Does your iPad need the protection of an iMaxi with wings?

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Linda

imaxi for ipad (http://www NULL.etsy NULL.com/view_listing NULL.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=41828578)

The iMaxi (with wings) for the new iPad:

Ok, proof positive that my procrastination has cost me yet another post:

What I wrote in November, 2009 (but failed to post):

"As a self-professed (but absolutely legitimate) techno-gadget-creative aficionado I am constantly distracted by tantalizing online reports of new inventions that will make my life (and yours) easier, simpler and less chaotic.

My experience over the years is that not all neat-o new products actually ACHIEVE that goal. Sometimes (OK, often) the new gadgets take more time to learn and use than the original task they were designed to "improve."

I have an electronic graveyard of those useless products (sigh). Wish I hadn’t wasted the money … But when I hear renewed rumors of an Apple notebook (code name: Slate) that will likely be released in January 2010, my little kid excitement kicks in again.

Think about it: a smaller computer with a touch screen that goes with you everywhere (yes put a FOFA on it so you don’t lose it!), that has all your phone numbers and addresses, all your important documents, has internet access…. Oh. That’s already been done. The iPhone, Blackberry, et al have changed the way we handle data. But there’s a price.

Do you really LIKE using a keyboard that’s half the size of a Post-It? Maybe your fingers are skinnier than mine but I keep making typos, even in text messages (which I rarely use….waaay too much traffic for me, ala Twitter).

The new Slate will have a screen that is 7 times larger than my current (and lovely) iPhone. It will have built in wireless access and perhaps a Kindle-like bookshelf….."

Update on March 12, 2010

The Slate has morphed into the iPad. The iPad has been released for pre-order (yes, I did order one…my birthday present to me). And now the iMaxi with wings has been created to protect the iPad like, well, a soft pad.

This one is kinda gross, kinda funny. The alternate one (with a blood red lining) is just plain gross. I am torn. Is this cute or insulting? Would I put an iPad in an iMaxi with wings? Uh, I’m not sure. I have several weeks to figure it out.

But in case you’re ready, check out Hip Handmaid on Etsy. (http://www NULL.etsy NULL.com/view_listing NULL.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=41828578)

Full disclosure: another ADDiva mishap

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Linda

Some ADHD "experts" are quite good at giving advice and offering solutions to ADD-ish issues. Many of them, however, are loath to reveal their own challenges. Not me. I'm right out there with my mishaps, no matter how embarrassing.

To wit:

I just took the door off the ADDiva-mobile this morning. By running into my other, older car.

Oh no.

You know that sickening sound of metal crushing metal? That's what I experienced as I backed out of the garage on the way (late of course) to an all day women's Soul Circles event with one of my favorite gurus, Anita. It was a lovely sunny day, a crisp wind out of the north. And I needed this renewal time. I was overdue.

In fact, I was thinking just that when I put the Prius in reverse and backed up slowly. I heard a little thump and realized – uh oh – I had nudged my black Lexus SUV. Panicked, and hoping that there was no damage, I opened the driver's side door to take a peek, then started to pull forward.

Unfortunately, the car was still in reverse. The Prius hit the Lexus even harder. Panicked even more, I desperately hit the brake, harder and harder.

Unfortunately, it was the accelerator pedal under my foot. I was actually accelerating backwards, accelerating the damage to both cars. "No, no no NO!" I was screaming at myself, at the world, at the cars.

When I finally took my foot off the pedal/accelerator/supposed-to-be-brake the door to the Prius was bent completely backwards and rested on the front fender. I almost cried, but I was in shock.

Obviously, I couldn't get out the driver's side door — there was a black car blocking the opening. So I climbed over the passenger seat and ran in to tell Victor. A few tears gathered, but I couldn't make them fall.

"I'm not going to the women's day after all," I said, slamming the kitchen door. "I just wrecked the Prius AND the Lexus."

Victor couldn't have been more gentle. He didn't get mad. He didn't tell me how dumb it was to hit my own car WITH my own car. He just said: "You didn't do it on purpose, sweetie."

The long and short of the rest of the story is that I called a friend who managed to get the door on the Prius partly closed and we drove it to a body shop for the rest of the weekend. Monday will be fine to get an estimate.

The Lexus is drivable, thank goodness. But it has an ugly smear of scratches and dents on the passenger side. I hate driving it around – proof of my distracted brain.

