My Sleep Study Experience

I've decided to depict my sleep study experience via something that resembles a "live blog" as I hope to chronicle the occasion in stages as events occur. I don't know what to expect but like everything else I add to this journal of mine, what's contained herein will be my version of history told from my unique point of view. Expect plenty of sarcasm and jokes only one or two people will get, in other words.

May 22, 2013

8:47 PM - I'm having my sleep study done at Lexington Sleep Solutions, which is part of the Lexington Medical Center in Lexington, SC. (With this blog entry, I think I'll meet my lifetime quota for usage of the word "Lexington".) They sent me a patient information packet and questionnaire in the mail a week or so ago and I'm just now getting around to filling it all out. It's fairly basic stuff - medical history, family data, next of kin, insurance providers, that sort of thing. One question caught my attention as being too absurd not to single out.

"Do you suffer from memory loss issues?" with the possible answers being "Yes", "No", and "I Don't Know".

This might just be me, but wouldn't a response of "I Don't Know" to that question equate with a "Yes"? I believe it would, although it might also indicate some other form of psychosis.

May 23, 2013

7:56 PM - Packing my bag, it's like I'm 8 years old and getting ready for a sleep over except I'm not going to stay with a friend, I'm going to sleep in a strange room on a bed that God only knows who has occupied previously. I have a change of clothes, pajamas, toiletries, my camera (You didn't think I was going to go through something like this and not document it, did you?), cell phone charger, and my tablet. I have my tablet because I'm assuming they have WiFi - I'm going to be a bit disappointed if they don't. Gas stations have WiFi, why wouldn't a medical office like this? How am I supposed to get by without Facebook, Twitter and YouTube? This isn't the Dark Ages, for crying out loud.

I mention my pajamas. This is getting into "too much information" territory, but I usually don't sleep fully clothed. I'm not naked but I'm not too far from it (go ahead and feel free to savor that mental image). I don't think I can get away with that for this test, lest I lose what tiny piece of modesty I have left, so I'm hoping the extra clothing doesn't throw me off too badly in terms of getting to sleep.

May 24, 2013

5:50 AM - I did not sleep well last night. Go figure, right?

I usually have to get up to use the restroom 2 or 3 times and last night was a 3-tripper. I've read that going to the bathroom at night for men is supposed to be some kind of a sign of prostate issues but for me I think it's natural seeing as how I drink a good bit of water before I go to bed. What can I say, I like a cool beverage in the evening and water's certainly better for me than soda, alcohol or anything else. That fluid's got to go somewhere and the urge to relieve myself is something I can only hold off for so long.

Enough about my nocturnal urination habits; I'm sure that's probably more than you ever wanted to know about my nightly pee-pee dances.

Aside from the bathroom trips, I was generally restless last night. My wife & I laid down around 11 PM, which is slightly later than usual for us, but we wound up talking and kidding with one another for almost an hour. I'd tickle her, she'd tickle me, I'd tickle her some more, she'd pitch a fit for me to stop and I never do because I'm her husband - it's my job to make her giggle uncomfortably until she snorts while laughing. We really are like a couple of children when we're together in moments like that. Consequently, I had a burst of energy come on around midnight and I don't think I truly got to sleep until near 12:30 AM only to be woken up with my first need to go to the bathroom around 1:45 AM.

My wife didn't sleep well either. When I woke up for good this morning I realized I was in bed by myself. I hate to think that I could cause her to suffer in any way.

Concern about the sleep study never entered my mind. In the realm of medical testing this isn't something that's all that involved, or so it seems to me. I'm (hopefully) going to get a good night's rest and come out of this thing knowing more about myself. I would be lying if I said I don't just want to be done with this, though. I'm not looking forward to it, not because it could reveal potential health issues but because of my own hang-ups that I've chronicled previously about stuff like this possibly being unnecessary or even unhelpful. It is what it is at this point; I'm going to get it done then tomorrow I'm going to Shoney's for breakfast.

9:58 AM - I received an email from a real good buddy of mine (who has had a sleep study) wherein he reminds me to bring cash with me tonight because if I pay extra the nurses will snuggle up next to me so I can sleep. I'm resisting the urge to make a joke and remind him that his wife happens to be a nurse at Lexington Medical Center...

I have had my normal cup of coffee this morning (Millstone's Hazelnut Cream) which I take with my breakfast each day, but I am feeling the urge to brew a pot here at my office or otherwise go get myself a Monster Import. I started drinking those things a while back and the Import has become my favorite; something about the flavor, odd as it is, and the uniqueness of the can draws me to it. I have no pep right now and I'm wondering why I bothered to come into work today at all seeing as how it's the Friday before a 3-day weekend (Memorial Day - thank you to all the veterans out there, by the way).

I'm not supposed to have any beverages with caffeine after noon today, per instructions in the information packet that was mailed to me, so if I'm going to get my fix I need to get on with it. Funnily enough, the packet did not mention abstaining from alcohol, so I'm wondering if it would be bad form should a fifth of Southern Comfort somehow wind up in my bag.

2:11 PM - While on my lunch break I went to get some gas in my truck. After I'd swiped my debit card and put in my PIN, I went to pull the hose out of the holster and insert it into my tank. (Why does the second half of that sentence sound like innuendo?) I hadn't picked which grade of fuel I wanted yet. When I pulled the hose (bow-chicka-bow-wow) the slack accidentally slapped against the button to select "Ultimate". I think a lot of my truck but not enough to pay $3.41 a gallon willingly, which is why my bank statement is going to show a transaction for $0.00 since I had to put the nozzle away in order to select a different fuel grade.

I missed my window for partaking in a caffeinated beverage. That's the trouble of being at work during the day, people catch you and expect you to do something that resembles productivity. So instead of a Monster or coffee I had to settle for a Sprite to wash down my deli meat sandwich and Doritos. I don't dislike Sprite by any means, it's just that on a day like today I could use a little pick-me-up. That's kind of sad in a way because I'm acknowledging a dependence on a substance. I guess soda is better than crystal meth, although I'm sure there's a nutritionist out there somewhere who would tell you otherwise.

5:25 PM - I had thought of taking my overnight bag with me when I left for work this morning but I didn't because I wanted to see my wife & our dog again before I took off on my adventure into Dreamland. I think I gave Jill the impression that I wasn't too thrilled about what I am about to experience. I never have been good at hiding my emotions, especially not when I'm feeling anxious about a given situation - I guess that hasn't changed.

6:30 PM - Moe's Southwest Grill is one of my favorite places to eat because they make burritos that are the size of small children and their guacamole is quite awesome. For these reasons, I decided to stop by a Moe's for supper since I was already going to be passing it on my way into Lexington. I had my usual Homewrecker burrito with steak, chips, and guacamole but the real star of this meal was the beverage. Coca-Cola's Freestyle machines have started to pop up in various locations but Moe's has always had them. (If you've never seen one, the Freestyle is a soda fountain that allows you to mix various flavors with the base syrup of a wide variety of Coca-Cola products.) I'll admit to having kept to the well-traveled roads when it comes to things I've tried from the Freestyle fountain but this evening I branched out and tried a cherry Sprite. I used to love cherry 7-Up but that's become nearly impossible to find and the version that's in stores now, to me, doesn't really taste like what I had grown to love as a kid. The cherry Sprite was very close to the cherry 7-Up that I remember; I probably could've drank about a gallon of it but I intentionally limited myself to one cup seeing as how I didn't want to overload my bladder for fear of having to get up multiple times during my sleep study.

