Shrink

My grandma has bipolar paranoid schizophrenia.

For some unknown reason I have never thought of it as a very big deal (I actually think it is funny).  Maybe I've never had a problem with it because she has never targeted me.

When she isn't taking her medication she is a lot more interesting...  She has even been known to tell a dirty joke or two *gasp*

I was on some random health website, probably researching my ankle fiasco, when I saw a link titled "early warning signs of schizophrenia."  Thinking this would be HILARIOUS, I clicked it, and discovered I have a lot of them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not schizophrenic... (or am I?  Thinking you're not schizophrenic is one of the signs of schizophrenia!)  How confusing is that?  Now you probably think that YOU TOO are, aren't, are, aren't, are, aren't schizophrenic as well.

I jokingly told James that I'm schizophrenic and he laughed, then I read him the list of early warning signs, and he laughed... less... LOL

Anyway, the point is that I fit into so many of the categories I figured something might actually be wrong with me.  So I signed up for the (free!) counseling services on campus.  A month later I went in to see my new (doctoral student) shrink.

He decided I was depressed and recommended pills.  I said no.  He said I should change my Masters program to something else, I said I'd consider it.  He said I should watch two videos on ted.com, I agreed to that.  They were pretty good videos. 

http://www.ted.com/speakers/brene_brown.html

Anyway, I don't think my psychologist thinks I'm schizophrenic, so that's good.

Jobs

I just finished recruiting season at Weber State University.

I know a lot of people who got jobs from it.

I worked really hard and dedicated a lot of time to it.

I had a lot of employers tell me I had a good chance.

However, I didn't get even one job offer.

Fail.

Halloween

I love Halloween.

I love making gory special effects with makeup.

I love making costumes.

On Saturday we went to a party I was a zombie, and James was Link.

Today we're going to our ward party as Leia and Han.

Last year James was Boba Fett and I was Aurra Sing.

I don't know what we'll be tomorrow.  Not that it matters, we've never had trick-or-treaters at our house... :(

One of our first years of marriage we put together an ewok costume for a (yet unknown) little one.  I'm excited to one day subject our prodigy to our nerdyness.

NPR?!?!?

Martha Hughes Cannon.  I wish I was related to her (as far as I know I'm not).  Turns out she is pretty awesome.

I accidentally left the Ipod at home this morning.  Usually I'm just fine driving in silence, but today something prompted me to turn on the radio.  

Flipping through channels, trying to find one that wasn't playing ads (the usual reason I abstain from the radio), I found myself on Utah's NPR 

... wait... UTAH'S NPR?!?!?  That even exists?!?!  

Raging within me the battling forces of curiosity and abhorrence of talk radio each fought to gain control.

I kept listening.

They briefly gave a shout out to their sponsor - a library and literacy something or other... WHAT?!  Maybe this isn't all bad...  Their sponsor has to do with reading...

Anyway - aside from the world news... WORLD NEWS, I love world news! - and not one mention of the drivel that is celebrity news... 

They were talking about a new documentary about Martha Hughes Cannon.  Suffragist, physician, polygamist, and Utah's first female state senator.  She even ran as the democratic ticket against her husband who was the republican ticket!  This is my kind of woman.  The women talking about her didn't seem to understand some of her complexities, but somehow I feel I understand her very well.  Maybe I'll get to meet her in another life.

Warning to blog readers

This is my first post. 

I suppose this is where I warn you - there will be very little talk of frogs or snails.  I'm just weird like that.

I will probably not post regularly for any long period of time (just ask my journal).

I will probably offend plenty of people.  Not on purpose, but some people just don't like how blunt I am.

You probably won't like my blog if you don't like to read books.

I like math, I really like math, and accounting - so sometimes I might talk about that. BORING, I know...

I'm pretty nerdy... like make-obscure-Star-Wars-costumes-for-Halloween-nerdy.

I'm LDS, and I'll talk about that.  I also like learning about other cultures.

I'm pretty lousy at compliments - giving or receiving, just assume I find you beautiful inside and out, because I do.
I consider myself your friend, even if you totally hate me... I do strange things to help people I don't even know, so if you need help, or if one day you're thinking about how lonely you are, you can call me out of the blue, and I'll think it's completely normal, and feel privileged that you turned to me in your need.

P.S.  One of the things I despise the most is the censorship of ideas.  I think I've always hated it, even before I knew what it was called.  I remember being in the car with my dad while he was listening to Limbaugh (at that time I thought I was a Republican - HA!)  I didn't really understand what was being talked about.  But when someone called in and was presenting a well thought out counter argument, and Limbaugh hung up on them; I understood exactly what had happened, and it made me sick.  So one promise is that I will never delete comments - whether you agree with me or not, and I won't get offended.  Please try to stay on topic though...