In some conversation with blog readers and posters, there has been some interest expressed in open threads… so here you go! Have at it!
The rules of the site still apply and trolls will still be ignored. Otherwise, go to town in the comments with thoughts, random babbling, questions or whatever else.
Enjoy!
And, I realize I’ve taken my sweet time getting this post up… sorry to those who requested this… life has gotten in the way and some things have slipped my mind. My apologies!
-AngryGrayRainbows
Angry Gray Rainbows 
Hey, look! And open thread! Just a place for me to post how much I love your blog. It’s inspiring to me, as I’m also working through my body and self-image issues and heal my relationship with food. I tend to restrict then binge, a bad habit I’ve picked up as an alternative to Self Injury. Your site helps me think of this as just as harmful to myself and you make me want to treat myself better. I wish I could just give you both a huge hug. Thanks a lot,
Gracey x
YAAAYYY!!!
Open threadiness!!! I don’t have much to add, ATM, but give me a couple more hours and I’m sure I’ll have a rant a brewin’. Too bad it can’t ever be anything positive or a list of things I am grateful for. Ya know what? I just might do that later, say something nice for a change.
Also, italicize no worky, do you know if it’s HTML code like or [i]? Sorry for the bother and thanks again!
Cool! An open thread!
First let me say thank you to all of our readers. It still cracks me up sometimes to think AGR and I actually have people who follow our blog. (cracks me up in a good way)
Second I want to say thank you to my co-blogger who actually initiated all this and asked me to participate with her. She’s really the brains behind all of this.
Thirdly I’m going to ramble some.
We have had nothing but rain for a couple of weeks now and it amazes me how much this affects my life. If I’m even the least bit down and it’s this cloudy and rainy, it doubles the effect and has me spiraling downward. Thank God the sun is shining today. I’m going to soak up all I can at lunch!
I have an appointment with my general physician today. My foot had gotten better but now my foot, ankle and calf are swollen. I refuse to wear that boot I was wearing before because it caused more damage than helped. I’m hoping the doc can get me a shoe to wear instead. I’m confident now that I did break my foot (stress fracture) and that I didn’t give it enough time to heal. I will do the right thing for my body and take care of it as the doctor prescribes.
Have you gone over to http://www.junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/ lately? OMG! Her entries have been awesome lately! The “Pudge Police, Part 2” entry is great. Take the time, if you haven’t already, to look through it.
To end I’ll just let AGR know I’m thinking about her. I know the past few days have been a struggle but I’m here for you. Take care of yourself and be kind to yourself.
-sas
Sandy’s entry on electronic medical records today is another good one, and scares the hell out of me. Hackers have an easy time of getting into those medical records and using the information there to commit all kinds of fraud. So tell me again why I should trust our government to keep my information confidential?
On another note, I went in today to get cortisone shots for my knees, and the doctor recommended the rooster comb shots instead (the cortisone shots only work for a couple of months for me, instead of the 6 months they’re supposed to work for). He also said I should ask my PCP for an MRI of my back to find out what exactly is wrong with it, and then come up with treatment options other than surgery. So, I got the first of the rooster comb shots today (next Tuesday and the following Tuesday are the last of the shots). Yay for anything that reduces knee pain 🙂
I wrote a poem.
You and Sassy are awesome.
Dancing helps.
I’m feeling hopeful and better than before. My heart is starting to lighten. Thanks for doing what you do, it helps.
Open thread – great plan! Just wanted to add my voice and thank AGR, Sas and commentators. Everyone who contributes makes it what it is.
You guys are so awesome. You make me smile so much. 😀 And that is seriously something… when sometimes it is hard to enjoy anything – thank you PTSD and depression.
WRT2 – You are such a sweetie. Thank you. When we get our printer set-up, I’m printing your poem out and putting it on the fridge. I love reminders that what we do matters… it is really lovely to hear that – in poem form is even better!
