Bunny’s TMI

Ways I can prevent stress – how I’m doing so now:

• Sleep – try to get 8 hours a night, take meds to help sleep soundly, take them early enough to help fall asleep on time
• Dance – ballroom dance class
• Sing – use iPod while doing chores (need new headphones)
• Enjoy nature – Putah Creek
• Get a massage – massage chair (need to set it up for easy use in the den)
• Listen to music (especially soothing instrumental stuff)
• Cuddle with the cats
• Exercise
• Eat healthy foods – reduced the sugars & carbs in my diet, adding whole grains & more fruit

Ways I deal with stress (usually to prevent/avoid an anxiety attack) – negative side:

• Picking at things – probably bad for my skin & clothes/blankets, annoying to my cats
• Read – makes it hard to get anything else done
• Surf the web for art & download it
• Organize something – it’s hard to stop before I’m finished even if I’m exhausted.
• Sleep – makes it hard to get anything else done
• Cuddle with the cats
• Eat, especially carby foods or sweets (bread, pizza, ice cream) – bad for my health & waistline so I try to avoid this as much as possible by not having the most tempting comfort foods in the house
• Enjoy nature

I’ll add more as I think of them.

Dealing with me when I’m stressed:

• Don’t make me think. Most questions will be answered with “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.” and it’s also usually better to be quiet or talk about something simple/unimportant that I can ignore if comprehension is too difficult.
• Expect that I will take everything you say literally and seriously unless PLAINLY untrue. Example: Saying the moon is made of cheese I won’t believe, saying you hate pizza (even though I should remember it’s your favorite food) I will believe. I will not get teasing or sarcasm if it requires thinking or memory. My reactions to what you say will be based on taking you literally and seriously, even if that is incorrect. If you don’t want bad reactions, watch what you say. If that’s too hard, don’t say anything.
• Things that normally I don’t even notice will bother me. Sounds, sensations, etc. If I’m feeling especially fussy, I’ll want you to go away so that I don’t snap at you for something that’s not your fault. I’m not rejecting you, I’m protecting you from me.

Owners Manual

Congratulations! You’re the proud new certified user of Bunnybot Version 2.7! Version 2.7 contains many upgrades and bug fixes from the previous versions. It comes in a slightly larger enclosure, but there are plans to streamline it with future versions, which as a certified user you will have an option to register for pre-release.

Though the Bunnybot has been upgraded, it still has a few quirks. Here are some tips and tricks to keep it running in top condition.

Certain resource intense programs will only run when the system is performing optimally. Attempts to run these programs at other times may lead to a system crash requiring a reboot.

The system should be put into sleep mode for a minimum of 7 hours every 24, and preferably 9 hours so it can run systems maintenance programs.

Following a system crash, if a reboot fails to bring the system back online, it may require being left in sleep mode for 10-18 hours to perform a full system check.

Though specific input will generally give the correct output, there are a few common things to watch for that you will see when the system is operating under various parameters.

If you get a “System Error 373: Buffer overrun.” message, this actually means that your system is running overclocked. You can run programs that require optimal performance, but the system may require extra sleep to recover from running at such high speeds & temperatures.

The “System Error 77: Runtime error.” means that your system is overdue for some the maintenance routine. The maintenance routine should be run at least once a month if not once a week.

If your system doesn’t crash but gives you the “System Error 333: Unexpected Error.” you will need to do a reboot and restore. You might also need to follow up by running the maintenance program, sometimes more than once.

Also, certain input is likely to contribute to certain errors appearing. You can track the errors and avoid the input or the system settings that contribute to errors 77 and 333, or be aware of the need to run additional maintenance in those situations. The specific input depends on each individual model, and so will have to be found as you use yours.

As always, we provide free tech support, and are happy to have your input and requests for features in future versions.

(Edit to add note:
This is what I thought of on the way home, a metaphor for how to deal with me. When I’m wired you may get more energy than you expect, but I’ll need more recovery time. When I’m stressed, you might not get as much as you expect, and if I’m REALLY stressed you might get a totally unexpected reaction is basically what I’m saying.)

Though many bushes still bear their deep red winter berries, other plants are beginning to show signs of spring, with delicate white or pink blossoms unfurling on their bare branches.

(Also, I’m up to 5 sets of 15 wall pushups a day!)

So I enjoyed my bike ride in, stopping in my complex to watch the birds in the trees (doves, magpies, mockingbirds & lots of cedar waxwings!). Then I got to deal with this:

I just got a call this morning about an attempt to use my credit card that thankfully got denied. After canceling my card and calling my bank they mentioned that they had information from VISA that Walgreens has had their information compromised. So my new card has been ordered already, but still, not the happiest news ever.

So papa’s questions pointed out some stuff I left out. Between paying a mortgage, paying land rent, paying basic utilities on two places, paying on a home equity line of credit and two credit cards, I’m about $1000 short a month. Mom has been helping some by paying 1/2 the mortgage, but that still leaves me short. I’ve been juggling things like my Health Care Reimbursement account funds, borrowing from Meow, Christmas money, etc to not quite cover everything. The stress from having my checking actually go negative is really getting to me.

The house isn’t selling even with lowered price (from $225k originally to $190k now). It’s a combo of the housing market dropping, being the wrong time of year, and an investor dumping 8 of his duplexes on the market way underpriced.

I could try renting it, and have it all ready for that actually, but it costs $300 to get the process started (which I’d have to borrow) and there is no guarantee it would rent.I

I talked to a credit counseling agency, and their response was that my income wouldn’t cover my payments enough for them to work on a repayment plan with me.

So I started looking into bankruptcy finally just to get more info on it. Under the information about alternatives, one of the things it said was that sometimes you don’t have to file bankruptcy if you don’t have anything creditors can legally take, and to just stop making payments.

That got me thinking. The only thing they could take is the house. I don’t want the house. So I called the legal insurance agency I’m signed up with through work to ask a lawyer. I mentioned considering bankruptcy, but what I really wanted was to just give them they house. I can afford my rent, utilities on one place and my credit cards if I don’t have the mortgage, utilities at the other place (for sale purposes – plus they charge you to turn them off), and the home equity line.

I was told I could try to do a “Deed in lieu of foreclosure.” Which basically means I’d give the mortgage & equity company the house, and they’d call it even. I’m just praying they agree to it since it’s a voluntary thing. But considering their options are having me default and them having to foreclose anyway, or going bankrupt and having the same thing happen, I’m hoping it’s likely.

I’ll find out more Tuesday!