I had no idea what AMOAFWL was either. There are so many damn acronyms and short-hand expressions on here. I remember first coming on the forum and being so lost by it all.
Enjoy the GAL, sounds like a good time.
In terms of validating, I think it is generally good practice with most people that you interact with - show that you are listening to them and hear them, even if you don't agree. That said, I think most LBSs reach a point where they would prefer to go NC and just not deal with the WAS.
W 34 Me 42 Married 7 years together 8 0 kids 1 beloved dog BD 4/6/2018 I moved out 4/7/2018 I moved back in alone 8/05/2018 I file 3/06/2019 D official 5/7/2019