Thoughts on sleep, developed during my walk.

Monday, July 09, 2012

I started down the road, and decided that I would walk all the way to Remie Rd. I was thinking it was about a 3 mile round trip. I was noticing all the different odors out there. The dry, dusty scent of Queen Anne's Lace and chicory. The odor of the cattle field (which I happen to like, but some rain would really improve it some), and the smell of someone making brownies in one of the houses.

As I walked, I was thinking about why I let myself get so low on sleep that I am physically ill. I have realized this before, and resolved to Stop Doing That, but I keep staying up way too late. That on top of my full-moon-insomnia built up to the point of no return. Ironically, I think that when I am able to retire I will go to bed earlier. Not because I have nothing to do (I have a LOT of plans) but because it will all be Me Time. Right now, so much of my life is taken up by work that it feels as if my time is being stolen. I don't want to go to sleep at night because that is MY time, to do with as I please, and I don't want to just sleep through it. I have to quit doing this, though, and get to bed at a reasonable time at least most nights.

Kept walking, and walking, and walking, and was wondering where Remie Rd had gotten to. I haven't gone that way for awhile, and felt like it had gotten longer. Finally found it and headed back, only to realize that I had not thought this through well. It was getting dusk, and I was in dark clothes. Not a good combination. Luckily, there was little traffic.

Got back, and found that I had walked for 92 minutes, and when I mapped it, I had actually walked 4.8 miles. The good news is that my feet stood up to it well. (Yes, I know: Ha, Ha)

Of course, it is now after 10PM again, and I have to get up and go to work tomorrow, since I am feeling better. I feel an urge to call and say I'm still sick, but I don't lie well, and feel badly about it forever, so I guess I won't . Guess I should hang it up and go to bed so I'm not sick again tomorrow for real.

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I think I was just tired.

Monday, July 09, 2012

Back to concentrating on getting enough sleep. I did end up coming home this morning with a headache, promptly fell asleep on the couch. I woke up nearly four hours later when my pager went off. Just as well--I might still be asleep otherwise. Anyway, I feel 100% better. Guess I was mostly just tired.

I should have just called in to begin with, but years of habit overcame my better sense. This is the first job I have ever had where if I didn't turn up, it made more work for my co-workers. Guess there are good some things about this job besides the hours.

Didn't get back to the treadmill yesterday, because I was sort of headachy and weary feeling then as well. The heat has abated somewhat, and I am thinking that as soon as I finish this blog I will go for at least a short walk.

Made slow cooker chicken marinara yesterday, again from a Spark Recipe, and that is also yummy. Have plenty of food around for lunches for awhile now. Made an eggplant pizza for dinner: slice an eggplant, salt it down lightly, put it on a cookie sheet, and brush with olive oil. Put pizza sauce, chili pepper flakes and some shredded mozzarella on top, and bake for 20 minutes or so. I like eggplant, so I ate the whole thing. A little high on the calories for dinner, but still well within my limit for the day.

I haven't had a functioning TV for years--not willing to pay for satellite when I never see all that much to watch when I happen to be around it, and plenty to keep me busy anyway. May DD said she thought I could pick up some stations if I just had an antenna, and my SIL gave me one to try. Turns out I can get four channels, one of them "MeTV", so I am watching Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke. Sort of fun. The one thing I thought I would like to have again is TV news, but I swear it is even fluffier and more pointless than it was 15 years ago, which is the last time I really got TV service. No real information, just a lot of cheesy smiles and serious faces. I am also wondering, after seen a few of the political ads, whether it is even worth voting in November. Good grief, this is our best and brightest? Do any of them actually have a policy, let alone an original idea? All they seem to do is put down their opponent. I'd be a lot more impressed if they told me what they would do at a practical level to improve the economy, health care, etc.

OK, going to turn off the latest sitcom, and go for a walk. See you later.

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Another lazy day

Saturday, July 07, 2012

After goofing off all day Wednesday, I have pretty well repeated the experience today. I didn't sleep well Thursday night (happens at least once every full moon), so I slept too hard last night, and woke with a slight headache and a queasy stomach. I took some ibuprofen and napped off and on between reading and messing around on SparkPeople, but didn't actually accomplish much of anything.

I am almost out of pre-cooked and frozen entrees, which I take to work for lunch, so I did make Chef Meg's Slow Cooker Vegetarian Curry, and it is GOOD!! At least, what I did is good. I added extra spices (curry, tumeric, cayenne) because I like spicy food, and I got it about right for me. The recipe calls for peas and coconut milk to be added 15 minutes from the end of the cooking time, but of course I forgot I still needed to add things when it was time to eat. Not a problem, since it is fine as is, but I am going to have to make it again sometime so that I can find out what it was supposed to be like. Going to make Chicken Marinara, another Spark Recipe, in the crockpot tomorrow.

