Random ramblings

[cleolinda]

This isn't specifically in response to yesterday's LJ Question o' the Day ("As the Northern hemisphere spins toward the shortest day of the year, it's getting dark earlier and earlier. What comforts do you fall back on when the days are short and the nights are long?"), but I notice it kind of answers it anyway:

Media Monkey seems to be working out decently. It loads faster than Yahoo Jukebox ever did, seems to slow down my computer less, and isn't terribly hard to maneuver. I have myself a nice Favorite Paramore Songs playlist now because SHUT UP, OKAY? SHUT UP. It's fun and boppy and that's what I need while I'm trying to work.

Also: I was at the sto' to get some more hot chocolate (among other things), and generally my cocoa of preference is Nestle something or other in packets, but this time I happened to spy canisters of chocolate-and-hazelnut Ghirardelli cocoa. (They were sold out of plain chocolate, which is sort of an endorsement in and of itself.) Well, I wasn't passing that up, so we'll see how that works. Really, what I'm looking for is a nice creamy texture, so that'll be a deciding factor as well as flavor. Hot chocolate is serious business, after all.

Also-also: I know I keep talking about the sunshine, but it's really, really fantastic. It's got that autumnal golden quality, and the sky is sort of a cornflower blue. Of course, I think I've started to think of sunlight in an entirely different way now that I've come to understand that--why --I get sludgy in January and downright depressed by February. I feel like I ought to get out there and store up as much as I can; I may, in fact, be solar-powered. Or maybe a reverse vampire? (That would be kind of funny. "I am compelled to donate blood all the time! I know I was just here yesterday! Take it! PLEASE TAAAAAAKE IIIIIIIT. Hey, let's go get Italian now.") I don't know. ("Wow, that stake feels really good. A little to the left next time, maybe?") People have recommended various full-spectrum lamps to me, but honestly, the ones I'm seeing are about $100 and I just can't afford that right now.

You know what, (also)³? I should finally learn to knit. I have a starter kit and everything.

Comments

[kudzita.livejournal.com]

Speaking of sunlight and vampires and being solar-powered, have you read Sunshine (Robin McKinley)? It's kind of delightful.

Also, Ghirardelli cocoa is good, but the tins from Williams-Sonoma are true crack cocoa. Om nom nom nom.

[roseredhoofbeat.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! Sunshine is a wonderful book. Kicks Twilight's patoot.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

One should never take sunshine for granted....it's sunny here too today, after days of clouds and blech, so I'm also feeling psyched about the sunshine! :)

[roseredhoofbeat.livejournal.com]

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to move from South Texas- land of a one month fall, winter, and spring each and then nine months of summer- to Utah. Where there is snow on the ground from October to May. I am DREADING the return of snow and gray and cold and ick and nasty nasty nasty cold.

[sertcake.livejournal.com]

what part of south texas???

[glass-radical.livejournal.com]

I am depressed because IMDB hoes spoiled me on the identity of the True Blood serial killer.


Damnit.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, that's why I don't go round there. It's a lawless place, IMDB.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

I don't think you need to make any excuses for liking Paramore!

SHE'S GOT A BODY LIKE AN HOURGLASS IT'S TICKING LIKE A CLOCK.

(Do you have their cover of "My Hero"? ...Did I get that from you?)

Or maybe a reverse vampire? (That would be kind of funny. "I am compelled to donate blood all the time! I know I was just here yesterday! Take it! PLEASE TAAAAAAKE IIIIIIIT. Hey, let's go get Italian now.")
Heeeee.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I do have it. I think I have more Paramore songs than I know what to do with--I haven't even waded through all of them yet, to the point where someone mentioned the song on Rock Band 2 and I was like, "Uh... I haven't even heard that yet," and of course I already had it, and then I totally loved it.

[miss-sophia.livejournal.com]

If you're a reverse vampire, does that mean you do the opposite of sparkling? I don't even know what that would be. Maybe a black hole?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Glow in the dark, maybe?

[karintheswede]

The full spectrum lamp? Worth every penny I spent on it. It does make things easier to bear.

[cassildra.livejournal.com]

I heard my first Paramore song yesterday! I was trying to sing it in Rock Band 2. I really liked it!

Don't ask me which song it was, because I was concentrating on the music to catch the title.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I think that would be "That's What You Get" (which is totally on my playlist)? Two of my other favorites are on the original Rock Band, although "Misery Business" is A BITCH to sing because I just can't sing words that fast--I tend to hold notes.

[padawansguide.livejournal.com]

I just love fall lighting - when everything is all golden. Especially with a blue sky like that. It's my favorite. Of course, the price is darkness at 5pm, which I hate hate hate.

Today is all cloudy so I get no golden light, plus darkness at 5pm. And it's a Monday. Blech.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Aw! Yeah--I woke up from a nap on Saturday and honestly could not tell if it was 5 pm or 5 am at first.

