December 12, 2004
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Adrenaline
Recently, I was nearby as Doug was loading wood into the stove.
We have been burning the unwanted spruce that came with the latest load
of wood while we are awake, because it burns up much faster than the
birch. We save the birch to build long-lasting fires just before
we go to bed. There was a large charred chunk of spruce in the
stove, and as the air hit it when Doug opened the door it sent out a
shower of sparks and embers. That’s one of the things I don’t
like about spruce.Doug moved back, swatting at the burning bits of wood on his pants, and
then ground out the ones on the carpet with his foot. When he had
finished stoking the fire, shut the door and closed the damper, he
turned to me and said, “If spruce was better firewood (meaning
supplying more heat and longer-lasting fires), I’d like to burn it all
the time.”I said, “What!?! You LIKE getting showered with sparks when you open the stove?”
He laughed and said, “You forget, I still have my adrenals.”
I still have my adrenals, too, but I know what he means. Before I
understood my body chemistry and got my food addictions under control,
I lived with exhausted adrenals. It took what is for most people
their emergency reserve energy, just to get me through a normal
day. I went from being a thrill-seeking, risk-taking adrenaline
junkie, to going out of my way to avoid adrenaline rushes. When
my health was at its lowest, a little fright could cascade into a
dangerous hypoglycemic episode. I still don’t like being
startled, because it can trigger an asthma attack.I had never thought of Doug as an adrenaline junkie, because he does
none of the things I used to do for my adrenaline rushes. He
doesn’t drive fast cars, ride motorcycles, go back time after time to
stand in line for yet another roller coaster ride, or hang out around
race tracks and drag strips.His confirming that fondness for the woodstove fireworks show made some
things fall into place for me. We are both video game addicts,
and we both enjoy role-playing games, but he plays another class of
games I don’t play at all: shooters. That’s where he gets
his adrenaline. Sometimes he gets so tense and/or frustrated at
those games that he mutters curses at them or even yells. I have
sometimes wondered why he plays them, when he so obviously isn’t having
fun at it. Now I know. Cheap thrills.
Comments (8)
Glad you’re OK now for firewood.
I’ve almost always startled easily but it didn’t used to have the same effect on me as it does now. Being startled, especially on purpose by someone who thinks it’s funny is a sure way to throw me into a rage. I’m glad that you have firewood too even if it is mixed with the undesirable spruce
The best stories are the ones that are still funny the second time. LMOSWFAO.
Hmmm. I’d never thought of it like that. Reminds me of walking into my best friend’s room and seeing him sitting in his chair in front of the t.v., chugging down Mt. Dew, munching mini Snickers bars, playing some James Bond-esque game… And complaining that he was losing weight. Gotta be an adrenaline thing.
That line about cheap thrills? That’s been true of every relationship I’ve had up to now. Kudos! Your stories are almost like that thing about opening the bible and whatever you are seeking will show itself on the page that falls open on. You are my I-Ching. I always find what I need on your daily quests on Xanga. It’s where ever the pages falls.
Gives new meaning to the idea of ‘Getting spruced up’.
i still don’t know how people get adrenaline rushes over video games. their just sitting there, using their thumbs and minds, and yes at times mouths. me i need more action than that to get my adrenaline pumping…
cheers
~sailor michelle
as a former pinball wizard-ette…i full understand the adrenaline rush of video games. hell…i remember when space invaders first came out on atari and i’d play into the wee hours of the morning determined to beat my score.
i don’t like the interactive games nowadays nearly as much. not sure why. but i still love the old pinball and old video games.