Why Am I Not Freaking Out? A Short Story.

Why am I not freaking out about the cockroach I found at the bottom of my steps, right out side my front door?  Right. Outside. My. Home? Practically in my home?

You might ask, if you know me well enough to know I hate bugs. All bugs. But spiders, cockroaches, and earwigs most. (Bedbugs terrify me, but that's another story. Oh, and I'm no fan of silverfish or house centipedes, either). That's not in any particular order, by the way, when it comes to finding them in my house.

The answer is, that I'm drinking. A nice, tart margarita with extra triple sec. I'm not freaking out because I'm concentrating real hard on that floaty feeling I have right now, that just erases the creepiness of finding that cockroach on. my. turf.

A toast! To getting over bugs by drinking a cocktail!

The End.

Epilogue
I committed murder on that cockroach, in case you were wondering. I broke a small tree plant pot on it, and then I stabbed it repeatedly with a shard. I admit it. I stabbed a cockroach.

Thank god these aren't the kind you find in Georgia, or Florida. Fixing that situation would have required at least two margaritas. And a cockroach dance, no doubt similar to this one. And a much longer story.

Book History

The Last of the Peaches

On the first Thursday of September, I bought the last peaches of the season at my local (sustainable/organic) farmers' market. Two days later, a friend came over (with her digital camera) so we could bake some of those delicious peaches in a pie. Here's what happened:

photo credit: Sam

 

Although there is no picture of it, then we ate it.

Compass of Pleasure: A Book Review

The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good by David J. Linden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I learned a lot from this text. In fact, the neuroscience basics I learned in this book are now helping me with a very neuroscience-y science fiction book I've just picked up by Catharine Asaro.

This book is actually about more than addictions. It's about brain chemistry and how naturally humans interact with substances and experiences, before the introduction of addiction into the equation. The author writes in a very accessible style - I only got lost in the acronyms and neuron-specific verbs a few times. Most of the time, the author uses very simplified explanations. Illustrations helped me imagine some of the situations he described, while the case studies enhanced the arguments and my understanding of the text. The author's sense of humor adds to the approachability of the text, which is by no means dry or boring. I didn't find all the chapters equally interesting, but they all made some intriguing and thought-provoking arguments.

Things I found difficult about the text included the case studies performed on rats and mice. Normally, I don't care for either of the species, but reading about the lab experiments that are performed on these animals because no ethics advisory/oversight board would ever allow them to be performed on humans, was uncomfortable. Sometimes, the author's sense of humor is jarring, though often I found it funny. Lastly, whether it is this book or neuroscience in general, I found personally challenging the idea that an individual's personality and identity is entirely contained in the chemical, electrical and physical elements of the body.

There was some overlap between the orgasm section of this book and the book by Jared Diamond on the evolution of human sex practices, which I found interesting - they provide slightly different approaches to ultimately similar conclusions concerning the evolution of sex and reproduction in humans and other mammals.

Overall this book seems a very good introduction to neuroscience, pleasure, and addiction. The idea that addiction (to anything, including food, sex, and exercise, among others) is a disease, a sort of chemical imbalance in the brain, is a compelling argument for a different approach to treatment and judgment of addicts and addiction.



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Mission: Wedding Accessories: Accomplished

Yesterday I finally got around to enjoying some of the secondhand and vintage offerings in Toronto, and it turned out to be a smashing success! I have a wedding to go to next weekend, and wanted a clutch to complete my outfit. Since I have to fly to get to the wedding venue, and even with my long history of traveling and moving, I somehow haven't managed to keep a carry-on in my possession, I was also on the hunt for an inexpensive tote or satchel to act as a carry-on for the things I can't do without on a long weekend away.

At 69 Vintage Collective (new website coming soon, apparently), I managed to find both a unique clutch and a very suitable satchel! The clutch, which wasn't what I originally planned on looking for, is embroidered with flowers, has a small, old chain, and was made in W. Germany. The satchel has no provenance, but it's almost exactly what I've been looking for, in terms of caramel leather (faux or real), cavernous capacity, and sturdiness. I'm in love with both, and they're both perfect, no matter what I thought I wanted originally.

Both were much less than I had expected to spend if I found what I wanted, which is always a bonus. Another bonus? Buying secondhand, which I have missed. Knowing that I'm giving an item a second chance, and not adding to the endless consumer-driven cycle of creation and trashing of material objects, always gives me a pleasant little rush.

Here's an image of the clutch, at least (with the rest of what I'll be wearing to the wedding):

 photo credit: Sam