Sloth: The Man with the Hammer

[Bearlee]

I expect a better 2015. I just signed up for a 12 hour mountain bike race in August and a 3 hour race the last weekend in May. I'm targeting a Feb. 22 snow race as my comeback, weather permitting (10 deg F is my lower limit).

Solid targets like this will allow me to plan and execute a better training plan.

 

So I'm trying a new motivation tool for you.

 

22 DAYS TILL YOUR NEXT RACE!!!

 

Also got 4/3 workouts in for the week. Now get cracking.

[The Most Loathed]

haha, nice

[Sloth the Enduring]

Sad and sad.  

Glad you are able to encourage the kids to do something nice for the family.  

 

And I agree about the girl with the book... and the lack of books.  Although, maybe they get tons of books from the library and just don't own any?   Sometimes I wish I was better and borrowing books rather than buying them.  I always end up with more than I can find room for but then hate getting rid of books.  

 

I hope so.  It was one of those moments when I was reminded that my students live in a different world than I do, even if they only live a mile from me.

 

In Mpls. there are "little libraries" everywhere.  I went through my kid's books and culled a bunch that they aren't crazy for or have outgrown and put them in a few different little libraries to get more books out into the environment.

 

3/3 for the week. How did you do?

 

2/3 training; 0/3 cardio; 4/6 mobility.

 

So I'm trying a new motivation tool for you.

 

22 DAYS TILL YOUR NEXT RACE!!!

 

Also got 4/3 workouts in for the week. Now get cracking.

haha, nice

 

Very, very good point.  I've been moping about.  I'm not depressed, but everything is just too hard right now.  The wife is in a serious crabby period, work is tough.  After BearLee called me it occurred to me that that might have been the first actual conversation that I'd had in a week or two (I just hope he isn't a serial killer).  Instead of training I've been playing mindless video games - it's nice to just shut out the world for a little bit.

 

Anyway

1/30/15 - Friday

Trained again - swings, trap bar deadlifts, umm something else?  I can't recall, lunges of some sort.

 

1/31/15 - Saturday - nothing

 

2/1/15 - Sunday - swings, trap bar, shovelglove

 

Sloth: 5

Bear: 8

 

I'm glad you're doing well Bro.

 

I'm actually pretty excited for that winter race, despite my lack of training.  They're having a cider sponsor and a bacon sponsor and free hats to the first 100 entrants.  It's going to be a good time if I don't die alone in the woods long after everyone else has finished.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Man cold

 

I'm off my ADD meds.  

 

Our HR department inspired Kafka's "The Castle," I'm sure of it.  This is an institution that made me cry in 2007, to put that in context, the previous time that I cried was 1978.

 

My wife and I both work for the district and have combined family health insurance.  Because we are in different bargaining groups every year our costs change and we have to reexamine our options.  Last year we switched to her carrying us to save $60/month (salary concession -> insurance increase).  However, when we switched, the person my wife was dealing with told her to pick "Plan 3", which is the high deductible plan - in other words no insurance unless you're hit by a bus or get cancer.  

 

The no ER rule just got serious.

 

My meds are $634/month.  I'll be going without. 

[The Most Loathed]

ouch and wow.

My mind is scrambling at how you can solve this but I'm pretty sure you don't qualify for public assistance. Most ADD meds are controlled or I'd say ask the doc for samples or I'd arrange something. I've never spent time with an adult who is dealing with uncontrolled ADD, what are the implications to you?

[Sloth the Enduring]

ouch and wow.

My mind is scrambling at how you can solve this but I'm pretty sure you don't qualify for public assistance. Most ADD meds are controlled or I'd say ask the doc for samples or I'd arrange something. I've never spent time with an adult who is dealing with uncontrolled ADD, what are the implications to you?

