EJO

Eliza has learned some new tricks this week including how to stay up way past your bedtime (she gets that from me). Last week she consistently would wake up, eat, look around, start getting tired, sleep, repeat. This week she has consistently been fighting sleep for at least two of these cycles throughout the day. Sometimes she fights enough to where she falls asleep 20 minutes before she is supposed to feed again. I have a feeling we should get used to new routines.

Polka dot buns and little feet.

Smiles for mom. She has been consistently smiling for us and we love each one. She is also cooing and talking consistently and figuring out her tongue.

Sitting in the sunshine in a pretty little outfit.

Bundled up for an afternoon walk in the sunshine.

Eliza Jane

Here are some photos from the first few weeks with Eliza Jane. I hope to update this blog with photos for friends and family in the upcoming weeks.

A visit from Grandma and Grandpa.

Already being silly.

How I balance school and baby.

Music Monday

I've spent the last week trying to catch up on school work. I've read close to 30 chapters and written around 15 pages. I thankfully have some time off before I go back to work. I think I've got a bit peculiar to tell you the truth. At the moment I am currently half way through a 55 minute supermix of Weird Al Yankovic Polka songs and I'm enjoying it. The man is funny.

Speaking of Weird Al, he's getting a lot of press this week because he's released a new album and he's doing it one song a day over youtube. I'm posting my favorite song today. I give you Weir Al, the prince of parody, the pernicious polka-er, the man, the legend.

This is Word Crimes:


Until next time, CU L8ter

EO

Music Monday

I've really been into remixes lately. Its nice to have a music with a steady beat and some type of wording while reading or writing but not words that make me think too much. Thinking too much includes thinking about thoughtful lyrics and thinking about how much I despise some of the mind melting lyrics that get replayed in a lot of pop music over and over again. Remixes are nice because they usually just focus on the musical or emotive elements of a song. My most favorite band Radiohead has had remix challenges where they encourage people to remix Radiohead songs and feature the ones they like the best on their website. Some of it is really interesting, some of it is out of my sphere of understanding, and some of it probably should have never happened. Sometimes I feel judgmental.

I am on my last week of school for this quarter finishing my last set of papers. I'm excited for a break again.

This is Handbook with Know What (I still love you)

Until next time, can you feel?

EDO

Music Monday

Did you know that coffee beans are roasted at a very specific temperature? Did you know that when they reach too high of a temperature they start to burn producing a bitter, burnt flavor? Did you know that boiling water exceeds the temperature that coffee burns at? Tea drinkers don't scoff because its the exact same for green tea.

Do you have a french press? If you do or you plan on getting one try this out. Take your beans and grind them. Sometimes grinders cause the beans to heat up: I do short bursts and count to 10 between. Once they are ground place them in the french press. You can heat up your water while you are grinding. When the temperature of the water is 200 degrees Fahrenheit (94 Centigrade) pour it in the press, put the cover on and set the timer for 3 minutes. When there are 20 seconds left on the timer commence the plunging sequence! Plunging should be done slowly and take 20 seconds. Immediately pour the coffee out of the press (never leave it in) and enjoy! You will note that your coffee has a sweet why-the-deuce-did-I-drink-it-any-other-way type flavor to it. The flavors that the bag states your beans taste like will suddenly be present and there should be no burnt bean type flavor. You will also notice that you no longer need milk or sugar for you coffee (though you can add it if you like) and you just might exclaim your thanks to me out loud... in your kitchen... alone. No one will think you're weird.

If you are a green tea drinker you can do the same process with or without a french press* and you will notice the same sweet flavor instead of burnt. If you happen to stop in at our house I will gladly make you either one of these beverages and you can thank me in person without looking foolish alone in your kitchen.

While you are drinking your coffee or tea you can enjoy this song conveniently called "Coffee" by Sylvan Esso


Until next time, keep your beans unburnt.

EO

*If you try it without a french press make sure it is in some type of container and not resting in a hot puddle on your counter.

Music Monday!

Well hello there. Guess what... its Music Monday! I've been neglecting you, I'm sorry. I've had songs picked out for the past few weeks but when it came to Monday I just... didn't... post. What's wrong with me? I'll sum it up for you: I'm afraid that I'm losing my resilience when it comes to school anxiousness. I was way up there very early this quarter. Strangely, at the same time, I feel more confident in my abilities, organization, and abilities. Of course that can change on a whim but I'll take it intermittently. I've got three more papers to complete in four weeks and I am only looking forward to one of them.

Here is a bit of a school update. This quarter I have two new courses; Psycho-pharmacology and psychopathology and Brief Therapy models. Both of these courses have been very intriguing and helpful. In psycho-pharmacology we've been running through the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5. It is interesting to see what actually goes into a proper diagnosis and the requirements that symptoms have to meet before they are considered a disorder. It is also interesting to hear that the DSM was created to unify the language that Psychiatrists use when talking about mental illness. The most important thing I think that I've learned is that the DSM is a tool that, when used properly, is helpful in naming mental illness and how to be helpful to someone who is diagnosed. Unfortunately we sometimes think that the only tool we need in a tool belt is a hammer and when that happens everyone starts to look like a nail (somebody important said that, its a quote...).

Brief therapy models are also interesting. The most important thing that I've learned is that focusing on the problem someone is facing may not be all that helpful. We are constantly facing problems and constantly creating solutions to them. We are actively engaged in problem solving every day and often we need to be reminded of that. It is important to understand how we are already solving a problem and do more of that. Cool stuff really.

Here's a weird one today. This one is dedicated to Mon Capitan MP. Mostly because its performed in a fishing boat but also because of the volume of problems to solve in Alaska in only a 3 week period.  This is Cosmo Sheldrake with "The Fly"


Until next time, are you a happy fly? If you live or if you die?

EO

Music Monday

Hello Everyone. It is Monday and I am knee deep in research articles about medication non-adherence.

So far it is a fascinating topic and a big one in psychiatry. The gist is that roughly 60% of individuals prescribed medications for psychiatric disorders to not take their medications appropriately. Some individuals take too much, some too little. Some individuals are forgetful, others are defiant. Either way the side effects and risks of taking these medications alone are frightful. To me it seems that non-adherence is like a prescription for side effects without feeling any of the intended benefit. Non-adherence is a significant problem and it has many factors.

Also this quarter I get to read the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders as my text book. After 40 pages of reading about ADHD I was ready to self diagnose. Most disorders require someone to meet 5 out of 8 diagnostic criteria which seems somewhat easy to do... at least for me. I wonder if hypochondria is coming up soon?

Here's an oldie that is stuck in my head this week. I heard it while I was out and about somewhere and haven't stopped listening to it since.

This is Once in a lifetime by the Talking Heads


Until next time, keep it the same as it ever was.

EO