Ask my ex that one, lol.

Yeah it's all fun and games until they need help with a random nutball dictator or some natural disaster.

I have it could've been great, but that bridge has burned no point in trying to get milk out of a rock. Now I'm just giving my kid the best/ safest life I can.

We weren't married although I had the funds for a wedding in a secret account, used that for the lawyer. I wrote her an eviction notice after the cops arrested her after the attack. I did actually have two minor heart attacks while we were together, from stress and hypertension caused by her.

Especially when I get to the point where the judge said 'Ms *** if you're not going to ask questions or conduct yourself in a proper manner be silent!' About ten minutes after that he gave me custody and *strongly* suggested a mental evaluation for my ex.

I'm a very happy introvert, so being alone doesn't bother me. I don't remember much of the first few months after I kicked the psycho out it was a total mess, I was running around getting a lawyer and protective orders I remember having several severe panic attacks, ending up in the hospital a couple times, eventually I started to tell myself 'it's not the knife that's dangerous it's the hands holding it' got on medication and therapy, not gonna lie though I still have major issues when *she* is around or any similarly shaped women with red hair. My ability to remember small details actually helped my custody case, between that and her going off about 'conspiracies against her' and having several witnesses to her craziness my lawyer said his presence was pointless, he actually gave me a third of his retainer fee back because he expected a battle not a circus. I still laugh when I read the transcript for the case...

I can control my triggers to the point that I will visibly shudder now, but in the months after the incident I couldn't even look at anything serrated without going into a full panic, but to an extent I can stare down the barrel of a gun and not even sweat but a knife puts me on edge. My kid is the younger one. My nightmares are real enough I often end up in a sleep paralysis state, so I work nights and sleep days to help avoid those, even went so far as to install security cameras and alarms so that I can watch for trouble and protect my family. Still I hate the fact that even after 8.5 years I'm still badly tormented by my experiences, I've actually decided that having any romantic relationships is off the table for me, I just can't bring myself to take any risks of history repeating itself.

She was ordered to pay as I was given full custody. She lost custody partly due to abusing both of her children (one is mine and one from another father) and carving me up like a Christmas turkey with a knife which is where the ptsd likes to , certain kinds of very popular knives cause me to lose my mind. Nightmares are a daily thing most of the time.

Not sure why I grind could be nightmares or ptsd related. High pain tolerance is both a curse and a gift, I shattered my ring fingertip back in February and didn't realize it until I went to an urgent care center because it was still bleeding 14 hours later.

My teeth are kind of bad anyhow due to a number of issues including grinding in my sleep and the such so I'm probably going to get artificial ones at some point. I have a very high pain tolerance so I really don't need to take any other than the odd over the counter or prescription ibuprofen. His 'mother' is likely going to jail in December as I just got a court summons about her being in contempt of support (between myself and her older son's father I'm sure she owes close to $15,000) she's in default over $6200 to my son. Frankly if she does get jailed I'd finally be able to sleep in peace, kind of hard to relax knowing the woman that abused and tried to kill you is walking the streets unsupervised, I'm just glad she can't drive (no license or car.)

I'm still hurting, and had to have two teeth surgically removed (cracked the roots and abscessed) my back is nerve damage so likely gonna be painful for awhile. Yeah I have a few choice words for his 'mother' thankfully he was an infant at the time but did find the court papers and my notebook from the time and read it without me knowing. He accepted my explanation and it doesn't bother him to not have a mother, when he has me, his grandpa and aunt, uncle.

Half life one.

I've seen worse face tattoos, I've personally seen a guy with a middle finger, a swastika and spider web covering his scalp (he was shaved bald) but yeah face tats is pretty much a death sentence for employment especially large or obnoxious ones.

On the adoption part, maybe when things get more stable for me. Most kids have difficulty with stealth and its always funny. My kid despite being badly neglected/abused as a baby (before the psycho was removed from the picture) has grown into a very kind and emphatic young man, he absolutely hates to see anyone in pain and will do his best to help them. Prime example, I got robbed/beaten at my job a couple weeks ago and was left with a cracked upper jaw and mild back injury, when I got home from the hospital my kid met me with my favorite drink (birch beer) and a couple ice packs. He spent the rest of that evening waiting on me hand a foot.