Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Small Bits Jammed into One Post

I think the post title pretty much says it all.

- It was soooo nice having four days off all in a row. In a stunning stroke of fate, WTG was out of town all four days. I got to spend good quality time with the kids, and most especially with Handsome Lad. Yessssss. I slept in until 8:30 or so each day and it felt like heaven. It was hotter than blazes, though, all four days.

- Handsome Lad is now very into skateboarding. During our long weekend we made many trips to the skate park. I have to qualify this before you picture him zooming around daringly on his board. His favorite thing about skateboarding is apparently standing around and shooting the breeze with other kids, while watching the more daring devils ride. I'm fine with that. Not everyone is a major athlete, but the camaraderie of sports is always cool.

- I usually read fiction. Recently though, I decided I was interested in reading more non-fiction. To that end, I checked out four non-fiction books last Thursday. So far, I have read Bad vs. Worst: The Ultimate Guide to Making Lose - Lose Decisions by Joshua Piven, and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. I am currently reading Elton: The Biography by David Buckley. Next to be read is The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks, MD. So you can see it is some pretty heavy stuff. Um, well, okay you got me. It isn't terribly taxing stuff, but I am still stepping away from my usual path. I'll try not to break my arm patting myself on the back ;-)

Now a couple of questions:

- I'm not sure how to put this...but if anyone reading has a teenage daughter or I guess even if you don't, what are your thoughts on the use of birth control pills to regulate the cycle?

- Does anyone know what they feed those folks on Dancing with the Stars? I always just assumed they subsisted on whatever they could catch in their mouths from the spray tanning sessions. However, food poisoning seems to run rampant on that set! Or perhaps "food poisoning" is code for something else...drunk? hungover? sprained pelvis?

And there you have it. Small bits jammed into one post. An alternate title might be: What happens when organizational skills go on strike.

12 comments:

Dinah said...

I love Dancing with the Stars! It combines two things that I love, dancing and stars. After last season's wildness with deaths and illnesses and fainting, it seems like they're trying to top last year.

I really want to read that Oliver Sacks book, I've seen it a few times and it looks really interesting.

AlienCG said...

It sounds like a weekend well spent. Glad you got to spend time with Handsome Lad.

As far as your questions go, I have no idea on the birth control thing and I don't even acknowledge DwtS's existence.

Tara said...

To answer your first question, when I was teenager, my mom took me to see the doctor about that very problem (not about being a teenage daughter, but about the irregular cycle) the birth controls did help. I think I was in my mid to late teens then.

laura b. said...

Dinah: Stars and dancing...irresistable right? I'm looking forward to Sacks' book right after I finish learning the truth about Elton John. :-)

AlienCG: It was a good weekend. And I will recuse you from the questions, just this once.

Tara: Thanks! I hoped someone here would have actual experience with this issue.

Viki said...

As a teenage girl not so long ago - okay maybe that is stretching the truth a bit but whatever - I think bcp for regulating cycles is awesome. Esp. if you have problems with the cycle.

I am all for it. I had take mine b/c of hormonal changes and issues with hair growth and such.

NoRegrets said...

I tried reading The Man Who ... but it gets very scientific and technical... At the time I couldn't deal. I should go back.

I think it's good to avoid drugs if possible, but if it's really needed and it works, why not?

laura b. said...

Viki: I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. It has been so long since I used them and they have all these new kinds now.

NoRegrets: Ah, it seems I instinctively (haha!) left the most challenging for last. I will let you know if I am able to process it.
I am not a big drug person either and I always like to get the complete picture.

Tara said...

Oh and I'm so happy for you that WTG was out of town while you were on vacation! No trauma, right?

My manager will be out of the office tomorrow. All day. I can barely wait, it'll be so peaceful.

minijonb said...

People on DWTS eat solyent green... just kidding!

Churlita said...

My daughter's on the pill for migraines. It just makes her more irritable than normal - which is kind of scary.

I used to work at a clinic and we put teens on the pill all the time for cycle regulation. it seems to work really well.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea about the first question--I am not allowed to even talk about teenage girls. Chris Hanson would walk out from behind the curtain and ask me "what are you doing here?"

I think food poisoning sounds a little shady. Unless they are being catered by "mayo in the sun" food service, I think it is just a nice, Hollywood way of communicating something else. Perhaps these celebrities need to rehab more than their careers!!

laura b. said...

Tara: That was an awesome bonus for this vacation - no WTG, no drama.
As much as I like my boss, it is still nice when she takes a day or two off.

MiniJonB: I knew there was something...

Churlita: With my daughter the moodiness is a permanent condition anyway as far as I can tell.
Thanks for the good info.

Evil-E: I just came to hang out, man! haha!
That's what I think too! If celebraties are really getting this much food poisening, I see a big expose on craft services in the future.