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David, Loved your story, though it reminded me once again why I usually opt for stretch pants instead of jeans. I have sometimes regretted the decision to wear jeans, especially at work when I have a few minutes between classes to use the bathroom and the darn fingers just won't work right. I have a few suggestions to help your sinemet kick in quicker, gleaned through trial and error and other people's input: 1. Stand on your head, or at least your shoulders for a few minutes. This seems to get the blood flowing quicker and thus the med to the brain. It alsow helps foot cramping, if that's a problem. 2. Do some other exercise. I use a nordic track, which seems to work faster than other methods, but I've also had pretty good success with the Canadian Air Force exercises. 3. Almost any activity is better than none. I have the longest wait when I just sit and read. 4. Eat popcorn! I discovered this recently when I wanted to take Cisapride to move food through my system more quickly and my doctor didn't want to prescribe it. I remembered that my husband used to call popcorn push-em-through food, so I tried eating some when I was "off," and sure enough, it seemed to work. This is most effective when you have food in your stomach, so it may not help much first thing in the morning. 5. Drink a full glass of water - the more the better. I admire your courage in living alone, because it's a prospect I dread facing. It's reassuring to know that if something absolutely has to get done that I can't do, someone is there to help. I've thought that if I do find myself alone in the future, I might try to find a few other pder's to share a house with. If we can stagger our on/off periods, there should usually be someone capable of helping the others. In addition, we could take on a "normal" person, perhaps a college student, who would be willing to help out in exchange for room and board. A friend who's a quadriplegic has worked out a similar arrangement. It might be a way to put off the nursing home option a bit longer. Just some early morning thoughts. Thanks for the chuckle and good luck in your struggles. Pat