I did it!

Okay, I guess getting up at 6:30 am was an anomaly, because it certainly didn’t happen today. However, something very awesome happened instead.

I wore the CPAP all night!

I still woke up a couple times with a cough, and finally I put a cough drop in my mouth. After that I woke up one more time–at around 6 o’clock–and then passed out again until my alarm went off at 8.

The last time I woke up, I wondered if the CPAP was working properly, because I didn’t feel overwhelmed at all by the air. I even checked all the tubing to make sure. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong. I think I had just finally adjusted to how it felt over the course of the evening.

Rock on!

I’m not going to assume I’ll be this successful tonight, because that would just be setting myself up for disappointment, but I do consider this a major step towards fully adjusting. I look forward to the nights when I wear the mask the whole time and don’t wake up at all!

Good morning!

Last night I went to bed at around 10:30 or 11. I was able to fall asleep with the CPAP on. Once I woke up with a horrible tickle in the back of my throat that made me keep coughing. I turned the humidifier back down to 2 and that seemed to help, oddly. Another time I woke up and took the mask off, then I woke up again later and put it back on. Finally I woke up a third time with my throat really dry so I took it off for the rest of the night. Since I was half-asleep most of the time, I didn’t check my clock, so I don’t know how long I actually wore the mask last night.

I started to wake up around 6, and dozed until around 6:30, when I finally got up. I just didn’t feel the need to be in bed anymore. This is remarkable because for the last week or so I have barely been able to get out of bed. Yesterday, for example, I stayed for as long as I possibly could–until 9:15, which is 15 minutes before I leave for work.

But today I didn’t want to sleep anymore, so I got up and read my webcomics and checked out a couple of blogs. Then the sun was up enough that I thought I might take a walk outside, so I did.

It was about 35 degrees out, so I put on workout pants that I thought were warm enough, a shirt, and a sweater. I did not wear my gloves, though I should have, and I don’t think I even own a hat anymore, so I went bareheaded.

As a result of being so underdressed (I’m not used to the cold anymore!), I wasn’t able to stay out long, just 15 minutes. But I felt like I could have continued, so when I got back inside I hopped on my bike, which is propped up on a resistance stand in the second bedroom, and rode for ten minutes. As I rode I thought about ways I could get a TV into that room so I won’t be bored stiff when I’m exercising.

It wasn’t a huge workout, but it was enough to build up a sweat, and I feel pretty darn good.

I’m going to try to keep this up all week. Also, since I’m taking my lunch today, I might see about a brief walk during my break as well.

For now, breakfast, then shower, then lunch-packing. Whee!

Bodycount

I borrowed the four-issue TMNT Bodycount series from a guy at work a few weeks ago, and just got around to reading it today.

Was there a point to this?

It seems like creators think they have to legitimize things they enjoyed when they were younger by making them “dark”. Why do they feel this is necessary?

Then again, I guess the turtles started out “dark”. But this is “dark” for the sake of “dark”. There’s no reason for it other than to make the turtles more badass, to distance them from the cartoon.

The only character development we got was in book 4 when Raphael sees Casey get shot and suddenly doesn’t think guns are quite so cool. But even then he doesn’t really seem to be in character–he starts crying immediately, for example. I don’t think Raph is all talk; I don’t think he’s the type to bawl like that. Regardless of the fact that he’s a teenager.

The series is supposed to be funny, in a macabre way, and it’s full of homages to Hong Kong action flicks, but ultimately there was nothing there that moved me. Did I expect more out of it than I should have?

Final thought: for a story about a ninja turtle, Raph didn’t get as much face-time as I would have expected. But I guess that’s a good thing, because the artist sure made everybody ugly.

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7 Random Things

I’ve been tagged by Kayo of Osaka Life! It’s the 7 Random Things one. As usual, I refuse to call this a “meme“.

I did one called 8 Random Things once, but it looks like I didn’t tag anyone when I was done babbling about myself. I’ll try not to make that mistake this time ;>

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

So, here are seven random and/or weird facts about me.

