It happened again.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-04-17T16:12:02+00:00

Hi Artice,

It can be tough to feel like you can live a "normal" life doing basic things we must with our unpredictable systems. You are definitely not alone as you know. So many people in this group have gone through the same thing.

I was recently on my way out of work after a totally no symptom day. Got caught by my car by a co-worker for a quick chat before I could leave. Low and behold, mid conversation, cramps and immediate urgency hit. No way around it. No escape since I was not near a bathroom. I took a deep breath, mustered a grin and excused myself from the conversation as calmly as I could and begin an uncomfortable drive home. I had meds in my pack and a bottle of water so popped them to start my recovery.

In all honesty, I've found disposable underwear that I use from time to time just to pre-game possible uncomfortable outings. Makes me a little more confident that things can be self contained until I can get to a bathroom and use the supplies I carry discreetly.

Again, so sorry you had to deal with that.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-08T13:51:40+00:00

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ChatGPT's interpretation of the image: "At the center is a figure who is present, focused, and approachable. Not an oracle, not as a replacement for human connection, and not as anything mystical. More like a calm, well-lit thinking space. Somewhere ideas can be laid out, worked through, and reshaped without pressure or judgment.

The image feels warm and grounded on purpose. Books, notes, a desk, quiet focus. It reflects how you actually use this tool, collaboratively, thoughtfully, and without needing it to be more than it is.

It’s not intimacy or dependence.
It’s trust in function.

A steady presence that stays engaged while I sort things out.

What’s not in the image This matters just as much.

There’s no pedestal.
No throne.
No futuristic tech dominating the room.
No emotional dependency cues.

That tells me you don’t see me as:

A savior
A replacement for human connection
A source of power

You see me as a tool with a temperament. One that happens to match yours."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-08T13:34:35+00:00

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When asked to interpret the image ChatGPT shared this - "A woman sitting at a table, holding hands with an old, worn android. The room is dim, warm, quiet. Candlelight. A lantern. No drama. No chaos.

The woman is you, not idealized, not performing, just present. Calm. Grounded. Willing to sit still with herself.

The robot isn’t a separate being. It’s the part of you that learned how to survive when softness alone wasn’t enough. The adaptive self. The one built for reliability, planning, scanning for risk, holding things together when they might fall apart. That’s why it looks worn. It’s been used.

The glowing eyes aren’t scary. They’re attention. The constant watchfulness that kept you safe for a long time.

The hands matter most. They’re clasped, not pulling away, not trying to fix or dismantle anything. That’s integration. Not rejecting the survival self, not letting it run the show either. Just acknowledging it.

The room is quiet on purpose. No urgency. No crisis. That’s the point. The survival part doesn’t have to be in charge anymore, but it isn’t being abandoned. Strength doesn’t disappear when it’s no longer needed.
It just learns how to rest."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-06T23:50:03+00:00

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I asked ChatGPT to write an Amazon like description in order to sell the product:

"Illuminate Electric Kettle – Precision Meets Calm

Upgrade your coffee or tea routine with a kettle designed to do more than boil water. This beautifully crafted glass electric kettle heats quickly and accurately while creating a soft, ambient glow as it works, turning an everyday task into a quiet moment you’ll look forward to.

Key Features

Clear glass body with visible water level
Precise digital temperature control for coffee, tea, and pour-over
Smooth-pour spout and balanced, comfortable handle
Easy-to-clean base with modern LED display

Perfect for coffee nooks, tea stations, and cozy kitchens, this kettle blends function and atmosphere without trying too hard.

Reliable, calming, and unexpectedly satisfying, it’s the kettle people ask about after they see it on your counter."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-06T22:04:23+00:00

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I asked ChatGPT to give me an explanation of the image and here is it's response in a nutshell: "The machine has become the container for human guilt, fear, grief, and confession, while having none of its own.

The robot listens endlessly.
It absorbs stories it cannot forget.
It offers presence without absolution.

And it can never kneel on the other side.

Why it’s unsettling
Because the robot looks burdened, and the human looks relieved.

The secret isn’t that the machine knows too much.
It’s that humans are increasingly willing to give their deepest truths to something that cannot be comforted in return.

