Family, Life, Tater Tots

screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 72

Kari

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

what tater tots are made of

when i began this post back in 2019, it was by accident—as most things on this blog tend to be. it started as a collection of random musings that didn’t really deserve an entire post. it was completely different from what it’s turned into now, which i think is pretty cool. i love how things evolve over time.

so, that’s what this little “tater tot” is made of. it’s been a while since i shared the origin story—probably not since i wrote that first post back in january of 2019. i never imagined it would still be going strong six years later.

now, here are some random musings:

-mike had both his work and personal phones stolen at the airport, far from home, and he had an entire plane ride to think about it.

by the way, look at all the planes up in the air on a random wednesday night at 10 p.m.. 😶

-i haven’t been on tiktok since february 15th (yay!), but i do miss some of the little tips and tricks i picked up. one that’s really worked for me is when i feel nauseous: i take a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol or an alcohol wipe and hold it under my nose. the smell eventually helps the nausea go away. (yes the text here is smaller. i can’t seem to get it back to the right size. you’re not experiencing impaired vision, you’re experiencing impaired blogging.)

it works every time.

-i came across this prompt monster, and i thought it would be such a fun addition to journaling, blogging, writing, or even using it at the dinner table for conversation starters.

one thing i read

the bright hour: a memoir of living and dying by nina riggs (highly recommend)

one thing i listened to

the closer i get to you – roberta flack and donny hathaway

where do you stream music? i have both apple music and spotify, but i just ended my paid subscription with spotify, so i’ll be getting ads again. i really want to like apple music, though.

let’s discuss in the comments. i might make this next month’s tater tot subject.

(Remind me never to try being creative with fonts again.)

one thing i watched

white lotus season 3

links i clicked on last month

(46) The Wisdom of Pulling Back from the News

Gate A-4 by Naomi Shihab Nye – Poems | Academy of American Poets

Oosouji. The Japanese method to clean your house – Home Healthy Home

Why I’m Embracing Earnestness Right Now – The Good Trade

Pepper Steak And Rice Is One Of Our Favorite Meals – My Heart In Pen

Even the Smallest Acts | A Hundred Falling Veils

this made me laugh.

quotes that had me thinking last month

i am not just my ancestors’ wildest dreams, i am my descendants’ greatest hope. – unknown

there are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving, but who wants easier? – mary oliver

the whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things. – hans christian andersen

oh and by the way, “woke” just means you give a damn about other people. – jane fonda

this past week, i noticed red-winged blackbirds are back at our camera feeder. i hadn’t realized they hadn’t been around all winter! i looked it up, and it turns out that seeing them at the end of february or beginning of march again is actually a sign of spring. 🌈

here’s to march…

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60 thoughts on “screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 72”

  2. Omg that was my dating eval – lemme see your books, CDs and DVDs. Finally the kids are catching on 😅

    Spring is definitely on the way! Tree buds plumping, spring peepers peeping, the “who cooks for youuuuu?” owls are querying and our crow pairs are strutting around & hassling the local hawks.

    I’m stoked.

    I don’t stream music because I need to own my music. Still buying actual CDs or downloading direct from the artists or Bandcamp (tho the latter was bought by a corp so…..)

    We’ve also started buying DVDs (I know!)

    I do stream some stuff on YouTube –

    Cocooning in old cartoon or TV theme songs makes me happy

    Also discovered Wiii Just Dance videos up there! So many warm memories of playing that with the fam

    Groove is in the Heart is now 35 years old but still mad fun to dance to!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Really?? Oh, Maddie, you are so ahead of your time! But this isn’t surprising. 💜

      The peepers are peeping where you are?? I need to get out to the woods here and see if they’re here… I love that your bird friends are all waking up. Spring is my favorite season.

      I love that you still own your music. That is badass. I wish I could sit with you on the floor of your room and we could go through all your records and CDs. Man, how fun would that be?

      DVDs! I love that! I love old show theme songs. I could get lost in that on an afternoon.

      WHAT?? So… Mike, my daughters, and I loved Wii. Like LOVED IT. Still do if we could find a Wii somewhere. My kids grew up on Just Dance, and I have the best videos of them when they were little, dancing with such focus. Omg, I love that we both have warm memories of that.

      Omg, 35 years old! I was 20 when that came out.

      Like

      1. Yes! I love this! Get together, sit on the floor & play all our favs on the hi-fi! Did you ever dance so hard you made the record skip? 🤣

        That was pure bliss. Visiting a friend & getting lost in music.

        Getting lost in NOW is my theme at the mo

        My loved one with dementia exists in the now. If now is good, it is the best thing ever.

        I’ve realized counting on the future is for fools. I’m making now fantastic & enjoying what is here right now.

