Freak!

[changeling]

The problem I've been having recently is that I've forgotten how much of a freak l really am. I'm surrounded by pagan friends, by geeks, by vegetarians and vegans. I found a book in The Bookshop (the front of my work) yesterday that had me almost rolling on the ground with tears spilling down my cheeks like rivers of mirth. It was a YA horror (already a genre in sore need of mockery) by none other than ... Silver Ravenwolf*. I showed my colleague (cupiscent), and was confounded at her lack of response. I could hardly believe that someone could go through life not hearing of "Ravingwolf" (as she is sometimes not-so-affectionately known) or her own special branch of crazy.

I've been run down, especially in terms of my brain function, for the last couple of days. Today I was so hazy that I announced, "Can't cope. Off to Mordor", which is our code (well, Dee's especially) for popping out to the coffee shop. I ordered a hot chocolate, and was just sipping the foam off the top on the way back to the office (it was so full it nearly spilt several times) when my brain kicked in and went, Hang on. I don't recall you specifying no dairy. I promptly gave the chocolate to Dee (who kindly and unnecessarily reimbursed me), before I started to feel really sick. And I made such a dumb mistake because, hey. When I have a hot chocolate or smoothie at home, I don't need to tell Steph to make it with oat milk. We just don't touch cow juice. It's easy to forget that this is not in fact the case for most people – especially when one is overtired.

In conclusion: don't forget you're odd when addressing other people. It prevents the possibilities of misunderstandings due to differing frames of reference.


* Witches' Key to Terror, part of a series titled "Witches' Chillers". Dedication: "This book is dedicated to those who seek the magick within."

Comments

[watersusurrus.livejournal.com]

You should send that to .pagansnark.

Also, we are very weird.
Also, COW JUICE!
Also, it's not dedicated to those who seek the terror within? I want to read this book to you!

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

See, I told you it was totally worth $5.

[burningskyfire.livejournal.com]

:( Yucky!
On my first very befuddled and sleep deprived day at uni (or maybe it was the second or third day) I rocked up to the cafeteria, saw some 'dairy free vegetarian pasta', looked at the menu and saw it said 'carbonara', asked the serving guy..
Me: Is the carbonara that dairy free vegetarian thing in the window?
Serving guy: Yes.
Me: Okay I'll have a carbonara please.
Then five minutes later he gives it to me, and to my horror and repulsion it was full of bacon and cream. I didn't know what carbonara was! :( Idiot serving guy.
He saw my horror and asked me if I'd wanted it take away instead, lol. Then I had to spend the next 20 minutes trying to find someone to give it away to.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Well, it's actually his fault if he said that was vegetarian. You should have politely explained, and seen if they would let you have something else instead.

But yes, crap experience.

[shinyandnat.livejournal.com]

... I don't understand how he can think carbonara is dairy free or vegetarian. That is insane.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Does seem bizarre.

[jolly-oddness.livejournal.com]

I have an overwhelming desire to read that book now. I'm sure it would be very 'mystical'. (And I've never heard of Ravingwolf, I don't think so, anyway).
This reminded me of....

Yesterday, my brother came upstairs to pay off some bills, and I had my iTunes thingy going. It was set on the 'rancho relaxo' mix, which is actually less crazy than some of my other music. For the full 20 minutes that my brother is upstairs, he berates me about the music I listen to, calling it 'fairy music'*, and going on about how I listen to the worst music in the world. I get flustered and start yelling 'IT'S JUST NOT WHAT YOU LISTEN TO!'
*sigh* As a result I am now pondering whether I have developed a very bizarre and deranged level of music appreciation. Because I don't think my music is weird at all. *hugs music*

AND, and - I don't think you're so very odd. I mean, you're completely different from me, but I don't think that makes you *weird*.

*I don't know what 'fairy music' is and everytime I ask my brother to clarify this, he just says 'oh, you know. fairy music'. ?!?!?!

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

*SNUUUUGS* I can totally relate to siblings with crap music taste. So very much.


It's just the different frames of reference, you know? Not that having differing experiences makes me bad or weird. I'm not explaining well.

[pink-spiral.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that this wasn't aimed at me, but if it was... I can accept that.

Yeah its fun forgetting that macrob is "an island in a sea of barbarians" as Mr Short put it and then going into the real world and meeting stupids you forget exist. Or even just realising you can act like a freak in front of normal people

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

No, it was aimed at the Creature of Upstairs. :)

[jolly-oddness.livejournal.com]

Or siblings bereft of music taste! *sigh*

*nods*

I was thinking, linking this again to music, because it's apparently where all my oddities come out and people see them, that certain experiences makes you see things different, and makes you comfortable with things that other people would find unbearable. For example - I'm interested in folk and bluegrass music, so I don't think that Joanna Newsom is weird. If my brother listened to her music, he wouldn't understand where it had come from, so he wouldn't hear it the same. (And possibly call it the worst music ever.)

Am I babbling? I find it so hard to explain sometimes :) But, yes! Different frames of reference.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Uuuugh, dairy would be much not-fun after so long :(

Being frazzled and ordering anything is bad. I have a habit of leaving hungry jacks drive-through without my food when I'm frazzled, and that's when I KNOW i need to de-stress.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

YES.

Luckily I was able to buy myself a new one with the money Dee gave me. :D It wasn't even this event, it was a series of little "Duuuuh, BRAIN" events over the last two days.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

That's good that you could get another one :) I'm all "Duuuuh, BRAIN" lately too. I think it's the change of seasons messing with my sinuses making my head go boing.

[chennpug.livejournal.com]

Hm. I don't think I've ever heard of Silver Ravenwolf, but somehow my brain just kicked back to some Shadowrun novellas and a Chick Tract about the evils of tabletop gaming...and the resulting amalgamation is definitely enough to make me laugh until I cry.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

And yet you're not all THAT far wrong ...

[chennpug.livejournal.com]

HAH!

[ishara.livejournal.com]

Hey Dani

Someone on my flist (stilkil), just put out a call requesting recipes for corn bread which don't have any other grains in them, because she's not allowed to have something called phytic acid, which apparently all grains apart from corn have or are a precursor to.

So naturally, my first thought was to ask you, because I know you're a healthy whole foods gourmet....

So, *hopeful endearing smile* I don't suppose you've got a recipe for cornbread online somewhere I can point her at?

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

I can't say I've ever made cornbread. I did a quick look and found http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/10/sweet-potato-cornbread-movie-review.html at the Gluten-Free Goddess's blog, but it includes "flour mix of your choice". If your friend can find flour made from sprouted grains (which logically must exist because there are commercial breads made with sprouted grains), she may find that helps (as it reduces phytic acid etc etc).

Your friend may want to look to gluten-free flour mixes such as those containing tapioca flour, and see if they're safe for her to use. Quinoa flour (as it is not a true grain) might be worth investigating, too, but I wouldn't use 100% quinoa flour, based on its strong taste and all the information I've read. Amaranth, besan (chickpea flour) or soy flours also might be worth investigating. Most gluten-free bakers use an agent like xanthan or guar gum to replace gluten. They often throw tapioca flour in, too.

This website has substitution suggestions for gluten-free flour:
http://www.baking911.com/pantry/subs_flour.htm