...........I think this is the big one. Everything is dark and I'm having trouble breathing"

Last night, Sanford and Son reference, notwithstanding, I was reminded of the one law which I will concede, readily applies to me. That would be Murphy's Law. I have in the past written of sleep studies, and possibly using a device to squelch my snoring, and subsequently ceasing to breathe as much as 50-60 times an hour at times, with instances of not breathing for as long as 21 sec. Severe sleep apnea, they said, and when I completed the most recent sleep study (which was a milestone for me, since before I could complete the first one a couple years ago, I woke up, ripped all the wires from my scalp and body, the tubes from my nose, and walked out)....anyway the recent one was a more pleasant, or considerably less unpleasant experience, and I was diagnosed, and given a CPAP machine with a very small and unobtrusive nasal piece and a thin strap that seems to have stopped the sleep apnea. That is a godsend, because sleep apnea in the severity that I was experiencing it, is actually potentially damaging to the internal organs........and potentially disruptive to a remaining lifetime of skiing, sailing, paddling, biking and playing I have planned with my family and friends, so hence my decision to acquiesce to the fact that the CPAP device would become my sleeping partner (particularly if I wanted to have a warm partner of the opposite sex, beside me in bed). I can't count the number of times I awoke alone in my bed big enough for a couple, two kids and the dog and cat, only to find the spouse had retreated to a place that was quiet.

Sooooooo, what about the "big one", and Murphy's Law, you ask...... Well last night, alone in my apartment bed, after falling asleep with the computer still on and the TV going, and me sleeping and breathing like a ten year old who had played and ran like a puppy all day long, and having become acclimated to my new mask, I suddenly woke to a horrible feeling. Tightness in my chest, struggling for a breath, and unable to see a thing (and nobody around to call 911). Next order of business was to instinctively rip the contraption from my face........and all of a sudden I could breathe again......not seeing clearly yet, but at least breathing.....which is when I discovered that the power was off, and the entire complex was dark...........and that I would in fact live to see another sunrise.....well tomorrow maybe. I also discovered at 8AM, that my alarm, set for 4:30, needed the back-up battery replaced.

I have talked to another one or two folks who used a CPAP devicve, and gotten pretty satisfactory feedback on their feelings about how they worked, but never has anyone mentioned having one of the things strapped on when the power failed.

Bottom line is that on my way home tonight, I am going to swing by best buy, and snag a UPS power supply to put directly between me and HL &P!