These are a few of my favorite things

I wrote a blog entry about stress and anxiety and how I've been feeling lately, but then I decided to give it the ax and start over with something more positive.

There is a quote that often guides me in my life. It's from The Handmaid's Tale (the book - I haven't seen the series on Hulu):

“We thought we had such problems. How were we to know we were happy?”

My personal interpretation of these lines has always been that these might just be the happiest days of my life. I shouldn't bother chasing some future state of bliss. Things are pretty damned great right now. 
 
In the year since we accidentally elected a buffoon into the White House, I've been focusing more on little things, happy things. And maybe reading the news a little less. I thought I'd share a few of  the ways I distract myself from the fact that a mentally ill person is leading our country.

1. Watching my kid perform on stage. I attended a performance last night (her touring choir performed with our local civic symphony) and will attend another tonight (show choir performance). She recently landed roles in two musicals. She will play Brigitta Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. This is her middle school's production. The high school needed a couple of younger kids to play roles in Les Miserables. My daughter was cast as young Eponine. I am very proud of her and her musical talent. Yes, it's a lot of rehearsals and driving, but I'll take that over shivering on a soccer field any day!
2. Watching stand-up comedy. I love stand-up comedy. I am constantly digging around on Netflix or HBO for a new routine I haven't seen. Recently I re-watched all of Sebastian Maniscalco's comedy specials. I highly recommend it if you, too, are looking to escape reality.
3. Eating baked goods. Going vegan kept me away from bake sales, but instead of giving up baked goods altogether (which would have been a good thing for my waistline), I simply figured out how to veganize everything. Get in mah belly, chocolate chip cookies.
4. Listening to loud music in my car (and sometimes singing along). "And the ground's not cold, and if the ground's not cold, everything is gonna burn, we'll all take turns, I'll get mine too!"
5. Wine. Duh.
6. My doggies. Glinda and Grover might not be the brightest bulbs, but they are a lot of fun and they're both pretty darned cuddly.

Did I tell you that I got my nose pierced recently? I had been thinking about it for a while. At my last job, piercings were specifically prohibited in the dress code (the chapter in the employee manual was lengthy and very specific). At my new job, I think the dress code just says something like, "Wear clothes." 

So, on a recent Thursday night, I dropped my daughter off for a rehearsal and headed to the piercing place. This joint specializes in piercings. That's all they do. I almost talked myself out of it but then I parked my car and willed myself to walk inside. I had to show my ID and sign my name in a three-ring binder. For each customer, there was an entry for name, date of birth, signature, and type of piercing. I couldn't help but scan the other entries that were visible. Many of the other piercees were born in . . . wait for it . . . 1999. I started to wonder if I might be eligible for some sort of senior citizen discount.

I chose a tiny stud from the options that were presented to me. A piercing technician took me into a room that looked just like a sterile medical exam room. I guess that's good news. She wore latex gloves and was very professional. Before I knew it, she had a clamp on my schnoz and I was pierced. I was surprised at just how little it hurt. My right eye ejected a single tear . . . just for dramatic effect, I think. I didn't actually see what went through my nose to create the hole. It might be best if I don't know.  

The next morning, my husband kissed me good-bye and left for work without noticing the piercing. Sometimes I wonder just what it would take to get that guy to notice me. Speaking of which . . . I'm getting a new tattoo in a few weeks. My mom and I are getting matching tattoos. It's going to be so much fun. I can't wait!

Let's see. What else is knew? I got new glasses. My eye doctor said that my vision had deteriorated "two clicks" and suggested that I think about some new glasses. :::sigh::::  So, I got new glasses. They are similar enough to my old ones that no one noticed the change. It was fun to try on different styles. One of the opticians kept handing me different frames and saying, "Try these." I think she gave me far too much credit as far as being someone who can pull off wacky frames. Who does she think I am? Elton John, circa 1975? I liked the ones from Bebe's collection best. I got these:

I have to sign off now in order to get to the choir performance on time.  You know I gotta sit close so that I can yell, "That's my baby!" as often as is needed.