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I was listening to the song “Your Side of Town” by The Killers on the radio today, and it very much reminded me of a close friend of mine who has the same tastes in western music as I do. The style of this song got me reminiscing about the kind of music each of us used to listen to when we were in high school…or maybe even younger.
I was listening to this song, bopping along in my car, and my mind started imagining and making up a story/scenario. I was imagining my friend being back in high school, but the whole tone had a John Hughes (a classic 1980s movie director, if you didn’t know) vibe. I was picturing my friend standing against the wall on the side of the school, wearing skinny-ish jeans & a slouchy blazer with a collared shirt & skinny tie, trying to flirt with girls while feeling super angst and moody.
That got my mind drifting and wandering even more, & as I parked my car in my driveway, I stopped my imaginary stories. I suddenly realized, while also talking to myself aloud in the car, that I love my imagination. I love the way my mind drifts & I can invent wild & fanciful stories that I can picture to myself so vividly.
I have always been a kid who can make up stories with my own imagination, on the spot. I rarely write them down, but I often remember stories I’ve thought of years ago. Sometimes I will go back to one of my old imaginings & reimagine the whole scenario with added embellishments, or to fit the current time. Other times, I will think back on an old story I made up just to reminisce about that scenario I once thought of.
No matter how old I get, I will never stop imagining stories or daydream in my mind. I love every one of my made up stories. They are little scenes just for me, and they make me so happy. Cheers.
What’s your favorite time of day?
I have been really, really enjoying the late evening. Right after everyone has showered, put on pajamas, & climbed into bed; that’s my sweet spot for ultimate relaxation, most days. No more grandmas asking me to fix their phones or check their emails. No more chasing after stubborn children or partners engrossed in their latest video game obsession. It’s this time when the entire house has settled down for the night that gets me excited.
Our little bean still co-sleeps with us, & I am enjoying it, for the time being. Although, Jian likes to complain about it nearly every night. The three of us cram into a queen size bed, & like most kids, she likes to toss & turn in bed. This, as you can tell, leaves very little room for me, & makes Jian feel hot & uncomfortable.
Our bedtime routine with her goes as follows: we each shower before bed, she drinks a small glass of milk, I read 2 books with her, then she cuddles up with Jian & watches a few Instagram reels with him before sleeping. It is during this time when I bask in the glow of my personal time. I put on my AirPods, so anything I listen to won’t interfere with whatever Jian is watching on his phone, or distract the little bean from sleeping. Then I proceed to unwind by catching up on my saved YouTube videos, or scroll through Instagram. Sometimes I will window shop for kids clothes for the little bean.
I am not an early sleeper at all, but I do enjoy lounging in bed before bedtime. Our little bean will play with her stuffed animals that she likes to sleep with. She sometimes will cuddle up to me, but mostl of the time she cuddles up with Jian, which is funny because they are both 2 human furnaces. I on the other hand, am mostly cold & like to layer up.
I am feeling sleepy as I write this post. I think I am going to join the little bean & take a nap. Cheers.
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
First off, I by no means maintain healthy eating habits. I know for a fact that I don’t eat nearly as many vegetables as I should, & I definitely am not drinking enough plain water. However, I try to maintain a balance in my overall health & well-being in other ways.
I spend at least 30 minutes every day going for walks in our neighborhood, or run around & physically play in the backyard with my little bean. This is my main source of daily exercise. Plus, I get a healthy dose of Vitamin-D & fresh air. My little bean loves exploring in our backyard, & I love spending this time teaching her about all the different things in our garden.
If I am idle, listening to music or checking Instagram/YouTube, I try to stay in a standing position, not sitting down. It is very easy for me to get comfortable in one spot & not move for long periods of time. So I would rather stand instead of sit, thus eventually ruining my posture. Besides that, I’d like to believe that standing burns any small amount of calories, which is a win in my book.
On the flip side, I take a daily supplement for my hair, skin & mail health. Yes, this is a vanity supplement more than for body health, but I believe it also improves my mental attitude toward my body-image issues. I haven’t yet seen much improvement in my skin, but my hair definitely sheds a lot less, & my thin finger nails are less prone to cracking & splitting.
I used to take a ton of other daily vitamins & supplements (i.e. all the letter vitamins, Omega-3, women’s multivitamin, etc.), but I stopped taking all those vitamins after learning that they aren’t really boosting my immune system or overall health. As long as I am eating foods with the appropriate nutrients & nutrition, I don’t need to choke down 10 different vitamin/supplement pills the size of a McDonald’s happy meal toy.
There are other ways I maintain my well-being, like taking time for myself. That usually happens during the time my little bean is taking her daily nap. I make myself a second (sometimes third) cup of coffee, grab a sweet snack, then sit down to read a little tabloid celebrity gossip, or I will read a catch up on a few chapters in the current volume of the Japanese manga I am reading.
During this precious time, I will completely zone out & focus on the one thing I had planned & allotted for that time in my schedule. That helps me unwind & relax a little bit before I have to jump right back into mom & housekeeper mode.
These things seem pretty simple, but they fit my life & work for me. I do lots of little things throughout the day, everyday, rather than saving up all of my time & energy to workout at a fitness club or gym once or twice a week. This is more beneficial for my overall health & well-being rather than a few bursts of workouts/exercises. If it is not fully improving my health, at least it is improving my mood. Cheers.
Today’s song of the day:
Rabbits & Foxes 
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