Once in a while, I find really good toys to play with. Today was an example. I got a copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, and I think it will revolutionize the way that I do my work. It does take some getting used to, but I do believe it will reduce a lot of strain on my hands and on my eyes. I'm happy to note that it does work in Blogger, and it doesn't seem to mind Firefox. I'm sure it will speed things along, once I'm used to it.

The most fascinating thing about this software is watching the words appear in front of me without my having to touch the keyboard once. It even came with its own microphone. I hope I can use it successfully in my work. I would like to spend more time playing with the software, but for now it's time it's late, so I'm going to go to bed. I'll spend time getting used to the software before I try to use it for my job.

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I've had the CPAP machine for a couple of weeks, and the difference in my energy level is marked. I don't break my jaws yawning any more, and I definitely feel more alert. The equipment is very compact and easy to assemble, disassemble and clean. Plus, it's very quiet, just a small amount of white noise. I don't wake up dozens of times at night any more.

The insurance requires that the machine is considered to be rented for six months, before the company will purchase it. The reason for this is that too many people were geting the machine but did not use it consistently.

My new "wheels" will be here in about two weeks; the new company I finally did choose to work with (because it is "in-network" for my insurance) has done all of the documentation; the doctor has signed off on it, and a physical therapist came by this morning to do a short assessment. She will fax her documentation to the company, and the chair should be ordered next week, to arrive the week after next.

Dylan got an Easter card with money inside, and his great-gramma sent him a "power suit." Lauren thinks it's wonderful. They just came for a quick visit, and when he kissed me goodbye, Dylan asked me to also give his "Shrek" doll a hug, which of course I did...

Jay's working tonight, and may work tomorrow night also; he should be able to pick up extra hours this summer. Everything helps. We are working with a counselor (not because we are in difficulty but because we want to enrich our relationship), and it is going well.

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I had an appointment this morning with a Respiratory Therapist who carefully reviewed all of my new CPAP equipment with me and fitted me with my first mask. I can get new masks every six months.

The equipment fits into a neat travel bag a little larger than a backpack; it includes:

the CPAP machine itself (smaller than a portable radio I used to have)
the humidifier and heater
the tubing
the mask (small and light weight) and filter
the documentation (several manuals, booklets and brochures)
the "card" that holds my settings and readings
the power cord

total weight is around 8 pounds and it is quite portable. I'm definitely looking forward to using the equipment and finally feeling rested when I awaken. I haven't been rested for so long I've forgotten what it's like.

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That's the best way to describe my emotional state yesterday. I recently had my annual physical. Part of that examination included my taking home a portable sleep monitoring machine on loan from the doctor's office to do a sleep apnea study at home. The other option of going to a sleep lab seemed less appealing than being in my own bedroom, by far. The Physician's Assistant in the office showed me how to set up the equipment and explained how to perform the test, and a guide to follow at home was included with the equipment. I did the test on a Friday night. I felt as though I barely even closed my eyes that night, let alone slept...yet I must indeed have slept. I turned the equipment off when I got up the next morning, repacked it in the travel case, and Jay took it and the disk containing my readings back to the doctor's office. He sent the disk off to be read and evaluated by a technician. Then, on Monday of this week, I got a call from the doctor's office asking me to please come in before my next scheduled appointment because the doctor wanted to discuss the results of the study.

It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what was about to happen. As I saw it, there were two possibilities: Either I did the test incorrectly the first time and there was no data on the disk and I would need to do the test again . . . or the doctor was about to tell me that yes, the test was positive for sleep apnea and we would need to discuss options for treatment. I know this doctor very well after having worked with him for eight years, so I knew he would not ask to see me sooner than my scheduled visit untless there was a good reason. In other words, he would not call me in just to say the test was negative.

So, I went in yesterday morning, and sure enough I have sleep apnea. The doctor told me that it is "severe". His description was, "you are basically strangling in your sleep, over and over again." No wonder I'm exhausted when I awaken; it's impossible to get any rest when I'm waking several times per hour to catch my breath. He gave me a prescription for a CPAP machine and the phone number of a group of Respiratory Therapists he works with, and told me to call and set up an appointment. I called, and the RT who answered the phone asked for the doctor's prescription and my insurance information, which I provided. Next step is to meet with the RT (likely next week) to receive training on the use and care of the equipment. I will likely be getting the machine around the same time as the appointment with the RT.