7:45 PM - I've checked in to Lexington Sleep Solutions and I've been shown to my room, which is actually the second room I was put into. Apparently the technician who checked me in isn't the technician who'll be overseeing my study; my actual tech showed me to my actual room, which is the same as the other room except this one has a window. It's a decent amount of space, kind of like a low-end hotel room only with a way nicer bathroom. The shower is especially spacious but it is so because of care being taken to accommodate folks in wheelchairs or who may be otherwise handicapped. There's a TV, WiFi, a recliner, the bed (a full-sze; I guess my request for a king went on deaf ears) and a few other basic pieces of furniture, one of which is similar to a dresser with shelves that's holding a battery of equipment. A surveillance camera is situated just above the TV (so that you have to second guess yourself every time you go to pick your nose or adjust your naughty parts) and an intercom is on the dresser.

My "home away from home" for the evening

For some reason, the Metallica lyric "...tied to machines that make me be..." comes to mind

The shower, probably the best part of the whole room in terms of features

The TV and surveillance equipment in my room

 

The first tech I encountered offered me a bottle of water, Sprite or ginger ale. Here I am trying to strangle my bladder and they're trying to fill it up. I accept the water, only because I know I'm going to get thirsty at some point.

My technician, whose name is John, brings me some paperwork to fill out while I watch a video about sleep apnea, sleep studies, and treatment options for people with sleep apnea. I gather that the people in the video are sufferers of sleep apnea. The main participant in the video has a particularly sad sack story behind his issues - clearly he wasn't hired for this gig because of his acting chops. I watch the video then promptly turn the TV to the NHL playoffs.

8:30 PM - John fits me with a full-face CPAP mask as he feels this will serve me best since I have allergies and deal with nasal congestion quite often. (He tells me we're doing this now so that I won't have to worry about being woken up for a lengthy period of time during the night when they'll have me wear it while I sleep.) Most CPAP masks are intended to force air through the nose and into a person's airway thereby keeping it open and preventing the closure or restriction that leads to snoring and other problems. Hard to do that when there's a wall of snot in the way, hence why I'll need one that affords the opportunity to breathe through the mouth.

After fitting me for the mask, John says that I can kick back in bed and try to get acclimated to wearing it. I have a feeling that this is actually part of the sleep study, as in they want to see if I pass out just from lying down while wearing the mask. No dice - I'm awake and anxious. John comes back in about 15-20 minutes later to take the mask off before instructing me to be ready to get wired up around 9:45.

I bring up to John the fact that I'm a side-sleeper, which is something that's pointed out in the video as being a potential remedy to sleep apnea. He's quick to state that for the purposes of the sleep study, they need me to sleep on my back. Wrong thing to say, Johnny - you just made someone prone to suffering paranoia very paranoid. Why force someone out of their nightly habit for the sake of this test? How can this be a valid study if nothing about it is similar to what I actually do when I'm sleeping? That defies the concept of the scientific method, thereby making me question why I'm doing this.

I don't want to be here.

I don't think this is going to help me.

9:40 PM - True to his word, John shows up with the rigging that will soon be all over my body. John's a pretty tall guy, in good shape, muscular but not beefy which goes along with what he tells me about having been in the military when he was younger. He has a shaved head and a goatee, making him something of a skinny Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He's telling me about the various wires that are being applied to my body as he's configuring them. There are at least 10 leads on my scalp, which he applied with a dollop of some kind of grease - it has the consistency of petroleum jelly, only slightly more viscous. I imagine this is for the sake of connectivity as these sensors are to pick up my brainwaves. I have to say John wasn't exactly gentle in putting these things on my head. I'm not sure if he was trying to push them through what hair I have left up there or if I said something to piss him off. Regardless, the application process was rather painful.

If it looks like I'm thrilled, it's because I am...

In addition to the wires on my head, I have several on my chest, an oxygen sensor on the middle finger of my left hand, and one sensor on each of my calves. These are to monitor my leg movements in order to see if I have a condition like restless leg syndrome. There are two sets of apparatus going just inside my nostrils, one of which has something hanging off of it that's near my mouth. On top of all this, I also have a microphone taped to my throat so that my snoring can be heard loud and clear.

The leads attached to my legs - these are to check for signs of restless leg syndrome

All totaled, it takes about 20-25 minutes to get everything connected. I go to the bathroom with a lanyard around my neck to hold the panel in which all the leads on my head are plugged into. I send my wife a joking text message saying that I look like a suicide bomber because of all the wires.

The panel of wires that would collect brainwave data while I slept

10:15 PM - I'm in bed. The TV is still on (SyFy, some episode of Merlin is on - a show I do not watch but this is the channel it's left on seeing as how I was watching WWE Smackdown prior to this) as John set it on the sleep timer for me before he left the room. This is the same thing Jill & I usually do every night, so at least this is a consistent with what I'd be doing if I were at home.

11 PM - The TV turns off. I am still awake. I can hear things in and around the building - other patients snoring, the staff talking, cars driving by. It's all distracting but none of it is as distracting as my own thoughts. Why can't I go to sleep? Because I'm not comfortable. Why am I not comfortable? Because I'm tied to a bed by a bunch of wires and I can't get into my normal position.

I try getting onto my side and it's just as uncomfortable. The wires are pushing into my face and I'm getting warm from the fact that I'm wearing way more clothing than I typically would be while sleeping.

May 25, 2013

12:21 AM - I still haven't gone to sleep. I've only been in bed for 2 hours but the urge to urinate has struck me. I have to call John, who's on the other end of the intercom, to come unhook me before I can get out of bed. It's a bit demoralizing to have to have assistance to go to the bathroom but in this scenario it's unavoidable. I guess whoever develops the technology for these sleep studies hasn't had the wherewithal to incorporate WiFi or Bluetooth.

There's no clock in this room so the only way I know what time it is is by looking at my wristwatch on my way back from the bathroom. I can't wait for this to be over so I can go home.

I roll over onto my right side once I'm back in the bed (not an easy thing to do, what with all the wires) in an attempt to get comfortable and apparently I went to sleep deeply enough that John was able to hear me snoring. "You definitely snore...Loudly.", he says to me as he comes into the room to put the CPAP mask on me. Forgive my crassness here, but his bedside manner is the drizzling shits. He removes the apparatus around my nose in order to put the mask on me. I don't know if it's the fact that my head is now covered with wires or what but the mask is very uncomfortable, specifically the straps, compared to how it felt when I put it on earlier.

I wish I knew what time it was, at least then I'd be able to know how much longer I have to be here.

I don't think I got back to sleep the rest of the night, not fully anyway. Between the discomfort of the mask, the noise of the machine, and my anxiety about the whole thing I more or less laid there with my eyes closed but I was not asleep.

5:50 AM - I have to go to the bathroom again. I call John (it was hard to talk at first as my mouth was dry as a bone) and he says for me to hold tight for a few minutes because he's about to begin disconnecting another patient and it's almost time to get me up anyway. To that all I can say is thank God because I'm beyond ready to be out of this place.

John disconnects all the leads from my body and brings in my breakfast - a fruit cup, a serving of peach yogurt, and a blueberry muffin. No beverage; some coffee or a Coke would've been great as my mouth is dry from having air pumped into it by way of the CPAP. I guess it's a good thing I didn't drink all my water from the night before else I'd have had to choke down this meal of sadness with my own spit.

My breakfast - I had the option of not getting any breakfast but I knew I'd want something first thing in the morning

John tells me that I have some form of obstructive sleep apnea and that the doctors will probably recommend I get on a CPAP machine. Does anyone come to this place and not get told you need a machine? Isn't that how this works? One doctor passes a patient on to another doctor so that they both can then go to the country club in their BMWs to enjoy an evening in the luxury of high society? I can't help but be pessimistic, given what I've just been through.

