Birds, Grief, Humor, Life, Tater Tots

screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 64

Kari

if you’re new to my blog, welcome! here is an explanation of the tater tot post.

glasses

one thing i did not tell you about my new glasses was that the prescription had changed. by a lot. i typically visit the eye doctor every two years. and every time i go in, my prescription doesn’t change much. so i am really going in for a small lens upgrade and a new frame.

but this time, my prescription changed significantly. the doctor even said “whoa” while reviewing my chart from 2022. that is never good.

my eyes are aging.

i’m not sure how to feel about that.

bird influence

i haven’t posted much bird feeder footage on my blog because i share most of it on instagram. since seeing our footage, several of my friends have bought bird feeder cameras. i guess that makes me a bird influence.

my dad is laughing somewhere…🖤🌈

one thing i read

a grief observed by c.s. lewis

one thing i listened to

we’ve been binge watching the new season of the bear. i love when a great show also features great music.

chef’s kiss. 🖤

mixed emotions – the rolling stones

Here’s every song in ‘The Bear’ season 3

one thing (or two) i watched (besides the bear)

brats

relentless

thoughts? let’s discuss in the comments.

links i clicked on last month

The Secret to Happiness Is Helping Others

The vorfreude secret: 30 zero-effort ways to fill your life with joy

Little Souls Saved By Suz

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

“The Afterlife” by Billy Collins – Words for the Year

What Are Your Childlike Habits?

The 40 Most Scenic Drives in America

PISA – More To It Than The Leaning Tower

Tribes honor the birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone and reveal its name: Wakan Gli

Lauren Graham Set To Receive A Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star

quotes that had me thinking last month

“remember that the clock is a human invention” – barbara ann kipfer

“those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – roald dahl

“your heart is a living forest full of songbirds.” – e.e. cummings

here’s to july…

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51 thoughts on “screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 64”

  1. As someone who has had crappy vision all his life, I can relate. I am 20/300 in both eyes.

    According to my research, “Visual acuity less than 20/200 is considered legally blind, but to actually fit the definition, the person must not be able to attain 20/200 vision even with prescription eyewear.” So I can see great with contacts/glasses, but without I am a stumbling fool. The ultimate is when (at least three times a week) I can’t find my glasses and can’t see worth a damn to look for them. Good times in my mid-50s. Party on!

    The article goes on to say, “Many people who would be legally blind without eyewear can function well in everyday life with appropriate glasses or contact lenses.”

    “Function well.” Them’s fightin’ words, pilgrim. And a lot of pressure, to be honest.

    *****

    We have bunnies in our backyard. Since we don’t own this house, I guess they are technically rented bunnies. Kim puts out carrots every day and the little dudes come up and chow down. I know there are at least four of them. I wish there was a spot they always came to and I would install a Bunny Cam (Hmmm…that sounds mildly perverted).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Okay, I feel better now. KIDDING. 🤣

      My friend and I once discussed how we would be the first to go in a world where glasses had not been discovered. “Function well.” That is a lot of pressure. Define “well.”

      Rented bunnies! Aww, I love that Kim feeds them! YOU SHOULD GET A BUNNY CAM!!!! I mean, if you got a bird cam and installed it low to the ground with carrots, you’d get the footage. You’d also get lots of other critters..

      Like

  3. That Jamie Anderson quote on grief is one of the best I’ve ever read! Thanks for sharing. As always, so many golden nuggets. I laughed at your being a bird influencer bc I tried to talk Brad into our getting one after seeing some of your posts. You really are! And of course thanks for reading and sharing the link on Pisa. Grazie.❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I was already a birding enthusiast, but you certainly sparked my interest in smart bird feeders. I leveled up because of you!

    Can’t wait to binge the new season of The Bear. I don’t want to rush through it too fast, though, ’cause then we’ll have to wait another long stretch for the next season. Like a good meal, I want to savor every morsel.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love that so much! Your camera is inspiring me to level up! 🤣

      Well, we watched the entire season over the weekend and already have regrets. Top Chef is over. It’s sad town here. Thank goodness I have the bird feeder camera.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Yep, had a recent eye exam and new glasses are in my future too! But so far no cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration so 👍. Grow old they said; it’ll be fun they said…

    Dammit, now I need a bird feeder camera (and a bird feeder). You ARE an influencer!!!

    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I love that you’re a bird influencer! ❤️ Do you see the world a whole new way with your new prescription? I had a new one at my last checkup. My left eye is 20/CF. It means “Count Fingers”. I can’t read the biggest letters on the chart, but I can see how many fingers the optician is holding up. Aak.
    I love all your links and quotes and seeing your jar filling up with stones.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love it too!

      When I take my glasses off now, everything is blurry. That is something new. It’s scary because I feel like I am entering into blindness territory. I started wearing bifocals at age 36, so I don’t think this is anything to be concerned about, but this feels different. I think I will need to upgrade from America’s Best to an actual doctor going forward. I’m embarrassed to admit this because I can’t believe I’ve never considered going to an actual MD until now. I don’t think I ever felt the need to.

