Hey man, Happy Birthday! Im sorry, your card is coming but will be a little late-typical me huh?
Well, I wanted to say something to you. We've known each other a long time (and keeps getting longer every year!) We have been through a lot together. How many screaming fights, you took this, I did that, etc etc. I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You have grown into such a wonderful man. Caring, loving, responsible, honest, honorable. This is you.
The journey of life is amazing. We have to travel a long and sometimes hard road to get to where we are going. You've had a rocky road getting to where you are. I think God sometimes has to test us to see if we are ready for the good parts of life. Your first marriage was part of the path to find your soulmate. Without the difficulty of the first you wouldnt have been ready to recognize how wonderful your wife is. She is everything the first wasnt.
You are a daddy. You remember how hard things were growing up with our father. Thankfully he is so different now. Now he is a dad too. I've always said there is a difference between a daddy and a father. Your girls have a daddy.
The man you have become is what all men should strive for.
I sit here crying. I know you are being deployed to Iraq again in a month. It breaks my heart that you are going to miss Emily's birth. I am scarred for you even though you tell me I shouldn't be. It's silly to even tell us not to worry as you know that is impossible. I will just have to send lots of Cheetos, Pringles, batteries and bug spray. I hope you liked all the magazines and books. Ive started looking for books already.
Mom thinks I dont pray. I pray every day for your safety and prompt return. I pray for an end to this stupid war. I pray for hope. I pray for you.
I love you so much. Be safe, be careful, be alert. Most important, never stop being you.
Happy Birthday Bro!
Your sister
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
New CPAP strap cushions to Etsy!!
I just got my new varieties of cpap cushions loaded up to etsy! I now have 23 different designs of cpap cushions! Bright and happy, simple, earthy you name it! I just got some tye dye, pink ribbons and other colors of fleece. Keep checking my shop at www.recycledbootybags.etsy.com to see my latest designs. Yes, more bags are coming, but this seems to be my current obsession LOL!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wierd tired brains and Sleep Apnea
So, I'm sittin at my desk-yawning. Mr. Booty and I went to the midnight show of The Dark Knight last night. Totally packed. Didn't get to bed until waaay too late. I had coffee at home AND got the 24 oz super coffee achiever coffee at Circle K on the way to work. The movie-GO SEE THIS MOVIE! I'm not gonna discuss at length because I refused to spoil it for anyone. All I can say is go.
I just joined a website called cpap talk http://www.cpaptalk.com/. Good site with a large hosehead community and lots of info and support. I was telling them I really felt that there are millions of people walking around sleep deprived. In the US, we dont get enough sleep. You know it, I know it. We lead such busy lives we forget that we have to rest the engine.
Well, interestingly enough, yahoo this morning had a buzz article about 14 reasons we are not getting enough sleep. Here is a link http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/16/health-sleep-reasons-forbeslife-cx_avd_0716health.html?partner=yahoobuzz You guessed it, the lead story was about a person with sleep apnea.
I guess I'm lucky, the only problems I ever had with wearing the cpap was the the seal didnt seal, which was an easy fix by tightening the straps and strap marks. I dont wake up at night at all-ever. I sleep like a stone.
If I think about it, I sleep walked through life for at least 9 years before I was diagnosed. I remember falling asleep everywhere, the library, out with friends, in the car-passenger AND driving, movies, shower, work, etc etc. I got so angry at people commenting about it. My mom would elbow me at the movies if I fell asleep. I was to the point of wanting to smack her for it. I got in trouble at work for falling asleep in meetings. They told me I needed to get more sleep to set a good example for the employees. They thought my falling asleep was me staying up too late, partying and whatever else came to mind. Everything EXCEPT a severe medical condition. That's the jist, they basically thought I wasn't taking my job seriously. That's what people think when they see a person falling asleep at their desk or wherever. "That lazy ass stayed up all night again, look at them nodding off-that is one sorry employee." Never occurs to them that you are suffering from a medical condition.
I look back now and shake my head. Soo many people thought I was a lazy and bad employee. You know, I had so many tricks for staying awake. I popped caffenne pills like candy. I would blast the radio and sing along. Ice in the bra, cranking the ac to arctic, stopping when I started to nod to get out of the car and stomp my feet... Driving by myself to Phoenix scarred Mr. Booty to death. He thought I would fall asleep at the wheel and die on the road.
