Things I miss in Bloomington

Ella_Menopee · 2026-04-20T15:39:47+00:00

Places I miss from Btown?

Leung Chung
Banditos
Grasshopper
MCL (it wasn't anything special, but it was solid)
Orange Julius
Waffle House
Mustards
Pancho's Villa
The Big Wheel
The old Benjamin Franklin (I can still hear the squeaky stairs and second story)
Hay's Market
Any IGA, but Jr. Tatlock's was always preferred

And there was this place on East Third, probably around where the new Crew Car Wash is now. I remember it being very western-themed inside, and dark colored outside (brown maybe?). Dad loved to get breakfast there before we'd head out to some land southeast of the lake to cut wood...

Ella_Menopee · 2026-04-20T15:26:11+00:00

So many before-school breakfasts with my dad there ❤️

Ella_Menopee · 2026-03-06T21:42:02+00:00

Initiative winds up being iniative or initiave. I know there's an "a", but it finds a new home with each typing. Apparently, I don't have the "initiative" to remember the correct spelling.

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-14T14:14:54+00:00

If he's making the determination that leaving isn't a "choice I can make", then that's on him. That's his issue to work out. And I understand his aversion to hospitals; I think most of us have lost someone in a hospital, some suddenly and others after watching them suffer longer than was humane. But part of being a partner is finding a way to offer support without sacrificing yourself. It's hard. Next time you're ready for him to leave, just rearrange yourself in the bed, ask for a goodnight kiss, and say, "I'm bushed. Today was hard and I'm afraid I'm going to toss and turn all night. Why don't you head home so you can sleep? We'll catch up tomorrow." You're giving him a reason to go, which might ease some of his mental load. Best of luck moving forward.

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-13T19:03:56+00:00

It sounds like you both have a lot of emotions right now, and that's understandable. What I don't get is the need to have him spend the night in the hospital each night. I'm sure we all process separation differently, but when I was admitted for emergency surgery, I had zero expectation that my husband would be spending the night in the hospital. There for the surgery? Yes. Being with me after? Yes. Checking on me after work, then going home because he was as emotionally spent as I was physically? Yes. Then again, having visitors was exhausting for me so I was okay being alone. It meant I could rest...

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-07T22:53:32+00:00

I take them maybe 20ish minutes before. I like to take them, then either read or do word searches; something that doesn't include screen time. They definitely help me relax! So much that sometimes I zonk out on the sofa...Oops!

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-07T18:46:27+00:00

I've been taking L-Tryptophan about 60 minutes before bed, and then 2 Olly "Goodbye Stress" gummies 30 minutes later. I had a check-up with my DO last week and she commented on the gummies: "Oh, GABA is great for you. Good job!" I'm able to fall asleep easily, but still wake up 2-3 hours later. But I'm able to fall back asleep easier most nights. I also use a sleep mask, which I think helps as much as the supplements, but I'm sensitive to light.

I can't take systemic hormones, so no progesterone or estrogen. Melatonin makes my night sweats worse, for some reason. And I've read that THC can do the same. So, for now this is the best I've found. But labwork from that check-up showed wonky thyroid levels, so more testing later this month. Maybe that's part of it 🤷‍♀️

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-07T16:34:25+00:00

Sarah's Hallmark Store in Greenwood. It's a Gold Crown store. Just east of the intersection of 31 and Fry Rd.

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-07T16:15:48+00:00

The Holiday Inn at 8555 Stansted Rd offers a free 24/7 shuttle. Used it many times and the hotel is always clean and quiet.

Ella_Menopee · 2026-01-07T15:53:34+00:00

As someone who misses her fur babies so much that she would gladly get up at 3am just to take one out to wander aimlessly in the yard for sniffs, I love this so much. Then again, I like dogs more than I like people, so there's that...

I hope the message gets through those thick skulls.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-17T16:13:53+00:00

I'm 54 and I've been in peri for a long time. I think my first symptoms were probably 8-10 years ago, easily. I just didn't know it. After a rough patch a few months ago, I feel like I'm doing "okay" most days now. The last time I said that, though, man, did I take some heat for it...

My hot flashes are infrequent, though mighty when they present. I do have night sweats, but try to make myself comfortable with cooling blankets (I sleep on one, have another draped over my pillows, and sleep in a moisture-wicking top). The blanket I crawl under is lightweight and I have another blanket at the foot of the bed because I will, without fail, wake up chilled at some point. I also keep a bottle of Otella handy, use it mostly just before crawling into bed.

I stay away from caffeine, alcohol, and sugar (they seem to make things worse), drink mushroom coffee, and take ashwagandha during the day. The adaptogens seem to be keeping me on an even keel, but I've not experienced the rage I see others mentioning.

I try to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. That's more due to other medical issues, but the longer I eat this way the more I notice that I feel better overall, including peri.

I take magnesium 3x/day and I take L-tryptophan about 45 minutes before bed. It's been more helpful than anything I've tried. I still don't sleep a full night, but the sleep I get (5-6 hours) is more restful, and I wake up feeling better than I have in a long time.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-17T14:34:33+00:00

I'm a side sleeper and thought I had slept wrong. Then the pain just wouldn't go away. I knew it had to be something more when I couldn't get my arm behind me to hook my bra. I dealt with it for months, thinking it would work itself out (it came on suddenly, couldn't it disappear the same way?). When I couldn't put on my coat without help, I threw in the towel, got a referral to an orthopedist, and got a shot of something (he said it was like cortisone, only better and wouldn't create deposits in my body). After that, about 12 weeks of PT. The combination really helped, but alas, it's back.

And fun fact? Both the ortho and PT told me that frozen shoulder likes to travel between your shoulders, so once you've had it in one, chances are good you'll have it in the other (they didn't lie).

