TMJ, Mermaids, Triggers, and Drunk People

I smell like maple syrup.

I hate maple syrup.

Anyway, my TMJ has started to act up again and today I can't close my mouth all the way. I took some tylenol, which helped with the pain, but I still can't close my mouth completely. It feels like my teeth are in the wrong place. I would just hot pack it, but I'm at work waiting for a pizza to arrive so I can leave. I am buying pizza for everyone that participated in our deep cleaning "party." It was a "party" because I dressed up like a mermaid and all the chores were attached to candy bars.

I didn't think the rubber band thing would work at all, but it has drawn my attention to what triggers my obsessing over "Johnny Depp." Ready for this:

1. Boredom. When I'm brushing my teeth, driving down the road, taking a shower, etc. my mind starts rustling through its locker of things to think about. If it can't come up with something really good to worry about or something philosophically original, it goes into fantasy mode.

2. Certain words and songs. Maybe places too, but I don't know because I've only gone to work and the supermarket this weekend due to staying out until 2AM on Friday partying with a bunch of drunk girls.

I've realized that it's not the pain that makes this work, it's the repetition of identifying the behavior, drawing attention to the behavior (snapping oneself), and ceasing the behavior. So I don't snap myself that hard because I've never really been that fond of pain. I'm not sure if aversive behavior mod really works anyways.

Okay, the pizza has been consumed. Time to go home.

Short Story: Distraction

It was an office, not unlike any of the other offices around the city. There were windows, visible to the lucky few cubes on the ends of the rows. Then there was Vera's cube, situated next to the row of manager's offices. Today she was lucky, someone had left their door open and precious slant of sunlight escaped, warming her back and washing out half of her computer screen. "I never realized your hair was red," Tracy dumped a large stack of paper on her desk, "The florescent lights make everything look so soupy." "What is that?" she pointed at the stack of paper. Tracy only offered compliments when he wanted a favor. "I need this entered," he smiled, a dimple appearing in his cheek. "You have a secretary," Vera waved a freckled hand to her left, "Ask him." "He's sick," Tracy gave her puppy-dog eyes, batting his long dark eyelashes. Vera sighed and fought back a smile. Tracy was such a s...

Weirdest Hotel Ever

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Perfect Quote(s) for Valentine's Day

"Lovers in the first stages of attraction speak in harmonic dissonance-echoing and remarking on things that make no sense to anyone but their intended." -George Hagen, Tom Bedlam ********************************************************** Evira: "Yup, the lyrics really are 'Your sex is on fire.'" Agnes: "If my sex was on fire, I would hope that you would call 911."

Refracted Neurons

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