I am SO mad at myself. It will cost precious money that I need to devote to GardenSpirit (we are getting closer to approvals from the bureacracies). It will probably increase my insurance premiums (but there is too much damage to avoid turning it in to Farm Bureau). And I missed my day of renewal and respite that I desperately needed.

There is always a bright spot to every tragedy (if this can be considered a tragedy). Over the years, Victor has opened the door of his little RX8 into the side of my black Lexus, leaving a line of little chips in the paint. Now the whole side needs to be repaired, which will also take care of those little dings! Yay!

But it sure would have been cheaper to touch them up…and a lot better if I'd remembered to renew my Adderall prescription sooner so I might have had some on board before I got in that car today.

And that, is the end of the story….for now

ADD Butterflies

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Linda

This article first appeared in ADDitude Magazine online. (http://www NULL.additudemag NULL.com/adhdblogs/8/archive/200907 NULL.html)

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I received a call from one of my clients, a young woman in her early twenties who told me that her father had died of a massive heart attack the previous evening.

I was shocked. Although I had talked to her father only once – he interviewed me before he agreed to pay for ADD coaching – I knew he was a relatively young man, a college professor who was still teaching, edging toward retirement. And I knew he loved his daughter beyond measure, bolstering her efforts every day, in every way.

I immediately thought of my own dad, who has a long history of heart problems. So I picked up the phone, just to check in, to make sure he was OK. There was no answer, but I left a message, asking him to return my call.

Instead, when the phone rang the next day, it was my mother, telling me that my dad was in the hospital. He’d suffered a TIA – a low-level brain blip similar to a stroke. Again, I was shocked. My dad is older, in his 80s. He juggles the ailments of aging pretty well, so I’ve learned to be optimistic about his health. My client’s unexpected tragedy, however, reminded me of a poignant passage from my favorite poem by Mary Oliver: “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?”

The words echoed in my mind as I monitored my dad’s recovery, as I attended the funeral of my client’s father, as I thought about my own place in the world, my own longevity. I know deeply (and forget regularly!) that I want to savor my life, to notice its millions of facets and flaws. I believe life is best experienced moment-to-moment, fully engaged and open to possibility.

Isn’t that a perfect job description for an ADD brain? It locks onto one of life’s fascinating topics, then skips over to another one and then another. We order the ‘sampling menu’ when we flit through life with an ADD brain – a little taste here, a nibble there. As long as we stay in the moment, we are truly living our lives to the hilt.

Sometimes, I admit, my ADD brain clogs with so much information. And sometimes I can get “into my head” with worry or planning or overwhelm. But when I quiet the mind chatter that comes from what I call the “ears up” self – the busy-busy brain, I find my center again. I pay attention to what is in front of me, in the present moment. And then the next.

That is truly all we have in this world. One moment; followed by another moment; and another moment after that. Until we are all out of moments. And our ADD brains stop flitting forever.

My ADD client grieves for her father, while appreciating his life. She will go on to create a life she loves, moment to moment. My father has recovered, and started the first day of the rest of his life with a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs.

I will try to stay fully present with my ADD brain; and remember the rest of Mary Oliver’s poem:

“Doesn’t everything die and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

The Buzzzzz About ADHD

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Linda

This article first appeared in ADDitude Magazine online. (http://www NULL.additudemag NULL.com/adhdblogs/8/archive/200907 NULL.html)

I’ve learned to accommodate my ADHD's quirks and demands. But when I start to ignore it, pretend it doesn’t exist, even try to brush it off like a bit of fluff, my ADHD buzzes to life.

You know the axiom: “It takes a village to raise a child?” Well, “it takes a party” to get my house and yard clean on the same day!

Last night was the annual party for my husband’s lab students. We’ve hosted the event for five or six years, so I have the pre-party To Do list down to a science. Order the Mexican food. Make the sangria. Try to get in (and out of) the shower before the first guest arrives. (That hasn’t happened yet; don’t people know NOT to arrive on time at an ADD-driven event?)

The day after the party is like a holiday for me. I walk around in a state of semi-amazement that I (temporarily) live in a place that is picture perfect. There are no piles in the kitchen. The carpet has no stains. The pillows are fluffed and the dust settled. At least for the moment.

