I don’t know why I always get the insane idea to start a blog during the holidays. Maybe it’s the warm, family, fuzzy feeling that I want to share with the world. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I get really busy and don’t get to actually connect with everyone that I’d like to. Perhaps it’s just a holiday coping mechanism. But here it is. A shiny new blog. Presumptuous in its very nature. Of course I have things to say, and I shall put them on the Internet for ALL TO READ! My voice is POWERFUL! MWAHAHAHA!
So, what pressing matters do I have to share? What burning thoughts are aflame in my mind? Today – psychoanalysis, ewoks, Alzheimer’s, dogs, FOX News, and Black Friday shopping.
Apparently, tryptophan has no effect on the hamster wheel that is my brain.
I’ve recently downloaded the Kindle version of A Most Dangerous Method, and I can’t wait to delve further into my self-assigned homework. Seeing as I'm only on chapter four right now, and most of material to this point is about the practices of doctors, treatment of patients, and the overall perception of mental illness in the late 1890's and early 1900's, I'll do a brief intro based off of the 'dust jacket', Amazon reviews, and one online book review I read somewhere and promptly lost the link to. The book is about Jung, Freud, and Spielrein – two well-known psychoanalysts and a woman who had some amazing theories of her own. She was initially a patient of Jung’s, but was treated and responded well. She then became a doctor and published several articles – when she wasn’t too busy being Jung’s mistress (at least this is what is insinuated in the review I read). Jung eventually detached himself from Spielrein, and she moved to Vienna and was analyzed by Freud. Her decision to align herself with Freud’s theories supposedly lead to the split of the two collaborators in an emerging field of study. Why this book? I feel that my knowledge in the area of psychology is woefully limited, and this can at least introduce me to the non-child centric theories (I’ve studied Piaget, Erickson and Vygotsky…) that my high school and college education didn't really delve into, other than cracking jokes about cigars. A historical love triangle thrown into the mix? Bonus. Movie coming out with Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, and Keira Knightly … major bonus! I need some people to come see it with me so I can pick it apart afterwards.
I am at my aunt’s picturesque house in Lexington, and she has gotten a new cat named Mazie. Some strange breed called a ‘Himalayan Flame Point’. She has amazingly blue eyes and is as sweet as her nickname – Fluffernutter. I swear this cat is an ewok in disguise. I want to put a little leather hat-thing on her and squeal over the cuteness. Like some savvy human did to this kitty! Who, humorously enough, looks almost exactly like Mazie.
Most diseases suck. I am aware of this. Cancer sucks. Celiac takes away pasta and bread. Lupus makes your body attack itself. But few diseases piss me off as much (and frankly, scare me as much) as Alzheimer’s. My sweet, loving grandma has been dealing with this for years. She used to be a nurse and is painfully aware of how this will progress. She hates the fact that this horrible force is inside her, taking things from her. She’s gotten to a point where she hates her life. I hate to hear her talk about how she wishes she wouldn’t have another birthday, and how she hates the years she’s spent living. I hate how she can get upset over things and can’t stop herself from being angry, even though she knows she shouldn’t be. I hate how when I offer help she says no because she doesn’t want to feel weak. I hate watching someone I know and adore hate herself. I hate that the few happy moments she has are stolen, and she can’t store away new ones. How selfish is it of me to wish I couldn’t remember things from my past, delete people or events? Memory is such a strange thing, sometimes so keen when it is least wanted, and sometimes so fickle. But I reflect on how lucky I am to have partial control of my crazy memory, at least for now.
My brilliant cousin recommended a documentary to me called Dogs Decoded. This was brought up while the family was sneaking our grandparent’s dog turkey off the table, naturally. Being a huge animal lover and geeky person, I was thrilled to hear that there is a documentary that attempts to look into the genetic links between domestic dogs and wolves/foxes. And while people have been shown to emotionally and physically benefit from having dogs, did you know that dogs also benefit from interactions with people in a similar way? Hmm. I am looking forward to my science lesson. It is also apparently on Netflix! SCORE!
I hate the news. Always have on some level or another. Apparently I announced this fact to the world quite loudly at the age of 6. It stems from my grandfather and uncle’s physical dependence on the news. When I was younger, it was always on. I would try and turn it off and put on some more ‘entertaining’ programming – but the menfolk would not permit such things. I have since learned not to touch the remote. To this very day, the news – more specifically FOX news, is on at family gatherings, the beach, what-have-you, nonstop and painfully loud. If it were election night, I’d get it. I have an election night all-nighter, flipping between the polls and late-night TV. If it was a major crisis, I’d be glued to the TV too. You can't get me off of the news if there's an earthquake, hurricane, or something like that. But just the FOX news channel on a slow news day repeating the same clips over and over and talking about the Republican Presidential candidates for hours on end? Sigh. All I really wanted was one episode of Big Bang to break up the monotony. This was greeted with scorn and general displeasure. I poured myself another glass of Riesling.
Black Friday people – you are insane. It makes no sense to me. Even though I have to deal with FOX news on loop for hours on end, I will not be fighting you to the death for the last reasonably priced laptop. It will not happen. Some people I know missed Thanksgiving dinner with FAMILY to camp in a tent outside a store. Unfathomable. I hate shopping for things in crowded areas normally – why on earth would you think I would willingly get out of bed at 4am to buy things that I could buy online for the same price (or less!) on Cyber Monday?
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