I'm Constantly Chasing Sleep
Does my insomnia look like yours?
Wow! We’ve already made it to mid-January. I hope this message finds you safe and well. Between crazy weather and the virus that I won’t mention because this is supposed to be a fun letter, 2022 is off to quite a start!
I’m happy to report that we moved our new recumbent exercise bike and the old rowing machine into our craft/game that is meant to be a dining room and therefore houses the china cabinet and table I inherited from my mom. Yes, it’s a little chaotic, but at least now we can now cycle our way to good health alongside fine china and crystal wine glasses. Fancy! Clearly, this is not a home gym suitable for jumping rope.
As you might notice, this newsletter looks a bit different than previous ones. I have switched to a new provider. The benefit for you is that you can now read this newsletter online if you prefer (just click the logo banner at the top), leave a comment, and read past issues….well, once there are past issues available. I’m hoping we might be able to get some interesting conversations going, like who else feels their cat is disturbed by naked skin? (See story below.)
This Week:
This is a look at my nights now that menopausal insomnia has taken over. Does my insomnia look like yours?
Pets Mystified by Naked Humans
Do our pets see us as absurdly uncoordinated, two-legged creatures who are sadly lacking in fur?
Warning: Ridiculous Labels May Cause Laughter and Food Spewing
From the archives, this story follows my tour of our house as I seek out absurdly unnecessary warnings that have me questioning the common sense of humans.
Behind-the-Scenes:
There are few things better than fresh bread! Two days ago I had this intense craving for spaghetti brought about by watching the family on Everything Is Going to Be OK eat spaghetti for dinner. (Don’t judge. You know it’s happened to you, too.) I took some spicy chicken sausage out of the freezer, checked the ‘fridge to make sure we had a variety of veggies to go in the sauce, and then realized we had no bread to go with it. It was at that point I decided to find out if the yeast I’d purchased during year one of the virus I’m not mentioning was truly expired, as the package indicated. If not, I would bake my own bread!
So, making an amazing spaghetti sauce and fresh bread were my big accomplishments yesterday. I’d never made bread before, but as you can see, it turned out perfectly, and yes, it was delicious! Now I need to forget I ever had such success or I’ll want to do it again and again, which will definitely not support my goal of eating healthier.
Speaking of goals, yesterday, in the midst of cooking up onions and peppers for the spaghetti sauce, my new planner arrived. I’m a big office supply fan (See, “Confessions of An Office Supply Addict”), and planners are among the top “best ever” items to have. Planners not only help me set goals and stay organized, but they require multiple colored pens. Pens are my number one favorite office supply.
I really enjoy the Clever Fox planners.* This is my second year using one. The one I get is undated, has lots of room for yearly goal setting, monthly calendars, and weekly spreads for keeping track of appointments, tasks, habits, priorities, and more. It also comes in many colors, which is important to me. At about $25, this provides everything I need in a very user-friendly format and is about half the price of some bigger-name planners.
*Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link, which does not impact you, but could end up earning me a few cents.
Favorite Fun Stuff:
In honor of Betty White, this week’s Favorite Fun Stuff is completely devoted to this intelligent, funny, remarkable woman. It’s easy to find many video tributes and compilations, but if you’d like some fun shorts (around 50 seconds each), try Betty White's Happy Hour, a series of videos she made in 2017 and 2018 which can now be found on YouTube. Below are some good ones to get you started:
Confession Time:
One of my guilty pleasure TV shows is "The Bold Type." I just started watching the series over from the beginning.
You know when your cat throws up a hairball at the top of the cat tree and it drips all the way down to the floor? No, me neither. I’m sure if I stick to that story it will magically disappear all on its own.
Have a wonderful week!
Wishing you peace,
Dakota Duncan
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If you want to find about about my graphic novel or children's chapter books, visit my website: dakotaduncan.com
