For those of you who know me well, I'm a self-professed geek. I still have my Atari 2600 (not plugged in, but I still have it), I love playing with gadgets and new technology toys, and love sci-fi movies/shows. Despite my geekiness, I'll admit that I am behind the general populace when it comes to social media and technology glitches/frustrations, like the ones I've had over the past week, make me want to "gravity test" my computer or the offending electronic device.

For instance, I just spent the past hour trying to figure out why the "poll" feature that I've had on this website since the day I launched it in 2012 wasn't working the way I wanted it. When I created these polls, it was with the idea that ANYONE who submits an answer could see the result of the poll. For whatever reason, whether it was this website's host updating their system or the poll host changing theirs, the results of last week's poll was only viewable by me. I tried looking up the answer in the web host's "Knowledge Area," but it only showed me how to create the poll their new way - which wasn't working the way I wanted. I went to PollDaddy (the host that USED to be directly linked to the website's host) and found out that I now have to copy/paste the code directly into my webpage code for it to work. I can't see the result while in editing mode but thank goodness it shows up on the actual webpage. So if you answered the current poll question before today, please resubmit your answer.

Other techie glitches this week included my car's dashboard being in constant reboot mode due to one of the preinstalled applications automatically downloading a code upgrade with glitches. (I was one of hundreds who went back to the dealer on this one). I couldn't use the map... Couldn't use the radio... Couldn't use my phone bluetooth... Very annoying!

Misophonia-wise... I was happy to have the last couple of days to myself in my office. The young intern, who I like a lot, is traveling until Wednesday. Very nice to have a break from her opening crinkly bags and crunching crisp vegetables/fruits during the day. Also, yesterday I met with two of my clients in a small conference room where I sat in-between the two of them. Of course they both were clicking their pens, tapping their fingernails on the table, and other misophonia triggers to which I couldn't respond. That was the longest 2-1/2 hours I've had to endure in a LONG time! 

Looking forward to a bit of quiet recoup time to myself today.  :-)

This is what happens when I don't go to my weekly writing MeetUp group meetings... Another long gap between blog post updates. Sheesh. My bad...

Can't say that it wasn't justified though. Now that my previous coworker is no longer with the firm and we have a new summer intern who has been so lovely and productive, I'm finally whipping our office back into shape. It's not 100% trigger-free at the office (the intern likes eating healthy, albeit crunchy, foods or things in crinkly packages throughout the day) but at least she seems to be more compassionate about my condition - occassionally even asking if something she does triggers me. She'll only be working with us until the first week of August but just in the three weeks she's been with us, it's been an infinitely better work situation than before.

I do have some interesting misophonia tidbits that have occurred over the past couple of weeks. One big one is that on two separate occassions I actually dreamt about triggers - and even remember trying to flee from them. That's a new one for me on two accounts: One - that I even remembered my dreams, and Two - that I actually dreamt about being triggered. That's going to be a new poll question on the homepage of this website. It will be interesting to see how many other people dreamt about misophonia or triggers. 

Another big thing is happening tonight: The premiere of the "Quiet Please" documetary about misophonia. As much as I had hoped to attend the premiere event, it just wasn't in the cards for me. I wish the Jeffry Gould all the best and look forward to seeing it if he submits it for film festivals out here on the west coast. If you'd like to see a trailer for the movie, click on this link. The documentary has already been getting noticed in the press: https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/17/misophonia-noise-rage/ 

Other thank that, I've had the usual trigger incidents in public places (fidgiting, eating sounds, mothers kissing their babies to soothe them). The worst however was one horrific experience when a woman customer representative started whistling on the phone while I was using my Bluetooth earbuds for hands-free talking. Never have I ever had whistling pierce my ear canal that badly mainly because it was the shortest distance between the source of the trigger sound and my ear. It was shocking and hurt so much, I actually ripped the earbuds out of my ears as I snapped, "Please don't whistle!" It took me a while for my heart to stop racing after it happened. All I can say is, "Yikes!"