Trashy Tuesday 1/28/2014

 

Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to.

Joe Gores

Hey, how is it going Drivellers? Has this last week been kind? Personally, I was rather busy. I had the opportunity to stay overnight in Iowa City. It has been a long time since I have slept outside of Linn County. It wasn't all play though. I checked in to the VA Hospital for a sleep apnea test. I'm sure some of you have already had that experience. Fun isn't it?

Those of you who have not had the experience, I have attached a couple of photo's. The one with the straps and etc. was taken just prior to me going nighty night. The one with the mask is a selfie I took when I got home. The mask doesn't work well with eyeglasses you may note. This was the only souvenir of my visit I guess. As one who sleeps on his side and stomach, I question how this unit will be of assistance in promoting a better sleep. Am I missing something here?

Lying in that bed at the VA provided me with a lot of time for contemplation. First, I contemplated my navel. It's essence, its shape, its function and lastly its future. Next I focused on my Alektorophobia. Many of the old geezers at our Men's Breakfast group give me a lot of grief for not liking eggs. Little do they know of this phobia. For those who are unaware, this is a specific phobia, the fear of chickens and other fowls such as roosters. Alektorophobia may also include eggs and dead chickens (although typically does not include cooked chickens). Suggested rationales for this fear include a general fear of birds, past trauma related to an attack or aggressive behavior by chickens, and feelings triggered by the daily habits and behaviors of chickens.

Both genetic and environmental factors are often responsible for the presence of a phobia. Some phobias have been associated with a fearful first encounter with the phobic object or situation, in this case, a chicken. Specific phobia is characterized by extreme fear of an object or situation that is not harmful under general conditions.

People with alektorophobia tend to feel uneasy around chickens, or around certain places in which chickens are known to reside, such as farms. Visible signs indicating the presence of chickens, such as eggs, may also trigger symptoms and overwhelming fear. As with any phobia, the symptoms vary by person depending on their level of fear. The symptoms typically include extreme anxiety, dread and anything associated with panic such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, inability to articulate words or sentences and shaking.

Upon reaching a farmhouse, someone with alektorophobia may not be able to enter the general vicinity until they have overcome the panic attack that is often associated with their phobia. Some people scream, cry, have trouble breathing, and have excessive sweating or even heart trouble when they come in contact with an area near chickens, or occasionally even eggs or feathers. In some extreme cases, even a picture or a realistic drawing of a chicken can also trigger fear. Generally, alektorophobia only applies to live chickens - not cooked ones. Counseling, systematic desensitization, hypnoanalysis, and medication are some of the most commonly used treatment techniques for a wide variety of phobias. Fortunately, systematic desensitization seems to be helping me.

Our wedding anniversary is coming up. It is Feb. 11, I think so I asked my current wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation. 'Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!' she said. So I suggested, 'How about the kitchen?' And that's when the fight started....

Sue, my current wife, was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 200 in about 3 seconds.' I bought her a scale. And then the fight started..

Got word that my niece and her husband were in a rather bad auto accident Saturday night. They will both be okay with some work and mending time. Nasty crash. All our thoughts and wishes for them.

Let's see what else is happening. Here is a list of things that I have thought about over the past few days and thought I would share with you. You may like to give some thought to these also.

1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

Just a few things to ponder while sipping the French Roast. Personally, my French Roast tastes better when I ponder. I would like to give a Big Shout-Out to one of the Hysteria Lane Hotties. She graciously bestowed a pound of AUTHENTIC Costa Rican Cafe Tres Generaciones French Roast to me. Yum, Yum, Yum. Life doesn't get much better. Thanks a bunch.

Life is only better when sipping French Roast and Living the '60's dream. TA!