Questions Bipolar Version #8

oatmeal and pretty much daily

What is your favorite color to wear?

I don't have one, I'll just settle for anything comfortable.

are you aware if you snore?

I occasionally wake myself with a snore but I don't think I actually snore since I had a sleep study and it wasn't mentioned in the report.

Do you have a favorite scent?

yes vanilla

do you get your 5 a day?

Yes, I love fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables. I've never met a vegetable that I didn't like. I try to keep to a "2 fruits or vegetables (or more)" policy for each meal of the day. My husband has always liked this policy, too. We've already eaten 5 or 6 servings so far today. At dinner we will add another 2 servings (or 3 if you count the potato as one, which most do). Total will be about 9 servings of fruits/vegetables. Though some are included within a dish (in small portions), today we will have eaten the following: orange, raspberries/blackberry, pineapple, carrot, grape tomatoes, Lamb's lettuce, onion, pickle, radish, yellow pepper, cauliflower, peas, corn, fresh herbs, potatoes, apple, and a few dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins). If I were to count the wine, too, that would add red grapes.

What feel (as in touch) makes you least comfortable?

gloves. I can't stand to be near them.. make that anything with a plastic feel to it. I don't like plastic.

do you enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles?

No, I've never liked doing them. I don't have the patience for it and never feel that solving one would provide adequate satisfaction (reward) for me to warrant the trouble and time. I find no fun in them.

Is there a hobby you found, perhaps later in your life, that you were good at or really liked doing?

Lots! I'm just now picking up guitar, a couple years ago I started writing, and I want to s tart quilting!

How spicy from no fins to six fins do you like your food?

maybe about 2 or 3. I can't eat anything too spicy.. my stomach hates it.

have you kept anything from your childhood? (teddybear, toys, pictures etc)

I have my teddy bear and special blanket.

Assuming people and pets were safe what is the first thing you'd rescue from a fire?

I'd grab my comfort box because ironically it has a candle in it but also a small stuffed animal and a bunch of little calming things like lavender spray.

Do you like warm beverages and if you do which ones and how do you like 'em?

As a matter of fact, I just happen to like warm beverages. Coffee...strong & black. Espresso, even better. When I lived in Germany they just store the beer or soda out without refrigeration. Milk is even purchased in unrefrigerated boxes. If you were lucky, you had a cellar.

What is the most unusual character trait you possess?

May sound odd, but I'd rescue some of my husband's paintings (and other of his things) before any of my own stuff, save maybe my pocketbook. He's way way more nostalgic about physical belongings than I am. Also, some of the art he inherited has high value.

What non-physical thing in life do you value most?

freedom of speech, I think

it's important to say how you feel, and not hide your emotions for feel worried what others think

do you like the way you are treated by your mental health treatment team?, or is their room for improvement

A: My healthcare treatment team are all in the same clinic and they have been kind and gracious with me. I live in a small town and using telehealth is really a godsend in a lot of ways. I feel my psychiatrist truly cares about me getting better and I am being assigned a new therapist now (old one left clinic) so we will see how that goes -- but they have done a lot to accommodate me. I appreciate that from them. Sadly medicine is a poorly oiled machine and time constraints are tough, especially when you get backed up and the lack of hands to help. I get all that, but I feel my clinic does too -- they try to help.



Q: This is a bit of a twist on the question "If you could live in any era, which would it be?", but the question is, which era do you think you would have made the most difference/fit in (or not fit in) the most to produce the most good/change to the world OR that you could make the most of the era? You can base it on your personality, your ethics, morals, values etc. Or you can simply base it on trivial things, like clothing, hair, music etc. You pick how you wanna go with it

I'd say the 90s, not because of any real fondness but because it seems like a safe enough time have mental illness without being shut away in a state facility.

If you had the money would you go to space as a space tourist?

Only if it was a bonafide space experience. None of this 12 second expensive moments I want a space station experience.

What’s your favorite music to relax to.

Christian and folk

What is your favorite chip?

I'm not majorly into "chips", but lately I have had salt cravings so have purchased some. My recent favorite has been a special kind of potato chip that is of a style originally made in special copper vats, though they're not really anymore. It's a potato chip I buy in Czech Republic. They're very crispy and delicious and have sea salt on them.

When I lived in the US, my husband and I loved "Terra" brand chips. Especially the mix of taro, parsnip, beet, and similar. Another I liked was the brand "Food Should Taste Good" which had a corn-based (tortilla-like) multi-grain chip that also had sesame and flax seeds, quinoa, and sunflower seeds in it. We found both of these in the health foods section of our grocery store.

What was the healthiest meal you ate, recently?

Monday though Friday midday I eat very healthy meals on wheels. But not exciting or spicy. The portions are small and nothing is ever fried. Always two veggies usually one is potato or rice. Recently we got seasoning from Trader Joe’s without salt that we now add. And usually add butter too. But it’s still healthy.

Do you ever watch educational TV? Or utubes?

I think I was one of YouTube's first users So yes, I've been using YouTube for many years.
I'm inclined to watch documentaries...I would call most of them educational.




Does your home have a "theme" (color, furnishings, etc.) or not?

My walls are 2 colors from a Sherwin Williams "ocean" palette (something like that name). I don't have a beachy theme though. Just one picture I took at the beach and my mom had made into a canvas for me for Christmas one year.

Have you ever been to the ER for something besides psych?

Plenty of times, actually the majority of times. I once went convinced they would tell me it was nothing because I had no fever but I was in the hospital for over a week from being septic. Still can’t believe I had no fever.

Do you like going to movies or prefer watching at home?

I prefer home b/c the theater is just too loud. Although honestly once COVID is better I might go to a movie just because I could.

What kind of car do you drive?

Lately, I haven't really been driving, but when I did, regularly, it was my silver 1997 Honda Civic, manual transmission. I loved that car and it was 100% mine. I bought it soon before getting married. I sold it right before we moved to Europe, and for good money, considering its old age. I was kinda sad. The buyer was thrilled because he knew what a great car it is.

When we moved to CZ, we bought a dark blue 2013 Honda Fit, manual transmission. Compared to my old Honda, that's like new. We also bought a white 2020 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid automatic transmission, soon before leaving the US. That is FINALLY in CZ from being shipped from the US, but we are waiting for it to go through final red tape. I hope hope hope we get it within a couple weeks, but am unsure. Before leaving the US, we took a long road trip to put many miles on it. Then we left it at Hubby's friend's house to ship later and for him to occasionally drive. Brand new cars are heavily taxed for import to Europe. Six months plus X amount of mileage helped avoid that. Other factors also ultimately made it cheaper to buy in the US. Hybrids (or more so electric) are the cars for the future. Plus, gas is awful expensive in Europe and more polluting. When our newer Honda goes, we either won't replace it, or will buy fully electric. There are benefits to fully electric in CZ, including free parking.

What was the last major purchase of yours that is fully paid off?