After I've finished my breakfast and filled out a patient survey ("How would you rate the sleep you had during your study?" You don't want me to answer that truthfully.), I go to take a shower. Looking in the mirror, I see a dob of the axle grease John put onto my forehead. The finger that had the O2 sensor on it feels like there's a needle sticking into it but there's nothing there. Pulling off my shirt, I realize John left the pads on my chest to which the leads had been connected. I notice a burning sensation on my neck near my throat and it's tender to the touch. Apparently when John pulled off the tape that had been holding the microphone in place he pulled off a good chunk of skin with it. Did I mention his bedside manner was the drizzling shits?

The wounds left on my throat thanks to John yanking off a piece of tape that had been holding a microphone in place

6:45 AM - I shower, get dressed, pack up my stuff and head for the door. I assume I'll be getting a bill for whatever my insurance doesn't cover for this procedure as there wasn't anything else asked of my before I left.

7:35 AM - Shoney's breakfast buffet is amazing and it is exactly what I needed this morning. I engorge myself on two plates of scrambled eggs, liver pudding, sausage, steak, and grits then head home.

Conclusion

I'm not sure what kind of useful information is going to be gleaned from this test, however I will say that I question its validity. You can't tell me that forcing someone into an unusual (not to mention uncomfortable) set of circumstances when you're trying to measure their typical behaviors constitutes a valid test. This was already my impression of the test before I had it done and having had it didn't change anything about my opinion.

I know I can be a fairly cynical person, and I usually am such because of the fact that it affords me the opportunity to be humorous in one way or another (the armchair psychologist in me says that's probably a defense mechanism of some sort), but quite frankly this was a horrible ordeal. The room became like a sensory deprivation chamber as the night went on; I never realized how much not having something as simple as a clock nearby would mess with my ability to perceive what's going on around me. I would not recommend anyone be put through this unless it is deemed absolutely necessary and even then I would caution you against it as I could see how someone like myself might suffer an anxiety or panic attack as a result of being subjected to this. If you do go through with a sleep study, I hope you have a technician who's more kind in handling their patients than mine was.

The results of my test should be ready in 4-7 days, depending on how long it takes the doctors to interpret all of it. After that, the results will be sent to my physician as I'm supposed to go back to her anyway for a follow-up appointment regarding my blood work. We'll see how it goes.

You May Feel a Slight Pinch...

A couple of entries ago, wherein I detailed some psychological and physical issues I've been dealing with here lately, I brought up the fact that I had agreed to see a doctor at the behest of my wife. I am here to say that I didn't back out of the arrangement and that I did, in fact, make a visit to a physician.

But am I all that better off for having done so? That remains to be seen.

This particular practitioner is one that my wife has been going to for quite some time, which is why I went with that office as opposed to somewhere else. Doctors are one of those sort of things in life where you seldom hear of a person simply thumbing through the phone book and saying "Okay, this guy doesn't seem like too much of a quack, I'll take him..." They usually go to a given clinic because of familial ties or some other bond that indicates having received a certain quality of service that makes returning worthwhile. The relationship that exists between a doctor and their client is one born out of trust, obviously, or so I would hope.

One of the issues I have with doctors is a perception of mine that practicing medicine nowadays isn't so much about providing care as it is about maintaining business and the high standard of living afforded by being a member of the monetarily elite in this country. This state of mind actually comes from the days of my childhood when I was regularly seeing a dentist (yes, you can infer from that statement that I don't go regularly anymore). The dentist I'd been seeing diagnosed me as having an abnormality with my molars which could be corrected through the application of a set of plastic caps. I don't remember a whole lot about the procedure itself. I went along with it, but what else was I supposed to do? I was a child and this guy had convinced my parents that it was necessary. Even at my young age I questioned the notion of it being something I truly needed, especially when I was told of how the caps could come off rather easily. What happens when they come off? Will I have to have this done regularly? If it's not a permanent fix, why bother? Is this actually a medical condition worth treating or did my Mom get made as a mark who's willing to fork over her money for the sake of her baby boy?

In my own mind, I ultimately settled on the latter. I went back to that dentist a few more times for cleanings but I drew the line when he began pushing for me to wear braces. That wasn't a process I was willing to endure. I told my Mom as much and she didn't go against my decision. Consequently, I never went back to that dentist. I imagine those caps he put on my teeth lasted a couple months seeing as how my Big League Chew addiction took precedence over them. The concept of patient care existing as a money-maker more so than a matter of genuine concern for a person's well-being has been with me ever since.

I've never been one to immediately seek medical assistance when I notice something going on with my body. For example, when I was a senior in high school I began feeling pain in my left foot that was bad enough to where I couldn't get around all that well. I kept walking on it for about a week because I assumed I'd somehow twisted my ankle, which I've always been somewhat prone to doing ever since my days as a stand-out local recreational league basketball player (it helped that I was one of the biggest 9 year-olds in the league). The pain became so bad that I finally succumb to it and got an x-ray which revealed I had a hairline fracture in one of the bones of my foot. I wore a cast on that leg for around 6 weeks - trust me when I say that you should consider yourself fortunate if you've never had to take showers with a trash bag taped around your knee.

By contrast to my state of mind, it seems like people these days will rush off to a doctor for just about any given reason. Can't kick that stubborn cough? Lets pay a visit to the ENT. Noticed an odd pimple on your forehead? Time to see the dermatologist. Having a bad day? No problem, get worked in and have a prescription for some Xanax and a muscle relaxer. My point is to say that I believe the human body has the capacity to service itself, to an extent, if we will allow it. Obviously there are some things that don't just get better by way of our immune systems, broken bones being one of them, and those are perfectly valid situations where a person should seek out medical aid. I don't think we should be going to the doctor over every sniffle, stubbed toe, and scraped elbow is what I'm getting at.

I also realize that I'm unfairly demonizing doctors, dentists, nurses, and everyone in between with these comments. I don't mean to say that you're an evil person if your occupation puts you into one of those categories because I know plenty of folks who wear scrubs to the office every day. Rather, I mean to say that you work for a business which is no different than any other in that the ultimate goal is to make money, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I do, however, contend that some doctors see dollar signs when they look into a crowded waiting room instead of opportunities to legitimately improve lives. (I'd like to think that when someone signs up to go to medical school they do so with the intention of taking that knowledge and using it to help people instead of simply for the paycheck that comes with having earned the right to put "MD" at the end of your name.) The issue, for me, is that we're not talking about customers who are buying a car and are being told the benefits of upgrading to a model with a better package than the vehicle they'd been interested in. We're talking about people, their bodies, and ultimately the quality of their existence. Doctors have to realize the power of their influence; what they do with that realization in either using it to help or to harm is the larger issue.

There's that darn soap box again, always getting underneath me when I'm trying to write these blog entries...

All that having been said, Jill accompanied me for my visit. I kidded with her that her only reasons for going with me were to make sure I actually went and to get a free lunch out of it as we'd be passing by several of our favorite haunts during the drive to & from the office. The waiting room was empty when we arrived which was comforting to me; the last thing I wanted to do was go see a doctor when I'm not sick and wind up coming home with a bug received by having been in the proximity of someone who's not well. I didn't have to fill out any paperwork as I'd given them all of my insurance and personal information in advance. Within a few minutes I - well, we were called to the back and my examination began.

