Skip to main content

Year Four, Day 250: That POOF Feeling, Again. And Finding My Musical Self, At Last



I am under the weather today. I have been for the past few days.  So very tired.  I actually skipped the gym the last two days and opted for an early bedtime.


I was thinking it was because I haven't been using my C-PAP much.  For awhile, my allergies were bothering me so much, that I could barely breathe through my nostrils. Not breathing through nostrils is not useful when using the C-PAP machine. I use "air pillows" which attach to my nostrils and discourage mouth breathing.

I have sleep apnea. I have been a mouth breather and snorer my whole life.  At its peak, when I was much heavier, I would nearly pass out in the afternoon .  I would have to pinch myself to stay awake teaching students.  I also fell asleep briefly at the wheel driving out to a church I was playing for in Hillsboro.  Luckily I came to as I was crossing traffic and didn't crash. That was the end of my driving. And the end of that church job. It was just too far for the bus and not worth death at the wheel.

I have been feeling that passing out feeling on and off for several weeks, but especially the last few days. So I cleaned my C-PAP machine really well yesterday and plugged myself in. I slept through the night for the first time in many moons! Usually I pop up at 2:00 a.m., use the bathroom, check the internet for signs of pandemic, mass shootings, etc. and then fall back asleep, only to wake up at 3:00 and 4:00 feeling wide awake, but then drift off again. Usually by my pre-arranged wake up time of about 6:30, I am groggy and grumpy and not wanting to get vertical.

Not so this morning. I popped right up!

So I think I have been oxygen deprived. But shortly after lunch today, I again got that POOF (passing out on floor) feeling.

I am going to work on a better sleep routine.

I just finished reading Louis Prima by Gary Boulard. Excellent book. I got a little  notebook and am filling it with names of jazz musicians to research as well as songs to add to my repertoire.

Louis Prima was going strong until his untimely death at age 68 due to complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor.  I am 58.  I don't expect to achieve fame and glory at this stage. But I am still wanting to find my musical self.

And it lies somewhere between classical, blues, jazz, gospel, country and rock.  I am determined to find it before my death. Which will be untimely. Death is always untimely!

In the meantime, I am still working on improving my health. Today is a moderate day on my monk diet. I am sticking to it and enjoying it. I find it interesting that I am craving more vegan foods, even on days when a bit of animal protein is allowed.

I need to exercise more as usual. But I think sleep is on my agenda now. At least until I get into a better routine.

I am visiting my son in prison tonight. I am looking forward to a rousing game of "Sequence" - our new favorite, even though he usually beats the pants off of me. 

Maybe increased oxygen to the brain will help. I am going to try to lay off of the caffeine, since it interferes with my sleep. But caffeine does help with brain fog, don'tcha know!

I wasn't able to hoop this morning. It was cold and pouring down rain.  But I did manage a short Qi Gong session while waiting for my Lyft ride.



I am working on my jazz scales and chords every day now. I am applying my theory of frequent practice, in small increments. Of course, I hope to get longer sessions in soon, but I tell my students to play everyday, even if it is for 5 minutes to establish a good routine. Also, the brain, it seems learns better with frequent sessions.  And repetition.

Yup.  If you have read much of my blog, you probably notice the repeating pattern.

I need to eat healthier, exercise more, work on a more positive attitude, pray more and keep learning. I read recently in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book to aim to do one thing that scares you every day.

That's easy for me. Most everything scares me, but I never give up!

On that note, I am off.

Happy Saturday!  Be safe! Wash your hands! Find your music! Keep smiling!

Love,

Zita


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 347: My Big Fat Greek Salad!!

I have perfected the art of making a Greek salad!  I have made two huge bowls in the last week. My kinds rave. Essentially the secret is f vegetables , good feta cheese, Greek olives and a homemade dressing made with light, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar,  and oregano. Here is my recipe: MY BIG FAT GREEK SALAD Serves 4 hungry adults 4 cups greens (I used a "spring mix" from Fred Meyer) 2 cucumbers 6 roma tomatoes one small red onion 1 cup cubed feta cheese 1 cup Greek olives (pitted) Get out a big bowl. Peel a clove of garlic, cut in half and rub it over the interior of the bowl.  Wash the lettuce if it is not prewashed and packaged like mine was.  Dry the leaves, and tear into bite sized pieces. Throw into the big bowl. Note: Romaine lettuce is good to include in the mix, because it is hearty. Peel the cucumbers and dice. Add to bowl. Cut the roma tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds (otherwise they make th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Two, Day 307: Chasing Away The Gloomy Weather...with Music and a Smile! :)

It seems to me that most of the city is depressed, tired and sick. I still have my low grade snuffly nose, along with sneezing, and itching eyes.  Low energy. It is nice to know I am not the only one. Misery loves company, don't you know! Even through the gloom, I had an enjoyable day.  I told myself several times that I really am a lucky woman. My kids are grown, I'm going to be a GRANDMA, and I love my work. My church job is a nice secure little job and it seems I am quite needed there.  I am still learning the ropes. But I am enjoying it. Meeting new people. And best of all, I have only a 1 1/2 minute commute (by foot!). I have a cozy little room in a household full of wonderful laid back people.  People who love animals and music. But best of all, my afternoons are filled with music. I basically get on the bus and travel about town, sitting at pianos, visiting with students, who are like my family. We talk. They play the piano for me. I offer pointe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Three, Day 110: I Like Change, But How Do I Help the Suffering?

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning. I had planned on getting to the track by 6:30 a.m., because I thought today was the first day of school. You see, the public is not allowed to use the track when school is in session. Understandably so. But alas, I overslept! I still headed out with my hoop, hoping it was before school hours at 7:30 a.m. And I breathed a sigh of relief. The school looked vacant. And only one solitary jogger with her solitary dog was present. I got busy in case the kids were due to arrive. Got a nice hoop workout in. No sign of children as I walked back to the house. So I did what I should have done in advance. I consulted Google. And most happy am I - North Clackamas School District does not start back to school until September 6th! Portland Public Schools start today. But the elementary school next door to the track lists "student hours" as 7:45 - 2:00 p.m. So I really am going to have to get an earlier start next week. I am aiming...
Post a Comment
Read more