Exploding Head Syndrome

What a great name for a disease.  This is an actual phenomenon.  Believe me,  I'm not clever enough to come up with this by myself.  Its a condition where people will experience a loud noise that seems to come from within their own head that lasts for only a second.  Usually at night as they're drifting off to sleep, it will jolt them awake. It isn't usually painful, but it can be very alarming and unnerving.  Some people hear an explosion, roar, gunshot or someone screaming.  For me, its the sound of a buzz saw going through my skull.

I really thought I was alone with some strange condition that no one understood.  After my doctor looked at me like I was from Mars, he said it was probably a mini seizure.  Great.  So I did some searching and after a month or so I started finding out that others have had what they call a vibrating or buzzing brain.  Last night, I found out that there's a name for it.  There's even a wikipedia page about it. 

The first time it happened, I woke up terrified wondering what was outside my window making that noise.  I drifted back to sleep and again, it jolted me awake.  "Gary???  Was that you?"  Sound asleep.  The third time I realized it was coming from inside my head.  I was so afraid to fall asleep again that I kept myself awake for an hour playing solitaire on my Ipod. 

No one knows what causes it but apparently it can be brought on by stress and fatigue.  I'm not stressed.  Not in the least.  (@_@)  It hasn't been as bad as that first night, but I've found that sleep aids (benadryl) will keep it from happening.  With time, it supposedly goes away by itself, which remains to be seen. 

Quoting someone named James from his blog Disease Prone:

'So what’s happening?  Nobody has any idea.  It isn’t auditory because deaf sufferers have been reported.  It’s not linked to random nerve firing (often reflected in a condition called myoclonic jerks).  It’s not linked to epilepsy.  It’s not linked to migraines.

So we can’t understand what causes it, we have no idea what’s happening, we can’t say what might trigger it, it doesn’t seem to correlate with any associated conditions, apart from sleep – there’s only one thing missing here.  Can we cure it?  Of course not, what are you, stoopid?'

Thanks, James.  You made my day.  ;-)

Gangy

The other day our kids came over with the grandkids for a Thai dinner.  The whole family was here  except for Dan who had to work.

Jordan is two and a barrel full of monkeys.  What a darling little toddler she is.  She is learning how to say "please" by tilting her head and saying in her cute little squeaky voice, "Say please!!!"

Sophie is a week and a half old and such a beautiful baby.  I can sit all day just holding her.  This is the good-parts version of being a mom.  I don't have to change diapers, just cuddle and spoil.

Gary has decided that I need to be called Gangy (as in Arrested Development).  It tickles his funny bone.  I'm not sure I'm very happy about this, but I have to admit its pretty funny.  Jordan has already started calling me that, at least that's what it sounds like.  If you haven't seen the show, she's a horribly wretched mother.

This is one of my favorite conversations about her:

Michael: Lindsay, new outfit?

Lindsay: This? No, I've had this for years. I think it's a hand-me-down from Mom.

Michael: You got a price tag. Right there.

Lindsay: Is there? I guess she wanted me to have something new. Sweet old thing.

Michael: Only two of those words describe Mom, so I know you're lying to me. And where did you get that outfit?

Lindsay: Old thing got it for me.

I'll be the Anti-Gangy.  :-)

Yummy ginger cookies

I love ginger cookies.  I'm always looking for different recipes to try but they usually don't turn out the way I want them to.  I like them to be really spicy with a strong ginger and molasses bite.  These past couple of weeks I've been tweaking a couple of recipes I've found and I think I finally came up with one I like.


One recipe I'm borrowing from uses a large amount of mixed spices instead of a purchased gingerbread spice mix.  The other recipe I'm using was one I found when I was out of molasses and had a serious craving.  Between the two of them, this recipe I came up with isn't bad.


1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp turmeric


The fresh ginger gives it a little more zing.  The last time I tried powdered ginger it wasn't strong enough, and using just fresh ginger wasn't enough either.  So why not try them both?  :-)


I used coconut oil because I think there are some health benefits to it, but if you want, just use one cup of butter.  Same for the wheat flour.  Just use four cups of white bread flour if you don't want to use wheat.

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, mix the butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, and molasses.  Stir in the egg, fresh ginger and vanilla and mix until smooth.  Add the salt, baking powder and spices, then gradually add the flour and mix until well combined.  It's a pretty stiff dough.  If you don't think your hand mixer is up to it, mix the last bit by hand or use a stand mixer.


Roll into 1" balls and place on greased cookie sheet 1/2 inch apart.  You might want to flatten them because they don't spread very much.


Bake for 15 minutes at 325 degrees F (cookies should be firm).


Yummy.