Even the landscaping is flawless. This morning, still wearing my nightgown, I went outside to “survey my domain.” What a thrill it was to see a freshly mown lawn, mulched flowerbeds, blueberries ready to burst into luscious sweetness. Ah, life is good. So good. Perhaps it would stay like this forever…

My two faithful Shelties, Boomer and Cosmo, convinced me that no idyllic setting was complete without breakfast. So I meandered back to the kitchen and pulled out the dog bowls. I noticed a tickle on my shoulder, so I casually reached up to scratch it when a loud “Bzzzzzzzzzz” exploded near my right ear. In a nanosecond, I screamed, yanked my nightgown over my head and threw it to the floor.

“What’s wrong?” my husband asked, as he ran into the kitchen.

“There’s a bee in my nightgown!” I gasped. “Get it out of here!”

Victor (my hero) grabbed the nightgown (as I grabbed a robe), took it out to the deck and shook it to release the bee. The bee wouldn’t let go. The creature – a large bumblebee of some sort – hung on for dear life. Victor shook harder. Apparently, the bee adored my nightgown; it would not loosen its grip.

Finally, Victor managed to scrape the bee onto the patio table, where it fell on its back, spun around drunkenly and then righted itself. I pulled my nightgown back on, still shuddering that unknowingly I’d carried a bee on my shoulder for – how long? Ten minutes? Twenty? Fortunately, there was no sign of a bee sting.

By the time I calmed down, I realized that the episode was a perfect metaphor for my ADHD. Like the bee, my ADHD hitches a ride on my life. Most of the time, it glides along quietly; I’ve learned to accommodate its quirks and demands. But when I start to ignore it, pretend it doesn’t exist, even try to brush it off like a bit of fluff, my ADHD buzzes its warning:

“You can’t get rid of me (bzzzzzzz!). I’m here forever (bzzzzzzz!). Work with me and it’ll be fine (bzzzzzzz!). Fight with me and you might get stung (bzzzzzzz!)."

Point well taken (if you’ll excuse the pun). I know better than to imagine that weeds will never grow again in my flowerbeds; weeds grow in everyone’s flowerbeds. And I know that I can’t dislodge my ADHD from its private perch. It’s tenacious. It likes me. It’s my lifelong companion.

So when the piles reappear on the island in my kitchen – as they most certainly will – I’ll be reminded of that stubborn bee and its warning: "I’m here. This is reality. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself. I’m not going away."

ADHD buzzes in my ear every day. I respect it. I take care of myself. And sometimes I weed the flowerbeds. Even the ones with bees…

The Name Game

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Linda

This article first appeared in ADDitude Magazine online. (http://www NULL.additudemag NULL.com/adhdblogs/8/archive/200907 NULL.html)

Maybe it’s my ADD, but I still feel like I AM a child! So how am I gonna be a grandma to a little girl who will expect grownups to act like, well, grownups?

I spent an hour online this morning, trying to find a nickname I can live with and I’m running out of time. Little Lilly Surratt will make her appearance any day now and I have no idea what to call myself.

It’s my first grandbaby and I’m having a little trouble coming to grips with the fact that:
a) I am actually old enough to be a grandma and
b) it’s happening whether I like it or not.

Most of my friends already wear the “grandma” crown. They tell me it’s wonderful, that they can’t imagine anything better. My neighbor can’t wait to cradle her first grandchild.

Maybe it’s my ADD, but I still feel like I AM a child! I like skipping and silliness and jumping on beds and turning somersaults. (You know, I haven’t done that for a while, I think I’ll turn one right now! OK, scratch somersaults off the list). But I do like strong sea breezes and fuzzy caterpillars. And I really like staying up past my bedtime. I do it a lot!

So how am I gonna be a grandma to a little girl who will expect grownups to act like, well, grownups? I don’t have to figure it out today, I suppose. Perhaps I don’t have to figure it out at all. Maybe I can be the whimsical, wacky grandma who builds tents out of blankets and has afternoon tea in her purple treehouse (oh yes, there IS a purple treehouse at GardenSpirit).

Oh my gosh! If ADD is genetic, as many researchers suspect, perhaps Lilly will be “one of us.” Our youngest ADDiva-in-training! This is exciting!

Perhaps Lilly and I will spend goofy mornings finger painting the fence and then take a nap in the hammock under the southern pines that tower over my house. We might take a walk in the Carolina sunshine and snuggle in for a batch of homemade blueberry scones.

As much as I hate labels, maybe I can stretch this Grandma thing to fit me – kind like my favorite jeans. I suspect it won’t really matter what she calls me in the end – Oma or La-La or Gi-Gi or even… gulp… Grandma.

