Rolling along, I am now 63 days into my trip along Route 66. I have seen some interesting sights and spent much time getting my head shrunk in therapy. 😊 I picked up the head-shrinking bit while watching reruns of Bones (2005 – 2017), a popular TV series on Amazon Prime. I especially liked the seasons where psychologist Dr. Lance Sweets played a huge role. I just loved the psychological chatter!
Today we will have a look at some of the things I discovered while working through the Online Therapy Unit (OTU) course, much of which I shared with my therapist. I will also share some day-to-day incidentals and a couple of vintage images – things that might have been used on a real road trip in days gone by.
April 18, 2026 – April 26, 2026
These days blended together, like many days do. Sadly, for me, I am suffering from another cold but it isn’t nearly as bad as the last. In fact, it’s almost completely gone – just a bit of clogged sinuses now. I have some meds left from last time, so I’ve used them to help me through. Maybe with the last bit of snow finally melting and the sun shining I will take on an upbeat vibe and leave the cold in a dust trail behind me.
On April 22nd I took time to reply to the week 6 message I received from my OTU therapist. She had commented on my last messages and asked a few more questions which I answered below.
Hi Vanessa,
I hope that this message finds you in good spirits and that you are surviving the recent snowfalls. We got hit pretty hard on Friday and I did my best to stay positive, even though it was hard. Surely, this has got to be winter’s last hurrah!? 😊
Even though I took a bit of a step back from the lessons, as I said, I have had a really good couple of weeks, well, actually since I started the course. I think that doing the course has really reminded me that it takes daily work to stay positive.
With regards to driving, I have continued to play my music when out and about. Although I am paying attention to my driving, I am also enjoying the music, even singing along now and again; sometimes focusing on the lyrics too, without being distracted, if that makes sense. I had a single short episode the other day when I had my window down, because the air conditioning wasn’t working. A loud sporty car raced by rattling and hurting my eardrums. It also scared Denise. I cursed a bit and then let it go shortly after. The short-lived anger was good, as in the past I would ruminate on it for a lot longer.
As for other noise, I have been taking my normal precautions, but somehow, my whole mindset has changed. It is not like I haven’t heard train horns and whatnot, but that I am just letting it pass without the anger it had been sparking in me. I continue to remind myself that my anger towards any of the stressors only hurts me and will never change the fact that the noise exists. It’s almost like I have come to accept that fact. I hope it stays like this as it feels so much better, as you can imagine.
Speaking about the car, I decided to see if I could solve the air conditioning issue myself. I have always been mechanically inclined so I decided to do a Google search for possible causes. I found a video that suggested things to check. The first thing it suggested was to find the reset codes for my vehicle and try that. I found the codes with another search and gave it a whirl. Low and behold, that did the trick and cold air was the result. Then the cold and the snow came…. LOL! That said, it appears to be fixed, and I saved a pile of money. This too was a reminder that worry is not usually necessary and that Denise and I will be okay – even financially – just like we always have been. (Afternote: The fix was not long-lived and I have a new appointment to have the A/C fixed by a professional on April 30th.)
You asked if I have been trying the graded exposure process. For the most part, I have not felt the need. That said, I tried something the other day. Perhaps you remember me stating that I always go for groceries first thing in the morning to avoid crowds. What I tried was going to Costco at noon last Thursday. I knew it was going to be busy, so I went first thinking that if the gas pumps weren’t too busy, I would get gas. Although the parking lot looked full, the pumps weren’t too bad, so that went well. After getting gas I decided that I would progress into the lot and if I found a parking spot closer to the doors, I would go in. To my surprise, a spot opened up and I pulled in. Once in the store I saw that it was busy and that there were lots of customers lined up at the tills. Since I only needed a couple of things from the pharmacy area I decided to go there and while doing so saw that the self-checkouts were not busy at all. Good fortune I thought! I quickly got my items and checked them out in record time. Of note, is the fact that I didn’t wear hearing protection at all. Aside from a good trip, I was also reminded that I might not need to be so rigid in my shopping hours when needs rise.
In a similar vein, I had a craving for a good and sloppy hamburger the other day (before the snow) so I took myself to Fat Burger. I sat inside without ear protection and enjoyed my food. Even though I am okay with eating out alone, when Denise has other plans, I often talk myself out of going due to crowds and noise, so this was another positive step for me.
