How were you different pre-Swamp?

Post by **brian** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:41 pm

I miss one of those two guys around here.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 5:48 pm

Pruitt wrote:I should also add that I have just begun meditating on a regular basis.

It helps - not so much in not sweating the small stuff, but in avoiding being overwhelmed by the big stuff.

Anyone here been doing it for a while? Would love to ask a few questions.

I was a student of a zen roshi in the late 70s into the 80s. I've continued in the general direction of those practices.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 6:22 pm

Funny that Ojo never reappeared. The hot minute that I was admin he PM'd me to reset something in his account. To the best of my recollection, he never posted.

Why doesn't Hood ever circle around? Busy lawyering?

bfj · Post by **bfj** » Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:27 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
bfj wrote:Not nearly as Jewish.
Still hate everything German, though, I hope?

Which might be too bad - at this point I am counting on the Germans to save us from fascism.

Did I say I hated everything German? Who remembers such things? That doesn't sound like me.

howard · Post by **howard** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:18 pm

I watch more footie. And I shave at night.

bfj wrote: Not nearly as Jewish.

Don't worry. I balance it out, as a continue my transformation into an old jewish man.

Brontoburglar wrote:
Shirley wrote:BTW, my votes for Swampers who've changed the most in this time go to Jerloma and Johnnie.
woooooo the kid who was scared to ask a girl out in college didn't make the list

Augmented by my meeting all three irl, my vote is Bronto. Billy prob #2.

fwiw, I think I have evinced more personal growth and change during my 40s than my just completed 50s. More a consolidation, and confirmation of things I learned earlier. Then again I'm biased. And, this illness of the last couple of years has caused some effects, mostly positive, that I am still sorting through.

Good to see your avatar, rush. I love this show, well worth the hoops to jump through to get a copy of season 2 on the release date. Hicks, skids, hockey players and Christians. Come on kitten, I won't tell anyone. And Katie Kat the clear winner ("I never claimed to be a lady"), Tanis a respectable second ("oh fuck; a 3-legged dog"). there, I said it.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:23 pm

New episode 3/17!

(We have a group of hardcore fans around here.)

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:44 pm

howard wrote:I watch more footie. And I shave at night.
bfj wrote: Not nearly as Jewish.
Don't worry. I balance it out, as a continue my transformation into an old jewish man.

My Jewish buddies from high school and earlier, no matter what they looked like - and I have a friend who was so blonde he looked Swedish as a kid - we all look like Neil Simon characters.

Wonder if there's any other ethnic group where the as people age, they look like ethnic stereotypes as much as Jews. I mean, my sister who's always been a good looking girl is heading towards Laine Kazan country.

Can't wait to see what Scarlett Johansen and Natalie Portman will look like in their 60s.

Moreta · Post by **Moreta** » Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:37 pm

I had more faith in internet servers.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:48 pm

OK I'm generally more or less the same ass I always was, but a suitable brush with death a few years ago humbled me a bunch to see things a bit clearer for what they are...

Having addressed the topic of the thread, let me posit a question:

What advice would you give a guy who absolutely needs a midday nap? Who can't seem to shake the all-day cobwebs, at all? Coffee's cute, but no. Two cups of coffee get me going, but it's a fool's errand. The crash comes with or without it anyway. Is it a matter of B12 supplements? Some form of amino acids? I hit the gym 2-3 times a week. Apparently I need to eat less, because that's not good enough to carve out some of the gut I've amassed along the way. Can't help but think these things are tied together, of course being 46 only heightens the hilarity of it all. What's worse, is this is adversely affecting my moods.

Thoughts? Threats of violence?

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:50 pm

Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:54 pm

sancarlos wrote:Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?

It's all on the table, so no offense taken. I'm usually ready for bed 9:30, asleep 11 and up at 6. Some days I'm fighting to reach 9:30p, and I retire a bit earlier. But I'm up by 6. Awake with the thoughts of the day.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 3:57 pm

EnochRoot wrote:
sancarlos wrote:Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?
It's all on the table, so no offense taken. I'm usually ready for bed 9:30, asleep 11 and up at 6. Some days I'm fighting to reach 9:30. But I'm up at 6. Awake with the thoughts of the day.