 

Thanks, man.  I don't think there's a work around unless we got divorced and remarried - a life change allows us to change insurance - I'm afraid to go that option 'cause I'm not totally sure she'd remarry me    right now.  The ADD meds aren't a big deal, it's what if one us gets hurt and ends up in the ER or surgery again.  We'd weather it, but it'd take years to pay off.

 

Honestly, my ADD isn't a big deal.  I'm not hyperactive or very impulsive and age has tempered what impulsivity I once had.  Mostly I'm fidgety and spacey and can't get things - oh, shiny! what's that? - done.  I lose paperwork, my teaching goes off on tangents, I'm much more forgetful, I buy more useless crap when I'm shopping, I can't read and understand text books, I'm late to everything, that kind of thing.  I've come up with a bunch of compensatory habits to keep me from getting fired, but life is a lot easier if I'm medicated.  On the other hand, I'm a better driver because I'm aware of where all of the cars around me are even if I'm not looking and I have better control of my classroom for the same reason.

 

I could go on Adderall or Ritalin reasonably cheaply, but I've been wary of schedule 1 meds because there is so much addictive behavior in my family.  A couple of ciders once a week is as close to the edge as I want to get anymore.

[Shello]

Something like this?

 

[marymama08]

Man cold

 

I'm off my ADD meds.  

 

Our HR department inspired Kafka's "The Castle," I'm sure of it.  This is an institution that made me cry in 2007, to put that in context, the previous time that I cried was 1978.

 

My wife and I both work for the district and have combined family health insurance.  Because we are in different bargaining groups every year our costs change and we have to reexamine our options.  Last year we switched to her carrying us to save $60/month (salary concession -> insurance increase).  However, when we switched, the person my wife was dealing with told her to pick "Plan 3", which is the high deductible plan - in other words no insurance unless you're hit by a bus or get cancer.  

 

The no ER rule just got serious.

 

My meds are $634/month.  I'll be going without. 

Look into that Z training that I mentioned in another post. They have some evidence that ADD can be helped by simple eye exercises. I can't remember the medical names that my trainer was using but I am seeing positive results for my many concussions. I am gaining strength and balance. I have also seen improvement in my memory. 

[The Most Loathed]

I don't know that I would recommend z-health to treat ADD. That said, I may still have some bootlegs of their DVDs that sloth cam borrow. Sadly, it would be cheaper to buy the meds than go through the certification process.

[cn3wton]

It stinks when medicines we need are so damn expensive.

 

Im in a similar situation (though not quite as expensive). The inhaler I got for my potential exercise enduced asthma costs enough to make me not want to even try it.

[The Most Loathed]

Inhalers are often deliberately overpriced by the payer to discourage use. It's referred to as "uncontrolled" at that point and health outcomes are worse. Sadly, that approach does punish and often harm the under-insured, which is most people these days (my opinion).

 

We're having  a meeting about dealing with uncontrolled asthma tomorrow. It's on the 2016 federal goals.

[Bearlee]

Sorry, what we're you guys talking about? Seriously sorry to hear about that. I'm also a little concerned for myself now. Most of the things you mentioned could apply to me too. This is of little consolation to you, but your still better off than most nail salon workers, of which my wife is one. Very few of them have any insurance and leave the country to get any kind of medical help. Wife's former boss went back to Vietnam to get back surgery because he didn't have any insurance. Being self employed their thinking is why waste money on insurance when we can buy more nice toys?

Since there are other options could you switch to one of them while still remaining with the same company? Or is there a possibility of switching to a private insurance like Blue Cross and Blue Shield?

Very, very good point.  I've been moping about.  I'm not depressed, but everything is just too hard right now.  The wife is in a serious crabby period, work is tough.  After BearLee called me it occurred to me that that might have been the first actual conversation that I'd had in a week or two (I just hope he isn't a serial killer).  Instead of training I've been playing mindless video games - it's nice to just shut out the world for a little bit.

A serial killer? Hum. I know when and where you'll be out in the woods mostly alone. I know you'll be wearing bright blue biker shorts. I know of your fondness for bacon and cider. I wouldn't say serial, but a streak needs to start somewhere right?

