Why I am running the Philadelphia Marathon… for Abbe Meck and all those that suffer from seizure disorders on behalf of the Epilepsy Therapy Project. Please donate if you can… http://goo.gl/k685P

I am running for my fiancee, Abbe Meck. Abbe is the amazing person that gave me the courage to run my first marathon in honor of her cousin Alayna two years ago. At the conclusion of the 2011 Disney Marathon, I had a surprise for Abbe – I proposed to her immediately after crossing the finish line and she accepted!

This past January, we were getting ready to take on an even bigger challenge, the Goofy Challenge – a half and full marathon on consecutive days. The day before the half marathon, Abbe suffered two grand mal seizures. The second of which meant she was kept for observation and not cleared to run with me during the half. I had to run for the first time without my running partner. I ran those 13.1 miles angry and upset at her seizures for taking my girl away from me that day. Amazingly, Abbe was cleared to run the full marathon the next day and we finished happy and healthy.

I tell everyone that my 39.3 miles is nothing compared to what Abbe accomplished.

I am running for Abbe and everyone who has had their lives affected by seizure disorders. Please give if you can and share your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, email, everywhere!

Please donate if you can… http://goo.gl/k685P

Small Business/Tech Links…

• Facebook Timeline – Don’t Complain, It’s Good For Business
• Official Google statement: ranking algorithm updates in April
• 7 Tools for Getting Started on Mobile App Development
• iOS 5.1.1 Update Addresses Bugs With Camera Shortcut, AirPlay, And Network Connections

Funny/Interesting Links…

• Boyfriend answers romantic note with most unromantic response imaginable
• Awesome kid’s survival instincts kick in
• Maurice Sendak, Children’s Author Who Upended Tradition, Dies at 83

Today is a busy day. Bubs has an ice hockey game down at the Hollydell Ice Arena, then I have back to back softball games (weather permitting). I better get going, but here’s a few pictures from last evening, Abbe and I headed to the Sand Stand after dinner and took our ice cream for a walk down to sit on the floating docks at Beach One. Beautiful.

Funny/Interesting Links…

• Should You Eat That Bacon?… Mr. Sato definitely thinks you should
• Angry Tea Rap

OK, first off… HOLY SHIT WHAT A HOCKEY GAME LAST NIGHT!!! WOOO HOOO FLYERS!!!! TWO HAT TRICKS!!!

So, I did accomplish what I promised myself – troubleshooting these sleep issues. I am going to be seen by the pulmonary unit at Deborah Heart & Lung in a couple weeks, probably for a sleep study. The folks I spoke to on the phone were so nice – they remembered my mother (Mom is a retired RN) who worked there and my father (Dad had a quadruple bypass there) as a patient. I saw my doctor that afternoon, and he let me know that the nasal spray I had been using off and on has a side effect… insomnia! He wrote me a script for the sinus issues and wants to hear back after I meet with the folks at Deborah.

The other troubleshooting idea I came up with was purchasing Night Recorder, an iPhone app that allows you to set a recording level (so you set it just above whatever ambient noise there is in your bedroom) and it records anything above that. The first night using it revealed the following…

• 11:35pm Abbe coughing
• 11:49pm Abbe coughing
• 12:28am Titan getting up and laying down
• 12:30am Abbe coughing
• 12:31am Titan getting up and laying down
• 12:34am Abbe coughing
• 2:13am Titan getting up and laying down
• 3:11am Titan getting up and laying down
• 6:20am Titan getting up and laying down
• 6:26am Me burping
• 7am Me waking up and turning off the app

So not much, but it was relieving to not hearing a recording of me snoring and gasping for air or anything! I’m going to continue to record sleep until the meeting with the team at Deborah, it’s kinda like Paranormal Activity… maybe I learn something, or maybe I find out all the stuff that goes down while I’m catching some Z’s. I think Titan might need a comfy dog bed and Abbe needs some cough medicine!

Small Business/Tech Links…

• 10 Keyword Blunders That Could Cost You Money
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• Apple Releases Mac Flashback Trojan Removal Tool
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• 5 Things That Waste Your Time at Work [INFOGRAPHIC]
• CEO Bloggers: To Blog or Not to Blog

Funny/Interesting Links…

• Little girl acts her heart out to get out of cleaning up
• Boobstagram
• How to clear your sink of dishes in the laziest way possible
• 12 of the most inappropriate tourist photos ever taken
• How to Dance Goth
• Children cover Rammstein

Another rough night sleeping last night and I’ve had enough. I called my most trusted source of health information this morning (AKA Mommy). I am going to try to be seen by my doctor today. The sinus infection may have come back, which could be causing my adenoids to become enlarged – which could also be causing airway restriction while I sleep. I am also going to look into being seen by the pulmonary unit at Deborah Heart & Lung for an eval and possible sleep study.

I have to get this worked out, I’m becoming too much of a burden to Abbe and the kids.

Movie Reviews…

Take Shelter – I swear I can personalize any movie I watch with a main character roughly around my age range. And right now, with my sleeplessness, I feel awful and exhausted constantly, ergo – this was tough to watch. OK, the movie – it’s very well done, but the question of is the main character losing his mind or is there really an apocalyptic storm approaching real is tough and uncomfortable to watch no matter how well you are sleeping at night. Great movie, but this would probably be upsetting for some. Thanks to Gil and Faith for passing along this suggestion.

Small Business/Tech Links…

• A Case Study in Social Media Demographics
• Amazon Beats Google to a Cloud Search Offering
• There Are Now 200,000 People In Everyme Circles
• Google Announces 2-for-1 Stock Split

Funny/Interesting Links…

• An anti-bullying video we really could have used as kids
• Finally, a rap song I can relate to
• Quitting jobs I don’t have
• CCOKC – Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron

I think I’ve solved my recent health problems – sleep apnea. I’m a snorer. I am only around 10-15 pounds overweight, but the symptoms are just screaming at me right now. Waking up with headaches. Waking up several times every night. Feeling irritable during the day. And then I look at my environment at bedtime – sometimes I have a big meal two hours before bed, I have a space heater right next to my side of the bed (dries up my sinuses and makes me mouth breathe), my sinuses have been clogged, and I could probably prop my head up a bit more.

So what’s the plan? Since my shitty health insurance would cover about $2 worth of a sleep study, let’s just assume I have sleep apnea. I’m going to lose those 10-15 pounds, move the heater (it’s getting warmer now anyway), absolutely no more eating two hours before bed, and maybe a new pillow.

Thoughts from last night… if a TV show existed that covered Amish inmates, Abbe would never stop watching TV, ever. Ever. Also, if somehow there was a singing competition involved too… forget about it.

Amish Inmate Idol = Abbe Meck heaven.

Movie Reviews…

The Sitter – Jonah Hill is hilarious in this film and the kids are really great too. But my upbringing makes me want to like Adventures in Babysitting more.

Small Business/Tech Links…

• ICQ seeks comeback with mobile app update, new iPad version
• Getting Clients
• 5 Ways to Market Your Brand With Location-Based Networks

Funny/Interesting Links…

• Whites of Their Eyes
• What it looks like when “Titanic” fans find out the sinking of the Titanic actually happened
• How to stop a fight on the NYC subway
• Old Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era - one of the sweetest things you’ll see today