Chocobo Racing, GeneralNews, and I Needed Another Health Problem Like I Need Another Six Inch Weiner

1.
The October Prompt-a-Thon is underway for Chocobo Racing at ff_exchange / ff_exchange! The mighty TEAM CACTUAR is ahead for September, so let's not let evil Team Tonberry catch up ...!

2. I'm going to another career fair tomorrow. Whee...? Although this time I actually get to recruit a co-op, fuck yeah! Downside: Dealing with Mr Douchebag. Upside: free lunch.

3. I officially got a FLU SHOT yesterday. This is my first flu shot, so, here's hoping it works. I realize it won't ward off my usual strep throat and chronic bronchitis (yearly visitors, yay?) but maybe it can keep away some of the other shit flu weeks I deal with every stupid winter. All fingers crossed.

4. And because I really did need another medical ailment like I need a hole in my face, I have TMJ problems. Temporomandibular joint disorder, to be exact, is inflammation of the guy that connects your jaw to your facebone. My mother has suffered from TMJD before, and I've had it once in the past, so I was pretty sure that was what was going on, although it took me a while to put the clues together.

My symptoms were jaw pain and snapping; sharp/severe occasionally when chewing; jaw sensitivity; weird noises in my ear; the feeling of water being stuck in my ear when there ain't; tinnitis; and loss of hearing.

Went to the doctor yesterday, got the TMJ-D diagnosis confirmed, and now I'm on a steroid nasal spray (to tamp down inflammation from the inside) and a handful of other over-the-counter stuff (to attack it elsewhere).

TMJ problems are often brought on by stress. A few weeks ago I was eating nachos with Becky when my jaw did the initial (severely painful) pop-snap. A few weeks ago I was under a ton of stress: shit at work, my move, Becky's move, Ira's everything, Dad's job, Gramma's surgery, ~relationship~ stuff, the marathon, PLUS two handfuls of "lesser" things eating at me. No fucking wonder. Jaw grinding and tension in the neck. I know I need anxiety pills.

Although this from Wikipedia made me froth in rage:

Regular exercise such as running for 20 minutes 3 times a week, is extremely efficient in alleviating TMD brought about through stress-induced bruxism. Exercise essentially burns away the chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine that cause stress so the unconscious mind no longer feels the need to relieve its stress through jaw-clenching.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY FOR EVERY PERSON. When this happened I was running 4x/week, a total of like probably 5 HOURS OF RUNNING/week, and I was STILL so stressed out I popped a ligament IN MY FUCKING MOUTH. God in heaven, nothing can set me off quite like preachy people who think "exercise cures all! Fix your anxiety easily! What are you waiting for?" NOPE. SORRY. I THINK I KNOW MY BODY BETTER THAN YOU DO, AND IT DOES FUCKNUTS NOTHING. Running has never done a single fucking thing for my stress levels or my anxiety attacks. I should know; I've tried to give it every last chance I possibly could hoping that it would do so. Extremely efficient my gigantic ugly ass.

Sorry.

5. I am up for a new phone and am really pretty severely ogling the new Blackberry - it's a combo touch-screen and keyboard model, it ran really sleek in the store, and it is getting fabulous reviews. However, I can't help but feel like Blackberry as a whole is on its way out, and I can't pull the trigger on a new phone for 2 years just yet when I feel like the company isn't going anywhere. The thing is, I... I don't really want an Android or an iPhone. They both just feel way too freaking zazzy and fancy and flashy and complicated to me. What I like about my Blackberry is its business-like simplicity (I am a boring person okay). I went through the Verizon store and played with all the phones and they just didn't feel like what I wanted.

6. I require more coffee.

FFX Replay and random thoughts

Not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but safety_caesars and I are (re)playing FFX. Playing in her case, replaying in my case.

First off, I'll say: I like FFX. I actually like FFX-2, also, and I'm well aware liking both at the same time is Fandom Shun material. I'm certainly not saying either game is perfect, but I enjoy them. I've replayed FFX myself two or three times, and I've started FFX-2 about a dozen times (I can never get through it because the story is much too non-linear for someone with my schedule; I have a month where I can't play anything and then I come back, can't remember where the fuck I was, and the story isn't giving me any guidance, so I have to start over and swear a lot).

Protip: if you follow all of the gasping, grunting, sighing, breathing, exclaiming, and other non-verbal personal noises that are made in dialogue with "he/she came", the voice acting is instantly improved, and the game becomes hilarious.

( Thoughts here, in case they get long. )

Anyway, that's where we are now, and those are my thoughts. More as I go!