As I get older, living a more healthier life has become more of a priority especially given my family history along with my wife’s recent health issues.
There was a time I wouldn’t go to the doctor unless I was really sick. I put off going to the eye doctor and the dentist too. Who loves going to the doctor? I certainly don’t but I would also like to make it past 60. Sadly my paternal grandfather, father, and uncle passed away around 60 years old. I’m 12 years away from that milestone.
One other health related issue I’ve put off is taking a sleep test. My wife for many, many, many years has said that I need to get one done because I snored. I was in denial and tried doing different things to improve my snoring. I bought Breathe Right strips, different pillows, and even fell for a product that idiot Joe Rogan was a sponsor of ZQuiet mouthguard.
None of that worked. Over the past several weeks, I have not had a good day of sleep. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I got a good day’s worth of sleep.
My wife recently did a at home sleep test and got a CPAP machine. I finally got my head out of my butt and decided to do a at home sleep test too. I failed miserably. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.
Last night into the morning, I had to do a overnight sleep test at the sleeping center so that I could be fitted with a mask that would cover my nose and mouth. My wife got one that just covers her nose.
I was dreading the overnight sleep test because it wasn’t my bed, I was sleeping in a strange place, and I didn’t have my cats with me. Basically I was missing the comforts of home.
As my wife likes to remind me numerous times, she was in the hospital for 5 days with our two kids and in the hospital for almost a month after her heart surgery. I’m only doing one day. Ok, ok, no more complaining from me.
As I got to the sleeping center, I was quickly connected to a bunch of wires and fitted with the mask. However, I forgot to take my night time meds which I routinely take. Trying to go to sleep without the meds, connected to a bunch of wires, and plastic mask attached to your face made it hard to fall asleep.
I was able to get to sleep but the technicians kept coming in because my mask was leaking air and had to be adjusted. I ended up having to switch to a different mask.
I probably got about 3 to 4 hours of sleep but I don’t feel exhausted or drained like I have been the past few weeks or months. I should have done this sleep test sooner.
The hard part now is waiting for the CPAP machine to arrive which I guestimate will be 2 weeks. I’m wishing I could get it sooner to get some good quality sleep. On well, I’ve done with this for years, what’s another few weeks.
If you’re hesitant about the sleep study, I definitely recommend it especially if you are having problems sleeping. It’s never too late to improve your health.
From An Introvert’s Corner
About
Welcome and thanks for visiting. My name is Karl and I live Maryland, USA. I’m a husband and father of two kids. I work for the federal government as an IT Specialist/Project Coordinator. When not working, I like to read and play games (mainly on PlayStation). I’m a hobbyist photographer and guitarist though I have been slacking on both.
I’ll be sharing whatever is on my mind . Thanks for visiting.
recent posts
From An Introvert’s Corner
Random Thoughts from a Moody Introvert
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In 1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jim Zucker created the legendary movie ‘Airplane!’ It was a slapstick comedy that made fun of various airplane disaster movies.
Before ‘Airplane’, they created ‘Kentucky Fried Movie’ and ‘Top Secret’ with the late Val Kilmer. It was ‘Airplane’ that put them on the map and created this classic. I won’t even talk about ‘Airplane II: The Sequel’ which they didn’t direct.
8 years after ‘Airplane’, the trio created another classic film ‘The Naked Gun’ starring Leslie Nielsen who also starred in ‘Airplane’. ‘The Naked Gun’ was another slapstick comedy that created 2 sequel movies. They were hilarious and Nielsen’s acting as the bumbling Frank Drebin was just classic.
31 years after the last Naked Gun film (Naked Gun 33 1/3), in typical Hollywood fashion, a new Naked Gun movie was made and released. I say typical Hollywood fashion because Hollywood lacks originality now and is constantly remaking films or creating sequels. These studios simply can’t leave classic movies be and be more original.
Anyway, the new Naked Gun film was not a reboot but a continuation. When I first heard about it, I immediately said nope. It’s going to suck. Then when I heard Liam Neeson was playing Frank Drebin Jr, my opinion of the upcoming film didn’t change. It’s nothing against Neeson but he’s not a comedic actor especially in a slapstick type format. Maybe people said the same thing about Leslie Nielsen who wasn’t always a comedic actor.
