Yes yes, a blatant cry for attention.

The BBQ Pit
21

Me too, Jarbaby. You’re my favorite poster; no one else on the board, maybe in the whole world (with the possible exception of Dave Barry) has the ability to make me laugh so often or so hard. My day has been brightened up so many times merely by reading a sentence or two of your ineffably wonderful prose.

[trite mode on]Life moves in cycles; it can’t be good all the time. It can’t even refrain from being soul-suckingly crappy all the time. Just know that, if for no other reason than that there are people out there who care about you, it will get better.[trite mode off]

Trite, but true all the same. To coin a phrase (;)), you rock.

–Bill

PS–e-mail me sometime if you just wanna chat. No IRC–I’m a Mac person. :slight_smile:

22

and make Jarbaby feel less alone. Me, I’m staring down the barrels of 35, and I’m an unemployed temporary office worker. I’m one of the brightest people I know (all modesty aside), and I spend my days filing and mailing things and taking orders from little boys that are 15 years younger than I. Can we say “underachiever”, or is it “afraid of success”?
Anyway, wallow in your depression, eat anything you want to, spend your days anyway you want to, refresh your spirit, get medication if it reaches that point, then get back into the fight. Remember what Bono said; “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”

23

Remember, it’s Friday the 13th…things HAVE to get better by tomorrow.

Is any of this related to that ratfucker of a psycho friend you told us about earlier? When I finally realized how much my friend was jerking me around, I was devastated. A friend! Doing this terrible thing to me! At the same time she was feeding me stories about how great our friendship was! I finally went and saw a stress counselor for that one, just to be able to keep from going nuts turning it over and over in my head. Not that I’m telling you to go talk to someone–I’m just saying, don’t underestimate how difficult and challenging it can be to extricate yourself from that sort of thing, or to recover from friendships gone wrong. I felt so sheepish feeling bad about it, like it was some love affair gone wrong when it wasn’t, but it’s normal. It’s also easy to get way freaked out about a group of friends kicking you out. I mean, all my life I’ve sort of snickered over the losers who annoyed everyone and seemed clueless that no one really liked them. And then friends turn on you and you think “Holy SHIT! Am I that person? That loser that everyone grimaces over when my name comes up in my absence?!?” It’s the worst feeling. But jarbaby, you are not that person.

I do wonder if you are you my long-lost twin, however? A few of the other things you said hit major nerves.

Everyone hates the world sometimes (well, maybe not everyone, but I tend to not be able the STAND the people who are happy much of the time). Go ahead and give the world the finger and blow off some steam. But if it lasts? If you feel this way for a coupla weeks? Go see your doctor. When you can’t shake it, sometimes it means you need a little help to jar your mind back to its usual coping-with-the-world ways. Modern medicine is wonderful. It’s not just for people who are one day away from being committed to bedlam.

24

[Angry Young Man Hat OFF]

Bearing in mind that I very rarely take the time to be nice, especially to married ladies, consider the following:

[ul][li]I think you’re damn cute.[]You like cool music, that’s everything in my book.[]I’d pay to read a book that you wrote.[/li][/ul]

[Angry Young Man Hat ON]

25

Jarbaby, you are a complete cutie-pie in that picture. The guy can’t hold a candle to you.

You know, one of the ratbastard psycho friends I endured gave me one piece of actual advice worth more than his empty soul:

Ride the waves.

When life hands you shit you can’t cope with or bear, just ride the waves. Don’t paddle furiously trying to get someplace. Don’t sink beneath the water and let all your air out. Just stay at the surface and let the waves pass you by. In a while, they’ll be gone, and you can start getting busy again.

And Beadalin, I’ll be right over. Jello or chocolate pudding? Or both? You know, I could open one of those fancy-schmancy spa resort places just with this.

26

[[Some truly wonderful people throughout history were dog-ugly.]]

I bet this, in particular, helped.

27

Okay, missy.

You have a point. It doesn’t matter what pother people think of you. You are going to get a great thread full of truths about yourself. You are witty, creative, delightful etc. You do deserve to take care of yourself. The Teeming Millions see it clearly, and I will bet money that the people in your life see it too. (And the Teemings are jealous of them because they get it full force and face to face. I know I’m jealous, you sound like a great person to be around, and I deserve that.)

But, if you don’t see it, rubbing your nose in it is not all that good. No it doesn’t matter what you look like or sound like, we’ll love you anyway and so will the lucky people in your life. The reason to take care of yourself is not for others’ opinions. Its for you. Its because you deserve it.

Haul yourself to the gym, you deserve the atheletic high and the well being that comes from it. Kick the cig habit, you deserve to shine on the world for about another fifty million years. Not only can you do this, but if this is what you decide is good for you, you have to do it. You deserve the very best.

but you hvae to know that. And that’s where we can’t touch. We can show you how much we value you. We can’t make you value you. (But please do! You rock! Trust me!)

28

The real question is…could you guys all be any cooler?

The answer…no

Kids, don’t try this at home, but last night I went to happy hour with two friends of mine that really helped to block out the week, and then Mr. Jarbaby and I went to the Wild Goose for Bass Ales and Spinach dip that we consumed with great vigor. It was nice to just be with him and fatty fried foods for a while.