I am looking forward to lesson 5 and I will let you know how I do with that.
Best regards,
Don
April 27, 2026 – April 29, 2026
I spent a lot of time on these three days working through Lesson 5 of the OTU course. This lesson is primarily a summary of the material learned in the OTU course and a discussion of methods for keeping one on track well into the future. Much of what I share below seems repetitive, since it was discussed in earlier messages and blog posts.
Below are my thoughts and comments as I worked through Lesson 5.
The lesson states that relapses or times of depression or anxiety are normal, especially when a person is unwell, like when one has a cold or the flu, or when daily stressors impact one’s peace. That, in my mind, is for all intents and purposes the “norm” – life is/can be difficult. The key, I would say, is to keep one’s reactions and behaviors in the acceptable range, as opposed to the extremes that were used prior to recovery. As I have often said during recovery – there is no magic day when one will be freed of having to work at maintaining their mental health. What I find, is that it takes “daily” effort to maintain good mental health, and it’s okay if I/we have “off” moments or days, for whatever reason. The point, I think, is to keep trying to use the tools one has developed through this course or via other routes of recovery. That way, the dips are not so low or long-lasting.
The OTU course suggests creating a relapse prevention plan. Let’s look at the plan – where I offer my personal experience:
- One’s risks for lapsing – what puts one at risk – early warning signs.
- For me, these include ill health, my own or Denise’s.
- This also includes finding myself well into being hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
- Being afraid can also set me up for a relapse.
- Being spring at present, and with summer coming up, I will be in good spirits. I will need to be aware when fall approaches that I will be susceptible to depression. I might consider seeing my doctor at that time for medication to help with the impending winter blues, instead of getting to the end of winter and having suffered needlessly.
- One’s signs of lapsing – how one knows they are at risk – situations one needs to look out for.
- I see this when I am out in the world and it is noisy and/or congested. I can feel myself getting tense and I start to swear or curse frequently.
- When I start to see myself complaining more, that is a sure sign of danger – of relapsing.
- When I start to see myself ruminate about perceived injustices to me, or out in the world, I am heading in the wrong direction.
- Useful skills to help oneself when symptom levels increase.
- Use the Al-Anon slogans, or other personal slogans to change my thinking pattern.
- Put some noise protection on or listen to music.
- Take a few soothing breaths.
- Challenge my thoughts in a gentle manner.
- Sit and talk with Denise about what is happening. Sometimes just a bit of venting helps. Often, a deep discussion arises and is helpful to both of us.
- Jump into an art project to stop focusing on the perceived problems.
- What one will do – how one will use the skills to recover – how will one maintain good mental health.
- I will continue to follow my recovery program. History has proved time and again that this is always beneficial.
- I will continue to dig deep when reading and watching thought-provoking material.
- I can/will look for other self-help materials, like I did when embarking on the OTU course.
- I will continue to write my blog posts, as this helps me focus and dig deeper into my life and the human condition in general.
- I will continue to take care of my health – addressing issues as they arise.
- I will continue to monitor my thoughts and my actions on a daily basis, as I have done for years.
- I will remember – progress, not perfection
Ways to stay well. Things that popped into my mind….
- Making the Core Skills Routine
- Awareness is the key to life. Practice, practice, practice!
- Managing Expectations
- Normal does not exist – to each their own.
- Never compare your insides to another’s outsides.
- Tackling Things
- Feel the fear and do it anyway.
- Start something, the motivation will follow.
- Staying Active
- Just move! Go out for a drive. Go out for a walk. Go on a picnic. Go sit in the park. Go out for coffee, breakfast, or lunch. Phone my brothers just to stay in touch and catch up on things.
- Meet my friend Mike for lunch, or have a drive-by-visit, as I occasionally do and find him working on something in his garage or yard. He is always up for a visit!
Goal Setting
- Identify areas of your life you would like to improve.
- Being more at peace with who I am, where I am – especially in the financial arena. Believing, more readily, that success is not defined by how much money I have.
- Being able to love and accept myself more readily – actually believing it more often than not!
- Continue to manage my depression and anxiety on a daily basis.
- Identify specific long-term and short-term goals.
- I don’t want to do this. I am happy with just living one day at a time.
