My Not On Ambien Post

I said I wasn't going to write anymore, but I've gotten several emails saying don't stop, so here I am. Thankfully, this time, I am not on Ambien when I write this. I've been taking Ambien for several years, every night, to sleep. All those reports you hear of people eating, driving, having conversations they don't remember are all true. Ambien works great as long as you take it and go straight to bed. It's when you think you can stay up until you get sleepy that you get into trouble. No I haven't driven, or wandered out of the house, but I have had conversations I don't remember the next day, have bought things on Ebay (that arrived and I had no memory of), have sent emails, and now, evidently, have posted to my blog. But like I said, not this post!
When it does happen, it totally freaks me out, and I swear I will never try to stay up again, but will only take it once I'm in bed and the light is out. This time I decided to start trying to wean myself off them altogether.

See, I remembered posting to my blog. I remembered saying that my son in Seattle had lost his job, but I didn't remember anything else. Evidently, the Ambien kicked in during the middle of my post, because it started out sounding rational and then went to hell in a handbasket about 2/3 of the way through.

So, here's the update. I'm in Seattle, visiting my son. I've been here since the 7th. He lost his job about six days into my visit. He's gotten a tentative offer from a guy he used to work with, but it doesn't start until January or so, so right now he's trying to find something until then. I bought groceries and have been making dinner every night to keep him from spending his on eating out. This week we've had meat loaf, burgers, spaghetti, and barbequed chicken. I'm trying not to tell my hubby much about my new interest in cooking because I plan to lose interest quickly once I return home.

I miss hubby, miss home, miss my daughter and her family, and miss my dogs. We had to board them during the first week I was here, because my husband also came to visit for the first week. Then he had to get back to work. He picked them up and kept them at home a few days and then had to board them again for a business trip he leaves on tomorrow. I bet they are really confused and mad at me. They are stuck at pet camp while Mom kicks back and watches Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. (I thought this week was not nearly as good as it has been in the last few weeks.)

My son has a fantastic view. Right now, curled up in the recliner, I see the mountains, trees, a lake, and a cop giving a guy a ticket on the road below. Poor guy.

In the other post, I said I won a writing contest. Biggest payout I've gotten from my writing. Much better than I got from writing for Chicken Soup. My husband has been watching the mailbox for it every day, as I got an email saying it had been mailed this past week. I'll probably just put most of it on paying on credit cards, and the rest back into our savings account for money we used on the trip.

I lost 42 pounds, gained fifteen back, and have lost ten of that back off since I've been here. I think what did it was all the walking and sightseeing we did last week. I'm just glad it's getting back down. I quit the low-carb thing because I was feeling so tired all the time. I think low carb works fine, but I tried to cut out all carbs, and after almost a year of that, I had no energy at all.
Now I just try to eat what I want, but only half a portion, and only at mealtime.

The trees here are turning red and gold. It's really pretty. I didn't bring my camera this time, but my son did take some pics while my hubby was here last week. I'll get those from him and try to post some. I really like Seattle, but it's very expensive to live here.

Coming to Seattle with a Southern accent seems to open the door to a lot of conversations with strangers. The grocery delivery guy talked to me about my trip, the cashier in Target picked up on my accent and wanted to know my opinion of Seattle versus Alabama. (Very different. Although both have a lot of things to do and see, Seattle has a lot more traffic. The houses here are built two feet apart. The McDonald's dollar menu Double cheeseburger costs $1.29. Gas is less. Rent and real estate are MUCH higher. A house here for 200K is a 55K house in Alabama. Our 200K houses in Alabama would run about a half million here. Here voting is done by mail. The postman asks you your name here before he will leave a package, and then looks at you suspiciously anyway. At home, they bring the mail, wish you a good day, pat your dog on the head, and bring in your newspaper, AND you know their name. If I'd asked the guy here for HIS name, I think he would have had me arrested.) Anyway, a Southern accent seems to give people the impression that you are friendly and approachable, which I guess I am, even though I didn't think I was.

Since I stopped working a couple of years ago, I've gotten to be an All My Children addict, especially the last week or so, since they've had the "Tornadoes hit Pine Valley" episodes. You can tell the writers don't know much about tornadoes. For one thing, in Alabama a tornado watch means nothing. You still go get groceries, go visit the neighbors, go to the movies, and kick the weather radio for going off for a stupid WATCH. A warning means you get under something, but only when you hear the silence after the hail and before the train sounds. On AMC, a tornado watch meant the Chief of Police ordered everyone off the roads and back to their homes. If I stayed home for every tornado watch, I'd never get to go anywhere. Anyway, their reaction to the tornadoes only reinforced my husband's name for them, the "Dope Operas." Regardless of his opinion, I can't wait to find out what happens tomorrow. Or to kid him about the fact that even though he's got a name for them, he has recorded and watched AMC the last few days at home.

Well, I guess I'll hang in there with the blogging....