Playing with Myself

10 Cities You Could Live In (for a month, for a year...if you couldn't live in your own)

1. London, UK - Dirty, terrible to drive in, and I adore it.

2. Paris, France - Even dirtier, terribly rude people, and I adore it.

3. San Francisco, CA - Not that I could ever afford it, but what a great city.

4. Frankfurt, Germany - Not as gloomy as Berlin, and close enough to some of the best sightseeing in Europe.

5. Boulder, CO - Okay, I've never been there. But I've almost moved there. Twice.

6. Someplace close to Orlando, FL - I'm obsessed.

7. Edinburgh, Scotland - These definitely aren't ranked in order, because Edinburgh is an absolute favorite. I don't even mind the constant rain.

8. Verona, Italy - Close enough to Venice (because nobody wants to live IN Venice), touristy enough that there are plenty of ex-pats.

9. Cambridge, UK - A perfectly liveable, beautiful area with plenty of things to do and see, without the hubbub you might think.

10. Someplace in the Pacific Northwest. I haven't been there yet, but every time we think about moving, it's one of the first places I look.

Load iTunes, hit Random, list the first 5:

1. Rihanna - Pon de Replay
2. Marilyn Manson - In the Shadow of the Valley of Death
3. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll
4. Robert Plant & Justin Adams - Win My Train Fare Home
5. Robert Cray - Do That For Me

Pop, um... Goth?, Jazz, Blues, Blues. #6 was Country.

One thing about living in the oh-so placid Land of Nod is that when there is something to do, everybody does it. Case in point, this weekend's air show (which is, as far as I can tell, the only reason the regional airport remains open) -- I was able to do grocery shopping and errands on Saturday with nary a muttered curse against my fellow man because there weren't any about. I think there were more people in the parking lot of Wal-Monster watching the whiz bang jets from the hoods of their cars than were actually in the store. Hooray for me.

It was a lovely week, weather-wise. Weather is not actually a favorite conversational topic of mine, but last week was absolutely gorgeous. LoN graced us with a preview of Autumn, and it sparkled. Things will be heating up this week, but I can't wait for Fall. The shadows in the light, the layering of decay (yes, I like it when plants start to go into hibernation) and crispness in the air, and the texture of the iconography of Fall (straw, pumpkins, gourds, falling leaves). The prospect of Autumn makes me happy.

I wish I could say the same about my meds. I like my new doctor, even if he keeps harping on the unfinished PhD in my past. He suggested that I try a new drug that could eliminate both the lithium and Depakote, but didn't push it. I waited until I was feeling somewhat settled here to broach the subject again, because although the lithium/Depakote therapy works well, it's a lot of pills to take. I got a little worried when Dr. Z changed his mind about which "new drug" I should take because the one he initially had in mind is a bad cocktail with Depakote in your system. Um, why didn't he think about that before suggesting it? Regardless, he gave me an alternative, Abilify.

I should have refused to take it just based on the stupid name.

Backache. Stomachache. Constipation. I couldn't sleep as I was in so uncomfortable. Frankly, I would have prefered out and out pain to the nagging aches. I paced so much throughout the week that by Sunday I was nearly crippled (how pitiful... I better remedy that grievous lack of leg stamina before Disney). Argh. Supposedly Dr Z is going to give me a different scrip today. If he doesn't give me the muscle relaxant I also requested, I may have to switch doctors.

It's still Tuesday somewhere. Maybe.

10 Things You Do When You Have Nothing Else To Do

1. Play Civilization II on the computer. My #1 time waster.

2. Sleep. I'm trying to do less of it (napping, I mean. I'd like to do more sleeping during "regular" sleeping hours). But I do love a good nap.

3. Crossword puzzles. They're particularly useful for avoidance of things that must be done, so maybe they don't belong on this list. But I'm actually getting to the point where I know the names of specific puzzle writers, so I'm certifiably an addict.

4. Color. I love to color, though I haven't done it in ages.

5. Cook. It used to be less of a chore than it seems now, but I do enjoy pulling out the cookbooks when I have nothing else claiming my time.

6. Read cookbooks. Heh.

7. Read, in general. Working in a library combined with a job that is far less stressful mentally has really left me a lot more time to read, and I love it.

8. Arrange, add, and delete music on my iPod. I love making playlists. I'll be glad when our computer can burn CDs again AND when we have a printer again so I can print labels/CD inserts.

9. Watch DVDs. Actually, I don't watch so much as listen to in the background as I do just about anything. If it weren't 4 in the morning, I'd have one on right now.

10. Write personal emails with Too Much Information that invariable scare, piss off, or otherwise freak out the recipients. Oh wait, this isn't "Things You Do When You're Bipolar".

10a. Clean. It's a last resort. I generally do it best first thing in the morning on a weekend, when I'm too tired to resent it.

Happy week, all.

10 Things You've Been Putting Off

1. Putting away the last of the books from the move
2. Having a rational and persuasive discussion with Mr G about dropping the price on the South Bend house so as to entice a buyer
3. Dropping the price on the South Bend house
4. The inevitable crushing heartache of making new friends
5. Updating my mood chart (it's a bipolar thing)
6. Starting the novel that's moved into my head
7. Steam cleaning the living room carpet
8. Paring down my wish list to reasonable levels
9. Hauling the boxes to the attic
10. Being practical