Now, even with being tired from being up to late I am more alert than I was in those years. If you are tired all the time, nodding at your desk or anywhere else, waking up every 2 hours - talk to your docter and have a sleep study done. If you think you might have sleep apnea, ask yourself this one question-"Do I fall asleep while driving." If you said yes, call your doctor for an appointment today. Please. You endanger yourself and others. Someone I know served 5 years in prison for manslaughter for falling asleep behind the wheel. That person caused an accident that killed a child. That person had undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Now, gotta slam that coffee before it gets cold!
Peace to all!
I just joined a website called cpap talk http://www.cpaptalk.com/. Good site with a large hosehead community and lots of info and support. I was telling them I really felt that there are millions of people walking around sleep deprived. In the US, we dont get enough sleep. You know it, I know it. We lead such busy lives we forget that we have to rest the engine.
Well, interestingly enough, yahoo this morning had a buzz article about 14 reasons we are not getting enough sleep. Here is a link http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/16/health-sleep-reasons-forbeslife-cx_avd_0716health.html?partner=yahoobuzz You guessed it, the lead story was about a person with sleep apnea.
I guess I'm lucky, the only problems I ever had with wearing the cpap was the the seal didnt seal, which was an easy fix by tightening the straps and strap marks. I dont wake up at night at all-ever. I sleep like a stone.
If I think about it, I sleep walked through life for at least 9 years before I was diagnosed. I remember falling asleep everywhere, the library, out with friends, in the car-passenger AND driving, movies, shower, work, etc etc. I got so angry at people commenting about it. My mom would elbow me at the movies if I fell asleep. I was to the point of wanting to smack her for it. I got in trouble at work for falling asleep in meetings. They told me I needed to get more sleep to set a good example for the employees. They thought my falling asleep was me staying up too late, partying and whatever else came to mind. Everything EXCEPT a severe medical condition. That's the jist, they basically thought I wasn't taking my job seriously. That's what people think when they see a person falling asleep at their desk or wherever. "That lazy ass stayed up all night again, look at them nodding off-that is one sorry employee." Never occurs to them that you are suffering from a medical condition.
I look back now and shake my head. Soo many people thought I was a lazy and bad employee. You know, I had so many tricks for staying awake. I popped caffenne pills like candy. I would blast the radio and sing along. Ice in the bra, cranking the ac to arctic, stopping when I started to nod to get out of the car and stomp my feet... Driving by myself to Phoenix scarred Mr. Booty to death. He thought I would fall asleep at the wheel and die on the road.
Now, even with being tired from being up to late I am more alert than I was in those years. If you are tired all the time, nodding at your desk or anywhere else, waking up every 2 hours - talk to your docter and have a sleep study done. If you think you might have sleep apnea, ask yourself this one question-"Do I fall asleep while driving." If you said yes, call your doctor for an appointment today. Please. You endanger yourself and others. Someone I know served 5 years in prison for manslaughter for falling asleep behind the wheel. That person caused an accident that killed a child. That person had undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Now, gotta slam that coffee before it gets cold!
Peace to all!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thoughts on illegal immigration
I live in the desert Southwest. I hear a lot about people coming from other countries-especially the one directly to the south of us, to "steal" jobs, healthcare, social security benifits and on and on... Well, here's my thoughts on it.
It is no small feat to come to this country illegally. People really dont realize just how hard it is. The immigrants usually go through a coyote, a human smuggler, who serves as a "guide" across the desert. The people make the trip and then are put in a northbound van. Sounds simple right? Well, temperatures in the desert can top 115 in the day. There is no convience store, no Micky D's, no Motel 6. Its you, the desert, the heat. The coyotes are not there to help ease your way, they're there for money. If immigration comes close to finding you, they will abandon you and take your money with them. There is no shelter, no water, no food. Sometimes it can take up to 3 days to make the trip on foot. Think for a minute. I mean it. Now, think about what it would take for YOU to do that. What kind of situation in your country would give you no alternative but to make a 3 day trip on foot through the desert with the clothes on your back and a bottle of water. Be realistic on this. No one with any other option would do this. The reality is people die trying to come to the US. A LOT of people die-in the desert- from exposure and thirst. According to the Arizona Daily Star here are some numbers :
Illegal Immigrant Deaths
2004-125
2005-119
2006-127
2007-130
2008-97
For those counting thats 598 human beings dead in the desert in a 5 year span.
The choice these people face is - risk my life trying to go to the US or watch my family starve to death. To make that choice... I dont know what I would do in their shoes.