Hope I talk myself into doing something constructive tomorrow afternoon. My foot seems to be better, so I am going to put some moleskin on the spot that had a boo-boo, and try out the treadmill again tomorrow. I admire those of you who can talk yourselves into exercising at home, but it doesn't seem to happen for me. I couldn't even talk myself into doing more than a few minutes on WiiFit, and I enjoy doing that. Oh, well, exercise will happen tomorrow, and I didn't really do too badly last week, foot problems not withstanding.

Hope all of you are having a good weekend.

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Catch up blog.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Haven't been keeping up with my blogging at all well lately, so this is my "catch up blog".

Went to the Girl Scout campout last weekend. Spent most of the day helping to launch canoes. I had muscles aching that I didn't even know I had, and my knees and hips are still not very happy with me. Took my daughter's group to archery as well, so had a "sit down" time then. It was over 100 degrees, but the humidity was really low (only about 30%), which just doesn't happen in Missouri except in the kind of drought we are having, and of course we were off the concrete and in the trees, grass and lake, so it wasn't really too bad. Still got a little dehydrated, even drinking at water and juices almost continuously, but have caught up with the water situation again now. I couldn't talk myself into staying all night, especially since I had promised to turn up at church and do some volunteer stuff there the next morning, so I went home to shower and sleep after dinner. Dinner was interesting. We mad "Red Lobster biscuits" on the Coleman stove. They got a little burned, but it really worked pretty well.

Since then, I've been going to the gym every day until today. Yesterday, I had what looked like a bruise on the side of my foot. Didn't really think too much about it, except to wonder what I had done to it. After walking on the treadmill for 75 minutes it was getting painful, though. When I got home, I discovered three small areas that looked like really deep blisters on the side of my heel. Don't know why, because it is the same shoes and socks (my fancy, expensive running shoes and athletic socks) that I have been wearing for awhile now. Since I am a mild diabetic, and as a nurse have watched too many people lose feet and legs to diabetes, I decided that I am not going to do that again until these areas go away. So, no real exercise for me today. I am going to get some WiiFit in after awhile, since I can do that barefoot or in socks only.

I really enjoyed being off for the holiday yesterday. Goofed around, made granola, finished fixing the mail box. Oh, yeah. I didn't tell you about that. A week or so ago, I discovered my mailbox had been attacked by (I assume) the local teenagers--again. About every second or third mailbox down the road was wrecked, and they had opened the gate to a cattle pasture as well, and cattle were all over the road. Anyway, after getting the wrong sized box, getting a board to go under it from my SIL so it would fit, buying the wrong screws to hook it on--twice, and basically messing around, taking a week to do a simple job, it is all back in one piece until the next time the Teens Who Need To Get A Life attack again. Since I had to buy the third set of screws and was going to town anyway, I stopped at the gym, which is where I managed to create the blisters.

It was so hard to go back to work today. For some reason, being off for a holiday is more difficult than being off for a weekend. All I could think yesterday was that in two more years I will be able to stay home and mess around doing what I feel like doing EVERY DAY!! It can't come too soon. I could retire now, but it would decrease my retirement income by enough that I feel like I have to hang in there.

Still haven't heard from my boss whether my hours have been cut or not, and am carefully not asking. It is time for our yearly evaluations. I thought she would get that done last week and tell me the final word at that time, but so far it hasn't happened. I don't want my hours, and therefore my salary, to drop unless/until it has to, but on the other hand I feel as if I am just hanging fire waiting to know what happens next. I may have to break down and ask her what is going on next week if she doesn't get to the evaluation process. I do need to find a way to point out in a reasonably low-key and diplomatic fashion that although cutting my hours looks good on paper, in point of fact I work on the patient units at least a few hours to a day each week. For instance, I was on the Pediatrics unit for an hour or so on Tuesday, and will be on the Admissions unit for a few hours tomorrow. The pay all comes out of different pockets, so cutting my hours on the job I am officially in won't really cut the expenses of that program all that much.

Came on and tracked all my food for the day, including what I am going to have for dinner, and am beginning to feel the hunger pangs, so I guess I should go eat before my Food Monster becomes angry and I give into temptation. See you all tomorrow, and I'll try to keep up with my blogging better in the future.

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July goal

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

OK, it's a simple one. I made my annual examination appointment for July 24. I want to be at least hovering back at 200 lbs by that time. 209.2 today, so it's a stretch, but I really want to be back there before I see my doctor.

My Will Power seems to have wimped out for months now, but I swear I am going to find it again and kick its butt until it cooperates.

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