Hugo

If you saw the trailers to Hugo you may have gotten the impression that it is a kid movie, or at least one that would appeal to young boys.

The reality is delightfully far from that expectation.

Keep your eyes on Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz. They did a masterful job of portraying about-ten-year-old Hugo Cabret and Isabelle.

Hugo lives in the walls of a Paris train station. He winds all the clocks in the station on behalf of his uncle, and guardian, Claude, who left and never came back.

In his spare time he is trying to repair an automaton, left to him by his dead father.

It wasn't until he found out that Isabelle has the one piece he was missing. They get it to work, and it provides a clue to an adventure that took me on a totally unexpected emotional journey.

Be prepared for an enjoyable two hours. I understand why the AFI named it one of the 10 best movies of 2011 and give it a total thumbs up.

Another New Adventure, Part 3

Last night was night 7 of my CPAP.

A friend told me the experience of his brother, who "became a different person" with his CPAP. Most notably, he said that while the CPAP solved the immediate problem (sleep apnea) fairly quickly, it took him several weeks to get caught up on his sleep deficit.

I think both observations apply to me.

Last night we turned off the light at about the same time, but instead of waking up when Sally's alarm went off (she unlocks the front door at 6:30 so the grandkidlets can come in, mom starts work at 7:00), I was totally zonked until after 8:30.

And I feel better, more refreshed, than any of the other CPAP nights.

This is exciting!

Another New Adventure, Part 2

I have had two more nights with my new BiPAP machine and I am finally getting the hang of it. I didn't (or don't remember) waking up last night with the suffocating feeling; I guess my subconscious is figuring it out.

Anecdotally, a friend told me it could take a while before I get caught up on my sleep, and I think he was absolutely correct. Each day I feel a little bit more refreshed - no mid-day falling asleep yesterday - and I expect that will be the case every day.

Another New Adventure

Three nights ago I went for another sleep study, required to diagnose sleep apnea and required if I want my insurance company to pay for the treatment. This study consisted of my being wired in about 20 different ways, then trying to sleep.

Unlike prior times, this study revealed that I do now have sleep apnea. That resulted in my being fitted yesterday with a BiPAP (similar to a CPAP) machine and, temporarily, supplemental oxygen.

Last night was my first night. I didn't have too much trouble with the mask and with the air pressure every time I breathed, except for the fact that I couldn't scratch where it itched.

I had been looking forward to what people have described as the best night's sleep ever. Unfortunately, it is going to take me some time to adjust, I'm afraid, because today I am tired, irritable and stressed (I have a couple of tics I can't calm down).

I of course don't know if the BiPAP solved the main problem, which is that I stop breathing in the middle of the night, but the secondary problem, that of low blood oxygen saturation, seems to have been alleviated; I woke in the middle of the night and checked it and it was well into the 90% range. When I had the sleep study, once I got into bed and headed toward sleep it dropped to 84%, not a good level.