Feeding His Brain... Literally

One night last week, I was a couple of hours later than usual arriving home from work due to a meeting across town. It was at a restaurant, so I went ahead and ate there before I went home (what was I supposed to do, say "No" to pizza? Right...). When I finally did get home, I found that Wes had been waiting on me to eat dinner. Since he only had himself to worry about at that point, he decided to play around and cook something, "just to see if he could."

As he took his first few bites of the chicken and potato concoction he so adventurously created, he became shocked as he realized what had happened. "Oh my gosh... This tastes REALLY GOOD! I did it! I cooked something!"

For Wesley as a brain-injured person, this was a huge accomplishment. One of the most difficult challenges faced by many brain patients is the loss of their ability to complete process-oriented tasks. For example, when Wes was still in rehab during the early stages of his recovery, the instructions by his physical therapist to, "pick the book up off of the table, walk to the other table, and lay the book down," were pretty much just not gonna happen. The fact that he has evolved so far in his recovery that he can actually follow through with preparing the food, deciding which pan and method of cooking it to use, seasoning it, keeping track of how long it has been cooking, and stop cooking it when it is ready to eat is enough to bring a tear to my eye.

The outcome of Wes's initial experiment was his new passion for cooking. The next day, while I was at work, Wes had his mother take him to the store to buy ingredients for a recipe he had picked out. When I arrived home that evening, I opened the door to the smell of masala and fresh cilantro. Wesley was making Indian food - my favorite! When I looked at the recipe he was attempting, I was amazed by its length, involvement, and intricacy. That recipe had more ingredients than I've used in probably, oh I don't know, three years? He was visibly proud of himself, and with good reason. One year ago, he wouldn't have been able to even read a recipe, let alone know what the ingredients were and find them in a store.

When dinner was ready, he apprehensively brought me a plate with Eggplant Masala on it. "I hope you like it," he said.

I took the first bite and I. Was. Blown. Away. It was so incredibly flavorful and delicious, and my heart swelled with so much pride for how hard he had worked, that I nearly cried right there. I told him how much I loved it so many times and with such intensity that I'm sure he thought I was faking it after awhile; but, I was serious. It tasted like something I would have ordered at a restaurant.

The next night, Wes dared to make a complicated turkey burger recipe with even more ingredients than the night before. Once again, delicious. The night after that, chicken and potatoes with a special creamy masala sauce. I know it seems like we've been eating a lot of masala lately, but um, have you ever had it? It's kind of a big deal.

Each night for the last week, Wesley has made something out of the Indian food cookbook that my mother gave me for Christmas; and each night, I have been impressed again and again at Wes's accomplishments.

You see, this type of activity is EXTREMELY theraputic for a brain patient. In fact, at rehab they had a weekly program where they would pick a meal, shop for the ingredients, and prepare the meal with the therapists. And now he can do it all by himself. What's even more significant about this is that Wesley took the initiative and did this all on his own - no one taught him how, no one told him he should do it. Cooking forces you to think constantly and monitor changing and sometimes potentially dangerous conditions (usually, brain-injured individuals and ovens/stoves aren't a good combination); the analyzation and process-oriented thinking required exercise the left brain. Conversely, the creative outlet and possibilities for alterations in the recipe typically enhance and nourish the right brain.

Do you have any idea how important this is for Wesley? It is really satisfying to watch him continue to defy the doctors who said he probably wouldn't be functional again or the therapists who told him that if you haven't recovered fully after a year, you never will (yes, someone actually said that to him). Not every brain patient is as successful as Wes, though. It is sheer determination and the refusal to accept the dire prognoses given to him that has motivated Wesley to work at his recovery. And trust me, he has worked his ass off.

I am so, so proud of this man that it is almost painful.

Kanye Pest

Surely, by now, you've all heard about the latest antics of artist and producer Kanye West. For those of you who live under a rock (which you'd have to do in order to have not heard about this, because it is like, the ONLY THING being reported), here's a recap: At the MTV Video Music Awards, country artist Taylor Swift won the award for Best Female Video. An emboldened (and according to rumors, drunk) Kanye stormed the stage, swiped the microphone from Swift, and proceeded to go on a tirade about how much better Beyonce's video was, citing on his blog later that he's "...not crazy, ya'll. I'm just real..." (according to ABC News's website) Oh, you're real alright - real annoying, real delusional, real self-righteous, and probably a littany of other adjectives.

