A has been complaining about it. In fact, he spends more nights in the guest room than with me. His predecessor, Jose, couldn't deal with it. And John, bless his heart, was fine with it. In fact, we talked about it today.
So I spoke to my doctor about it and she prescribed a sleep study to determine if I have sleep apnea. Hopefully not. I'm sure if I lose the 15 or so pounds that I am working on, the snoring thing should get better.
Hopefully.
I'm spending the night tonight at the sleep center. Let's see what they say.
This fruit-themed stream of consciousness has been going through my head all day.
An Apple a day Every Two Years
Apple announced that the next generation of the iPhone is due out later this month. It's twice as fast as the current version, works as a modem, has voice recognition capability, and all sorts of other cool things. On top of it all, the prices are less than the current generation of phones.
A and I already talked this morning and giving each other one as birthday presents. But no, AT&T has other ideas.
The great prices are only for new users, or people who qualified for a phone upgrade or whose contracts have expired. None of those apply to me.
In the past couple of years, I've become a real Apple-head. So hooked am I that I would run out and get the phone as soon as it is available. But if I do, it will cost me in excess of $500. They penalize the current iPhone users.
WTF is up with that? They're cutting off good business from loyal customers (I write this on my MacBook while listening to music on my iPod that I downloaded on iTunes), who are sensible with their money.
I [heart] the Big Apple
Yet another reason to love New York City: the new High Line Park opened today. Located on Manhattan's West Side, this new urban oasis is on an elevated train track that was abandoned in 1980 (it formerly carried cattle into the city's Meatpacking District).
The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive
public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement.
It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains
from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district.
Friends of the High Line, a
community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic
structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line
works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain
the structure as an elevated public park.
I've been captivated by this project for sometime and really can't wait to get to the Big Apple to see it firsthand.
Salad Toppers
I just finished eating a salad for dinner (in my never-ending quest to lose some weight). Over the past couple of months, I've become obsessed with dried cranberries.
I can't seem to have a salad without them. They also really tasty in my Cinnamon Apple Squares, which I bake for my fall-themed parties.
I Can't Think of a Fruit Analogy Here
Here's where the fruit theme falls apart. My friend Kathy sent me an email this morning.
"Don't you think you look like a cross between Kiefer Sutherland and Glenn Beck?"
Well, no, I don't think so. But then again, I've never really considered it. After thinking about it, I'm not sure I agree. Yeah, I'm blond like them, but that's about it. I'm two years older than Beck and four years Sutherland's senior. And Beck is a right-winger, but don't get me started about that. [Wait, maybe I just found the fruit analogy -- right wingers are fruit cakes. I knew I could do it!]
I spent the weekend at the Gay Days event at Walt Disney World. I couldn't really care less about Gay Days or Disney, but two of my dearest friends, who live in Boston, were there. So it was a chance to spend some time with them and to have them meet A.
The last time I intentionally visited Disney was around 1985 or so. Martin and I spent a week in Florida, including a couple of days at Disney. Back then, it was pretty much just the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I had been back two or three times since then, but always tied to a business trip to Orlando.
Growing up, I saw the Disney cartoons, of course, and remember watching Walt's Sunday evening show. But as cartoons go, I've always been more of a Warner Brothers kinda guy. Give me Bugs, Daffy, Tweety and the Road Runner, and I'm happy ("If an interesting monster can't have an interesting hairdo, I don't know what things are coming to.")
But, still, I found myself at Disney this weekend. Three parks in three days and two nights in Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
(I casually mentioned to one of my board members that I was doing this and she looked at me with a puzzled face and said, "I wouldn't think that Disney would be in your DNA.")
We had a good time with my friends, but I was really bothered by the whole place. Yes, the Disney brand of creativity and ingenuity is something to be respected, but for a company that promotes "family," it seems to have little respect for the family finances.
The hotel, for which we paid more than $300 a night (for a "standard" view -- meaning parking lot) was nothing special. The food and drinks everywhere were outrageously overpriced ($2.35 for bottle of soda!!!). The food was marginal, at best. In fact, the only good meal we had was at a place called Portobello, an Italian restaurant at Downtown Disney, but owned and operated by another company.
And the merchandising! Please, enough is enough. Everywhere you turn, more carts, stores, kiosks, and people just standing around selling Disney crap. It really was obscene.
The whole place has a way of getting under one's skin. Laying in bed last night, looking up at the ceiling, I said to A, "I'm waiting for some movie to play on the ceiling or for the bed to move."
Please, someone give me a dose of New York City to wash off the Disney ick.
* * * * * While looking for the "monster" quote from Bugs Bunny above, I found a video clip of that piece of the cartoon. I just had to post it here.
I'm here in Chicago, one of my favorite cities. Just for the day, if you can believe it.
I came up for a business meeting, which has left my head spinning in multiple directions at once. I took this picture while strolling Michigan Ave. And I'm writing this post while enjoying a treat at Ghiradelli.
I wish I was staying the weekend, but A is home and playing in a great city like this is best done with a friend.
Besides, we're off to Disney in the morning (heaven help me.)