Category: Junk Drawer

They have a pill for that

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

First, I am sitting at my local coffee joint, where they offer free WiFi and coffee served at a drinkable temperature. I absolutely love the fact that I can order a cup of coffee here and take a sip immediately, without scalding my mouth. Clearly, I am not sitting at a Starbucks. And, you will not find any ‘caution: contains hot liquid’ in this joint. Scalding is not the passion of this coffee house; instead, this place has a passion for providing wonderful coffee at the perfect temperature.

Ok. There is no second, so I should not have said ‘first’. Oh well.

I am certain there is a pill available to cure what ails me. This weekend I am battling all the symptoms that come with PMS. The worst symptoms of PMS for me are an increased lack of patience and anger/rage. Earlier today, I yelled at my husband for no good reason. Sure, I had several reasons at the time of my unleashing, but the sane side of me (which still exists amidst the crazy) knew my husband had done nothing wrong. In fact, the monologue of rage was completed, when I closed my eyes and came back to reality, calming stating what was real.

When not in the throws of PMS, I have come to accept my husband completely. This acceptance did not come easy, and it has only come recently. I no longer have major expectations of my husband. I accept the fact that he and I are different in many ways, and I see the value in our differences. (God knows, I could not handle him if he were crazy like me.) Perhaps more importantly, I accept my role in life. I accept how I respond to things, how I see things and how I have the ability to change my responses and perceptions.

I know my role in this life is to be the [main] disciplinarian in the house, to be the book and house keeper, to be the decision and appointment maker/keeper, etc. And, I know my controlling tendencies makes me a perfect candidate for the aforementioned roles. Also, I know that if any of these roles were to disappear, I would be lost. Yes, I would eventually find myself again, but I would miss the role I had played. I think I am good at my role. No. Scratch that, I think I am damn good at  my role. The best? Perhaps not the best; then again, for my life, I am the best.

One of  my biggest challenges right now is the affects of PMS. This is something that will occur every 28 days (or so) for the next 5 – 10 years. What’s worse, I hear the affects of menopause could be equally as challenging as PMS. And, as I said earlier, I am sure there is a pill I could take to ease the affects of PMS, but I’d prefer to find a pill-free way to cope. I’d like to find a medication-free way to deal with the crazy and keep my family from seeing the crazy.

I’ve had one friend suggest an IUD to help balance the moodiness. I’ve also had a friend recommend Yaz. I appreciate their advice. But, I am already living with the side effects of taking sertraline (Zoloft), which includes weight gain, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, etc. I’d rather not put more meds in my body and start battling more side effects. Plus, I do believe changing the natural chemistry of the body increases the chances of things like cancer, diabetes, etc.

I’m no Natural Nancy. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Natural Nancy (or Natural Nate, for that matter). Still, I prefer to keep my chemistry and hormone levels at its natural state. If I find I a become stricken with Cancer, rest assured I will sign up for whatever treatment is available to me. Until then, the human body is a miracle in and of itself. It throws all of us curves every now and again. When left to its own devices, though, the body heals itself.

So. Where does that leave me today? While I am overcome with a lack of patience and crazy frustrated with the slightest glitch in the day, what can I do to muster through it, keeping my relationships in tact? Suggestions? I’d love to hear what you suggest. I can tell you, coming to this local coffee joint is doing me good. The music in the background, the coffee and veggie and hummus sandwich are all good. I am guessing getting out by myself is a great way to control the crazy. I asked my husband yesterday, if he wanted me out of the house. Though I believe part of my husband wanted me gone, he told me he wanted me to stay. And, we made it through the day. We even took the boys to a park and spent some great time outdoors. Sure, even while enjoying the beautiful outdoors, I had moments of crazy crankiness, but we all lived, happily even.

Tomorrow is Monday. My husband and I will go off to work, and our boys will go to their day care provider. We’ll find time to ourselves, as we take part in the routine of the work week. I find solace in the routine of our work week. Perhaps by the end of the work week, this month’s PMS battle will be completed, with little to no casualties. In the meantime, please excuse me. I just received a refill of freshly made decaf coffee, and I’d like to sip, surf and enjoy. Good day.

Unorganized Thoughts

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

NOTE: The following post may offend. Please read with caution.

