Giggles, Menopause, and Tissue

Do you ever get into one of those moods where everything makes you giggle. And I’m not talking about the soft, polite heehee giggles. I’m talking about the uncontrollable snorts and the “if I had milk in my mouth it would come out my nose” type of giggles! By the way, I am the Queen of Snort! I can’t help it. Let me tell you - it can be totally embarrassing if done around someone I wanted to impress! If something tickles me just the right way, the loudest snore-like noise flies out of my nose in a quick, short burst! I try to hold it in, but it doesn't work!  Sometimes that makes it worse.  At some point in my laughter, I just lose control over the Snort!  Some people think it endearing; some believe it disgusting; I just know it is me…plain and simple Me on a giggle high. What can I say? Ha! (or Snort!)

The problem with these giggle moods that I get into is that they just don’t seem as funny later as they did when I was holding my tummy. Later, I just laugh at how much I laughed at something that maybe wasn’t so funny after all. Can anyone relate? (Can anyone follow that last statement? Ha) I remember one of those times during my freshman year at college. My roommate and I realized that we were “Amy Lou and Jenny Sue” -- we thought it was fun that our names rhymed. I really do believe this was the first week of school. We had a telephone and started coming up with ways to answer it. This is when the belly laughs started happening. “Amy Lou and Jenny Sue, we would like to talk to you.” OR “Amy Lou and Jenny Sue, we want to know who are you?” And the most bizarre one: “Amy Lou and Jenny Sue. Miss Piggy lives here too!” (My roommate liked Miss Piggy.) I know it is silly, and it is probably one of those “I guess you should have been there” moments, but 26 years later and I still remember how bad my stomach hurt as I curled on the floor (because I couldn’t stand anymore) laughing at all of our rhyming, phone-answering ideas. The best was when the phone actually rang and we used one of our new lines. Unfortunately for the person on the other end of the phone, we couldn’t talk after that because we were riddled with laughter again!

Today I had a couple giggle moments. These weren’t the “rolling on the floor” instances, but they just seemed silly to me (so I’m sharing them). This evening as I was driving through downtown Fort Wayne, I drove by the grand Embassy. On the marquee they were advertising a show that was coming to the Embassy in February -- Menopause the Musical. Really?? (This is when I started to giggle.) Why would anyone even think to write a musical on menopause much less actually write it? A play maybe…but a musical? Realize that I am still driving as I am trying to come up with what songs might have been written. Let‘s see, here‘s hot flashes and mood swings: “Oh, I’m hot…no, I’m cold…no, I’m hot!” and “I love you so much, and now I’m going to bite your head off !” Of course, now I’m trying to find tunes for these new songs. Ha! The Hot-Cold song could be sung to “Frere Jacques” -- hmmm, maybe I should sing some bars for you. (Snort!) Here‘s what I put as my facebook status tonight: “I passed the Embassy today and they were advertising a show that will take place in a couple months: Menopause the Musical. REALLY?? All the other musical ideas are taken?” I got a few fun replies. Apparently some people have seen this musical and really liked it…and there IS a song about Hot Flashes! I already have a couple friends who want to go see it with me in February. This could be a fun Girl’s Night Out where more giggles might erupt! Might.

Okay, I have to admit that the other moment of giggles today happened in the girl’s bathroom at school. (I know…very odd spot.) I usually use the “adult” restroom located in the main office, but sometimes when all of the students are in class and I have a break, I’ll run into the restroom that is across from my classroom. (“Run” being the key word. Grin) Today I was sitting there…you know…doing what needs to be done, and my shoulders dropped as I looked over at the toilet tissue. What is it with School Toilet paper? You pull and out comes one little square. Seriously? Pull pull pull pull pull….. How many squares will do the job? As I hold a wad in my hand, I start to make my plan. Do I make it a tight ball or try to fan them out to look like a line of toilet paper? One or two sheets could get lost back there! Gosh, I realized that maybe I should have brought my tape into the bathroom!! “Hey Jen, are you still in there? What am I hearing? Is that tape?” Ha! “Oh, I’m just making my own toilet paper by taping all these squares together. I should be out in about 30 minutes! Hmmm, I wonder if this is long enough…” See why I started to giggle?? All of these thoughts were going through my head, and I was still sitting there. Tissue should stay in gift bags, NOT the bathroom!!

Well, these may not have made you giggle like they did me, but I know you have had those belly-holding moments in the past. I hope my little blog here makes you remember one of your own moments. Everyone should laugh at least once a day!  It's good for the soul!