Bits And Pieces of Stuff

I had a rough night of sleep last night, waking up several times to adjust my CPAP mask and trying to get comfortable, but a rough night with the CPAP is significantly better than a good night with sleep apnea.  I woke up at 8:15 a.m., which is about what I had hoped for, so I'm concluding it was a success.  The big positive I'm noticing is much more clarity in my thinking.  This is something that I really didn't notice, but had become a real problem.  I wasn't concentrating very well on anything.  With a solid night's sleep, I can really see it  now, and I feel like everything makes so much more sense.  It's incredible how much sleep apnea can affect your body, mind, and spirit in such a negative way.  I have to say, if you suspect you have a sleep issue, get it taken care of.  It will make a world of difference.

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Will this Winter ever end?  I hope not.  I'm as excited as a pig in slop over the possibility of another snow storm on Monday.  Current predictions are at 8+ inches for the immediate area in Central Maryland, and the plus is a strong possibility.  This is a major storm.  Ironically, today is the first day of meteorological Spring.  My daughter and I got our bread, milk, and toilet paper this evening, so we're as ready as we can be, although my snow shovel broke after the last snow, which means I've probably guaranteed us a foot of snow.  For a snow lover, this has been a very romantic Winter.

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Speaking of romance, I have quite a large backlog of romantic ideas for some lucky lady.  If I ever find myself in another relationship, she's going to benefit greatly.  Just sayin'.

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I have to say we are really blessed at Grace Community Church.  Not only is Mark Norman, our lead pastor, one of the best preachers I know, our teaching/young adult pastor, Mitchel Lee, can preach a message, too!  I continue to be amazed by his delivery, depth, humbleness, and messages.

If you're looking for a church home, please consider Grace in Fulton, MD.  It is a wonderful community of believers.

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My daughter and I went out to eat after church tonight at one of our favorites, La Palapa, Too, near Maple Lawn on Johns Hopkins Road.  It was really crowded, more than usual, and we waited 20 minutes for a table.  In addition, once we ordered, the food took a very long time to arrive.  This apparently was the reason for the crowd.  The server hinted that the problem was in the kitchen, and my guess is maybe they were unexpectedly shorthanded, and it created a backup which, unfortunately, led to a few patrons leaving before their food arrived due to the long wait.  It's too bad, and I'm willing to give them a pass since we have always had a great experience here, but I'm guessing not everyone has the same patience.  Our food was as delicious as always, and I really have no complaints other than the longer than normal wait.

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While we waited for dinner, my daughter and I had a really nice conversation about her mother.  Teresa was an awesome wife and mom, and I always wonder what she would've been like as a mom with an older child.  Melody, our daughter, asked me a lot of questions about Teresa tonight, and it was fun to share with her a lot of stories I hadn't shared previously, such as details about how we met, many of her likes and dislikes, and other fun facts.  My feeling is that she will likely be more and more curious about her mom as she gets older, and I look forward to sharing anything she wants to know.  Teresa was an extraordinary lady.

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With a new term in our vocabulary, I found out that I have to be a little more exact in how I use it around my daughter.  Her grandfather is "Pap".  CPAP sounds like "see Pap" and it has led to some confusing and amusing conversations.

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I'm starting to run out of gas as we pass the 11 o'clock hour.  My energy level has increased each day with the CPAP machine and I'm able to stay up a little bit later each evening.  But I'm going to bed now.  It has been a great day, and it's time to get my sleep on.

Have a great evening, everyone!  Enjoy your Sunday!