Passing For Normal

ME: I am still among the living. I just... have trouble working up to a post lately. Rough winter for depression; I'm ready for that corner to turn, please and thank you kindly. I am tired of being perpetually dozy and dull of mind and wit.

REC: As for the subject line, I think it's time for an unsolicited testimonial. Some months back, or maybe a year, I followed a link to the journal of elisem, and I have become entranced with her jewelry. She makes pretty, shiny things with fascinating materials -- and they have names that tell stories.

She's just put up a new post of earrings this evening, and it's a wonderful way to get acquainted with what she does. Click links for pics; click pics for bigger pics. But you can't have Hey, we, to the other world, boys! because they are mine. :-D

It's worth friending her, because every now and then she'll put up a sale post with heavily discounted things that didn't sell on first posting.

BOOK: I recently listened to the audiobook of Andy Weir's The Martian, and I can't remember the last time a book was that much fun. I was ridiculously happy for the entire duration. It's pure hard SF with a near future setting, loaded with science and engineering and MacGyvering and math, and it's all as accurate as the author could make it. Sheer delight, often funny, and very much recommended. I hope someone will make it into a movie.

TV: Hey, is anyone else watching the Harry Connick, Jr. show? There are other people on it, like Harry's mancrush, a prettypretty, smiley fellow named Keith Urban, and a woman named J-Lo, and a wee elf named Ryan, oh, and possibly there's some sort of contest? About singing? But mostly it's about Harry Connick, Jr. being hot and brilliant and funny and weird and dorky and incredibly helpful to a bunch of young people who desperately want to make music for a living. I thought I had given up American Idol for good some seasons back, but I tuned in early this season to check out the new slate of judges and Harry grabbed me and won't let go. Not that I want him to. This show has become entertaining again, and he's a huge part of the reason why. And I love that he's constantly stressing that these young singers need to learn their craft. Learn how and why music works (and what doesn't and why it doesn't), learn the craft, and your career will grow from that. Good stuff.

HEALTH: I've asked my doc to refer me for a sleep study. Again with the whole never feeling entirely awake thing, which has got to change. I should be able to sit on the couch and read or watch TV without automatically falling asleep every damn time. Hopefully something will come of it.

I did get my blood sugar behaving itself again, which pleases me. Suspicion is that the previous generic metformin refill was from a different manufacturer. Pharmacist says it could explain abrupt changes for the worse after starting that refill, and equally abrupt improvements after the next refill. At least I know to ask for Teva in the future, since that seems to work for me.

Also, when I need to drop the blood sugar a bit, lunching on celery stalks with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter and my daily probiotic makes it plummet. Holy effective strategy, Batman.

HOPE: Energy and enthusiasm will, I hope, begin to rise with the turn of the season. Spring in far northern California is exploding all around, since we've finally got all the rain we didn't get in the preceding several months. Zowie. I need to prepare for growing things -- cherry tomatoes did okay last year, and I've ordered bean towers so I can grow green and yellow Romano pole beans. What else... cukes, maybe? We'll see.

YOU: As always, if I have you friended/subscribed, I am reading you. I don't read on a filter. I'm working on commenting more, because you are all important to me, and I love reading what you have to say. I'll work on letting you know that a bit more often.