Hey everyone, it’s Whatever Wednesdays again. I realize I didn’t post anything on Monday. So today will be a “Double Post Wednesday“.

Double Post Wednesday

So, basically this is Medicine Mondays and Whatever Wednesdays in one. However, this will be two short posts to make one normal post.

Medicine Mondays 1/13/20

So basically, two things have happened:

Sleep Apnea

I continue to get more and more used to my APAP mask. After a long time of getting used to things, I think I am finally able to sleep on my right side at night. It was a combination of getting used to the APAP pillow and not moving/adjusting the mask at night.

Previously, no matter what I did the mask would lose seal and kind of go out of control trying to find the right pressure to give me. Additionally, I’d end up with a dry mouth and/or some degree of aerophagia. Unconsciously, I would sometimes just remove the mask in a haze when I wake up in the middle of the night, with a plan to put it back on… This never actually happens as I tend to fall back asleep without it almost instantaneously.

So what happened?

However, like most things, it seems I have adapted to both the pillow and the face mask. It’s not perfect, but I find it much easier to fall asleep on my right side than I do on my back. Additionally, I can usually stay asleep for longer. That said, I probably only get 3-4 hours of sleep before I wake up. I take that time to adjust my mask a bit, maybe get a drink of water, or go to the bathroom, or all three. Then I can usually sleep another 2-3 hours before my kids wake up in the morning.

After that, I usually get another smaller nap for 1-2 hours without the mask. This probably isn’t good for me, but it helps me to relax. I am going to try to stop doing this and only sleep when I have the mask on.

I am hopeful that I can start sleeping through the night (6-8 hours) with the mask on, so it becomes pretty much “normal” for me to use it.

Weighted Blankets

Thus far, the Weighted Blanket has been a disappointment. My wife has trouble using it at night. I think it does help her sleep a little better for a little longer. However, that is all lost when she gets up in the middle of night because it’s too hard for her to pull back over herself evenly in the dark without my help. As such, usually when I see her in the morning, it’s kind of bunched up. I’m not sure if it’s just this particular weighted blanket or what the issue is. I am unsure if we should try another one or not.

As for my daughter, she sleeps with her weighted blanket every night. However, by the time I come home from work, around 1 am or so, I check on her. By that time, she has usually kicked the blanket off into the corner. So I’m not really sure it’s working for her either.

We’ll see if I try to do something else, or if I just call this a failed experiment.

Whatever Wednesdays

I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time learning Linux, using scripts, and tinkering with my config to try to get my stakepool into tip top condition.

To be honest, it’s kind of become a second job at this point. However, I am determined to stick with it and learn all I can.

Jormungandr 0.8.6 was released today and it brought a whole bunch of little fixes. However, it hasn’t really changed much for us. That said, Charles has said that they plan to push a new release out every Wednesday and even teased that “Mainnet coming a lot sooner than you guys think” in the Shelley Testnet Telegram Channel.

I am hopeful things will stabilize sooner rather than later. Additionally, I’m grateful that I was able to learn some new stuff. It’s been tiring and frustrating at times, but it has been really rewarding to learn and do something new.

It’s kind of an interesting change, since I used to do other things with my time. For example, I would waste time browsing the web, watching shows/movies, or playing games. Obviously, these things wererelaxing, but not necessarily enriching. However, since starting this stakepool, it has kind of consumed my free time outside of work and family. I guess that’s what happens when you find something interesting that you want to devote your time too, even though there are not tangible (or monetary) benefits to it — at least not yet.

Interesting…

It was kind of like being a medical student or an intern again. I was thrown into a situation that had cursory knowledge of, but didn’t really understand it in depth. I proceeded to just kind of learn by immersion.

That said, a new skill is a new skill. Even if my stakepool ends up failing, (which I hope it doesn’t) I did learn a lot about Linux and scripts, especially in relation to Proof of Stake and Stake pools.

Looking ahead, once my stakepool stabilizes (hopefully), I’d like to learn Marlowe, the programming language for financial smart contracts for Cardano.

Once again, I advise everyone to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and be Uncomfortable. You will be surprised by how much you can still grow.

TL;DR

Double Post Wednesday

Sleep Apnea’s Learning Curve continues, as I try to optimize my usage.

Weighted Blankets aren’t making a huge difference, but I haven’t passed final judgement yet.

My stakepool has consumed most of my free time. However, I find it very interesting.

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone and be Uncomfortable.

-Sensei

Agree? Disagree? Questions, Comments and Suggestions are welcome.

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