Once the trailer came out, my opinion didn’t change much but once it was released and I began reading the reviews, there were some some decent reviews. Maybe I might spend the money to go watch it. Well, that never happened but the movie finally came out on Paramount+ and I watched it.
I won’t give away much of the movie for those that haven’t seen it. I’ll say that if you are fan of the classic ‘Airplane’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ movies, you may or may not enjoy this. There is some of the classic slapstick humor in it and some moments where I laughed. Overall, the movie was good but not great.
I feel like there were some forced moments to generate laughter. Liam Neeson’s take on Frank Drebin Jr was better than expected but it didn’t measure up to the level of Leslie Nielsen. Yes, I understand it’s a different actor, different time, and different movie. I feel that it missed the mark of what I feel makes a good slapstick movie.
I would give this movie 2 stars. -
Yesterday, was my 48th birthday. It’s hard to believe when I type that or think that I’m 48. I’m not sure why. I’m sure my mother can’t believe it either. Her birthday is 2 days after mine which would be tomorrow as of writing this blog.
Birthday celebrations were not a big thing for me growing up. I have two half sisters, whom I have no contact with anymore, that lived with their mother. I was an only kid and I didn’t have a lot of friends. The birthday celebrations for me opening gifts and maybe having a cake. We didn’t get together with my uncles, grandparents, or other family members. Very exciting childhood huh?
With my wife’s family that’s a different story. Her sisters and their families get together several times throughout the year to celebrate birthdays along with other milestone events. I often feel socially awkward at those events because I’m shy socially to start with and I didn’t have a big family growing up.
As I reflect on the past 48 years, I feel like I really haven’t lived life to the fullest. The past 48 years are filled with a variety of emotions. There were opportunities that I missed, things I regret, and things that have made me happy.
In looking ahead, the grim reality of getting older and prioritizing my health has become number one. My father passed away at 59. My uncle passed away at 58. My paternal grandparents didn’t live much past 60 as I recall. That’s scary to me. Will I be gone in 10 years? I feel if I don’t change things then I may not be but I can’t control that.
What I can control is being a good father and ensuring my kids are successful in life. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I’ve made. I’m thankful they aren’t as naive as I was at their age. They are so smart but still have much to learn.
As for celebrating my birthday yesterday, it was very low key. That’s ok with me. I was able to celebrate with my wife and kids. I got an acoustic guitar and Denver Broncos football jersey. I’m happy. We ended the day eating ice cream cake.
Here’s to many more trips around the sun… -
In reading this topic, the very first thing that popped in my head was not taking life so seriously. It’s a trait that I still have today and ultimately got passed onto my kids.
There are a bunch of other lessons that I wished I learned like spending more time with my dad, having a better mindset of what profession I wanted to pursue, or not being afraid of new experiences. I could go on. The list of regrets is long.
Not taking life so seriously is probably the biggest lesson. At 47 years old, I often reflect on my life and say to myself that I’ve missed so much or I’m just not enjoying life. Instead, I’m worrying about every little thing, not going out to make friends, and just plain being anti social.
Unfortunately, when you are bullied as a kid and being socially shy (maybe awkward), it affects your confidence. You don’t want to sound like a dumbass or say something inappropriate. You don’t want to do anything because you’re worried you will get teased or laughed at. Even today when someone laughs at me or looks at me, I get defensive. Like what’s so funny or what are you looking at?
I wish I could go back and tell my younger self enjoy life and don’t take things so personally or seriously. It will make you miserable as an adult. Go out there an accept that offer for Wichita State to become a bowler and get a college education. Go out there an work towards being an astronomer because you love learning about space.
Instead, I’m a home body who doesn’t like going out or socializing. Not enjoying life or finding things that make me happy. I’m just a person not enjoying life to the fullest trying to make it through the day.
Sorry, just taking that moment to vent and get things out in the open. Feeling sorry for myself. This is what happens when you do take life seriously and don’t focus on the things that make you happy. -
I generally consider myself to be more internet smart and aware of tactics that people will go to scam people. I’ve always believed “if something is too good to be true it probably is.” I usually am guarded when I see an add or a product that catches my eye. I’ll second guess myself and say what’s the catch?
