Humor, Menopause, Soul Homework, Tater Tots

Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Episode 28

Writer McWriterson

If you’re new to my blog, welcome! Here is how the tater tot post got started.

What I’m doing:

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Sleep is the answer to everything

The older I get, the more I recognize that sleep is the answer. Feel like shit? You need to sleep. Lost all your money in a poker game? Go to bed. You’re an asshole? Do us all a favor and get a solid eight hours.

It wasn’t until I was getting enough (and then some) sleep during menopause that I finally realized what the biggest problem in perimenopause was for me.

Not just hot flashes.

Not just migraines.

Not just vertigo.

Not just raging assholery.

It was lack of sleep.

Because I am such a nicer human now that I am getting more sleep. It could be a culmination of a lot of other things too, but lack of sleep played a significant role.

I only got about four to five hours of sleep each night when I was in perimenopause. Because of vertigo, I had to train myself to sleep on my back so that I didn’t end up sleeping on my side, which was my favorite sleep position but also gave me vertigo.

I am still sleeping on my back but I’m getting better sleep and feeling better as a result. But I did tell Mike recently I’ve been getting plenty of sleep and waking up feeling tired. I think it’s an emotional exhaustion. A culmination of the previous year’s events. Is anyone else feeling this way?

Photo by Alexander Mils on Pexels.com

Regional things

My parents and I were talking about a vacation we took to Maine when I was little, and my mom commented that the McDonald’s there had coffee-flavored milkshakes, something we didn’t have in central Ohio at the time.

Then recently my friend Joanne commented that her East Coast grocery stores offered coffee flavored icicle pops, which made me curious about regional foods. But how would we know whether it’s regional to begin with if we never travel outside of our area?

Deep thoughts, by Kari.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

Literal shit show

I was going to add this to the links section, but it needed its own section.

Explosive Diarrhea Shuts Down NBC’s Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide

Grateful

I understand that thankfulness and gratitude are trendy, and some could even argue that they are overdone, but I disagree. Since September, I’ve been falling asleep by quietly expressing everything I’m grateful for that happened that day. It has been the most relaxing and enjoyable way to end my day.

I recently discovered a gratefulness website, and it’s been a wonderful find. On this site, they have a message board where you can discuss topics with others (which looks like it has turned into a lovely space that reminds me of my comment section), and even fantastic writing prompts. It’s something I’ve enjoyed it and thought I’d share it with all of you.

What I’ve been reading

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein (I only made it through a couple of chapters. It wasn’t what I needed, but I added it here because maybe it will be something you will need)

Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Activism and Action by Sophie Williams

Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty

My Inner Sky by Mari Andrew (I didn’t love this for me but I am sharing it because again, it might be something others may need)

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim (I was in love with this book but then I googled the author; never a good thing. Sigh)

What I’ve been watching

Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

The Staircase. Holy hell, we watched this several weekends in a row. There are 13 episodes in this documentary and they are now working on creating a series for HBO.

Expecting Amy

What I’ve been listening to

What I’ve been clicking on

Starting the day off with chocolate may have unexpected benefits – Harvard Gazette

The Yellow Wallpaper: a 19th-century short story of nervous exhaustion and the perils of women’s ‘rest cures’

If You Care About Mental Illness, It’s Time to Stop Saying “Crazy” and “Insane”

How Kathy Bates Lost 60 Pounds Through ‘Mindfulness’

Hulu true crime doc ‘Sasquatch’ investigates whether Bigfoot murdered three NorCal cannabis farmers

Man Lives On His Own Private Island In Florida And Here’s How His Life Looks | Bored Panda

Pick Bird Photos And Get A 16th Century European Job (I got a tavern owner)

What I’ve been quoting

Finally, I don’t want to sound negative but I have a question. Is it just me or does it seem like nobody is talking about the last year we just had? As if it never happened? Sometimes I feel I’m completely alone in this. I feel like we need a gap year to heal from what we went through.

I know enough not to believe the pictures I see on social media, but it appears that many of you are moving on.

I need a gap year.

Or two.

Happy July, everyone.

35 thoughts on “Screw It, I’m Eating Tater Tots- Episode 28”

  1. No, it is not just you. And I’m freaking out about everyone just moving on for a couple of reasons, but the main one is that it isn’t all over. I have a friend who currently has two fully-Pfizer-vaccinated friends who are positive with the Delta variant of Covid. And they’re sick. Not going to die, sick, but still: sick. Which worries the hell out of me for my parents.

    Also, denial seems to be our national illness. It seems that many, many of us don’t want to look at or talk about hard things in the past. We just want to move on. I know there’s a happy medium in there. Wallowing doesn’t do much good. But yes, I think some processing and gentleness are required.