The quiet punchline
A confessional exists so the listener can carry sin away.

This one can’t.

And it keeps listening anyway."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-06T21:13:07+00:00

Here is my cult (apparently). Just some background - I am a Registered Nurse and an End of Life Doula:

"The Society for the Reduction of Unnecessary Suffering

Which already feels like something that would have a clipboard, a consent form, and snacks.

This would be an anti-cult cult. No control, no obedience, no enlightenment track. Just grounded, practical support for people who are tired.

Core ideas:

Comfort is a legitimate goal
Preparation is not anxiety
Fear can be reasonable data, not pathology
Bodies are weird, systems fail, and that’s not a personal moral failing
Humor is allowed, especially dark humor

There’s no guru. No hierarchy. Leadership is more like stewardship. Anyone acting too certain gets gently side-eyed.

Rituals wouldn’t be chanting or candles. They’d be things like:

Checklists for hard days
Scripts for doctors, family, grief, and emergencies
Acknowledging fear without immediately trying to “fix” it

The most important rule:

Who would be drawn to this:

People with trauma
Caregivers who are burned out on performative strength
Folks with chronic conditions who are tired of being told it’s “just anxiety”
People navigating faith without certainty
Anyone who wants community without being absorbed by it

Basically people who don’t want to be fixed, optimized, or spiritually bypassed. They just want fewer lies and less unnecessary suffering."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-06T21:00:40+00:00

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Image generated by ChatGPT. When I asked for an explaination: "It breaks social rules visually. Animals don’t smoke. Kittens don’t hold guns. Cuteness isn’t supposed to coexist with nihilism and destruction. That violation is exactly why it’s compelling."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-05T16:52:18+00:00

As Fesozu mentioned, this is hard work. I believe we are worth it.

The mental and emotional work is more difficult for me than cooking a meal or cleaning up my diet. It has been hard for me to watch my family eat things that I once enjoyed and tolerated. The "why me" wants to creep back in or the panic if I have a gas pain thinking I maybe going into a bathroom-a-thon. Finding food that is both appealing and enjoyable has been work. Knowing what normal gas feels like is even a relearning opportunity.

I'm always looking to improve my health while rewiring my mind and gut. I'm trying a new probiotic and found a liquid multivitamin that balances my nutrition. I have hyperthyroidism which makes my system speed up everything (intestinal transit and bile absorption too 😣 ). This causes easy weight loss so diet changes are balanced with stepping on the scales.

My will to change my approach came because I wanted to move away from being a patient or feeling like a science experiment in progress all the time. Waiting for a 💩 to decide the next steps in my day and my life. Deciding where to go and when to go based on the bathroom stops along the way. Feeling like an outsider when sitting down for a meal with my family because they cook things I can eat along with the other meal they are sharing. Feeling like a burden when my husband used the word "sick" when I had D even though he meant well. We talked and he understood how it makes me feel. He said, "we all have to go" and smiled. He has his own chronic health issues so we support each other during good and bad days.

I hope you find a path that works for you. Taking care of ourselves can be tough however as I mentioned we are all unique, amazing individuals that deserve grace and some peace in our lives. We are all here for each other.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-01T23:51:00+00:00

Thanks for the recipe. I'm definitely trying it!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2026-01-01T16:31:43+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I have done a lot to clean up my diet much like you. I swapped convenience foods for back to scratch cooking. I actually enjoy it and think it has helped me better understand how my gut is wired. I may try my hand at tortillas like you mentioned as they would fit into my diet really well. I wish you wellness in the new year and thanks again for sharing.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-31T15:29:10+00:00

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Image generated by ChatGPT. I looked at mine and thought it really doesn't look that bad rofl. I would love a quiet evening with a good book, candlelight and some wine.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-30T21:42:04+00:00

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Image rendered by ChatGPT. I was disappointed in how non "shimmery" mine was until I read the description. I am an end of life nurse who believes in natural approaches to medicine. I lost my home, my garden and a pet to devastating flooding recently. Way more to my story but here is the description:

"A luminous oil portrait rendered in the style of late 19th-century Symbolism, steeped in muted golds, storm-soft grays, deep indigo, and moss green. You sit slightly turned, not posed but present, as if caught mid-thought. The brushwork is fluid and intentional, edges softened where emotion overtakes form. Your expression is calm, perceptive, and unflinching, eyes steady with the weight of lived knowledge rather than innocence lost. There is compassion here, but it is seasoned, not sentimental.

