The Extremophile's Lair

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot at a store where she was meeting her constituents.  She might be dead.

I can't write anymore, I can't think.

Fuck.  I hope everyone's ok, especially her.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-gabrielle-giffords-shot-grocery-store-event/story?id=12571452

All I can say, is if you've had an election, and you go forth and shoot the person elected, you're not the voice of the people, just an assassin.

EDIT:  She's actually dead, at least that's what it sounds like.

EDIT: Actually she's alive, but very seriously wounded, including a head wound and is in surgery.  Now she's out of surgery, awake, and responding to commands. Thank Gods.  But other people are dead. :(

So stay warm!

Hey, the weather's turning towards winter. If you're cold sensitive, this can be a difficult time.  Here's my list of tips.  Some of these may seem obvious, but I had to figure them out on my own.  Sometimes months or years after I could have really used them.  I wish that someone had told me.

Stand in the sun!  Being outside can feel good in and of itself.

Bundle up.  If someone says "you don't need that sweater/scarf/jacket, make your own appraisal of the situation, don't use theirs.  But layering won't work if you're "too far gone" and you're body is producing very little body heat.  A sweater doesn't make you warm, it traps the heat you're already making.

Tea is your friend!  Or any other hot beverage of your choice.  It can really help kick-start your body.  If you don't like the taste of tea, there are numerous other hot beverages available.  Try "herbal teas".  Many of them contain no tea leaves and so taste completely different.  If you like the taste of hot water, go with that!  Things like hot cocoa or coffee are good too, but they have caffeine and/or sugar.  I haven't slept well for a week,  for the last two days I drank a cup of tea before bed, and am finally making up the hours of sleep my body needed.  If you find yourself spacing or blanking out during the day or moving slowly, mentally check your temperature.  And then get some tea if needed.

Make a rice bag: Sew dry rice into a cloth bag.  You can heat it in the microwave  and use it to heat up around the house or in bed.

If you're feeling scattered or weepy, check to see how you're doing.  Being weepy can be caused by the cold, by feeling the possibility of your own death.  It's also very easily fixable. 

But if you're just slow, take a brain rest break.  Do whatever refreshes you, whether that's what you're supposed to be doing or not.

Take brain breaks anyway, if you're at all overloaded or even if you're not.

Being slow is not necessarily a bad thing,  sometimes it's good to exist in an altered state for a while.  I can think in different ways in the winter.  Sometimes a forest needs a forest fire.   I may be saying something controversial, but sometimes controlled and chosen meltdown has refreshed me.  But the important word here is chosen.

So a couple nights ago was an incredibly hard time for both Raven and I.  I because of grief and sorrow about impending loss combined with hanging out with a friend who annoys and overloads me. And Raven about the latest book on food and the future of food security he had read.
We're both grappling with this stuff still, but this Night took a lot of the stress away.

( Scene description here... ) 
Healing is good, whatever form it takes.

Warning: Rough draft.  Rough and incoherent.