Well, I spent the whole day in bed with an electrical appliance … nope, not what you might be thinking. 
My trusty heating pad was all that saved me from pure agony today.
Man, cramps really
suck. Even the word “cramps” is a yucky word. So, a whole
day of the three day weekend was shot to you know where, but I guess
the silver lining is that at least I could be at home instead of trying
to teach while bent over at a 90 degree angle.
Does anyone else still feel self-conscious when buying tampons … or
party favors, as my sisters call them? I’m 34 years old, for
pity’s sake, and I still seek out a female cashier when making my
special purchase. 
Sometimes
I even hide them (the party favors, not the cashiers) under other
things in my cart in case I run into someone I know at the store.
Just a weird getting-to-know-me fact. 
I
went to the Asian American Expo with a friend yesterday. I was
pretty excited about it, but when we got there it was kind of a
letdown. The booths were mostly Asian food companies selling the
same stuff you can buy at roughly the same price at the Chinese
supermarket. I
did get to eat some Taiwanese snacks I haven’t had for years, and I did
get to revisit the feeling of being on a crowded street in Taiwan …
the pushing, the shoving, the people in front of me suddenly deciding
to stop and hunker down in the middle of the pathway. Ahhh …
the nostalgia.
The
highlight of the day was a performance by Korean drummers. They
were absolutely amazing! Unfortunately they were followed by some
middle aged white ladies who thought they were belly dancers … who
danced to Shakira no less. And boy, did they put the belly into
belly dance! They did draw a crowd … a crowd of very curious onlookers. Interesting.
Tomorrow
will be a day of planning, catching up on chores, and a trip to
Lakeshore to spend yet more money on my classroom. See how much
you’ve been missing in my blogging dry spell? Yes, the excitement
of my life is overwhelming … that’s why I need to give it to you in
small doses.
If men could
menstruate … clearly, menstruation would become an enviable,
boast-worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how
much…. Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of
course, some men would still pay for the prestige of such commercial
brands as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammed Ali’s Rope-a-Dope Pads, John
Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields —”For Those Light Bachelor
Days.”
–Gloria
Steinem
Poisoned by Fairy Tales 
It is so odd that you would write about this. Sat. Mike and I went to the post like normal, low and behold they were having a tampon sale. I really thought about walking right by but my greed outweighed my embarrassment at buying super cheap tampons and I bought 12 boxes. They were the little boxes that only have 10 in them but when I did the math and realized I could buy 120 and still be paying less than for a box of 40 I broke down and started throwing them in the cart. Mike, smart man never said a word. I’m lobbying congress for federal funding
not just that– if men actually got pregnant? I bet there wouldn’t be any discussion regarding “pro-life” vs pro-choice!
I seek out the female cashiers also when buying tampons…I guess it’s a comfort issue…