One of the benefits of taking on a Dry January is the dreams you have. The deep REM sleep kind of dreams. Scratch that – enigmatic dreams.
Weird ass dreams.
Or maybe it has to do with the preceding day, and the deprivation of alcohol, or I like to say more so the sodium (the natural kind found in Tostitos)? I dunno, but I do know I’ve been sleeping better. Restful, dream-filled sleep is a REALLY great thing!
Yesterday, I even bragged to Mr. about how refreshed I feel when I wake up in the morning.
That was in the morning, long before the day, and the events I go through on a normal busy work day. And a few other self-induced-drama-like events. I’m a girl, what can I say?
After work, I don’t have to stagger far to the hospitality of our kitchen bar since I work most days from home. That’s not such a great thing when one is trying to survive accomplish a Dry January.
I’ve had to adjust my timing to arrive right as dinner is served. So there’s no desire to grab a brewski before dinner. Or a joyful glass of wine. And I haven’t used my silicone wine glasses or the socks yet, either. Man, oh, man, I’m on a roll on Day 3, going into Day 4. (Of 10…or 20…or 31, we’ll see).
I am curious if the silicone wine glasses do work without spilling or why anyone would think the socks would work to get a glass, but that’s a different story.
Where was I? Oh, yeah, yesterday…I was (have been) fine without the beer, but dang…after dinner, I really want my fix of Tostitos. Yes, I eat them AFTER dinner, Mr. is amazed at that gift of mine as well.
Probably, because Tostitos usually led to a beer to wash them down, but let’s not go there.
Instead, I’ve been choosing to relax and go to bed early and read. It’s important to change-up your routine and subsequent rewards to be successful in meeting a goal.
So they say.
I’m reading the book recommended by one of my followers (Marie, thank you!) called Flourishing by Maureen Gaffney. Earlier in the day, I had finished reading Anne Lamott’s Almost Everything. Between those two books, my mind raced with questions about life and how to navigate this stage of my empty nesting career.
I was extremely reflective throughout the day. Plus Brian (another follower) suggested a different selfie from the rear. Thank you, Brian ;-)!
I thought back to moments during the day where I said to myself, “I’m no longer going to be a doormat, I’m going to stick up for myself.”
Apparently feeling a tad more badass than usual. If you don’t see me coming, at least you can see me walking away with attitude, was my contradictory wild ass gray hair approach for the day.
As I got ready for bed, I couldn’t help but continue on looking back on life while answering questions posed in the early chapters of the Flourishing book. There’s a lot of wisdom in all these gray hairs, one would hope I’d know all my answers by now, right?
And this statement that Anne penned in her book really hit a cord for me throughout the day and into the night.
“Why” is rarely a useful question in the hope business. – Anne Lamott
Perfect, dreamy thoughts to carry with me while I settled into the cozy, comfortable, rewarding covers and started to read. It didn’t take long before my eyes started to blur, and the paragraphs began to repeat themselves, so I decided it was time to give in to sleep for the night.
After I set the book down, I closed my eyes and drifted off into blissful sleep.
I’m enjoying how restful sleep is, and how long between bathroom breaks. But the dreams…holy crapola!
Involving large animals sniffing olive juice? Possibly, if the image fits…
I don’t remember most of them, but the last one involved a gal (aka, me) in a bar that led to the need to go to the bathroom.
I had my jammies on, and a nice fluffy robe – to cover up the jammies, I guess? And I was there trying to tell everyone who would listen to me (in a slurred speech kind of way, must’ve been groggy from sleep-walking to the bar?) that I was there, but not to drink, and how wonderful it is to not be drinking at a bar, and that they really should try it (aka, join me).
The stared at me as if I was an alien.
Or nuts or had dementia? And then suddenly the crowds cleared and there I was, all alone on a bar stool.
Staring at a drink that I wasn’t going to drink. Because it’s not fun to drink alone. And I had to go to the bathroom.
And I woke up wondering Why?
Not about the need to go to the bathroom…duh, I have a 54-year-old bladder, that need happens routinely like I said, and I did have to go, and so did the dog. At least I have great bathroom company in real life.
But why such a weird dream? And why in the world I thought it was pertinent to share?
I have hope I shall make it through Friday (day 4) so I can go to bed again and see if the answers to my previous day’s dreams flourish and find their way to my REM sleep tonight. You know, so I get the answers to my Why questions. So far, I’ve yet to find THE answers in almost any book.
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s #JusJoJan (inspired by Virgobeauty) – Enigma and RDP Friday – Hospitality
PS – Do you have crazy dreams too? Do you get enough REM sleep? Do you think Why? is a useful question when it comes to hope?
There’s been a dry January support group floating around Facebook… I’m still on vacation here so I didn’t join uo, but starting Sunday life gets complicated again so I’m aiming for no wine et al during the week at all. I do sleep better, I admit, when I stay off alcohol, but by week’s end I will probably reach for something. Depends on whether I gave to schlep kids someplace or not. 🙃
Keep going! You can do it.
