I just got home from a visit with my friend Dave. Even though I’d spent (three times) longer with Dave than I’d planned, it was well worth it. I walked home with a bounce in my step, feeling refreshed and relieved.

I’d been able to express things to Dave that I’d been only half-aware of; things that have been burbling around in the background, waiting to be shared with someone who spoke my language.

Talking to Dave is always a voyage of discovery, unlike speaking with anyone else except – another person with ADHD.

Zoë thinking about putting the laundry away. Honest. Photo: ©Jake Chegahno, 2011

I had the privilege of interviewing Melissa Orlov, author of The ADHD Effect on Marriage recently (blog post to follow). Melissa and I talked about her upcoming course (starting April 25) for couples in a mixed marriage (i.e., one ADHD spouse, one non-ADHD spouse).

Discussing the trials and tribulations arising from the ADHD elephant in the room, I was inspired to come up with some of my own marriage-saving tips.

Here are some of my ideas to rid your home of these ADHD traits:

• distractibility
• lack of structure
• allergies to housework
• frequent mood swings; and
• poor memory

I hope these tips help you. If not, there’s still time to sign up for Melissa’s course.

The Ford Focus. I'll say no more.

Since at least 1993, research about the dangers associated with ADHD and teen drivers has been piling up faster than cars at the Indie 500. Even so, judging from a recent NY Times online article (Learning to Drive With A.D.H.D., by John O’Neil, March 26, 2012) it’s still news. Why?

I’m glad that the issue is getting media coverage. I’m disappointed that the association between ADHD and risky driving (especially in adolescents) isn’t common knowledge by now.

How many accidents, from fender-benders to fatal, might have been prevented had this info been made public when it was first recognized?

For the most part, O’Neil’s article is informative, well-researched, and encouraging. It might even save lives. That said, I was frustrated I couldn’t comment on it online, so I’m doing it here.

The Möbius strip has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. So does my ADHD life... Photo by David Benbennick; licenced under the Creative Commons

I don’t know about you, but before my ADHD diagnosis, my life was kind of like an Escher painting: lots of elements looked normal, but the big picture was definitely screwed up.

I particularly relate to the drawing where you’re not sure if the figures are walking down the stairs, or up the stairs, or both. It’s disorienting; it’s anxiety-provoking; the perspective leaves you feeling slightly off-kilter.

If you have undiagnosed ADHD and you see these works, something inside you screams: Hey! That’s me! Continuously moving, but never getting anywhere!

I love Saturdays. It’s the one day of the week I cut myself some slack and listen to my favorite comedy show, The Debaters, and to advertising genius, Terry O’Reilly, on CBC Radio, Canada’s national broadcaster.

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to the early morning show on a Saturday and making an omelette (yes, that’s something I can actually cook!) The host, Mary Ito, spontaneously decided to ask her listeners to send in words that they had made up.  Great! I thought. I’ll tell  her about my word “blurtatious.”

Did someone say "Starting fires?"

Girl Guides. They had me at “fire-starting.”

Did you go to Girl Guides when you were a young ADHD girl? I did, and I loved it. Turns out a lot of the skills I learned in guiding were handy for a budding ADHDer. The camping trips didn’t hurt, either.

What’s not to love?

There was the aforementioned fire-starting (initially, the leaders and I had different ideas about that. We worked it out.)

Then there was financial management. I discovered that if I spent my dues on candy before the meeting, I’d be too hepped-up and sent home. I decided to pay my dues. Besides, I didn’t want to lie about losing my money. I actually did lose it often enough as it was.

ADHD transition triumph: solving surprise party startle!

I’ve written before about how difficult transitions can be for those of us with ADHD. In my post, 8 Gifts for ADHD Kids, gift #4 was transition time. Even ADHD adults need extra time to switch from one activity to another.

This weekend, I looked forward to being taken out to dinner for my birthday. We’d arranged to meet at my friend’s house, and proceed from there.

I arrived punctually, only to find that some of my closest friends were already assembled. There were helium-filled balloons, presents, bottles of wine, and a huge spread of incredible home-cooked food.

In short, more than a few of my favorite things. But also an unexpected and therefore overwhelming array of stimuli to take in on a moment’s notice.

Zoë Kessler, 4 months old; the beginning of a lifetime of bad hair days!

I’m celebrating not only the new year, but also my birthday (today).

Birthdays remind me that the clock is counting down. What do I want to do with the time I have left? And how do I figure out how much that is? See? Time-management is impossible!

Nonetheless, people without ADHD try to convince us otherwise, so I play along. I personally have learned how to be on time since my ADHD diagnosis, so that’s something (and I’m sure my non-ADHD employer is grateful).

Every year from January 1st to the 7th, I take time to reflect, clarify my goals, and to learn from the past years’ experiences.

A major problem with this strategy, of course, is that I can hardly remember last year. Still, I soldier on. I can still learn from what I think happened, right?

My first post for 2012 takes me full circle to one of the inaugural posts I wrote for ADHD from A to Zoë back in 2010.

At the time, my ADHD diagnosis was a mere 2 years old, and I had a bag full of questions I needed answered, not least of which was: What The #$#%! Is ADHD?

It turned out that the answer was not that straight-forward. Nor, it would seem, is it any more so today.

Happy 2012 from Zoë & Samantha (Photo: ©Jake Chegahno, 2011)

I’ve been enjoying the “Top 10″ lists of my fellow bloggers, so I decided to take stock of what rocked ADHD from A to Zoë visitors in 2011.

Judging from the top 3 titles, we’re a touchy-feely bunch with a practical side, and we love to laugh. The top 3 spots are funny, pragmatic, and sexy, in that order.

The remainder of the list follows suit. We’re also philosophical and reflective (Posts #6 and #7). A pretty well-rounded bunch, if you ask me!