I wasn't surprised to find out that things haven't changed all that much when it comes to normal procedure for a doctor's visit in the years since I'd been seen. I was asked to stand on a scale so that the nurse could get my height and weight, neither of which is necessarily an easy process seeing as how the scales don't usually have the capacity to account for people my size. I'm a big guy but I'm not delusional because I know I've eaten way more than my share of cheeseburgers and chicken wings. In other words, I know I'm fat and I don't need a scale to remind me of this. When I was younger I got a tiny bit of amusement from watching the slide on the scale max out once I stepped on it, and that nor the results of an attempt to weigh me haven't changed. It's not as if it would be an accurate measurement anyway seeing as how I was wearing shoes, fully clothed and carrying my keys, wallet and cell phone. I am happy to report, though, that I'm apparently 6'3.5" - or so I am according to the nurse who was taking my vitals.

Next we went into the examination room, which of course is where all the magic happens. I sat down with the nurse and she began plugging in the data she'd collected on me thus far into an application on a PC in the exam room. I was intrigued by the software, naturally, and when she walked out of the room for a moment I had to fight an urge to have a look at the system for myself. This is another reason why it's good that my wife was with me; I have the same impulses but because she's there I have to consider the repercussions of embarrassing the both of us by way of my actions instead of just myself.

The nurse took my blood pressure and my heart rate, neither of which were all that superlative but this wasn't a surprise. "Do you have high blood pressure?", the nurse asked. The best response I could give was something of a shrug. Again, I'm fat, out of shape and I stress myself out over everything; it would've been a pleasant surprise if my BP had wound up being within a normal range but I knew that that wasn't going to happen.

Having done her job, the nurse left in order to make way for the headliner of the day - my new best friend, the doctor who'd be presiding over my care from this point forward. She and I talked about my concerns and issues I've been having, and she was very receptive in listening to me which I found to be right in line with everything Jill had told me about her. Based on our conversation, the doctor recommended that I have a sleep study done. That caught me off guard, to be totally honest with you. I knew I was in for some poking and prodding when I agreed to go down this path but I didn't think the process would go quite as quickly as it was.

The sleep study wasn't the only surprise Doc had for me that day. I had it in mind when I made this appointment that I may have to have blood drawn as that's a surefire way to know everything about what's going on inside a person, however nothing was said to me in advance about it. I assumed I was in the clear because I thought a patient was required to fast for 12 or more hours prior to having blood drawn so that a "clean" sample can be taken. Imagine my amazement when Doc sent the nurse back in to shove a needle in my arm! Good thing I hadn't had lunch yet, I guess, although in hindsight having a stack of pancakes with a half pound of bacon that morning might not have been such a good idea (I kid, I would never eat a half pound of bacon - it was fatback). To the credit of the nurse, she was very thorough in locating a vein and when she jabbed me I didn't feel much of anything. It became more noticeable after about the second vial of blood had been drawn, though, as the notion of a needle hanging out of my arm started to set into my mind. After she was done draining me, the nurse put a little wad of cotton on the injection site along with a piece of tape to hold it in place - not the gently removable kind of tape, this was the kind that takes every bit of hair with it when you inevitably yank it off.

At that point, there wasn't much left to do but pay the piper. Having been a member of the public sector for going on 6 years now, I can tell you that no one works these jobs for the fortune although the benefits package is quite nice. That said, I guess it's about time I got to use this medical insurance I've been paying for for so long now without ever really using it. Thanks to my coverage, a bill that would've cost me in excess of $100 wound up being around $20. I guess that's not too bad, all things considered, even though I left the office with less blood and money than I came in with.

I haven't returned to see Doc again as I'm waiting to have my sleep study completed before doing so, that way I can conserve some of my sick leave. Speaking of the sleep study, I'll be going in for it this Friday night. I'm a little concerned about it because I've done some research pertaining to what this type of procedure involves and quite frankly I don't know how comfortable I'm going to be with the wiring harness they put on you in order to record data while you're in Dreamland. Seriously, do a Google Images search for "sleep study" and look at the jumble of wires you have to wear - it's like they hand you a spool of random cables and Christmas lights then roll you down a hill, for crying out loud. I'm a side-sleeper, and not a particularly mobile one, so I imagine I'm going to wake up with a lot of interesting lines on my face from having laid on the wires all night.

I truly hope this test is useful, as in the people in charge of my care will be able to look at the results and tell me something other than "You snored while you were asleep...Don't do that.", because my wife does that for me right now. Likewise, I hope this whole process is beneficial in the sort of way that I'm able to learn about aspects of my life I can change to improve my health as that's what this is all about.

The Truesdales Went Down to Georgia (A Blog About Our 3rd Anniversary Weekend Get-Away)

May 1, 2013 marked 3 years since Jill and I were wed. I wasn't aware of this until here lately but the theme for gifts at the third anniversary is leather as the third year is when the marriage shows its resilience, much like leather itself. That being the case, I went to our local Goodwill store and found an old pair of work boots and gave them to my wife as an anniversary present. Seemed appropriate, so I went with it.

No, I didn't actually get her a pair of work boots. We did, however, work as a team in putting together a weekend jaunt down to Georgia in order to celebrate our anniversary. Jill had told me a while back that she wanted to visit the World of Coca-Cola, which is in Atlanta. As luck would have it, there wound up being a professional wrestling show in nearby Porterdale that I wanted to attend. Realizing we'd both have an opportunity to see something we'd enjoy along the way, the trip more or less planned itself - all we had to do was put one foot in front of the other.

THE ROAD

I do enjoy road trips and traveling in general, so much so that I've told my wife that once we're both old and retired I fully plan on selling our house and buying a recreational vehicle. Then we can spend our twilight years together on the road, seeing the country while terrorizing other motorists. Seriously, imagine me as a septuagenarian piloting a tour bus-sized RV hurtling down the highways at full speed - it's going to be awesome!

In all seriousness, I do think it's fun to get out and roam around every now and again. There was a point in time when my career didn't seem to be going anywhere that I considered going to truck driver's school. I wanted a vocation that I could earn a living at and enjoy the work as well, and that seemed like an option at the time. Fortunately, things picked up for me professionally speaking and I didn't have to take that route, but my appreciation for opportunities to hit the road hasn't diminished.

For this trip, we'd start off by taking a series of back roads through several counties in South Carolina until we hit I-20 west which would carry us the rest of the way to our temporary home of Covington, Georgia. From our home, GPS services would've had us drive to Columbia and hit I-20 there; this would've added a good many miles to the trip, which is why I plotted out an alternative course. "The scenic route", if you will.

Getting to Covington was a real breeze as the traffic going through South Carolina and Georgia happened to be somewhat sparse. I attribute this to the time of day we were traveling and the fact that it was pouring rain. Speaking of which, rain has become a running joke when we're on the road as it doesn't seem like we ever take a trip when the forecast doesn't call for precipitation. I can't remember an occasion where we've been traveling and there wasn't something wet falling from the sky. This was the case even before we were married as it was absolutely pouring rain the morning we flew out of Charlotte, North Carolina to Las Vegas. The rain would be an issue for us this entire weekend as it never really let up the entire time we were gone. Such is life for the Truesdales!

The ride into Atlanta wasn't that bad either, which was a surprise as I'd never driven there before but have always heard horror stories about how terrible an experience it can be thanks to congestion and the notion that most drivers there have an aggressive temperament. Maybe it was because we made our entrance fairly early on a Saturday or that combined with the persistent rain - whatever it was, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get to the part of town we'd be visiting. The parking garage for the Wold of Coca-Cola was clearly marked and our GPS took us right to it without issue.

Unfortunately the trek out of Atlanta was the exact opposite. We left town in what may have been a weekend equivalent to rush hour as we encountered heavy traffic that was true to the sort of things I'd been told about driving in Atlanta. The roads were packed and the drivers were just as ornery as I'd been lead to believe they'd be. We got through it by remembering the wise teachings of a Jedi Master - "Patience, young padawan..." I feel for people who live in cities like Atlanta as I don't think I could drive through that on a daily basis, not without heavy medication anyway.