        The peepers now are the best! I’m glad you love them too. When they wake your way tell them I said hi 😊

        We were a Wii family too! Best system ever! Awww videos of your fam playing must bring back the best memories

        Twenty! You got all the 90s music in your 20s?! The 80s in your teens?! 70s songs for your childhood?! Nice!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. YES!! I still dance too hard at times, but nothing skips now. Except maybe my heart rate. 🤣

        Yes. I love that so much.

        Getting lost in NOW. YES. I’m all about that as well.

        That was us last year with Dad. It was a master course in mindfulness, and honestly, it was a needed lesson. I just wish it wasn’t at the expense of losing him. Everything in life is a teacher…

        The peepeers are the best. It’s been too cold to have the windows open in the morning, but next week it’s in the 60s! I can’t wait.

        I found videos of the girls playing Wii on an old iPod, and I saved it to my phone. It’s precious.

        YES! I was so lucky.

        I’m so grateful for your comments…

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  3. I benefit from family plans for Spotify and Apple. The only reason I like Spotify is that I can have my listening history saved externally (using Last.fm). Apple’s Music App has become cumbersome and confusing, but I do appreciate the personalized station a lot. It mixes up decades of my taste and fades songs into each other. I only wished it recommended more artists I don’t know already.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like the personalized station on Apple too. I also like Spotify’s Daylist. But, I’m with you—I wish Apple recommended more artists I don’t know. I feel like Spotify is really good at that.

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      1. Spotify is way better for discovery of new artists (but somehow awful at discovering new music from artists I love). What both Apple and Spotify are awful at: Showing a thorough list of new music to browse. Everything is algorithmic!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. This is so true. I feel like I’ll use Spotify for content inspiration and creation, but I’ll stream Apple to listen without ads. I also anticipate coming back to Spotify without ads at some point when they run a free three-month promotion.

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      1. I can especially reccomend the BBC Sounds App. Radio/News/Podcasts/Comedy..i listen almost exclusively to shows on Radio 2 and Radio 6.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. We call redwing blackbirds the jerks of the bird world. They are so protective of their nests! And bullies at our feeder. *sigh* They are beautiful, though.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Music is such an important part of my life, I’m happy to pay for a Family Subscription through Spotify. Plus, I really enjoy the Wrapped recaps at the end of the year.

    I loved Jane Fonda’s speech about wokism. Err…woke-ism? Being woke. Whatevs!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I was just thinking about Wrapped! Okay, so… I like Apple Music’s end-of-year summary better. (I know. I KNOW.) Wait, will I still have a Wrapped with a free account? I’m not leaving Spotify, just switching to the basic free account.

      I loved it too. She is an inspiration.

      Like

  9. LOL – impaired blogging.

    BOTH his phones were stolen?! That stinks so much!

    The prompt monster is a fun site! Thank you for linking. It has already prompted an idea for a future post!

    That Mary Oliver quote. She is so wise. WHO WANTS EASIER, KARI????

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I think we need a play by play on how the two phones were stolen! UGH! Plane Finder is both amazing and terrifying to me. We have a Sirius subscription, so that’s the app I use on my phone, but I also use Spotify with ads when I want to hear one band’s songs before a concert. We are also watching White Lotus. So addicting! That Dating App is brilliant!

    Pulling back from the news . . . it’s incredibly freeing. I’ve been reflecting the last few days on the 5-year anniversary of the lockdown as well as how life has changed post 9/11 and I feel as though both events took so much from me. It makes me angry and sad and the crazy part to me is that I could have gone about my life as usual in a pleasant sort of way if I had never tuned into the news at all during those time periods. Sure, I might have wondered where this TSA came from and why I have to take my shoes off at the airport and wear a mask for two years, but really, life would have been just the same for me, personally. I realize that’s not everyone’s experience, as plenty of people lost loved ones with both events, but the average person? We’d think we just had a bad cold when we contracted Covid.

    And that’s my meandering mind today . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I may log in to TikTok to tell you in messaging. It was/is something else. You recommended Plane Finder to me! It’s definitely terrifying and fun. 🤣

      We were watching something the other day, and it had a news segment from 2020 when COVID was at its worst. I realized that, during some of that year, I was probably dissociating. What we went through was scary AF. So many people were dying, and we were hearing about it all day long on the news.

      I think about my dad a lot. When he was in the ICU, they still had the room numbers on the windows from 2020, when people would sit outside to visit their loved ones. It made me think that if my dad had been sick then, we wouldn’t have been able to be with him. All of that would have been different. And it made me so grateful.

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  11. I adore that Jane Fonda quote. She sums it up in a way that is understandable. I’ve been pulling back from the news— or maybe more accurately I’ve been curating which news sources I’ll attend to. I’ve heard enough noise to last me, I want signal now.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Those are such great quotes, but I think I like the Hans Christian Anderson one the best.

