I have this reaction to the verb form "to gift", except I'll never be convinced it's an actual word. The verb is "to give", the noun is gift. The gift is the thing that has been given, the rift is the thing that has been riven, and the drift is the thing that has been driven. (Like sand or snow; the gift, the rift, and the drift are abstract nouns standing in for a specific item that has been acted on in a specific way.) That's basic conjugation of verbs taking the form of give, rive, and drive. That is how English works. "She gifted that clock to her mom" is as bad as "She rifted that paper in two". It does not grammar that way.   (There is "to drift", but it's the passive verb that applies to what the subject of the action does when it's acted on, not the object, because it's an implicit adjectival form. You don't say "the wind drifted the snow", because it's not the verb the object can do, it's just the state of the subject. The snow that has been driven has drifted, so if we're going to verb the noun gift, the clock that has been given has gifted. "The clock gifted to her mom" as a standalone sentence is silliness, but it's at least grammatically correct silliness, and that is how wrong "She gifted the clock to her mom" sounds to me.)   The dictionary disagrees with me, but screw 'em, they're just the dictionary. If "it means we don't have to say more words to clarify" was any reason for words becoming official, we'd have to do a significant efficiency overhaul on the English language. The dictionary and I have a rift of opinion about this verbal drift, and I do not gift a fuck what they think. (Usually those are free of charge, too, so you can see how the added clarity fails us here.)     'Quieten' looks like it's the British form, which puts it on the list of things like 'orientate' that frequently drive Americans up the wall, and I suspect it's not just because of differences between US and UK English, but also partly because of negative stereotypes associated with the Appalachian dialect, which I believe is the primary place those forms survived here. (Big influx of very geographically isolated Irish and Scottish immigrants; you can hear it in the music, too.) It's not just that those forms sound wrong next to the way we're trained grammatically, they also sound like the dialect that's been stigmatized in American media with the worst stereotypes of poverty and "rural backwardness", so they sound wrong with extra knee jerk quantities of sounding wrong.   ("Orientate".  Gaaaah. It's on my transatlantic translation list, along with chips and fanny - the list sometimes doubles as a wish list for a drunken weekend when I'm a young man with basic tastes - but it's not quite a seamless translation yet.)

I started to read and catch up, but dinner is here (at 9 pm ) So I will finish later. But  

Thanks Whisper. I am glad someone remembered me. I really did miss you all. I need to hunt down your thread now.

Boots

i LOVE this

So yesterday was packed full of work, with a nice break for lunch, for which my fellow trainee and I walked to a restaurant I had been anticipating. They were closed. So we walked back, stopping at a sushi place on the way. We also went to the parking lot so I could get my parking ticket validated since I'd left it in my car. We enjoyed the outside for a bit and headed back inside. I didn't climb the stairs later that day because we got to talking to someone else on their way out.    But I took the stairs today! Today wasn't quite as hectic. We did one day's work instead of two. I also got to enjoy brownies brought by someone grateful to the wire dept. There was a multi-pack of three flavors. I instigated the notion of cutting the squares in half to indulge in all three flavors, but didn't require it of anybody, though I think a couple other people did the same. XD   Don't know what I'm doing tonight except that it's Taco Tuesday on a Thursday. XD   Hope your day went by smoothly Maerad

I did not start from now - much snacks today. Ho hum. It's also late, though I had a lovely evening online gaming with a pal, except we only played two games of battleships and spent the rest of the time chatting shit ❤️ Did physio and no scrolling. I think I've basically passed this challenge already, so I might have a think about doing something for the final week - I'm meeting a mate for dinner tomorrow and have boardgames Saturday eve so will likely snack. Hmm.   Yesterday: 2pt Total: 46pts   Yep 45pts was a winning score. It feels uneventful to happen so early though, like if a movie bomb countdown doesn't run down to 1 second before being stopped, yanno?

He messaged again (after me not responding to his friend request) that 'silence speaks volumes' (because stating my disinterest clearly didn't...) and signed off his message 'namaste'....................... FB is looking like scheduling won't happen until after I next see fwb anyway. Meh, whatevs.   The wedding... tldr; strong moment of clarity around all these people from 10yrs ago where it was like watching an old home movie, but they're all still kinda the same. And I'm very much not (and very much happier for it). So yeah, I'd say a very positive outcome.   Some other lolz though... So my ex who was there was my first longterm bf, together 7.5yrs and ended a decade ago, he's now happily married with a kid - I told him I got an autism diagnosis finally, and he was like 'huh... I wouldn't have thought that of you' which either means my mask was strong, he didn't know me at all, or a combination of the two. I found it interesting though, and kinda sad in the way I've felt about situs that might have been different if I'd been diagnosed/more aware when I was younger way. Leaving the wedding the groom (ex's bro) asked how I was. I said I was living my best life in the 'happiest demographic' which is single women in their 40s with no kids - going on loads of holidays, doing all the hobbies I like with no responsibilities and shagging the people I want. His reply with a slightly 'aww never mind' face: I'm sure you'll find someone 🤔     I can't remember  but still NHS (as ever) but kinda strategic oversight/planning of clinical systems training. I've done much more on the planning the build/maintenance of the systems before so the training side is new. Should be good though, I'm just a bit whelmed at the mo...

It sounds like you're going through a very intense time emotionally, and the anxiety you're feeling about the interview results is totally understandable, especially when the stakes feel so high. Anxiety spirals like this can become overwhelming, especially when you're waiting for news that you have no control over at this point. The way you're describing bargaining with the universe and setting random conditions for getting the job (like push-ups or not popping a spot) can be a symptom of **high anxiety**, where your mind is trying to grasp onto anything to feel a sense of control in an uncertain situation. This kind of thinking, known as **magical thinking**, is pretty common when we feel powerless and anxious. Here are a few ideas that might help you manage this while you wait: ### 1. **Mindfulness & Grounding Techniques**      You can try grounding yourself through mindfulness, which helps bring you back into the present and reduces racing thoughts. Something simple like focusing on your breathing (counting 4 seconds in, holding for 4, and releasing for 4) can help slow down the heart rate and calm the mind. ### 2. **Focus on What You Can Control**      You’ve done all you can for the interview, so try shifting your focus onto things you can control—whether that's exercising, working on a hobby, or setting new personal goals that give you a sense of accomplishment. ### 3. **Challenge Irrational Thoughts**      When you catch yourself making irrational bargains or obsessive thoughts, try challenging them. Remind yourself that getting the job is not dependent on random actions like popping a zit—it’s based on your performance and the company's decision-making process. ### 4. **Physical Activity**      Exercise (like the 1,944 push-ups you mentioned) can be an excellent outlet for anxiety! But if that number feels overwhelming or anxiety-driven, consider starting with something more manageable—physical activity releases endorphins that help reduce anxiety naturally.