better off than 4 years ago

[tyrannosaurus vex]

NOTE: THE "4 YEARS" THING IS NOT POLITICAL. It's just a meme going around somewhere and it seems as reasonable a snapshot period as any other.

Many things and many people in life suck, and I don't need to issue a laundry list on that topic to name them.

Some things however do not suck. I won't list a general, "applies to everyone" laundry list here either, because I don't know everyone and I don't know what applies and what doesn't, or what sucks and what doesn't for most people, for that matter.

But if the plights of millions of disenfranchised people are worth discussing (and they are!) then that discussion ought to be balanced out. So, here are a few things from my life, that do not suck.

1. My family - more stable, and happier now than it was 4 years ago.

2. My Job - I have gone from a job dealing with whiny rednecks and their broken computers all day, to a job where if I am having a bad day I can walk outside to blow off frustration and take in some scenery, and depending on the week, I will either see this:


Puget Sound waving hello and smelling remarkably nice

or this:


Not sure what this is, I think it's a leftover prop from the Friends series

3. My health - not as good as it should be (I'm one of those Horrible Smokers they tell you about in class) but I have insurance that I didn't have 4 years ago.

4. My Religious Extremist parents live in Wisconsin, where they can't harass my kids for their (lack of) religion or the critical thinking my wife and I have instilled in them.

5. PDCOM.....? Well, you can't win them all. TAKE THAT SPAGS.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Good to hear.

I am at this moment having a bit of a rough time, but the last 4 years have been pretty damn good to me (I consider myself to be absurdly lucky in this, given 2008).

And now a bunch of my friends are being sucked back into Tucson.  I believe this has happened so that I don't have to endure the afterlife alone.

So, yeah, things are good.

[Luna]

Fuck.

Four years ago, I was blissfully unaware that my cocksucking husband was running around behind my back.

I had a house.

I had a job.

I had a dog.

I was pretty sure I knew where my life was headed.

I was wrong.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fuck.

Four years ago, I was blissfully unaware that my cocksucking husband was running around behind my back.

I had a house.

I had a job.

I had a dog.

I was pretty sure I knew where my life was headed.

I was wrong.

[Luna]

Fuck.

Four years ago, I was blissfully unaware that my cocksucking husband was running around behind my back.

I had a house.

I had a job.

I had a dog.

I was pretty sure I knew where my life was headed.

I was wrong.

Fuck, I'm in a pissy mood.

Okay.  Snap out of it.

Four years ago, I don't think I'd even been introduced in passing to Richter, or to Suu.

Four years ago, the guy I'm not seeing was a bittersweet memory.  (No TARDIS involved, we dated, briefly, years ago, but it was just bad timing, and didnt' work out.)

I'd never heard of this place...  File that under whichever column you like.

I've lost a good twenty pounds since, then, and am in better shape...

I've done a lot of tearing down who I was when I was with the douchebag, and trying to figure out what's under there.  Slow project, but, I've got time.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Four years ago I was married, earning 100k/year and had health insurance.

Now: betrayed, divorced, perpetually behind on my mortgage and can't afford to see a dentist. Got charity care at OHSU to have a hysterectomy, as of today  there seems to be something wrong with my incision and I'm waiting for a call to find out whether I have to go back in.

My grants were cut so financial aid isn't picking up the slack like it was meant to.

In short; goodie for you. You "balanced things out".

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Fuck this thread. What is this shit, a "count your blessings" thread? Or a "things aren't so bad!" thread? Or a "well, at least I'm better off than YOU" thread?

It just seems like it's here for bragging rights.

[Luna]

Well, so much for trying to pull my mood back out of the shitter.

Thanks, Nigel.

Fuck it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fuck this thread. What is this shit, a "count your blessings" thread? Or a "things aren't so bad!" thread? Or a "well, at least I'm better off than YOU" thread?

It just seems like it's here for bragging rights.

On the other hand, Nigel, you are going back to school to do what you really want to do, which wasn't happening in 2008.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Fuck this thread. What is this shit, a "count your blessings" thread? Or a "things aren't so bad!" thread? Or a "well, at least I'm better off than YOU" thread?

It just seems like it's here for bragging rights.

It's not intended to be that. It is intended to be a "things aren't always shitty" statement, and I intentionally was talking only about myself because I don't want to talk for anyone else. There are plenty of things I could complain about, but I don't want to complain today. Sometimes life doesn't shit on me, and I suspect sometimes it doesn't shit on you, too.

If all life ever does is shit on people, then why go on living at all?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Fuck this thread. What is this shit, a "count your blessings" thread? Or a "things aren't so bad!" thread? Or a "well, at least I'm better off than YOU" thread?

It just seems like it's here for bragging rights.

On the other hand, Nigel, you are going back to school to do what you really want to do, which wasn't happening in 2008.

I was headed back to school when my ex and I split up and my school plans got derailed. I lost a term's tuition.

BUT WHATEVER, SORRY, HERE'S A NICE PAINTING SO WE CAN ALL SMILE AND FORGET THAT THE WORLD IS IN A SHITTY PLACE:

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fuck this thread. What is this shit, a "count your blessings" thread? Or a "things aren't so bad!" thread? Or a "well, at least I'm better off than YOU" thread?

It just seems like it's here for bragging rights.

On the other hand, Nigel, you are going back to school to do what you really want to do, which wasn't happening in 2008.

I was headed back to school when my ex and I split up and my school plans got derailed. I lost a term's tuition.

BUT WHATEVER, SORRY, HERE'S A NICE PAINTING SO WE CAN ALL SMILE AND FORGET THAT THE WORLD IS IN A SHITTY PLACE:

Okay.  Sorry to hear that.

TGRR,
Hasn't got enough ass left to be the whipping boy.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Sorry, the OP just rubbed me wrong. It was a little too "Hey, you downer mcdownytons! Here are the reasons my life is great!"

Since I'm kind of struggling along to keep my chin up and my sense of humor running as I develop some hematoma, it was kind of the last straw.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Hematoma?? How soon can you get in???

Good and bad here.

Overall, I'm doing a LOT better but some things are still fucked up. Four years ago was the tail end of a major hell cycle. Some awesome things have happened since then and I know some awesome people (long distance, every last one of 'em, but it means a lot) and I'm not punching a cash register anymore, but I wouldn't wish Seguin on anybody. Or if I did, somebody'd call "Godwin's Law".

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Sorry, the OP just rubbed me wrong. It was a little too "Hey, you downer mcdownytons! Here are the reasons my life is great!"

Since I'm kind of struggling along to keep my chin up and my sense of humor running as I develop some hematoma, it was kind of the last straw.

1.  S'okay.  I'm overreacting a little myself, today.

2.  WHAT?