5 Dumb Things

so.  I Got Nothin’. I had a couple of things I wanted to yark with you about – but the chilly, wet weather has put paid to any critical thinking whatsoever.  It’s pitch-black at 6:45p and about 38F here – and in the Midwest that could be May – but It Ain’t May!  It’s November, which means there’s 38F… and then there’s THIRTY EIGHT F!  which is when you have that brutal Westerly wind and 89% humidity that allows the cold to wriggle its way into every crack and crevice of your home/office/clothes/skin/skeleton/soul… with a viciousness unparalleled in modern history.

Okay.  Maybe that’s a bit dramatic – but it’s getting cold. and to top it off, the sun has started that Nuclear Winter feel, where it’s lighting up… something? but it sho’ ain’t here.  Anyhoo – that sort of scenario just paralyzes me.. and I think I mean that almost literally, like… I can be halfway to a comfortable sitting position in my desk chair.. and I just .. freeze.  It’s weird, as if I’m fighting off incipient torpor (a survival state which fascinates me because I often wonder if we humans haven’t done ourselves a disservice by fighting it off with technology et al – but that could just be me because all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleeeeep until it warms up again)…..

…and that won’t do, since I still have to work and get out of the chair when I have to pee, y’know?  So to keep myself moving  I look to do Five Dumb Things.  Now, 5 Dumb Things sounds persackly like what it is:  stuff you have left undone because the thing is… dumb?  Or you just don’t want to do them.  But!  I’ve found that doing stuff like that really gives me a sense of accomplishment and breaks the torpor logjam.  Today was particularly brutal so I picked the silliest things I could:

  1. Took a box of perfumes off my desk and into the Messy Armoire.  Oh, the humanity! – but honestly, it was a bit of a challenge, especially as I could barely sit up straight in my ergonomic chair, remember?  And it’s not even that cold, yet.  Imagine this in February!
  2. Changing the loo roll (seriously – it’s right there in the drawer next to the toilet.  How hard can that be?)
  3. Rinsed out the coffeepot (that took 3 tries.  First 2, I just stood there and looked at it like it was an alien species.  In. My. Own. Kitchen.)
  4. Opened 3 pieces of mail.
  5. Hung up my coat.

Those are the dumbest, silliest acts I could undertake – and yet, they were all I could do!  But you know what?  Doing them gave me such a sense of ‘oh, get OVER yourself’ that I was able to do a few other things as well!

 

Interestingly, though, exercise is never off that menu.  I’m back to working out 6x week and it feels amazing!  The endorphin high is enough to make it be the first thing I do after I get up (after I pee, of course.  Hey, peeing is ESSENTIAL!!  😉 and it’s a pleasure to remember what an endorphin junkie I am.  Hoo-rah!   I keep this photo of my tactical idol, the ridiculously gorgeous, outrageously skilled Rudy Reyes, on my phone as motivation (not a fan of the AR but he was a recon scout sniper so… hey!  here’s a factoid I just learned from Eric Hung @ Pew Pew Tactical  (my favorite tactical site): the ‘AR’ stands for Armalite (original mfrs) and not ‘Assault Rifle’.  Fab little piece of intel, thanks Eric!) I used to ask myself ‘WWRD’ – then I realized that when I was feeling lazy I couldn’t give a damb what Rudy would do, so I amended it to ‘WYTYCOIFOR?’ (would you take your clothes off in front of Rudy?).  If the answer is ‘no’ (or, in my case, HELL NO!), then get your ass down on the mat!  He’s got me planking like a lima bean – and I don’t hate it!

photo: 5.11tactical.com. My people.

And, luckily for me, it’s always ‘get down on the mat’.  Bless you, Rudy (and don’t worry, babykins, – I’ll always be at ‘HELL, NO! Too far above my paygrade, darlin’)!  I’m starting to feel like my real self again, like maybe I might still have an edge beyond my beloved edge weapons…  (btw – shameless plug, here:  if you want to HOWL! take a minute to check out some 5.11.com spots (Rudy is wearing their t-shirt) they’re all over teh ‘tube;  I dunno how they managed to do it but the spots are a perfect blend of Warrior Fetish and Warrior Fetish Snark (the online shopping one, with the guy on the……. well, just watch the ads and screech! And there’s a goofy one about tactical kilts.  KILTS!  Slaying it!!!)

Online Shopping at 511tactical.com – YouTube

So.  Why am I telling you all this?  because I’ll bet you anything I am not the only dawg in this disco.  And because so many of us are still isolated right now, we can’t feed off the energy of other people.  So we have to figure it out.  And for me, when it gets really ugly and cold and mean and hard… Five Dumb Things (the sillier the better) seems to do the trick. And Rudy, makind me plank to oblivion and tighter abs.