    Rubbing alcohol? Wow, I would have never thought of that.

    Ugh for Mike, what a pain to get everything replaced!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I have Spotify. I switched from Apple Music because Spotify let me stream the lyrics when the song is playing, either on the phone, or on my television.

    Not having a phone is a very strange feeling. I left mine at home recently. It was all good until I noticed it wasn’t in my bag.

    Spring is springing here as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I do love that option. I also feel like Spotify is really good at suggesting content I’d like.

      It’s a very strange feeling! I felt so bad for him having to get on a flight with no phone, feeling literally up in the air!

      Yay for spring. 💜

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Kari, that’s horrible about Mike’s phone being stolen at the airport. You have to be so on your toes lately because people are doing this everywhere. Hopefully he was able to contact his provider and have the phone turned off and was able to transfer his data.

    Thanks for sharing the prompt monster link because I’m going to check it out later tonight.

    I’m so bummed about Roberta Flack. I grew up in the 70s listening to her.

    I use Spotify (unpaid version) so yeah, I get those ads too! :(

    LOVE White Lotus!

    Great read, my friend! Have a superb week! X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know. It’s very scary. Thankfully, he has a new phone, and his new work phone arrives this week.

      It’s a fun prompt suggester!

      I know, me too. I love her music.

      I used to get those ads, and I can live with them. Free is free! 💜

      So do I! Getting ready to watch it in a few minutes!

      Have a great week as well, my friend! 😘

      Like

  15. Terrible that Mike had his phones stolen at the airport. Grrr.

    We have the Spotify family plan. No Apple music; we’re all Android peeps.

    I’m so proud of you for being off TikTok! I never did get into it (tried a couple of times, just not for me). I’ve removed the FB app from my phone again, so I can only go on if I’m on my laptop.

    Need to start watching season 3 of White Lotus! How did you like it? I’ve seen mixed reviews.

    I have not seen any red-winged blackbirds here yet! But on March 1st, I did see and hear the Sandhill Cranes overhead. Made me smile and I welcomed them back.

    Love that meme about the dating app. That would definitely be up my alley if I were single. ;-) No books? All junk food? Heat at 62 or 72? You’re immediately crossed off my list. lol

    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know… I’ll tell you more in person. 😔

      I love Spotify so much, but I’m spending $130 a year on the basic plan. If we didn’t already have Apple Music, I’d stay with Spotify.

      I don’t miss it at all, though. I typically go on at this time of day, so I’ve gotten used to doing different things—like answering my blog post comments! Yay!

      It’s good-ish. Ella and I watch it together on Monday nights. I don’t like Parker Posey, so her character is kind of annoying. It’s starting to get interesting now.

      Yay to the cranes! I love that!

      LMAO! That is so funny! I feel like this could make for a fun blog post! 💜

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I watched the first episode of season 3 last night. I really liked it! I didn’t even know who Parker Posey was before watching, but I picked her out right away because there’s something about her that’s off-putting. Something about the way she acts and her mouth, lol. Brian agreed.

        The dating app thing would indeed make a fun blog post. Do it! <3

        Liked by 1 person

  16. How awful that Mike’s phone was stolen at the airport. I would love to know more – like, do you have any tips on how to protect oneself at the airport?

    I love your phrase “impaired blogging.” That’s me. I feel like every time I write a post, it’s a new adventure in “how did THAT happen?”

    Social media is the worst place to get the news, and a huge part of why I left it. It has been so nice!! I think curating the news is much better. I’ve been using the Straight Arrow News app.

    I love how your jar is so beautifully full of memory stones!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He thinks it happened in the TSA line, which honestly surprises me that it doesn’t happen more often. Phones just lying in the bins while you’re stuck at the other end, waiting in line to go through security.

      I’m so glad I’m not alone! I feel like I don’t know half the bells and whistles on my blog. I have no business being in control here!

      You and Ally both used the word curating, and I love this idea. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing—curating what I see. It’s helped me so much.

      It’s getting full. I think I’m going to stop collecting when it reaches the top.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. That prompt monster link is super cool. It’s endless prompts! Who knew? I enjoy the heck out of that dating app meme. So funny. I’d add to it – where does one stand on whistling and how loudly do they chew? ;)

    I use Spotify, but I don’t pay for it. I listen to it on Alexa in my kitchen. It’s Tank’s Alexa so when he pays, I get to enjoy no ads. I’ve figured out that if I request a specific song on Spotify, Alexa will play a string of songs that are somewhat related with no ads and it’s great. One day I might have to get my own Alexa and pay for my own account.

    Two phones stolen – yikes. That sucks so bad.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Dang it with the stolen phones—poor Mike! Why are (some) people crappy?

    Look at you, making your tater tots live in perpetuity! Bravo.

