Maundering

I started an exercise program Thursday. I had received a flyer from Curves. They were looking for volunteers for a fitness study program. All I have to do is pay a $20 refundable deposit, show up 3 times a week for three weeks, and exercise. At the end of the three weeks, as long I was never a no-call/no-show, I get my $20 back. So, I went through the circuit once Thursday, and then started my 3-a-week on Friday. The normal program is to go through the circuits twice. I felt tired but good after doing this. Unfortunately, the feeling good did not last.

I had been experiencing pain in my knees off and on since December. The bowling on Fridays was aggravating my discomfort. After bowling was over, I hadn't noticed a lot of pain, just when I would go up and down stairs. However, Friday night was a different story. The pain was a lot like a charley-horse, but only when I tried to move my leg. Once I either straightened it, or rolled over and quit moving, the pain more or less went away. This morning, it took quite some time to get up out of bed, and a lot of time to be able to stand up after I went to the bathroom. The really sharp pain, which was at the top of my calf has gone away for the moment, but now there's a more general pain around my knee cap.

I'm trying to decide if I need to should get it checked by a doctor or just suck it up, and work through it. I'm leaning more towards the latter.

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Arkieboy will be moving back home this summer. He's finally ready to come back home. I'm really glad he's coming home. But I'll have to adjust to having someone else in the house with me again. I guess I'll have to start cooking again. I am excited to have him back with me, but I've gotten so used to be alone and having the quiet in the evenings and weekends. And I'll need to get all the booze out of the house. I don't drink around him. I know this is kind of hypocritical on my part - being someone else dependant on whether my son is around or not.

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I went for a follow up on my use of the CPAP machine on Wednesday. The machine has a "smart card" that records my usage and if there is any leakage. I understand how it would record the usage times, but not how it can tell if there's leakage. Oh, well, I guess I don't really need to understand that. Anyhoo, apparently I had a LOT of leakage. So, they put me on a different type of mask.

He was going to try me on this, but I have petite nostrils (which I've never thought so, but that's what the guy said), and it doesn't come in petite. The small one wouldn't fit and there was too much leakage.




So, I've got this.




It's a good thing I sleep alone. I feel like a dork when I have this on. But, even though I had a lot of leakage with the first mask, and I haven't been able to keep either style of mask on for an entire night, I do feel a little bit more rested. So, I guess it's worth it. {/disgusted voice}

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On the topic of religion... To me, faith is such a personal issue. I know I've talked about it a few times, but for the most part, I tend to keep my views to myself. But on another board I go to (at the dating site), someone had asked about how important it was for someone you date to share the same beliefs. One of the women there, that I admire as being very well-spoken, answered with this:
"no. it doesn't matter to me what ones beliefs are.
if mine (atheist) doesn't bother them---which, so far, hasn't been an issue, even with my male friends that were raised in strict Catholic environments (schooled), then it's all good to me.

by my age and place in this world, I haven't found religion to be a problem for me.
unless others even know that I am an atheist, they wouldn't have a clue. I don't expound on my beliefs---or lack of. when my ex-nun boss says that she will pray for me when I've experienced health issues. I accept her graces and move on.
most people that I know are believers of one kind or another and I really don't care!

I am am honestly and truly happy for those that find comfort in the words of their god."

I just thought that was such a refreshing attitude, when there are people on OT who either shove their beliefs down your throat or ridicule others as being simplistic, ignorant or whatever.

I invited this woman to check out OT a few weeks ago. I don't know if she has, but I really wish she would. I think she would be a wonderful addition to the board.

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I stole my idea for my title from Jen. I went to thesaurus.com and found another way to say ramblings. Actually, it's to talk incoherently, which I do quite often.

