Sigh. For some reason I can’t identify, I’ve fallen into a funk. It doesn’t make any sense- we made it through the hurricane. Cooler temps are on the way. I’m able to run (!) Both kids are doing well. There’s no reason to be depressed, but for some reason I just don’t feel like doing anything.
Sunday started out fine. I watched the Chicago Marathon on TV. Then, I put up our outdoor Halloween decorations- ahem, such as they are. As much as I love the holidays and decorations, I really don’t have a talent for these things.
I remember once, years ago, after I put up the Halloween decorations I asked my husband if they looked okay. He said “Well… yes. I mean, Halloween is SUPPOSED to be weird.”
Whatever! I mainly put something up so trick-or-treaters will know to come to our house. In our neighborhood, so many houses don’t give out candy, people probably won’t bother knocking on our door without some kind of encouragement.
Getting those decorations up made me feel good, but then I fell back into my lethargy. My husband was working and my daughter was out, and I thought of something that would make me feel better: a nice, big Coke Zero.
I went to the grocery store where they have a fountain, and got the largest size possible. In the US, if you get a large size fountain drink, it means you’re getting a barrel of soda. And I got chips and salsa! I went home and had a feast, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
It should come as no surprise that my stomach hurt today, but I don’t regret a single minute. If I hadn’t gotten that soda, I would have spent the whole afternoon wishing I had. You regret the things you DON’T do more than the things you DO, right? Anyway…
I think we just need to get back into our regular routine. The kids were off of school again today (SCREEEAAAM!) but tomorrow they go back and we have a busy week. That should get me back on track.
Oh, and if this doesn’t make me happy, nothing will. Yet another installment in the “Houses I Saw That Made Me Think of Jenny” series. This one’s from ccr in MA:
Okay, enough whining. I’ll be back tomorrow with recent reads and eats! But no more Coke Zero.
Do you put up outdoor decorations for Halloween?
38 Responses
Ha, poor Jenny! Being in a funk with no “good” reason – I think we’ve all been there at some point.
It’s so great that you are running again. I think you need a new, exciting running goal. Some crazy ultra to train for!
Aren’t there some great races you could sign up for in February?
Catrina, you are right!!! I need a big crazy goal. Yes, there are some great races- I have to pick one.
being in a funk is part of being human. hehehe… we all have these days and no need to over analyze it.
I like your Halloween decor, spooky and fun. We don’t do it because i’m just lazy. Our building management organizes some celebration for the kids so I’ll just take advantage of that.
You’re right Coco- it’s part of being human. Sometimes there’s no big important reason for our moods!
You’ve had a lot going on lately, Jenny! The calf, the storms, etc. I try to think of funks as my brain needed its focus to be on processing something; it’s ok to have a down bit but if it goes on a bit too long, I need to dive into it, haha sigh. Here’s to the return to routine bringing you some joy!
Thank you Lindsay! Yes, I need some joy around here. Hopefully getting back to our normal routine will help.
Sorry you’re in a funk, Jenny! Maybe it’s the adrenaline letdown from all the craziness last week.
We usually decorate for Halloween but we leave Friday for Italy, so we won’t be here. I mean, my son will be, but it feels excessive to put up decorations for that. There are only a couple kids on our road and I’ve already given them their treat bags.
Yes, it could just be a kind of letdown from having such an intense last week.
You’re such a good neighbor- giving the kids their treat bags in advance.
Girl, you’ve had a rough couple of months. From Calfgate to Hurricane Gate, plus everything else. That’s going to make anyone feel “off”. Also I’ll just say it – one day off school is delightful, more than that is…not. You are more than entitled to an afternoon on the couch with your beverage of choice and chips and salsa.
I love that Muffin got in on the Halloween action!
Thanks Birchie! And that’s so true- one day off of school is delightful. Let’s not draw it out!
Routines are crucial for me, too! I can definitely feel “off” when things get thrown up in the air like Milton did. I’m glad you did you soda-and-salsa thing when you needed to.
Yes, Milton really wreaked havoc on our routines. Glad you’re back home safe and sound.
Uncertainty makes me so uneasy and you’ve had a lot of that lately. It’s hard not to be in a routine (and in terms of running, you haven’t had a firm routine for quite a while because of that pesky calf).
Any outdoor decorations for Halloween is more effort than me. And I think they look fun and festive!
Thank you Elisabeth! I think the trick or treaters will appreciate them.
I need to take a picture of the house by Taco’s daycare that is over-the-top decorated for Halloween. And they are only about half done. Closer to the holiday they put out soooo many carved pumpkins. I wonder where they store all of this stuff! The answer is probably in the garage. When we were house hunting, so few people have room in their garages to pack their cars because they were stuffed with their belongings. We are solidly “park cars in the garage” people. But that means we don’t have storage room for massive Halloween decorations!
