Yes, I know - but it was hard enough to get that photo *without* their helmets !

Current Mood : Sleepy

Ugh. What a horrible night. Worst sleep I’ve ever had was at a sleep clinic. Twice. While they kept a full CPAP mask away from me (wisely, in my opinion), they wanted me to try a nasal pillow one. It’s basically a half-mask that straps firmly around yer head and forces air down your nose in an attempt to keep your airways open as ya sleep. For it to work effectively, you have to keep your mouth closed. The air pump itself is as quiet as the sound of the softest of sheets against bare legs. And I was able to ignore most of the wires and straps this time.

Only problem is, I have to re-learn how to breathe and sleep to wear this thing, and if I dare move or itch, I’m rewarded by a blast of forced air that’s both startling and loud until I fix it. It seemed like I’d barely fall asleep before I got blasted again, and I’d have to make numerous attempts to get it re-seated correctly in total darkness. I’m a side sleeper, but I had to be flat on my back all night, with my neck and chin also at a strange angle, to get what little sleep I got. While I’ve been practicing breathing through only my nose at night, it’s not yet natural for me, and that got me blasted a couple times. The tubes are far larger than a cannula, so getting all of them stuffed up my nose where it would stay was a challenge. It was also held on snugly, so sometimes the strap pressure bent my ear, or made me feel like the clinic was trying to make a Persian out of alley-cat me.

Also (yes, there’s more !), if it’s not on right, your own breathing echoes in your ears like you’re resting next to the world’s worst snorer, who inconsiderately breathes exactly as you do. So I got little to no rest at all, and several times wanted to rip the darn thing off my head and lie there until the morning came. I didn’t, but after lying there for hours, with inescapable noise and wind and wires and pressure, I don’t think anyone’s  really responsible for their thoughts.

After an eternity, it was over, and I got to come home. One of the wires had pulled and the tape took skin off my neck with it, and my nose is irritated, broken out, and tender. Also very dry. Had a light snack and just regained my equilibrium until it was time to wake Beloved Hubby. He and Dearest Son had a great ‘boy’s night in’, watching movies with potato chips all night. Hmpft. Actually, I’m glad. Dearest is a little apprehensive when I’m gone for medical, so it’s good that he’ll have some positive memories from it all.

Slept for three hours straight, and according to Beloved, didn’t so much as twitch. He was a bit worried, since that’s not my nature, either ! Not sure how this’ll all play out, but if they insist on it, I’ll try to use the thing, but if I don’t adjust to it in a week, and if it still costs me far more sleep than it gives me, out it goes. I can get a brand-new air exchanger on the market for less than $700., about half that used, and I know I can handle that ! Still have those cannulas, too…

Thing is, since we moved, I’ve been sleeping a lot better. Still some trouble getting to sleep some nights, but those are usually at the end of a day of sittin’ around. Gotta move more for a good night’s rest.

Enough about that. We opened up Ghoulia’s scooter, with Dearest handling the twist-tie honors. Only three of ‘em, and they were simply twisted paper, no wires. Very nice. No potential scratching the plastic or finishes. While he handled that, I carefully extracted the Ghoulia and Slo-Mo cardboard figure. Let’s face it, having that adorable graphic was half the appeal of owning the scooter, for me at least ! An eBay seller – who sold me most of the Roller Maze skates – offered just the cardboard characters and accessories for $10., and I was tempted. But I’m glad I held off and got the whole thing. It’s so cool !

The attention to detail is amazing, even when it’s details I don’t really like. If it’s possible to use a body part, it’s done. Skeletal hands hold the axels and the rear-view mirrors, and make the non-functioning zipper on her backpack, bones decorate the back storage coffin, and make up the kickstand and hand-grips, while a soft, flexible ribcage holds her owl(or many other pets) and a spine decorates the floorboard. An eye doubles as a non-functioning headlight, and it has that ‘brains’ seat. The ‘skullettes’ are everywhere. Hubcaps, gauges, helmet – and Ghoulia’s signature one appears under the eye headlight and the backpack. The ‘drip’ motif is on the seat, the front fender, both helmets, and, of course, the cup. You only see the cherries on the seat, because the license plate is red splatter – which reads ‘BRAINS’ ! Both helmets come with built-in glasses that easily detach. I’m hoping that, when Slo-Moe comes out, he has his own, or he’ll have to borrow a Roller Maze one.

The seat is contoured for two doll backsides, and I can fit two of the ghouls on it, if the back one sits side-saddle (like Slo-Moe is on the cardboard) and the front one wears the helmet or has her hair down. Unlike most Barbie Vespas (both Mattel and knockoff), MH dolls can reach the handlebars while seated. Thanks to their jointed elbows and wrists, it looks darn close to natural. Posing is a little tricky, because my kickstand keeps folding under, but it looks AWESOME !! While I didn’t much like the spine, it helps anchor the doll’s feet for posing, so I’m sort of a fan of it now. I still think it tries to incorporate too many design elements – body parts, ‘drip’, cherries, MH logos – that war with each other instead of mesh together, but I can’t deny how great it looks with a Ghoulia doll, leaned up against the School.

(psst, Mattel ! It’d look even more incredible with a Slo-Moe doll !!)