Crap in the year.

[Bored Of Education]

Is anyone else having a shit year? Aside from my travails posted at length elsewhere, my dad's brother and also his cousin (who was like a brother to both of them) died within a couple of moths of each other, my nephew may have to have a serious follow-up operation to a brain operation he had a few years back and our finances are particularly shite at the moment for a variety of reasons. For obvious reasons, the former couple of issues mean that it hasn't been a great year for a lot of my family, not least my Dad. Also, the latter seems to be affecting a lot of people I know - sod austerity being over or even the end being in sight, everyone's skint. I know of another part of extended family who have also had two deaths in the family within a couple of months. All this added to ongoing bloody Brexit, Trump, disintegrating public services and everything means that there doesn't seem much to cheer about presently.

...or is it just me?

[johnr]

No, me too. Best mate diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer - though, miraculously, some amazing treatment has led to him having, at best estimate, some/many years left, rather than the 12 months first given to us. Then Ms johnr's mum had a knee replacement that went wrong, was then diagnosed with terminal cancer, which required a spinal operation, then found the cancer was already in her old hip replacement, so had to have another one of them (the latter we heard via an emergency message from the hospital, just as I was on the 'online booking' section of the easyjet site - holiday promptly cancelled).

The above means that I've spent an awful lot of time in hospitals, in Cumbria, Newcastle, Worthing, Brighton and Chichester. Another very good friend has been diagnosed with a very early parkinson's-related symptoms. It's not been good. Ms johnr has struggled, emotionally. Spiderman on the ps4 is good for her at the moment, as is beer.

On the bright side, I've just found out that my new roland drum module can also play samples, so I'm very excited for the future.

[Benjm]

Last year was the shit one for me, this has been considerably better, if that's any help.

[Patrick Thistle]

I've bored everyone with my interminable kitchen saga. On top of that Mrs Thistle had a life changing diagnosis in June, then her Grannie (who I adored as well) died 2 weeks later. And then, well it's all on the cancer thread.

So, no, you aren't on your own. 2018 can fucking do one.

[WOM]

Last year was the shit one for me, this has been considerably better, if that's any help.

Yeah, same here.

[EIM]

After four straight shit years, each getting progressively shitter (largely due to my own stupidity mixed with depression and what have you) this year has been fucking brilliant. Just as well. Had things continued going the way they were, well, I dunno. I just know that a bit over a year ago I was living in shared accommodation in a cellar room so damp mould grew on all my clothes, I couldn't afford to eat, and I hated the town I lived in and the people I knew. And now I'm in a job I love, in a city I love, surrounded by good mates, doing things I love to do. And the transformation has been so rapid and easy once I'd got over the initial hurdles, that I'm ruing my stupidity in leaving it so long, and for allowing myself to fall in such a rut in the first place.

I know it's not like me to bring positivity to this board, but there you go. Sorry you're all having a bad time. Have a virtual hug with back-slaps.

[Hot Pepsi]

Yeah, 2018 has been better than the previous few years for me. I stopped taking any meds and have lost 75 pounds since April. I have done a lot to get my money and life together in general. So that’s a big step in the right direction.

It’s not all great. I’m much more awake and aware and able to live in the present, but that has also made me more aware of other people’s pain and also compelled me to think about what I’m doing with my life, which is always fraught. At times, it’s also made me feel like I’ve irredeemably ruined my life with some past decisions or non-decisions I made when I was depressed and/anxious. But then sometimes i’m able to steer out of that skid.

Lots of shit stuff happening in the world, though. And a fair amount of shit stuff happening with friends, so there’s that too, and I’m much more sensitive to that pain than I was in the past. So that’s good and bad, depending on how one looks at it.

[Nefertiti2]

glad to hear things are going so much better for EIM and HP. Being open is only good in the long run, and we all value your insights. Sorry to hear of darker times. BE PT johnr and co. love and solidarity to all

[Lang Spoon]

Even if my work life has fallen deeper into the shitter, 2018 has brought me joy love and contentment I assumed I’d never get before I shuffled off the rock. Eviction, online dating and quiting the green haven’t stopped me being a miserable fuck, but have shaken up my life from a decade long depressive rut.

Not so much great news with family members and the general world but. So it goes. And yeah, love to the board.

[Hot Pepsi]

Does “the green” mean weed?

[Lang Spoon]

Mais oui