When to drop the 'baby on board' sign?

Kind of on the same topic as yesterday...

I got 2 "Baby On Board" signs for my CR-V when O was born. One for the rear window and one for the left back side window. It made me feel safer, like people wouldn't tailgate and make better, safer decisions when driving around me. Some didn't, but overall -- I noticed that most did. We were living in Orange County, CA at the time - and folks out there LOVE to tailgate and often drive very aloofly. Beach vibes, I guess!

But, now that Owen is pushing 18 months, I've been wondering if/when I should remove those signs, or replace them with "Toddler On Board" or "Child On Board." I drive from NJ to Upstate NY semi-frequently, and traveling the Thruway can be...aggressive, at times. But, I don't know. He's not technically a baby, anymore...even though I admit -- I still refer to him as such from time to time. 

Am I...false advertising by keeping the baby on board signs up? Do I need any signs at all? 

Bully Beepers

I’m not a road rage kind of person. I don’t care if someone pulls out in front of me — I would have let them out, anyway. But, ONE thing drives (pun intended) me absolutely bonkers, and I've found it's rampant on both coasts.

Bully beeping.

When I'm at a stop sign or making a right on red, and someone behind me beeps their horn for me to go, that is bully beeping. And, it makes my blood boil because I can't get out of my car and tell them what I think about it. But, that's why I have a blog, right? The reason why it is super frustrating to me is because I don't think anyone has a right to tell anyone else how to drive their car, for a couple reasons: 1) Bully Beepers don't pay for your car and 2) They're not in charge of when someone else feels safe because what if something happened and that person listened to the BB's beeping and an accident happened?! I drive my toddler around - so I will make my own decisions on when I feel safe to pull out into traffic, thank you anyway, you complete buffoon.

Bully Beepers are second in annoyance to people who wave other cars on when it's them who has the right of way. Are you a crossing guard? A police officer? NO. Then stop trying to act like one and just drive your own vehicle because I will sit there and not listen to you, all the while watching you wave your arms around from the inside of you car like a maniac. The reality is, if I were to listen to you, and again - something were to happen, you wouldn't be responsible for it. I would be. So stop trying to run my life, stranger.

Besides, did you know that's not what car horns are intended for, anyway? They're for safety, only -- to alert another car/pedestrian of danger.

So, I think it would be nice and make a lot more sense if we all just drove our own cars and did so safely and patiently, without worrying about what everyone else is doing.

No one likes a blowhard. Literally.

/rant. 

What is ASMR?

OK. Let's get weird.

One night, several years ago, I couldn't sleep. I was clicking through social media and watched some video on YouTube that I can't remember. The next suggested video was some guy who tapes his clinical exam in med school or nursing school. I was like what?! So, I watched it for some reason and the next thing I know...

...I woke up the next morning. Somehow, that video had put me to sleep. Why? Because it was boring? I was intrigued. I went back to the video and saw the comments near the bottom saying things like, "This is the best ASMR!" "ASMR ASMR" and "I watch this for the ASMR." I was like, what in the world is ASMR? So, I Googled it and found out. 

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and it's pretty hard for me to put into words, sooo...per Wikipedia:

ASMR is a term used for an experience characterised by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine...ASMR signifies the subjective experience of "low-grade euphoria" characterised by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific acoustic or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control.

Basically, I've seen it referred to as a 'brain orgasm.' 

ASMR is triggered by sounds like whispering, scratching, tapping and personal attention - like a doctor would give. So, I figured out that's why that medical video sent me to la la land. It basically had a variation of all of those triggers. 

SO WEIRD. RIGHT?! 

And, to get even weirder - there's like this whole cult following of ASMR videos on YouTube. People even have specific accounts and make money (I guess?) doing this stuff! It's like all of these people figured out that something as small as a doctor checking your ears and whispering a casual "okaaaay..." can make someone feel 'the tingles' and thus - maybe even relax them to the point of being tired. It's like a Swedish massage for your brain. 

But, not everyone has the same triggers, I guess. Because, I laugh too hard at the one below to be relaxed. She's.combing.a.microphone.

Have you heard of ASMR or am I the only dork in the room? But, hey - if you ever find yourself unable to sleep, don't hesitate to ASMR away.