Family, Friends, and False Hopes - oh my!

I thought I would write something meaningful on here in the last few days, but alas. I actually spent most of the past few days reading - lots of reading for the upcoming hoops through which I must jump. I made it through 4 books completely, 1 is half read, and another I have read through the Preface and Chapter 1. Not bad given the longest one was 550 pages and the shortest somewhere in the 200s. Still, does not feel good enough. I look at the calendar and start to panic - not Xanax panic, thank non-existent deities for that. I have too much to do to be knocked out by my Xanax every time I think about the reality of these things. Seeing them on actual days, in black and white - days that will be here soon - in just over a month in fact. Yikes. And, honestly and surprisingly, there is a part of me that looks forward to them, not because I will then move one step closer to my dream, but because they will challenge me to see connections and push my thought in new directions. That is what this work is all about. Remind me of this in a month when I am taking the Xanax :-)

Okay, don't actually want to deal with the family shit at the moment. Too late to start into that, although I know I need to address it beyond calling sibs and bitching about the situation. Ugh. Are there families who have no dread of the holiday gatherings? Do the Brothers and Sisters dinners, weddings, trust, honesty - does it exist in real life? (Not that I want to find out I have a half-sister who is the result of a republican father's affair with an actress, or that my uncle has been terrified all of his life to live as a gay man) - Holy shit! Some of this actually hits a bit too close to home - why can't the winery be included too. All the crap and non of the perks - kind of like being a grader for a gynormous lecture class - non?

In terms of friends, I have some fabulous ones. Many of them keeping in touch with me regularly to see how I am doing. Lots of compliments on the new me (love that!) I am truly lucky in having such great folks in my life who care about me like this. I wish more people saw my friends as they are. Too many great gals I know out there getting treated like shit by guys who are emotionally stunted. One of the many reasons why dating during this currently "off" relationship repulses me. I also have no time, no love for small talk, little patience for bullshit, and really want only one thing from a guy these days.

One of the greatest things a friend can do sometimes is throw a brick right through the transparent false hopes one has. In the last few months I have put a great deal of my positive view and need for change in my life onto a person. I don't think I am explaining this correctly, but I have transferred my need for a new start onto a person who I thought I needed. Silly rabbit. I even talked with my therapist about this. Resolved I would stop this and focus on how awesome my future could be because of me and my goals, etc. Fell into same old habit again. I realize I have done this since I was a small child. So at long last I pushed him just enough to have him pick up the brick and throw it. I was upset. Cried. Said I was fine. Lied. Next day thought about how grateful I was he did it. Not only did he help me get rid of the "fraud" hanging out in my head, but it grounded me back into my world - the one I am making for my current little family. I think he might have the perception that I am pissed at him. I was pissed, but at myself. Now I'm good and grateful.

No new year's resolutions. They seem silly. I want to move forward consistently not on one day of the year.

Went to amazing shrink who I adore. Am weaning off the Cymbalta that made me want to puke for hours after taking it. Am on Effexor now. A friend told me it destroyed her thyroid. I have some concerns about that. However, I am relieved that the nausea is gone in the mornings - people were asking me if I was pregnant - no, my name is not Mary. I asked my doc if I could just go back to Wellbutrin. He looked at the file and reminded me that I went off of it because it gave me suicidal thoughts (not urges). Oops, forgot about that little side effect.

So I have been feeling good and overdoing it. Surgery was less than three weeks ago and I am supposed to be taking it easy - apparently not enough today. It is all the after Xmas sales. Damn the mania, the new shape, and the discounts. (Although I hit a resale shop today - reuse, reuse, reuse). I blame the water bottles from the grocery store - too heavy. I lifted them anyway. Dumbass rabbit. Stitches bleeding tonight - took a pain pill and will hit the hay. I do love pain pills. Seriously.