THIS WEEK IN REFLECTION
Monday is typically meeting night (on Discord) for my spooky movie club, but for the past few months, I only seem to have one person show up. A couple of times it was no one. The lady who started the group is extremely busy, and her original co-host is working full time and taking classes for his master’s. I hope it’s not the end of things because I really like my different friend groups. This week we watched Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving movie, which was in theater. It’s so weird to see a slasher in theaters in 2023, but I had lots of fun seeing it with my girlfriend from school.
Tuesday was music bingo date night, and though we did not win, I was glad for it because I needed a break from all the projects due this week. So many videos and reports, etc. It was the last week of classes (I have three finals next week). I had one 50-minute class on Friday and just didn’t end up going because we’d already settled everything, it was raining outside, and I was in a terrible mood that I did not want to inflict on other people. I watched my go-to “it’s raining and I’m in a bad mood” movie, which is Crawl.
Every semester, for reasons I cannot explain, I feel a clash of relief that the craziness will stop and deep sadness that the craziness is over. I cannot seem to reconcile these two emotions and end up moping around the house for several days like a giant rain cloud. That’s where I am right now despite needing all my gumption for final exams and an immediate jump into my winter class, Sociology of Religion.
We’ve got some craft shows we want to attend this weekend, and I had dinner with the local Deaf community on Friday, so there were some bright moments, but I’m still dragging through emotionally.
IT DIDN’T MAKE IT TO GRAB THE LAPELS
For ASL 5 we read Never the Twain Shall Meet: The Communications Debate by Richard Winefield. The author looks at the family history and influences of Alexander Graham Bell, who believed deaf children should learn to speak and read lips, versus Edward Miner Gallaudet, who opened the first university for deaf students and believed in a combination of signing and learning speech. Their arguments were heated in the late 1800’s, but still influence parents and affect deaf children today.
THIS WEEK’S BLOG POST
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments on my review of The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov. It’s wild that I remember when Ritalin was first prescribed regularly to “hyperactive” kids, to a time when we thought ADD wasn’t even real, to now, when ADD is no longer in the DSM and ADHD has more research behind it. Nick and I are going to keep reading on this topic because the journey is long, not speedy.
NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POST
I know it’s popular to be upset that Joe Biden is in his 80’s (along with many other members running American politics), but Swedish writer Helene Tursten has something to say about underestimating an octogenarian in her sequel, An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed (translated by Marlaine Delargy). Review Wednesday.
BOOKS I BOUGHT
Books I paid for (that are not textbooks) since January 2023: totaling $68.04.
BOOKS ADDED TO THE TBR PILE
Grab the Lapels 
I love the cover of that book by Helene Tursten! I feel like I’ve seen some good reviews of it elsewhere, though I can’t now remember where, so I look forward to hearing what you think of it.
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Did you read or listen to the first one? If you did, I think you will like this one, too. The end tries to endear us to Maud in a big way, perhaps an out-of-characteristic way, but I appreciate the attempt to really close the story.
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I find that when I go through long periods of very busy and full scheduling, and nearly every minute is taken up with something, there is a let down when it’s all over. My time is no longer completely scheduled and I have difficulty for a little while figuring out what to do with myself. But once I remember how to relax and remember what I like to do when everything doesn’t have to be scheduled, things get righted and I feel much better. I hope you find your balance soon. Good luck on your final exams! i hope you found some treasures at the craft shows!
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Well, basically I decided to get started on the Sociology of Religion class early, so I’m not sure I found a balance, but I am moving forward.
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Oh The Shape of Sound looks intriguing. I am having a big low at the moment, I’m not running, and I don’t seem to want to, and that is not me. And running is a big way I see my friends, tho obviously the good special ones I will see anyway. But it’s all wrong. So I hope we’re both back in sorts rather than out of sorts soon!
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I’ve ordered the ADHD book – I’m so intrigued by it! Hopefully it has some helpful hints for me and my husband 🙂
That’s too bad about the spooky movie club, although I find people’s participation in just about everything tends to dwindle around this time of year because people are so busy with holiday stuff.
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I would recommend reading the ADHD book with Aaron, if you can. It’s written to give grace to both partners, and he may feel seen in it. On the other hand, the book will definitely tell you not to coerce him into reading/doing things to treat his ADHD, so you may be on your own but will understand his perspective better.
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I love that your go-to rainy day movie seems to be about a flooded house full of crocodiles? That sounds so stressful! How do you not imagine that YOUR house is about to be flooded and swamped with giant reptiles??
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Well, A) I don’t live near any alligators! LOL and B) my area tends not to flood. Sure, the river a few miles away does, but not my house. The movie takes place in Florida, where there really are alligators that will come up into people’s yards or get in their pools, but Florida is scary for many reasons. Because of hurricanes, houses in Florida don’t really have basements, but they may have crawl spaces, which is part of the meaning of the title of the movie. Crawl space, alligators crawl, the people are crawling through the crawl space.
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This time of year is hard even if you’re not in school – I think winter does a number on people more than they realize. Good luck on your exams!!
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It has been awfully rainy and gray here. That doesn’t help. It snowed one day a week or so back, and I felt just delighted.
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I’ve been struggling with the seasonal blues already. I know it’s seasonal because once it gets dark (you know, at like 5 pm), I just don’t want to do anything constructive. It’s time to sit on the couch like a bump on a log until bedtime. Since I’m off this week, I’m doing on the things before it gets dark and then, giving myself full permission to do whatever I like, including being lazy. Once I go back to work though, I think the struggle will continue.
I hope this week is better for you. ❤
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It snowed one day like 2 weeks ago, and I felt amazing and happy. This cloudy rain nonsense is just too much, plus I had one final exam on Monday and two on Thursday. So, you know, just two days in the middle there to sit around and worry.
I used to think being inside with lights would be fine, but when I worked at the library in the bottom floor, which is half underground, I still felt pretty blah just looking up and seeing gray.
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I think I can manage being okay inside as long as the snow is making it bright outside if that makes sense. Plus, I like playing in the snow with the dogs from time to time.
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Crawl!!! That’s a movie I had always wanted to see but it never got onto my list! It’s on there now. Too bad Paramount+ isn’t one I subscribe to…unless that’s the one included with my Walmart+ subscription.
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I just bought the DVD the second it came out, LOL. It was so fun to watch in theater. And, at the time, there was a Crawl app thingy that you could open up. It looked like you were just taking film in your own home, but then you heard this low growl. You turn and (while you are still looking through the camera) there is a fricken alligator RIGHT THERE. I literally threw my phone.
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Omg I need that app!!!! How fun!!!! I live for scary TikToks with a good jump scare like that.
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Finally watched it. It did not disappoint.
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So glad! Angry gators, nom nom nom!
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[…] trying to outswim the alligators in her house so it was a happy day when I saw it mentioned over on Grab The Lapels. I also watched Rabbit-Proof Fence since I recently read the book. Both book and movie are really […]
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