Hi, James!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

[re advice from older, more experienced waitresses]
AH>  "Use your head to save your feet!"


          I was thinking of planning ahead in order to avoid unnecessary
trips along the same route... but you've come up with another good point. 
:-)



JB>  "Sensible foot ware" seems prominent in my recollection
JB>  of past wisdom.


          Mine too.  Before working as a waitress I took a three-week
training course in which the instructor emphasized the importance of
sensible footwear. Considering that waitresses (and schoolteachers!) are on
their feet all day, I did as she advised.  I don't regret it one bit...
especially when I hear tales of woe from people who say New Balance,
Reeboks, etc. are beyond their budget. The same people buy shoes which cost
a third of the price of mine, but replace them at least four times as
often.  Or they complain that their teenagers need orthotics (at $500 a
pair) and they've been informed the kids must wear better quality shoes
from now on.  There may be various factors I don't know about in such
cases.  When I keep hearing essentially the same story over & over
again, however, I'm even more convinced that cheap shoes may be a false
economy.  :-)



JB>  Today, with so many concrete environments, it seems
JB>  like survival strategy to save your back.


          ... as well as your feet.  Yes, our chiropractor said years ago
that walking on rough ground is very good exercise for the whole body.  I
can't say the same about concrete sidewalks.  And a lot of modern buildings
seem to have concrete floors too.  Concrete simply does not have the
resiliency of wood.  I know from experience as a teacher that a thin layer
of cheap carpeting doesn't help much either.  I might as well be in the
kitchen at the golf club....  :-/



JB>  Grand dad had a saying, "Buy a good pair a shoes,
JB>  and a good bed. When you get out of one, you get
JB>  into the other."


          Sounds like very good advice to me!  Most people spend eight
hours a day in each... i.e. about 2/3 of their life altogether.  While my
father never said as much out loud, I feel (as he apparently did) that it
may be cheaper in the long run to buy the better quality item & get
things right the first time.



JB>  the specialist suspected I was experiencing a gap
JB>  between my conscious effort to breath, and the
JB>  subconscious taking over when sleep states change.


          Colour me confused!  Breathing doesn't usually require any
conscious thought unless a person is engaged in a physical activity such as
giving birth or doing yoga exercises or playing the clarinet... or unless
there's some sort of underlying medical condition such as asthma or sleep
apnea or a bit of food stuck in the windpipe which may make breathing
difficult.  I'm glad he checked out what you'd reported, anyway, even if I
can't follow his reasoning....  :-)



JB>  After a night at the hospital, they found out I
JB>  almost classify as severe sleep apnia. Another
JB>  under the category of, "What in the hills do I know."


          Uh-huh... so if you find you have to sleep umpteen hours a day,
it's not just because you're lazy (or whatever).  I still feel angry with
the nurse who thought I was just another neurotic overprotective Mommy when
I told her I thought Nora had sleep apnea.  One night in the sleep clinic
confirmed it, but Dallas & I had to rattle a few more cages to get Nora
there... (sigh).



JB>   Thanks for insisting I bring it up (AGAIN B-)!
JB>  I have you to blame for yet *another* computer in my
JB>  bedroom, and a HUGE increase in the amount of plumbing
JB>  attached to one. 


          My pleasure!  What really drives me berserk is when people say
"I've been told I have sleep apnea but I can't be bothered to do
anything about it." Yes, the equipment can be a drag & the
learning curve is challenging at times. IMHO you've taken a major step in
terms of your future health, though....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+