Grieving

Well, I suppose it could have taken me longer. But seven years is rather a while.

Walking on through the little community library here in the country, I found myself in the self-help section, looking for pain management books and hoping to find the one Laura suggested. And then there I was in the grief section, and I decided to pull one from the shelf: Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent by Donna Shuurman. And today I picked it up to leaf through it while the coffee was percolating. It isn't quite right for me, since her text, as well as the Dougy Center, where she is executive director, cater to those who lost parents as children. But otherwise, the ideas underlying their work resonated with me, and thanks to their center locator, I have found my way to free grief counseling, so I am going to try a group and see how it goes.

I'm browsing self-help books. I guess I must be in grad school.

This should be fun . . .

This New York Times article on violent offenses by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans conveys exactly the kind of human costs I knew this country wasn't prepared for when George W. Bush pushed us into this war, and I wept as I walked down the street in Austin, marveling at the futility of us 10s of thousands of anti-war protesters in the capital of his home state, railing against the inevitable. I felt embarrassed at the time, that I couldn't hold it together. Now, I think there was a kind of premonition in my reaction.

What is absurd to me is that there isn't thorough treatment for all the military personnel coming back from this war. Given the military culture, it's unreasonable to expect a questionnaire to be an adequate screening tool, and it's irresponsible to do anything less than an individual assessment for each and every person who is expected to make the transition from holding a weapon with the express purpose of causing injury and death to an enemy, to going about everyday life in a civilian world. I believe the US government bears far more responsibility in these cases than the NYT is in a position to argue. And I believe that this article is a fine illustration of how woefully underestimated the enduring costs of this war have been, and continue to be, by this regime.

Thawing

Above, an image from cross-country skiing last weekend. And below, three photographs from the past few days, after days of rain melted the knee-deep snow. The lake is back to a flowing entity, from a solid surface holding the huts of the ice fisherman just a few days ago. The changes take my breath away sometimes.

By the way, I've finally posted some photographs from the New Years trip to Yosemite. :)

Just a friendly reminder

. . . coming from somebody with chronic neck and back pain, since that MF in a sports car rear-ended the SUV behind me into my car over a year ago now . . .

Be ergo!

And thanks to Laura, I've discovered New Zealand physiotherapist Robin McKenzie's short little book Treat Your Own Neck, which I'll hopefully be getting by inter-library loan shortly. People have lots of positive things to say about her book Treat Your Own Back, so I'm hopeful about the results.

But I think it may also be time to go back to physical therapy again. I just wish there were affordable acupuncture here, and/or that it were covered by our medical insurance.

Light therapy

Has anyone here who deals with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) explored light therapy? A friend of mine has this goLITE portable light therapy device, which you can purchase for $169 at COSTCO online. I've seen others in the $200 range that seem more highly recommended on websites on the subject, but I never know who's behind the reviews.

The portability of this one would certainly be handy, since I have noticed SAD problems both in Michigan and in Hungary, so I could carry it along for fieldwork.

But any time I'm buying a manufactured item with plastic, especially one over $100, I would like to know that it will be the right one for me. . .

Any thoughts or suggestions?

EDIT: By the way, that other one I was thinking of is the Ultralux Light Box from Full Spectrum Solutions. It's $229 (a big price step up from $169), but it is also made in the USA and has a lifetime warranty for parts and labor (as opposed to the 2-year limited warranty with the goLite. It also appears to be made of metal rather than plastic, though I'm not positive about this. I'm almost certain the goLite is plastic, and I'd expect it's manufactured in Asia, since I can't find any information about its origin on the company website. I've emailed them to ask about these details.

When I think about hauling the Ultralux to Europe, though, along with all my recording and computer equipment, clothing, and everything else I'll bring to the field, it doesn't sound too appealing . . .

SECOND EDIT: Additional information from the companies.

On the UltraLux I:

This was my message and the company response (in yellow).

Hello,
I am considering purchasing an Ultralux I Lightbox. I have a few questions about the product, however.

(1) What is the weight of the product? Around 12lbs – 13lbs
(2) Does the lightbox click easily into and out of the stand, or is the fixture more or less permanent when it is installed into the stand? The stand screws onto the box.
(3) Where is the product manufactured, exactly? USA
(4) What are the materials the product is made from? Is the light box plastic or metal? Metal
(5) How is the lightbox powered? Is it by battery or by AC/DC plug? AC/DC Plug

The UltraLux I is very sturdy and we almost never have any warranty issues.

From Apollo Health, on the goLite:

Hello,
I am considering purchasing the GoLite p2 device. I would like some additional information about the product, however.

(1) Where is this product manufactured?
(2) Is the product made of plastic?
(3) If I have problems with the device after the 2-year warranty period, what can I do?
(4) What does the "limited" warranty mean? What does it cover?

Thank you in advance for the information.
Heather

Heather,

I will answer your questions by the same numbering they were asked in.
1. China
2. Yes
3. We will offer you a discount on a new product after the 2 year period is up.
4. The warranty is limited in that it covers anything having to do with a manufacturing defect. It doesn't cover any damage done by the purchaser such as dropping the unit or animals chewing on the cord.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Funny blogs.

ha. "ha ha".