[marymama08]

I don't know that I would recommend z-health to treat ADD. That said, I may still have some bootlegs of their DVDs that sloth cam borrow. Sadly, it would be cheaper to buy the meds than go through the certification process.

I was just thinking that reading up on Z(or using your copies) would be better than not using anything. I was also just reading Move Your DNA (Elastagirl recommended) and that has some interesting stuff in it.  

[Sloth the Enduring]

I've been a lazy, slacker slug this last week. No reason for it either.

I've been a bit emotional lately - brain chemistry issues? I dunno, work's been crappy? I've been to Target three times this week to get contact solution, I forgot it each time - I got a Lego plane though. [emoji1]

I went to my student's funeral today. Administration made it surprisingly difficult to get time away. I had to put in for a full day sub under personal time. Other buildings I've been in would find someone to cover my classes, usually a principal unless they went to the funeral too.

I didn't get to take the day off either 'cause we can't get subs.

[The Most Loathed]

Rough day, but you got a plane.

 

Go do your swings and call it a night.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Rough day, but you got a plane.

Go do your swings and call it a night.

Thanks Bro, I'm out running errands right now. If I report not swinging, come on over and kick my ass.

Cont. - A sub I know was able to cover my class for me. He's a great guy. When I got back one of the students that acts like he hates me gave me a big smile and said, "Yay, you're back!" Crazy.

I deactivated Facebook, deleted distracting games and apps, and gutted my feed reader. I'll be better off without them. I'm keeping NF; y'all bring out the best in me.

[The Most Loathed]

If you report not swinging, you owe me a trip over here for kettlebell swings together.

[Bearlee]

Too bad your having a rough week. Hopefully you can get a ride in and clear your head. You'll have to start taking a written list with you, like I do, so you won't forget what you're shopping for.

 

Do you need wake up motivational calls next week?

[Sloth the Enduring]

If you report not swinging, you owe me a trip over here for kettlebell swings together.

Swings done, first exercise I've done since Sunday, except walk the dog. I followed it up with a big bowl of ice cream.

Too bad your having a rough week. Hopefully you can get a ride in and clear your head. You'll have to start taking a written list with you, like I do, so you won't forget what you're shopping for.

Do you need wake up motivational calls next week?

Nah, I've been getting up, I've just been moping around instead of doing anything productive.

I always have a list, I keep a notebook in my pocket, I even looked at it a few times during each trip. It still took four trips to remember to get contact solution.

Assessing the damage

I totally went of the rails around New Year's. I've been lazy and my eating has been compulsive, which is new for me. In the past I've eaten like a dumb ass, but I've always been able to stop when I'm full. Since New Year's

weight: 173.2 up ~6#

bf%: 18.1 up ~1.2%

BP: 129/85 up from 118/80 a year ago.

Belly: 36# up from 35 5/8" which was already up from summer belly of 34 5/8" (IIRC). I thought this would be much worse.

I got an ad for closeout cyclocross gear, including brakes. I was like, "Damn, I totally forgot about that. Now I gotta get cheap, heavy brakes." I'm going to restart my solo PVP, which I know is cheating. So 3X/week until spring break and I get good brakes, <3X and I get cheap brakes. For real this time.

Sloth: 5

Bear: 11 Nice job Bro. What happened to the taunting?

My dream school (an urban environment magnet within biking distance) is going to be hiring a second grade (my favorite grade) teacher this spring. It's a long shot, but I'm going to polish up my resume.

Just because she can really belt it out.

[cn3wton]

Your doing a PVP against yourself. Nothing wrong with that man. Stay motivated and get yourself some nice brakes!

 

Maybe when the snow clears I will get new tires for my crummy wal mart bike... maybe...

[Razzy]

Man cold

 

I'm off my ADD meds.  

