Random 5 for November 1 – Election, anxiety, music, cats, Fitbit

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Today is just sort of random but that’s what worked!

Just a few more days – For those in the US, Tuesday is Election Day. It’s been insane here. I live in a “battleground” state (that means we have a lot of electoral college votes and it’s worth their while to woo us). There have been more rallies than most states – four yesterday (all without masks and social distancing! What are these stupid people thinking?). The election has invaded peace and anything left of normal life. Everyone I know has already voted so last minute rallies don’t mean as much as they used to. This is the first year for mail in (or hand delivered) balloting. I’m hoping there isn’t more chaos afterward.

Speaking of which – This week I found out that election anxiety is a thing. As a psychiatrist explained it, I could relate. Sleeplessness, agitation sometimes accompanied with homicidal thoughts and avoidance all sounded familiar. Many people are anxious. Add in a layer of pandemic and you’ve got some major stressors.

And the answer is – I have often talked about how important routine is for me. I find it soothing. This year everything is jumbled up. I’m still struggling with what to do for Thanksgiving! (Yes I will roll with it once we get closer.) One old routine was putting on the news while I made dinner. Yikes! (See paragraph two!) I needed a new routine. We are a music-loving family. Yesterday for the first time in eons, the beloved husband put on some CDs (yes we are that old!). As soon as I heard Jimmy Buffet and his island music my body started swinging. I danced for two hours and it felt so good.

Mama, you ok?

Side effects of that – Well, everything has side effects, right? New mancat Gus has not been around human dancing. They don’t have proms in the animal shelter. He looked pretty damn terrified as I sashayed around the kitchen. Eyes were big like saucers! I hadn’t consumed catnip! He couldn’t figure it out. Funniest thing ever. He told me not to quit my day job!

Something good – My Fitbit thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy and my dance routine. It rewarded me with many steps. Best thing that happened all week! (How sad is that?)

So how was your week?

74 thoughts on “Random 5 for November 1 – Election, anxiety, music, cats, Fitbit”

  1. Hearing Jimmy Buffett always makes puts a smile on my face – island breezes, great lyrics. Every time he plays in Detroit, a local station plays hours of his songs before the concert … makes you feel like you were there twirling around in a coconut bra and grass skirt. We are also a battleground state and finally the outcome was decided here late afternoon for Biden. But both candidates and their families all paraded through Michigan the last few weeks. Trump made a late-night visit to Michigan on Monday night as his “good luck charm” since he won in Michigan by 10,000 votes and it was his last stop before the 2016 election. Looks like that good luck charm might not have worked as anticipated. Today on the “health info minute” on my all-news station, she mentioned the post-election anxiety is worse than election anxiety (really?!) and this story was before the challenges/lawsuits. This is with families and in the workplace … please make it stop. At least hopefully the incessant phone calls will stop now.

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    • I heard that Michigan flipped. Last I heard the whole count was close to a win but still no cigar. The anxiety I have after Tuesday is far worse than before. I need the decision so I can move on however it works out. I haven’t watched TV since last Thursday. I was getting irritated as one commentator said it would go one way and another said the other way. That’s how people get anxious and these commentators don’t really know anything. They are working on old experiences that are no longer relevant. Jimmy Buffett is the answer. Music is always the answer for me. That and walking!

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      • The pollsters have been dead wrong and Michigan kicked out Trump’s lawsuit this afternoon and so did another state – I forget which one. It is funny Michigan flipped, but likely people remember how he/his administration treated our Governor as to PPE and we have a lot of autoworkers here and Obama/Biden bailed out the automakers in their administration, so I’m sure that helped. I listened to Trump’s speech tonight and was reading some Tweets by Jim Acosta and Jake Tapper … it was Jim Acosta who asked Trump at the end of the conference if he was a sore loser as he walked away. I wonder how much longer this will go on – I think it will grow uglier as it drags on.

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          • I kept hearing today there would be a decision and I heard Biden was to make his acceptance speech at that time, but as of now, they’re not done, so no speech. I understood he may still address the nation – I hand it to him, he is cautiously optimistic and not jumping the gun. He has a transition website in place though. We had issues in Detroit today – an arrest and protests by about 200 Trump supporters. They snarled traffic in the downtown Detroit business district for hours! I hope it’s done soon.

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  3. When the Fitbit rewards you, there is nothing wrong with that … especially when dancing was the activity of choice!!

