5:30 a.m.: I’ve been up for a while with period cramps, but kept trying to fall back asleep without dealing with them. Why do I do this to myself? Anyway, I get up, take some ibuprofen, and go back to bed.
6:00 a.m.: Cramps are still being a nuisance so I take a hot bubble bath, which definitely helps. Nothing like a 6AM bubble bath!
6:30 a.m.: After my bath, I sit down on the couch with a new book (Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown!) and read for about 20 minutes, but it makes me very sleepy.
6:50 a.m.: I make toast and then sit down at my laptop to finish the blog post I’m publishing today. I also comment on some blogs.
8:00 a.m.: I get dressed, brush my teeth, pull my hair into a bun, and pack my backpack. I also take my meds and unload the dishwasher.
8:30 a.m.: I leave the apartment and drive to my local Whole Foods. Not for food! (I am much too poor for their prices.) But to do an Amazon return. Usually, I drop my returns at The UPS Store, but the only option for a free, no box return was Whole Foods. They had real Christmas trees right as I walked into the store, and omg, the smellllll. So perfect!
9:00 a.m.: I drive to my salon for a waxing appointment. Long story short, I have a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, which means I am very suspectible to getting cysts, especially in my underarms. Last year, I had three different cysts become infected and it was quite an ordeal. Once I learned that clogged hair follicles could be the cause of these cysts, I decided to start getting my underarms waxed professionally. And ever since, I haven’t had a single infected cyst! It’s reason enough for me to keep getting my underarms waxed. Anyway, the appointment is quick and easy!
9:15 a.m.: After the appointment, I drive over to Starbucks for my weekly writing date with Mikaela.
9:45 a.m.: Writing date! I order a peppermint mocha and egg bites. I spend my time working on a blog post, commenting on blog posts, and responding to comments on my blog posts.
11:25 a.m.: Writing date complete. I drive home and I’m feeling pretty moody at this point. I’m guessing it’s related to my period, and I hope this moodiness will pass soon. I hate feeling this way!
11:45 a.m.: I’m home. I’m puttering around when I get a Facetime from little miss Olive (Mikaela’s daughter). I chat with her, her younger sister Eleni, and Mikaela while they get ready for a fun afternoon. Once we hang up, I heat up lunch (pizza leftovers from last night) and eat it while watching some episodes of Friends. My mom calls me while I’m halfway through watching a second episode, and we chit-chat for a bit. All of this puts me in a better mood!
1:30 p.m.: It’s naptime. I had another terrible night of sleep, so I’m not even setting an alarm. I’ll sleep however long I need to sleep.
4:00 p.m.: I’m up after a wonderful 2.5-hour nap. (And no, this won’t affect my sleep tonight. I’ll fall asleep easily because I AM BROKEN.) My mom has texted me some fun birthday ideas for me, so I spend time scrolling on my phone, looking at the different options.
4:30 p.m.: I putter around the house for a bit before sitting down on the couch with my book for some dedicated reading time.
5:07 p.m.: I call my mom and we chat for 30 minutes. Afterward, I order dinner. (I thought about going to Publix and getting groceries at this point, but I just couldn’t summon the energy. My energy is typically so low during the first few days of my period.)
5:40 p.m.: More puttering time. I add more ornaments to the tree, strip my bed and put the sheets and pillowcases in the wash, and tidy up around the apartment.
6:00 p.m.: Time for some dedicated blogging work! I mostly read and comment on blogs, and I’m feeling a lot more caught up than I was a few days ago. It’s helpful to have a quiet week with very little plans!
6:40 p.m.: I switch out the laundry and then put my big quilt in the washer. And then my food arrives! I eat dinner and finish up season 3 of Friends. Seeing Robin Williams broke my goddamn heart. What a treasure.
7:50 p.m.: Laundry is done so I remake my bed and switch my quilt to the dryer. I also hang up a photo and do more tree decorating. (I decorate the tree so very slowly, lol.)
8:20 p.m.: I sit on the couch for some reading time! I am really enjoying Atlas of the Heart. I’m envisioning a podcast episode out of what I’m learning, but I’m not quite sure what it will look like yet.
8:45 p.m.: I need to do things, but I don’t want to do things. So instead, I put on a podcast and finish a page on Happy Color.
9:00 p.m.: I do a semblance of a nighttime routine. I also shake out the litter mats and sweep up all the accompanying litter particles before scooping the litter boxes.
9:40 p.m.: Blogging time. I finalize the blog post that will publish tomorrow morning and comment on more blogs. My mom Facetimes me to talk about the Survivor episode she just watched (she’s watching a season I’ve seen before, so we have lots we can talk about!) and then, of course, we get to chit-chatting about other things, as we do.
11:00 p.m.: I’m so tired so I close the laptop, turn off all the lights, and head to bed. But before I can go to bed, I need to ask ChatGPT what this sharp, shooting pain in my head means. A brain aneurysm? A tumor? Will I wake up tomorrow? Since it’s not combined with anything like a fever, numbness, confusion, or vision problems, it’s probably not anything serious. Likely nerve irritation.
11:30 p.m.: Lights out.
END NOTES //
- Sleep score: 73
- Apnea score: 4.8 per hour
- Sleep duration: 5 hours, 40 minutes
- Podcast episodes: 4 (Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, Behind the Bastards, Beach Too Sandy Water Too Wet, Rob Has a Podcast)
- TV episodes: 3 (Friends)
- Facetimes with mom: 3
- Reading time: 1 hour (Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave – audiobook); 1 hour, 4 minutes (Atlas of the Heart)
saturday in the life: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014




























