Humor, Nonsense, Tater Tots

Sore o nejikomu, watashi wa teitātottsu o tabete iru – pāto 10 (Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Part Ten)

Writer McWriterson

Couple Holding Hands With Red Heart Balloon

In searching for another “love language,” I stumbled onto this article, and it turns out I missed one: Japanese! In researching the Japanese language a bit for this post, I saw this and felt it necessary to add it in:

“”I love you” in Japanese: Aishiteru （愛してる), although it is important to note that, due to cultural difference, many Japanese people don’t say “I love you” or express their love as opening as often as people in the west do. The phrases  Suki da (好きだ), suki dayo (好きだよ, male speech) or suki yo (好きよ, female speech) are more commonly used. ”

-Jason Oxenham, CEO Rocket Languages

I love learning new things and hope you do too.

見積もり

Mitsumori

(Quote)

This one came to me via my cousin Kristy.

Courtesy of the Instagram account of Becca Tilley

Becca Tilley isn’t my cousin but rather the original author. I read this over and over and it just sat with me for a long time. Then I knew I wanted to share it with all of you this month because sometimes loving yourself can be really hard.

Courtesy of Word Porn
Verilux HappyLight VT22 Lucent 10,000 Lux LED Bright White Light Therapy Lamp
Courtesy of Amazon

ハッピーランプを手に入れました。それから私はそれを返しました。

Happīranpu o te ni iremashita, Sorekara Watashi wa sore o kaeshimashita.

(I got a happy lamp, then I returned it)

I ordered a happy lamp on Amazon after Christmas because I wanted to prepare for the winter ahead. It was on sale and the cheapest I had ever seen it, so I felt like it was meant for me at that moment.

Until I got it and saw how bright it was. Like, HOLY MOTHER OF FROGS, WHY IS THIS SO BRIGHT?

Do you know how bright those happy lamps are? There is no amount of light anywhere (even in California and Arizona put together) that could be brighter than a happy lamp. I liken it to sitting in front of the literal sun.

The first day I used it, I got an ocular migraine because you have to have this bright Aricalifornia light beaming directly or indirectly into your eyes. So I had to return it because as much as I want to be happier from January through April, I need to be pain-free even more.

Have you ever used a “happy” lamp?

By the way, I am loving being able to return Amazon items to Kohls. So much easier than it used to be.

Smiling Woman Hugging Another Person

かつてはハガーだった

Katsu wa hagādatta

(I used to be a hugger)

I am going to try to make this long story short.

Many years ago, we befriended neighbors (let’s name them Bob and Julie) who had just moved in. We had Bob and Julie over for dinners and vice versa, went places together, and our youngest and their then only child played together regularly.

A few months into our friendship, Julie got pregnant with her second child, only to lose the baby in the first three weeks of the pregnancy. To say we felt sick for them is an understatement, so the first time I saw Julie after the miscarriage, I went to give her a hug. She pulled away and looked at me strangely, then made an excuse to leave soon after.

I felt like maybe I had done something wrong by hugging her. Did I push a boundary? Then I felt guilty because I was feeling weird about giving her a hug when she had just lost a baby. But it was the first time in my life I had felt ashamed of giving someone a hug and it became a mind fuck for me.

Over the course of the following year, we became less close with this couple and we saw less of each other. I assumed it was because of the hug, but Mike said that there was no way it could be just that. Then I felt even more horrible because I was being selfish. She had lost a baby and my feelings were hurt because of something so ridiculous, so instead, I gave her space and tried to be supportive from afar.

Long story not really short (you know I’m not good at this), I was at a gathering in the neighborhood the following summer when a new neighbor friend tells me that Julie had mentioned to her when talking to her all about the neighbors to, “be careful of that one over there (insert pointing at my house), she’s a hugger.”

I felt like an episode of Seinfeld.

I am the “hugger.”

So I still avoid hugging people who aren’t close-close to me, and I still do not know when it is appropriate to do so.

Print style courtesy of Mottos Print on Etsy; quote courtesy of who the hell knows

金曜日

Kin’yōbi

(Fridays)

That quote up there means nothing to me. Friday’s aren’t really exciting in my world because Mike works every Friday night (as well as Saturdays), so weekends look really different in our home.

Then my friend Rita shared a blog on her blog, and now I look forward to Fridays again!

Oh, Katie Joy shares lots of random links on her blog every Friday. Stuff like this makes me and my attention-deficit brain thrilled because I can read interesting things from all over the internet in one handy place. I feel like this is something you might like as well, which is why I am sharing it with you!

そのたわごとを手放す

Sono tawagoto o tebanasu

(Let that shit go)

If you are angry right now at this moment of your life, I think you will like this article. I have lost many days to anger in my life, and it made me feel like literal shit. Then I stumbled upon this article about 40 Ways to Let Go Of Anger Right Now, and it helped.