    I like to do dinner prep with music on and dancing is a given. Sometimes I wonder if the neighbours question the sanity of the chubby old woman prancing around her kitchen with wild abandon. The image in my head is of the ballerina hippos from Fantasia

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    • That’s hilarious! My best dancing story — we have an open staircase with a banister. I have always danced down those steps. When I was working, I was dressed to leave and did my pirouette and a high kick. My shoe slipped and I took a tumble. I could hardly walk. I’ll never forget my boss’s insane laughter as I called in sick and told him what happened. I still do a staircase routine every once in a while but I’m getting older and more fragile (and less coordinated!).

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  4. With so many people early voting, all the last minute political ugliness, I mean, final push seems pretty stupid and past annoying. News hyper focus (either we’re all going to die by COVID or by whomever is elected) has driven us to change that turn on the news at dinner time, too.
    I pulled out an old boom box and some CDs – and get this: cassettes. WHOA Beach Boys…and a couple of kid halloween song/story tapes and Christmas music – which was all better than the TV.
    Sr Staff pulled out a Christmas present: a real vintage looking Victrola with cassette, CD and vinyl (kids don’t say records any more I am told). We have records! Tons. We have entertainment and fun again.
    Take that stupid election!
    I’m with you. Dance.

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  5. Agreed about routine, I need the comfort of it. I have definitely had election and pandemic anxiety. I find myself anxious to go in any stores but I feel I need to push myself because I don’t want to become housebound. I have been dancing and singing to the oldies and beach music daily. I have a vision of you dancing! Todays the day… it can’t be over soon enough! I share Donna’s fear that the craziness won’t be over today. I’m hoping for a miracle too or a better way to cope. We are going to be in the fifties tonight! Now that makes me want to dance!!!

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  6. My human used to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thanksgiving, but maybe they won’t have that this year? But if you watch it, sometimes a celebrity cat will be in the parade, a Garfield, a Felix, a Grumpy Cat, a Cat in the Hat, so it makes it fun. I guess this year I will just have to watch Salem try to steal turkey.

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  9. I have election anxiety as well — not for our recent Provincial Election — but for the US Election. Now that’s saying something. The biggest cause of my anxiety is the fear that none of this craziness will end on November 3. I’m praying for a miracle to happen!

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  10. Not being a battleground state, WA has had no rallies–a blessing, I guess.

    I really care a lot about who wins the election, but it doesn’t keep me up at night. The thing that’s been causing me the most anxiety (I guess because it’s closer to home) is that my computer crashed, and I can’t figure out the setup for the new one, and I don’t have all the right parts.

    Isn’t it funny that Gus expects you to behave the way he’s used to.

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    • Trump has had over 15 rallies here and none of them were safe. I don’t understand people. They don’t believe unless it’s happening to them yet they claim to be people of faith. Gus has spent his entire life in a rescue. If he was in a foster home it was for a short period when he was very young. He didn’t understand steps or screened porches with the outdoor sensory opportunities. He never goes on beds and rarely on furniture. He’s just not used to that. It’s been a journey for him and it’s been fun to help him along. Sasha has taught him how to yowl for food! 🙂

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  11. Hi Kate, I am trying to not get into the vicious cycle of reading all the news sites over and over again. Also, hoping for no/minimal chaos. “Dancing for two hours”. Excellent suggestion. Taking advantage of Fall walks around here. I may start grooving to some tunes.😊

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    • I did a lot of walking all summer and fall and that helped a lot but the weather turned crappy (that’s a technical word). Being stuck indoors required being creative! I haven’t been reading/listening to the news for the past week, maybe longer. It seems to be coming to a crescendo and it gives me a headache.

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  15. I’m very aware of election anxiety! We have observed businesses boarding up their windows in anticipation of post-election violence, so it’s a little hard to tamp down the worry! I have decided if this chaos continues I just may adopt a mult-year stay-at-home order. I have a wonderful garden and more ways to play music than actually makes sense. We all need to turn down the anxiety dial!

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  16. The topsy turvy world of politicas colliding with the panDAMNic has everyone on edge. I remain astounded there are people who gather at events, yelling their heads off all the while maskless. I can only roll my eyes and screen at the TV for them to stop being maskholes. Ugh.
    Stay safe, sane and keep smiling.

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  17. My first dog, Maxx, used to get upset when my first husband and I danced around the house together. He kept trying to get between us. I like to think he was trying to protect me. He didn’t like the hubs to get too close to his human, that’s for sure. I don’t remember it bothering Pepper (our cat) at all, or my second dog (Lucy). But hubs #1 was out of the picture by Lucy’s time… Different strokes for different animal folks, that’s for sure.

