100 New Things: April 2014

Thursday, April 17, 2014

New Thing Number Twenty-Four

Sunday, April 13, 2014

I did not make any purchases for a week.

Not even gas or to pay bills. I got all the bills taken care of beforehand and I lasted on half a tank of gas.

It really put a few things into perspective for me. Normally when I'm out running errands or coming back from the doctor (I'm a total pansy at the doctor), I feel that I deserve a treat. But with this goal of not spending any money, I was able to keep myself from "nickel-ing and dime-ing" my money away on tiny pleasures, and I made something yummy at home, which usually tastes better anyway.

I'm also a huge fan of buying things to save myself the trouble of making them. What's the point spending 30 minutes making my mom's delicious spaghetti sauce when I could pick up a jar of okay spaghetti sauce while I'm at the store? Needless to say, I had some amazing spaghetti this week. And lots of leftovers.

I kept myself from stopping by the store to pick up that one ingredient I need, too. It's actually a fun challenge, making do with whatever you have in the pantry and fridge. Sure, you probably can't make that incredible dish you've been craving, but you get to exercise your creativity and experiment with substitutions. More times than not I end up with something really good, and I feel like a professional chef from one of those Food Network shows.

When it came to gas, I found myself thinking, Do I really need to drive there? Is going to that store necessary? How can I run all my errands using the least amount of gas? I never pulled out a map, but I was mapping out my errand route so I could get the most done on half a tank. The last couple days of the week I had to drive about 100 miles to and from cities, and because I had rationed my gas so well I got home with enough gas to get me to the gas station on Monday. (I actually didn't fill up my car until Tuesday. That's how awesome I was.)

I wouldn't recommend not spending anything for an entire week, but it was a good habit to rethink my spending tendencies and ask myself if what I wanted was really necessary. I'm probably not going to learn from this as quickly as I should, but I can honestly say I will attempt to think like this from now on.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

New Thing Number Twenty-One

I sent a letter to J.K. Rowling.

Why? Because I was struck with an epiphany. And because I wanted to.

This is what it says:

Ms. Rowling,

I have been struggling with severe anxiety and depression for quite a while now. Various coping mechanisms, therapy, medications, self-help books, etc. have not helped me in the way I have hoped. However, as I was perusing the Pottermore site, I came upon a remarkable discovery. These are my findings:

Depression is the unfortunate situation that one finds oneself in when a dementor seeks to abide in one's house. Those suffering from depression will find that leaving the house tends to noticeably lift one's mood—at least in a small fraction but generally in a large amount. There are very few reports of dementors following humans, especially muggles, outside of the house. Of course the clearest solution would be to request a witch or wizard to cast a Patronus charm and rid the house of the dementor, but since the implementation of the International Statute of Secrecy in 1692, it has become quite difficult for a muggle to locate a witch or wizard who can perform the Patronus charm. The only known muggle solution to combat dementors—albeit a temporary solution—is chocolate.

For reasons inexplicable to everyone but myself, this epiphany helps me a great deal. Not only do I have the justifiable excuse to eat chocolate, I also feel like I am battling an unseen enemy; now I’m not the problem, the dementor is.

Although I have fallen to the great misfortune of being a muggle—I waited weeks for my Hogwarts letter, thinking the owl might have been delayed due to altitude sickness—I will start working at once to produce a Patronus charm, or whatever equivalent I can find that is suitable for a muggle. If you have suggestions on how I can accomplish this, I would be eager to hear from you.

I want to thank you for the wonderful world you have created and for your perfectly rational explanations of seemingly unnatural occurrences. For example, the night I fell asleep chuckling was the night I finally got rid of the boggart under my bed. Non-magical communities around the world have you to thank for improved living conditions, greater peace of mind, and expanded imaginations. I will be forever grateful.

Thank you again, Ms. Rowling. I wish you well.

Most Sincerely,

Tiana Moe

Thursday, April 17, 2014

New Thing Number Twenty-Four

Sunday, April 13, 2014

New Thing Number Twenty-Two

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

New Thing Number Twenty-One