      I love how the jar is filling up. It helps me understand why I’m so sad. Look at all the memories I have. 🖤

      Like

      1. ugh. I made an attempt to watch Brats and it was awful. Especially the interview with Emilio..he looked really tense and guarded. Andrew comes across as someone with anxiety & depression unable to let go of the past and move forward. Maybe if this was a film about genuine friendship with a look back it may have a different feel to it. The actors who participated probably really felt sorry him.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Whoa! Your jar is filling up! So cool!

    Would you believe my eyes have been improving the last six years or so? My farsightedness has remained steady, but my nearsightedness, which started in 5th grade keeps improving. I’m at a -1.25 now, which is amazing. My doctor actually said that was normal with aging??

    I’m impressed that you read a C.S. Lewis book. I cannot finish any of them. I just find them incredibly depressing and boring, but maybe that’s just me?

    We just started watching The Bear, Season 1. I’m so glad to hear it’s good!

    You know with my love of travel, I had to click the scenic drive link. I’ve only done 9 or 10 of the 40. The best being the drive to Monument Valley. It’s otherworldly and amazing. I think about it all the time.

    Happy 4th!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I had no idea how much it was filling up until I saw the picture of the jar from the end of May. I love how many memories I’ve thought of since then.

      I love how your eyes are improving! You are giving me hope!

      This book is very short, similar to a book of poetry. I think you will like it. It is VERY different from his other books, which I also cannot read.

      It’s really good. Part of its appeal (to us) could be because we love that it’s filmed here, but also I fell in love with the characters. Season 2 is my personal favorite. But there is one episode in season three that is also so good. I hope you like it.

      I’m not a big traveler, but that list makes me want to be. Monument Valley is so spectacular that it doesn’t look real. I hope to see it in person someday.

      Happy 4th, my friend!

      Like

  12. Kari, it’s ironic you posted about your eyesight aging because I have a future post I will be sharing about just that topic.

    LOVE your video clips, especially (being a HUGE squirrel lover) the talking squirrel. Yup, definitely talking! That’s what they sound like when I’m in the park hand-feeding them.

    Can you believe that I have ever watched The Bear? I gotta’ tune into it and start with season 1 because it’s looks very interesting.

    Your gemstone jar is GROWING! It’s gorgeous!

    Fun post, my friend. Happy Monday! Gosh, I can’t believe the 4Th of July is Thursday!? Happy Pre-4th!!!!!

    X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. SAME WAVELENGTH.

      I love that the squirrels talk! I hear them chirping all of the time. I always assumed those were bird noises. I only learned last year that those were the squirrels!

      I think you’ll like it! It’s very visually appealing, and the music is really good.

      It is! It is a very nurturing way of healing.

      Thank you! Happy 4th to you as well, my friend. 😘❤️

      Like

  13. I can’t believe your eyes changed that much. Dang. That sucks. I’m plagued with these contact lenses and I am too vain to become someone who says, I can’t wear contact lenses anymore. Nope. Can’t happen.

    I don’t think I realized that your bird camera recorded sound. So fun! You are a bird influencer. Congrats.

    I really REALLY want to see that Brat Pack documentary. Why are all the shows I want to watch on platforms that I don’t have a subscription to? Relentless looks good too, but BRAT PACK! OMG – those were the days.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I’ve been slowly making my way through memoirs of the various Brat Pack members so I wondered if Brats would touch upon anything different than I’d already read/heard (on audio) since quite a few of the touch upon that time and what the label meant to them.

    That quote on grief is so perfect!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. My eyes almost always require a new prescription b/c of a minor change, but I don’t always get the script filled. My doc seems cool with that.

    I need to get in gear and watch The Bear, have pushed it aside for no particular reason. Probably going to pass of the Brat Pack documentary. I’d want to look back on them fondly as I knew them then, not how they might have really been.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The Bear is so good. We binge watched the most recent season in almost an afternoon and regret it because now we have to wait another year for season 4. I think we might watch seasons one and two again.

      Brats was just okay, so I agree with you. It wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. That is wild about your glasses. I had LASIK surgery in 2000 and they told me that I would probably need reading glasses when I was in my forties. My thought “who cares, I’ll be so old by then.” Ha! Well, I do rely on my reading glasses a lot these days. I wonder why your prescription changed so much? Do they have any idea? Or just one of those things.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. A Bird Influencer must be the absolute best influencer ever! You Rock.

    Also, I’m loving your sweet Rock Jar. RIP Best Dad Ever. ❤️

    The cardinal turning on your party lights is the best. I can watch them alllll day. I was just getting in the shower and I saw through the upper window a female and male cardinal near the top of an oak tree and I was imagining what they’re conversation was: What do you want for dinner? Why do I always have to decide? Just pick something, please….