I sit here this morning in beautiful Chicago, the sun is shining, the grass is green, I’m drinking black coffee out of a “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” mug, my dog is arguing with a lintball, and I think I feel about 11% better than I did yesterday.

Of course, it’s only 8:52 a.m.

All the support and email I’ve received about this bad week has been happily heartwrenching and I was so pleased to hear from posters that I never even knew recognized my presence.

I’ve met some super great people on these boards, both IRL and just via email, and every word you’ve said to me has been taken to heart.

I’m saying heart too much, but the point is, thanks.

Cranky, you’re right breaking it off with this psycho friend is like…breaking up with a lover of some sorts. It hurts me, it makes me cry. I just want to shake her silly and say “WHY DO YOU LIKE TO BE MEAN?” Her favorite catchphrase for when I ask her why she does things is “I just have an evil heart” and then she winks. She thinks its cool to be evil. Neat.

As for future plans? I’m going to the gym at noon for yoga and possibly a massage, and then I’m going to come home and watch Talk Radio.

Thanks for listening to me when you didn’t have to. Thanks for the kind words. Danke Danke Danke

jessi

29

Wow, jarbaby! You’ve had the week from hell!:frowning:

Ditto what everyone else has already said (well, the good stuff, anyways!:wink: )… especially this: Don’t let the bastards grind you down!

Hope things are better next week!

30

I’m glad you’re feeling a little better, jarbabyj. FWIW, I think you’re funny, smart, and witty, and I like your web page. You affect the world more than you might think.
Fuck the naysayers.

31

So. Just an update. The day is still beautiful here in Chi town. I went to yoga, had a massage and then went for a Chicken Ceasar salad.

When I came home, psycho girlfriend #1 with the emotional problems had finally answered my, oh, 8k email that I sent five days ago. As I told some of you, it was a veritable outpouring of emotion, begging for an explanation of how I’d hurt her and what was wrong, wondering why she’d sworn at me, why I was the victim of her bitter vitriol. I asked no less than 12 questions and offered three different bits of advice. It took me an hour to write.

her response?

“Leave me alone”

Gotcha.

But in a way, this seemed like an ideal ending to our friendship that I realized was the cause of my week of nauseousness. The trip is off, the waiting for her to speak to me is off, the whole aspect of dealing with her wackiness is done. I may not be going to cool VIP parties on her coattails anymore, but really, what did that do for me except make me FEEL like I was important?

Does this improve my career at all? My life ambitions? nah. But it does check one item off the list.

  • psycho girl…gone

jarbaby

32

sorry bout the shitty week. they come and go, and happen to the best of us .don’t let those assholes who stopped being our friend get you down. those kind of people suck. i can’t understand whatever reasoning they might have though, cuz from what i can tell about you [since i don’t actually know u], you’re a cool person, and seems like you’re pretty damn interesting. hell, most of the people on the SDMB seem like the kind of people that are just a lot of fun to hang around with, just like you seem like you would be.

so, i hope things keep on getting better for you.

33

You talk the talk. You walk the walk. You make a lot of us smile, as we are thinking REALLY hard about the words you share here. You love theatre ( that’s good for a little over 40,000 points :smiley: ).
You abuse the English language with gusto. You care. You’re smarmy ( another 25,000 points ). You poke fun with gentility unless visceral cruelty is called for. Then, you’re lethal.
You care. More. I had to say it twice, it shines through. You are IN this community, and I for one am very fucking grateful you trod these pathways.
Eat more fried foods. Hell, what’s a gym membership good for if you can’t flaunt fried foods at it now and again?

I hate that you had this week. It’s one week, in a dazzling season. It’s Saturday night. Go frolic with mr. jarbaby, and have a Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. :wink:

With chocolates,

Cartooniverse

34

DUH-ROOL.

Sowwy. Cawwy on.

::goes to work cleaning off his floor::

35

Excellent! Now if we can get you in a group marriage with Dream Boy and Mr. jarbaby. :wink:

36

Glad your week from hell improved.

Why do you think they call it “Happy Hour,” anyway? :wink:

37

Lord, I’m glad you recognize the “Leave me alone” as a blessing!

It wouldn’t surprise me if she didn’t (at some point) attempt to come crawling back, but whether or not she does thank heaven for the opportunity to make a clean break.

38

:: ponders for a few seconds ::

Hmmm I’d do ya alright…
Never said I was choosy did I?

But seriously, everyone has their lows and beauty is overated anyway, don’t sweat it, you’re smart and have cool girfriends that like to fool around with other girls but I digress… The tricky part is being confident and dog-ugly (LOL JillGat). I won’t partake in all this pampering but I’m sorry you’re going through this. Best wishes.

Not that this helps. You can take it out on me though. Oh and I have a crooked spine too so I literally feel your pain.

39

Yeah, there’s nothing worse than pouring your guts out trying to find a little understanding and then finding out you are the only one in the universe that has ever felt that way.

Not that that has ever happened to me. Nope. No way. I’m weird exactly the same way everyone else is weird. Right? Right? Hey! C’mon guys, it’s not funny anymore!!

Anyway, glad you’re feeling a little better jb.

40

I’m still trying to get over people heading toward 35 “feeling old.” I’m over a decade over that and I sure don’t feel old. I may not get carded for alcohol anymore, but I got called “immature” last week. Ya take your compliments where ya get em. - Jill