Today I decided to take it easy and just veg - something I don't do much anymore. It was a frantic week at work and my tension has been quite high all week. (So what else is new?) Too many projects due at the same time, last minute "drive by" fires springing up out of nowhere that had to be put out immediately, trying to get ready for one conference presentation I'm giving in Philly in two and a half weeks followed by another one in Vegas two weeks after that, not to mention my misophonia working on overdrive every time one of my coworkers on the lower level opens a can of soda. (He says he's "cut down" to three cans a day, but I'm not convinced.) Of course it doesn't help that I haven't been wearing my noise cancelling earbuds regularly because I'm constantly on/off the phone and trying to coordinate with multiple teammates about project issues. With my brain running a million miles a minute trying to juggle everything in my professional life and trying to squeeze in moments here and there to work on my memoir, (that's without having much of a social life), it makes it tough to find quiet time just for myself to decompress.
Little Mr. Innocent playing "cutesy"
So, today was just a day to relax and collect myself before the next whirlwind round that's going to hit me. I decided to make some pudding, a treat I haven't had in many years. Since most of my plastic bowls were in the dishwasher, not to mention the recipe called for COLD milk, I whisked everything together in a metal bowl. Next thing I know, I heard my cockatiel imitating the sound of metal scraping against metal with every stroke of the whisk. I'm sure he was just trying to get my attention, since my focus was on making the creamy pudding, but that sound I can handle. In some ways, I think it's kind of cute when he does that (unlike when he makes a whiney sound every couple of seconds to get my attention. That's the only trigger in my apartment that drives me away.)
Anyway, it reminded me again about the reason why I don't typically use chinaware (or metalware) if I don't have to do so. Although some cockatiels can imitate words, my little guy only imitates sounds: microwave beeps (I swear I can cook without it), my laugh, kissy sounds, but the one that sticks out most in my mind is when he imitates the sound of metal scraping against plastic (usually at the same time I'm scraping the last bit of ice cream from my Tupperware bowl.) If it weren't for my realizing several years ago what he was trying to imitate with that last sound, I might not have been able to make the connection that the reason why I've used plasticware instead of metal silverware and chinaware over the past two decades is because my body subconsciously wanted to avoid the "clinking" sound of metal on china that's one of my triggers.
I guess I should feel lucky that only one of the sounds he makes is a trigger for me. The rest of them just make me laugh - especially when he imitates my laugh and we wind up laughing at each other. :-)
Anyway, it reminded me again about the reason why I don't typically use chinaware (or metalware) if I don't have to do so. Although some cockatiels can imitate words, my little guy only imitates sounds: microwave beeps (I swear I can cook without it), my laugh, kissy sounds, but the one that sticks out most in my mind is when he imitates the sound of metal scraping against plastic (usually at the same time I'm scraping the last bit of ice cream from my Tupperware bowl.) If it weren't for my realizing several years ago what he was trying to imitate with that last sound, I might not have been able to make the connection that the reason why I've used plasticware instead of metal silverware and chinaware over the past two decades is because my body subconsciously wanted to avoid the "clinking" sound of metal on china that's one of my triggers.
I guess I should feel lucky that only one of the sounds he makes is a trigger for me. The rest of them just make me laugh - especially when he imitates my laugh and we wind up laughing at each other. :-)
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