What about you?  What does it take to break your torpor?  Are you in that place, yet?  It got windy and cold here pretty quickly but at least we don’t have a blizzard like the one we had on Hallowe’en when El O pulled himself and his trailer out of my driveway.  I still have that video, LOL!  Good times.  good times.

 

Anyway, let me know how you manage this season/time.  I’ll have Rudy* launch some ballistics at the rando list and pull a couple of winners.

*he’s in for TGirl.  He has her full endorsement.

 

  • Queen-Cupcake says:

    Oh, hey, Musette. I owe you a letter but I am deep in the dreaded torpor deciding what to do re: Thanksgiving plans, and other stuff. My husband has not reacted well to an invitation from my family for T’giving dinner. Which I do not understand–hubs has always said he envied me for having lots of sibs and their offspring because he has barely any family left.

    Anyway, I’m glad to hear that exercise is helping you make it through, and I’ll bet one silk pajama that you are great at it! Six days a week–whoo!

  • Kathleen says:

    Your 5 Dumb Things work for me as well, I have very simple items on my daily ritual list that make me feel more accomplished and that all is right in my world. And working out is non-negotiable. It is so ingrained I don’t feel well or relaxed without it. Cold is setting in here as well, and as I result I am layering clothing both indoors and out.
    Rudy! Checking out 5.11 now.

  • Patty says:

    Mine is get out of my pajamas. That small thing makes me feel more invigorated. I don’t have a lot of space to do nothing anymore, my life is just filled with so many have to dos and responsibilities, and sometimes I find it easy to just skip past what makes me feel better, like getting dressed and showering and putting on moisturizer and doing my hair. I make myself keep my nail appointments and hair appointments. The older I get, the less I really care, but I know how IMPORTANt it is to keep caring and getting dressed. That makes the days when you decide to just stay in your jammies special instead of, well, Tuesday. Hugs, girl, winter is just tough. I keep thinking two months ago, I was swimming in my pool in the sun and reading my book in the early mornings at 6a when I took the dogs out. Now I’m shivering in my robe at 6a taking the dogs out and hurrying them the hell up, encouraging them to poop so I can get back inside!

  • Portia says:

    Hey Musette,
    When going through some longterm deep depression in the naughties I got some excellent advice from the dentist.
    Get up and clean your teeth.
    It’s a tiny, 2 minute thing but that one action of self care will give you the impetus to start your day. It won’t stop you being depressed, it won’t change your world but it will kickstart you.
    So your 5 Dumb Things makes a LOT of sense to me.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Portia xx

  • VerbenaLuvvr says:

    I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and everything went quite well, I was quite shocked when he informed me of my excellent health. Followed by “but just try to lay off the cookies, ok?!” Being trapped at home these last two years has been difficult, physically in not getting any exercise and overindulging, but not so much mentally for me as a natural introvert anyway. I have kept busy with telework, my kids’ activities, sewing, online craft groups, and of course the frag forums. Now with holiday season coming up and people starting to be more confident in venturing out, there will be get-togethers with friends and family. I am quite optimistic! And maybe I will actually dust off that treadmill!

    • Musette says:

      LOL! with the cookies! And yeah, dust off that treadmill – it’s a great thing to do if you’re watching TV (I do squats, which assuages my guilt at watching fluff while also strengthening my hips (my hips hate. mah. guts!)

      It’s a W! all around

      xoxo

  • Jennifer S says:

    Wellll….hello there Rudy!! Sigh. I will not hit the Rudy link. I will not hit the Rudy link. Mmmhmm. Yah. Sure. Lol!

    Kudos for working out regularly tho! Unfortunately I am not that disciplined…read that as lazy…as much as I would like tighter abs myself. I guess that’s why I’m still hauling myself to work every day where I can fool myself into thinking as long as I’m moving around it’s gotta count for something?!

    • Musette says:

      Rudy’s just ridiculous, isn’t he? Gorgeous, lethal.. mmmmmm… just the way I like ’em. His wife (girlfriend?) is a firearms expert and omg. I SO want to train on them with her.
      She can take her clothes off in front of Rudy (and probably does, on the regular) – but she’s young. And way fit!

      I’m disciplined because once I get back in the endorphin zone my psyche won’t allow me NOT to do it. It’s easier just to do it and not have to listen to all the inner screeching! LOL!

      xoxoxo

  • Dina C. says:

    Knowing that people are coming to my house galvanizes me like nothing else in the world. I will clean, sort, spackle, paint, decorate, cook like the Queen was coming if a friend is coming over. Barring that, I love being able to cross things off a “to do” list. So sometimes I’ll get myself moving just to be able to cross it off the list. I totally relate to the hibernation urge. When it’s cold and miserable, I want to read in bed and take a nap.