Sometime during my forties, I changed my pattern and went from averaging 7 hours a night to something closer to 8 hours.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:02 pm

sancarlos wrote:
EnochRoot wrote:
sancarlos wrote:Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?
It's all on the table, so no offense taken. I'm usually ready for bed 9:30, asleep 11 and up at 6. Some days I'm fighting to reach 9:30. But I'm up at 6. Awake with the thoughts of the day.
Sometime during my forties, I changed my pattern and went from averaging 7 hours a night to something closer to 8 hours.

What prompted you to bump up the quantity of sleep? Similar circumstances?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:05 pm

That sleep gain will happen to me too I bet. I'll let you know in the Man's Best Friend thread.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:12 pm

Two other things to try (if possible) are diet and exercise. Are you able to exercise any during the day? I'm fortunate that I can workout (kickboxing) during the mid morning hours...it has helped me tremendously. I only sleep 6-7 hours at night but am not tired during the day at all. My diet is mediocre at best but I don't eat a lot of "heavy" foods that can sometimes make people sleepy.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:13 pm

It was a different reason for me. I just started feeling sleepy earlier in the evening than I had previously (unless something good was actively engaging me). So, I started getting ready for bed earlier, then I'd read in bed until my wife joined me. Then, I sometimes went to sleep before she joined me. Now, I usually go to sleep before she joins me. So, gradually and bit by bit, I started going to sleep earlier. It's certainly not hard and fast. I stay up later a few nights a week. But, my average amount of nighttime sleep has certainly increased over time.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:16 pm

sancarlos wrote:
EnochRoot wrote:
sancarlos wrote:Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?
It's all on the table, so no offense taken. I'm usually ready for bed 9:30, asleep 11 and up at 6. Some days I'm fighting to reach 9:30. But I'm up at 6. Awake with the thoughts of the day.
Sometime during my forties, I changed my pattern and went from averaging 7 hours a night to something closer to 8 hours.

I've had the reverse issue. 6 hours of sleep is a good night for me. Last year around this time, I was completely swamped with work, and if my eyes opened at 4, I was at the computer by 4:15. A hard habit to break, and even this time of year I am up before the sun almost every day.

My doctor has offered me a prescription for sleeping pills (while shaking his head) but there's no way I'll climb on that wagon. He also says that I have something that goes by the non-medical term of "busy brain." Meaning I wake up and the mind takes off in all directions.

Point of this is that I have begun meditating. Nothing too immersive, but I find that 20 minutes with the headphones on while an instructor guides me to a more calm place has worked for me.

I find that I am waking less often at 4 or 5 these days. And while sleeping until 6 may not sound amazing, it has helped a great deal.

So maybe meditation might help?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:25 pm

GoodKarma wrote:Two other things to try (if possible) are diet and exercise. Are you able to exercise any during the day? I'm fortunate that I can workout (kickboxing) during the mid morning hours...it has helped me tremendously. I only sleep 6-7 hours at night but am not tired during the day at all. My diet is mediocre at best but I don't eat a lot of "heavy" foods that can sometimes make people sleepy.

I go to the gym a 2-3 times a week, and walk my dog more or less throughout the day (I'm a work-at-home web developer).

Maybe boredom? Malaise?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:34 pm

Thanks for your input guys!

Pruitt wrote:
sancarlos wrote:
EnochRoot wrote:
sancarlos wrote:Not trying to be smart, but maybe you need more sleep at night?
It's all on the table, so no offense taken. I'm usually ready for bed 9:30, asleep 11 and up at 6. Some days I'm fighting to reach 9:30. But I'm up at 6. Awake with the thoughts of the day.
Sometime during my forties, I changed my pattern and went from averaging 7 hours a night to something closer to 8 hours.
I've had the reverse issue. 6 hours of sleep is a good night for me. Last year around this time, I was completely swamped with work, and if my eyes opened at 4, I was at the computer by 4:15. A hard habit to break, and even this time of year I am up before the sun almost every day.

My doctor has offered me a prescription for sleeping pills (while shaking his head) but there's no way I'll climb on that wagon. He also says that I have something that goes by the non-medical term of "busy brain." Meaning I wake up and the mind takes off in all directions.

Point of this is that I have begun meditating. Nothing too immersive, but I find that 20 minutes with the headphones on while an instructor guides me to a more calm place has worked for me.