1. I like to put my hair in my mouth. I don’t chew it or suck on it, I just hold it between my lips and then blow it out (and continue twirling it with my fingers). I didn’t realize it until I searched my archives for the word “twirl”, but I have mentioned this before ;P

2. I used to take my wedding rings off when I was at home due to my fingers getting uncomfortable, but that hasn’t been the case for quite some time now. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I took them off other than right before my shower or going to bed. I guess I got used to them!

3. I call my car Gnat, Bug, and Egg. I have also referred to it as The Pimpmobile, but I doubt anyone would agree that that is fitting. My old car had a name, but I could never remember it, and I still can’t! (My bicycle, however, is named Yuuri, aka The Maou.)

4. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

5. I cemented my role as “one of the guys” at work the other day, but I’m not going to tell you how.

6. When I was a kid, I liked to fling a pencil down eraser first onto a flat surface and then catch it on its way back up. While doing this one time, I stabbed the pencil into the middle of my hand. I know, it’s unbelievable that that could happen, right? :>

7. Also when I was a kid, I tried to get out of learning things that would have been easy for me to learn because I was lazy. Example: tying my shoes. “Why can’t I just have all-Velcro shoes?” I would protest.

Okay, it’s taggin’ time.

Brooke, Wes, Jered, Chuck, Heather, Miklos, aaaaaaand…okay, I’m going to do it, I’m going to commit blog suicide and tag V. At best, she’ll ignore me, and at worst, she’ll make fun of me publicly.

Adjustments

I finally got my CPAP on Thursday. I’d been feeling bad all week and it was the worst that day; I felt dull and tired and dizzy. I was eager to get going with the CPAP so I could start feeling better again, like everyone said would happen. So that night I set it up on my nightstand and used it for the first time.

It was not a very successful first night. Every time I finally started to drop off into sleep, my mouth filled with air…so I woke up immediately. It got very frustrating, and after about 45 minutes of that I gave up on the CPAP, turned it off and took off the mask.

The next day at work, though, I felt great. I had energy like you wouldn’t believe and I was dancing around and singing to people. I don’t know if it was psychosomatic or if 45 minutes of getting lots of air while resting really made that much of a difference. (Another factor is that my doctor had me go back down on some of my heart medicine to get rid of the dizziness. That might be the main reason I felt so much better.)

I was told it could take six weeks to fully adjust to using a CPAP, so I wasn’t discouraged by the first night’s failure. In fact, the consultant at the place where I got the CPAP said I might have to start out only doing half an hour a day. I went to bed last night determined to leave it on as long as I possibly could, and to try to stop the air from filling my mouth…somehow.

I was somewhat successful in dealing with the air going into my mouth. I could kind of tell when it was going to happen, so I would just inhale a lot and then breathe it all out. I was awake when this happened, but not fully awake, which was an improvement.

This time, the problem was dryness. My CPAP came with a humidifier that is supposed to keep my nose and throat from drying out due to all the air blowing into it. I had it set to the average level, 2, but after awhile I woke up feeling awful because my mouth and throat were so dry. I kicked it up to 4 and tried once again to sleep, but the dryness never went away. I think I must have been opening my mouth while I was asleep, so that’s something else I’m going to have to put my subconscious to work on.

Listen, subconscious: no letting air fill the mouth, and no opening the mouth. Behave!

My mouth was so uncomfortable that I had to stop the CPAP for that night, stick a cough drop in my mouth, and go to sleep normally. But I was pleased to find that I’d managed to wear it for two hours this time.

One thing I’m kind of concerned about is the redness on my face when I take the mask off, and the irritation I feel on my skin. I don’t know if I’m allergic to the mask or if that’s just what happens when there’s a vacuum seal on your face. I’m hoping it’s the latter. The redness goes away after hours of not wearing the mask. Hopefully things will continue this way as long as I keep the mask cleaned daily like I’m supposed to.

