I'm back. Loving. Ambien. Again.

I'm happy to report that the Ambien advice I found on the internet (see previous post) is 100% correct! Empty Stomach + Immediate bed rest = blissful Ambien sleep

To be more specific, I crawled into bed at 10:30 PM last night, awoke at 6:00 AM this morning, and I must have R.E.M'd a normal amount because I feel so great today that I even went on a three hour hike at 8 AM.

Jennifer Mosher thinks life is fantastic (when she gets enough sleep).

Ambien Tricks

What happened to my blissful seven hours of uninterrupted sleep? I thought Ambien had fixed my problem. But, last night was miserable. I barely slept FIVE hours and when I woke up, it took me forever to return to sleep. I don't think I ever really did fall back asleep. UGH! I lay in my bed...and lay there...lay there, practically twiddling my thumbs, feeling so tired, wondering why WWWHHHHYYYY I couldn't fall asleep. I felt like I was locked inside a torture chamber.

So I did some googling about Ambien, and I found the following quote, written by another Ambien user:


"I have taken for 1 years. I am 57 years old. Works great if I take it on an empty stomach, and get right into bed. If you take it and try to keep yourself awake, you can override the pill and be up all night."

Last night I did not have an empty stomach when I took Ambien, and I messed around on my computer just after I swallowed - hoping to get extra tired, thinking I'd sleep more deeply. Alas, my night of slumber was not so.

Therefore, TONIGHT I commit to going to bed with an empty stomach, and I will swallow the pill just before I lay down my head (usually I don't feel that tired for about ten minutes), and we'll see if this advice works!!

Until tomorrow...

Sleep is highly underrated

The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I love that quote! F. Scott Fitzgerald speaks with complete accuracy. I totally don't understand these people who say they don't need very much sleep, they can get by on six hours or less per night. I mean, c'mon! The human body needs sleep to operate. In effect, I feel like I haven't been operating very well for the last like 14 years. I've tried and tried to sleep better - orthopedic pillows, diet, exercise, and all of this helped some, but not enough. The real kicker in my search for a better sleep is AMBIEN. I know I've blogged about this before, but it's 9:30 P.M and I'm so tired, have such a craving for sleep, that I just took my Ambien sleeping pill and my eyes are drooping and starting to blur. So, away, I must go to my pillow and have sweet dreams (I've been dreaming more with Ambien with means I'm sleeping deeper). I feel like an entirely new woman now that I usually get a normal, deep sleep at night. I'm so happy. This brings me to one more quote:

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. ~E. Joseph Cossman

Sweet Dreams!

I'm admittedly impatient

So, today is Thursday, June 19th. Did I not say (above) that I sent my manuscript to the publisher on Monday, June 8th? That's a week and a half ago, and I'm anxiously waiting for a return email from them with my formatted document attached. They've already formatted it before, and I changed some things, so I sent in for a re-do. The only reason I'm saying this is because if they already have the manuscript "mostly" formatted and just have to change a few things, it should take that long, right?

WRONG!

I'm self-publishing through a print on demand company (POD) and let me tell you that self-publishing is NO LONGER a novelty. They have hundreds of books to publish. Anyway, I'm assuming this is why it's taking so long (aside from the fact that a week and a half isn't really so long, but I'm totally impatient because this memoir has been my extended project for an eternity now).

Tomorrow could be my lucky day.

My memoir...

Yesterday (Monday, June 8) I officially "let go" of my need to edit and re-write my book, and sent it to the publisher. Admittedly, I've reached this point before and "thought" I was finished, but alas, I found spelling mistakes and other errors, so I put a halt to the publishing thing and tried to fix it.

I want friends, family, and strangers to be able to say, "yeah, I get it! I get what it's like to live with a Traumatic Brain Injury" after finishing my book. I also want other TBI Survivors to understand that they are not alone (5.3 million Americans)! I hope I reach my goal, and you will feel this way. You'll have to let me know, whoever you are reading this.

My book is Print on Demand, so you have to buy it online. I'll post a purchase link on my website www.Jennifermosher.com and also on this blog.

The Community Food Co-op of Utah (I'm a fan, thanks Kate)

As a child, I remember my mom saying things like, "I'm going to pick some stuff up at the Food Co-op" -- It was a store, a place we went to buy healthy, fresh produce. So, when I heard about "The Community Food Co-op of Utah," I assumed it was the same thing.It's not a store in Utah, it's a location where you pick up a box of fresh food -- straight from the farmer!
"Sounds cool," I thought. But I never got around to signing up (although I know a few other people who participate). That is, until I read Kate Wheeler's blog about it. She talked about all the great food she got, for really cheap. Recently, I've admitted that I spend a ridiculous amount of money on food - - eating out etc, and I'm too embarrassed to admit how many times I go to the grocery store per week, bottom-line, I'm trying to cut back).
The exciting thing is that I joined the food co-op and this month you'll never believe what I got!

1. one loaf of fresh bread
2. three zucchini
3. 16 oz brown rice
4. six apples
5. one 5 lb bag potatoes
6. three melons
7. mushrooms
8. eight bananas
9. asparagus
10.four fresh, whole artichokes
11. a bunch of radishes

phew! I think that's all of it. There's so much, I don't know how I'm going to finish it all. What do you do with radishes? I have no idea (I'll have to get creative).
The best part is that ALL of this only cost me $15! Can you believe it? I'm already planning tomorrow's meals...

If you are interested in taking part in this fabulous, fresh food co-op, go to: http://www.foodco-op.net/

(the below video is NOT from the Utah Food Co-op, but it gives a better understanding of the philosophy behind it).

I'm in Tahoe now (South, CA side!)

I arrived in Reno on Sunday May 24th. Today is Thursday, May 28th and I feel like the "vacation part" of this vacation has just begun. I mean the lazy, let's relax by the pool or watch tv kind of vacation.
Sunday night, we hung out with my cousin Melanie and her husband Sal. Monday morning, we left Tahoe and landed in Sacramento where my brother and his four kids met us at The California State Railroad Museum (the boys LOVE trains). After chasing kids and eating too much Mexican food at some local restaurant, we (as in my parents and I) decided to drive to Danville and stay at Brent's house for two days, to spend more time with the kids. Tuesday we went to Charlie's last T-ball game, Wednesday we went to Rachel and Lauren's "Heroes" presentation at school (they are in 2nd grade, and had to give a short memorized information bit about someone who has changed the world. Rachel was Rachel Carson and Lauren was Rosa Parks).
Anyway, now that I have my kid fill for a short while (I miss them already), we are back the hotel in Tahoe. Hopefully, I can hike in the morning because I haven't done any of that yet!
Alas, none of the Moshers are good at sitting around, doing nothing. So, I've been doing my final edit on the memoir (my goal is to send it to the publisher on Monday). I'm not much of a "lounge" vacationer - I like to do stuff.

SO, SORRY THAT WAS A TOTAL TRAVEL LOG.

IMPORTANT: I made a decision to avoid white flour 100% for the next month (my birthday is an exception. I will probably eat cake then). I've made it 24 hours thus far, and already I feel a difference.

DO YOU think I can make it the full month?