Sleep Study - Part 2

Wow, no posts since November. I need to get cracking in 09. I spent last night at the sleep clinic again. This time, the purpose was not only to strap an obnoxious amount of wires to my body but to test my sleeping ability with the breathing device in place. In case I did not mention it before, I was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. I'm not in trouble but I can't just get better with diet and a modification of normal sleeping habits. Anyway, the device consisted of a hose that ran to a piece of plastic that fit over my nose. It took some getting used to, that's for sure. I remember waking up a couple of times during the night and, during my state of drowsy confusion, I would experience mild panic because I forgot the machine was on my face. I'm sure that, with time, I'll warm up to the machine and get used to it. That's a good thing too because I must admit, I look mighty sexy with a hose and nose piece strapped to my head. Mighty sexy indeed.

A good smoke for a cause

I just returned from a cigar shop in Houston called Serious Cigars. Tonight they were selling limited edition cigars to benefit the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. The store made no profits on the sale of these cigars; the proceeds go toward providing needy families in the Dominican Republic with clean water, immunizations, and other humanitarian efforts. Now I am not a heavy cigar smoker by any stretch. I enjoy a few good cigars a month. It helps me relax and is just one thing I enjoy doing. It was nice to do something I enjoy and provide for a worthy cause at the same time. I picked a nice, dark, robust cigar that definitely gave me some much needed relaxation. Add a few swills of good scotch and it was very soothing indeed. Stephanie went along with me which only added to my enjoyment. When she does things like that with me that few other women would do with their men, I feel really special and happy that I found someone who likes to be a part of the things I enjoy. It really means a lot to me when someone goes out of their way to make sure that I'm enjoying myself. I always make sure to return the favor. Thank you for going with me tonight baby. It says a lot. I do know one thing; I will sleep very soundly tonight.

Sleep study

On Friday night, I took part in a sleep clinic study because I snore at times and Stephanie noticed that I have trouble breathing while I'm asleep. I also tend to feel tired in the middle of the day and just after I get home from work. So, I went down to the clinic and was hooked up to a multitude of wires around my head, neck and legs as well as straps with wires to my chest and abdomen. After the powerful aroma of rubbing alcohol nearly knocked me out, I sat in the clinic bed, watching television and wondering how I was ever going to get to sleep with my new electrical ensemble. It took me a while to finally nod off but no longer than I would sleeping in any other unfamiliar bedroom such as a hotel. The biggest pains for me were the wires which ran from my chest area to both my legs, used to study nocturnal leg twitches and Restless Leg Syndrome. I'm a side sleeper and tend to roll back and forth a few times during the night so every time I would turn over on my other side, the wires would get caught under my leg and it would pull on the sensor. Then I would have to fix it before I could go back to sleep. It's a wonder I got a decent night's rest at all but I suppose I did because I was awakened the next morning and told that I was finished. It was such a relief to get those damn wires off me and go back home to a decent sleep in my own bed. I just hope my night was worth it in the results they find.

A gift of the Presidency....Merry Christmas!

What follows is a list of the major people/entities President-elect Barack Obama should recognize in any future acceptance speeches as essentially gift-wrapping the next Presidency for him:

• The media
• The Republican Party
• John Mccain and Sarah Palin
• The bailout bill
• The state of the economy
• Uneducated voters
• Voters who use an "American Idol" thought process when they cast their ballots
• Overinflated hype
• A truly desperate voting public
• A knack for smooth talking
  
• A skilled "smoke and mirrors" PR team
• President Bush
• A short or nonexistent attention span in voters
• Voters who base their decisions exclusively on biased media coverage
• Deeply divided political parties
• A Utopian idea of "hope" and "change"
• People who bought into above Utopian ideas

Etc, etc, etc.

P.S. On a different subject, I really wish MSNBC would get off their knees and stop fawning over Obama. And when I say they're on their knees, I don't mean that they are praying. ;)

Friendship

I was listening to a talk radio show and a caller was feeling apprehensive because he didn't want to let his friends, who are homosexual, know that he voted for Proposition 8 in California. The host then talked to the caller about something I feel very strongly about. Too many people throw around the term "friend" so loosely the word loses its power. A friend, a true friend, is someone who should know and accept that your beliefs and personality are what attracts the two of you to be friends in the first place. They don't have to agree with everything you believe in but they should understand that it's your belief. The main point is, if you have to hide your views or beliefs from your friend in fear of losing a friendship, you do not have a healthy friendship. Your fears may be unjustified and the person will accept your view but if they do not, they ARE NOT your friend. I have one true friend in my life and a few other people I would trust as friends, i.e. to always be there for me and base our friendship on our personalities and not how many tequila shots someone can pound down on a Friday night. The same people who feel they have to hide feelings from their "friends" are the people who are surprised when these "friends" abandon them when they are needed the most. Friendship is a blessing, not something to be tossed around carelessly. We should all strive to have as many as we can but make sure that they are all true friends who will be there when the chips are down.

Hurricane IKE damage in Houston/Galveston

Ike Schmike

Well, Stephanie and I survived Hurricane Ike but Houston was not so lucky. It's surreal to think that a city so large is facing so much damage. I was lucky enough to be in Oklahoma City for work and Stephanie evacuated up here so we are doing better than a lot of Houstonians and Galvestonians. Our cats stayed with her parents and I think it will take a Congressional mandate to convince them to part with our feline companions. They absolutely fell in love with Claudia and Tanner. Who wouldn't after just a few minutes with them? They are awesome kitties and I can't wait to see them. Our house in Houston has electricity but it is still touch and go with grocery stores and gas stations. I have to go back to work on Saturday and Stephanie is staying home in Cleburne for a couple more days.

With such a hectic week, I decided to treat myself to a nice MonteCristo cigar at a piano lounge in Bricktown, downtown Oklahoma City. It sure hit the spot and now I'm sitting here typing this blog and listening to Tony Bennett (cigars and Tony Bennett seem to go together). I leave for Cleburne/Burleson tomorrow afternoon. I am glad I got to spend time with my father who lives here in OKC but a part of me is anxious to get back home and pick up the pieces.

A nice cigar and some soothing Tony Bennett followed by a small bit of book reading in the hotel bed should send me off to the land of dreams in no time.