Hey, we might need a new ADDiva category: GrandADDiva! OK, Lilly, I’ve got you covered! Come on out into the world, baby girl!

Adderall & Vitamin C interaction

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Linda

I am working with a new psychiatrist (nothing wrong with the old one; Dr. W specializes in mid-life women with ADHD). She is running me through a trial of three new meds, none of which were on the market 15 years ago when I first tried on ADD meds – gosh has it been that long ago?

It was a complete surprise to me to learn that stimulant medications have a distinct and negative interaction with foods that contain Vitamin C. Apparently the Vitamin C diminishes the effectiveness of the medication.*

Huh? I had NO idea this was true. I don’t know about you, but I want all the bang for my medication buck possible, so I’m gonna follow her suggestions (which she found on the package inserts of Adderall XR and Dexadrine Spansules – I need to get out my reading glasses to check that teeny tiny print more carefully).

Here’s the rule:

No foods with Vitamin C one hour before or after taking stimulants

Vitamin C big players on the food court include:

Oranges – juice or fruit
Grapefruit – juice or fruit
Strawberries
Papaya
Kiwi fruit
Mango
Cantaloupe
Lemons/lemonade
Limes/limeade

Potatoes (this is not a misprint)
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Kale
Cauliflower (who knew?)
Parsley
Mustard greens
Bell peppers

Other sneaky sources of Vitamin C

Coke/soft drinks/colas (!!!!)
Power bars
Fortified cereal
Power drinks
Granola bars
Pop Tarts
Any kind of jam or jelly made from fruits listed above

And of course…
Vitamins – multi-vitamins
Vitamin C tablets

FYI
Dr. Wojdyska also nixes taking antibiotics in that two hour time span. And I found on the Adderall XR site that melatonin reacts with the medication, too. Insomniacs beware .. but only for that short time period.

(If you think taking an antacid like TUMS will allow you to eat citrus, you’re right, but note that *taking antacids INCREASES the effect of Adderall. Be careful out there….)

Thanks, Dr. W – you’re the best.

And now you know the rest of the label…

Hugs

Linda

*From the FDA site re: interactions with Adderall XR
Drug Interactions:
Acidifying agents -Gastrointestinal acidifying agents (guanethidine, reserpine, glutamic acid HCl, ascorbic acid, etc.) lower absorption of amphetamines.
*Urinary acidifying agents* -These agents (ammonium chloride, sodium acid phosphate, etc.) increase the concentration of the ionized species of the amphetamine molecule, thereby increasing urinary excretion. Both groups of agents lower blood levels and efficacy of amphetamines.
Alkalinizing agents -Gastrointestinal alkalinizing agents (sodium bicarbonate, etc.) increase absorption of amphetamines. Co-administration of ADDERALL XR® and gastrointestinal alkalinizing agents, such as antacids, should be avoided. Urinary alkalinizing agents (acetazolamide, some thiazides) increase the concentration of the non-ionized species of the amphetamine molecule, thereby decreasing urinary excretion. Both groups of agents increase blood levels and therefore potentiate the actions of amphetamines.

Adderall & Vitamin C interaction

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Linda

Here’s the rule:

No foods with Vitamin C one hour before or after taking stimulants

Vitamin C big players on the food court include:

Oranges – juice or fruit
Grapefruit – juice or fruit
Strawberries
Papaya
Kiwi fruit
Mango
Cantaloupe
Lemons/lemonade
Limes/limeade

Potatoes (this is not a misprint)
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Kale
Cauliflower (who knew?)
Parsley
Mustard greens
Bell peppers

Other sneaky sources of Vitamin C

Coke/soft drinks/colas (!!!!)
Power bars
Fortified cereal
Power drinks
Granola bars
Pop Tarts
Any kind of jam or jelly made from fruits listed above

And of course…
Vitamins – multi-vitamins
Vitamin C tablets

(If you think taking an antacid like TUMS will allow you to eat citrus, you’re right, but note that *taking antacids INCREASES the effect of Adderall. Be careful out there….)

Thanks, Dr. W – you’re the best.