The CPAP requires a lot of maintenance. I have to refill the distilled water in the humidifier daily, and wash it out weekly. I have to wash and air-dry the mask daily, and the straps that hold it to my head weekly. And there’s an air filter on the CPAP that has to be changed out every month or so–I have two of them so I can switch them out and then wash the dirty one. More little things to add to my routine, I suppose. It’s hard for me to do things on a monthly basis, but hey, if I can remember to pay the rent, I guess I can also remember to change an air filter.

I don’t remember the CPAP irritating my skin, or my mouth filling with air or drying out during my sleep study. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong or if it’s just that I’m more relaxed at home, so I do things I wouldn’t have done at the study, like relax my throat or let my mouth fall open. Regardless, the last two nights have been very irritating, and while dealing with the various issues I’ve thought that I don’t want to have this hassle in my life. But it’s important, and like any other irritation it has a time limit, and I don’t have to worry about it the rest of the time…so I’m going to suck it up and deal with it.

I’m pretty sure the only reason I have sleep apnea is because I’m overweight, so if I can solve that problem I may not have to do this anymore. Yet another very good reason to be healthy.

Sorry, blog

Tonight on the phone Mom was telling me her morning routine, and she said that the first website she opens is pixelscribbles.com, “which the author herself never seems to visit lately”.

Alas!

I do have some pictures I need to post, and I’m sure there are things I could be writing about…but I’ve just been sick for so long that all I tend to want to do when I’m at home is either watch DVDs or go to bed.

But don’t worry; I’m sure I won’t be able to keep from posting something new for long!

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I found a new blog

Damon Cline writes a blog called Scuttlebiz about area businesses and the economy and such for the Augusta Chronicle. He usually focuses on one story and then ends the post with a few nuggets. This cracked me up:

I’ll bet my left index finger (you can’t have the right; it’s my trigger finger) that Loco’s Grill and Pub, the casual dining chain that closed last week after two years in operation, will be converted into Augusta’s 213th Mexican restaurant. Mexican is the new Chinese.

Maybe you have to be a local to realize that this is hilarious because it’s true? When Mom visited I took her to Acapulco’s, the restaurant that replaced Fazoli’s on Washington Road. They had a few microwaved Italian and “American” options, and were otherwise very much a Mexican restaurant, down to the free chips and salsa.

Damon’s sharp and funny and seems to know his Augusta. Blogrolled!

(Edit: Apparently Acapulco’s has closed, after about a two month run. Heh.)

Life imitates "art", or People are stupid

Have you seen that stupid Toyota commercial where people destroy their cars in various ways so they can buy a new Toyota?

Well:

Man accused of pushing car off mountain

A man pushed his Ford Mustang down a mountain as part of a scheme to claim it was stolen, authorities said.

Richard Way Jr., 28, pushed the car down an embankment along Wopsy Mountain in Blair County last year, then reported it had been stolen from the parking lot of a hot dog restaurant, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office said.

Way, of Claysburg, was arraigned last week on charges of filing false police reports, theft and insurance fraud.

A cousin, Travis Knox, told police he saw Way remove stereo equipment from the Mustang and was asked to help push the car off a cliff, according to the arrest affidavit. Knox said he refused to help, and told investigators that Way confessed the crime to him a few days later.

The commercial annoys me every time I see it, because I’m a goody two shoes and can’t stand it when our entertainment media encourages us to commit crimes (an ad for a film where two bank employees hatch a plan to rob the place played before Enchanted! WTF?), and because this is yet another example of the “I deserve it, and I have no responsibilities” mindset.

I wondered the first time I saw it if it would happen in real life. This isn’t exactly the same, but…

(Apologies to Dariush for stealing his headline meme ;>)

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KKM season 3

I just found out that Kyou Kara Maou is getting a third season, which will start airing in Japan in April. Rock on!

I also just found out that Geneon isn’t distributing anime anymore, and they stopped before they were done with KKM season 2, so it’s unclear if those episodes will ever be released in the US. WTF!

