Junior And His Bi-Pap

Junior and I have no slept in a bed together in about eight years, maybe even longer than that. It's not because we are having marital issues, it's because he snored. He snored loud enough that I wasn't getting any sleep. He was working third shift at the time, and the night he worked I slept great. The nights he was off I would be up all night, shoving him to roll over so he would stop snoring for just a few minutes. Then one night he fell asleep on the couch, and I left him there. The next morning he said he was comfortable sleeping there, so that's where he ended up.

Eventually we decided to talk to the doctor about having a sleep study done, to find out why he snored so bad. Turns out he has sleep apnea. When they were doing the test, they had him hooked up to a lot of different machines. One of them was one that measures your oxygen level. His was so low that they thought the machine was broken, so they woke him up to switch it out with a new one. The readings were the same. His oxygen level fell to 46 while he was sleeping.

Normally they send the results to the doctor, and you go into his office to get the results a week or so later. In Junior's case, they called the doctor to come to the hospital. He sat down with Junior and told him that he was lucky to be alive, and that he didn't know how Junior hadn't already had a stroke or a heart attack in his sleep.

Junior came home that night with a sleep apnea machine. It's called a bi-pap. Most people with sleep apnea use a c-pap, but Junior needed constant air pressure while sleeping, and that is what the bi-pap provides. He was told that he can not even take a nap without wearing it, or he could die in his sleep. This becomes a problem when the power goes out. We are looking into getting one that can also run on batteries. That would also make it easier on us when we go camping. Right now we can only go to campsites that have power hookups.

I am so thankful that he went for the sleep study when he did, because if he hadn't, he might not have lived much longer.

Just My Luck

We have one of those easy to set up gazebo tents. We bought it a few years ago on clearance at Walmart for $50. We have used it so many times, especially when we have parties outside. Yesterday Junior was using it to be in the shade while he worked on a co-workers car. He left it up overnight, and when I got up this morning it was raining, but I didn't think about taking down the gazebo.

I should have.

We had to go to therapy, and while we were gone, apparently the rain got so bad that the gazebo couldn't take it, and it bent and broke the frame. The whole things was a twisted piece of metal when we got home.

I am not a happy camper right now.

Going To The Aquarium

For years, Junior and I have been discussing taking a trip to the big aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. It's about a five hour drive from here, and I know the kids would love it. I know I would, too. Now that Junior is off on weekends, we are trying to pick a weekend to go down. Junior doesn't want to drive there and back in the same day, so I have been looking into Atlanta Georgia Hotels. We stayed at a hotel once in Ohio, and it was such an pleasant experience. They offered a breakfast buffet, and the room had a refrigerator in it. I drink a lot, so that is an important feature for me. I like my drinks to stay cold.

If we stay for more than one night, we can take the kids to Six Flags, too. I know they have been wanting to go to a big amusement park, and if we're already down there, it would be a waste not to go. I have only been to Atlanta one time, and that was just driving through. To be honest, I was scared to death of the bridges, and the speed with which the drivers crossed those bridges. This time, Junior will have to find another way to go. I am a horrible passenger, which is why we aren't staying in a san diego california hotel. Junior would never make it across country with me in the car.

We Got Ours

We were at our local Sonic at 7:50 last night. By 8:05 we were on our way, five free root beer floats in happy hands. I was surprised at the size of them. I was expecting something smaller. As we were leaving, there were cars backed up into the road, waiting to get in the parking lot.

I am so glad we went early.

Are You Logging Your Miles?

It's been two months since I first told you about BeeWell Mile. I hope you have all gone to the site and joined. I have been logging my miles, though not on a daily basis. I forget sometimes to put on my pedometer. I have lost a little weight, which is a good thing, and I have actually convinced Junior that he needs to start walking with me. Now that the kids are out of school, I want to start walking as a family. It will be easy to do in the evenings, now that Junior is working the morning shift at work. I want my entire family to get healthy, and if we can make a difference in someones life by doing it, that's even better.

In case you have forgotten, let me tell you again what a great thing Bumble Bee Foods is doing. They will donate $.15 for each mile walked or run that is logged at BeeWellMiles.com. They will continue to do this until October 31. Donations will go towards helping the Breast Cancer Network of Strength "provide emotional support to those who can't wait for tomorrow's cure". So not only will you be walking your way to better health, but you will be helping a wonderful cause.

What are you waiting for? Go join, and start walking.

