ColorChallenge Monday Red, A List of Stories, and What It's Like to be ADD / ADHD (Edition #2)

Frankly, I'm still in the stage of "Okay. I'm finally accepting it. What is it exactly?!" All of the near brushes with a proper diagnosis have been either fascinating or easy to dismiss. Plus they were all pre-YouTube. If you're in need of feeling like you're not alone out there, I can recommend that you take a stroll through various "What it's like ... " videos.

So. You and I are just gonna have to deal with the fact that I am currently all over the place for so many reasons ... all of which make the ADD like FLAME ON.

Let's just do a little review. I'm not whining just to whine. I'm trying to be "adult" about this and admit there's real reasons for this Super Duper Out of Balance Episode of being ADD. One thing I'm learning about ADD is that doing proper "self-assessment" and having "realistic expectations" and understanding the "basic function of time" are not strong suits. So. I'm just say'n, "Let's face facts here."

Two weeks ago, my Molly Dog died. I enjoyed her very much and I miss her every morning (at least). She wasn't cuddly snuggly. She was just so super cheerful and loved keeping me company, though. And she created good Molly Dog stories.

On July 4th, I lost a slightly older friend who mothered me through many rough years. To know her, read, "But, Marilla, I'm not old! In the past decade, four of our most life-influencing friends have died between July 3rd and July 5th.

​So. I'm just a bit blue. It's just one of those seasons where the tears sneak up and leak out. And it is now the season of my life where this will happen more and more. Given natural course of events, there's another friend already on the, "next up" list (or "next down" as the case may be).

Let's not forget the ADD fascination + hyper-focus = insomnia loop that I ended up in last week. The insomnia is getting better but not quite under control. I am moving closer to a 1am sleep vs 3:30am. See. Improvement. Tonight. Maybe before Midnight!

And I'm having to face the fact that my home is in complete turmoil because I've had several falls from which I've not recovered easily. Even tonight, after a 3 week reprieve, I'm dealing with feeling very tender in my neck and shoulder just because I slept on my right shoulder wrong. (It's not from doing something stupid, mind you!)... all going back to a fall in November 2016.

The last part is especially bitter because it takes me two years after every move before I start to feel like the house is sufficiently covered in just our own cooties before I can settle in (which it turns out can be related to ADD). Well, We've reached that two-year mark and I've not been able to do the things that make me get to that point. AND I've not been able to establish order at all. AND frankly, honestly, it's time to take 30% of what's in the house out to a burn pile. (Ok a recycling center, if I can just find one!)

In the last 11 years we've gone from being able to move across country via FedEX to needing movers and a moving truck. I'm not thrilled. Fortunately, @mitchmiester isn't interested in taking up hording either. It's quite fantastic that we're on the same page.

So, I'm looking for ways to deal with the ADD/ ADHD because ways I've dealt in the past are not working this round. I'm giving it 3 weeks and then ... I'm going to the meds.

One thing I've noticed hinted at in the videos, that I've not tried, is simply being as random and spontaneous as you want to be on your own projects. Since, right now, I'm blessed with being in a situation where all I have to deal with are my own projects ... I'm going to try it. What could I possibly lose?

​There's several stories I'd love to present in serial format here, like "That time we had no money in the bank and maybe $2 cash between us and we sent out @mitchmiester's resume all over the US with a cover letter stating, "'can self-relocate.'" And Yehovah graciously moved us across country.

​And there's that time my daughter and I drove across country to relocate her to her chosen college location. With "her" dog.

​And there's that time @mitchmiester came home and said, "Well, I don't have a job in New York anymore but there's another one with the same company in Kentucky ... but then he still ended up on unemployment ... but then ..."

​And there's that time we decided to sell the house, two months before everything went sideways with housing insurance industry that was providing income to @mitchmiester ... and we ended up living in a tent ... for over 5 months in Texas ... no no, not because we had, too ... that came years later....

​The "Red Trolly" and our "home sweet home" circa 2002

And ... The time a car landed in my den, where not a single child was playing when there should have been five children in there! And none of the car passengers were physically damaged. And nary a rabbit nor gerbil was lost!

And there's that other time that the ICE arm of Homeland Security appeared in our living room ...

And that time in Starbucks where a truly off balance acquaintance struck up a conversation with a man in the line and then said to him, "Oh, you're a programmer? You need to meet @mitchmiester over here!"

Lots of stories.

But, don't count on order!

​It's okay. You'll adjust. Or ... I may go on meds :-P

Have fun, enjoy!