After that, it was good to have an uneventful ride home. We stopped along the way at a mall near Augusta, GA long enough to do a little shopping and to have lunch. Nothing like bourbon chicken, fried rice and an Orange Julius during a road trip to revitalize your mind, body and spirit!

THE HOTEL

I'm notorious for my frugality in general but especially so when it comes to hotels and seemingly frivolous expenses related to travel. My wife will verify this for you, should you think that I'm lying, as she's had to endure the brunt of my being a cheapskate. We have stayed in some questionable hotels during our relationship and the Travelodge in Covington, GA which we called home during our weekend get-away was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

We hit the road around 5:30 PM after we'd both gotten off work. We'd stopped at a Chili's for supper in Augusta, GA so it was around 10 PM when we arrived at our hotel. I had picked this particular Travelodge for two reasons: Price and its relative proximity to Atlanta. Staying in Atlanta was out of the question; I couldn't justify spending $150 or more per night to stay there seeing as how that would've wiped out the entire budget for this trip. Even with the extra fuel we'd be using, we would come out better by not splurging on a hotel. When we got off the interstate and entered Covington, my immediate reaction was to say that it appeared to be a pleasant area. There were several restaurants and shops nearby and it looked to be a very nice place to shack up for the next couple nights. My confidence didn't waver as we approached the hotel - I said to myself, "Hey, there's a Waffle House next door and a Taco Bell across the street, what more do you need?"

I left my truck under the overhang near the lobby then went inside to check us in. The parking lot was nearly full which wasn't surprising seeing as how a hotel like this one located right off of a major interstate stands to have plenty of business on any given night from road-wary travelers. The lobby seemed quaint enough and the staff were courteous, although I noticed that there appeared to be renovations in progress. A sign proclaiming "We're making our great hotel better!" confirmed my suspicions. Suddenly this value hotel was starting to seem a bit suspect as I didn't know how the renovations might intrude on our comfort.

After parking the truck we went to our room, which was on the second floor. The renovations were obvious by this point in time as there was a pile of furniture underneath one of the staircases and various supplies at the top of the stairs. There were some children playing outside a room near ours and I could sense that my wife's opinion of the facility had taken a nosedive based on what we'd encountered thus far. The conditions of our room didn't improve matters as it became clear we were definitely staying in a "value" hotel.

Our room had a king-size bed, which wound up being rather comfortable albeit a bit shaky, but I noticed right off the bat that there were three small, square pillows on it. We've encountered these things before when staying in hotels and I gather that they're called European pillows. Why hotels in this country are using them, I have no idea. We're not in Europe, folks - just because they're all the rage across the pond doesn't mean we should have to be subjected to them here. Remember, our forefathers fought a war over this sort of thing about 230 years ago.

When I was checking us into the hotel, the clerk at the front desk told me to call down to the lobby should we need anything once we got into our room. Since we needed more pillows, I did precisely that - problem was, our in-room phone didn't work (the hotel's WiFi was also not working). I saw the number to the hotel was printed on an information sheet attached to the phone so I attempted to call the front desk using that number and my cellular phone but there was no response - there was no ring, no "invalid number" system message, nothing but dead air. After 10 minutes of trying to do things the high tech way, I wound up walking back to the lobby and getting a few more pillows from the same clerk who'd checked us in.

Ambient noise is a consistent issue when it comes to hotels, not only the sounds created by other guests but also the pangs, rattles, and what have you of equipment like air conditioners and refrigerators. The AC in this room sounded like a diesel engine, quite frankly, and the fridge constantly made an odd pinging sound. This AC wasn't the most noisy unit we've ever encountered while traveling, though. That title belongs to an air conditioner at a hotel (I forget which chain it was) we stayed at during the last leg of our honeymoon in Saint Augustine, Florida which I do believe may have been a jet engine in another life.

Continental breakfasts offered by hotels are a real crap shoot. We've had experiences in certain hotels where you're lucky if you get milk to pour over your generic "Fruit Loops" cereal and yet we've also been to hotels where the breakfast bar was worth the price of the stay alone (case in point, the Days Inn in Asheville, North Carolina near the Biltmore Estate - phenomenal breakfast buffet and a very reasonably priced hotel). The breakfast bar at this Travelodge was kind of a mixed bag as it included your standard continental fare of pastries, confections, coffee, and juice but it also had biscuits, sausage and a waffle iron with a ready-made batter dispenser. Liability issues of having a hot waffle iron sitting out where small hands could get to it aside (I don't care if you do put a sign on it, it's still an invitation for injuries), I think the waffles are probably the best thing you can get out of a deal like this. They're fresh and hot, and here we got sausage to go with them. We could've just as well walked over to Waffle House but the hotel waffles were free and rather tasty for what they were.

I had an interesting personal experience at the breakfast bar our last morning at the hotel. My wife wanted to sleep in but I got up around 8 AM as usual. By the time I'd had my shower and gotten dressed, Jill was stirring. She asked that I bring her back a biscuit, sausage, some jelly and juice which I was glad to do for her. I fetched her breakfast, brought it back to our room, then returned to fix my breakfast. I was about to sit down at a table when a three children came in, all of them wearing pajamas. I noticed one was wearing a onesie with feet - nothing too strange there, she was a child after all. Within short order a few more arrived; they too were wearing pajamas except several of this group were grown women. And yes, they were wearing onsies with feet. I assume they may have been living out of the hotel. I hate to poke fun considering they might have been going through some sort of plight, but I have to say that I hope to get to a point in my life where I feel it's perfectly acceptable to have breakfast whilst wearing a onesie in public.

All things considered, for what we paid the room was passable. It had a bed, a TV, and a functional bathroom; nothing more than what we needed, in other words. I've promised my wife that I'll try to book better hotels in the future as after 3 years of marriage and putting up with my propensity for cheapness, I think I owe her that much.

THE WORLD OF COCA-COLA

Visiting the World of Coca-Cola was an idea my wife expressed to me a while back. I honestly had not heard of it prior to her telling me about it, which is possibly because of the fact that I'm a Pepsi fan truth be told. (There's a World of Coca-Cola in Las Vegas as well, but I guess we either missed it when we were there several years ago or just didn't think to check it out.) As such, my agreeing to go there seemed like somewhat of an invitation to be burned at the stake as a heretic more than anything. I'm glad to report that I was not assaulted in any way during our time there, regardless of my status as an infidel.

We arrived at the WC-C fairly early, I'd say around 9:15 AM. When you purchase tickets to visit the WC-C you select a time slot that you'd like to begin your tour; I assume this is done to control the flow of visitors as there are some aspects of the tour which are lead by ambassadors however most of the facility can be viewed at your own pace. The early slot we selected was a great idea as it allowed us to get in with a smaller group prior to the bulk of the visitors who'd be coming in that day (not to mention the benefit of not having to fight for a parking space in the garage).

The WC-C is an interactive museum, for lack of a better phrase, centered around the cultural phenomenon that is Coca-Cola. It's amazing to behold the collection of related artifacts this facility holds as I don't think people consider the impact a brand like Coca-Cola has had on our way of life (or at least I don't - I blame it on the Pepsi in my blood). You can find everything from paintings by Norman Rockwell to Olympic torches, from a giant bottle opener to biographical information on the inventor of Coca-Cola. What's more, the WC-C contains an exhibit called "The Vault" which they claim holds the original formula of Coca-Cola.