Last week though, I failed and let my guard down. There was a “sponsored” post on Facebook by a guitarist that I fell for. I honestly don’t remember the guys name now. It was someone I’ve never heard about and I was so angry at myself, I followed the guy and removed the ad.
Anyway, the ad read something about this guitarist’s son works at Guitar Center and there was a surplus of acoustic guitars that needed to be cleared from the warehouse. I just needed to click on the link and pay for shipping.
I’m immediately thinking…bullshit. In looking at the comments and there were a lot of them, people had mentioned they clicked on the link and got a guitar. It was a Gibson acoustic guitar if you need the details which according to my son aren’t good guitars. I don’t know but paying $15 for shipping is not bad to get a guitar right?
I clicked on the link and went through the process of paying for shipping. When I was done, I had that gut feeling that I felt like this was a scam. Thankfully, I used a credit card and not a debit card.
When I was done, it said what my order was but I never got an email. Yep, I got duped. After a few days, I still heard nothing and my wife ended up disputing the charge on the card.
As I write this, I still haven’t heard anything. I definitely got scammed and fell for a new trick in the book apparently. Should have listened to that voice in my head, “if something is too good to be true it probably is.” -
In scrolling through the daily prompts, I see the question, “How are you feeling right now?”. Interesting question that often changes depending on the day.
Right now, I’m feeling like I’m starting to get a cold but hoping it’s just sinus related. I’m also tired because my 2 of my 3 cats decided to play WWE on our bed this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. Aside from that, I’m feeling good physically and mentally at the moment.
My daughter went to the doctor yesterday just for a check up and was told that melatonin was not good for long term use. That was news to me as I take it every night because I do have problems falling asleep. So does my daughter. The doctor suggested take magnesium glycinate instead. Well, with a quick order from Amazon, I started taking two capsules last night and I’m feeling good. Not really tired too much despite not sleeping in. I’ve also been taking Lexapro to help with anxiety related things.
Besides taking medicine, I’m slowly knocking things off my to do list that I’ve put off way too long. The list is long but as I cross things off, it does help me be more positive about things.
I do look back and wish I addressed my anxiety sooner. I’ve been feeling down for a long time and it’s been a while since I’ve felt good. Here’s to medicine and more positive thoughts. -
I’ve gone through several iterations of blogs. I’ve created them then several months down the road, I’ll delete them because I’m feeling down or depressed. With the medicine I’m taking, I’m working on improving my mental health and trying not to make those rash decisions.
In creating this blog, I really didn’t have a purpose. I wanted to use it as a daily journal to write down my thoughts to somehow connect with other like minded people or make friends which seems crazy. I’ve seen other blogs where people will share photos or promote products. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to navigate uncharted waters and just make it through the day.
I do find some enjoyment in blogging even if no one reads it which apparently not many people do based on my insights. Still trying to figure how some of my blogs get a lot of views while others get nothing. Welcome to the world of the internet. -
When starting your work day or starting your day in general and the lyrics of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” pop into your head, you’re bad to have one of those days.
“Break Stuff” is one of those songs that, to me, means you’re stressed out, had enough of the bull shit, and just plain out having a bad day.
When I woke up this morning, I was tired and cranky. Last night our TV decided to crap out and I had to run to Walmart to get a new one. Once I got home, had to make room for it since it was a bigger TV and of course set it up. Naturally it came with the new bells and whistles that TVs come with.
I didn’t go to be until almost 11 at night. That’s not good when I have to getup to work the next day. Sure enough when I woke up, I was feeling it.
I usually have a morning routine that I follow. I make my tea or coffee, feed the cats, and clean their litter boxes. That got disrupted and threw me out of whack. I kept getting more and more off my routine and the stress level just rocketed. By the time, I started working, I was pretty much off in a pissed off.It’s just one of those days when you don’t wanna wake up
Everything is fucked, everybody sucks
You don’t really know why
But you wanna justify rippin’ someone’s head off
No human contact
And if you interact, your life is on contractYep, the lyrics from “Break Stuff” was running rampant in my head. To add onto the stress level, there is an apparent slow water leak happening from my shower upstairs. It’s enough a leak that I see the evidence on my ceiling. Paying for two new cars, eventually paying for a new fence, paying for a new water heater, and of course the other regular bills. No wonder I need anxiety pills. Thankfully, I’m not going down the Jack Daniels route…yet.