 

Our HR department inspired Kafka's "The Castle," I'm sure of it.  This is an institution that made me cry in 2007, to put that in context, the previous time that I cried was 1978.

 

My wife and I both work for the district and have combined family health insurance.  Because we are in different bargaining groups every year our costs change and we have to reexamine our options.  Last year we switched to her carrying us to save $60/month (salary concession -> insurance increase).  However, when we switched, the person my wife was dealing with told her to pick "Plan 3", which is the high deductible plan - in other words no insurance unless you're hit by a bus or get cancer.  

 

The no ER rule just got serious.

 

My meds are $634/month.  I'll be going without. 

 

Thanks, man.  I don't think there's a work around unless we got divorced and remarried - a life change allows us to change insurance - I'm afraid to go that option 'cause I'm not totally sure she'd remarry me    right now.  The ADD meds aren't a big deal, it's what if one us gets hurt and ends up in the ER or surgery again.  We'd weather it, but it'd take years to pay off.

 

Honestly, my ADD isn't a big deal.  I'm not hyperactive or very impulsive and age has tempered what impulsivity I once had.  Mostly I'm fidgety and spacey and can't get things - oh, shiny! what's that? - done.  I lose paperwork, my teaching goes off on tangents, I'm much more forgetful, I buy more useless crap when I'm shopping, I can't read and understand text books, I'm late to everything, that kind of thing.  I've come up with a bunch of compensatory habits to keep me from getting fired, but life is a lot easier if I'm medicated.  On the other hand, I'm a better driver because I'm aware of where all of the cars around me are even if I'm not looking and I have better control of my classroom for the same reason.

 

I could go on Adderall or Ritalin reasonably cheaply, but I've been wary of schedule 1 meds because there is so much addictive behavior in my family.  A couple of ciders once a week is as close to the edge as I want to get anymore.

 

Ah, yes. The fruits of ObamaCare, here to screw you over like a donkey in a male-only penal colony.

 

We've got the same thing pretty much. Our deductible is nothing less than 12,500 bucks! Also worthless unless someone gets hit by a bus. At least I'm clinging to my ADD meds as well. Apparently, I'm a perfectly useless and non-functional human being without said meds and if I get angry about something I'm not really angry it's just the 'rebound effect' from the lack of meds. And if I get excited about something, it's just a passing phase to be endured and waited out -- like wanting to grow a garden -- because it's just the 'rebound effect' from the lack of meds. And if I get distraught or depressed, it's not really suicidal attempts on my life, it's just the 'rebound effect' from the lack of meds. And if you DO feel depressed and suicidal in the middle of the night, well, geez, it's just because the meds have worn off (even though swings of euphoria and dysphoria are a known symptom) and everything will be better in the morning if you take your daily pill.

 

Which, actually, has indeed led me to come a hair's breadth away from making attempts on my own life; stymied only by a well-timed call from my boyfriend, who later told me he had a strange feeling and decided to call me out of the blue at 11:25PM. I like to thank my guardian angel for that one, honestly.

 

Once in the rut of being labelled 'ADD' and being medicated, you will never ever be seen differently. In fact, you are not a perfectly sane human being and cannot be trusted to your own emotions. You get distracted, see. You get unfocused -- NEVER MIND THE FUCKING FACT THE MEDS THEMSELVES ENGENDER THESE PROBLEMS WHEN YOU GO OFF FOR EVEN A FEW DAYS -- and therefore you are not reliable for any kind of work that only severe A-type personalities apply themselves too with vigor, and is now expected of the entire fucking workforce as a whole. Hell, that is why something like 80% of the kids in my first grade class were diagnosed with ADHD -- all at the insistance of one teacher who hated children, I might add -- because Lord knows, normal kids NEVER do anything like run around and bounce off the walls and have enough energy to power small cities. No no no, normal kids sit straight and pay attention and practice their p's and q's while a bright spring day beckons in a futile bid for their attention. REAL kids, normal kids, they are like little robots, training religiously for their upcoming life. If they get stir crazy and easily distracted and want to play more than work, there is something horribly, fundamentally wrong with them which is only corrected by medication.

