No, but I am.
What is the thread for this? I’d like to see it.
I politely but firmly told this man that I would no longer associate with him. Don’t bother reading it, it is filled to the brim with unrelated facts. The summary being that after struggling with my friendship with this man, with his many confusing signals and my insane attraction to him, he tried to manipulate me into doing his homework. It told me what I needed to know, so taking initiative I asked to speak with him after class and did so. He did not enjoy what I had to say. Several contradictions and attempts at manipulating my memory* of what really happened occurred, which solidified my conclusions about him.
That’s it for me.
~S.P.I.~
*His method of manipulation relied heavily on the person’s ability to accurately recall events. Fortunately I seem to be blessed with a freakishly good memory, specifically in the area of personal memories pertaining to other people. I noticed the many discrepancies in what he said, which I called him on, and he failed to convincingly provide explanations for(having not expected the questions, most likely).
whole bean’s thread: So, I’m giving it up (the sauce, that is)
(Note: not a stalker, just that my dad is a recovering alcoholic and I read every such thread because it’s a subject very close to me. Very glad to hear you’re doing well, wb.)
We are still going out after two months and things are great.
We talk every morning and evening during the week. I go to his place after work on Fridays and stay there until Monday morning. I really enjoy his company and the sex is great. We enjoy motorcycle rides, hanging out on the deck talking and cooking on the grill.
He is the most giving and easy going person I have ever met and I dare to say I am in love with him, again.
I’ve got one hell of a followup to my overnight stay in the ER in January. I saw a GE as planned. The subsequent months were filled with all sorts of invasive diagnostic tests, none of which revealed anything structural. They even tested for celiac disease and ruled that out. They gave me medicine that worked, but I was highly dependent on it and they didn’t want me to take it long-term. I was diagnosed (again) with IBS and advised to see a nutritionist, and since I was pretty desperate at this point I was willing to try anything.
My nutritionist took one look at my regular diet and symptoms and concluded that I was addicted to sugar. I frequently ate lots of sugary carby things, for instance a bagel and orange juice for breakfast. You don’t think of bagels or cereal as sugar, but that’s exactly what they are. She also ordered me to go through my pantry and get rid of anything processed. Even the stuff that claims to be healthy, like FiberOne bars. Throughout the weeks we refined my diet to consist of mostly vegetables (particularly leafy greens) and fruits, small amounts of lean protein and at least a serving of whole grains each day. No more white bread, processed sugar, hydrogenated oils, milk or caffeine. I stopped eating out. I learned how to cook actual meals and soon how to cook actual meals using only organic foods.
Difference. Is. AMAZING. I had these symptoms for a DECADE and had really come to think of them as a part of my life that would never change. It is hard to describe unless you’ve been through it how much it really limits your ability to live. I can’t tell you how many plans I’ve had to cancel, how many day trips I didn’t make, because of my freakin’ stomach. I was so bad I couldn’t even eat breakfast before I left the house each morning. And there were days, such as the one that landed me in the ER, I really thought I must be dying.
But I have been virtually free of IBS symptoms for about 6 months now. I now typically eat things like sauteed kale and chicken sausage for breakfast, and yes, some people think I am insane. But I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything just because cookies and cake are no longer a possibility for me. It is a small price to pay for the freedom that being truly healthy can give you. And it doesn’t hurt that this change has allowed me to maintain a 60 pound weight loss (and counting)!
I moved recently, and in moving I stumbled across my old pharmacy–the collection of prescription and OTC medications that I used to shovel down my throat on a daily basis in order to (usually unsuccessfully) control the symptoms. I was just in awe that I had really lived my life that way. And I gleefully dumped it all in the trash.
Moral of the story: Food changes everything.
This girl turned out to be a messed-up person, who had in fact treated me very badly indeed. Stunningly beautiful on the outside, but not a kind or honest person beneath her skin. Everything I had suspected her of doing turned out to be true, and then some (I still don’t know where that man’s sock that I found on her bedroom floor two months into our relationship came from, but I now have a pretty good idea). I still see her around occasionally, wrapped around the guy she was screwing with while we were together.