Now I got to pay for someone to figure out where the leak is coming from, destroy my walls, and fix it. I’m hating home owner life right now. This sucks. Sure the alternative is living on the street with practically nothing but all of this happening at once is putting a mental strain on me.
It’s just one of those days… -
About 2 years ago, I started my journey into the Star Wars Expanded Universe or Legends books. In trying to figure out where to start, you’ll get a variety of opinions. Start with this series or start with this book.
For me, I chose to start with the Star Wars timeline. A lot of people will say don’t go that way but that’s their choice.
The journey has had it’s share of ups and downs. There have some great books and some bad ones. I’m looking right at you “Red Harvest”.
I just finished reading “Wild Space” which is the second book in The Clone Wars series. It’s based off the same animated movie and TV Show. Both of which I enjoyed.
In “Wild Space”, Anakin Skywalker is off on a mission to stop General Grievous, we get more inner thoughts of Senator Palpatine, and Obi-Wan Kenobi along with Senator Bail Organa go off on a special mission.
The book started off really well but went the opposite direction when Obi-Wan and Senator Organa went on their special mission. They were trying to go to a Sith planet to look for artifacts.
The problem with this special mission is that it took up the rest of the book, was dragged out, and just not interesting. The write tries to keep you engaged but it was a struggle to finish because I simply was over our heroes trying to search this boring planet.
Nevertheless, I finished it and I’m ready to go to Book #3 which will hopefully be more redeeming. -
I love these daily prompts for the most part. Some of them require some deep thinking and this one of those topics…my top 10 favorite movies.
There are a lot of movies that I would call my favorite. The problem is ranking them because…they are my favorites. Anyway I digress. So here we go with my favorites.
10. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
This is where Jim Carrey became a movie star. I love this movie and could recite the entire movie word for word much to my wife’s “enjoyment”. That’s sarcasm. The movie is hilarious from the start if you’re a Jim Carrey fan and his schtick.
9. Dumb and Dumber
Another Jim Carrey film that is simply dumb but funny. He and Jeff Daniels are idiots and they’re little road trip makes it for a fun ride. Laughed a lot with this one from the start.
8. The Mask
I promise this is the last Jim Carrey film to make the list. Another good film with a stronger plot than the other 2 I ranked.
7. Big Trouble in Little China
This movie is hard to explain but it is a fun ride of a film. My kids and wife think it’s stupid but I love this one. Kurt Russell is a truck drive fighting bad guys in old Chinatown mixed in with black magic stuff. It was made in 1986 but it still holds up to this day.
6. What About Bob?
My mom absolutely hates this movie because of Bill Murray. While my son and I love it. Go figure. I can see why it would be annoying but it’s also funny watching Richard Dreyfus go crazy when Bob (Murray) keeps showing up.
5. Batman (1989)
While I enjoy Adam West’s goofy, hippie version, Tim Burton introduces a darker version of the character who kicks ass and takes names. We also get a cool version of the Joker played by Jack Nicholson. Michael Keaton is in the top 2 of favorite Batman’s next to Christian Bale. The music along with the action really made this movie fun.
4, 3, 2. Dark Knight Trilogy
Without listing the 3 movies separately, the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy is the best 3 movies of Batman played by Christian Bale. They are masterpieces and done really well. Heath Ledger was an awesome Joker in The Dark Knight. I loved all 3 movies.
1. Heat / Oceans Eleven
Yes, there is a tie for first. My blog, my rules. Heat starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro is simply a masterpiece. It’s a bit long but the cat and mouse game is so good with a incredible, realistic shootout sandwiched in the middle of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, I definitely recommend it.
Oceans Eleven starring George Clooney is also another masterpiece. I could watch Heat and this movie over and over. Oceans Eleven is a cool, fun ride. Steven Soderbergh put together the biggest names in Hollywood in this movie and it was really well done. The whole series was good but this movie was the best of the 3.
From An Introvert’s Corner 