I noped today, friends. Just looked at all the stuff that needs doing and noped at all of it. Hard nope. And I’m taking a mental health afternoon, instead.

I’ve been spinning lately. My mind whirring and revving. Thoughts and thoughts and thoughts and thoughts. All full speed all the time. I think all day. I think as I try to sleep. I wake up think think thinking. Even when I’m only waking up to pee. The THOUGHTS. They’re there, waiting for me. Constant chatter. It’s exhausting.

And I know why I’m spinning. Greg and I are traveling Saturday. To Hawaii. For a week. POOR US, right? But I’m split in half, one part of me eager to go lay on a beach and drink a mai tai, and one part of me consumed with panic. Even though I’ve thought through what must happen in my absence. Even though I’ve assigned the precious parts like the KITTENS and the CHILDREN to people I trust. Even though I know it’s irrational. I’m still nearly breathless with panic. Which is DELIGHTFUL for my family. I am DARLING.

So I spun this morning. I did the few things that Actually Needed Doing. I took the kittens to their appointment. I cleaned the litter box. And I took my meds. And then, after much Thought, I decided the rest of the day is a nope. No. Nope.

So I took myself on a date to the Newberg Wednesday Market. I bought myself a Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery beer and a Honey Pie pizza. And next I’m going to IDK. 🤷🏻‍♀️ IDK, friends. We’ll find out together. ❤️

P.S. FYI, Honey Pie is the sort of place, when they give you your order number, where you can yell, “OMG! I AM NUMBER ONE! I KNEW IT!” and they will point at you and yell, “YES! YES YOU ARE!” instead of looking at you like you lost your goddamn mind.

 

Stop Number Two for Nope Day. CREAM ice cream.

I chose the saffron & orange. OMG. AMAZONG. (That was supposed to be amazing, but I feel like amazong may better capture its awesomeness.)

I ran into my friend Shannon and got to see her WHOLE LOVELY FACE. I asked her what’s new, and she said, “I’m doing roller derby now,” and now I’m questioning all my life choices and why *I’m* not doing roller derby. When people ask me what’s new, all I’ve got are 14 cats and a gay fantasy novel without an agent.

 

Stop Number Three for Nope Day: hanging out at the Newberg Wednesday Market info booth with my friend Polly. No matter what the conversation is, Polly is 100% here for it—politics? Religion? Which market booth has the best cocktails? Why we must 👏🏻 support 👏🏻 our 👏🏻LGBTQ+ youth? Polly is in with passion. Everyone need a Polly.

 

Final stops on my Nope Day tour of Newberg Wednesday Market…

I bought myself a bouquet at Pollinate Flowers

Ran into my friend Derric and his double decker bicycle

Bought Greg a zucchini muffin with maple cream cheese icing at Kayts Kitchen

And finished up by buying a half flat of berries because there is no summer pleasure greater than an Oregon strawberry. I plan to eat too many and give myself strawberry diarrhea.

Best Nope Day ever. And my mind is quieter than it’s been in a couple weeks. Almost as if a day of being kind to myself and walking in sunshine and rubbing into beautiful humans and eating great food is good for the soul. 😉

P.S. That was supposed to say running. RUNNING into beautiful humans. But I’m leaving it. Because rubbing into beautiful humans (with Enthusiastic Verbal Consent, as I lecture my teenagers) is probably also good for the soul. Both/And, amirite? 🤷🏻‍♀️😂