    Deb

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  18. We have just been told that we are going into another lock down for a month from Thursday so no swimming or volunteering. It feels much worse in winter. I am so glad I grew out my fringe so I won’t look like a cross between cousin it and a yeti.

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  19. I’m a routine person too, and this Covid thing sucks. Add in all the current events, and thoughts can get fairly negative. I will be glad when Tuesday is over, but I’m guessing like the past ’email’ issues that went on for years so will the counting of the ballots. Four years from now, the talking heads will probably still be talking about it. Being retired brought on a certain amount of isolation, being an introvert kind of balanced that, but going into the 8th month of literally staying at home except for necessary errands has lost its luster. Being online certainly helps, but it will never equal a good hug. Stay well and keep dancing. I like Jimmy Buffett. 🙂

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  20. I love my peace and quiet . . . but I also love my music-filled happy hours. For the past 4 weeks, we’ve been working our way through our CD’s ~> winnowing them down from 250 +/- to 175 (or so). It’s been great to weed out a few that we were no longer inclined to “put on the turntable.”

    And, yes . . . we kept Jimmy Buffett!
    And The Monkees:

    Let’s dance on,
    Oh, baby, come on.
    Let’s dance on ’til the dawn,
    Have fun ’til the music’s all gone.
    The way you’re movin’
    Girl, you look so fine.
    You been doin’ the Shotgun,
    Let me see you…

    Keep on dancing ~> it’s a great de-stressor!

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    • It’s the best! My husband is the ultimate collector with over a thousand CDs. Many are borderline good. That is something that should be cleaned out. First because you don’t need a CD and second, our next place won’t have that kind of storage.

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      • Over time, we’ve gone from 500+ CD’s to 250 to 175. My current goal is getting down to about 150 ~ that seems about right for us.

        We already jettisoned ALL our vinyl albums, our cassette tapes, and most of our DVD’s. Plus LOTS and LOTS of books.

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        • We did books about 10 years ago. OMG! Between us we had thousands. Many trips to the library to donate. Cassettes are gone but we still have CD’s and DVD’s. I haven’t had vinyl in decades.

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  23. I think we all just have to get some new routines – we’re being forced to or go insane. Interesting choice right? I’m reading more – I’m on the computer more – we’re having more frozen pizza for dinner……I’m starting NOT to miss being out and about in my car running errands, etc. I’m convincing myself to hang in there and that the election will be OVER (TRULY) and people will actually listen to medical advice about this pandemic and stop calling it a hoax or “just like the old flu” so yes – I’m living in a dream world. I’m not sure I want to wake up but I hope when I do things are BETTER – WAY BETTER! Hang in there…..we’re all just hanging.

    Hugs, Pam

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    • I couldn’t say it better myself! At first I embraced the cooking. Now I’m back to a nice blend of frozen stuff, take out and homemade meals depending on my mood. I’ve learned how to shop smarter. I needed office supplies. Instead of hopping in the car and going to the local office supply, I checked on-line first only to find out that they didn’t have anything I wanted in the store so an on-line purchase — no car ride. I am frustrated by the doubters as I actually know people who have had it (and were very sick without any airlift by Air Force One) and people who have died from it (not all are old). Hanging in is what we do now. I’m also avoiding news. I miss the drive-by shootings in our local city (and that is saying something!).

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    • I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner. We have an outdoor eating routine in the summer that excludes the news so this is all a recent adjustment. I love peace and quiet. I’m so used to it that I find noisy gatherings annoying.

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  25. I will be glad to see Tuesday pass in the rear view mirror, though I don’t think we will know election results for a long while after that. I would be very content to bulk up on a ton of food on Thanksgiving and simply go into hibernation until sometime in January or later, depending on election results.

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  26. Election anxiety is indeed a thing, and I suspect that, because of the fact that ballots and still be mailed or dropped of on Monday, there will be no immediate outcome. And we all know that if the current POTUS doesn’t get re-elected, there will be appeals to the count and he will insist he stay in control until all of that gets sorted out. For me, the only thing that the end of day Tuesday means that I’ll stop getting calls (which I don’t answer) and texts (which I delete without reading) reminding me to vote and/or suggesting who I vote for. I’ve verified that my ballot has been received and recorded at my county office, so just stop!

    I’m old school enough to not only have CDs, but vinyl records and a system on which to play them! Seriously, you KNOW you’re old school when you have the Partridge Family Christmas Album on vinyl!

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