    Moving on. I am so with you on sleep. I currently can’t seem to get more than 6 hours at a stretch, and I’m feeling it. I still have too much going on, and I’m blaming that. And the heat wave and see above. When I do get sleep, I am a different person. It’s heavenly.

    Also: I loved “The Yellow Wallpaper” way back in my college days. I love Charlotte Perkins Gilman. You might like her novel Herland. I did click on the slip ‘n slide link. Eww. Just, EWW. And the geometry meme made me laugh. That was me in every math class! And philosophy class, too.

    (Let me know if this is a double comment. I basically have to sign in twice. Last week I only signed in once, and I guess that doesn’t work because I never saw my comment appear on your site. So, second time’s the charm?)

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. I only got one comment. I KNOW. What on earth is wrong with my blog??

      I was concerned about writing that little blurb at the end. I don’t want others to think that by moving on, I’m passing judgment on them. I’m just saying I am not there yet. I’m nowhere close.

      I am sorry about your friend and yes, I’m concerned about my parents too even though they’ve been vaccinated. Denial is an insidious American disease.
      Denial is why I needed so much soul homework. It’s why I abandoned Facebook. It’s why I no longer talk to a lot of people in my life.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Oh, I can see how denial would be a factor in all those things. I think it was particularly prevalent among people of our generation. I think it’s really different for our kids. I hope so.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I’m with you on this past year. It really affected me. I feel like it knocked the stuffing out of me. My daughter really suffered and that was another thing that hurt. Also, I couldn’t sleep more than four or five hours during perimenopause too.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I feel like I did more things during the pandemic than I am doing now. I was more creative with my time, if that makes sense? Now I’m kind of trying to put pieces back together.

      Sleep disruptions aren’t discussed enough in relation to perimenopause. Maybe if doctors talked about solving that problem first, it might have helped a lot of other related problems?

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. I was working really hard with magazine assignments at the start of the pandemic. It kept me busy and energized. I agree I’m doing way less creatively now. Nothing was discussed with me during those years. In fact, I brought up some complaints to my OB/GYN including lack of sleep and he said, “You’re getting older!”

        Liked by 1 person

  4. You are not alone. It happened. Is still happening. Now it is endemic. And it is doing what viruses do… throwing out variants. I’ve never heard anyone say, “I’m so glad I finally caught a cold, it was mild, now I’m better and I’ll never get a cold again!” But I’ve heard this said about COVID and it weirds me out. Do they really believe that? I don’t say anything but it is hard to not ask.

    I think that’s the new policy. Don’t talk about it. Everyone is going to do what they’re going to do anyway…. why bother. Just another item on the Do not discuss list. Society does this with so many things already.

    But you’re def not alone. I know many people who are still trying to figure out the new normal. Unfortunately the new normal is always shifting. And I talk to older people – people who are vaccinated and don’t want to spend their “last few good years” hiding. I mean…. that’s complicated.

    Really the whole thing is complicated to me. Geometry Proofs were a forking cake walk compared to this! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to make me feel less alone. And your comparison to colds makes complete sense. Trying to make sense of last year, I believe, is futile. It’s difficult to rationalize an irrational time.

      I’m seeing friends and family again, which makes me happy beyond belief. It’s the disregard for the ongoing pandemic that’s scary. It’s the lack of mental health care that I’m hearing from everyone, from our pediatrician to educators. It’s a blatant denial of what we just went through. I’m concerned about my daughters because of all of this.

      Does any of this make sense?

      This should have been a blog post. Sorry, Maddie. 🙂

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  5. I feel like I am always tired lately; even after waking up after sleeping for 8 straight hours. I can not wait to crawl into bed at night and have even found myself falling asleep in the afternoon when sitting to read my book– so not like me! Then I do have whole weeks where it seems like I am wide awake at 2 or 3 am and unable to fall back to sleep at all.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I have weeks like this too, especially as of late.

      Last night, I awoke at 3:30 am and couldn’t fall asleep until 4:30 am, but I woke up on my own at 7:30 and I feel good. But if I get more than eight hours of sleep, I feel exhausted.

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  7. Curly and I are in line to check bags at the airport. Looking forward (?) To sharing the explosive diarrhea link with her. Hee hee.

    I am ready to move forward but the last year plus is impossible to forget. I just cleaned out my purse before this trip and I help up a think I bought for the kids who couldn’t breathe during sports. No one cared for this plastic thing that extended the space between face and mask though. So do I toss it or save it as a momento.

    I’m looking forward to the day when we all reminisce about the pandemic . . . like remember the to shortage? Because thst will mean will be far enough past it to look back.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. It almost doesn’t seem real! If we hadn’t experienced 2020, we might not believed it. 🤨

      I’m glad you’re moving forward. Like I said to someone else, I’m moving in slow motion. My husband traveled weekly through the worst of the pandemic, something I didn’t mention. I think that, coupled with other factors, is starting to weigh on me. My body is starting to feel the stress a bit.