Recently, I started writing things that bother me (big or minuscule) on scraps of paper and put them in an envelope titled, Things that Bother Me (no one ever accused me of being creative). Right now there are at least 15 scraps of paper with things in my current life that truly bother me but I can’t do anything about them or choose not to do anything about them because it might be uncomfortable. But it doesn’t matter because the act of simply writing them down and stuffing them into an envelope is healing for me.

I plan on burning them in the fire pit once the envelope gets filled.

I hope it feels as cathartic as I think it will.

Person Holding Heart Shaped Cut Out

バレンタインプラン

Barentain puran

(Valentine’s plans)

I am always so curious about what other families, or couples, do for Valentine’s Day. Do you go out for dinner? Or do you stay in with your kids or fur babies? Do you treat yourself or get gifts for others? Do you go on a lunch date or spend the day with a loved one or family member who doesn’t have anyone to spend it with?

image

Looking for a fun (and affordable) dinner? Aldi is selling heart-shaped pizzas and specialty cheeses for Valentines. I got the heart-shaped pizza last week and made it for my friend’s son who says he wants me to be his valentine.

It’s okay, he’s only six. 🙂

Speaking of Aldi, I recently found a fun fact about their stores not having a telephone number, and it made me fall in love with them even more.

Also, we need this card:

Funny Valentines Day Card For Husband For Wife For Partner. IN215 Snoring. Funny Anniversary Gift. Folded Greeting Card With Envelope. Blank Inside

Better get it early because I am sure they will be sold out.

Finally, I found this blurb on Bored Panda:

Courtesy of Bored Panda

Happy February, loves!

30 thoughts on “Sore o nejikomu, watashi wa teitātottsu o tabete iru – pāto 10 (Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Part Ten)”

  1. I love your tater tot posts. I want to write in response to everything, but I am now already going to be later than I wanted to be for work on Monday, which is not the way to start this week. But two things: 1. Ocular migraines are no joke. A steady diet of those would make me depressed, so…I concur with your call on that one. 2. You just keep hugging. That’s not about you.

    Sending you love to get you through this week. 🙂

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    2. So much to comment on- I love this post. Um we do not really celebrate Valentine’s day. Maybe a card and a ‘hey happy Valentine’s day – are you picking up a kid from dancing or from basketball?’ Super romantic, right?

      That hugging thing was messed up. How could even a non hugger be that messed up? I must say though your Seinfeld spin on it made me laugh.

      I definitely could use an anger envelope. I think I could fill it in a jiffey. I can be an angry elf.

      Never heard of a happy lamp. Love how you described just how bright it was. Ha ha ha! AND. I do love returning stuff to Amazon at Kohls but I have had to drop a few things off recently at a random locker with a special code. Prfer Kohls.

      I have to go back and look at that map from bored panda when I have a minute. Sounds entertaining as shit. Got an extra kid to babysit for today because my friend who sits for him is sick. More crazy than normal here.

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  2. I am really sorry about the hug incident. But like Rita said, it’s not you. Sending you a tight hug because I know you’ll give one in return. ❤️

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  3. I ♥️Your hugs. You are a good hugger. This world is crazzzzzzzzzy!!!
    We never really celebrate Valentine’s Day…. just a card. This year a friend is having a Valentines-couples- fondue party… nothing says love like melted cheese and melted chocolate.

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  4. So, new comment (thanks, weather gods): That stuff about loving yourself and having a relationship with yourself? Thanks for posting those. I have some significant struggle with that. My grandmother told me that getting old isn’t for wimps, and damn but she was right. It seems to be getting harder, not easier. Glad to have reminders of why that is AND to lighten up.

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  6. I feel for your neighbor, but “she’s a hugger” really made me crack up. I’m not a hugger and am fond of a fist bump or an awkward one-handed back pat, but my best friend told me I had to get over it and be hugged lol

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    1. And I just had a brain fart, in the midst of cracking up at a fellow non-hugger for making a comment, I blanked on it making you feel bad. I honestly can’t imagine for the life of me a hug making someone put off THAT much that it pushed her away and made her gossip. I can only imagine there was some emotional thing that accompanies miscarriage that messed with her in some way. ❤️

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    2. I totally get not being a hugger! I have a friend who admits she is a little stingy with hugs and THAT IS OKAY.

      I guess it just took me aback because it was a moment from mom to mom of acknowledging the pain she was going through. Not obligatory, just love.

      It’s been probably a good ten years since this happened but it still sticks with me. 😞

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  7. I don’t think we’ve gone out for Valentine’s day since we had kids (or maybe a time or two when they were really little and I wanted an excuse to leave them at home?). Mostly we celebrate with a card, a small gift (usually a box of favorite chocolates for each, and a special dinner that can be anything from heart pizzas to a pot roast recipe we all enjoy. Nothing big but I do love Valentine’s day and can’t let the day pass without doing anything.