It seems ironic. I suggested Jay be tested for sleep apnea because he snored terribly, and is overweight. Those are classic factors that contribute to sleep apnea. He returned the favor by suggesting I get tested myself for the condition, and my doctor agreed it would be a good idea, if ony to rule it out.

Jay is also diagnosed with sleep apnea, and already has a CPAP. He generously offered the use of his CPAP to me, and I declined the offer, with thanks. He needs it himself. The miracle here (and I am famous for looking for silver linings behind dark clouds) is that the condition has been diagnosed, and can now be treated -- and I haven't had a stroke or heart attack because of the condition. I'll take my blessings where I can find them.

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I work full time, in the office one day per week and from home four days per week. I am pretty tired by the end of my shift each day, so I don't get to post here as much as I'd really like to. I generally develop a "to-do" list during each week of tasks I want to accomplish in my free time on weekends, since that is the best time for use of the computer other than for work. Thanks to a little challenge from a friend, I've decided to create a new website on one of my favorite topics. (I'm withholding details until the new site is up and running.) So out comes my text editor early Friday evening, with quick notes and a mini-list of tasks. Super; I'm set to begin work on the new site. Then I was asked to work late Friday evening. I agreed, and did put in the extra time, since it wasn't all that much....but my momentum for starting the new site and its associated tasks seems to have vanished into the winds. I just do not have energy to devote to it right now. I'm so exhausted all I really seem to want to do is curl up in front of the television. I hate it, but I guess it's my body's way of telling me to slow down. Nobody's holding a stopwatch on my new project (except me!) so it won't hurt anything if it doesn't happen "yesterday." Just my own impatience. Man, I hate getting reminded (forcibly) that I live in human skin that has more limitations than my mind does....

On a brighter note: the new online Babble resource site I created is a huge hit, and the owner of the site has linked my resource site with the Babble site. This is wonderfully gratifying. The same friend who challenged me (gently) to create my new, upcoming site was positively gleeful when I mentioned I had taken my personal Babble resources page and put it online; he said, "you gots a website now!" He's been chuckling ever since.

Jay's got a job all week working security from midnight to 8 AM. Kind of strange, but it won't last forever. The girls are not happy without him here; they seem restless until he comes home, and neither of them are sleeping much.

I just had my yearly physical, and have some new prescriptions. I still need some other medical stuff done, and it's pending. One of the new prescriptions is helping with an irritating (but not illness-related) issue I've struggled with for a long time ( I don't need to "go" every 15 to 30 minutes any longer), and it doesn't seem to be causing problems as far as side-effects, so that's a plus. I'm about to begin taking a prescription form of niacin (a B vitamin) for lowering cholesterol. The doctor says to avoid over the counter niacin, because it is so slowly absorbed and it is unsafe since it builds up in the bloodstream/body over time and can be toxic.

The visit with the doctor was overdue anyway, so it's a good thing it's done. He did prescribe a new wheelchair, since this one is worn to the point it's beginning to feel unsafe. So on Tuesday of last week, I had an appointment with a physical therapist who did a thorough assessement (90 minutes worth of discussion and measurements of all kinds) for a new one, which should be here in May once the insurance gets done and the chair is ordered. Perhaps by that time we will also have received our tax refund.

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I've posted here about my fondness for personal web pages, and about Babble. When I found the game, it didn't take long for me to upgrade to the Pro version, and I've been Babbling ever since. About 3 days into the game, I decided to collect all of the resources and links I could find for the game into a central location on a personal page for easy access. That worked great, then I decided to see if other players liked the idea. I sent an e mail to the owner of the Babble site, who responded that if I could put my page online, I could post a link to it in the Babble messages site. Great. Now what do I do? I don't have a personal website online. A quick Google search and some reading led me to a free web host, and voila! My new Babble page has a home online: My Babble Resource page. I put information about my page into my Babble profile, and other players began asking about it. Then they looked at the online page, and several of them have asked me to create similar pages for them. Thus far, I've delivered two, with several more on my to-do list. It's a good way to have fun, support the site in my own way, and continue developing my coding skills. I'm even going to be making my own templates from scratch. Who knows? I may even submit one or more of my own to OSWD. Stranger things have happened...

I have a special message for someone very dear to my heart: Happy Birthday, Dylan! You are a joy and a delight.

