Anxiety, depression, laziness...Can the nameless wonder change? page 231

[geostump]

As odd as it sounds, cutting dairy seems to have helped me cut back on sugar.

[jenn26point2]

Dairy causes insulin spikes and dips, which we all know causes sugar cravings... would make sense to me that eliminating dairy would eliminate sugar cravings. Might be the path I need to take... but the only dairy I eat on a regular basis is cheese and butter...

[namelesswonder]

I have been completely off dairy for about two months now. I only just started cooking with butter again (a couple times a week) and using milk occasionally (like in the coffee I had today...but I can't remember the last time I had it before this, or when I last had cheese). I'll be okay in a few days, just need to tough it out for now.

[namelesswonder]

I'm suddenly really nervous about being alone this evening. Boyfriend won't be home super late, but I don't know what I'm going to do. Stupid moods. Just gotta nibble on the bone broth stuff (will probably spoon out the carrots & offal when I get home) and find a movie to watch. Last night was "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Easy A". Any suggestions? I'm a sucker for those kinds of movies.

[jenn26point2]

if it was me, I'd probably watch non-stop DIY network and clean... no movie ideas... don't watch movies that often.

[namelesswonder]

I made it through the evening. "Mean Girls" (thanks GP) and "Charlie Barlett". CB was not that good, but I still really liked it. It made me think about how I would portray my high school experience. Mine was never like one you see in the movies, but I still relate to the feelings of the teen characters, especially those on feeling ostracized or alone. It also made me think about how I would write about my high school experience, if I were to "write what I know" and use my teen years as groundwork for a YA novel. I'd probably want to do a lot more talking with other people my age about their high school years. Even people at my school would be good perspective. I read a quote from an author recently (can't find it now) that made me question what kind of story I'd want to tell. I think kids like to read about sad things when there is a happy ending. It gives them hope. A story that's idealized and happy is boring and unrealistic.

I'm glad the election is over. I didn't realize how stressed I was about it till last night, keeping an eye on the poll results. I stayed up later to, as I said to Boyfriend, know if I would go to bed with tears of joy or sadness. No crying was had. Sleepy today, I slept in till 7.

I did get the wine bottle open last night (2-buck Chuck from Trader Joe's...I bought it a long time ago) and had a glass with dinner (offal and carrots from the bone broth, also leftover crockpot chicken). I made a test pie! I ended up making two pie fillings worth, actually. The Libby site had a crustless pie recipe, so I used that for baking reference (29oz can of puree in the recipe, put it all in a 13x9" pyrex dish, baked at 350*F for 40 min). I let it cool on the counter for an hour before eating some and the top split during that time, making it look like a legitimate pie to me. It tastes like pumpkin pie, which is relieving, and not some horrible pumpkin-like goop. I don't think it's OMGAMAZING, so I'm hoping Boyfriend might have some useful critiques. It's kind of pudding-y, but it holds shape well enough. I'm not sure if I want the texture different...a little firmer might be nice. I am still researching for the most cost-effective gluten-free crust (would like to make a nut-based one). I only used 1/4 cup of honey for the whole thing, so it's fairly low in sugar (though, being pumpkin, not low in carbs). Some of the recipes I read include ground nuts in the filling, which might change the texture.

No exercise still. I'm okay with this. My Vitacost order is most likely going to be Pau D'Arco capsules (cheaper than tea) and oil of oregano capsules. SIBO came up on my radar again and fits my symptoms, even before the constipation issues started in August. Things didn't get really bad until after I took the antibiotics for a yeast infection, when I was off of any yeast-management supplements, so maybe that's what tipped the scales. It's worth a shot, I figure.

Boyfriend's schedule is changed to 12PM-8:30PM permanently, so he's going to carpool with our friend, who works there too. This means that I have access to his car, which will make the Mustang-prep process a lot easier. His dad emailed me what we need to get, so I'll order that this week. In the mean time, it will be really nice keeping warm on my way to and from work. It would save me money to take the scooter (filling up a 1 gallon tank once per week), but it's just too damn cold in the mornings now. I can't even let the scooter warm up to try to reduce the # of times it stalls out at stops because it stalls out while warming up and it's too cold to babysit the thing for 5 minutes. Ah well, I'll manage. I should have enough for the car parts this month. I have no idea when/where we'll be able to install them. A mutual friend said he'd be happy to weld in a patch for the hole in the hood of the Mustang and we can probably pay him in dinner or drinks.

[justyouraveragecavemen]

Since it appears that we're stuck with its big brother, what's your opinion of the healthcare system in Mass?

[namelesswonder]

Can't really say since it doesn't affect me much. I'm glad my sister was able to stay covered until 26 under my parents insurance, for her sake, but that was Obamacare. My company covers insurance premiums 100%, I just pay a few bucks per paycheck for vision. The plan is decent (BCBS PPO), I just make sure to get in-network doctors whenever possible to avoid excess billing. I've learned the hard way that no matter what, there are always bills. 100% coverage is a lie. Boyfriend is still learning that, though I keep telling him how it is. He has coverage under his parents insurance still, and will probably switch to mine if/when we get hitched and if I'm still working here (it's fairly inexpensive to add a spouse to my plan).

I'm not really sure how I feel about mandatory coverage. I don't know what the state-offered plans are like. I think it would be best if we could focus on getting medical costs down overall, not just for insurance. I don't know how that could be achieved, though.

I feel like I learned a lot this election period. Maybe I'll look back on my voting habits in the future and laugh about my choices, maybe not, but I'm glad that I feel like I'm learning things from the process.

I promise I'll be done discussing any kind of politics here soon enough, but I just wanted to say that I'm bummed that physician-assisted suicide didn't pass in MA (glad about the other two though). I believe people should have the right to the choice, under certain conditions (terminally ill, after multiple doctors approval etc.). While I still hold that I would never attempt suicide again, I believe that if one's quality of life is so impaired, and they are unable to do it themselves, they should be able to get assistance from a doctor in a safe environment. My 10th grade math teacher told us about the process of going to Oregon to see his parents die (one parent was terminally ill, life expectancy was very short at that point). It was really sad, and he was definitely depressed for a while after that, but I think he was also relieved that they were able to choose to go together, at home, and that the company they worked with had people present to oversee the process and attend to the bodies after.

[namelesswonder]

Nameless Wonders: Links for a Wednesday

[WaylandC]

I don't know if you had heard much of Governor Gary Johnson who was on the ballot in 49/50 states (a write-in in Michigan, not on the ballot in Oklahoma) but here is a short infographic comparison chart.

Candidate Comparison

As a Libertarian Party candidate he received 1% of the vote which is awesome but if he had gotten 5% he would have been able to receive Federal funding like the two major parties. The check box on income tax forms that asks if you want to donate $3 of what is taken from you as Federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund is where the money comes from. With 5% he would have received $10 million for this campaign run and another $10 million for the next run. /endrant

It's awesome that so many states during this election/voting cycle legalized cannabis to some degree. Sadly, I feel the Obama administration is going to continue to attack states because of Federal law. I'm glad you are happy with the outcome of it all and with your vote. I'm happy with mine too Also, you may have another $10 coming to your VitaCost rewards account so keep a lookout.