Root Beer Floats

I am going to Sonic tonight between 8pm and midnight.

Do you want to know why you should go too?

They are giving away free 10 ounce root beer floats!

I know it's probably going to be crazy busy, but I am going to talk Junior into braving it.

The kids will love it, and it's FREE!

Shopping Online

I am not a big shopper. I would rather spend three hours in the library than in the mall. But, we all need to buy things sometimes, so I have discovered the joys of online shopping. I found this Batik store that sells the most beautiful things. The fabrics are gorgeous. I had no idea what Batik meant, so I looked it up. I found it explained quite nicely on the batik blog. It is basically the traditional wax-resist dye method used on cloth. I am not sure exactly what that means, but I know that the fabric turns out amazing.

They sell everything in this store from bedding to shoes. These shoes were handmade, and they are so cute. My mom would love them. I couldn't wear them because they have heals. I have a tendency to twist my ankle if I wear anything but flats. I did find a purple table set that I fell in love with. Oh, and I also found stationary. They had a little black notepad with flowers on it that I absolutely adore. I am thinking I might have to point Junior in this direction the next time he wants to buy me a present.

When you visit there store, make sure and use the code "crafty" when you check out. It will save you 10% on your purchases.

Ride

I have three sisters and one brother. We all have the same mother and father, and we grew up as a pretty tight knit family. I remember going for "rides". It's exactly what it sounds like. We would all pile in the car, and just drive around.

When I was out of high school, my parents split up. My mom continued to want to "ride", and I remember countless times the two of us would take off. Living on Long Island, we usually drove out East, where the rich houses were, and to the places we knew we could see deer. My mom loved seeing deer. Now, living in South Carolina, my mom loves seeing cows. And trust me, there are plenty of cows.

It was on these "rides" with my mom that I discovered that I liked looking into people's windows. When it's dark outside, and they have a light on, you can see directly into their homes. I like seeing how different homes are decorated, and let's just say it, I'm nosy. I admit it.

I still do it, although not as often anymore, because Junior doesn't really like to "ride". But trust me, I've been working on him.

My Computer Guy

My brother is my computer guy. There have been a couple of times where he has had to do major overhauls on my computer, and then there were times that he was able to talk me through the problems I was having. There have also been times when he has had to use remote access software to see what was going on with my computer, because the problems got too technical for me to follow his instructions. I was in awe that he could play around on my computer from his own. I'll tell you, it's the little things that amuse me. The kids thought it was pretty cool, too.

It's been a while since he has had to do this, because my computer has been running pretty smoothly now. I am sure that now that I am bragging about it, I will have some sort of issue. That's just the way my life goes. I have been really good, though, about not downloading anything off the internet. I used to have a bad habit of downloading games and things, and my brother told me those things can bog down my computer. Now I just play games online.

I love that my brother is able to work on my computer. If I had to pay someone every time something went wrong, I wouldn't have a cent left to my name.

One Lovely Blog Award

My sweet, sweet friend Kat gave me this beautiful award. Thanks for thinking of me, Kat!

So, here are the rules for this lovely award...
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. (check, done!)
2) Pass the award to other blogs that you’ve newly discovered and any of your favorites if you would like. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


I am going to pass this along to whoever visits today. This little blog of mine doesn't get much traffic, so I want to thank all of you who do visit with this award.

Silver Dollar City

I used to love riding roller coasters. When I was younger, we would go to the amusement parks, and the bigger the coaster was, the more I would want to ride it. My kids are finally at the age where they can start enjoying the big roller coasters, and I have been debating where I should take them. I did a little research, and think I have decided on Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. If we go between June 6th and August 9th, we can participate in the KidFest.

If you are unfamiliar with Silver Dollar City, you should know that it is a family friendly theme park. It offers roller coasters and water rides, just like other parks, but it also takes you back in time to "the simplicity of 1880's America". They have workers who demonstrate what life what like back then, and how people lived. The park has craft shops and craft classes, as well as live shows and restaurants. I like the idea that while having fun, my kids can also learn something.

While in Branson, we will need some place to stay. I am leaning towards either the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing or the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. These hotels are located right across the street from each other, and I am going to be honest when I say where we stay totally depends on the pools. Whichever hotel pool I like better will get our business. It's going to be a tough decision, though, because I have seen pictures, and both hotels have beautiful pools.

I guess we could stay a night or two in each, just to be fair. Sounds good, right?