Cool Site: Suprglu. The idea behind Suprglu is to bring together in one place (more centralization, anyone?) rss/atom feeds from across the internet. Users can also add hypertext links of their own, and yes, change templates and edit css. I spent about ten to 15 minutes setting up my account, and when I'd finished entering my feeds and uploading my html, I was very happy with this service whose time is definitely now.

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I have used personal web pages for a while now, and I don't know how I ever survived without them. I currently have several sets for different purposes. I enjoy the process of creating the pages almost more than I enjoy using them, and I've even changed templates for some of my sets. Of course, creating and editing the pages requires knowledge of html.

If you've wanted to have a personal web page of your own but do not know how to write html or don't care to take the time to do it, all is not lost. Check out ProtoPage. This free service is based in London. With ProtoPage, you:

• Can create a personal page using a "modular", point-and-click approach.
• Can include localized content, such as for news and weather.
  
• Need not register to create a page, but any page(s)created without registration expire within 48 hours.
  
• Can choose colors for the background and panels, even add your own photos and backgrounds by uploading them to the web first.
  
• Can have a handy bookmarklet available to make it easy to add links to your page.
  
• Can add multiple panels, sticky notes (good for "to-do" lists and reminders), news and blog feeds, local weather and even an e mail panel.
• Can set the page(s) to open as home pages in your browser. (The service is best used with Firefox.)
  
• Can dock panels at the top of the screen to save space and still allow quick access.
  
• Can have several pages, and
• Can choose to make pages public or keep them private.

You can also contact the owners of the site to make suggestions about features you would like to see added.

I do not plan to discontinue using self-created personal pages by any means because of the greater flexibility they afford, but ProtoPage is a nice addition to "my" pages.

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for Valentine's Day, my move to this new template is just about complete. I still have some minor tweaking to do and a couple of items to put in place, but the biggest portion of it is finished. It really does feel like a breath of fresh air.

I did enjoy the old template, but the black was depressing after awhile. I've done some major housecleaning along the way as well, by removing much of the old sidebar content, because it was superfluous and really didn't belong in a blog. When I first began tinkering with Blogger templates, my blog was a major resource that I used as a springboard to all sorts of sites and content on the internet. Now, however, I use a set of personal pages for the vast majority of the former sidebar content. The end result, I believe, is a fresher, faster loading and cleaner blog.

I am glad I've learned to edit the template on Blogger, because it has helped me tremendously when I've been putting together my personal webpages. But the rest of the world (or the five readers of this blog) could probably not care less about which software I use or some of the links I use daily. Well, onward to better things. I am looking forward to spending more time here, and I will probably change the templates for my other blogs when time permits. You may now safely remove your hard hats...just don't peek too closely into the closets yet.

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For the moment, this is a site still under remodeling, so be sure to watch out for falling hypertext code. I have been wanting to brighten up the place for a while now, and I finally decided to "just do it." I wanted to use red and white as my color theme, but my eyes rebelled, so I've settled on this "peachy" scheme instead. I still have a lot of work to do to get the template finished, but I think it's a good start. I used the PsycHo template generator to create the theme, and it was surprisingly easy. And it will be very easy to edit or change as need or desire arises.

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On Friday afternoon, January 27, I had the joy of attending my daughter's wedding. She and Dylan's father finally are husband and wife, and I couldn't be more pleased. The ceremony was small, with just a few family members present, but it was completely lovely. Lauren chose a simple but beautiful dress and veil, and a professional photographer friend offered his services gratis, which is what prompted a change in their plans. Originally, she and Keith were planning only to have themselves and her paternal grandparents present and have a reception for the rest of their friends and family later.

I did much better than I expected to; I got a little misty eyed, but didn't make a complete mess of my makeup crying. I thought I'd probably be a basket case because I'm usually really weepy at times like this.

Lauren and Keith have been through a lot, and they've made some big and important changes in their lives. It is such a joy that now they truly have a committed relationship in which to nurture Dylan. I am proud of both of them, and I will enjoy being a mother-in-law.

After the ceremony, we shared a light dinner (baked ham, sweet peas with pearl onions, green salad, rolls, wild rice, and of course wedding cake.) Then we brought Dylan home to spend the night so his parents could celebrate. He was adorable, dressed in black dress pants and black dress shoes, white dress shirt and black vest. The minute we got into the car, off came the shoes and socks. He didn't go to sleep until after midnight, and was awake most of the day yesterday before he finally took a two hour nap. He is at the point that he picks up words like a sponge soaks up water. He has learned the girls' names, and he is so cute when he calls them.

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