And now you know the rest of the label…

Hugs

Linda

*From the FDA site re: interactions with Adderall XR
Drug Interactions:
Acidifying agents -Gastrointestinal acidifying agents (guanethidine, reserpine, glutamic acid HCl, ascorbic acid, etc.) lower absorption of amphetamines.
*Urinary acidifying agents* -These agents (ammonium chloride, sodium acid phosphate, etc.) increase the concentration of the ionized species of the amphetamine molecule, thereby increasing urinary excretion. Both groups of agents lower blood levels and efficacy of amphetamines.
Alkalinizing agents -Gastrointestinal alkalinizing agents (sodium bicarbonate, etc.) increase absorption of amphetamines. Co-administration of ADDERALL XR® and gastrointestinal alkalinizing agents, such as antacids, should be avoided. Urinary alkalinizing agents (acetazolamide, some thiazides) increase the concentration of the non-ionized species of the amphetamine molecule, thereby decreasing urinary excretion. Both groups of agents increase blood levels and therefore potentiate the actions of amphetamines.

Memories on Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Linda

I am fortunate, I know.

None of my family or close friends have lost someone to a war, past or present.

And though I detest war as a means of settling disagreements (I’m not in favor of any kind of violence against our fellow beings, human or otherwise), my heart goes out to the parents, children, partners, relatives, friends of those killed in the line of duty.

As the ads for Memorial Day sales swirl around us, I notice that this somber day has devolved to shopping status. Another holiday gone commercial (see also: Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July – US holidays in general, actually). I admit it. Sometimes the entire day passes and I have forgotten to take even a brief moment to honor the veterans of all wars in all countries.

How ironic. Memorial Day was set aside to remember, yet I forget. I can’t blame this on ADD (I can’t blame anything on ADD for that matter). I simply need an appointment, a ToDo, to remind me to remember.

So for the next 15 minutes, I will sit quietly, breathe, allow the spirits of those passed on to fill me with their wisdom, prick my sorrow at their absence and be grateful for their lives, however brief. I will broaden my focus to embrace others who have departed this earth – my dear friends and relatives whose lives played out in another era.

And I will humbly remember that life is a gift for which I can be grateful each and every day. My skin is still warm, my heart still pumps. But it won’t last forever. I will join the ranks of those we honor today. I only hope someone will notice I am gone and remember, with a smile.

Life is a pass-along gift. I need that reminder on Memorial Day. And every day thereafter.

Gardening as ADHD therapy

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Linda

Spring gardening is the perfect antidote for ADD women. Look at the possibilities:

1. There is always something new coming up – sprouts, flowers, seed pods…

2. You can make a huge mess and nobody cares because you're SUPPOSED to get dirty when you garden (cool, huh?)

3. Planting is really satisfying – plopping those seeds in the ground and waiting a week or so to see the new life pop through (even cooler!)

4. It's an OUTDOOR event; research shows that people are happier when they are outdoors around green leafy things, like trees and plants.

5. It's good exercise; ADHD improves with exercise. Read John Ratey's book "Spark" and you'll see what I mean.

6. Most important of all, gardening is good for the soul. It literally GROUNDS you. Sinking your fingers into the damp earth reconnects you to the earth and that, in turn, reconnects you to YOU.

Even if you're not a gardener (yet) and think you have a brown thumb, try planting a few petunias or radishes. You might be surprised at the results.

Then write and tell me all about it….I love hearing about your experiences!

Hugs,

Linda

Mindfulness for ADDivas

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Linda

Shhh… hear the sound of silence?

It's my mindfulness class at Duke Integrative Medicine (http://www NULL.dukeintegrativemedicine NULL.org/ ) and we're sitting in the circle "watching" our breath, letting go of the noise from the yoga class next door and being gentle with ourselves when our thoughts overtake us again and again.

This week we also walked mindfully. Heel-toe, heel-toe, inhale-exhale. It requires an enormous amount of concentration. Attention, a lot of attention.

Jeanne van Gemert (http://www NULL.dukeintegrativemedicine NULL.org/index NULL.php/2009011919/about-us/our-physicians-providers-and-staff NULL.html#van_gemert), a mind body therapist and former sculptor is our instructor. I worked with Jeanne for a year or so to get past my financial abundance issues (still working on that). Her energy is calm and relaxing, generous and open.

It's wonderful to be in her presence. The practice of mindfulness – a conscious effort to stay present in the moment within your own body – brings me back to a place that is calming for my ADD mind.

It reminds me of Who I Really Am. I am not the crazed running-around woman trying to do everything, to get things done while chasing perfection.

I am. I just am. So are you. You are enough, just breathing in and out. In and out. You are alive. Whoo baby! How great is THAT?

More updates as I move through these weeks of refocusing my energy where it does the most good…within me.