It is morning here. I’ve enjoyed two cups of coffee, and yes, I believe I will have a third. Before I get up to get that third cup of coffee, I am going to tell you about my dream last night. I had a dream about the movie Shutter Island. I am not sure why I had a dream about Shutter Island, because I have not seen the movie. And, I didn’t dream that I was watching the movie, my dream was that I was on the Island living out the movie. Odd. I assume the dream was short because I haven’t seen the movie. I suspect seeing the movie is in my future, though. I’m curious to see if I got any of it right.

The main purpose of my post today is to release some of the frustration I am having due to hormones. My word of the day today is restraint. I hope to show restraint today and over the next 5 – 7 days. My patience is limited, which makes showing restraint even harder. But, I am aware that my moodiness is due to hormones, and I am hoping if I keep in tune with that awareness, I won’t do too much damage. I have a big challenge ahead of me, that is for certain.

Now, while I try to show restraint and release my frustrations via posting, you have to realize that my mind is in overdrive. I swear there is a game of pinball going on in my head, and the flippers are doing a great job of keeping the ball active and hitting many bumpers. I am certain I will reach a new ‘High Score’.

While posting, I am listening to the Neal Boortz show. He is an AM talk radio show host. Great entertainment. You can access his website, and I encourage you to listen to him. He’s a Libertarian, and he is not a fan of President Obama. Consider yourself warned. I hope that doesn’t prevent you from checking him out, though. Again, he is great entertainment.

So, Neal is on a rant about an 8th grade girl who sent her boyfriend a picture via her cell phone. Allegedly, the 8th grader was partially nude. After her boyfriend received the picture, he forwarded it to his guy friends. All this took place in a private school. I believe both parties were taken out of school in some form or another. Authorities are considering jail time, too. Explain to me, again, why kids have cell phones? Oh yeah. It is because they NEED them in case of an emergency. Right. And how many times have they used it for an actual EMERGENCY vs just convenience or habit? Thought so.

And then there is Oprah. She is promoting a “Don’t Text and Drive” campaign. Yet, what did her audience receive during a recent show? Yep. A free cell phone with 60 days free service! Woo hoo! And, how many of those folks will use their phones while driving?! Seems a bit contradictory to me, but I am PMSing; what the heck do I know, right?

But wait, I have more to share. Oprah had Jessica Simpson on her show. Jessica was airing her frustration with the media and paparazzi, as they hound her and focus on her weight an personal life. She was stressing the need for folks to focus on the goodness inside and the pressure the media puts on looks, appearance, etc. Oprah was nodding in agreement with Jessica, and Oprah also shared that she’s had to deal with her fair share of crap from the media. OK. Cut to the second half of the show: Lisa Ling talks about the focus on fashion and beauty in China and around the world. What?! The first half of the show is about how too much focus is on fashion, looks, etc. And, the second half of the show is all about looking a certain way, interviewing the Vanity Fair rep in China.

I admit, my rant may be taking things out of context a bit. And, showing how women will do just about anything to be ‘beautiful’ doesn’t necessarily encourage the behavior; however, Oprah has many shows on how to look better. I am just frustrated with the double-talk. “Don’t text and drive.” “Here! Have a new cell phone.” “Focus on what is inside your heart, not how you look.” “This week we will talk about the best way to color your hair and look years younger.” Yes, I am cranky. But am I way off base? Really?

Oh. Oh. AND – Oprah has had several shows with Peter Walsh, from Clean Sweep. She is amazed and horrified at how hoarders collect stuff and are unable to get rid of things. Then, she announces that she has cleaned out her closet and is auctioning off items on Ebay to raise money for her school. While going through many of the clothing items, Oprah is expressing the fact that she is getting anxious about letting go of the things. She talks about the fact that her heart is racing and she is having a hard time not changing her mind on certain items.

Again, my frustration is hormone induced. And, I don’t fault Oprah for the anxiety she has with letting go of some of her ‘stuff’. But, what about her love for Eckhart Tolle and his book ‘A New Earth’? What about her belief that it is not about the stuff? She has tons of stuff! And, it is hard for her to let go of her stuff, so it should not surprise her that others have a hard time of letting go of their stuff, too.

