Steve H. is bummed out for various reasons, among which is illness-induced feelings of depression. That reminded me of the time I had a flu-caused depression/anxiety attack that was bad enough that the doctor decided to put me on tranquilizers for a week. And then I remembered something else: a news report I heard on the teevee (I was doing something in the kitchen and was only listening) about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I never thought that had anything to do with my problems, because I always perk up in the winter months (such as we have in Florida), and then the guy said something about the fact that some sufferers got depressed in the summer instead of the winter. And that, as I explained to Steve, sure does seem to explain my entire life.
PS: I am working on a new, more personal webdiary blog site thingage, which will be password-protected, where I will be shunting off this me stuff to. Then I can return TMTD to its regular schedule of fluff and geekitude and trollbait and whatever else this site was supposed to be.
Posted by Andrea Harris at July 17, 2003 11:46 AMAre you going to deny those of us who enjoy your more personal postings access? Maybe I am just a voyeur, but I think getting some insights on the writer is one of the unique aspects that make be a blog reader such an informative hobby.
Posted by: John McCrarey at July 17, 2003 at 12:30 PMOh no -- I'll offer to add people to the password list if they asks us nicely. :)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at July 17, 2003 at 12:55 PMAlso, I just like secret passwords and stuff. And I wanted to try the "web protect" utility that I get with this hosting service.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at July 17, 2003 at 01:04 PMI don't do summer either. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that my bad eye does not do bright sunlight. I have always much prefered the autumn and the winter. Bright sunlight and too much heat just pisses me off.
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge at July 17, 2003 at 01:04 PMAnd I'm feeling kind of, I don't know, like I've been whining too much, and I don't want to become one of those emo-bloggers. There's nothing wrong with that "self-revealing" stuff, but I find that a little bit goes a long way.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at July 17, 2003 at 01:05 PMToo much heat makes me extremely cranky. I was just out now in the sun putting some boxes out (preparatory to throwing them out) and I was getting a headache.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at July 17, 2003 at 01:07 PMtry living in the northwest...9 months of gray, shades of gray, white, offwhite, rain, drizzle, freezing fog (no kidding, fog that freezes!)...9 months of that, and when the sun comes out for 3 months you want to dance along the roofline on the top of your house.
Posted by: kevin at July 17, 2003 at 03:46 PMFew things strafe your immune response like stress. If you are depressed or having undo anxiety, then for goodness sakes, get an immune-boosting vitamin supplement until you can get to the root of the problem.
Often times, periods of recurring depression can coincide with anniversaries of traumatic losses or other events in one's personal history. Hope you feel better soon and Steve, too.
D
Posted by: David Strain at July 17, 2003 at 05:38 PMCome visit Oregon, Andrea. As Kevin said, it's nine months gray and the rest summer. If you really want rain, La Push, Washington gets over 12 feet of precip per year. Of couse, there is also the dry side of the mountains if you like deserts.
There is a story about a woman who moved to Portland. On the first day it rained. Ditto on the second. Same on the third. On the fourth day it rained again. Same on the fifth day. On the sixth day she went out and it was once again raining. Exasperated beyond measure, she stopped a little boy in the street and asked "Does it ever stop raining in Portland?"
"How should I know, lady?" he answered. "I'm only six years old."
Posted by: Michael Lonie at July 17, 2003 at 09:10 PMI tried to thank you for the trackback yesterday, but this page wouldn't load!
You're depressed by sunlight? Is it possible you have orc blood? Knowing what an LOTR fan you are, I think that would bring you joy.
Posted by: Steve H. at July 18, 2003 at 09:54 AMHeh heh -- I do get dizzy and weak in the sunlight. Hmmmm....
Posted by: Andrea Harris at July 18, 2003 at 11:02 AM