Suffice to say that "The Vault" is intimidating. I did find it funny, though, that visitors are instructed to stay behind a line on the floor or else a proximity alarm will be triggered (sure enough, a woman in our group got too close and an alarm did sound) yet they have that fancy hand scanner there which is basically a big, shiny red button with "TOUCH ME" printed on it.

If you make logical progress through the WC-C, the final area you come upon is the tasting room where you may sample upwards of 60 varieties of Coca-Cola products distributed throughout the world. The tasting room has a series of stations which are coordinated by continent and the beverages popular to each are available from fountains. Visitors can sample as much as they want, and that's exactly what we did! I believe we tasted all of the international offerings; some were great and some weren't exactly to our liking. Case in point, there's a drink that Coca-Cola manufactures which is popular in Italy known as Beverly. It's a pallet cleanser and it is one of the most revolting flavors I've ever experienced. It's deceptive in that it has a sweet aroma. The only way I can describe the taste is to say that it's like the bitterness from grapefruit but without any of the citrus flavor or subtle sweetness of grapefruit. I hated it and suffice to say that Jill didn't care for it either.

We had a great time at the WC-C, though, and I would strongly encourage you to check it out should you ever visit Atlanta.

THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM

We hadn't originally planned to check out the Georgia Aquarium when we put together our itinerary for this trip but we wound up having more time in the area than we'd expected as it didn't take that long to go through the WC-C. Seeing as how the aquarium is literally next door to the WC-C and we had most of the afternoon to work with, we figured why not go ahead and see it while we were there.

I mentioned earlier how the weather during our trip to Atlanta wasn't that great as it rained off and on (I'd say it was more "on" than "off", though) the entire time we were on the road. That said, the people of Atlanta seemed to be focused on enjoying various indoor activities and the aquarium proved to be quite busy that afternoon. When I say "quite busy", I'm talking about a crowd that resembled some we saw last year while at the theme parks in Orlando.

This was a spur of the moment deal so we didn't have tickets in hand when we decided to tour the aquarium which meant we had to wait in line to purchase them. Trouble was, the line to buy tickets using the aquarium's automated ticketing kiosks isn't protected from the weather. There was another line which was under cover but it was absolutely massive! I'm not sure what the deal was there but we opted to stick with the kiosks as they appeared to be the faster method for ticketing. Jill had her umbrella meanwhile I had a hat; she shared her umbrella with me but I wound up being mostly exposed, and that lead to me being quite soggy as the downpour continued. I wasn't as bad off as a fellow in front of us who had no protection whatsoever - he was drenched, needless to say, but his resolve was admirable.

By the time we got near the kiosks, there were probably better than 50 people in line behind us. I'd estimate that it took maybe 20 minutes to get to the front, which in reality isn't all that long of a wait but when you're standing in the rain 20 minutes feels like an hour. Seeing as how we'd been patient enough to observe proper queue etiquette, it was rather funny to hear the reactions of patrons near us as a woman attempted to walk right by the line and go straight up to the kiosks. After she was called out for her transgression, she turned around and looked at the line as if it were a herd of purple rhinoceroses playing chess - confused and caught off guard, in other words. Her kids laughed at her, as did we, and she took her rightful place in line after the fact.

[SIDE NOTE: For my wife & I, the cost of entry to the Georgia Aquarium was almost $65. By comparison, the WC-C tickets were barely $30. I realize an operation like an aquarium has a tremendous overhead, but what are they feeding those fish, lobster and prime rib?]

The Georgia Aquarium is a truly stunning facility, both in terms of its size and in regards to the collection of animals it hosts. There are otters, frogs, dolphins (which can be viewed as part of your admission but there is an additional charge to see a performance by them), jellyfish, and even whale sharks - yes, whale sharks, living in captivity and on display for all to see and appreciate. It's amazing to think that all those critters exist in the middle of an urban jungle like Atlanta. I'm glad we took the time to experience it as it would've been a mistake not to take advantage of the opportunity.

PORTERDALE, GA & BURNIE'S BBQ

After braving the traffic outbound from Atlanta, we made our way over to Porterdale, GA for an evening of professional wrestling action from Chikara, a promotion I've been wanting to see live for years but had never had the chance to previously. It was getting on towards supper time and I wanted to have a bite to eat before the show. Porterdale is a small town, much like our own, as we noticed there weren't many eateries to be had aside from a few national chains like Subway and Burger King. I like to be adventurous when we're on the road, though, and I particularly like to try local fare as in things that you can't get everywhere. This was exactly what we found in the form of Burnie's BBQ, which wound up being directly beside the venue.

Burnie's BBQ is a small restaurant located on Main street in Porterdale. If you weren't looking for it or didn't already know where it is, you more than likely will miss it as I didn't even see it until my wife pointed it out as we drove through town (for the second time; we made a reconnaissance lap, just to see what was around). Jill was a little hesitant to try it as she wasn't sure if it would be all that great or if the food might upset us. I'm happy to report that her concerns were dashed - Burnie's was some of the best BBQ we've ever had.

BBQ is a culinary anomaly in that it means very different things depending on what part of the world you're in. In the Carolinas, it's pork and either a mustard or vinegar based sauce, whereas in Texas it's usually beef. We have several great BBQ restaurants in our part of the world, and while they & Burnie's were similar in that they serve pulled pork BBQ the difference was in the fact that Burnie's BBQ is smoked over hardwood which gives it an entirely different flavor than what we're accustomed to having (we didn't try it but Burnie's offers turkey as well as pork). The meat was tender, moist, and the sauces Burnie's had to offer as an accompaniment were fantastic. We sampled several including one that is a strawberry habanero combination which had great sweetness from the berries but a real kick in the throat thanks to the peppers!

No BBQ plate is complete without side items and for mine I chose their Brunswick stew and potato salad. I'm a sucker for homemade potato salad and Burnie's was top notch. Brunswick stew, if you're not familiar with it, is similar to a vegetable soup as it has a tomato base and includes other vegetables as well as some type of meat, be it beef, chicken or pork (some traditional recipes involve rabbit and squirrel). It had a hearty consistency and was a great item for a chilly, dreary day like this one was. I could've made a meal out of it and some oyster crackers alone.

Jill & I were both very impressed with Burnie's, not only because of their food but also because of an encounter we had with one of the owners, Nina Mae. She and her husband operate Burnie's; she's a great asset to the restaurant as she took the time to explain their sauces to us, give us some background information about the town, and made us feel incredibly welcome. That's the sort of thing you can't get at a chain restaurant anymore and that's a big reason why I like going to places like Burnie's when we're traveling. You never know what you're going to get when you walk through their door, but sometimes you discover a real gem like Burnie's.

Burnie's BBQ
2021 Main ST
Porterdale, GA 30070
http://burniesbbq.com/

CHIKARA PRESENTS "THE GHOST OF YOU CLINGS"

Everyone who knows me well knows that I'm a huge fan of professional wrestling, and not just the stuff that comes on TV every Monday or Friday night. I like the smaller companies as well, such as Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla as well as local federations like Premiere Wrestling Experience and Pro Wrestling Evo. These are groups that are made up of guys and girls who are still working hard to make a name for themselves in an industry that's about as difficult (if not more so) to break into as just about any legitimate professional sport. Their passion for wrestling is on display every time they get into the ring, and Chikara is home to some of the most vibrant personalities you're likely to ever see inside the squared-circle.

Chikara is hard to describe to someone who's a casual wrestling fan. Theirs is a product which incorporates aspects of high-flying, mask-wearing luchadores from Mexico, Japanese "strong-style" (matches that are choreographed but involve action made to look more like mixed-martial arts fighting), traditional American wrestling and a decent helping of comedy to boot. Pro wrestling is a form of performance art, you see, and it should involve the full range of human emotion. I don't know that any company out there gets that quite as well as Chikara does as their events will leave you totally drained from having laughed, booed, cheered, and everything in between.