    Menopause does a number on our eyes. Also, I just learned that it affects our hearing too. CAN YOU READ THIS? CAN YOU HEAR ME HOLLERING AT YOU?

    I love Lauren Graham!

    Girl, I’d already forgotten about that butterfly post and was shocked it was just this past March. Please, send help.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The best type of influence!

      I absolutely love that jar. It sits on my desk as I write this, and it always makes me smile.

      Cardinals are so funny. The way they fly, the chirps they make when they eat, the couples. I love the conversation you imagined them having.

      OMG, I never thought about how menopause might affect my eyes! Fricken menopause…

      I love her, too! I felt so happy for her!

      I just opened it again a few weeks ago, and it made me smile. I thought others would like to smile as well. 💕

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Kari, I was the same as you until my cataract started to play havoc with my (already rubbish) eyesight. But yes, I believe that the menopause can also have an impact, and I’m sure you’d have been told if there was evidence of a cataract. I’m now in the strange position (after cataract surgery) of being able to see clearly when I wake up. It’s a novelty I’m still getting used to, whilst being grateful for modern medical advances.

    I’d love to join in with your bird feeding – but it would be like setting up a restaurant table for Stan my neighbour’s cat, so I am resisting.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. For the last four or five years, there has been talk about me getting bifocals. I have resisted. I am also postponing an eye appointment because I know that the resistance is starting to become futile. *sigh* Why is my body letting me down this way?

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Wow! Two years between appointments? Your eyeballs are amazing!

    My mom was at a retreat & one evening someone said “Whoa! Do you guys see all those sparkles?! Cool!”

    No one else saw sparkles. The guy’s retina was detaching.

    Luckily my mom knew the symptoms and convinced the guy he needed to head home and contact a retina surgeon like super duper quick. I think you have like 48 hours???

    Yay old age. Just wait until you have 3 doctors for yer eyeballs – one each for vision rx, retinas, and corneas.

    I swan Aging is the slow accumulation of specialists and discovering where the “good” medical people are located. And knowing all the symptoms so you don’t unknowingly shrug off vision damage or a stroke.

    Omg I loved the music in The Bear. The bands!!!! Made me feel like I knew the person(s) selecting the music.

    Haven’t watched S3 yet.

    I was loving the show and then had a bummer epiphany. A “feet of clay” moment. Not sure if what I saw was a long game plot point or the show simply reflecting society. Kinda hesitant to watch S3 in case my worst fears are confirmed. Lately I’m feeling very disappointed in society & just can’t take more bummers. But cool to see the music is still on point.

    I love that you have an ee cummings quote bc when you stopped capitalizing I thought of your kinship with ee cummings lol. That quote makes me think of Make A Little Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants 😊.

    I want a body-soul grid like for chakras but nature/bird oriented. I can grow roots out of my feet & into the soil. I can water the songbird’s forest in my heart. I can nuture the cozy birdhouse in my soul.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. OMG! New fear unlocked! 🤣 You’re so right about aging. I despise the fact that nowadays, survival is more about privelege than genes.

      I felt the same way about The Bear, Maddie!! We’ve already zoomed through season three, so we’re rewatching seasons one and two. So I’m upset that so much food is being wasted on the show. I mentioned it to Mike several times while watching season three. I would love to hear about your feet of clay moment. I’m curious if your bummer epiphany has to do with impressing others and not listening to heart/intuition? My favorite episode from season three is called Napkins. If you decide to watch season three, I wonder if we have the same favorite episode. 🖤

      I love the comparison to ee cummings! I want to go listen to that song…

      I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

      Like

  21. I think what bummed me definitely lines up with what you wrote about impressing others instead of listening to your heart. 😊

    It has been a while and my brain has had to focus on other things so I may a bit off point, but essentially – I thought The Bear was going to take another path S2.

    Can’t recall the exact scene but some moment made me so disappointed. The scene turned & S2 fed us what we’ve been raised on. Sacrifice yourself, your health, your sanity, your relationships, etc etc etc for your job.

    A bad message whether you’re perfecting plating or working as a postdoc. And it is a message I’m personally so over.

    I’m guessing S3 will show the damage of this sacrifice mindset or it will double down and depict “noble suffering”. Or I could be wrong and they will surprise me? It is still great TV but S2 deflated me a bit. Probably because it was so good & U genuinely cared about the characters.

    Maybe S3 will redeem & I’ll see what S2 was building towards.

    I’ll make a note about the Napkins episode! Now you’ve got me intrigued 🤔 😊

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes to sacrificing yourself for your job. I’ll be interested in your thoughts on S3. I think you’ll like it. It definitely shows the damage, as well as how much emphasis he places on pleasing others, particularly a certain other.

      So we rewatched S1 over the weekend, and I realized I don’t like Sydney as much as I did the first time I watched it. Also, when I watched the show again, it felt different. I wonder if grief has changed me? Maybe that’s too deep.

      Definitely come back here and let me know your thoughts on S3 after you watch it. 🖤

      Like

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