I find that I am waking less often at 4 or 5 these days. And while sleeping until 6 may not sound amazing, it has helped a great deal.

So maybe meditation might help?

Busy brain? I've been told by a physician I had something similar to that when I was on an SSRI a few years ago.

Not sure I need to slow things down though.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:57 pm

You work at home, why not just take a nap?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:43 pm

P.D.X. wrote:You work at home, why not just take a nap?

That's all well and good if/when I'm in between clients.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:43 pm

EnochRoot wrote:
Busy brain? I've been told by a physician I had something similar to that when I was on an SSRI a few years ago.

Not sure I need to slow things down though.

My doctor said that there's nothing you can do - some people just are wired that way.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 6:54 pm

Weed before an earlier bedtime?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 6:58 pm

govmentchedda wrote:Weed before an earlier bedtime?

It's...complicated. If I smoke there's a chance my brain is going to go off the rails with new ideas to attack a problem I was experiencing on a project that day. Weed is best for Saturday afternoon just before I mosey down to the pub before the kids 20 years younger than me ruin the jukebox in the evening.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:00 pm

EnochRoot wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Weed before an earlier bedtime?
It's...complicated. If I smoke there's a chance my brain is going to go off the rails with new ideas to attack a problem I was experiencing on a project that day. Weed is best for Saturday afternoon just before I mosey down to the pub before the kids 20 years younger than me ruin the jukebox in the evening.

Any way to ensure you're getting Indica, and not Sativa, or does the distinction not mean much for your body?

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:02 pm

govmentchedda wrote:
EnochRoot wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Weed before an earlier bedtime?
It's...complicated. If I smoke there's a chance my brain is going to go off the rails with new ideas to attack a problem I was experiencing on a project that day. Weed is best for Saturday afternoon just before I mosey down to the pub before the kids 20 years younger than me ruin the jukebox in the evening.
Any way to ensure you're getting Indica, and not Sativa, or does the distinction not mean much for your body?

(I have no idea)...But! A project for me. Let me text my guy.

Edit: so I want Indica, and not Sativa?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:10 pm

Indica = sleepy. Sativa = active.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:42 pm

Get checked for sleep apnea. I have sleep apnea. I'm dead tired at 1-2pm without fail. Caffeine doesn't do it for me either. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week. Also, I'm allergic to lots of things in New Mexico, so that doesn't help either.

I used to sleep like a rock. Now I can barely manage 5-6 continuous hours with or without my cpap machine. The last time I had excellent sleep I was under anesthesia (propofol) to get my throat scoped in 2012. I was under for an hour and a half.

I'm 33.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:12 pm

Johnnie wrote:Get checked for sleep apnea. I have sleep apnea. I'm dead tired at 1-2pm without fail. Caffeine doesn't do it for me either. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week. Also, I'm allergic to lots of things in New Mexico, so that doesn't help either.

I used to sleep like a rock. Now I can barely manage 5-6 continuous hours with or without my cpap machine. The last time I had excellent sleep I was under anesthesia (propofol) to get my throat scoped in 2012. I was under for an hour and a half.

I'm 33.

My wife tells me I snore but only after drinking. Can you have sleep apnea and not snore?

Post by **Sabo** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:53 pm

Enoch, how much sugar do you consume in a day? And is your sugar intake mostly at breakfast?

I had similar problems as you years ago, but it went away when I stopped eating cereal, waffles or pancakes for breakfast. Eating protein will help stabilize your blood sugar levels so you won't have the mid-afternoon crash.

I have a mild case of sleep apnea, and it got much better when I lost 30 pounds last year. If you have a lot of mass around your neck, it supposedly can put pressure on your throat and make it easier for it to close during sleep, which causes you to not breathe until you wake up and gasp for air. I don't use a CPAP because it made me feel extremely claustrophobic.

Post by **Sabo** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:00 pm

govmentchedda wrote:Indica = sleepy. Sativa = active.

Or if you're my friend, indica = sleepy, sativa = incessant chatterbox that makes you so annoying you lose some friends (and a fiancée).

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:26 pm

EnochRoot wrote:
Johnnie wrote:Get checked for sleep apnea. I have sleep apnea. I'm dead tired at 1-2pm without fail. Caffeine doesn't do it for me either. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week. Also, I'm allergic to lots of things in New Mexico, so that doesn't help either.

