Morning Home School Basketball

I am in the midst of a difficult PhD program as well as suffering from serious insomnia. For both stress relief and fun, I take 2 to 3 hours of dance classes four nights a week. Last night I went to my dance classes, met some friends until midnight and then came home only to have a wicked case of insomnia until 4 AM. Luckily, I didn't have to be up until noon or so I thought.
My neighbor home schools her kid, and for the most part I don't hear much out of them. Since it has been warm and we live at the dead end of a cul-de-sac, the home school parents bought a rolling basketball goal that they are apparently hauling down to the street. At 8 AM this morning, I get awakened by the sound of the basketball going bounce, bounce, bounce on the pavement along with 5 or 6 kids shrieking outside. There is only one kid next door so I assume these were all friends of his. For four hours this goes on, so that even with only four hours of sleep I am kept awake.
First of all, these brats should be in school but if they are going to be home schooled they need to be inside a house, doing school work. Secondly, there is a park two blocks away with basketball courts where they could go if they must play basketball in the early morning. If they simply must play at their house, the goal needs to be left at the top of the driveway, not down to the road.
As of now, I am exhausted and hoping it rains tomorrow morning so I can sleep in.

Playing basketball all day on a school day in 2015 = Homeschooling

Playing basketball all day on a school day when I was in school in the 80s & 90s = TRUANCY

I don't know if it helps you (because I don't know why you have insomnia), but when I'm working on something intellectually challenging I keep a piece of paper and a pencil beside my bed so that I can jot down thoughts and feel free to forget them and sleep.

Last night I didn't have paper and I made myself think through the new limitation I'd thought of three times before I went to sleep. (It did work, I remembered it this morning.)

I'm lucky, I live in a quiet area. Virtually NO kids! wink

Pro Tip for home shoppers - older urban areas can work for you. I live in a gentrified hipster area, it's expensive, and breeders avoid it. Why pay for an older home with a tiny 'yard' when you can get a McMansion in Burbia for the same price? And don't forget - Lead Paint can be Your Friend!

Now on sleep issues - I have (had) the opposite issue to where I was always tired. My friend talked me into trying PE (Pseudo Ephedrine) for the sinuses - and OH MY GOD! I CAN BREATHE!

People are trying to tell me I have allergies. Yes, I might, but - I'm not sneezing. So I didn't think too much of it. But that is what it was - the passages in my head were all swollen. The PE shrinks that down. THAT'S why I was always so tired - I wasn't getting enough Oxygen.
Said friend dragged me to a store to discuss this with a Pharmacist (you have to get the PE from the Pharmacist also) - and that's what they said - you're not breathing right, you're not getting enough O2.

Wow. I cannot *believe* what a difference this has made! I told my friend - go ahead and say 'I told you so'. So she did, HA. Yep, she was right. I'll be damned.

And NO WONDER they run those "Smart Sinus Surgery" ads EVERY SINGLE DAY on TV here! It must be a widespread issue, here, anyway, they'd not advertise this if there weren't a call for it. I'm not kidding - these ads have run every single day here since at least last Thanksgiving. And the allergy med ads run often enough too. Yes, all through the Winter with them, too.

You move there, you'll get bad allergies, it'll wreak havoc on your sinuses. Ooof. They were right.

I feel SO much better now! Wow. I can breathe. Oh and the constant ringing in my ears has stopped too. I'll be damned. I even looked at this 'Smart Sinus Surgery' - ERG. NO. It says that is for people that not even Steroids can help. Yeah, I'm not *that bad*. And it basically looks like doing a balloon angioplasty - to your head. No thank you.

I'm SO GLAD I listened and tried this med! I vaguely remember it being included it some 'sinus med' I had previously, yes I should've thought of this.

Anyway, those with sleep issues may want to consider sinus problems too. Might be a factor.

Evil, just remember this - those kids WILL get bored! What I have noticed is that children bore quickly with any outdoor activities and soon go back to their video games.