Chikara's shows feature themes, and the card we attended was titled "The Ghost of You Clings". I'm not going to try and explain what that means because it would involve me dictating the history of a faction within Chikara, and this entry to my blog is getting out of hand in terms of its length as is. To make a long story short, it has to do with the aftermath of a long-time member of the Chikara roster suddenly quitting the company as a result of their management forcing him into aligning with a different group.

Here's a list of results from the show and my comments on each.

1) Tag team match featuring local talent from Platinum Championship Wrestling - The Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey) defeated Shane Marx & The Jagged Edge

There were plenty of people in the crowd who were knowledgeable regarding PCW and I take it that the group has a strong local following, which is great to hear. The pacing of the match was way too quick, although this might have been what they were aiming for in an attempt to get the crowd going; they packed in a lot of high spots and when you do that so hurriedly they wind up looking cool but have no real point. Not a bad match but nothing superlative either.

2) Shenron defeated "The Kentucky Gentleman" Chuck Taylor

I've never seen Shenron before and the people we sat near who knew PCW's product had never seen him either, so he may be a new member of Chikara's roster. Chuck Taylor gave him a stiff contest as it looked like Taylor may have been testing him at times. Good showing for both with lots of support for Shenron in the crowd.

3) The Pieces of Hate (Jigsaw & The Shard) defeated Fire Ant & assailANT

Fantastic match between these 4 as you have a genuine display here of what Chikara is all about when it comes to masked gimmicks. Fire Ant & assailANT looked strong working together but they couldn't get past the combination of Jigsaw & the Shard, who have really dialed up the intensity of their style since becoming a tag team.

4) Gran Akuma defeated Sugar Dunkerton (with Icarus) by disqualification

Interesting dynamic going into the match as Sugar Dunkerton and Icarus were the only remaining members of F.I.S.T. (Friends In Similar Tights), and Gran Akuma was at one point in time a member of the group. The match ended after Icarus was caught shoving Gran Akuma off the top rope. Afterwards Sugar confronted Icarus about his cheating ways and announced that he was officially a "free agent" and quitting F.I.S.T.

5) Amasis defeated Kobald

"The Funky Pharaoh" Amasis continues his build towards a match against his old tag team partner Ophidian, here taking on a member of the Batiri in Kobald. This wasn't the cleanest match of the night nor did the finish have that great of an impact as they went through several false moments before ending on a rolling elbow, a move that didn't have near as much impact as the earlier series' had.

6) The Colony Extreme Force (Missile Assault Ant, Arctic Rescue Ant and Orbit Adventure Ant) & deviANT defeated The Spectral Envoy (Ultramantis Black, Hallowicked and Frightmare) & Green Ant

This match was as crazy as the combination of combatants would make you believe. An 8-man tag in a building this size made for some rather tight moments, but the crowd loved every minute of it as the biggest reaction of the evening went to the Spectral Envoy & Green Ant. Lots of great action here, including an insane inside-out suplex maneuver involving 6 of the wrestlers. Ultramantis Black and his team were disqualified after Missile Assault Ant removed his mask but made it look to the referee like UB had taken it off him.

7) Saturyne defeated Tim Donst

The angle here was more about Donst's torturing of Jacob Hammermeier and developing his feud with Gavin Loudspeaker than anything. I can't say as I cared too much for this match but it was decent for an inter-gender bout. Donst's group of misfits are so odd - they don't come off as being intimidating, rather they look like the weird, medicated and socially awkward kids from high school. Donst laid out Loudspeaker after the match and cut off some of his hair before being contained by referees.

8) Eddie Kingston defeated Mark Angelosetti to retain the Chikara Grand Championship

It was getting late into the evening by this point in time and you could tell by the crowd's reactions from this point in the card forward. Kingston came to the ring hobbling and favoring his left knee, apparently selling an injury from his match the night before in Gibsonville, NC against Green Ant. That knee became the focus of the match as Angelosetti, who looks very much to me like a young Chris Jericho, attempted to take it apart throughout. Hard to imagine an old school wrestling match out of Chikara but that's exactly what this felt like and it was well done, I thought; great build, fantastic tension, and a true sense that Eddie could've been defeated. Kingston fought through it, though, and he remains the Chikara Grand Champion.

9) Best 2-out-of-3 Falls - 3.0 (Shane Matthews & Scott Parker) defeated the Batiri (Obariyon & Kodama) to retain the Campeonatos de Parejas

3.0 found themselves in a hole early on as they lost the first fall then seemed to be reduced to 1.5 as Parker suffered an injury to his back as a result of having been thrown into one of the ring posts. Matthews would somehow manage to survive against not only Obariyon & Kodama but also Ophidian and Kobald as the entirety of the Batiri made themselves known throughout the contest, scoring the next pinfall by himself after a quick roll-up. Parker would return to the match after having received medical attention, his ribs heavily taped. 3.0 retained the Campeonatos de Parejas after what became a very spirited and entertaining bout.

I had a great time at this show and I cannot say enough about the entire experience we had in Porterdale. Perhaps what impressed me the most, though, was something that happened after the show was over. As we left the building we realized that almost all of the tecnicos (good guys) on Chikara's roster had gathered around the exit to greet fans. That's something I've never seen before, quite frankly. They were standing out there in the rain to say thanks - that's how you build appreciation for a product, by showing the fans that you care about them. I'll certainly be back again when Chikara heads south, hopefully sometime soon.

CONCLUSION

 My wife & I were married in Lugoff, South Carolina at Pine Grove Baptist Church on May 1, 2010. Life changed for us both that day, and I'd like to think we've been on the upstroke ever since in terms of growing as a couple in every way that two people can who are joined the way we are. Our relationship is as great as it's ever been as we still talk about everything and anything with each other (communication has always been one of our strongest points). Professionally speaking, we're both doing well as we're gainfully employed doing work that we enjoy. We have an awesome home, a fiesty little pooch named Roddy, and with any luck we'll begin to grow our family in the near future. Life is good, and it's because we have each other that we are where we are. That said, here's to many, many more anniversaries.

The Catawba Fish Camp

[SIDE NOTE: I put quite a bit of thought into the title of this entry. I was trying to come up with something catchy that I could use as something of a recurring theme for when I have the notion to write about a particular dining experience. As you might expect, I was aiming for a phrase with an alliterative affect to go along with the overall title of my blog (Redbeard's Rambling) but I quickly came to the determination that there aren't many culinary terms that begin with the letter "r". Sure, there's "rotisserie", "ragu", "remoulade" and "rhubarb"; sadly, none of those can be conveniently shifted into the role of an adjective. So, for this entry at least, I'm using a headline that's remarkably more bland than normal. However, should someone reading this have a clever idea for a title to be used on recurring food-based columns that you think is worthwhile please post it in the comments - full credit will be given to the originator of the material.]

If you look at statistics regarding turnover rates for independent restaurants (as in those not operating under the umbrella of a larger chain), the numbers are quite staggering. Depending on what studies you read, between 23%-26% of all new restaurants fail within their first year of operation. I find that to be scary, quite frankly, as it equates to a 1-out-of-4 scenario. I guess that sort of potentiality is something prospective and current business owners just accept as part of the risk of such a venture, or perhaps it's a statement regarding how some diners will always be better than others, but even so it's mind boggling to me that so many eateries die so quickly.

That said, it's great to hear about a local restaurant that's done well. The Catawba Fish Camp in Fort Lawn, South Carolina (situated along the Catawba river, hence the name) has done so well in fact that theirs is a history that spans more than 60 years. Having grown up in nearby Lancaster, SC it should come as no surprise that it's one of my favorite restaurants and a place that I always look forward to revisiting.