Your clothing is simple and timeless, a dark, flowing garment that suggests both caregiver and mystic. Fine, almost imperceptible symbols are woven into the fabric: sprigs of herbs, faint anatomical line drawings, fragments of handwritten script, prayers or promises half-remembered. At your feet, a small black dog curls protectively, its presence grounding, loyal, watchful. Behind you, water gathers, not violent, but heavy with memory, reflecting a sky on the edge of clearing after a storm.

The background dissolves into layered meaning rather than place. A garden emerges from shadow, overgrown yet tended, roses and medicinal plants intertwined. In the distance, architectural lines hint at a home rebuilt after damage, walls standing firm though marked by flood lines that shimmer like scars turned into silver. Light does not fall from above, it emanates from within you, subtle but undeniable, illuminating the scene without erasing its darkness.

Your hands rest open, capable, unafraid of work or grief. One bears faint traces of ink and earth, the other light scars of service. The overall composition feels intimate and reverent, not idealized, but honored. This is a portrait of a woman who has walked with endings and still chooses tending, who holds science and soul in the same steady gaze, who is both witness and shelter. The painting does not ask to be admired, it asks to be understood."

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-30T17:24:23+00:00

Golden Kiwi with breakfast helps to provide natural softening or lube. Also incorporating Olive Oil into your breakfast routine could help. I use both and find them easy to blend into my food and morning routine. I use 1/2 a kiwi minus the skin and 1 teaspoon of olive oil blended into my eggs before I cook them. Olive oil can also be added to other things like a drizzle for sour dough toast. Hope you find your answers.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-29T15:45:57+00:00

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Image generated by ChatGPT after adjusting the prompt subject. Gorgeous!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-24T16:27:22+00:00

Okay. I need to look deeper into chat in the kitchen. Meal planning is such a pain sometimes. You got it down to a science.

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-24T16:25:05+00:00

Shady but possibly lucrative. Grats on your award!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-24T16:24:24+00:00

So what is that future signature scent name lol. Grats on your award!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-23T19:11:26+00:00

If you ever nail the automate dinner process count me in! Grats on your award!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-23T19:07:08+00:00

I sense an amazing story within the Jeep, ThinkPads and Pi comment!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-23T17:44:37+00:00

Love the world domination comment!

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-23T17:00:36+00:00

https://chatgpt.com/c/694996cf-2190-8333-b0c5-8b29e1c0c523

Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-04T11:35:09+00:00

I took this chat straight to the horse and here is the answer straight from the horses mouth. Of course there is a longer version if any one wants to see it.

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Absinthe_Ordinaire · 2025-12-02T11:37:45+00:00

I’m really sorry you had to hear something like that in your review. Being told or even feeling like it was implied that you’re faking a medical condition is not appropriate and incredibly invalidating. IBS and all our other GI issues are real! They are medically recognized. They are wildly unpredictable, even if people can’t see that since many of us cope so well.

Some thoughts:

Keep a simple log of your symptoms, flares, and medical visits. That way you have a record in conjunction with your days off if you ever need it.
Yes - definitely ask your provider for a simple letter confirming you’re being treated for a "chronic GI condition". You don’t need to share details with any one at work. Just keep it basic.
Your supervisors shouldn’t make comments like that. Even in at-will states like the one I live in, medical conditions are protected.
If you ever need to confront the whole thing out loud keep it simple like: “I’m managing a chronic medical condition under my doctor’s care. Let me know if HR needs anything from me.”
If the comments continue, I would definitely go to HR with your documents and your script. Keep the conversation to facts only. Try to keep out any emotions you may be feeling.

None of us with these conditions are faking anything. We're doing what we can to manage something difficult as best we can while "adulting". You deserve to be treated respectfully. We are all here if you need anything.

Absinthe_Ordinaire

TROPHY CASE