I used to sleep like a rock. Now I can barely manage 5-6 continuous hours with or without my cpap machine. The last time I had excellent sleep I was under anesthesia (propofol) to get my throat scoped in 2012. I was under for an hour and a half.

I'm 33.
My wife tells me I snore but only after drinking. Can you have sleep apnea and not snore?

I think so. Having an apnea event means you stopped breathing. When I did the sleep study, I had 60 events per hour. I did snore pretty badly, but it was my not breathing that was more alarming. I'd get checked out.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:49 am

govmentchedda wrote:Indica = sleepy. Sativa = active.

Easy mnemonic: indica = in da couch

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:51 pm

Sabo wrote:Enoch, how much sugar do you consume in a day? And is your sugar intake mostly at breakfast?

I had similar problems as you years ago, but it went away when I stopped eating cereal, waffles or pancakes for breakfast. Eating protein will help stabilize your blood sugar levels so you won't have the mid-afternoon crash.

I have a mild case of sleep apnea, and it got much better when I lost 30 pounds last year. If you have a lot of mass around your neck, it supposedly can put pressure on your throat and make it easier for it to close during sleep, which causes you to not breathe until you wake up and gasp for air. I don't use a CPAP because it made me feel extremely claustrophobic.

The only cereals in my house are Corn Chex and Rice Krispies. I have one of those every other day with some slightly browned banana sliced and tossed into the mix. The other days I fry up an egg (w/cheese) sandwich (wheat or multigrain bread my wife ensures is usually present).

Dinner's pretty healthy too. Lunch I tend to go off the rails a bit with a serious grinder or hoagie, or a sufficiently congealed gastropub cheeseburger.

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 2:00 pm

EnochRoot wrote:
Sabo wrote:Enoch, how much sugar do you consume in a day? And is your sugar intake mostly at breakfast?

I had similar problems as you years ago, but it went away when I stopped eating cereal, waffles or pancakes for breakfast. Eating protein will help stabilize your blood sugar levels so you won't have the mid-afternoon crash.

I have a mild case of sleep apnea, and it got much better when I lost 30 pounds last year. If you have a lot of mass around your neck, it supposedly can put pressure on your throat and make it easier for it to close during sleep, which causes you to not breathe until you wake up and gasp for air. I don't use a CPAP because it made me feel extremely claustrophobic.
The only cereals in my house are Corn Chex and Rice Krispies. I have one of those every other day with some slightly browned banana sliced and tossed into the mix. The other days I fry up an egg (w/cheese) sandwich (wheat or multigrain bread my wife ensures is usually present).

Dinner's pretty healthy too. Lunch I tend to go off the rails a bit with a serious grinder or hoagie, or a sufficiently congealed gastropub cheeseburger.

Starch is a sugar too, so your Corn Chex, Rice Krispies, banana and bread at breakfast might be affecting you more than you realize. It's just something to consider if you've explored other avenues and come up empty.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 2:17 pm

Should go w/o gluten for a bit to at least rule that out.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:00 pm

Sabo, why do you hate food?

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:29 pm

P.D.X. wrote:Should go w/o gluten for a bit to at least rule that out.

The gluten-free craze is a good reminder that roughly 7 percent of the population is actually considered allergic or sensitive to gluten.

(that's not a poke at your post, PDX. because, after all, there could be a 7 percent chance)

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:34 pm

A_B wrote:Sabo, why do you hate food?

I love food. You've met me multiple times, so you already know this.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:40 pm

EnochRoot wrote:OK I'm generally more or less the same ass I always was, but a suitable brush with death a few years ago humbled me a bunch to see things a bit clearer for what they are...

Having addressed the topic of the thread, let me posit a question:

What advice would you give a guy who absolutely needs a midday nap? Who can't seem to shake the all-day cobwebs, at all? Coffee's cute, but no. Two cups of coffee get me going, but it's a fool's errand. The crash comes with or without it anyway. Is it a matter of B12 supplements? Some form of amino acids? I hit the gym 2-3 times a week. Apparently I need to eat less, because that's not good enough to carve out some of the gut I've amassed along the way. Can't help but think these things are tied together, of course being 46 only heightens the hilarity of it all. What's worse, is this is adversely affecting my moods.

Thoughts? Threats of violence?

Adderall