(And yes, I am slow with news.)

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Diving back in

Getting back to work yesterday was such a relief. I’m tired of seeing my previous, whiny post about how illness ruins my life, so I figured I’d write a short post about how much I got accomplished yesterday.

As I Twittered, things didn’t go perfectly smoothly without me. There are things only I know how to do, things I’ve told people how to do but they’re a little rough at it, and things I’ve trained people on but I’m just better at doing. I had a little bit of catch-up work to do to get things up to my level. I know I sound egotistical, but I’d like to think that everyone sets standards for their work and then tries to meet them, and you wouldn’t think that way necessarily when you’re filling in for someone else’s job–so see, it’s just realism, not egotism.

;>

Regardless, I got the site to where I wanted it to be, and then did some work I’d been putting off due to other projects, and then did what I call my TPS reports (they actually do serve a purpose, but they are so boring). At some point I took a 45 minute lunch break and went to Wendy’s with Elgin and Fichtel, which was cool. I did not have a Frosty, shockingly, but alas, I did have fries. Back at work, I handled an ad issue for sales, made two calls on another ad issue for sales (but no answer), and then dove into a design project I volunteered for last week. I had received an email from the printing company that they needed the artwork ASAP. The files I was working with were huge, so I literally could not have any programs open but Photoshop while working on them, so I had to work it in during a non-busy time. Fortunately I was able to do so yesterday, and I got the design done! Now I just have to hope it’s acceptable for printing…it has a lot of color and I’m not sure what that might do to the price.

Then I did my usual evening tasks–my job ramps up during the last two hours due to the evening newscasts. I ended up staying a little late, but since I don’t have any sick hours left and I missed two and a half days this week I guess that’s a good thing ;P

Now it’s Friday, the last day before my vacation. I’ll finish up my TPS reports today, work on uploading some video to various places, make sure that project is acceptable for the printer, and do my regular tasks. I also have a doctor’s appointment this morning and a salon appointment this afternoon, and I’m supposed to take pictures of the weekend talent at some point.

Ah, what a life I lead :)

I’m getting tired of this ;P

I got a fever late Saturday night, and it kept coming back throughout Sunday and Monday. I took Tylenol Cold whenever it got too bad–i.e., I was freezing to death–and otherwise just tried to rest and drink juice. This morning I had a bit of a fever so I called my GP’s office for an appointment to see what he thought. He only had an afternoon appointment available, so I took that and then went to work.

I got caught up on a few things and realized the breadth of work that is still to be done, then headed over to see Dr. B. I told him my symptoms–neck pain, slight sore throat, occasional cough, throat and nasal congestion, fever–and that I had been sick like this a couple weeks ago.

He surmised that I have just had two different viruses back to back, but he took a throat culture and prescribed Penicillin just in case I have strep throat.

As we were walking out of the exam room, he asked, “Do you need a work excuse?”

“For yesterday?” I asked. “I’m working today.”

“You shouldn’t be,” he replied.

“…well, then, yes, I need an excuse.”

And he wrote me a note that says I can’t go back to work until Thursday.

Seriously. I have been out of sick days forever, and I have work that needs to get done, and I don’t know how I can expect to be regarded as a professional if I’m out sick every couple of weeks! This is really frustrating.

I went to Walgreens to fill the prescription, and I picked up some hand sanitizer and Lysol disinfectant spray. I’m going to try to be ridiculous about cleanliness from now on. I’m also thinking I’d like to see what sorts of HEPA room filters are available on the market and if I could afford one, or preferably two: one for home and one for work. That might not be possible given all the other medical bills (another reason I’d like to be able to work!), but it’s definitely worth looking into at least.

Bah!

I apparently can’t live without Twitter

If I could have been Twittering this morning, you would know that I am home sick from work today, that I’m watching Lois & Clark season 3, that I’m drinking V8 fruit juice, and that I need to get over to the mailbox soon, if I can. I might have added other notes, like the fact that The Abominable Charles Christopher is back up, and that I’ve added it (and other comics) to my webcomics list on the sidebar.