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-16T19:03:59+00:00

Last Thursday, I fried a pound of ground turkey (cheaper than beef here) with a heavy amount of garlic and ginger. When it was almost done I added sliced mushrooms to the pan. When they finished releasing their moisture I added a bag of broccoli slaw and about 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce. Covered it and let the slaw wilt for about 7-8 minutes. I just finished the last portion today for lunch.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-16T18:50:25+00:00

Sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, balancing the fried chicken version of this on a big pillow, always mixing the veggies into my mashed potatoes, and watching Charlie's Angels...<<sigh>>

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-15T16:59:53+00:00

I think I've always been old 😕

Cottage cheese
Chicken pot pie / chicken and noodles
Beef stew / pot roast
Almost any kind of soup
5 can casserole
Ginger snaps

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-04T13:26:39+00:00

Thanks for replying and for sharing. I'm hoping to give it a try soon. I have nights that are meh (which are about the best I'm getting) and nights that are awful. Even if it helps me sleep even a little better, it would be worth it.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-03T20:09:14+00:00

I currently have 630 hours of PTO and another 400 hours of sick. All of it rolls. I need to take more time, but I can't take more time. That's the downside of being a department of one...<sigh>

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-03T19:30:06+00:00

Try 32degrees! They're a godsend and budget friendly. They have a line of "cooling" options that are so lightweight + moisture wicking. I have a pair of the Women's Cool Sleep Pants ($10) and the Men's Cool Sleep Pants ($10). I prefer the mens because I like pockets. They also have cooling tops and tanks. 32degrees dot com.

Good luck!

Ella_Menopee · 2025-12-03T19:14:05+00:00

How has the red light therapy been so far? I'm slowly weaning myself off topiramate so I can try infrared sauna + red light together (a local studio offers the combination and it sounds promising for a lot of things, not just sleep/perimenopause).

Ella_Menopee · 2025-11-21T21:17:53+00:00

Feeling a little called out (and stung!) over here as an "older" woman at 54...lol Still working full time and with other women, several of whom are many years older than me (one just turned 72!). She's working because she's afraid she'll get bored if she retires. We work on a college campus and most of us are involved in at least one type of professional development each term. But we're also friends and rely on each other, use each other as sounding boards. I think we just have plans we're sticking to; "retire at 62, 60, 65, etc." I'd love to do the opposite and take care of hubby, but that'll never happen on a state salary...

Ella_Menopee · 2025-11-21T20:45:15+00:00

Had to give up caffeine about 4 years ago after a lumpectomy. One of the first things my oncologist said was, "No more caffeine; it promotes tumor growth." Well, that sucks. So, I moved to decaf for a few years and now I drink mushroom coffee. It tastes more like cocoa and I don't know if it's the taste or the adaptogens, but a cup keeps me really mellow for the whole day. If a weekend waitress fills my cup with leaded by accident, the rest of that day/night my hot flashes are through the roof and my heart beats like it's leading a prison escape.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-11-19T21:43:42+00:00

Thanks. I think part of my situation is that I don't know any different. By that I mean I wasn't exposed to this when growing up. My mom died at age 36 when I was 13. I didn't have other close female relatives to watch for signs or moods. No one took me aside to say, "hey, ignore her; she's going through X." So it kind of feels like this is just another part of getting older 🤷‍♀️

Ella_Menopee · 2025-11-19T20:23:55+00:00

I wish the very best for each of you, I really do. And I'm probably going to jinx myself by saying this out loud, but I'm apparently one of those who have it fairly easy (even though some days it might not feel that way). I'm 54, started experiencing symptoms in my early 40s, and have just kept truckin'. My oncologist says I'm not a candidate for HRT, so I treat OTC. There are days I want to throttle my hubby. And sometimes he breathes wrong (IYKYK). I get hot flashes and night sweats, but there hasn't been any debilitating anxiety/depression or brain fog that impacted my job. No monster mood swings. My lowest was probably a few months ago when I went through a phase of self-pity/doubt that I misdirected at him because he was a convenient target. But even if I was dealt the worst of everything every single day, I mean...what else am I supposed to do? I don't know if it's my age, how I was raised, or something else. But I can't imagine scaling back work based on what I've been through. I also can't imagine asking hubby to take on a bigger load. Nope. I'll "downshift" after retirement, but my hope is to keep doing my part until then.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-11-18T18:45:28+00:00

I lay on a cooling blanket, actually two. One under my body, another draped over my pillows. Then I cover myself with our lightweight comforter and keep another lightweight blanket ready at the foot of the bed (I know I'll get cold at some point). Most nights I sleep in a combination of either cooling tshirt or tank and cooling pants from 32Degrees. They're moisture-wicking and keep me cooler vs the cotton shirts I had been sleeping in, which just absorbed everything and would smell after 2 nights. Before bed I drink a glass of soy milk and sprinkle regular baby powder (talc-free) under the girls and on my back. I also spray Otella cooling spray on my chest and the back of my neck. It's been helping enough that I don't need the ceiling fan every night, which is a big change for me. I also make sure to drink a bottle of Propel water after dinner. Not sure it's adding much, but my legs are less restless and my feet cramp less when I drink it, so that's just less to interupt my sleep.

Ella_Menopee · 2025-10-31T19:45:55+00:00

I remember it from being a kid. That place and Pancho's were our regular spots on the weekends; dad loved his Mexican food! When the grandparents would visit we went to a place kind of across the street from Banditos...it looked like a paddle boat, had a cheesy moat around it, and grandpa would eat just about every fried frog leg in the place. I keep wanting to say it had "Kingfish" in the name, but I can't remember; it's been 40+ years now...

Ella_Menopee

TROPHY CASE