Merry Christmas (or appropriate seasonal greetings for your religious/ethnic/personal beliefs)! And Happy New Year in a few days.
Hello from the day after Christmas, where I am quite tired and probably actually still sleeping at the moment this will go live. Normally I'd have been sleeping in the last few days, but between church services, my spouse being on vacation, and taking care of a pet bird for some friends, I've been off my usual schedule quite thoroughly.
That fact has sadly not helped my life-juggling. It's appropriate that this week's research review was on depression and online tools to help with it, because my tendency to get depressed near Christmas hit me pretty hard on Christmas Eve, and had been dragging on me all of last week.
I'd kind of hoped I was done with being depressed on/near Christmas. It had actually been a few years since I was really depressed at this time of year. I guess with all the hustle and bustle and anxiety about presents and such, I relapsed a bit. Between ages... I dunno, 10? and like 24 or so, I was always depressed around Christmas. Whether that was because my depression was untreated, or because of all the changes in routine around the holidays, or just because I deeply resent people expecting me to be cheerful around Christmas when I'm not usually capable of it, and it's even less socially acceptable to not be happy at Christmas... the reason is anyone's guess.
Anyway, my misery on Christmas Eve aside, Christmas Day was pretty nice. I still didn't get to sleep in, but the first meal of the day was fancy brunch with my family. There were all sorts of fun options, like mini Belgian waffles, fresh homemade whipped cream, an omelet bar, various fancy cheeses, roast duck/pork/beef, fresh fruits, and of course various fancy desserts. I do like food, so good food is often the more predictable and reliable way to cheer me up.
Presents this year came in two batches: from Chris' side of the family and from my side of the family. I feel a mite childish about it, but it did me good to see the pile of boxes and gift bags sent by Chris' family. We opened those on Christmas Eve after I was done being a miserable lump, after which we took various silly pictures in hopes of amusing my mother-in-law, who likes to have photographic evidence of family occasions.
The ones from my side of the family were much less impromptu, with an actual family gathering at my parents' place after the brunch. My dad put on his traditional Santa hat and distributed presents one at a time, as is the family tradition. That took a good while, because there were a surprisingly large number of presents. I like my family, so it was time well spent.
I'm not going to list out everything Chris and I got, but I will say the Most Unusual Present award goes to one of my aunts, who combined her love of knitting with my love of chainmail and made a pair of very singular (and warm!) cuffs. These are remarkable (besides being what they are) in that despite that they're literally laced with metal, they are not pokey nor do they strip the warmth from your hands like chainmail does in winter.
Other notable (oddity-type) mentions include a Pokemon-themed cookbook, a combination lightbulb base/USB charger, and a long-legged tablet stand for use while in bed. These were in addition to things I'd asked for on my wishlist and other less weird but still useful gifts.
I tend to be exceedingly ultra-practical for most of the stuff on my wishlist, asking for things like quality socks, electric toothbrush heads, household utilities, music CDs, and small consumable items. These are things I really need or would use quite a bit, which is why they're on there. So while I'm always happy to receive things from that list, it's interesting to see what things people think should be in my life. I have at least one relative that flatly refuses to buy things off wishlists.
Anyway. All in all, the holiday season balanced out fairly well. It's not quite over; we'll go to see my dad's brother (my uncle) on the other side of the state in a few days. So I guess that'll be Christmas part 3. Still, not a bad way to end a year, I think.
Hope your holiday season was good as well.
This is Legwork and Life, where I track the legwork and opportunities in my career as an autistic advocate, and also describe parts of my adult autistic life, including my perspectives on everyday problems and situations.
Hello from the day after Christmas, where I am quite tired and probably actually still sleeping at the moment this will go live. Normally I'd have been sleeping in the last few days, but between church services, my spouse being on vacation, and taking care of a pet bird for some friends, I've been off my usual schedule quite thoroughly.
That fact has sadly not helped my life-juggling. It's appropriate that this week's research review was on depression and online tools to help with it, because my tendency to get depressed near Christmas hit me pretty hard on Christmas Eve, and had been dragging on me all of last week.
I'd kind of hoped I was done with being depressed on/near Christmas. It had actually been a few years since I was really depressed at this time of year. I guess with all the hustle and bustle and anxiety about presents and such, I relapsed a bit. Between ages... I dunno, 10? and like 24 or so, I was always depressed around Christmas. Whether that was because my depression was untreated, or because of all the changes in routine around the holidays, or just because I deeply resent people expecting me to be cheerful around Christmas when I'm not usually capable of it, and it's even less socially acceptable to not be happy at Christmas... the reason is anyone's guess.
Anyway, my misery on Christmas Eve aside, Christmas Day was pretty nice. I still didn't get to sleep in, but the first meal of the day was fancy brunch with my family. There were all sorts of fun options, like mini Belgian waffles, fresh homemade whipped cream, an omelet bar, various fancy cheeses, roast duck/pork/beef, fresh fruits, and of course various fancy desserts. I do like food, so good food is often the more predictable and reliable way to cheer me up.
Presents this year came in two batches: from Chris' side of the family and from my side of the family. I feel a mite childish about it, but it did me good to see the pile of boxes and gift bags sent by Chris' family. We opened those on Christmas Eve after I was done being a miserable lump, after which we took various silly pictures in hopes of amusing my mother-in-law, who likes to have photographic evidence of family occasions.
The ones from my side of the family were much less impromptu, with an actual family gathering at my parents' place after the brunch. My dad put on his traditional Santa hat and distributed presents one at a time, as is the family tradition. That took a good while, because there were a surprisingly large number of presents. I like my family, so it was time well spent.
I'm not going to list out everything Chris and I got, but I will say the Most Unusual Present award goes to one of my aunts, who combined her love of knitting with my love of chainmail and made a pair of very singular (and warm!) cuffs. These are remarkable (besides being what they are) in that despite that they're literally laced with metal, they are not pokey nor do they strip the warmth from your hands like chainmail does in winter.
 |
| Blue, of course. My aunt knows me. I really want a full long-sleeved shirt and leggings of something like this, but the amount of work that would entail would be absolutely insane. |
I tend to be exceedingly ultra-practical for most of the stuff on my wishlist, asking for things like quality socks, electric toothbrush heads, household utilities, music CDs, and small consumable items. These are things I really need or would use quite a bit, which is why they're on there. So while I'm always happy to receive things from that list, it's interesting to see what things people think should be in my life. I have at least one relative that flatly refuses to buy things off wishlists.
Anyway. All in all, the holiday season balanced out fairly well. It's not quite over; we'll go to see my dad's brother (my uncle) on the other side of the state in a few days. So I guess that'll be Christmas part 3. Still, not a bad way to end a year, I think.
Hope your holiday season was good as well.
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