    • Musette says:

      Omgosh, I remember those days! I dunno how I got over it – but I did. Now? I’ll run a vacuum and clean the bathroom – everything else is a crapshoot!

      xoxo

  • rosarita says:

    I’m sorry about your back and your fight against torpor. Torpor doesn’t usually hit me until late January. I had extensive surgeries on my left foot and ankle on Friday and am non weight bearing for 6 weeks, the first two weeks in bed with my foot elevated above my heart and using a walker to get to the bathroom. Long recovery, strong pain meds. Because of being on my back, tv is my main entertainment. Anyone have a streaming service they really like? We have YouTube TV and Amazon prime, I’m hoping to find something that offers a free month.

    • Musette says:

      Yikes! on the surgeries! I don’t watch a lot of TV but do indulge in Acorn (a lot of Brit stuff). Heal up quickly, babysnakes!

      btw – nothing is wrong with my back – everything is cool (knock wood). Torpor, though.. that is a beast. It came along pretty early this year. I do walk daily, so that keeps it in check.

      Wishing you speedy healing, honey!

      xoxo

  • Alityke says:

    Ha I lurve retirement! On really dreck (miserable, grey, lazy rain, never ending twilight) I can choose to snuggle in the bed with Mr Jarvis Cockapoo & read cosy books on my Kindle.
    These are the days when the Poo will only visit the garden for toilet. He wears his pink animal print pj top & Im in knitted pink pjs & bed socks.
    I do wash, clean my teeth & maybe even brush my hair.
    Yeah I feed us all too but it’ll be something home cooked from the freezer & nuked. I have a stash of chilli & curry for just such emergencies!
    These are days I relish

    • Musette says:

      LOL! You and I were definitely NOT separated at birth. I can’t lie abed for more than 45seconds after I wake up (unless, maybe, Idris was in that bed??? Maybe) I am REALLY irritating in the early am.

      Is Mr Jarvis a bird…? Or a dog? The Cockapoo is throwing me (sounds like he might be a smaller dog? Sorry – I suck at this. Then again, I consider 130# to be an average-sized dog)

      xoxoxo

      • Musette says:

        Wait!!! is he a Poodle? I am so stupid. He’s a poodle, right?

        xoxoxo

        • Musette says:

          oh, for the love of snakes! I was confusing cockapoo with cockatiel. Sorry.

          Carry on 😉

          xoxoxo

        • alityke says:

          He’s a working cocker spaniel crossed with a middle size poodle & he’s jet black.
          He’s the size of a cocker spaniel but with a poodle coat, about 16-17 inches to the shoulder & weighs 32lb. So yep small in your eyes.

          I was an early bird until chronic illness struck, now I’m catching up!

  • cinnamon says:

    My life is so limited (we’ve got one of the highest covid levels in the UK) that I enjoy my small ‘run into shop, run out masked’ errands. Gets dark at 5 pm here. By Xmas, it will be 4. I didn’t experience chilblains till I moved here. Work of the devil. I wear a hat and fingerless gloves when I’m working along with a heavy fleece. I managed to wait till Halloween to put on the heat. I do it for very short bursts in the morning and use the wood burner otherwise. But … the sun is out and the world looks beautiful. The foxes (who I’m ambivalent about) are out and about in the evening. And somehow my yoga teacher still always does a class that addresses what I need that day. I think I can, I think I can…

    • Musette says:

      You can. You CAN! It’s just that first step that sucks so.

      And so sorry to hear about the Covid uptick in your area. Any idea why that’s happened?

      xoxox

      • cinnamon says:

        covid due to unvaccinated secondary and primary school children getting sick and bringing it home. The challenge is actually quite satisfying.

  • March says:

    MAN, I can relate. Some days I look at my to-do list, and eliminate everything that requires getting in the car/using my brain (so, the dog still gets walked.) But in exchange, I have to do something mindless but useful/necessary at home. This is how the floors get mopped, the toilet cleaned, the leaves swept off the porch etc. I appreciate the results, and I admit I’m a lot less testy about it now that it’s only my mess (and sometimes Coco’s) that I’m wrangling. And at the end of the day I can say to myself, hey! At least the dishes are done and the sink’s scrubbed! Opening my (scant) mail is apparently an Olympic-level challenge now, so hat-tip to you, honey!

    • Musette says:

      We really were separated at birth! Those? THOSE are the things that keep me sane – dumb stuff like vacuuming the rugs, scrubbing the sink, etc. And, yes! A clean toilet makes me feel like I live in a society!

      xoxoxo

  • Tara C says:

    Hey, I can relate – I made my bed and did the dishes today! And took a shower and walked the dog. All of this was to avoid working out. 🙂

    • Musette says:

      Tara, I tried avoiding working out once. Once. My spine and guts were twisting and yelling all. damb. day. Won’t do that again. 😉

      xoxo