      I’m glad I can find toilet paper on the regular. The little things. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. It does seem like we want to forget 2020 happened and just go back to pre-pandemic life. Before the last flat spot in the curve of Covid’s progress through our lives, I had begun to refer to all the precautions as “the new normal” and given the new delta spike it looks like I was right the first time.

        Speakng of the first time, I didn’t get a chance to take advantage of all that time in isolation to do some introspection on myself because I was less isolated during a good part of it than I might have been. So, in this second wave, I am getting another chance to do this because I really am pretty isolated now. As part of that, or maybe as a distraction from it, I will add the Amy Tan doc to my near term watch list. I really want to binge watch several TV series I missed over the last several years (Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black) but I am trying to make better more productive use of my time now. Hopefully that will be my new normal!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. In seven months, the pandemic began two years ago for all of us here in America. Let that sink in.

        I’m not sad about the possibility of another lockdown. While I was scared of it the first time around, I ultimately came to like spending time in my home. I clearly do not wish any negative consequences on the jobs and the economic standing of our country. However, because of the vaccination battles, I believe this virus will be a continuing problem. So I am trying to look at the positive sides of being in lockdown to protect my sanity. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Begin rant. I agree with you that nobody is talking about this last pandemic year. Everything has changed, people have been changed by it, but there seems to be mass denial. It’s as if people cannot process what happened, so they’re just saying *la-la-la I can’t hear you* instead of doing the introspective work of figuring out who they are now. I’m baffled, irritated, and dismayed by it. End rant.

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  9. Sleep is so essential and you know how essential until you’re not getting enough. When you mentioned sleeping on your back, I was feeling green with envy. I’ve tried for years (unsuccessfully) to sleep on my back because it’s better for your face. NOPE, can’t do it. Also, vertigo is a bitch.

    How did you like Expecting Amy? I’m on the fence with her.
    The Staircase looks super creepy. Yes? No?

    The private Island guy looks really interesting! And I’m terrible with all things math, especially geometry.

    This past year. What? Did something happen???
    I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I am moving on. Talking about it over and over doesn’t make it better, nor does it make it go away. NOT talking about doesn’t make it better nor make it go away. To quote my Mom: It is what it is.
    I tend to not discuss too much of the past. Talking about my crappy childhood over and over doesn’t make it better. Well, unless I’m poking fun at it, then it’s all good.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I am so used to it now, it doesn’t bother me BUT my back was bothering me last night and I realized, it was from sleeping on my back. GAH. 🙂

      The near-constant vomiting is hard to watch in the first episode of Expecting Amy. I didn’t like her older stand-up but she is growing on me. See what I did there?

      The Staircase is excellent watching but sad. Not creepy, though. It seems creepy but it isn’t. Very in-depth about the legal system. Mike and I were yelling at the television one evening while watching it and Ella came down to see what was wrong. It was THAT good. 🙂

      Math makes my head hurt. No likey Math.

      I completely understand that point of view. I think I’m in need to processing it because Mike worked on the front lines the entire time. He traveled for work every week during the pandemic and I’m beginning to deal with all of that fear and worry now. It’s just now beginning to hit me because I wasn’t allowing myself to worry then, if that makes sense. All I know is we all process it differently and I didn’t want to make anyone feel guilty for moving on. I discuss it more in this week’s podcast. Yay for all of you. 😉

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  10. I also worry about my parents. I am in a state that is the 49th least vaccinated and now is number 2 in new cases of COVID. They never acted like anything was happening last year.

    Skipping the slip-n-slide article, but I found a few recommendations that appeal to me. Thanks.

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  11. The Staircase is exactly the kind of show that everyone in my family watches and then discusses. I want to hear more of what you think!

    As for your question, I don’t think it’s negative to see people handling it differently and wonder why. For me, I NEED to be doing my normal pre-COVID thing now that now that we all are vaccinated. If you need a gap year, or two, or even three PLEASE take it. We all should do the things that make sense to us.

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    1. Have you seen it?? I don’t want to give any spoilers away because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. After we were finished, we felt empty. Here are a few of my thoughts without giving anything away:
      -I despise the American justice system
      -The South isn’t well portrayed in this documentary
      -Neither is the American judicial system
      -How could someone live in a house with a crime scene and just go about their business?

      Gap years, in general, are very underrated in my opinion. When I was in lockdown and everyone else was also at home, I felt at ease. Now that things are moving forward, my old insecurities have returned. I wasn’t expecting to feel that way. So it’s been an adjustment.

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