[christigilly.livejournal.com]

Ghirardelli beats the pants off Nestle. Or, if you want to keep it relevant to your interestes, it beats the sparkle right off of Nestle. Heh.

[roseredhoofbeat.livejournal.com]

Ghiardelli also isn't an evil, evil company. Nestle is right up there with Wal*Mart on my shitlist.

[karintheswede]

This should probably be on a Twilight entry, but I'll put it here because I'm lazy.

Just now, at the store:

Customer, male about 65: Hi, I saw you had a book in the window called Breaking Dawn.
Me: Yes?
Customer: Yeah. I was wondering what it's about?
Me: I'm sorry, it's about vampires.
Customer: *face falls* Oh. I thought it was a serious book.

[glass-radical.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice.

[wmetoile.livejournal.com]

Become the governor of Alaska. The state will buy you a tanning bed. For "seasonal affective disorder."

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

Oh, my sister already decided to run for VP for the new wardrobe.

[zarephathcs.livejournal.com]

Long time lurker, first time poster and hot cocoa addict.

The Ghirardelli's cocoas are usually very, very creamy and pretty chocolate rich. If you add whipped cream on the tob that adds to the creaminess, and I usually drizzle dark chocolate syrup on top to add to the chocolateyness. My personal preference is the double chocolate mix. Plus you get upwards of 20 cups from it.

[jcipa.livejournal.com]

You can go tanning, or replace the bulbs in some of your fixtures with full-spectrum bulbs. They actually did the latter for some underground offices at my old university.

Knitting is fun. One of us! One of us!

[darth-teca.livejournal.com]

XD Actually, Seasonal Affective Disorder is very common. Basically, with less sunlight, your brain releases less seratonin, which makes you less happy. People in places like Alaska that have long period of almost NOT sunlight have a lot of problems with people killing themselves during that time. Sun-lamps are actually pretty much what doctors recommend to help ease the depression, short of medication of course. But no, you're not going crazy.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I am told that in places like Chicago that they absolutely refuse to take anyone off anti-depressants between November and February because of the seasonal-affective issue.

[nefariousgrey.livejournal.com]

A surprisingly creamy cocoa is the individual packets Land o Lakes puts out. I love their caramel flavor. Sometimes it isn't QUITE sweet enough for me though, so I add a little Splenda (can't have too much real sugar over here). That Ghirardelli stuff sounds awesome, but then again, I've always had good luck with Italian sounding chocolate. :D

[patchie04.livejournal.com]

I second Land o Lakes. I'm a mint fan personally.

[k-joy.livejournal.com]

I find that Aero Hot Chocolate has a deliciously creamy texture to it (it's one of my favourites, and it's actually quite light)

:)

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Totally take up knitting. It is a great hobby that allows you to fixate and get all OCD. But in a good way.

If you ever want to spend a little money you should check out Burdick's (http://www.burdickchocolate.com/item-group.asp?C49=Drinks-for-Home). They do some good chocolate. Plus you can adjust for creaminess.

[ninjatachyon.livejournal.com]

if whatever you believe are the "fang teeth" begin to retract into your head you should probably go have yourself checked out.

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

You remind me of the title character in Sunshine by Robin McKinley. She has to be in the sunlight or she goes a little nuts. The twist? It's a vampire novel. Pick it up sometime, you might like it :) It's ridiculous and fun.

Glad things sound like they're working out for you.

[lafemmezilla.livejournal.com]

I loooove my LiteBook, worth every penny but they are not cheap. Look on Amazon if/when you're ready to buy one, they have the best prices.

Knitting! I think you'd like it. I mean... I love knitting, I'm nuts about it so I think EVERYONE should like it. But it's very zen and tactile and rewarding. It's helped with my depression. And, it can be a somewhat social activity too, if you find a local stitch-n-bitch group that meets regularly— great for gossiping AND help if you run into a technical knitting hurdle. (Sorry. I'm a total knitting drug pusher, I know.)

[snacky]

People have recommended various full-spectrum lamps to me, but honestly, the ones I'm seeing are about $100 and I just can't afford that right now.

Check with your doc. I used to work at a mental health clinic and we had a one of those lamps for patients - people made appointments and came in a couple of times a week to just sit under it for an hour. Very relaxing! Your health plan might offer something similar, or have some kind of discount on purchasing it.

Also, Trader Joe's hot chocolate is quite yummy!

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

Just a thought: Instead of a full-spectrum lamp, you could try vitamin D supplements. It's certainly cheaper than a lamp, and the point of getting the UV light is to get your body to make vitamin D.

We have a box of Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix here at work. I keep meaning to try it, but I fear new things.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Joaquin Phoenix leaves film for music (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/03/people.joaquin.phoenix.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview). Guess there won't be a Walk the Line 2.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mentioned that last week. I'm kind of worried about him, actually. I don't know that this was a sober decision.

re: reverse vampire

[rinnamarie.livejournal.com]

Does that mean you also move VERY slowly, have no strength, and hate baseball? :)

Re: reverse vampire

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

... omg.