Thank you for the encouragement and the sympathy (and FB suggestion) – I’ll be here for you when you’re ready to commiserate some more. 😉 You will enjoy the restful sleep – you’ll sleep just like a kid who sleeps like a baby while mom takes care of things! Oh, and I remember those schlepping of kids and balancing a glass of wine or not days! I know you can do it too!
Well, I wish you the best in you challenge for Dry January. I apologize that I can not empathize with you as I never got the taste for alcohol. Probably because of my mom’s over abundance of it. But I can encourage you and wish you the best and cheer you onward. So hang tough…and sleep well.
Thank you, the alcohol is easier to bypass than the chips. Why did I try both, I’ll never know…I may cave on the chips…NO…Yes…No – I’ll work it out later! 😉
So far so good! Better sleep may make it all worthwhile. (weird dreams…there’s a blog post or 2). Whoever came up with the term “bite-size” for a chip anyway? No need for that. But chips as a dessert, why not 🙂
LOL – I’m enjoying your encouragement! I go by # of chips in a serving, the smaller ones give me more times to munch on them! And yes, they are my go-to dessert. I can skip sweets forever, but chips………………nope (except for the last 3 days!) 😉
You’re doing very well. I would like to think it gets easier as you go. I wouldn’t know. It’s been a dry three days for me because I’ve been sick. I normally have vivid dreams but a fever plays with that, too. Good luck on days 4-10 then you can decide.
Thank you, Dan – I appreciate your encouragement. I do believe you’ve taken the easier route to dry (just kidding). Hope you feel better soon!
It’s also a good diet plan, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
LOL – yeah, being sick is no fun. On the upside, you probably lost the same amount of weight I have in one week – I do appreciate you joining me in the dry week even if you had to be coerced into it! 😉
Ha ha – at this rate, I might make it to day 7. That’s the day my wife celebrates Christmas. A glass of wine might happen, if my head is up to it.
I’m cheering you on! :-)!!
Wonderful and I’m cheering for you on dry January. I’m sure it’s not an easy feat but takes constant restructuring. You can do it. Also, you’re rocking that gray hair. Love the flow of your words. It’s like a convo with a best friend, honest and sure. Great post
Aw, thank you, Virgobeauty, I’m touched by your words of encouragement and your heart-warming critique of my ramblings. xx
🥰🥰🥰
I don’t even think I go to REM sleep as I can’t remember the last time I had a dream, crazy or otherwise – I’ll need to fix that (the pillow). 🙂
YES, fix the pillow!
YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS!
Anyway, yes! I have REM dreams and those dreams are wild. I love them. Sometimes, I’d rather be inside my dreams than outside in the real world.
Another wonderful post.
Thank you.
Thank you, Cindi! It took 2.5 years to get to this length and I saved on the low end of the deal, $1400 dollars not cutting or coloring it. Not bad, eh?! Of course, I lived in my own dream world to get there, ‘cuz not everyone loves to ‘let themselves go’. 😉
I hope I haven’t induced the wild dreams thinking of a Dry July or wanting a rear shot. OK without the eyes to distract, I love your hair. It does bring out your wisdom in writing. IT’s OK…..I am having your chip fix for you whenever I can. I have beer in the fridge too but not had any as I usually like a icy cold beer after I have done work in the Summer heat.
Is there a self help group or forum you can access to keep you on track. Fellow bloggers are useless 😀
LOL!! No, you’ve encouraged both, despite your efforts to keep me off track on my Dry January (July). Please do have the chips for me and the beer – someone has to keep the production up in case I need to purchase either one in the future. 😉 Of course, I have never purchased those items from Australia…hmm… But, we are taking your original advice and we’re going to make some homemade Kombucha.
Like Brian at Bushboy above, I hope I haven’t induced the wild dreams by encouraging you towards a read of ‘Flourishing.’
I think you might have found your answer, you are right where you need to be at this moment in time.. “how wonderful it is to not be drinking at a bar, and that they really should try it”
I sometimes try lots of salt on a fresh tomato when I crave but want to resist salty crisps. Or try non-salted popcorn and add your own salt (it will be way less than the salted variety and a good source of fibre!) I hope you realise what a great job you are doing!!
LOL – no, it’s just my wild brain on overload as well as feeling really refreshed and not so tired by the end of the day. I’m glad you suggested the book. I’m enjoying it. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your support means a lot to me!! 🙂
So glad you’re enjoying it and I’m here anytime, just glad to help!
Thank you, Marie, much appreciated!
I go to bed at night hoping I’ll have some strange dreams, but I rarely have a two-part dream. There have been a few that I wish would have a part 2, so I could figure out what happened in part 1.
I think I get enough REM and non-REM sleep, although not when I have a head cold and wake up unable to breathe. I breathe through my mouth when I can’t through my nose, and when I wake up my mouth is dry as a bone.
And, as far as questions go, I think “why?” is pretty useless. The answer is usually “because!”
I’m like that too, hoping I can pick up where I left off. Never works, but I do like to try. Yikes – that isn’t a way to enjoy sleep! LOL – I agree, ‘because’, that’s funny!