Observations from the Admin

Ah, I fixed it!

I'm learning over time that it's good to have backups of your code?

I am in the midst of a very unsettling period of my life. On one hand, things are happening where I have more optimism than Ive had in 15 months. On the other hand, the uncertainty of this time has caused me to be unable to make hard decisions on which way I want to go. Depending on the outcome, my school and work can be affected in major ways. Today officially starts my next semester. I currently have 3 classes. I have to begin each one not knowing whether I will continue to stay in. If I'm not going to stay in, I need to change things ASAP.

Also, on a side note, I've got to do a sleep study tomorrow evening (Tues). I've never had one before and it will further clarify some health issues I've been having since I was 12. I also have an MRI on Thursday. I was told some very unsettling things about myself last week. To make matters worse, I'm an extreme Night Owl. It's absolutely rare I fall asleep before 1am. I have to show up to get hooked up and fall asleep at 8pm. I don't know about you, but unless its the most comfortable bed in the whole world, I'm not one who can just pass out early in the evening and I'm envisioning something drab and not very comfortable. Especially with lots of wires hooked up to me.

Regardless, it has to be done. The main thing is I need some clarity on a lot of issues and everything is happening all at one time. I have to find a way to stay the course in case things don't work out to my liking. I've already started looking at assignments my Web Design teacher has given me. I had him last semester on a different subject and he royally kicked our asses. For week 1, I'm seeing more of the same.

I'll be checking in at Comic Crack as much as humanly possible. But compared to the last few weeks, I'm about to have my free time majorly taken away. So it wouldn't be too surprising if I cut back just a bit here.

Anyway, this is just a heads up, just in case.

Other than being a bit stressed of the lack of clarity I'm experiencing right now.....I'm fine!

I don't know how tomorrow will turn out. They don't want me to take any caffiene products tomorrow. I have to unexpectedly go into town during the day tomorrow which makes my outlook look a lot more promising, but either I do it early and come home and go back into town again, or I do it later and stay in town and then go to the sleepstudy. I'm not looking forward to it at all. I hope they at least give you a tv, but I'm not counting on it. My wife is letting me use her Droid phone tomorrow night so at least I'll have a tiny bit of entertainment with me. I'll probably have some short posts on here tomorrow night. If anything, I'll fall asleep from pure boredom unless they have a sexy nurse walking by from time to time, I think I'm gonna hate it.

What a tiring and somewhat traumatic week this has been for me. Two things I hope I never have to again.....Sleep Study and MRI's.

On Monday I had basically a 3 hr interview which really wasn't so bad because I got shown around quite a bit and I kind of liked what I seen. The drive and the apprehension of this make or break interview had me on edge though. When that was completed, I began my 1st day of school in this new semester at college.

Tuesday I had to do a piss test which to me told me I had the job. I pretty much knew 98% that I had the job as long as I passed the piss test. So I drove 40 miles to do that, then turned in the paperwork to the prospective job and drove back home. Only to later that evening have to drive back into town for an overnight sleep study.

That was one of the most god awful experiences I could have trying to sleep with 50 or so wires connected to me, a couple of belts around my chest and stomach and the most uncomfortable bed, pillows and atmosphere. Not only that, but they pumped in Cold Air Conditioning saying their study involves keeping the room cold. I think if you get hot, you're more likely to freak out. I had a camera pointing at me and an intercom where I was scolded if I did something wrong.

I felt like I was going to strangle myself in wires, couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep and even at one point tried to sleep in my preferred "on stomach" position. As soon as my stomach hit the bed, the intercom screamed "roll back over!". The only saving grace which also kept me awake was they left my tv on and I literally listened to show after show as I tried to sleep. I mean to tell you, after about 30 minutes, I contemplated ripping all the wires off me and running out the building screaming like a mad lunatic. Somehow, I tried to keep my composure, I just couldn't sleep. Finally I was listening to a show and felt like I blinked my eyes when suddenly I knew I was hearing the morning news on the tv. I told myself I must have dozed, but the sad part is, I don't remember sleeping. If the tv was off, I would have felt like I never slept. I just know I was listening to a show around 3:30am and suddenly I was listening to the morning weatherman at around 5:30. So I estimate my blink of an eye must have been me sleeping for 2 hrs.

I then got up, went and ate breakfast and proceed back to the school to tell my old job I was quitting because I had a new job (which at the time was not official). I then proceeded home and right when I was about to fall out on my couch, the job called me and officially offered me the position which I gladly accepted with choice of schedule. I chose the 4 day work week as mentioned elsewhere. Somehow I stayed away until about 1am and then went to bed exhausted. Believe it or not, when I got to bed, I couldn't sleep for awhile and felt uncomfortable, even though when I was sitting up in front of my pc, I was nodding off.

I had to get up at 6am this morning. Made me and my wife breakfast and then got myself ready to go to my MRI.

Two things with that. I've seemed to develop over the last few years, the ability to have every nurse and doctor have an extraordinary time extracting blood from me. Not only can they not find the veins in me, but when they do, I seem to hardly bleed. Sure, cut me with a knife, I'll bleed like a fish. But stick a needle in me and I'll give you a drop. It took over 30 minutes for me to give blood. Finally I gave a reasonable amount and had an MRI.

The MRI really wasn't too bad. But dammit, it was unsettling as hell. This facility has the new type of MRI machines, but I got stuck in the old kind where it feels like you're in a coffin. I had no idea how much noise those things make. I had to wear ear plugs while my face was in some sort of secured head area. After 45 minutes, I was dying to get out of the thing. It really did seem to unnerve me and yet, I know and feel like it really wasn't bad. But also, I feel shaken up a bit by it too. Especially after the traumatic sleep study just 2 nights before. I left the MRI feeling a bit frazzled, ate lunch and returned home.

Finally the ordeal is over. But now I've got to sit down this weekend and do all my homework. Although MRI wasn't truly bad and I know it, I didn't like it. And although Sleep Study was state of mind of matter for me, I really struggled getting through that too.

Regardless, I'm wired and tired. Hopefully tonight, I'll get a full nights sleep.