 

And I'm sorry to say, good fellow, but once you're off the meds, it'll take about a month or two for your body to even stabilize and self-correct the damage done. You see, your brain has been so used to these drugs it's like asking a man to walk on his own after being forced to use a crutch for 2/3 of his life. Until then, you'll continue to be the broken, societally-useless distracted and unfocused beast you were since you were 8 years old.

 

You see, the adderal and ritalin are not addictive in and of themselves: it is more apt to say that society is addicted to their effects upon the person consuming them and since you're ultimately artificially altering your brain chemistry for the needs of an ever-increasingly anal-retentive and competitive society, you will become reliant upon those meds just to be viewed as a normal human being, one that is never distracted and always perfectly 100% focused on the task at hand and yes, even gets hungry now and then. You've already seen the effects -- you yourself said you've developed compensatory habits so you won't get fired. Which to me says that society is actually asking more from the human individual than the individual is naturally capable of -- and thus, why ADD is being diagnosed more and more every year. People are using it to cope with the crushing burden of duty and work and life. Women more than men are taking these meds, which can only be reasonably assumed due to the fact that you need 2 incomes to make a living anymore and the burden of child-rearing is still largely taken up by the maternal unit in most (but by no means ALL) families.

 

As you might deduce from this rant, I truly effing hate being called upon to make myself reliant upon ADD, not so much for the demands it implies I MUST take up, but because it provides an easy way to dismiss my feelings on any matter.

 

Ultimately, the spreading plague of this nonexistent condition we call ADHD is merely the need of society to remove perfectly human imperfections from the system, such as emotion and the need for sleep. We do not want it, we do not like it -- take this pill and it'll all go away and you'll sink into a grey haze of a perfect working human machine sans all those pesky human qualities that makes life so unpredictable.

 

If at all it helps, utilize this mental exercise while coping with the rebound effects of going off your meds: You are not a human. You are a chemically-empowered organic machine and you have no time to waste.

 

Repeat this mantra as needed. I find it works quite well, though it may increase your stress hormones quite a bit. No meds to stamp that one out, I'm afraid. I myself used this exercise while ON the meds, and still suffered a complete nervous breakdown in the middle of class and gained several gray hairs afterwards. Would that I am joking -- I started going gray at the grand age of 21, merely trying to keep up with school work.

 

Swings done, first exercise I've done since Sunday, except walk the dog. I followed it up with a big bowl of ice cream.

Nah, I've been getting up, I've just been moping around instead of doing anything productive.

I always have a list, I keep a notebook in my pocket, I even looked at it a few times during each trip. It still took four trips to remember to get contact solution.

Assessing the damage

I totally went of the rails around New Year's. I've been lazy and my eating has been compulsive, which is new for me. In the past I've eaten like a dumb ass, but I've always been able to stop when I'm full. Since New Year's

weight: 173.2 up ~6#

bf%: 18.1 up ~1.2%

BP: 129/85 up from 118/80 a year ago.

Belly: 36# up from 35 5/8" which was already up from summer belly of 34 5/8" (IIRC). I thought this would be much worse.

I got an ad for closeout cyclocross gear, including brakes. I was like, "Damn, I totally forgot about that. Now I gotta get cheap, heavy brakes." I'm going to restart my solo PVP, which I know is cheating. So 3X/week until spring break and I get good brakes, <3X and I get cheap brakes. For real this time.

Sloth: 5

Bear: 11 Nice job Bro. What happened to the taunting?

My dream school (an urban environment magnet within biking distance) is going to be hiring a second grade (my favorite grade) teacher this spring. It's a long shot, but I'm going to polish up my resume.

Just because she can really belt it out.

 

Ah, you've fallen off the wagon. Don't worry. Happened to me too after New Years, but keep plugging at it and you'll soon get back on it. Just gotta keep plugging away!