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  8. So much good stuff to comment about on this post! Here goes:
    You know I love quotes. That one about finding a way to love yourself even when you’re disgusted with you…wow. That is so hard. Something I am always working on.

    I have a happy lamp. But mine’s different than that big square one. It’s a small round one. Still so bright though, I have it on the lowest setting and the first time I used it, I could only stand it for a few minutes before I had to turn it off. Now when I use it (which isn’t often enough because I forget about the darn thing), I make sure to keep it about a foot from my face and turn it so it’s not IN my face or eyes. Has it helped? Not really. Only difference I noticed was not as tired in the afternoon. But my winter mood? Still crappy. I just read a quote from Elizabeth Berg that her soul feels like a deflated tire lately. Yes, that’s it!

    I almost cried when I read about what your neighbor said about you (warning people that you were a hugger). Like others on here said, that was definitely about her, not you. I love hugs (yours included) and I usually greet my friends and family that way. I do have one friend (now lives out of state) that hugs SO hard and long that she nearly crushes me, lol. I have to admit, her hugs are a little uncomfortable….like, “OK, you can let go now”,

    I must go to Aldi and get a heart-shaped pizza. I don’t care if we eat it on Valentine’s Day or not, I just want a heart-shaped pizza. As for that day itself, we just give each other cards and have a nice dinner at home.

    Excellent article on anger from Tiny Buddha. I bookmarked it. (Along with my other ten thousand bookmarks.)

    Illinois hates Indiana? We do? Why? I don’t hate Indiana.

    I read Rita’s blog…she’s an excellent writer.

    Ooh, random links to more stuff I need to read from Oh Katie Joy ~ yay!

    Love you! xoxo

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    1. Deflated tire is the best description of winter. Losing Nibbles today makes me feel like four flat tires.

      I thought we hated Wisconsin. I think the north half of the state hates Wisconsin the South half must hate Indiana?

      Love you too!

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  9. We go back and forth on Vday. Some years I’m into it and other years I’m hardcore against it. (Maybe I do it to keep the Mr on his toes?) He just gave me my early gift which was another man! I had a Cameo video (where celebs will send you a personalized message for a fee) from Joel Freeman, my favorite Beachbody coach listed for Christmas but he went over budget so saved him for Valentines Day. So that was cool. Otherwise, we really don’t have any plans that I know of. OH! But I’ll tell you one thing that chaps others butts whilst showing them you’re the man (woman) is ordering take out from a decent restaurant. I can’t count how many times like 10 years or so ago that I would be home putting on some Diana Krall, lighting candles and making dessert while the hubs is getting Longhorn or some mid-level restaurant’s take out. He wades past the line of couples with a 45 minute wait ahead of them and every time at least 2 dudes say “aww man, we should’ve done that!” He always smiles and says “and she’s home making dessert! win win!” Dessert being popping two chocolate lava cakes in the oven…done.

    I got a happy lamp too but to try to reset my circadian rhythms and my God I couldn’t send that thing back fast enough. It was like “good morning m’lady…would you like your retinas crisped to level 2 or 3 today?”

    I would’ve assumed just as your husband regarding the hug did that maybe it was just a weird reaction at a horrible time, not that she was plain anti-hug. I’m sorry but to tell other neighbors about it just weird and says more about her. So Julie can blow it out her rump…more awesome hugs from you for the rest of us! 😛 HURRAY FOR HUGGERS!

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  10. We’ve never really gone out for Valentine’s Day. However, I usually make a nice dinner for the family. This year I actually plan to make heart-shaped pizza (homemade)!
    My husband showed me that map of which states hate which states a few days ago. Seems pretty accurate to me!

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  11. My mom swears by her happy lamp. She literally sits by it all day. Also, not surprisingly I’m a hugger too. And I’m not just a hugger, I’m a hold-you-until-YOU-let-go hugger. I’m in it for the long haul. We’ll hug all damn day if you don’t let go. People who are anti-hugger baffle me.

    Eric and I are actually going out to dinner for the first time in years for Valentine’s day. This is the year we put the work into our marriage, and our mental health, and it’s been a freakin full 180. Who woulda thought that two people suffering from mental issues would have a hard time being happily married?!

    After living in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut I can say with 100% certainty that their answers were spot on. And this made me laugh out loud as well. What a delightful study!

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    1. I KNEW YOU WERE THAT KIND OF HUGGER! Even without meeting you in person! I love that your words on a page made me feel like you were.
      I am so happy for you and Eric! SO SO SO SO HAPPY!!
      Mike and I are going on a triple date with Ellie to Portillo’s (a Chicago favorite) and Target after. I love this so much for so many reasons, the first of which is that she is getting to the age where she won’t be doing this with us much longer. I am inhaling it all in for now. 🙂

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  12. I’m not a hugger but I’m sure glad you are!
    We haven’t done Valentine’s Day in a long time. I think it’s more me than him.
    I love your tater tots posts!!

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