Author: Jo Redd

New Beginnings

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After letting most of 2020 pass me in a blink of an eye, I was determined to not waste any more time in 2021. My mental health has been weighing heavy on my mind so I decided it was time to see my doctor on a regular basis. No surprise that I went in for a cholesterol check and came out with a prescription for fluoxetine. It’s a generic for Prozac and its been working wonderfully.

My biggest gripe of year’s past has been the incessant compulsive thoughts that have clogged up my ability to think clearly. I can once told one of my ex’s “I just wish there was something I could take so I could stop remembering everything.” I’ve been exhausted by just how fast the memories move through my brain; and how often I dwell on past failures. Fluoxetine seems to be the answer to at least some of my problems. I’m still not as motivated as I would like to be, and I’m still finding it hard to concentrate, but the never ending negative talk has quieted down and made my mind a more peaceful place.

One kind of odd side effect has been the abnormal sweating of my palms. I feel like a weird humanoid slug when I’m at work because everything I touch seems to be slightly wet. It comes and goes throughout the day, but as my energy level increases, so does the dampness of my hands.

Fun fact: your palms sweating is a parasympathetic response that occurs with certain drug usage (like Prozac) including Magic Mushrooms. Ask anyone who has “tripped” and there is a good chance that their palms sweating was their first indication that their “trip” was about to get wild.

I Stand Corrected…

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Earlier today I made a post regarding the fact that music festivals are ripping their fans off by offering events that are non-refundable and now cancelled. I implied that the sports world was handling the pandemic better, and I see now that I am wrong on that.

But let’s back up for just a minute. My favorite team in the entire world is the New York Yankees and I did not miss a single game last season despite it getting such late start. I noticed, though, that in August they began selling group tickets for the 2021 season. I thought it was rather bold of them to assume that things would be back to normal and that there would be a 162 game season. As recently as a month ago the MLB was telling everyone that they should expect to report on time for Spring Training.

Today, we found out that was a lie. It has been reported here that the league is pushing for at least a month delay to the 2021 season. What a load of bull. I don’t care that they are offering to pay like its a regular season, the issue is that there are teams out here who have already planned for a full season. Once again we are seeing the fans screwed by the decision of the league. What has changed? I again bring up the fact that basketball and football have made it through their season with minimal trouble.

I’m in favor of a universal DH, but in my mind the delay is an attempt to force the NL to accept the Designated Hitter role as a permanent fixture on all teams.

Best Purchase of 2021 (so far)

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The item I have been waiting for over a week for, has finally arrived!

In an effort to be more self-reliant, I decided that it was time to invest in solar lighting options. Due to living in an apartment, large scale changes to my energy consumption is not up to me, so I’m trying to think small. I bought two of these small solar lanterns and I absolutely love them. They are collapsible so they do not take up much space, and they have three different settings for the intensity of the light. They are somewhat smaller than I imagined them being, but that doesn’t really bother me because they’re technically more for outdoor settings like camping or night hikes. These lanterns seem pretty durable, I already dropped one (whoops) that has not seemed to affect it.

Not only can you charge these lanterns through the small solar panel, there is also a micro USB port on it. I think the placement is a little goofy because the lip of the lantern is slightly higher than the battery, but its something I can live with. I plan on using it over the next couple of days so I can figure out just how much time I get in between charges. Assuming that there are no issues, I definitely plan on purchasing a couple more lanterns before the summer season hits.

Hair Repair

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In a fit of vanity I signed up for an annual subscription to the Allure Beauty Box and a smaller version of the clarifying scalp scrub was included; I was sold on it from the first use. After years of coloring my hair I have always felt like my hair just looks dull. After using this regularly my hair has become soft, shiny and much more manageable.

I love this product so much that I went out and bought more, and I bought the conditioner that goes with this haircare line. I love it so much I’m going to end up buying the mask and the shampoo that completes this set. Its quite pricey ($16) but if I’m going to take care of my hair I need to invest in it. I feel like the scrub is the best price per ounce, but I do think the conditioner makes my hair softer than any other conditioner that I have used.

Fire Starters Don’t Have to be Complicated.

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When I first started hiking and spending more time out in nature, I found myself looking for tips and tricks on Reddit and other websites so I could have the best “survival” bag out there. One issue that my mind kept going back to was the issue of “how am I going to start a fire?” I don’t feel like I will always need to start a fire but I also don’t want to be out in the middle of nowhere when I realize that I need it. Circumstances can always change, and before you know it you need to set up camp and you don’t have any light source other than a flashlight.

I will recommend the same thing that a fellow Reddit user told me: Don’t overthink things and don’t make an issue more complicated than you need to. People are going to try and convince you that you need a product that costs ten times as much as a lighter when the reality is that Bic lighters should be your go-to fire starter. They work even after getting wet, they can be used over and over and they are cheap. I also always recommend carrying some sort of tissue paper that is kept in a waterproof container so that you have something to easily light should you be making a larger fire. For long-term use, I realize that a Bic lighter doesn’t seem realistic, but it really is just as easy as trying to maintain a flint/wick set up and they are cost-efficient.