I Took The Easy Road

These are the gifts for the bus driver and Brandi's teacher. I totally coped out and bought candles. Time just got away from me the past couple of weeks, and I didn't realize school was almost over. The candles are cute...I got a vanilla one for Brandi's teacher, and a black cherry one for the bus driver. I almost kept the black cherry for myself...it smells soooo good. I also let the kids write out thank you cards, which I know the bus driver loves. I put my kids lives in her hands every day...it's the least I could do to thank her for taking care of them.

Being A Therapist

I have been going to therapy with Junior for a couple of months now. I enjoy being able to help him talk with Kelsey, his therapist. It's amazing to me how her and I agree on so many things. I don't mean that we gang up on Junior, I just mean that I share her views on things. I would love to be able to do what she does, but I don't think I would do too great on the social work test no matter how many study guides I used. I know myself, and I do not do well with exams. That is probably the reason why I don't have my license. The thought of taking the driving test terrifies me.

I Am So Tired

I am not happy about being awake right now.

Usually, I drop my ecards at midnight, and head to bed around 1:30am. Last night, I didn't even make it to 12:15. I was so tired. That meant I had to drop this morning, instead of going straight back to bed when the girls left for school.

This getting up at 3, and then 5:30 is killing me. I am so happy tomorrow is the last day of school. Maybe I'll be able to get more than 3 hours in a row of sleep. My body is craving about 12 straight hours, but we all know that won't happen.

At least not tomorrow.

Apartments In Georgia

My husband has been wanting to move away from here for a while now. If he got his way, we would leave the state of South Carolina. In the past, he has suggested we move to Georgia. I don't want to move that far away, but was curious about the cost of living there. I wanted to compare the prices of Marietta Apartments, and promove.com was able to show me side by side comparisons of the apartments that matched my needs. It was free to see what they had to offer, and made easy work of sorting through all the properties available. I found some awesome apartments, but I still don't want to move. I like living close to my mother.

Going, Going, GONE!

I watched, and enjoyed every second of it. The dog was put in it's kennel, and loaded into the back of a Blazer. I was given dirty looks by all involved, but I didn't care.

The dog is gone!

I have a strange feeling that in the next couple of days, another puppy will appear. To be honest, I don't care so long as it's not a breed that will attack my kids, and it doesn't poop in my yard. I spoke to the owners. I know what is allowed, and if they get another dog, it has to be penned or on a leash. Junior doesn't think they will stay over there much longer, and I'm kind of hoping they don't. I just hope whoever comes next is more mature.

Ah, Paradise

Have you heard about walkin tubs? I have seen the commercials on television, and decided to check them out.

Now I want one.

I want the one in the picture. It's called the Aria. It has 22 air jets that swirl the water around you as you relax in the deep tub. I love deep tubs, and this one isn't too wide, so it doesn't require as much water as a hot tub would. This is only one of many tubs they offer, and while it is my favorite, you might prefer something else. Check out their website, and I am sure you will want one just as much as I do.

I should also mention that this tub is great for people who can't climb into a regular tub. It has a door that opens, allowing you to just walk right in. It's perfect for older people, people with disabilities, and people like me who just want a really cool tub to soak in with a good book.

Closing It Down

I am thinking of closing down my weight loss blog. I hardly ever write over there, so it's just collecting dust. I can write about all the things I wrote over there on either this one or my kids blog. And to be honest, nobody reads it, so it won't be missed.

I am also thinking about giving my blogs makeovers. I haven't decided for sure yet, but maybe they need a little something. Once I start playing around, it usually takes a while to get it exactly where I want it, and I'm not sure I want to put out that much effort.

We'll see.

Going To The Beach

One of the best things about living In South Carolina is the beaches. Brandi has been bugging us for a while now to go because she has never been, but Ryan and Kasi have. I am going to have to look into myrtle beach south carolina resorts to find somewhere to stay. My only requirement is that there is a pool nearby. Lucky for me, these resorts have everything from pools to golf. There is always something for everyone.

Three More Days

The girls are already planning what they will be doing on Thursday. That is the first day of their summer vacation. Ryan's last day is tomorrow.

I keep wondering when I get my vacation, but I guess I gave that up when I became a mom. I will settle for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, because it's been a while since I've had that. Luckily my kids are now old enough to get up themselves, and make their own breakfast.

I am so happy by baby days are behind me. Now I get to look forward to grandbabies.