Thanks to those of you who posted kind words. I'm glad to have people who still know I'm not the sort of person who randomly beats up women for no reason, despite the fact that apparently I will soon be that person in the eyes of the law and the nation at large.

I managed to get my stuff back today, somehow, though it wasn't easy. I also confirmed my address. Now I just have to deal with the two big things: finding a lawyer, and paying for one.

Don't know how I'm going to manage those. My mother used to be a legal secretary, so she's looking in to things for me. It's really heartbreaking, though. I don't know how I can do it. I just don't.

I *hurt*. I hurt like hell. From the handcuffs, to the leg restraints, to walking all over DC, I really hurt, and I feel sick. I'm only at work today because I had to come to DC anyway to deal with all this. Emotionally, I am a thick candy shell of calm and acceptance over a chewy caramel center of bleak despair and nigh-madness.

I wonder if some of you are still expecting this to be an April Fool's joke. Don't I wish.

God bless mothers who used to be legal secretaries.

At the very least, I have a promising option for a lawyer and a possible avenue for dismissal -- not likely, but possible -- I might be able to do an anger management class in exchange for the charges being dropped. Again, this is not a likely route, but I basically said I'd take it were it offered -- three or four hours of time in a stupid class is better than untold hours in court. Otherwise I at least have some grounds to start moving forward.