Saturday, March 8, 2014

Saturday Morning Short Stack

Wow, I am loving my CPAP!  My sleeping habits are returning to the way they used to be, when I was an early-to-bed-early-to-rise kind of guy.  I got all kinds of tired last night at around 9 p.m., which is early for me, but much more normal, and I got up without an alarm at 7:30 a.m.  On a Saturday!  I love it!

I have to apologize for last night's blog post absence.  This is the only problem with these kinds of sleep habits.  I generally would type up the blog at around 9 or so.  I was just too tired last night.  I've found that I tend to type a lot of gibberish when I'm tired, and while that might prove to be kind of entertaining for you, the readers, it may take the blog in a whole different direction.  So I need to develop some new writing habits.

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Last weekend, after my daughter and I attended the Lady Terps basketball game, we were driving around campus and I was pointing out various buildings and their significance to Melody.  We reached Route 1 and I noticed a large construction site where the Maryland Book Exchange was located.  The Exchange was gone!  Wiped out!  I could hardly believe it!  That place has been a fixture for almost 80 years.  I did a little research and found out it was demolished and will be replaced by a 287-unit apartment complex six stories tall!  At least the Book Exchange will return in a new format at the location with the addition of retail space at the complex.  But it was a shock to see the building gone.  Although a six story building is going to look really odd in that location.  There are no other buildings that size anywhere around that area.

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Speaking of the Lady Terps, they had their first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last night and they lost!  The North Carolina Tar Heels beat them 73-70 in a game they were never really in.  It was unfortunate since it was the last ACC Tournament for the Terps, and they bowed out early and rather unceremoniously.  At least their season isn't over yet.  They should be competitive in the NCAA Tournament beginning in a few weeks.

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FYI - I had to turn on comment moderation on the blog due to the amount of spam I've been getting.  I've heard from a few readers that they are having problems submitting their comments.  If this is due to the moderation process, I apologize.  All I can say is please try and I will attempt to get them published as soon as possible, but there may be a delay getting your comment to appear.  I hate that a few spammers have to make it difficult for everyone else, but it's my only recourse.  Thanks for your understanding.

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I've made no secret of the fact that I'm battling stress and depression, among other ailments, for a while now.  The stress is primarily from the issues I'm dealing with at work.  I supervise more than 100 employees and it's a challenge at times.

I'm was discussing this with my boss and she recommended that I look into massage therapy.  I've never received a massage before, at least professionally.  My wife and I gave each other massages, but that's a whole different ball game.  My wife passed away almost 10 years ago now, so it has been more than 10 years since my last massage.

I don't even know where to start.  I'm so self-conscious about my body that I'm not sure how comfortable I would be receiving a massage.  I also don't know where I would go.  My imagination keeps taking me in a bad direction, and I keep thinking about the episode of HAPPY DAYS (one of my favorite all-time shows) when Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard), stressed out from running for student government president at the local college, is taken by the Fonz (Henry Winkler) for a massage, to get his mind off the election.  He takes a little bit of time to warm up to the massage, and as soon as he does, his opponent rushes in and takes a picture of him, compromising his image and his chances of winning the election (season six episode, "Richie Gets Framed").  That's pretty much how I feel and how I imagine my experience will turn out.

I can't help but think that it would be good for me and my health, though, so I'm entertaining the idea.  I just need to get my nerve up.

With that, have a great Saturday, everyone!

2 comments:

  1. Glad you are having such great results with your Cpap. Makes a big difference!

    As far as massage goes, it is just uncomfortable to go and get started. It just is. You especially will probably have some battling to do with nerves as you are getting ready to start bc I used to and I don't have that issue as badly as you do. But if you can make yourself get past that point, you will love it. Just try to keep in mind that these folks see all kinds of bodies, all the time- it's just what they do. And as soon as they start the massage, they move more into a zone of paying attention to how your muscles feel (tight, knotted etc) more so than anything else. In things like this, we are our own worst enemy!

    Make sure you tell the masseuse that you are there for a stress relieving massage and not a sports massage. Some sports massages they will beat you half to death! Another name for stress relieving massage is a Swedish Massage.

    Turf Valley has a nice spa. Some people like Massage Envy but I've not been there.

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    1. Thanks for the pep talk, Leeann. Ironically, my church is doing a series on worklife, and last night featured a woman at our church who is a licensed massage therapist. I have a feeling her business will increase quite a bit from the exposure, but I feel like I now have someone to go to that I have a connection to.

      Thanks again!
      Eric

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