- I don’t want to volunteer anywhere, or join any groups or clubs as suggested in the material as options. I don’t have the energy or desire to do so, or the finances that these often require.
- I don’t want to start or engage in any new hobbies.
- Schedule something you can do each day toward your goal.
- As I have mentioned, I will not use scheduling as a tool. I keep busy enough all on my own and will continue to use simple outings as a way to enhance my life and get me out of the house, or away from the computer. I am quite good at this!
I don’t want to end on a negative note, by saying what I don’t want to do, so I will end with a few thoughts on what l have learned on my journey, and what I think other travelers have also found.
- Awareness is the key to life – only by seeing and acknowledging the issues can I/we do something about them.
- There is no such thing as normal – normal is a construct that makes us compare ourselves to others and it’s usually comparing our insides to their outsides.
- Life is difficult – knowing that somehow makes it easier.
- Perfection cannot be achieved – progress, not perfection!
- No man (person) is an island – we are social beings and need each other to be complete – or as complete as we can be.
- Good mental health requires daily effort – we reap what we sow.
- Death and change are the only two absolutes – accepting that change happens will allows us to adapt a bit easier. Death, well, there are all kinds of death – allow time to grieve.
- The past teaches powerful lessons that can help us today and prepare us for the future.
- No one is an alien. As much as we are unique, we are all human and suffer many similar states – that can be quite comforting.
- During recovery, some folks find a comfortable place just past crisis and burrow in at that point. It’s best to keep moving so one doesn’t miss the glories that reaching further provides.
- Be grateful!
There are so many more things I could have added to the list above, but I think the point is made – we can have a good and happy life. As they say, we are the captain of our own ship. Keep your sails up and your bow into the waves.
Speaking of captaining one’s ship….
Sacapoopoo – Created by Don Cheke
Do you remember Denise’s youthful story of the ill-conceived rafting trip her and her father took? If you recall, I talked about it in an earlier blog post and created the “Sacapoopoo” cartoon featuring, instead, Loaf Dubronovich and his son, Little Loaf. Check out the story in Comic Interlude 5.
April 28, 2026
On this day, I had an appointment with my eye surgeon. It was just a check-up to see if the previous laser surgery to make drainage passages in my eyes remained functional and lessened the pressure in my eyes. I am happy to report that I received a “looking-great” response from the doctor. She said that I did well, like I had something to do with it. LOL! Still, I appreciated the news, and the “atta-boy” it felt like. 😊 No follow-up is required at this time, since I will see her in the spring of 2027 for my cataract surgery, which she said will also aid in the battle against aging, or as I call it, another initiation into old age – one of many. Heart attacks and stents – check. Diabetes – check. Joint pain and finger splints – check. Well, you get the idea! 👍😊
Feature Image
If you recognize the device below you were certainly born before 1979 and might have used it on your own Route 66 trip.
Sony Walkman – Modeled & Rendered by Don Cheke
The original Sony Walkman (model TPS-L2) was released in Japan on July 1, 1979, and 1980 in the United States. I never had this early version, due to cost (story of my life), but I did have other models as time moved on. I always loved the Walkmans I had over the years, as I imagine most users did.
While enjoying my 3D explorations into vintage icons from 2019 – 2023, I found an old brochure that showed all six sides of the device and I used them as a reference while 3D modeling it in TurboCAD and then rendering it in KeyShot. I just love this render; I hope that you do too!
For those too young to remember what the Walkman was used for, below is a hint – the beloved cassette music tape.
Cassette Tape & Storage Case – Modeled & Rendered by Don Cheke
History tells us that the cassette tape (Compact Cassette) actually predated the 8-track, but it wasn’t a dominant music format right away. The 8-track had its heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s (especially for car stereos), and cassettes surged later – helped along by improvements in tape formulations and the adoption of Dolby noise-reduction, which made cassette audio far more hi-fi-friendly.
As with the Sony Walkman above, I 3D modeled and rendered the cassette tape and case just for the fun of taking a trip down memory lane.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my therapy course over the last few weeks. There will be a booster lesson revealed on June 1st, so I will likely talk about that in a future blog post. Until then, we will continue along Route 66 and see what new sights we see along the way.
Donald B. Cheke – Saskatoon, SK