Vesta – What’s a rooster comb shot? Whatever it is, I hope it helps!! Pain can cause so many shadows in our thinking and perceptions… I hope you get relief soon.
I’ve recently started reading EVERYTHING I can written by Sandy. I first started reading her pre-ritalin and it was hard to follow (not her fault AT ALL). But now that I’ve got better focus, I am really enjoying her posts and rifling through her old posts too!
I don’t know why we’re supposed to trust the gov’t oh so much either. Sigh… It is hard to want to go get all the medical care I need when I sometimes feel that I’m just putting more information out there that isn’t all that safe from jerks who would abuse it. Grrrrr.
Sas – oh hell yeah… that pudge police stuff is really eye-opening. I read that one a few times myself… It makes me wanna scream: COME ON NORTH CAROLINA! YOU ARE SMARTER THAN THIS! Sigh…
I am so grateful to Sandy for posting this kinda stuff and then breaking it down. She deserves all the good hype she gets – no doubt.
HM – I seriously don’t know… I just tried to italicize something in this comment and can’t figure out how to do it.
Do any of you commentors know how to italicize in comments?
I will check around the WordPress website to see if there are any “how to’s” on the subject.
Anyhoo… take your time! There will be more open threads. I am thinking once a week I could make a new one. 😉
Gracey – Welcome to AGR!!! I am so glad to hear what we right helps some folks out in the world. That means so much to me and Sas. It is feedback like you and WRT2 gave us that keep me going – so thank you!!!
I used to struggle with SI myself… and I have also used diets and restriction/binging as a way to SI as well. Off the top of your head, can you think of any blocks in your thinking that help promote the idea that you deserve SI? If you want to share some of them, I would be happy to help you challenge them.
You guys make me smile to. And WRT2, a poem? How sweet. Loved it!
Continue to enjoy the open thread!
Thanks for the open thread. I still struggle with body image and the fantasy that thin would make me happy etc. It is great to find a place where people understand.
JennyRose
Well, I think ALL of you ladies are very interesting and informative as well as thought provoking. I want to go ahead and list my appreciations before I lose internet access COMPLETELY;
1. My health (and of course my children’s even though one is TYPE1 Diabetic but hey, it could be worse). Yes that’s right, I may have thyroid issues and floaties in my eyes but I’m glad I can keep up with my kids b/c God knows I need that.
2. That my Hubby still has a job even though it’s been EXTREMELY slow as of late and we haven’t been able to pay our phone bill. Which brings me to my next point.
3. My laptop and the fact that I could access the internet from INSIDE the house even though they cut off my home phone for like 2 months until yesterday!!
😦
Now I have to drag like four 3 pronged extension cords to the front yard just to get a signal to do this.
4. My Mom, even though she is a critical, soul-crushing self righteous you-know-what, at least she lets me live with her and give diapers and food to my kids when necessary.
5. I think that’s p. much it, got nothing much else and my crazy, psychotic, lazy, non-contributing AT ALL WHATSOEVER brother is starting to piss me right off!!!
UGH!!
See what happens when I try to be positive? Someone or Something ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS breaks it to pieces!!
Oh, well, I tried!
For Your Health.
You ladies are awesome! Just thought I would let you know that.
You both have really inspired me to buck the societal version of what’s correct with food and exercise and listen more to my body. Even though it is soooo hard to do, it’s a little easier knowing that there are women out there who have tried and succeeded in feeling great about themselves without bowing to society’s ideas.
Keep doing what you do!!
Sophie, Jenny & Peg,
Thank you so much, ladies. Your kind words mean a lot to me – and Sas too, I’m sure!
Hotmomma,
Sometimes the best you can do is to just try. Being able to keep up with your kids IS huge… if I had kids, I am not quite sure I could do it.
Re: the job situation… I hear you. I’ve been trying to find something part-time or full-time myself. What is even more frustrating is that I’ll make it so far into the interviewing process and then the job will be frozen so that no one (not even a successful applicant) is getting a job. *headdesk* Hopefully the market will losen up soon!!!