April 28, 2005

Old News: Cookies and Creams...

Created on: 4/27/2005, 11:41 AM

I'm currently making cookies. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip with Coconut. I'm doing it for 2 reasons: one, because I have an insane amount of cooking supplies that I brought home from North Bay that I need to make use of, and two, because it keeps my hands busy.

I went to the doctor's yesterday to get my Effexor refilled, and finally managed to gather the courage to talk to her about the…spots on my chest. Most of you know about them. It's a skin condition, or so I say. Really, it's only minor (very minor) acne. But it's what I do to it that makes it look like it does now. I can't stop picking at them. I know, it's gross, but I can't help it. I know I'm causing a lot of damage (most of them are infected), but I just can't stop myself. I'll spend hours squeezing and pulling off scabs so they can't heal. Now, they're all red and painful. It's a psychological condition known as Dermatillomania. It's in the same family as trichotillomania, the condition where a person can't stop pulling out their hair, even when they develop bald patches. We (myself and the doc) aren't quite sure yet how to treat it, but the Effexor should help for now. Plus I'm on antibiotics for the infection, hoping that once the existing spots heal, the urge to pick will lessen. Right now, I'm just trying to keep busy so I'm not tempted to sit down and make things worse. Hence, cookies, and cleaning, and unpacking.

It's kinda nice to be home. I get the house to myself most of the day, so I can sleep in, and I can do laundry for mom… We're working on my neatness habits (it's like finishing school all over again!) so I don't make Mike crazy next year. The laundry thing I've gotten the hang of, especially since I don't have to carry the stuff up and down stairs, or pay $1.50 per load… And I'm getting better at the dishes thing… my room's still a stumbling block, mostly because I'm sorting through 3 years worth of old papers right now, then unpacking clothes. But I'll get through it. It'll just take time.

I start work next week. Afternoons, 3-11pm. It shouldn't be too bad, actually. I like Afternoon, because that's the block of time I'm most awake in. I'm on the shift that I like too, which is nice.

It's raining here today. And it's kinda cold. And grey. Pretty dismal, actually. I'm looking forward to the nicer weather coming back. I have an herb garden out back which needs tending. A note to all you gardeners out there: Don't ever plant Mint near anything. Ever. It takes over whatever you plant it in, and chokes everything else out. I have a beautiful oregano bush, and some lovely lavender, but the mint totally overtakes it if you leave it more than a week without a trim. I think that when I move into Mikes, I'm going to have little pots of herbs in my room, a little sprig of oregano, basil and maybe some lavender… just to smell nice. I'll have room for it too. And I think the dog's a bit depressed. She likes it that I'm home, but usually we go for walks around the yard when we go to get the mail, and it's been too cold and wet the last few days to do that. Poor thing.

Rain, Rain, go away.

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