Thirteen Reasons Why (I can't sleep, I crave chocolate, and why I am feeling down)

As Summer approaches and the temperatures rise, I find my insomnia at an all time high. With so much to be thankful for, I know that I shouldn't be struggling. But I am. And here are my issues:


1) There have been 22 school shootings so far this year: I am tired of funerals and moments of silence. It is time for the gun laws to change. The U.S. is getting scarier. How can we protect our children? I want to home school the world.
2) The Political discord in this country. I get up and go to bed (not to sleep) with CNN causing my stomach to literally ache. The violence, racism,  prejudice, and hate that is so pervasive and swirling around us makes me yearn for a large dose of Zoloft or a move to Canada.
3) The New Jersey School bus driver who made a u turn on route 80 and caused deaths. Didn't the company vet him? He had a horrendous driving record. Why was he hired?
4) My elderly parents living all alone in Florida. Enough said.
5) Philip Roth died yesterday. One of the all time great American authors.
6) John Updike is already dead (2009). My other all time favorite author.  Both writers had the same themes, but Updike  gave us the WASP viewpoint and Roth gave us the Jewish viewpoint!
7) It's summer. I hate the heat, the humidity, and truthfully, the hot sun. Give me Fall. And did we even have a Spring?
8) My newest aches, pains, wrinkles, and my degenerative toes and feet. No more pretty high heeled sandals. Those days are long gone.
9) It's not as easy to lose those last 5 lbs. as it once was. You work out more; you eat less. And still the scale doesn't cooperate. My clothes still fit, but the body has morphed into an unrecognizable sight. Why can't French fries, pizza, and cookies be healthy for you? Goodbye fast metabolism.
10) I have no one to play Mah Jongg with, and I don't know how to play Canasta!
11) I knew no one on the Billboard Music Awards except Salt N Pepa, En Vogue, and Janet Jackson. Who the hell is BTS, Khalid, Dua Lipa, and Karni B? God, do I feel old.
12) My grandsons are at the stage that they like their Ipads better than me.
13) Yanni vs. Laurel. For the record, I heard Yanni!