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There's a job opening in our office. After the email went out with the in-house posting, my boss sent the email to those of us in her department with a message. "NO". The company policy about this is that you have to have your supervisor's consent. Which, if we really wanted to change positions, I don't think anyone in a supervisory position in our company would hold anyone back. For one thing, it is a really big thing that they like to promote from within whenever possible. Two, if someone's not happy in their position, you might as well let them go, because at least that way they stay in the company (assuming that they are a good employee that you want to keep). Anyway, I replied backing, asking if that meant I should tear up the resume I was working on. A little bit later, a fax had come across for my supervisor, and I carried it to her. She looked at me, and said I was NOT applying for the position. I'm saying, No, no, it's just a fax. Then, and this is when I really need that filter from brain to mouth, I said do you really think I want to work with that bunch? [/disgusted, scornful voice] I mean, you talk about some uptight, BORING people. Ugh. I wouldn't be able to stand it. And it's not like I would be trading up as far as offices go. That office may be a little bit larger, but it's upstairs where they keep it too friggin hot, and even though it's on an outside wall, it doesn't even have a window. And to me, the job would be boring. I know, to a lot of people, *MY* job would be boring. Hell, it's boring to me some days. It's not been too bad lately - I've got to work on cleaning up the aging for a couple of facilities. I know that doesn't sound fun. But I like collecting money. And it's one of the few times I can see tangible results of what I do.

"The List"

1) Zombs
2) HD

My OCD-ness in action

So, McDonald's was giving these away with their happy meals a few weeks ago.



And as much as I really don't need to be eating at McDonald's, (and I really don't like their hamburgers), I went there repeatedly. However, I didn't realize until the 2nd week, that they were giving the dolls away 2 per week. So I missed out on Glinda the Good Witch. Then, tonight, I just realized that I ended up with two of the Tin Man, and two of the Wicked Witch of the East. So, not only do I not have Glinda, I don't have the ScareCrow, and whatever the other one was. Glinda's the good witch of the North, right? So I'm assuming the 8th doll is the good witch of the South.

My OCD is such that it just kills me to have an incomplete set of something. I can't believe I didn't notice until tonight that I had duplicates. (Duplicates bother me, too.) It is going to drive me nuts that I don't have all of them. I'll probably just give them to my niece. I really can't stand to not have the whole set.

*head tilt*

I normally stay out of the bickering/debating, whatever you want to call it, that goes on because I am a non-confrontational type of person. And I really don't give a fuck who is calling who names. But sometimes you see something, and you just have to call bullshit.

Here in blogland, there are two separate blogs that have posts entitled "Bitter Old Hag". It's not my fight, but I have been reading the blogs and the comments. Could someone explain to me how a person who says: "I'm going to stay out of this for obvious reasons. *holds up Switzerland flag*", is going to accomplish 'staying out of it', when she posts this: "That's because you are a bigger person than I. Because I would have bitchslapped someone by now. Hard." on the other blog. To me, "holds up Switzerland flag" says you're neutral. But saying you would have bitchslapped someone by now, is not a very neutral position. IMO. YMMV.

So, in conclusion, Bullshit!

Bits and pieces

I went today to pick up my CPAP machine. Thank god that they have more (and better) options than what they just use at the sleep study clinic. The one I have *does* have head gear, but it's more like a plug that I put in my nose instead of a mask. I really think I might be able to deal with this. Oh, and a big

to all of those who say I have an accent! The guy at United Medical (who is from Seattle) asked where I was from, because he could tell I wasn't originally from TN. He said I talk like him. When I said I was from Arkansas, he was really surprised. So there! I don't have an accent! *sticks tongue out*

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That was not necessary.
As many of you are aware, I read a lot of romance novels, particularly paranormal romance. I just finished a book the other night that I'm just not sure what to think about it. I had posted a few weeks ago that I had read one that involved a wolf and a man, and that was disturbing. But oddly enough, I think I am just as disturbed by the fact that in this other book I read (different author), that the author chose to include a sex scene (in some detail) between two horses. Seriously. I soooo did not need to read about horse sex. Especially considering this was a "romance" novel, and she did not build their story at all. I didn't feel the love growing. /tongue in cheek

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I had mentioned that I was trying to plan a vacation for this summer for me and arkieboy, and that he wanted to do something "BIG" for his birthday. Several of you had given me some great suggestions for our destination. Arkieboy shot every one of them down. Why? He didn't want to spend his vacation doing a peep meet. He asked me if we went somewhere that an OT and/or blog peep lived, would we have to spend time with them? I told him no, not the whole time, but maybe a meal, maybe a few hours sightseeing. But he doesn't want to do that. *sigh* I understand why he feels like that, though. This vacation is his birthday week. Our vacations during that week have always been about him. He doesn't want to change that. So he has decided that what he wants is to come up here, and for me to take him to Opry Mills and just give him money and let him loose. He's so funny. He suggested that I give him $20 x his age. Right. Sure I will.

