Oliver Sucks

I read Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks this week. It was good but I wasn't entirely amused. I heard of him through my favorite author, Siri Hustvedt. She too writes heavily on neurology and art and music and she often references some of his work and I believe they may have been good friends. She is a much better writer and isn't telling stories the way Oliver Sacks does. He tells you an interesting story and then just starts telling you another one. I understand that science, specifically neurology, can be difficult to write about in a digestible way for people who don't know much about the science behind the brain, but Siri really takes you through the brain in a much more sophisticated and stimulating way. She really blows my mind and I wish I could read all of her essays for the first time again. I was hopeful that Oliver Sacks would bring me this joy but he let me down. Maybe I'll try another one of his books, but my expectations are much lower now and I can't undo what Siri's work did to me! I was in Berlin when I read her largest book of essays and I remember reading it in 6 hour sittings, completely entranced. With Musicophilia, I found I was just reading fun facts for me to retell at a party to seem interesting, which I will for certain do.

I was reading at the coffee shop a few days ago in the East Village and a rather frumpy old woman asked to sit at my table. She didn't seem to like me all that much for whatever reason but I kept to myself. The barista came over to her with her coffee and said, "Do you wanna spoon?" and she said yes, to which he replied, "Okay! You're place or mine?!" They both let out breathless laughs like broken wind instruments and I couldn't help but laugh along. The second my lips shaped into a smile and I let out a single breath of humor, they both stopped laughing and glared at me and went on their ways. She gathered her things and asked for a to-go cup and left briskly.

My attention span has truly morphed into something out of the ordinary ever since I deleted all my social media. I've been reading 3-5 books a week and practicing the piano with my greatest undivided attention. I'm constantly shocked at how much time has passed when I look up from my book or over at the clock when I'm playing piano. My brain surely does feel more stimulated and my anxiety has gone down revelatory amounts. The only problem with deleting social media is that close acquaintances think you've blocked them.
At a house party on Friday, I saw one of my crushes. He was with a girl who I could care less about so I stopped the pursuit there. I spent the whole party in my friend's bedroom and laid around on the bed with 8 or so other people, laughing, talking and being stupid. The next day, my crush texted me saying, "Are you mad at me? :( I tried to send you a song but it looks like you blocked me on Instagram! Did I do something?" I was flattered he cared enough to ask but also confused as to why he cares when he has a girlfriend now. "No," I said, "I just deleted it because I was spending too much time on my phone. But, btw, I don't really care you are seeing G. but you could've told me so I wouldn't have wasted so much time talking to you with a possibly romantic intention..." He replied quickly and apologetically, "No! We are only kind of seeing each other. I was talking to you too with a possibly romantic intention also..." I don't know what to think about it because I honestly feel asexual as of late. It didn't really phase me or make anything inside me feel very much. Ever since I started HRT a month ago, my romantic/sex drive has gone down significantly and it is truly a blessing. I was boy crazy for 3 years straight and now I'm finally feeling like I can breath again. I'm open to intimacy but don't desire it the way I used too. The other major difference I've noticed since I started HRT is that I only eat spicy food and my tolerance for spice skyrocketed essentially over night. Everything I eat must be spicy or I am bored. I also like rock music now.

A few weeks ago, Mercury passed over the Sun. I walked down to the East River Bandshell where astronomers from all over the city had set up telescopes for anyone to look through. I showed up near the final moments of the terrestrial event but still got a good view. Through the telescope, the Sun was a white circle and Mercury was a little black dot, moving at a glacial pace. It all felt rather significant and special and I talked to the astronomers about what it all means. I don't remember what they said but I felt very happy afterwards. I walked all over the city thinking about Mercury and it's little trip in front of the Sun. I don't know why it affected me so much but I can only assume it's because its such a relief to feel small and temporary. To remember that from Mercury's point of view, we are all essentially little tiny microscopic germs living incredibly short and meaningless lives. It put a pep-in-my-step to feel like a germ.

Trying to save my money up so I can take another month-long solo vacation to Iceland in February. It will be a feat if I manage but I've been longing to go for so long now and it feels like the right time to go. I want to go when Iceland is at it's most Icelandic self. Maybe Iceland's identity is stronger in December but I'm incredibly broke due to this frugal phase I'm in. All I want to do is go shopping and spend a lot of money on nice food. I've been eating at this pricey sushi restaurant alone a lot and ordering whatever I please. Now that is not an option, sadly. I want to be rich so I can eat wherever I want and order whatever I want. I don't really care for a nicer apartment or to own a car or anything like that, I just want to be able to order the nicest glass of wine with the nicest cut of the nicest fish. I dated a guy briefly who's billionaire father funded that lifestyle for him. It was nice to tag along but he ended up being rather spineless, as you can imagine.