If it was up to me, we would have some outdoor decorations but Phil feels strongly about NOT decorating. We we are very boring. Womp womp. There are lots of great decorations in our neighborhood so it’s a fun family outing to walk around and check out the decorations. This morning on my run I found another Mickey decoration so I need to take Taco on a walk by that house – and it’s a cute Mickey, not a vampire mickey that is inside a coffin like the house a block down from us… Taco was not sure what to think about vampire Mickey…
I hope you can ditch your funk! You’ve had a lot going on lately so I can understand why you feel the way you do. I have been feeling a bit off lately but I think it’s just the compounding of exhaustion from a whole lot of travel… But today is my Friday so I will enjoy some time off with Paul this week when we visit my sister in VA!
Lisa, I hope you’re enjoying your trip!
We have a couple houses in our neighborhood that go all out for Halloween and Christmas. When my kids were little one of our fun things to do would be to walk to their houses after dinner to see all the decorations. I was very grateful for the people who were willing to go through that much work!
I love your ghosts!!!! I have a bunch of outdoor ghosts but the recent incessant rain has them all lying on the ground.
So sorry to hear about your funk. Those stink. I hope it passes quickly!
You were the inspiration for my ghosts! I have another cute one inside that I got from Michaels too.
I know all about the funk!
Perhaps it’s just the calm after the storm? Your calf injury, hurricanes, summer heat, and all that. And now you’re back in routine, running again and I think it’s common to get out of the mood when things get back to normal. I hope you get some oomph back soon.
Your ghosts are fabulous!
Thanks Susanne! Yeah, there’s been a lot going on. I should snap out of it soon.
It’s kind of an extra shitty kick that depression generally does NOT have a good reason, so you feel kind of confused and guilty as well as feeling depressed. I hope it passes quickly.
Your Halloween decor looks amazing to me, especially because part of it is in a freaking PALM tree. I don’t really want to live somewhere without winter – or at least I never used to – but wow. I have to go for a walk outside and crunch some leaves to snap myself back in.
I FULLY support the Coke Zero thing, I think you were brilliant to just seize the craving and go with it.
Thanks Allison! I like your way of thinking.
Yes, it does add something to depression when you feel there’s no good reason for it. Like, my life is great- there’s no reason I should be feeling this way! Sigh.
I fully support your decision to drown yourself in a giant Coke Zero. 🤣🤣
Ha, I thought about you Kae when I got that gigantic fountain drink. But you’ve been so good- don’t be influenced by my poor choices : )
Your decorations look PERFECT – don’t let anyone say otherwise.
We do put up decorations and it makes me happy every time I have to walk the dog in the dark.
Ha, thanks Engie! I’ll take your word for it.
It’s totally normal to be in a funk after everything you’ve been through lately! Treating yourself to some chips and salsa sounds like a perfect, if temporary, solution.
I don’t have many Halloween decorations and being in an apartment, I don’t really decorate outside at all, but there are some people in my complex who have Halloween lights around their windows so I might do that next year. I get more excited to decorate for Christmas!
Yes, you could lights around the window! And I agree- I do much more for Christmas.
Love your ghost lights! A bunch of people in our neighborhood have these super cute witch hats hanging from their porch ceilings, and I keep meaning to copy them…
Great junk food self care moment— it feels god to do this once in awhile.
That does sound cute! Now I want hanging witch hats.
I know this is an older post, but the title really spoke to me…
Sorry for the funk, Jenny; I hope you’re past it now.
On the way back from Utah there was something called “Happy TV” on in the airport. It looks like it’s a subscription for businesses only, but they have a cute Insta page: https://www.instagram.com/happytv/?hl=en
Ha ha Maya, this is great! Those pictures will automatically make anyone smile. Maybe I just need more photos of cute animals.
I don’t feel ready to run 26.2 and I’m not having fun training alone.
I will do it!!! I know I’ll regret it if I don’t.
I decorate with pumpkins and such inside. Not as much outside unlike some of my neighbors
Darlene, I wish we lived near each other- I would run with you! I think you only have one long run left, and then the marathon. Hopefully it will be a great experience, and then you never have to do it again!
Oh dear, sorry to hear about that! I used to put a bat in the fanlight above our front window, so kids would know to come and collect a sweet and a BookCrossing book. But then one day I found a book all torn up down the road and stopped doing it. I’m glad the coke and snacks helped. I had an issue with Coke Zero in Spain as I like a bit of caffeine but no, all the restaurants only had Zero! Brown flavoured water!!
Well, I definitely get the Coke Zero with caffeine! I don’t know about Spain, but here you have a choice. No sugar, yes caffeine.
I think all of us Floridians are in that hurricane anxiety come-down. Even if you weren’t as affected by Helene + Milton, you were still dealing with disruptions to your routine, kids out of school, etc. It’s been really crazy for the last few weeks. No wonder you’re in a funk! I hope you can find something to train for that will hopefully help. <3
Jenny you are probably in a funk because you have a little bit of PTSD. Seriously, we get a lot of fires and the fear and the evacuation and sometimes the destruction, even when it’s not your own house, can be very taxing on our nervous systems. Then its “over” and we cannot just go back to normal, even though we do, we brush it off and keep doing what we are doing, but inside our brains, there is still something there. My brother had a really hard time after doing this for several years in a row and then his MIL house burned down and he had to go over as the fire was coming down the hill to help her evacuate. It does take a toll on you.