Doin' better today.....

Thank you Em, and Robin, and Barefoot G. I picked up some silicone (moldable) earplugs at the grocery store yesterday, and slept MUCH better last night. *grin* Actually, I tossed and turned quite a bit because it's strange having something in your ears when you're not used to it, but between rolling about, I was sleeping like a rock. Maybe tonight will be better. The earplugs made DH's snoring something more of a soft shushing sound. I didn't hear the train come through at all last night. They even kept me from realizing DD left her alarm clock on yesterday, when she spent last night with her best friend, and the alarm was beeping repeatedly this morning. I woke up naturally at about 9:30, and even had enough energy to get my 20 minutes of exercising done, a load of laundry started, coffee made, rolls popped into the oven, and a second load of laundry ready to go when the first is in the drier. *grin* I feel SOOOOOOOOO much better when I sleep solidly!



Robin, I've tried the snore-eeze & DH did too, and unfortunately they didn't work for us. The reason sleeping on our sides works so well for us is that we're throat-snorers. I even had my uvula (that dangly thing in the back of one's throat) removed to try to lessen my snoring. But suffice it to say, when one is sleeping on their back (and even, for some reason, often on one's stomach) the tongue moves to the back of the throat, closing the wind-pipe & making it somewhat more difficult for that person to breath properly. Outcome: snoring. My whole family has a history of sleep-apnea, and I'm actually one of the worst. Which is WHY I had my uvula removed. I had to have a tonsilectomy at 20 due to a nasty bout with strep, which was being performed by the same dr. that took my adnoids out when I was about 8. He decided -with my go-ahead- that removing my uvula would be a good option to attempt to calm the snoring as well. It helped, after a year of healing & crappy sleep. *wry smile*



Barefoot G, Unfortunately sending DD to bed earlier really doesn't help much as I'm also a night-owl. If I try to head to bed too early, I still wind up laying there unable to sleep. Reading for a while helps, but even so I can find myself laying in bed for 2 hours, reading, before I get tired. 10:00 has always been a pretty good bed-time for DD, and as we eat supper late anyway, it means she's not going to bed right on top of supper. But I DO need to be more strict about being in bed by 10 pm (except on Monday nights, when I'm not home from work till 9:45 anyway). Now that she's able to read on her own, we have -a few times- told her to go read for a while, but that it was time to be in bed. Just need to be more consistent.


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So this is what Fairbanks looks like this morning. Mind you, I don't live in Fairbanks, but this is just over the bridge & a few blocks away from where I work. In fact, my mom used to work in the same building this camera is located on. It finally started snowing on Friday night and hasn't stopped since. Here's the arctic-cam link, if anybody's interested: http://arcticcam.com/cam/ Anyway, thought y'all would like to see a pic of my town on a winter morning. This cam does update about every minute, so occasionally you'll see folks walking about in that parking lot. Cars pulling in or off that road. Sometimes folks'll even set up a time for family/friends out of state to look at the camera & the local person will be in the parking lot waving. *grin*




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Here's my menu for the week:



Saturday: Beef Stuffed Soapaipillas (I think I've posted this recipe before.)


Sunday: Chili (quick, easy, I'll try to post my recipe for this later this week)


Monday: Chef Salads (Dh's cooking night, also hockey practice for DD, we go all out on making our own)


Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chicken (another easy one, will post later what I do)


Wednesday: Summer Sausage Ruebens (a Rachel Ray recipe)


Thursday: Bacon Swiss Meatloaf (a new recipe for us, I'll post it later & let you know how it turns out)


Friday: Hot dogs & Mac & Cheese (cheap, easy, quick, pre-made)


Saturday: Lasagna (have previously posted this recipe as well)




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Edited to add: *grumble* Looks like we're going to have to shell out for a new (or, new to us) washer & drier. Our drier's been on the down-hill slide for a few weeks now. It takes 3 cycles at high heat to dry a load of clothes. Not energy efficient at all, any more. And now our washer isn't aggitating any more. Evidently the teeth that catch & turn the aggitator are worn down & are no longer catching & causing the aggitator to aggitate the clothes. So, the clothes are just kind of bounching, but not being turned & rolled & tumbled. *sigh* Yep. Time to shell out some $$ for a new set, evidently. I'd hoped we'd maybe get to spend that money on a new couch. Because our current couch is DH's grandma's old couch. She had it for about 3 years before we got it, and it's now about 7 years old & rather tattered (thanks to a couple of dogs who won't stay off it). We can't get a slip-cover for it because the two end seats are recliners and it's impossible to find slip-covers for that kind of couch. At least locally. *sigh* I guess we'll just have to deal, though. Because a washer & drier comes first. A little more necessary than a tatter-free couch. And no, I don't think we could wash our clothes & towels & such completely by hand & hang-dry. With DH & I working, and DD in school, we just don't have that kind of time, or space. *grumble*





I think that's about it for this morning.




Have a Blessed Day!