wow. has it really been this long since i posted? well. it's been quietly hectic as handfuls of tiny, yet significant, miracles fill my hands like twinkly stardust. i am getting a boot camp-style training ...1 month's worth in 1 week. but it is so nice to work in an environment that's so damn quiet! i haven't even picked up the phone all week on the job! and no one has called me a single name. my blood pressure has returned to mostly normal, and i think my body is shocked! you get used to operating with certain conditions applied - whether it's stress or whatever - and my theory is that your body conditions itself to recognize that state as normal. anyway, the new job, i can see, will have it's own pressures to finish mountains of paperwork, but it's the perfect environment for me there - a team effort with my part clearly defined and all up to me to complete. on the homefront, we had our family meeting last night, with 4 empowered adults and 1 nervous, semi-snarky semi-adult. that has been a battle of tensions, and as my work stress has gone pfft, i am better able to take control of the home situations. there are certain stressors that won't be resolved - such as Diva. she is the sweetest cuddler and mostly the joy of my heart, but is admittedly a handful. i am looking into a trainer that doesn't cost a fortune. meanwhile, we make her watch Dog Whisperer with us.