There IS an App for That!

When I was on the treadmill this morning I started thinking about some of the stuff I've read recently about the cognitive effects of bipolar. Some of these problems are related to the drugs used to treat it - I could barely string two thoughts together when I was on a higher dose of Lithium - but many are related to the disorder itself. It is only recently that the cognitive decline has been spoken about, and they are suggesting that problems with organizing and planning are areas that are affected. This makes sense to me as years ago I had to start implementing tools to help me do what I used to do easily.

We used to entertain regularly and it wasn't unusual for me to make a meal with several courses, no written plan needed. Now when we entertain I need a detailed schedule/plan to get even a simple supper on the table at a reasonable time. I have to schedule things like when the oven gets turned on, when food goes in and goes out of the oven, what time to start chopping vegetables, what cleaning needs to be done. In other words I have to have EVERYTHING written down - in 5 minute increments. I thought it was just me, but I've been reading of others with bipolar who have similar problems.

This explains why the spare bed is covered in clothes arranged by type. It is still 2 months before I go, but I just can't keep a picture in my head of what I have and what I might need (not much). Shouldn't there be an app for that? Plus as I go through the clothes on the camper I just add them to the pile so I don't have to go out to the camper when it is -20C. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

[on edit: it seems there might be an app for that after all, I've downloaded one to try out - will report tomorrow!]

Speaking of the camper... it is all put to bed for its winter hibernation. We finally decided that we weren't going to make it out for one last hurrah. So there it is - winter time... It isn't a big process to get the water system winterized, but carrying in the tons of food is a little more time consuming. I swear, we could have lived for a week or two without hitting the grocery store... as long as we didn't mind canned food!

Carm made a fresh loaf of bread this afternoon, so since I'd had just a very light breakfast, spent 43 minutes on the treadmill, and hadn't had lunch yet I decided to splurge. After I was done I went onto Calorie Count to add it to my food log for today. Since I had weighed the slice I could be more precise (I entered the recipe some time ago) - WTF!!! 303 calories in ONE slice of bread!!! And that's BEFORE anything put on it. There must be some mistake with that, cause really! The crazy thing is I could have had 1 McDonald's hamburger and still had 53 calories to spare (of course that's hardly a healthy option, but still). It was disturbing!

In fact it was so disturbing that I just said to he$$ with that and ordered Chicken Shwarma for supper. Oh my, it was ever so garlicky! And 1/2 of it is in the fridge for tomorrow ;-) Tomorrow's will surely count for zero calories (won't it). We are just one week away from the end of the first challenge, and here I am stuffed with chicken and garlic sauce...

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.

e. e. cummings