random bits: conversations (& not), appetite, stress, exercise, Xmas

Some random bits.

Appetite. Most of the past about 2 years, it’s been rather down with me – seems mostly to generally correlate to mood. “Oh well”. Though, at least, roughly last couple months or therabouts, it’s generally doing at least somewhat better. Interesting recent observation. Stumbled into apparently one combination that seems to make me quite ravenous – not that it’s a recommended combination. Toss in lots of stress, not good stress (like exercise), but the bad/negative kind of stress, add to that a fair chunk of exercise / physical exertion – not some moderate amounts like (for me) an hour or so total of moderate exercise per day give or take, but more like 2 to 3 or more hours per day, with most of that being moderately to fairly strenuous – something that gives the muscles a rather good work-out and fair stressing for fair while. Anyway, that combination seems to get me on the quite hungry to rather or maybe even very ravenous side. Stress alone does not do it – have lots of experience with that. Under stress (alone), appetite is generally mostly missing in action (MIA – nowhere to be found) – though it occasionally pops up after about a day or 2 of not eating. Yeah, right, … not good. Hence my “high stress diet” – eat reasonable quantities of reasonable food at reasonable frequency – lest, under stress, I generally otherwise forget to eat … ’till I’m starving, … then stuff my face, and … forget about it again ’till that repeats – not so good. The “high stress diet” is much more reasonable under such circumstances – and avoids piling yet more stress on the body. So, … bad stress plus lots of exercise/exertion appears to yield appetite. Hmmm, maybe that does or would even work without the nasty stress in the mix? I dunno. Maybe I ought try it more often – sans the nasty stress part of it.

Conversations. Had very few of those in recent year(s) – particularly of any significant length, and also especially more than just idle chit-chat. “Oh well”. Did at least have a nice short conversation not too long ago. All of a whopping 2 block walk, anyway. Still, better than nothin’ I guess – not that it’s probable to ever happen again – don’t have contact info. on the person – just random stranger … and … heck, even if I did have contact info., I’d probably never hear back from the person – that’s just how it almost always goes for me. Anyway, maybe bit that worked in that particular case … try and start up the conversation with … the akward person – the person who seemed akward/nervous – even at least rather shy too. And, what may happen? Oh, … they might shy away more, or even run like hell, … who knows, … or, … maybe they’re damn glad someone actually tried to talk to them (quite possibly for a change), welcome it, and respond rather to quite enthusiastically. I think that’s what happened with that 2 block long conversation I had not too long ago. Did strike up (what’s the past tense of strike? Striked? “Striked up a conversation”? “Stroked up a conversation”? – somehow just does not sound correct, … not that English necessarily sounds correct when it is correct, … friggin’ illogical inconsistent language that it is) … anyway, did strike up a conversation … with someone who seems pretty akward/nervous – probably even kind’a shy, … and, … well, went well – at least for the 2 blocks that there was, anyway. “Just” a random stranger. Yeah, one of the dang few of any conversations I’ve had in the past few weeks or so. So what else is new?

Bloody holidays ‘n all that – I do not like. Yeah, most especially Xmas. I really despise all that shopping – mostly for folks I hardly know that I’ll not see or hardly ever see, or will at most see briefly, if at all. And, what do I get out of it? … not that that is or ought be what it’s about, but really, I get damn near nothing out of it. Mostly stuff – almost all of which I don’t want anyway (most of ’em don’t know me hardly at all, and certainly not near well enough to know what I’d actually want, … okay, not that there’s much of anything someone could buy me that I’d want anyway), and some very little time, with folks I rarely see, most of whom live rather to quite far away anyway. To a very large extent, I’m not in, or no longer am in, their lives, nor they in mine. Not quite 100% the case, but pretty darn close. I like what, hear from those folks, for the most part, at most once a year? And many of ’em not even that – don’t even really “hear” from them – some not at all. Maybe I get a card or package. But meet ’em, or actually even have a phone conversation? No, just doesn’t happen. Anyway, still tryin’ to figure what the hell my “strategy” for Xmas and all that is this year, … if I even have, or will have one. Does really need to change – what I’ve done just doesn’t work – well, sure as hell doesn’t work for me anyway. And most all of ’em are adults, not like they’d be crushed if they didn’t get some gift from me – likewise probably mostly stuff they also don’t really want anyway. F*ck this commercial Xmas stuff. Yuck. Yeah, somethin’ like nice “family” vacation together would be hella much better, and less stressful. But, ain’t gonna happen. Folks are far too busy buyin'(/makin’) and wrappin’ and shipping sh*t, among other stuff. Okay, so it’s not all sh*t, but … most of it is … more-or-less … even if quite well intended. Might be much nicer, for the most part, to get the intentions, and not the stuff.

4:08 A.M. – what, me, sleep? Yeah, the “usual”.

