Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Word of the Day

.......is dither.

Definition by Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Pronunciation: \ˈdi-thər\ 
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): dith·ereddith·er·ing \-th(ə-)riŋ\
Etymology: Middle English didderen
Date: 15th century
1 : shivertremble
2 : to act nervously or indecisively : vacillate
Ever have one of those dither-y days? When a choice as simple as which breakfast cereal to plop into your bowl leaves you pondering in the pantry for twenty minutes?

I woke up this morning even unable to choose what to wear. Which is silly because I don't have any plans for the day. Hm. The grey hooded sweatshirt with the coffee stains? Or the yellow hooded sweatshirt with paint on the sleeve? Let's see now.......yoga pants or yoga pants? Or sweat pants?

If BICJ - my bratty inner child Julia - were awake, and shhhh.....let's not go there......she wouldn't have any problems with indecisiveness. She'd throw on just about anything and blow right by the organic foods waiting patiently in my pantry. She'd be in the car and heading towards IHOP and the all you can eat pancake special before she combed her hair for the day.

Maybe what I need is a good strong cup of coffee. Sure. That'll get me going this morning. Let's see now.....hm.....do I want a dark french roast? Or maybe a mellow breakfast blend? John has so many different types of coffee here.....Wait, maybe tea....well, hot chocolate sounds good too....

Image by weetabixx


annie said...

Could the dithering be a form of brain fog? As in..where do I live, what's my name,what am I supposed to be doing etc. There are days where you get up and feel totally at sea about everything, and the only thing you're not dithering about is going back to bed or the couch!!

Julia said...

Hey - I think you may be onto something there, Annie!.....wait.....maybe not.....I can't decide.....

Nellie and Calvert said...

I've found that it's a lot easier for me to make decisions (simple ones) if I take care of Nellie & Calvert's needs first.

Something about walking and feeding them that allows my mind time to clear (defog). If it weren't for them, I'd probably still be in bed on this very cold and rainy NY day... ummm... bed... that sounds good... ;-)


annie said...

It's me again...that annoying person who always has lots of questions. I keep forgetting to ask about quantity of water to drink..is drinking small sips often throughout the day enough or do we really have to bring out the big guns (i.e.gallons) in terms of water. In other words, how much is enough...8-10 glasses or much more? I know when I need to drink when, even before my mouth goes dry, my head starts to spin, and I feel as though I will pass out..I know for sure that I forgot to drink in a given period of time. All the books and articles I've read do not mention amount of liquids to drink, only that we need to! Any info on this, Julia?

Jenny Pettit said...

This may be counterproductive, but my BICJ (Jenny, of course) is too fond of your BICJ to pass it up... Today is a special at IHOP where you get free pancakes and instead of paying they encourage you to make any size donation to the Children's Miracle Network...pancakes and helping children is a little hard to pass up... It's probably a good thing I'm chained to a desk at work or I'd be stuffing my face by now.

Julia said...

Hi Annie -
The Sjogren's Foundation recommends that you drink water in smaller amounts consistently during the day to help keep your mouth moist. It also says that by chugging large amounts of water you actually deplete the protective lining in your oral cavity, so smaller amounts over a long period of time is better. You can read more suggestions from the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation at : http://www.sjogrens.org/home/about-sjogrens-syndrome/symptoms/dry-mouth

I would strongly recommend checking with your doctor about feeling as though you may pass out, as these symptoms usually aren't related to dry mouth. Keep me posted!

annie said...

Julia, thanks again for your wise input. This is the information I read, also. I brought this up with my neurologist, and he said it might be due to dehydration. As I am seeing my battery of doctors in the coming weeks and months, I will bring this up again. Many thanks for your great help, it's really appreciated.