The fact is that we need them. There are over 12 million illegal immigrants in the US. If they were all the sudden gone, imagine the huge hole that would leave. The majority of these people work, pay taxes and are solid members of society. To make statements like "kick em out-deport them now!" is so stupid and short sited. You cant just kick em out, the logistics of trying make it near impossible.
So whats the solution?
1. Mexcio needs to take an active part in the lives and well being of their citizens. If things are good at home, there is no need to risk your life trying to cross the desert for what we would consider a crappy job. If you can afford to feed your family and live, you dont have to leave your home, family, friends... They wont leave home if they dont have to.
2. The United States needs an immigrant worker program and a path to citizenship. The immigrants are here. They work. We need their work. If you think they take our jobs well, they take some - come on, we're being honest - but the jobs they take are not all blue collar. The work they do IS necessary to the economy of the United States. Remember, the majority DO pay taxes, they buy homes, they shop. That's a big chunk of change that would not be going into businesses. We have to stop whining and crying about "illegals, illegals" and find a realistic solution. "You have to go back to Mexcio and apply to come to the US." Yeah, suuuure. Leave your family, your job and your life. Go back to the country you left 20 years ago-maaaybe we will let you back in if you fill out all the forms. Maybe. Doesn't sound like a solution to me-does it to you?
It's time to remove our craniums from our anal orifice about this problem. Occam's Razor suggests that "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." So, we can try to find and deport 12 million people (during the fiasco that is the Iraq war) OR we can give these human beings a means to citizenship and legal work
What does common sense tell you?
interesting reading http://www.nomoredeaths.org/ to learn more.
It is no small feat to come to this country illegally. People really dont realize just how hard it is. The immigrants usually go through a coyote, a human smuggler, who serves as a "guide" across the desert. The people make the trip and then are put in a northbound van. Sounds simple right? Well, temperatures in the desert can top 115 in the day. There is no convience store, no Micky D's, no Motel 6. Its you, the desert, the heat. The coyotes are not there to help ease your way, they're there for money. If immigration comes close to finding you, they will abandon you and take your money with them. There is no shelter, no water, no food. Sometimes it can take up to 3 days to make the trip on foot. Think for a minute. I mean it. Now, think about what it would take for YOU to do that. What kind of situation in your country would give you no alternative but to make a 3 day trip on foot through the desert with the clothes on your back and a bottle of water. Be realistic on this. No one with any other option would do this. The reality is people die trying to come to the US. A LOT of people die-in the desert- from exposure and thirst. According to the Arizona Daily Star here are some numbers :
Illegal Immigrant Deaths
2004-125
2005-119
2006-127
2007-130
2008-97
For those counting thats 598 human beings dead in the desert in a 5 year span.
The choice these people face is - risk my life trying to go to the US or watch my family starve to death. To make that choice... I dont know what I would do in their shoes.
The fact is that we need them. There are over 12 million illegal immigrants in the US. If they were all the sudden gone, imagine the huge hole that would leave. The majority of these people work, pay taxes and are solid members of society. To make statements like "kick em out-deport them now!" is so stupid and short sited. You cant just kick em out, the logistics of trying make it near impossible.
So whats the solution?
1. Mexcio needs to take an active part in the lives and well being of their citizens. If things are good at home, there is no need to risk your life trying to cross the desert for what we would consider a crappy job. If you can afford to feed your family and live, you dont have to leave your home, family, friends... They wont leave home if they dont have to.
2. The United States needs an immigrant worker program and a path to citizenship. The immigrants are here. They work. We need their work. If you think they take our jobs well, they take some - come on, we're being honest - but the jobs they take are not all blue collar. The work they do IS necessary to the economy of the United States. Remember, the majority DO pay taxes, they buy homes, they shop. That's a big chunk of change that would not be going into businesses. We have to stop whining and crying about "illegals, illegals" and find a realistic solution. "You have to go back to Mexcio and apply to come to the US." Yeah, suuuure. Leave your family, your job and your life. Go back to the country you left 20 years ago-maaaybe we will let you back in if you fill out all the forms. Maybe. Doesn't sound like a solution to me-does it to you?
It's time to remove our craniums from our anal orifice about this problem. Occam's Razor suggests that "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." So, we can try to find and deport 12 million people (during the fiasco that is the Iraq war) OR we can give these human beings a means to citizenship and legal work
What does common sense tell you?
interesting reading http://www.nomoredeaths.org/ to learn more.
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