And so it goes.

above crud, and other bits

OMG!!! Yet another horribly long ramble? Maybe, … maybe not. Sure, some meandering topics … semi-related, … or not. Horribly long? We shall see. In not necessarily any particular order …

Food, eating, blah, blah, blah. I’ve been doing a bit better on that. Far from great, but … okayish? Mostly still, at least for the most part, no appetite (generally a symptom of mood being flat/down, but … whatever) and … likwise, eat, even stuffed to the gills, and … really never feel full, either. That still seems quite the case – and is generally atypical for me – but been the case oh … probably about a year and a half or so now. Anyway, doing a bit better on it … the eating part of it anyway. Mostly just trying to, and “forcing” myself, to eat a bit more regularly and better. That’s mostly it. Sometimes the appetite even puts in a slight appearance … but … mostly not. Whatever. So, … I deal with it, … and … try to eat more reasonably and consistently. Much more like a chore than a joy or a thing enjoyed at all, but, whatever, … needs be done, … and, … mostly doing it, … at least semi-/kind’a okayish, anyway. Sure, not great, but … at least a bit better. I dunno, mostly just don’t seem to care about or be interested in food, or hungry anymore – at least for the most part. Whatever, … just make it happen (the eating) anyway.

Mood in general? Eh, more recently, … general trend/average … a hair better, anyway. I think mostly above “crud” anyway – though that might also occasionally sneak (back) in. Good? Yeah, if only. More like okay/okayish, or … well, something above crud anyway, and between there and okay/okayish, … and … sometimes even at/around okay. Better than okay? Eh, maybe some slight rare bits above that for very short durations – if at all. Anyway, mostly above crud, anyway, and perhaps at least flirting/brushing with okay/okayish. Improvement, anyway, compared to, oh, I dunno, a few months or so ago I guess.

Stress, connection, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, I’ll first mention interesting video: YouTube: TED: Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend watch from the start of the video or jump straight to the 2nd point I touch upon. Interesting video, and for the most part I won’t cover what it says or touches upon … except for two bits. First of all – stress. Not all stress is bad. E.g. exercise is a form of stress. And, I more-or-less – at least approximately, know, at least some key differences between “good” stress, and “bad” stress – but I wouldn’t differentiate in same manner the video does, but suffice it to say I can typically tell ’em apart – at least for me, anyway. E.g. “instant” stress headache – yeah, that’d be from bad stress. Stressful, but challenging, interesting, exciting, the kind of thing one typically enjoys and throws oneself into – that would generally be good stress. But I digress. That’s one point the video touches upon (though with rather different take on it). Other key bit is between stress (and oxytocin) and social connection/interaction. Most notably (and my paraphrasing from the video), that stress increases production of oxytocin, which makes us more social – more inclined to reach out and connect for support. Though I can’t say I generally support that hypothesis, I can say, that, under exceedingly high stress, it is definitely true – highly more inclined to and much more capable of making those social connections. And I don’t even mean from, or just from existing relationships/connections, but pretty much making and forming ’em almost out of the blue – from almost nothing to meaningful supportive/reassuring connections, and damn fast and efficiently at it too! Yep, have seen that in myself. Pretty darn rare that I’m that intensely stressed, but when I am – “poof” – almost like magic – when I really pretty much have to make those connections, almost, if not, as matter of survival … boom – they happen … and fast – and without me even having to think about how to do it or that I did it. Maybe it’s oxytocin to credit? I’ve no idea, but in any case, it works! And, damn good that it does – ’cause it pretty much has to then … and … it does. Unfortunately, however, it mostly just doesn’t last. Acute stress gone, then just can’t make those connections anymore, and those made under the acute stress? – typically fade out pretty quickly. Buggers. Now, if only there were some way to just “turn on” that capability – without needing to be under massive/acute stress for it to become “active”. Drats. But it can happen. Biochemistry? And/or very atypical psychological state of mind? Whatever, … it works. Well, … at least for that brief duration anyway. Then we’re basically back to nothin’ again … well, ’tis pretty much the case for me anyway. Friends, meaningful connections – establishing/making that … yeah, still a friggin’ helluva time managing to get any of that to happen. Hmmmm, shouldn’t need major stresses like someone pointing a gun at my head or the like to induce enough stress to make some social bonding possible, and certainly shouldn’t have stresses like that multiple times per day to be able to keep up such social bonding capabilities. Dang, so, … how do I get it to work better, … much better. Is it so dang difficult for everyone else? Well, no, … the evidence clearly points that I’m quite the minority on that one. About one new good friend per dozen years? Even less frequent for anything approaching the possibility of a decent relationship? Yeah, I need to do a lot better at that. Already 50 years old, still alone, … way too damn painfully alone, and, … at that rate, I’ll be dead long before I’m anything close to married.

