Mood Swings

Well, blogging last night did actually make me feel better, but, unfortunately, it didn't last... My relief got in, took one look at the schedule proposal and said, and I quote, "This is asinine." I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as he was making it out to be but, you know, I don't blame the guy. He just wants his weekends. Nevertheless, it put me right back into my dark & nasty mood.

It's interesting the strategies we develop to get us out of a bad mood. Me, I tried all kinds of things last night. I watched some cartoons. (I picked up a tape of Tiny Toon Adventures from the sale rack at the supermarket video store the other day for $1.99. Don't laugh at me. As a wise (if slightly fictional) person once said, "What's the point of being grown up if you can't be childish some of the time?") Then I got into a nice, hot bubble bath with a book. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very good book, but just the mere act of reading often helps me feel better. And, finally, I got into bed, turned the lights out, and listened to Warren Zevon over headphones until I was able to sleep.

I suppose that last requires a bit of explaining... See, I've discovered in the last year or two that, perversely, absolutely nothing gets me out of a depressed mood faster than putting on a Leonard Cohen album and listening to him sing his wonderful music-to-slit-your-wrists-by music. I don't entirely undertand why it works, and I'm not inclined to go trying to analyze it right at the moment, but it does. So I figured that if sad, depressive, angsty music works for lifting me out of a sad, depressive, angsty mood, then for feelings of self-pity, frustration and general pissiness at the universe, Warren Zevon should be just the ticket. If you're familiar with his music -- beyond just "Werewolves of London," that is -- you probably understand what I mean.

Anyway. All these mood-elevating exercises did help a little bit, although I think they would have more successful if some damned portion of my brain didn't keep feeling the need to check in every three seconds to see how it was going. "Are you feeling better now? Are you feeling better now? How 'bout now?" Man, that was annoying. You know, sometimes parts of my mind really just don't get along well with other parts...

And that probably makes me sound absolutely nuts, so maybe I'll just quit now while I'm ahead...