Into the Wild.

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My books came in the mail today! A couple weeks back I had been looking up all the edible wild foliage that is in my state, and I realized that I could describe everything in incredible detail and I might still end up picking the wrong berries/nuts/etc. It is valuable for me to have pictures to accompany that information, so I opted to pick up a couple books that would help me out with that. I’m excited to be able to use this for the upcoming mushroom hunting season and hopefully I will be able to find some secret spots of my own that I can return to each year.

Happy Hunting!

The Case to Bring Back Gardner.

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Keith Allison/Brett_Gardner_leaping_catch.jpg (1259×1689) (wikimedia.org)

With the 2020 season well in the past, many Yankees fans are looking to the future; for some, that seems to include leaving Brett Gardner behind. I won’t argue with anyone that Gardner had a rather bad record last year, but we should not let that shortened, odd, season darken our view of the veteran outfielder.

Gardner is a lifer, with the Yankees bringing him up in 2008, and it has been a stellar career. He was a part of the 2009 World Series Championship team and he has contributed to the team every year since his rookie season. In 2019 when the Yankees were plagued by injuries, Gardner was one of the few consistent players on the field and he was integral in the Yankees having a 100 win season that year.

2020 was a strange year for everyone and I feel like Brett Gardner was one of the hardest hit. In a year where the team was supposed to social distance, physical interaction was to be kept to a minimum, and crowds were kept out of the stadiums, people like Gardner lost the spark that keeps the bat going. Playing games that are do-or-die become that much harder when there is no crowd to keep your head in the game. A silent stadium reflects back all the negative thoughts and it can be hard to rally a team when that sort of atmosphere has descended upon the dugout. Toward the end of the season Gardner seemed to find some of his mojo, although it was not enough to propel the Yankees past the Tampa Bay Rays during the postseason.

If the Yankees let Gardner go we have a potential hole in center field should Hicks get hurt, and Gardner will forever be a valuable asset on the bases because he has maintained his speed over the years. There are a few younger players potentially vying for a position in the outfield, but they will need to demonstrate better quality outings than the veteran that is Gardner.

There will come a day when Brett hangs up the cleats, and he (hopefully) begins a fantastic managing career, but for 2021 the Yankees must find a way to bring him back as a player.

The Machine Returns!

/ Jo Redd
(AP Photo/Corey Sipkin, File)

DJ is back!

On January 15, 2021, the Yankees and DJ LeMahieu reached an agreement on a 6 year-90 million dollar contract which has cemented LeMahieu’s role on the team. In 2019 the Yankees traded for LeMahieu and it has been magic to watch him play ever since. DJ is an extremely versatile player on the field, and he has been one of the most consistent with his approach to hitting the ball. In 2020 DJ snagged the batting title in the AL and he should have been considered MVP from the league.

Given that the Yankees have been prone to injuries over the last two years, it is nice to see them re-sign a player who managed to avoid the injury bug more than others. While DJ is already 32, and he has had a reoccurring wrist issue, this signing is going to help the Yankees attain the goal of another World Series win. What this team has been missing is cohesion. The team is filled with great players and big names, but there is still something holding them back from the ultimate prize; DJ might just be one piece to solving the puzzle.

Let’s Talk about CBD.

/ Jo Redd

In the last few years CBD has started to gain popularity and it has garnered a lot of attention from the media. In 2018 CBD derived from Hemp was legalized at the federal level, although individual states still retain the right to criminalize CBD if they want to. I won’t go into the specifics, but I do recommend that you check local laws before purchasing CBD.

Not a Paid Sponsor and MEDTERRA in no way endorses my blog

Medterra is a company that produces its products from Hemp plants so it’s a company I knew I could safely order from. I originally bought this lotion for my mother because she suffers from arthritis in her hands; but after hearing her success with it I bought it for myself. This stuff has been a lifesaver. I started using it on my lower back after a long day at work but one day while suffering from a migraine I used it on my forehead and the back of my neck. Almost instantly the pain was dulled. Ever since, at the first sign of a headache I use this and the migraine either does not appear, or the symptoms are significantly lessened.

This lotion goes on kind of like other joint pain over the counter topical ointments but it lacks the offensive odor and, at times, overwhelming cooling sensation. It absorbs quickly and it is not greasy feeling. This is a product I can see myself using long term. I will note that there is a higher strength of product should you feel like your pain is not being effectively managed. Alleviation of Symptoms will vary from person to person and not everyone is going to experience the same level of results.

One Side Note: They even have items that can be used on your pets. As our pets age they also suffer from joint ailments, digestive issues and pain, so CBD is a great way of helping manage a lot of the small problems.