So, … connections, friendship (or more) and attempts thereof, how goes all that for me, and more recently? Bleh. I think I’d have to give that a rating of about crud – and “of course”, mostly put that upon myself. It’s not like I don’t try – certainly do, but results? About zilch, … still. And, sometimes too, I try less, or don’t try. The highly constant stream of nothing but disappointments, never any real connection, … not even a decent bit of “traction”, well, that just really friggin’ hurts a whole bloody hell of a lot. Damn painful. So, … sometimes I try a lot less. E.g. commuter train – BART – why the f*ck even try? Did the stats before, but really – add up all the time over the decades, commuting on BART, and all the trying, and, really quite zero results with … well, hundreds, if not thousands of contacts, whole helluva lot of attempts, I think it literally adds up to months or more of contiguous time if it was stretched out end to end, and … nothin’ … really quite absolutely nothing. So, … why even try there? So, … yeah, don’t think I’ve even tried there, in the slightest, … in months or more. Find someone I might be interested in talking to or approaching? I just don’t bother. Why try, just to be disappointed yet a friggin’ ‘gain. So I don’t. Ignore the possibility. Or try and turn it into a nice fantasy – “ah, yes, could be wondeful connection, … if I actually approached the person or said ‘hi’ or responded” – yep, can hang onto that fantasy if I don’t actually try, … if I actually try – end of fantasy, and it ain’t happenin’ anyway – no connection, no nothin’, no real possibility, … and … much less painful without the disappointment yet again. And, who the hell am I kidding. Pretty much anything anywhere else is about the same. Okay, so maybe I haven’t given up trying entirely, but geez, really, what’s the point? I mean there is supposed to be a point, right? F*ck.

And, as humans, we get to also be a set of walking inconsistent contradictions. A lot of the time I wish I didn’t need or want anyone at all – any people, any humans whatsoever, and that I felt absolutely nothing at all. Really, I do. Would be a lot less painful. Sometimes I even try and do that … but doesn’t work … at least not for long, anyway. Buggers. I’m a friggin’ human after all. Cr*p. So, yeah, I kind’a … well, not exactly “bounce”, but more like move and sway between those relative extremes … though not really all that much motion – not all that big a range. Going from not trying at all on the social connections and attempting to ignore and feel nothing – and sure as hell wishing I felt exactly and only nothing … to … well, at least trying somewhat here ‘n there – sometimes even trying a whole heck of a lot, and even being and trying to be quite positive and optimistic about it. And, … yeah, failing each and every time, over and over again. F*ck. Yeah it sucks. Ugh. So, yeah, on the “connection” stuff, that’s still around the crud range – maybe that’s all it’ll ever be … hell, … probably that’s what it’s generally been most all my life, with sometimes some exceptions here ‘n there, but mostly crud … and the exceptions only being after I somehow managed to make that connection, … don’t know that I’ve ever been better (or will ever be better?) at managing to make those connections – most notably getting them well started in the first place. Seem to do fairly well at it once they’re well established, … but alas, far far far too rare that I ever manage to make it to that point. <sigh>

Economics of scarcity? Things are more sought after and perceived as more valuable when they’re harder to get or there’s fewer of them. Uhm, yeah, weird, but that’s how it tends to work. It’s cr*p, but it’s also reality. Somehow, though, I don’t think (further) burying myself in my “cave” and being yet more of a hermit would cause a bunch of potential dates of interest to me to come beating a path to my door. And I refuse to be the jerk that one has to “win over” to gain the attentions of and/or respect of. Just not me, and I refuse to play that “game”. I’m a nice guy, I’m not a jerk – and not gonna play one or act like one, and certainly not gonna be one. I dunno. Maybe I try too hard? Things are often not appreciated/valued so much if they’re easy or readily available. For friends and those I care about – heck, even somewhat more generally than that – I’m willing to do a lot, I offer a lot, do a lot, etc. Maybe that comes off as “desperate” or “suspicious” or something like that. I don’t know. I’ve really about zero clue on most all this. I’m certainly not a mind reader. And, even, for the most part, not good at reading people, so, to large extent, no idea whatsoever what they’re thinking or feeling – so I’ve quite no idea, and really quite can’t tell what works, what doesn’t, what works, better or worse, or makes really much of any difference whatsoever. Maybe that’s huge chunk of why I’m so horribly lost on this social stuff. I’ve got no friggin’ clue, and can’t figure it out. Yeah, and nobody’s exactly telling me, either. Yep, I’m screwed … figuratively.

Another random bit. Venue. Large TV screens. Mostly sports stuff (and the inevitable commercials) on the screens, TVs blaring loud. Pizza, beer, stuff like that, crowd even louder than the blaring TVs. I really just don’t get it. Most – if not all – folks there, quite seemed to be having a good time. Absolutely definitely not my scene. Zilch interest in watching sports (with quite negligible exceptions), zero interest in hanging around with crowds and people cheering and whooping and hollering about stuff I just don’t care about at all, zero interest in beer, damn friggin’ loud environment, about impossible to have a conversation – almost have to holler just to be heard. Yet folks seem to be enjoying it. Egad. I don’t get it. Not for me, not enjoyable at all – mostly just a big nuisance. Yeck. How many more days ’till football season is over? Crud.

And, to attempt to end on slightly more positive note? Yeah, (mostly) above crud, maybe even approaching okay(ish). Been doing more of filling time. For the most part not a damn thing I enjoy nor anything to look forward to … at all really. Just been doing some more of keepin’ busy, doing “stuff” – mostly nothing I care about – really don’t have much of anything I care about. So, anyway, with more busy, the time passes a bit less painfully. So, … a step (or half-step … quarter step at least?) above crud.

Buggers, all that typing, and I’ve not said much new, huh? Rats. Oh well, hey, above crud – that’s somethin’, anyway.