I like Oprah. I am not trying to discredit her or make her out to be someone evil. I just wish folks would practice what they preach, and I wish they would call themselves out when they don’t practice what they preach. Which reminds me …

For the most part, I am an open book. I know I am moody. I know I am impatient. I know I yell way too much. I know this. I also know there are many people like me. However, they don’t admit to being like me. They don’t admit to sharing many of my qualities. They will, however, throw me under the bus without batting an eye. Because I am so open about my issues and imperfections, I feel as though I walk around with a big target on my front and back. And, rather than acknowledging they share many of my characteristics, folks will tell me how ridiculous I can be at times.

I realize my openness is my choice, though why I continue to choose being an open book is beyond me. Seriously, why in the world do I feel the need to share every single emotion I feel? Why on earth do I feel the need to express just about every thought I have? It is sick, though I know many find it entertaining. And, truth be told, I love me. I love the fact that I am an open book. I just wish I wasn’t so insecure about it all. It seems contradictory to be so forthcoming with information, yet cringe internally as I worry I am being judged. And, as is often the case, when I run into folks like me, who also share everything, I become annoyed. Yeah. Our own qualities tend to annoy us when we find the same qualities in others. Funny how that works.

I had better cut this post short. [Too late] I need to pace myself, as the next several days have the potential to be challenging. Today, I reminded my husband that I love him. I will remind my husband I love him several times over the next 5 to 7 days, in between my barking and biting. Hormones are wonderful.

The word of the day today is ‘Giddy’

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment
Me and the boys enjoying my birthday, while the oldest keeps his eye on the prized ice cream pie.

The word of the day today is ‘giddy’. According to Merriam-Webster, the #2 definition of giddy is a : lightheartedly silly : frivolous b : joyfully elated : euphoric. I am feeling very giddy today, and I am having a hard time staying focused on work. Why? Because it is snowing outside. I am like a kid in a candy store, when it is snowing outside. I live in GA, and we don’t get too many snowy days.

My husband is working from home today. He’s not home due to the snow, though it is certainly nice he is home on a snow day. He works from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think I might be getting on my husband’s nerves, just a bit. I keep calling out to him saying things like: “I love the snow!” “Look at the snow!” “I love that I can sit here, work and watch the snow fall!” “Look! It is still snowing!”

Yes, I do believe I am getting on my husband’s nerves. While he was washing his breakfast dishes, I came up to him, grabbed his arm, started jumping and said, “I’m so glad it is snowing!” My husband is putting up with me today. When he works from home, he typically goes down in the basement to work. However, today he is sitting and working at the dinner table. And, from where he is sitting, he can look out and see the snow blanket our backyard. He likes the snow, too; he is just better at controlling his excitement. (He’s an engineer, and I believe controlling emotions is a common trait for engineers.)

Oh and yes, you read the above correctly. My husband was washing his breakfast dishes. Something tells me that sentence was noticed by many readers. Yes, I am thankful my husband washes his dishes. Yes, I know what I have. And, yes, I am glad our relationship continues to improve.

Giddy. I am joyfully elated. If my joy could be illustrated, it would be a variety of bright colors scribbled scrabbled with curves, circles, dots and smileys. I might have to throw in a few stars, too.

Part of the giddiness is due to my birthday, which was yesterday. I had such a nice time with my boys and my husband. My husband took some great pictures of the boys and I, while singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles. He has greatly improved his photo taking skills. The shots he took last night are definite keepers. I went through the pictures over and over again last night, smiling with every shot. And, when I went to bed, I thanked my husband again for taking such great pictures, while falling asleep with a smile on my face.

I planned on attaching a picture of giddiness to this post. But, I think I am going to post a picture from my birthday celebration last night. I’m not even sure it is the best of the bunch taken, but I do believe the picture is lightheartedly silly. Look at how my oldest son is eying the ice cream pie. His eyes aren’t closed, I promise you. My oldest takes after me, with his love for ice cream. Both boys take after me with their giddiness, too. Perhaps, my husband’s influence will keep the boys balanced, as I can teeter on the border of mania.

The snow continues to fall, and the butterflies in my belly continue to flutter. I just yelled out to my husband that it is snowing. His response? He smiled and played along by saying, “It is? Imagine that!” I need to remember moments like this when I am having a bad day. I hope you have a good day today. If you are feeling challenged and teetering on a bad day, I hope this helps you recall a giddy day in your life. We all have giddy days; the key is remembering the giddy days while in the midst of a bad one.