Rain, rain, go away…

It’s raining again. The hardest downpours were when we were making our deliveries this afternoon. It would slow down, and as soon as I pulled up to a delivery door, bam! When we started the business, I invested in a good rain jacket; I can’t tell you how grateful I am for it, especially today.

I wanted to check in and say hello. Not much to report here except that we are busy, busy, busy. We are running fast on that hamster wheel, getting nowhere fast it seems some days. I am exhausted all the time, which is terrible, especially during the precious summer months.

I’ve had the pleasure of my old friend insomnia make a guest appearance a few weeks ago. Even though I go to bed absolutely exhausted, as soon as my head hits the pillow, my eyes snap open, and my brain is going 1,000 miles an hour. It sucks if you haven’t experienced it; ask anyone who has insomnia. It’s maddening!

I’ve been dealing with insomnia my whole adult life, so when it’s not an issue, life is grand! When it rears its ugly head, my days are spent in a daze. After only getting 3 hours of sleep again for the third time this week, I made a bold decision to call and visit a dispensary.

A dispensary is a place that the public can legally purchase cannabis products. Cannabis is legal here in VT, NY, MA, and many other states all around us. The dispensary that I went to is in Williamstown, MA, about 45 minutes from Arlington. It’s called Silver Therapeutics.

I called in the morning and spoke with a well-informed woman who educated me on the types of products they carried and the ones that would best fit my needs. I do not want to smoke, and most edibles are out because they are not gluten-free. She was very accommodating.

In a world right now that doesn’t have employees to work, good customer service or is even open, for that matter, I was so pleasantly surprised with how professional and knowledgeable the employee I spoke with was.

I researched a couple of products she suggested and decided to go with “Midnight drops,” a tablet that looks like a vitamin. These tablets are specifically formulated to help people fall asleep and stay asleep without feeling groggy the next day.

I’ve tried Tylenol PM, which gives me restless legs syndrome, Ambien, which makes me sleepwalk. It also made me cook food, eat it, and clean up all the dishes with no recollection whatsoever. Some scary ass shit right? My boys didn’t know I was sleepwalking while I was cooking. They figured it out when I suddenly ran outside, threw myself down our back deck stairs, and rolled down the hill. They told me the next morning what I did, and again I had no recollection and took myself off the Ambien immediately. Bad idea; I should have weaned myself off of it, but too late.

I’ve tried Melatonin and Valerian root, which came with horrific nightmares, CBD oil, vaping the right strain juice, and regular old weed. Nothing works. Really nothing works.

At my wit’s end, I drove to the dispensary before belly dance yesterday afternoon. It was so official and formal. I was buzzed into a small entranceway to a small shop in a strip mall. I had to have my driver’s license scanned. The young gentleman was very nice and welcoming. He buzzed me into the shop where I had to have my license examined and scanned a second time.

I knew what product I wanted, but they presented me with a menu of products. I was familiar with the menu since I went to their website. Many people order online and go and pick up their orders. All pick-up orders were packed, labeled, and stapled shut in brown paper bags. There were easily 50 bags ready to be picked up.

The Midnight Drops weren’t cheap, and the sales tax was high, but knowing what I am buying, the right strain, and dosage are important to me. The staff also took into account the medications I am on and my allergies…I never imagined it like that.

Yesterday I was so sleep-deprived it was like someone slipped me a mickey. While driving, I had to really pay attention since I was so tired and out of it. I made it through belly dance class with the help of some dark chocolate and lots of water.

I got home from dance at 8:30, and we ate at 9:20 pm. I took the Midnight Drop at 10, expecting to fall asleep immediately. When you smoke the right strain of cannabis for sleeping, it has a quicker effect but wears off within 2-4 hours. The tablets take longer to take effect but can last 6-8 hours for a restful night of sleep.

I went to bed around 10:30 and laid there for at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half, but the difference was I was so relaxed I felt like I melted into the mattress, and I didn’t have any anxiety. I was able to shut my brain off. When I did fall asleep, I slept for 5 hours straight, which is more than I’ve gotten in a long time; usually, I am up every two hours.

So I will report back next week. I just took my Midnight Drops at 9:20 pm and will drink a cup of camomile tea. With a little luck, I’ll be sleeping like a baby before midnight. Fingers crossed! 🤞