rustle

9:03 a.m. getting ready to take the kayaks out

If I have any respect for them, I'll discuss theology calmly with them, tell them honestly what my beliefs are, and part, hopefully as friends. I tell them I don't believe you can choose to have faith. It's got to come from within. Usually, I can tell them I've read their book, and found wisdom in it, but faith is a gift I have yet to receive. If it's a stranger, I'm firm, dismissive, and don't give them an instant more of my time than it takes to close the door. If they get in my face, I tell them I've asked them to leave my property, that they are refusing to do so, and my next move will be to call the cops to have them arrested for trespassing. And close the door. It's been a while since anyone approached me in public, but I'm pretty good at ignoring somebody.

*pulls the rock back over Yang*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I HOPE YOU GET WHAT WHO YOU WANT!

Excited, much? Actually, I welcome the passion and sincerity, after watching the pageantry of lunatics thumping their chests, and taking the ball away because somebody didn't let them win. Note to Congress: Wanna repeal ACA? You're the legislative branch of government, ffs. Do it, or move on. Can't get the votes to do it? Try again later, after elections. In the meantime, put down the latest edition of Guns & Ammo, take your thumbs out of your butts, and conduct the business for which your office was created.

Phoenix, thanks for saying something about this to somebody, even if we are disembodied electrons. Thank you for caring that much about yourself, and for trusting us. It's nice to see you here again. A counselor was mentioned above. Good idea. If you don't know where to start, try the med clinic on campus. If you don't have one, does your town have 311 service, so you could ask about counseling available for little or no money? If not, try your local public library. Don't give up. While you're at the med clinic, ask about a checkup. See if you can likely rule out any medical issues. Once you find a counselor, open up the floodgates. Don't hold anything back. There are some homophobic counselors, too, and you'll want to flush that out. If you cannot trust your counselor, find one you can trust. You've gotta trust somebody in your life. One successful, open relationship will do you a whole lot of good right now. I talked to a counselor once, and mentioned my 20th anniversary with my guy, and she beamed at me, wished me a happy anniversary, and congratulated me. I mentioned him to another counselor, and received a very cool response. My medical doctor knows, too, in case that's ever a factor in diagnosis or treatment. Some of us electrons are available if you ever want to talk to somebody else, too. Pick anybody above whose answers you liked. I'm here, lurking, an embarrassing amount of the time, if you want to PM me.

I can think of several. Some are even polite.

Welcome, Ian and Suvitar. Join the pile!

Moderation in all things, Fishy, including moderation. And you're effin' right about straight boys. Nothin' like blowing the cells out to remind you you're alive, and on fire. ROLL IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, Zombie, you know we all love you. From a safe distance.

Glad you're doing better, and sought a second opinion.

Welcome, all! If you have any questions about anything at all, just raise your hand, and you'll find help from a dozen directions. It's that kind of place. Somebody once stated, "This place is so friendly, it's almost scary." Well, Hallowe'en's coming, so maybe that fits. Anyhow, enjoy yourselves!

I prefer to believe that people act in good conscience, but am no longer able to do so. However, you are right to say that the American people do not want another Continuing Resolution. The only thing that continues as a result is the lack of effectiveness shown by this country's elected officials for years, now.

cemetery o crap! what have I done?

25 age 50-59 I had trouble matching some colors on a printing press.

Best of luck. Get better soonest. Don't settle for a crap diagnosis.

As much as I look forward to reading more, real life should always come first. Thinking of you and wishing you clear skies and fat field mice.

I moved from a big city to just outside a small town, got burned out, moved to a city. Don't like crowds, wanted privacy, moved closer to work 'cause the commute from a bomb site wasn't worth it. Lookin' to move to the country again if I can make a living. It's woulda been far easier and better to sell off everything before that first move.

When I was 12, we visited my aunt and uncle in D.C.. They were the most outspoken critics of each other, it became quite uncomfortable. One night, I went to bed early, just for some peace. My uncle came in, sat down on the bed, and talked with me for a few minutes about his relationship with my aunt. He said they were on the verge of divorce when they went to see a marriage counselor. They found they'd both been keeping a hell of a lot bottled up, so they resolved to start speaking their minds to one another. All the time. Bluntly. That had been 9 years earlier. 43 years later, they're still married.

I hope it's a day and a year to remember, Cel. Happy Birthday!

To be a moral compass is to live a moral life. To portray morality as desirable or noble in literature is to uphold this life. How often have we heard, "Show, don't tell," as an admonition to writers, referring only to their writings? Can we not apply this to our own lives? A writer here stated, "My riding informs my writing, and my writing informs my riding.*" *Special thanks to Sasha Distan for this

I really enjoyed this story. For Aiden to find his voice in anger and in defense of his savior, and for the reader to find it a voice of reason, of capability, and, honestly, of power, made for a very fulfilling sense of justice being done. The fact that it tore down the relationship built to that point was sad, but necessary. The ending gave the story strong hope for a bright new beginning, free of the baggage of the past. Your story has a really good premise, and strong characters. I can imagine this being reworked into something much larger.

Admirable quietude, not just in scarce dialogue, but in the deliberate pace. Good descriptors. This was a very good read, and I look forward to part 2.

Love is a fraught word. Do you like to spend time together? Is it your favorite thing? Is he? Are you holding him at arm's length, or is he deep inside your embrace? Do you crave his company, his words, his touch? Josh, babe, part of love is throwing caution to the winds, and giving yourself fully to your partner. Until you're able to say the words, you're riding with training wheels. The longer you do that, the tougher it becomes to take them off the bike. Take this wrench, and hold it for a minute. Do you want him? It sounds like he's a keeper, but DO. YOU. WANT. HIM? At some point, he's going to want to ride into the sunset, and he wants you to ride with him. But those damn training wheels aren't suited for a long ride. Sure, you may turn to the west and start out together, but that road is going to twist and turn, and training wheels won't let you bank into the curves. Before long, one of you is going to get frustrated with those damn training wheels. Are you going to break down 'cause you can't keep up, or is he going to grow impatient 'cause he's having to constantly hit the brakes? You still got that wrench I gave you? Good. Hang on to it for a while longer. When you take the training wheels off, you may fall at some point. Maybe more than once. But once you get the hang of it, it's gonna feel incredible to zip along, the wind in your face, and your heart in your throat. You're gonna know what it feels like to be free. Besides, ya know what? If you fall, he's gonna probably be there. You can't decide whether or not to love somebody, but you can decide to trust him. That's a choice. You're an introspective guy, going into the mental health care field. Do you not recognize a watershed moment? A time for a life-affirming decision? Whatcha gonna do, babe? You gonna trust him? If not him, you EVAH gonna trust ANYBODY? Three little words. You've even admitted you're not sure what they really mean. Your words, and your word, really only have the meaning that you give to them. It's up to you to define love, by living it. So, Joshie, are you gonna just sit there with your thumb up your butt, put the wrench down and walk away, knowing you may never have the courage to pick it up again, or are you gonna take off the training wheels? It's a beautiful day, Why don't you go for a ride?