruminate on things that cause me sadness; I think about my next meal (usually after I’ve finished the current one). The usual.

Family wise a lot of change going on – mostly all growth producing. It sure seems that things continue on moreless along a pattern and then almost without warning: “Here we grow again.”

One of the things that I have been thinking about is spoken words. How that when any person says anything out loud to another person, from that second on, what has been said is in the ears of the hearer. You have no more involvement in terms of caretaking those words.

Specific words can mean one thing to one person and yet carry quite another intent or connotation to the listener. I am thinking here of close relationships where we can so easily hurt another just by the choice of a word which is benign to us but which carries negative energy for another. Just a small example: A new state of the art baby stroller was purchased by my son-in-law for their twins on the way. They have moved into a new home with a large basement and even this big “monstrosity” as I called it looked small sitting there in the corner of the house.. I said the word with a twinkle in my eye because it has such a unique design. But I could tell my word choice had a barbed effect to them. I wonder how many times any of us says things that wound or are even misinterpreted and we don’t even know we have hurt the other person. Makes me want to keep my big gob shut!!

What I want my long-term partnership(s) to look like, including whether and when I’m going to have kids.

What about you, w?

I have to figure out how to respond to a complaint letter from a client. Actually, she’s not even the owner of the dog, she’s the owner’s sister. Talking to all of the staff that were present when they came in, we didn’t do anything wrong except to be a busy emergency clinic on the night that they had to come see us. The unfortunate thing is that the dog was very ill and had to be euthanized, and because we were busy, the actual owner had to delay her flight to leave for her honeymoon. I am saddened about the dog, and truly regret that the owner had to deal with this terrible situation on the eve of her honeymoon, but this sister apparently arrived with an attitude, was difficult during the visit, and continues to be a thorn in my side, wanting “reparations”. I can’t bring back the dead dog, and I can’t guarantee that we’ll never be so busy that someone has to wait – I have absolutely no idea how to resolve this.

@syz

That’s too bad.
I think all you can do is express your condolences and state that you and your staff do the best you can at any given moment.
Hey, all medical facilities have to deal with triage. Sometimes resulting in deaths that can not be avoided given the critical mass of the situations at hand.
If there are multiple emergencies unfolding, hopefully this person can understand, and, especially since she is not the owner who is complaining, well…she really doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

We can’t always get preferential treatment in certain circumstances. Good luck with that!

For the first time in my life I’m experiencing real remorse. Not just regret, but full out remorse. I feel so bad for what terrible things I’ve done in my life and I use to just block it out. I feel so miserable and worthless. I’d give my life if only it would took take the pain away from those innocent people. I’d give my life just to give them justice and the freedom to know that I can’t hurt them anymore.

Same stuff, different day. My one boss is going back to old negative behaviors, my husband is in semi-jerk mode because of work stress and he’s not going on his hunting trip. About the only positive thing is that, barring a blizzard, I’m going to Western NY to see my friends.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir That’s really cool! I’m doing a philosophy MA right now and am somewhat familiar with the writings of Beauvoir (my friend’s a huge fan). I too am in the continental tradition but more to do with post-modernism and Otherness—if you’ve ever read any Lyotard, J.L Marion, Levinas, Derrida, etc…

@thesparrow Yes, I’d say (if I must choose between the two) I’m of the continental tradition if only because the analytics can be somewhat essentialist in their ideas of womanhood but to each their own…Of the people you mentioned, I’ve only read Derrida in any specific way…

I have read more queer theorists than I’ve ever read feminist theorists.

I wonder when the time will come when I have to chop this house to allow a wheelchair to move about. Reeeeeally hope I can dodge that bullet.

There was a question on Fluther last week about bad break-ups, and since then I have been distracted thinking about my first big bad break-up. It just eats at me. I need to avoid such questions.

School. It kind of depresses me, but at the same time, I’m glad I actually care this year. I’ve also been thinking a lot about life, again, and more than that, too.

My youngest son is a senior in high school and has an opportunity to go to a top tier university. Because of our financial situation (poor) and his excellent grades, he can get a full-ride scholarship to one of the best universities in the states. Yale is sending him recruitment letters. He wants to stay close to home and is looking at universities in our area instead.

I want the best for him because he has worked hard for it and deserves it, but I also want him to be happy. I’m torn, but of course, this is his decision. (and I won’t be terribly upset that he’ll be close enough to us to visit. but still….)

@Simone_De_Beauvoir

Well, I’ve always found the analytic tradition to be male-dominated regardless of what they say about women. Not sexist in any way (look at E. Anscombe) but definitely male-dominated. I think more women should embrace the field. There are a few girls in my class who follow the analytic tradition but by far I’d have to say more of the guys go into it.

The way I have been spending my money. I’ve been spending too much for things I want and not need, and I haven’t been saving as I should. Sex too.

@MRSHINYSHOES A.D.I.D.A.S ?

How much I want a child, but we are waiting to try for one until we move to Louisiana and settle down into our new home.

@woodcutter, A.D.I.D.A.S.? Huh??

I am disgusted with all Politicians. No one Represents Middle Class working people.

So much in the last month or two. Mostly dog training, my usual worries/paranoias, money problems, various events that have happened around the world etc etc.

Right now I am worried about a plan my boyfriend has that I think is a bad idea.

@Leanne1986 Like a phone plan or a life plan?

@smilingheart1 How’s this for an avatar change?

@MRSHINYSHOES A.D.I.D,A.S. It’s the acronym- All Day I Dream About Sex. Also a song by Korn.

Weird stuff. Why does it seem like my mother makes foods with excessive amounts of salt and oils, is she trying to make us fat? Why does my fiancee not get grossed out when our dog rolls and rubs on our clean bedding? Why can some people not pronounce simple two and three syllable names? I’m filled with WHY’s today.

@woodcutter Lol. For a second there, I thought you were talking about Adidas runners, but I don’t wear runners, I swim, I don’t run. Hehe.

Oh come on Adidas surely sells speedos, don’t they?

@woodcutter They don’t. Speedos is the original trademark. Btw, I speedskate too, but only in the winter of course. I got a dark navy blue speedskater uniform that makes me look like the Tick in a way, when I wear it. Doesn’t provide much insulation or protection in the freezing cold weather though. Just gives me speed. :(

http://cdn2.iofferphoto.com/img/item/144/601/119/Ls9GR5ovL4wXZ1e.jpg

Balls ‘n’ junk and freezing cold weather don’t mix…at all. Screw panty lines and aerodynamics, I be sportin the long johns. Somehow we’ve gone off the track here.

@woodcutter Oh my, you’re absolutely right about that. The Spandex skin suit speedskaters wear is so thin that you literally freeze body parts if you don’t skate around and keep moving. Speedskaters don’t wear anything underneath—nothing at all except the skin suit. To do so would be to impede movement and speed. But you’re right, balls and freezing cold weather don’t mix——that’s why speedskaters keep trying to beat the other guy——or else you know what. lol

http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/5A/DFA2EE5502A85921CD2B9D2D26F21.jpg

@thesparrow Neither really. Just something that he wants to do that I think is a bad idea. I don’t really want to go into it because I will probably sound silly for worrying.

When a disturbed teen who is dangerous to themselves scares the crap out of their friends and family several times, are we too harsh to admit them back into hospital or should we chalk it up to venting? I choose to err on the side of caution but kid in question is fit to be tied and enraged like never before. It’s tough to think of the great stuff happening when one of our own is having a meltdown at the same momentum.

@Leanne1986 Most of what my boyfriend did before he met me was a bad plan. I understand.