thankful thursday

1. Dinner out with jw1776. Hand-holding, shrimp salad, grilled halibut, reconnecting.
2. Dancing.
3. Interesting, fun & funny books like Diary of a Married Call Girl, Conundrums for the Long Week-End, and Murder Must Advertise.
4. k_crow & RainyCityLady, for listening.
5. Being able to solve a travel problem.
6. On top of things at work.
7. Chatting & flirting with someone new.
8. Friends who can tell me the truth.
9. Finishing a warm, cuddly afghan for myself.
10. Molasses cookies. For some reason I'm really into them these days. Mmm...

Ow. Coca-Cola headache, anyone?

McDonald's drive-thru screwed up and gave me a medium Coke instead of Diet Coke. I also got a cup of water, which I drank first, so by the time I started sipping the "diet" I was miles away. At first I thought the mix was just too rich, or there wasn't enough lemons in it (I always ask for two). Then the headache hit and I realized...ew, it's Coke! I'd drunk about half of it at that point.

So. I'm curious...does anyone else get headaches when they drink HFC sodas or juice drinks? For me, it's almost identical to an ice cream headache: A sharp, blinding needle right behind my forehead.

Ok, going to fix some chamomile tea to help wash the taste away. Or maybe mint. Mint tea with Double Chocolate Milano cookies...mmm....

(no subject)

( Lying in the jaws of an M.R.I. scanning machine and knowing that they would periodically receive a mild electric shock to an ankle, the women were noticeably apprehensive. Brain images showed peaks of activation in regions involved in anticipating pain, heightening physical arousal and regulating negative emotions, among other systems. But the moment that they felt their husbands' hands — the men reached into the imaging machine — each woman's activity level plunged in all the regions gearing up for the threat. A stranger's hand also provided some comfort, though less so. )

I'm not too surprised that anxiety would be reduced by holding hands. I do sort of wonder what the relationship questionnaire included. It also seems that reducing anxiety in this way would promoting well in general rather than treating or "curing" disease...