But there was no Twitter this morning, and yea, there was wailing and gnashing of teeth all ‘cross the intarweb.

Fortunately, it’s back now–so all of you who live to read the minutiae of my life, rejoice.

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Which Disney princess are you?

I’m Belle and Aurora, apparently.

Cinderella:

[ ] One of your parents is dead.

[x] You are expected to do a lot of chores.

[x] You love to dress up.

[x] You love animals.

[ ] You are waiting patiently for your Prince Charming. (Or princess)

[ ] Your mom is really strict.

[ ] You have sisters who seem kind of jealous of you.

[ ] You’re afraid to speak your mind sometimes.

[ ] You have left your shoes at a friend’s house before

[x] You have blond hair.

TOTAL: 4

Belle:

[ ] You’ve fallen in love like with someone your friends didn’t like.

[x] You’ve been lost in the forest.

[x] You love to read.

[ ] You are not shy at all, and not afraid to speak your mind.

[x] One of your family members is a bit weird.

[x] You have done volunteer work.

[x] You have a wild imagination.

[x] You love to take care of people in need.

[ ] You’ve had guys like you only because they think you’re pretty.

[x] You’ve rejected at least one person when they’ve asked you out.

TOTAL: 7

Jasmine:

[ ] Your dad is very rich/important.

[x] You are very clever.

[x] You’ve fallen in love like with someone way different from you.

[x] You’re unique and different from everyone else.

[x] You’d never marry someone just because they were rich.

[ ] You have set a lot of goals for yourself.

[ ] You don’t have a lot of friends.

[x] You’re independent

[ ] You are wealthy

[ ] Your parents try to control your life.

TOTAL: 5

Ariel:

[x] Your parents expect a lot from you.

[ ] You really try to follow the rules, but you always seem to break them.

[ ] You’re a bit of a trouble maker.

[ ] You’re the youngest in your family.

[ ] You have a sister.

[x] You collect something.

[ ] You have/had long, red hair

[x] You have/had a pet fish.

[x] You’re extremely curious.

[ ] You believe everything people tell you/you’re a bit gullible.

TOTAL: 4

Snow White:

[x] You know that you’re beautiful.

[ ] Sometimes it seems like your mom is jealous of you.

[ ] You’ve almost been killed.

[x] You have at least seven good friends.

[ ] You’ve had food poisoning.

[x] You have/had short hair.

[x] You get along with (most) everyone.

[x] All of your friends are different … in a good way…

[x] You love to have a good time.

[ ] You’re happier when you’re out of the house than in.

TOTAL: 6

Mulan:

[x] You can be a tomboy sometimes.

[ ] People wish you could be a bit more girly.

[ ] You’ve pretended to be someone you’re not.

[ ] You’ve had a physical fight with someone.

[x] You have/had considered running away from home.

[ ] Your parents try to plan your life out.

[x] Some of your friends are boys.

[ ] You sometimes find yourself in bad situations.

[x] You love your family so much that you’d do anything to protect them.

TOTAL: 4

Aurora:

[x] You live/have lived with someone other than your parents. (Assuming my husband counts ;P)

[ ] You almost died at a very young age.

[x] You are gentle, loving, and/or thoughtful.

[x] You have a decent singing voice.

[x] You like to sleep in late on the weekends.

[ ] You spend most of your time outside

[ ] You’re adopted

[x] You have/had long hair.

[x] You’re very romantic.

[x] Pink is one of your favorite colors

TOTAL: 7

Pocahontas:

[x] You love to walk around and explore your city.

[x] You are more spiritual than religious.

[ ] You’ve been in an interracial relationship.

[ ] One of your siblings is dead.

[x] Your parents are very protective of you.

[x] Someone you know has been in war.

[x] You love nature.

[ ] You have/had black hair.

[x] You would love to move somewhere exotic and beautiful.

[x] You’re very adventurous

TOTAL: 5

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