    The dating app meme is hilarious, but also brilliant!

    Wait, you gave up Tik-Tok? I thought you loved it!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t know. 😔

      I love that I just wanted some tater tots, and now I get tater tots every month!

      It’s such a good way to vet out potential partners!

      I did, but it was becoming too much with politics and news. So I took a break. I wasn’t planning on leaving, but I feel a lot better, so I don’t think I’m going back.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. His phones were stolen? Seriously? What the heck…Thanks for sharing Prompt Monster! You find the most fun things! I’m watching Land Man and enjoying it! I think I’m going to start a new book today! Either Ina’s memoir or Doris Kearns-Goodwin’s book, “An Unfished Love Story”. I’m honored you listed my link for “click of the week”! Honestly, it’s one of our favorite recipes! Hope those who make it enjoy it! xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I loved The Bright Hour, and pretty much any poem by Naomi Shihab Nye. Wish we lived close enough for an in-person book club. I’m just now starting White Lotus season 1 (again) and still wondering why everyone loved it so much? I kinda hate all of them, and I suppose that’s the point but I’m getting real picky about who I will spend my time with. Even fictional people. I’d like to know more about your breakup with TikTok; I know there was a time when you felt a lot of value in it. I never did make an account, and pretty sure I won’t. I’m needing lots of space from social media these days. Condolences on the phone theft! That just sucks. I often feel nostalgic for life before smart phones, but I also know that I’d feel unable to function in important ways without mine.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wish we could live closer and start our own little book and poem club. It would be so lovely.

      So, White Lotus… I don’t love season one. I wouldn’t say I love any of the seasons, really. They hold my attention, though. I think if I weren’t in need of distraction, I probably wouldn’t be interested in it at all. As I’m writing this, I wonder if post-lockdown-COVID-shitshow me likes different things than pre-COVID-lockdown-shitshow me? Maybe the things I’m consuming have changed? I will say, I don’t watch as much television as I used to. I’d much rather have conversations, write, read, and make music playlists—that’s what I fill my free time with now. When it isn’t White Lotus. 🤣

      Sooo, TikTok… The feed (FYP) is full of people you don’t typically follow. This can be a good thing when the country isn’t falling apart at the seams. It held my attention with lots of great content. Then November happened. Then January. And my feed was full of political stuff, and as much as I want to know breaking news, it was constant. I had an emotional breakdown at 10 on a Saturday night with Mike. I’m too emotionally fragile to be on TikTok right now. So I took a break, and now I realize I was using TikTok as a way to distract myself from grief. I’ve been truly grieving since February 15. Not in a negative way, but I’ve really been feeling things. It feels like when I left Facebook in 2020.

      I think we all need space from cell phones. It feels very isolating when I take social media and phone breaks, but the rest of the world isn’t.

      Like

      1. I wish we lived closer so we could have a real talk about all of these things. I’m slowly coming out of a breakdown of my own, which started about the same time as yours. I think I’ve had a similar experience on Substack that you’ve had on TikTok. At first it was great–so many good writers, writing about all kinds of things, but my scroll is almost all political now, and I’ve had to step way back from it. Instagram, too. (I go there mostly to see what you and Kate and my daughter are sharing.) I know we all need to find some kind of new balance in this new (and still evolving) reality. With you on the phones. I recently started watching Grey’s Anatomy, from the beginning–which is pre-smart phones. Watching, I have felt such longing for the world I remember living in back in 2006. I keep trying to read books the way I used to read books, and I’m struggling. I want my old mind back, too. I know I’m seeing important things that need seeing, but oof, it sure doesn’t feel good.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I’m really sorry Substack (and Instagram) became so political for you. It’s such a tough time to be in, wanting to know what’s going on but also not wanting to. I totally get it.

        It’s funny you mentioned Grey’s—Mike and I just started watching ER two nights ago. It’s the 30th anniversary this year, which makes me feel incredibly old. I watched it in the ’90s, but Mike never did. It’s set in Chicago, so he’s enjoying all the local references, and the show still holds up.

        Mike, Anna, and I used to watch Grey’s together when she was little—can you believe it? When I was pregnant with Ella, Anna was 7, and we’d all watch it together every Thursday night. Mike would make homemade chocolate chip cookies—it was such a lovely routine. Then Ella was born and ruined it all. 🤣 (Just kidding, but kind of not.) Ella will love hearing this. She still loves binge-watching shows with us and, of course, the cookies. Maybe we should pick up that tradition again. 💜

        I want my old mind back, too, my friend. I was writing a post this morning that’s being published Monday, and it’s about the Solid Gold Dancers! My friend and I loved that show and wanted to be them. I watched a YouTube video of it, and it’s so bad and good at the same time. How did it hold our attention back then?

        No phones. No internet. Nothing. I found myself longing for that simplicity.

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