 I'm sure Beyonce was just thrilled... because Kanye's endorsement is definitely something to which every person on Earth aspires (at least, that's how he sees it), and now her name will be connected to his for awhile - what a lucky girl! [Note: Okay, let's just get this out of the way. Beyonce hasn't done anything wrong, she's obviously talented, and she actually seems really nice... but I am sick of her too. Ever heard of overexposure? Market saturation, anyone?]

What is most shocking to me about this situation is how shocked everyone seems to be. Are you kidding me, media? It is not shocking at all; that's like saying it's shocking that Clay Aiken came out of the closet (and I know people who actually said that).

What about at the VMA's in 2007 when he trash-talked Britney Spears, then raised the bar for being classy even further by exploding backstage in a fury of I'm-Awesome-and-You-Are-Just-Trying-to-Keep-Me-Down-ness? Because you didn't win an MTV award? Newsflash: No one over the age of 16 gives a frick about MTV music awards. They barely even qualify as a music channel now; lest we forget that every time most of us flip to that channel some show is on about douchbags and their idiot girlfriends who whine, "If he doesn't change this time, I am done!" But, I digress.

Ah, yes, and who could forget the crown jewel of Kanye's logical PR moves? Hurricane Katrina, anyone? I was watching live when West said that President Bush "does not care about black people" while covering the incident with Mike Myers, who mirrored on his face what pretty much everyone in America was thinking: "Did that just happen? I am sooooo awkward right now..."

Sadly, until the media stops paying attention to his antics, he's not likely to shut up anytime soon. Whether we love him, hate him, or both (I can't stand him, but Late Registration is one of my favorite CD's), we're all talking about him, which is exactly why he does this crap to begin with (although, I'm still not sure about the reason for that mullet-mohawk weirdness that he was trying to pull off last year).

Kanye, you're a brat. No one thinks you're funny, and you have trampled all over the last nerves of millions of people. Finally, although you are arguably very talented, no level of ridiculosity (is that a word?) in your haircut or so-called "outfits" is going to make us overlook the fact that you are a big, fat, whiny baby.

True Blood Finale a True Dud

Like pretty much every person I know, I waited with night-before-Christmas excitement - for what seemed like an eternity - to watch the True Blood finale on HBO.

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed for a few reasons. Most of all, the cheesy dialogue was so awkward that it actually made me a little uncomfortable and embarrassed for the characters. I guess a certain amount of "cheese" has to be written in when you're doing a storyline about imaginary creatures who sacrifice shape-shifters in preparation for the arrival of a deity with the head of a bull; but I truly felt like they could have done better (it's HB flippin' O, for crying out loud).

And, ah yes. That storyline. I've wondered for a long time how they were going to make this ending work... all season long, we've been convinced that Maryann couldn't be killed. Nobody could figure out how to get rid of her, or how Sam was going to escape death (although I think most of us kind of knew he would somehow pull through). We thought it was all over for Sam when Eggs (really? Eggs? That's your name?) stabbed him in the heart - but, shortly thereafter, Sam shape-shifted into a white bull, outsmarting Maryann into believing that he was the god she kept calling "my husband." That whole husband/wedding/Sookie being the bridesmaid thing creeped me out too, but that's another blog entirely. Sam was able to kill Maryann by jousting his horn right through her... a fulfilling and victorious kill by all means, but come on.

"You mean, all we had to do this entire time was cut out her heart?"

Lame.

And, can we just talk about Bill for a minute? Please tell me I am not the only one who has noticed the evolution of this character. When True Blood began, Bill was the mysterious bad boy who drew Sookie in with his Southern Charm and cool demeanor. He almost seemed like the James Dean of vampires, which is what made me keep watching True Blood, despite the fact that it's about vampires and I'm usually not into that kind of thing. But something strange has happened to Bill... he's become so cliche, like something out of a demonic B-movie. His contrived intensity and the unnatural feel his Southern accent has taken has really turned him more into the Rev. Jesse Jackson of vampires. No, worse... he's the Darrell Hammond parody of Jesse Jackson. Does anyone else see this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!

I am interested to see what comes of the new storylines that were introduced: Sam searching for his biological parents, Jason shooting Eggs in the head and then running off into the night, that alcoholic cop who sounds like Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade covering for Jason, and who could overlook the obvious cliffhanger, did Eric kill Bill? Unfortunately, I think the direction of this show next season will be one that involves more episodes with Evan Rachel Wood as the vampire queen. Loved her in Thirteen - but come on, Evan Rachel! Could you BE anymore junior-high-drama-production-of-Hamlet?

So, to summarize, I spent most of the show laughing with Wes and trash-talking. It was so lame that I wonder if they should even bother next season.

But, I have to confess... I'm still going to watch it - every episode.