Seasonal Afftective Disorder R Us -or- Pictures from the Weekend

Picking Peas at Valda's. Ooh! I just remembered I was supposed to put these peas in the curry I made for dinner that night! I can't remember anything!

Please read the following disclaimer before going ahead with this post:

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a serious problem that many of us suffer from. It is a sneaky menace that threatens us in so many ways. Although, I am writing about it from a place of sarcasm and humor, I am deeply affected by it and I do not wish for any of you to shy away from the help you need because of something I may say off the cuff in jest or sarcasm.

Let's race for the cure (and I have a feeling it's over at the Uhaul office)!

I've been in a seasonally affected daze these past few days. Let's see which of the following symptoms I can highlight;

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of winter-onset seasonal affective disorder include:

1. Depression (Does the "How could I pull off going to Hawaii?" thought count?)


2. Hopelessness (Does the "oh, God! My whole life has become about folding clothes and scrubbing the toilet! I'm stuck here for life!" conversation count)
   
3. Anxiety (yea, a bit)
   
4. Loss of energy (did I have any to loose?)


5. Social withdrawal (OK, here is one I can skip)


6. Oversleeping (This list leaves out the waking up to early, not being able to drift back to sleep and then not being able to wake up)


7. Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed (I haven't been blogging lately....I also haven't been eating out lately)


8. Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates (This isn't really a change, I love eating! The kids deserve the benifit of freshly baked oatmeal cookies since they have a stay home mom. ooh, I have been struggling getting motivated to count my points!)
   
9. Weight gain (I love eating, what can you do?)


10. Difficulty concentrating and processing information (Yea, I almost caught my kitchen on fire because I forgot I was cooking. So, maybe I never had ADD after all?)
    

So, I've been glued to my light box and still forgetting EVERYTHING that I need to do and dreading all the routine stuff that I need to do. It's getting to be a problem, but yesterday was wonderful and I have pictures to prove it!

Falcom designed this mermaid dress out of items from nature and transparent tape;

Then we went to my friend Bobo's birthday party (my friend Gage's daughter). Bobo and I really like each other. She and I had a good time at her party. Somehow I managed to only have one piece of cake. Good for me. Look at the little cute diva.

What have I decided to do about my seasonal affective disorder? I am going to buy a dawn simulator. I am going to sit by my light faithfully even though it is a time vacuum. I am going to plan women's products parties so that I can have more excuses to get out of my house and hang out with fun girls.

Irene has this line from her comedy show; "Why should I have to medicate myself because you are an ass....." I told Russel today, "Why should I have to medicate myself because we live in a stupid climate?" He said, "Do you feel better when you are in Hawaii." Without even a blink I said, "YES!"

Then I think, yes, the climate is stupid, but the neighborhood and the environment is so rich. What is the trade off? That is when I get to bullet two on the list... Hopelessness "I'm stuck in a Buddhist Hell! Completely beautiful and serene...lulling you into spiritual complacency." Look at this sunset...isn't it enough to make you forget that you had to spend over an hour this morning sitting by a light box?