The betrayal and subsequent lies damaged me very badly, for nearly an entire year. But because of what I was going through, I joined a support group, and while I wasn’t looking for anyone, I met a girl who had been similarly ill-treated in the past. We have clicked like I’ve never clicked with anyone before in my life. Last week she confessed her feelings for me, and I likewise for her. We’re meeting again soon and I - tentatively - think that this could be the beginning of something very special.
Because of what both of us went through, we’re being very gentle with the other’s heart too, and value honesty above everything. So, in a way I have to say thanks to the nasty one. 
Oh, so sweet jjimm! I hope things work out!
Olives I am so happy to hear you’ve found the source of your stomach troubles. A healthy diet is a wonderful thing. And I love sauteed kale. 
Once you change the way you look at food, it’s all very easy and everything falls into place (says the on-again, off-again vegetarian. It’s really hard to cook for a family of five, four of whom want the meat!).
Congratulations, Cerowyn and Savannah on the new jobs! Cerowyn, does that mean you will or won’t be going to Tokyo as much?
Congratulations, Olivesmarch4th! Yeah, that diet thing is interesting. I’m now exploring ways of modulating my blood-sugar levels so I don’t hit those low points that make me disoriented and scatterbrained in the afternoon.
Congratulations, jjimm and SomeUserName! Meeting someone that you get along with is Very Good.
After sustaining massive damage in Hurricane Ike, our Taekwondo school is finally back up and running.
Now all I need is some more students. Houston area dopers, wanna come work out with us?
Some of the damage:
BAck up and running:
olivesmarch4th, that is great news! And just so you know you are in someone’s thoughts at random moments, last weekend, I was driving back and forth between my house and an arts festival, and each day I passed a road sign indicating the number of miles to Olivesburg. And I thought of you. 
As a future adoptive parent (we’ve made the decision but haven’t yet started the process), I congratulate you! I can only imagine what you must be feeling right now. Your wait is now down to a matter of months!
Aww, I want to go to Olivesburg.
Unexciting update the first: the blue-eyed pup found a good home in the country. I have checked back on with her family and everyone is happy. She did grow up to be obviously a Pit.
Update the second: The puppies all found homes, though none of them have left my house yet–Jonah goes to his new home on Sunday, Pinky goes to his new home sometime next week, Shep stays with us because I’m a sucker. Mama dog was adopted, but things did not work out and she was returned to me this week. I already have a line on a potential new home for her. (tons of pics of the rescues here: Photo Storage | Photobucket)
Rescueing is hard work, but very rewarding.
Oh, that makes me happy to hear, **stretch **. I’ve been using a picture of that abandoned blue-eyed pup as a background on my computer screen, and I’ve often wondered if she found a good home.
I’ve posted in the past about my daughter and how worried we’ve been about her decisions (heavy drugs, drinking, etc.) She’s doing well now and is in school full-time while working part time. Living at home and has matured a great deal in the last six months. When she decided to move back home, my husband refused to let her into the house until we talked very bluntly to her about her behavior and what she needed to do in order to live with us.
We sat on that front porch for a very long time before she agreed to act more like the adult she was trying to be, and less like a spoiled, sulky child. At the time she had no other place to go, as her boyfriend was in jail for assaulting her.
Shockingly enough, she cleans up after herself, goes to school and gets good grades, and works. Her boyfriend has left the country to clean himself up as well.
We don’t know what will happen next, but are taking things day to day. We love her dearly, and all is harmonious within this house after years of drama and stress. She is a pleasure to be around much of the time, and we’re working on building bridges again.
Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Wow, PH … that is a very very happy ending! I’m really thrilled for all of you and especially of course for your daughter. It sounds like she’s made a new beginning!
If I may, and I don’t mean to suggest that you have done this or would, but please avoid telling people that a dog “went to live in the country.”
That means something very specific to most of us.
Glad to hear it’s working out, purple!
Very good news, purple!
And it’s one of the worst euphemisms around, a total candidate for banishment.
That’s great! Best of luck to her and to you.
Yes, let’s please cut a perfectly reasonable literal phrase out of our vocabularies because some people’s parents abused it euphemistically. :rolleyes: