anita,

I created a soothing parent last night–a version of my dad where he’s open and loving (my real dad’s not comfortable being open or loving, but he’s not stupid: he realizes how detrimental childhood was for me, and he’s certainly mellowed over the years). I imagined him sitting next to me outside in front of a green lawn, giving me a hug. I started bawling. I guess that means I picked a good soothing parent image, huh? 🙂

I also did have a polite and effective (from an interpersonal point of view) conversation with the downstairs neighbors. I told them I’m a light sleeper and haven’t been sleeping primarily because of doors opening and shutting (I wish the landlord would install felt or something on the doors to keep them from being loud, but *shrug*). They seemed amenable and friendly. They also have a nice cat.