[Sloth the Enduring]

Your doing a PVP against yourself. Nothing wrong with that man. Stay motivated and get yourself some nice brakes!

 

Maybe when the snow clears I will get new tires for my crummy wal mart bike... maybe...

 

I guess it's more of a reward if I do the right thing, but I don't like to think that I'm rewarding myself for doing what I should be doing anyway.  If you don't like biking, don't.  It sounds like Crossfit is working really well for you.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Razzy, I'm glad you got that off your chest; do you feel better now?

 

Obamacare was going to stop insurance companies from offering these high deductible plans - too many people were going bankrupt waiting for their insurance to kick in (the "max. out of pocket" isn't actually the max. that you can end up spending if something bad happens), but too many folks went on Fox News and said my insurance rates are going up after Obama promised they wouldn't, so these plans got a reprieve.

 

I agree with you on kids and ADHD - I try to keep my classes active enough that students get a mental break often enough.  I'm not really sure what you were saying about the rest, without my meds it's hard for me to process that much text.  Yeah, it takes about a month for my brain to hit equilibrium when I go on and off the meds and I go back to my normal Vulcan self.  'Til then my emotions are rampant, or as my coworker said, "You mean you're actually feeling them?"

 

2/7/15 Saturday

I slept in started to work out in the afternoon.  I did get ups and Trap Bar Deads.  Then the couple we trade babysitting with called and offered to take the kids for the evening.  So I quit and showered and put on a collared shirt.  We went to a "gastro pub."  It was really nice and the wife and I needed a night out, but it was galling to pay $15 for a burger and I had a hard time getting over that.

 

2/8/15 Sunday

SlothGirl woke up crying with an earache.  I spent all morning waiting at Minute Clinic.  Several ear infections ahead of us and behind us.  The guy behind us had a lot going on (I overhead his phone conversations because of the close quarters).  A parent was terminal or had alzheimers or something and his brother has terminal cancer plus regular life and a sick kid. He was trying to get his brother to do hospice with him, but his brother's plan was to go back to Costa Rica and drive up into the mountains and let nature take it's course.   After we had waited an hour and a half it was finally our turn, I offered to let him go ahead of us (SlothGirl was happily coloring) and he declined twice, and said, "That's really nice, but no you go ahead" and started crying.  So we went in.  Uninsured price ~$100, not as bad as I feared.

 

Most of my social skills I have learned by observation and analysis.  I'm not sure here.  Should I have offered and made it obvious I was listening to his conversations or just ignored him and gone in which was the end result anyway.  Thinking about it I realized that, here in MN at least, almost no one will take a stranger's offer like that.

 

Anway - I'll probably take the boy to the zoo to get him out of the house while the girl watches movies.  Afterwards I'll do some ballistics - swings, rotational lunges, shovelglove.

[cn3wton]

I guess it's more of a reward if I do the right thing, but I don't like to think that I'm rewarding myself for doing what I should be doing anyway.  If you don't like biking, don't.  It sounds like Crossfit is working really well for you.

 

I do not mind biking, the problem arises that I cannot afford one that is reliable. And I do it more casually than anything. I would take a ride once or twice a week and visit neighbors and friends during the summer. I was having trouble with it shifting and I brought it to an actual bike shop. They said the mechanism used to shift was bent and was unfixable, so they did the best they could. So it doesn't really shift well outside a certain range. That and the tires never seem to keep their pressure. 

 

As far as the man not accepting the offer. I think he appreciated the offer, and that you care enough to give it. Perhaps he wanted just a little more time to not have to think about everything. And instead avoid it by staying in the waiting room? Who knows.

 

15 dollars for a burger? It better be the best burger on the planet to get that kind of price!

[Razzy]

Razzy, I'm glad you got that off your chest; do you feel better now?