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*snerk*

As some of you know, I sometimes write "poetry". I had been told by a couple of people that I should try to get some of my writings published. So, a while back, I submitted one of my poems to poetry.com. The cynic in me says that anyone, no matter what they submitted, would receive one of these:


They are including my poem in their spring poetry publication. I can purchase a copy of this "deluxe hardbound edition" for a discounted price of $49.95. OR... I could buy a full case (12) for $369.00. Yeah, right. I can also purchase a commemorative plaque for just $38.00. I'm tempted by the plaque, but I could always go somewhere else and have one made, probably. When I received my award (*points up*) in today's mail, the enclose letter also informed me of another recognition for which I've been chosen.

I quote: "Every so often, as our Editors review the poems that have been presented our Editor's Choice Award, they personally select a few poems that they believe would have a wonderfully expressive quality if read by a professional reader. Your Editor has suggested that you become one of 33 poets whose artistry will be recorded professionally as a special part of a new CD poetry collection - The Sound of Poetry."
And this 3 CD set can be mine for the price of just $49. I have to admit, I'm curious how someone would interpret my poem to read aloud. I'm not even sure how *I* would read it aloud. But there is no way in hell I'm going to pay $49 for a CD set of poems being read, just to hear how mine sounds.

Sleep, or the lack thereof

I haven't been sleeping good lately. I've been tired since last October. It's gotten worse in the past month. It's so hard to wake up in the mornings. I've actually slept through my alarm for almost an hour a few times. Some days, it's all I can do to stay awake at work. (Says a lot for how interesting my job is, yes?) But at night, I can't sleep. I toss and turn, and wake up ridiculously early (2 or 3 am), and can't fall back asleep until almost time to get up. When I went to the doctor two weeks ago, I mentioned being tired all the time. He referred me to a sleep clinic. Last night, I went for the sleep study. I never sleep good when I'm in a strange bed. Add in all the electrodes that were attached to my head and body, and this equals a very bad night of sleep for arkie. I don't understand how they expect someone to be able to sleep with all this stuff attached to them. I had leads taped to each calf, one to my back, another to my chest, another one held in place across my chest with a velcro band, and yet another one on a velcro band that was supposed to be around my lower waist (but kept riding up during the night). I had a microphone taped ot my neck, in case I snore. Two electrode leads were glued and taped to my chin, and another two by my eyes. I'm not really sure how many were stuck to my head. I also had a pulse-oximeter on one finger, and two things in my nose. One was to measure the temperature of the air I breathe out. I don't know what the other one's purpose was. So all these wires attach to a box, which is then attached to another box.

This is what a person looks like once everything is hooked up:

(picture from :http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-basics/viewasleepstudy.htm)

I have a tendency to roll from one side of the bed to the other when I sleep, but I couldn't do that last night. Every time I tried to roll over to my other side, I ended up laying on the wires, and it would pull on the ones on my head. I woke up, not sure what time it was and laid there for a while (seemed like forever), thinking it had to be close to time to get up. Finally I sat up, and the tech came on the intercom to see if I needed something. I had to use the bathroom. Just imagine trying to go to the bathroom with all that stuff on you. Imagine the fun of trying to pull your pants back up one-handed, because the other hand is holding the box and wires. Try to wash one hand. Not fun. When I got back in the bed, I asked the tech what time it was. It was only 2:40. *sigh* Wake up time wasn't until 5:00. But I did manage to go back to sleep.

I don't get the official report until the doctor reviews everything, and he will call Monday or Tuesday. But the tech said I did have some problems. I get to go back on the 21st, and do it all over again, this time I get to sleep while wearing a CPAP machine. Oh, joy! But supposedly, this will allow me to sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed, so I guess it's worth it.

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