I bet they are tough and stringy. And I know- I have a friend that I help out occasionally, and when she gets obstinate about it, I get mad at her for not allowing me to grow as a person by being generous to others.
Mechanical Turk is a website that lets people work (for very low wages) from home.
Good for you. Everyone wallows sometime. Didn’t REM write a song about it?
If your circumstances were normal, you’d probably be doing fine. Your circumstances are NOT normal, and it sounds like you’re doing the best you can with tough problems.
If the slammed door is losing your job now, maybe the opened window is that you’re free to move back east where you can get more support for your troubled son. If you figure out what you need, don’t be afraid to ask Dopers, either - it always amazes me how Dopers go out of their way to help each other when we can.
I am totally there. It comes to a point that you are just too fucking tired of kicking against the pricks that you lose the whole point of it, that you simply need to keep kicking. So I sold stuffed animals last week. And may go to work for a former competitor (fingers crossed!) next week.
If only a bunch of us Dopers could get together and form a commune to take care of each other, because we do it so well. And maybe we could have a literal pit to throw each other in when we act like jerks. Yeah, that’s the ticket! This is a good community.
Hey Alice, just wanted to give you a hug.{hug}
Ah, I needed that. 
Just to share something funny about the boy that’s causing me so much heartache right now- yesterday, I was at the computer, and he walks up and tells me that he doesn’t know what a vagina looks like. So, okay, I wiki it and show him the drawing, with all the parts labeled and everything. When the picture comes up, he draws in his breath and says in hushed, reverent tones, “It’s beautiful!” Oh my god, he does crack me up sometimes. It’s not all bad.
I kinda thought that story was going to go in a different, creepy direction.
Haha, yeah, nobody wants that.
Although, I tell you, if I was as open with my, uh, self, as he is with his, uh, self, I’d be arrested. 
Openness is overrated.
Alice, just wanted to say I hear ya. I can’t completely relate to everything you’re going through (mainly because I don’t have any kids of my own), but I definitely sympathize. I’m so sorry you’re going through this and I sincerely hope things start getting better soon.
You’ll both be in my thoughts and prayers. Take care of yourself and hang in there. Hugs.
Thank you. I feel that you’ve probably been through similar things with your husband lately- especially the feeling of working working working for someone and not being treated especially nicely for it. It’s frustrating. Hugs right back at you.
I’m sorry to read that things are so rough for you, Alice. Glad things seem to be moving in a positive direction.
You’re in my thoughts. Hugs.
Wow, that sounds insanely hard. I have no advice or help to offer, but you’re definitely in my thoughts, and I sincerely hope things get a lot better for you very soon.
Love the thing about the vagina, too funny,
I was so glad to know he didn’t know what one looked like- at least we’re not having* those *problems! 
I’ve put it in motion to get out of town and move back east. I feel that this will help with a lot of my long-term goals, for many reasons. So I feel better about that, at least.
Alice, I just want to say that I think you are an amazing person to be dealing with all that you have on your plate and still remember what another person is going through. You are awesome. Please come here to vent any time and if you need help just ask for it.
Alice, I hope things go well for you. It was unexpected but it seems like it could be good.
If we were forced to be together, we’d be biting each others’ heads off within a week.
But seriously, it feels good to help… it is not a problem! I’m glad things are looking up for you.
Oh, god, no, I’m not awesome. It’s my fault he’s like this, it’s my fault I’m breaking right now, and sometimes, when he’s screaming at me “fuck you, bitch!” like he is right this moment from his room, where I banished him for lying, again, I wonder if I still love him, which makes me feel like a horrible person. So no, not awesome. Human, possibly.