 

Obamacare was going to stop insurance companies from offering these high deductible plans - too many people were going bankrupt waiting for their insurance to kick in (the "max. out of pocket" isn't actually the max. that you can end up spending if something bad happens), but too many folks went on Fox News and said my insurance rates are going up after Obama promised they wouldn't, so these plans got a reprieve.

 

Actually yes, yes I do.

 

Well, let's be honest: ObamaCare was meant to do a LOT of things, very few of which are turning out well or smoothly. Yes, this is to be expected with anything being newly implemented. It happens. Some chaos then equilibrium when everyone gets used to it.

 

The truly deplorable thing is that the purpose of Obamacare wasn't actually crafted with a market-business framework in mind. Basically, what I'm saying is this: No one with a degree in economics took a glance at the legislation and said, "Hey, if you force businesses to provide health care, or be fined otherwise, then the businesses will be taking a loss, and by their very nature, businesses don't like taking more losses than they make in gains. So these businesses will either fire people or stop hiring new people. That means people will lose jobs or not get a new job for months at a time. That means they'll be on Obamacare, which is payed by taxes, except you've got a lot more unemployed people drawing on it than there are people able to pay into it. So it isn't a sustainable business model at all. And a lot of pensioners will probably get their health care dropped or severely reduced, which isn't so great."

 

None of this common sense was folded into that dough, which just leaves me (and a few million people) entirely baffled. I mean.... seriously? Who couldn't see that this would happen? It's... it's business! It's fairly predictable! They teach classes. Now, if they said, "Hey, businesses, you must give all your employees some minimal health care, here, have this flat-rate subsidy and use it only for health care stuff," then the businesses would at least have been far more amenable to the proposition. At least then, they're not paying for the costs entirely at their own expense. But just flatly putting a requirement or a fine on businesses to render a service they're not even obliged to offer.... well, that means the businesses must tighten the belt and cut losses -- and that often means the employees and/or the existing health care plans. And chaos ensues!

 

I'm all for appropriate regulation and watch-dogging of companies so they don't abuse and take advantage of people. That's kind of what the government and it's agencies are for when the unions can't solve the matter. (Or the unions get compromised in a bad way.) But dear god, the least they could do was think through the freaking cause and effect.

 

And I wouldn't put much stock/blame on what happens on Fox news. Let's be perfectly honest: People take the words and advice of celebrities far more seriously than any news anchor. And the celebrities get a lot more viewers to boot.

 

 

I agree with you on kids and ADHD - I try to keep my classes active enough that students get a mental break often enough.  I'm not really sure what you were saying about the rest, without my meds it's hard for me to process that much text.  Yeah, it takes about a month for my brain to hit equilibrium when I go on and off the meds and I go back to my normal Vulcan self.  'Til then my emotions are rampant, or as my coworker said, "You mean you're actually feeling them?"

 

HA! That's exactly what I mean!

 

Basically, this: ADHD and all it's cousins are nonexistent. These drugs force the mind to conform to a standard of thinking so strict and punishing that the human psyche literally cannot meet the standards without artificial aid -- namely, in the form of these 'study drugs'. It's a disease of society, not of people's mental abilities, that is purely the cause of this so-called 'mental handicap'.

 

 

2/8/15 Sunday

SlothGirl woke up crying with an earache.  I spent all morning waiting at Minute Clinic.  Several ear infections ahead of us and behind us.

 

My grandfather had suffered terrible earaches in his left year all his life, and for a long time it was always infected and pussy. Then one doctor took a look at his ear and said, "Take massive doses of Vitamin E every day."

 

In a week, his ear had healed up and never got that bad again.

 

I don't know about the massive doses bit, but I do know that vitamin e is great for really whopping infections of this sort, and I've used it several times myself to great effectiveness. Find a bottle of vitamin e for kids and let her have it! It works a treat and you don't have to pay for any prescriptions.

 

Of course, if the ear infection doesn't abate at all, totally take her to the ER. But I had ear infections a lot when I was little and vitamin E has been an old ally in this matter.