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Zzelda


Now on sleep issues - I have (had) the opposite issue to where I was always tired. My friend talked me into trying PE (Pseudo Ephedrine) for the sinuses - and OH MY GOD! I CAN BREATHE!

And NO WONDER they run those "Smart Sinus Surgery" ads EVERY SINGLE DAY on TV here! It must be a widespread issue, here, anyway, they'd not advertise this if there weren't a call for it.

.

Balloon Sinuplasty

I'm considering this. I've had my nose hooked up to a faucet since birth.

_______________________________________________
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

I add my vote to the PE (psuedoephedrine) crowd. And it has to be pseudo, not the OTC phenel (sp?), which is worthless (even Consumer Reports says so). 80% of "sinus" headaches are really migraines, and just a half-tablet of pseudo each day has kept me almost migraine-free for years.

And I also recommend to the oxygen-starved crowd (I was one too) Breathe-Right strips. The regular ones are good; the Breathe-Right Extra are great! Do I look dorky? Sure do, but I'm alive and fit, and for that, I'll accept dorky.

You could probably stir up some real trouble for the homeskoolers by calling the local government truancy officers or child protective services about the basketball playing during normal school hours. Many public school systems don't especially like homeschooling anyway and will look for a reason to bust parents like these for not fulfilling their promise to educate their kyds. By the same token, many shopping malls and other noted teen hangouts have rules against school-aged children being there during school hours, even including those who claim to be homeschooled.

We are seeing more and more anecdotal evidence that many who have pulled their kyds out to "homeschool" are doing no such thing: Mom sleeps in, plays Farmville, posts on social media, etc., while the kids are told to read books to learn on their own or simply are allowed to do little more than play, watch TV, and stay online. We have also seen evidence that Mom wants to begin "homeschooling" when the youngest is ready to start school and Mom realizes her SAHM gravy train is otherwise about to end. Homeschooling becomes her excuse to continue to stay at home.

Do it, ECB. Call the authorities. But phrase your complaint in such a way that you are actually expressing concern about whether the homeskooled children are learning anything because they are outside playing games all day every day.

Keep us posted.

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thom_c

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Zzelda


Now on sleep issues - I have (had) the opposite issue to where I was always tired. My friend talked me into trying PE (Pseudo Ephedrine) for the sinuses - and OH MY GOD! I CAN BREATHE!

And NO WONDER they run those "Smart Sinus Surgery" ads EVERY SINGLE DAY on TV here! It must be a widespread issue, here, anyway, they'd not advertise this if there weren't a call for it.

.

Balloon Sinuplasty

I'm considering this. I've had my nose hooked up to a faucet since birth.

Arrrr ~ Ye Hijackers!

Or, maybe yarg. I couldn't do it, you're a braver soul than I. I don't have it too bad myself. Why not try to DIY it? You could get some of those Family Dollar balloons, like the long ones to make animals. And then you put the one end in the nose, blow the other end, I think this would probably work ~



Speaking of Klowns ~

You might be a Hipster if ~
You see a teen boy riding a Krusty The Klown bike wearing the same skinny (yet sag ass and falling down) neon blue jeans that you are. In fact - your entire outfits are basically identical.

ERG

Serious note - Evil, your air quality and breathing can make a difference in your sleep. You may also consider fans for 'white noise'. Or air purifiers which may clean your air and produce some white noise at the same time. Yes, not much can 'cover' loud B Ball thumping and shrieking - but alot of it can be 'drowned out' greatly, in my experience. I have been lucky to have always lived in relatively quiet areas myself. Let's hope that holds.

Wishing you peace also ~

Perhaps a stupid question. Have you tried ear plugs, the soft foam kind? I use them. Hubby and dog snore like freight trains, and keep me awake if I lie with them. More often than not I end up sleeping on the couch. I also add headphones and classical music over the plugs. I wish you the sleep you rightly deserve.