The Catawba Fish Camp - the roof is normally red when it's not covered with snow

The Fish Camp (as the locals refer to it; yes, Catawba Fish Camp is the full name of the joint but I honestly don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to it as anything other than simply "the Fish Camp") started off as a building that was not much more than a shack by today's standards. Now the Fish Camp is one of the larger restaurants in the Lancaster area, although the parking lot is significantly bigger than the building itself and on any given Friday or Saturday night you can expect almost every space to be filled with cars and a line of hungry patrons to be hanging out the door waiting for a taste.

So what makes the Fish Camp so special that it's lasted as long as it has? Great food, first and foremost, but also the fact that the Fish Camp has become an iconic eatery known for its style, southern presence and consistency in delivering some of the best seafood you're likely to find in the state.

Let me try to explain a bit about their food and what makes it so unique. Fish Camp is a seafood restaurant (What, you expected pizza?) but they also serve fried chicken as well as some of the best fried chicken livers you'll ever taste. Generally speaking, Fish Camp serves their food family style in an all-you-can-eat arrangement. (Items like crab legs or seafood platters aren't usually granted additional helpings.) The steaming hot food is brought to your table on a shiny silver platter - those platters are something of a trademark of the Fish Camp as they've been using them for as long as I can remember, and I've been eating there for the majority of my life. The photo below is one that I took a while back when visiting the Fish Camp.

What you see there is an example of some of Fish Camp's finest offerings. Starting in the top-left, you have flounder fillet, salt & pepper catfish fillet (the smaller, darker, more curled-up pieces), scallops and tilapia. Beneath that you have hush puppies and fresh cut French fries. Yes, almost all the food Fish Camp serves is fried (they do have boiled shrimp in shell as well as grilled chicken). If you have an aversion to food that's been breaded and cooked to a lovely golden brown, too bad. Actually, I take that back. If you don't like your seafood the way Fish Camp does it, good - that just means more for the rest of us.

If you're not familiar with the concept of seafood being prepared "salt & pepper", it's essentially nothing more than adding salt and pepper to the dredge used in breading the fish. Typically there's more pepper than salt which gives the fish some heat - it can liven up just about any variety of fish, although most commonly you see the salt & pepper tag applied to catfish fillet. Why, I couldn't tell you. It's one of those things that started sometime in the past and has caught on to the point that it's now more or less standard.

Flounder and catfish fillet are definitely the most popular catches at Fish Camp but my favorite happens to be the tilapia. Tilapia hasn't always been on the menu there; if I remember correctly, it was introduced a while back as a result of Fish Camp not being able to get enough flounder to suit demand. If you've never had it, tilapia is very much like flounder in that it's a white fish with a flaky texture. The flavor is mild and it has a surprisingly sweet taste to it. I like spicy food which is why I usually get mine prepared salt & pepper. I think it adds to the flavor of the fish and plays well off of its inherent sweetness. Hit it with a little cocktail sauce and you've got a meal that's just about perfect in my mind!

In describing the seafood I've neglected a few of Fish Camp's most well known accoutrements, specifically the hush puppies, slaw and French fries. The hush puppies and slaw are brought to your table along with your drinks as something of an appetizer (I've gotten a takeout order of nothing but slaw and hush puppies, truth be told, as I could make a meal out of them alone), and they compliment each other perfectly. The hush puppies are delivered to your table while they're still piping hot. If you've ever had a fresh, hot doughnut I can tell you that the experience of eating Fish Camp hush puppies isn't too far removed from that. Their exterior has a bit of a crunch to it but on the inside they're soft and warm. They'll literally melt in your mouth!

You have a choice of sweet or sour slaw - I prefer the sour although my wife prefers the sweet (I don't dislike the sweet slaw, I just would rather have the sour). I have no idea how they make the slaw other than to say that the cabbage is finely chopped, almost to a point where it takes on a pulpy consistency. I like to add a few good dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce into my slaw; again, I like spicy foods and I think the vinegar in the Texas Pete gets along great with the twangy condiment on the slaw. I like to use my hush puppy as a "sopping agent", for lack of a better phrase, to help me wrangle the slaw. That hush puppy gets even happier after he's had a chance to soak up some of the slaw's condiment/Texas Pete mix.

I've been going to the Fish Camp for as long as I can remember and one of my prevailing memories of the restaurant involves their French fries. When I was a young boy, my family would go to Fish Camp for supper and I often sat next to my Grandfather. My Grandpa was a big man (he earned the nickname "Big'um" in high school) with a deep voice. During one particular visit to Fish Camp I recall that he ordered fries with his meal but the waitress couldn't understand what he was saying - not a shock seeing as how it was a busy evening and the air was filled with conversations. Because of his tone of voice and the background noise, our waitress mistook his order of "fries" for "rice". To her credit she did at least go to the kitchen to verify that there was no rice on the menu. I think the only way this story could be more amusing to me is if she'd actually produced a side order of rice. I can only imagine what Grandpa's reaction to that would've been.

Another significant memory I have from the Fish Camp dates back to George W. Bush's first Presidential campaign. His tour rolled through the Lancaster area and made a stop at the Fish Camp where he stumped in front of a packed house of supporters and media. My Grandmother and I went to check it out - it's not every day that the potential next President of the United States comes to town, after all - but by the time we got there the restaurant was overflowing with people so we stood outside instead. His remarks were being pumped out into the parking lot via a public address system; ironically enough, when he was finished talking he made his way out and I believe we were amongst the first of people who got to meet him that day. He made his way through the crowd, signing autographs and greeting folks, all the while being shadowed by several large men wearing suits, sunglasses, cowboy boots and rodeo champion-sized belt buckles. They were Texas Rangers, his security detail for the campaign.

Yes, I met the man who would be the President while rocking sideburns that awesome.

I wouldn't go so far as to proclaim the Fish Camp as being "world famous", however I will say that it's had a moment in the spotlight of viral media albeit not thanks to their food. Back in 2008, surveillance video surfaced of a little girl who somehow managed to climb inside a claw game situated near the entrance of the restaurant. As you can see, it's a rather amazing piece of footage.

The little girl was fine and I hear she's now performing as a member of Cirque du Soleil. I made that up, actually, but if she's still as limber today as she was then I'd say she could've been an incredible contortionist. And yes, if you were wondering, the claw game is still there.

Another unique feature to the Fish Camp is the candy bar. Yes, you read that right - there's a candy bar at the Fish Camp. No, I'm not talking about a singular piece of candy such as a Snickers or 3 Musketeers, I'm talking about a bar that's loaded with God only knows how many different varieties of candy, everything from Big League Chew (a personal favorite of mine) to mammoth lollipops. The candy bar is situated near the check out registers and guests pass by it on their way out of the restaurant. Some might say it's a gimmick the restaurant is using to get parents to spend a little extra money while they're there since no child is going to see that spread without asking for a few sweets. Personally, I think it adds to the experience as it reminds me of my childhood and fond memories I have of spending time with my family.

I'm going to wrap up this entry in the most appropriate way I can think of, that being to send it out with a song. You know that your restaurant is a true cultural phenomenon when it and, more specifically, a waitress in particular inspires a piece of art. With that, I give you "Fish Camp Woman" performed by the king of the country-western troubadours, the one and only Unknown Hinson.

For more information on the Catawba Fish Camp, check them out on the web and at their Facebook page.

The Catawba Fish Camp

6131 Lancaster Hwy

Fort Lawn, SC 29714

Web - http://www.catawbafishcamp.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Catawba-Fish-Camp/