No talking in the library

Well, I'd say I've had a pretty productive weekend. I went to Coldstone Friday night, the pool Saturday afternoon, out in Midtown Saturday night, and spent today enjoying the sunshine and hitting up the library.

Call me a dork, but the library is so much fun. I just wanted to walk up and down the aisles all afternoon. I have seven different books checked out right now. It's interesting what the books I'm reading say about me. None of them are fictional books - those were the two I returned today because they didn't intrigue me soon enough. All of my books are nonfiction books of some kind and I think they say a lot about my life. I will just leave it that vague and continue on to another topic.

Oh yeah, I got a smoothie today and it was making me feel absolutely crazy... in a good way. It had strawberries, pineapple and kiwi and I had a great time with it. It put me in the best mood! I was just laughing hysterically at everything, acting somewhat intoxicated. I love FOOD!

Last night when we were out, this guy kept trying to talk to me and get me to dance. Needless to say, I wasn't having it, but at one point he was just like, "YOU ARE SHAWN JOHNSON." It was funny because I used to get that during the Olympics and it just picked up a bit because of Dancing With The Stars. I still think that nobody would tell me that if we weren't similar in size...

Chocolate milk

So, I finally got around to fixing that glass of chocolate milk that I talked about yesterday. It was just as incredible as I figured it might be. I think the anticipation over 24 hours might have helped.

I won the $45,000 bonus round on Wheel of Fortune tonight. The answer was "Court is adjourned." I think anybody would have been impressed if they had seen how few letters I had when I solved that puzzle. Yes, I measure my self-worth by how well I do on game shows sitting in my living room alone. And thankfully I do well, so I feel that life is worth living.

Today I had steak nachos for lunch for the second consecutive day, so that was exciting. I don't know if there's ever been a moment in my life that steak nachos didn't sound appetizing. I seriously amaze myself when it comes to Mexican food. When asked what I'd like to eat, I don't know that anything OTHER than Mexican food has come to mind first. Seriously. Occasionally I come up with something else I would like because I feel like other people are judging, but I usually make it pretty clear that my answer is going to be the same regardless of the day.

I have to get fuel for the Batmobile before I go to work tomorrow, so I'm about to hit the hay. On the way home from work, I decided I'd rather get up 15 minutes early than prolong my trip to the couch by 15 minutes. I think I made the right decision.

Tomorrow is FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAY!

I'm bringin' home a baby bumble bee

Won't my mommy be so proud of me?! You're darn right. My mother is always proud of me. I don't blame her.

So, I'm considering getting off of the couch and fixing a glass of chocolate milk. I would definitely drink one if it were in my hands right now.

I am watching Pyramid right now - this is such a great show. One of my goals in life is to be on a game show. I think I'd be pretty great at Pyramid. I'd actually be great at anything that doesn't involve trivia. History and geography are lost causes for me. Word games like Lingo are my forte. I am such a game show nut. My favorite is Family Feud... I actually got so sidetracked watching Pyramid that Family Feud has started now. HECK YEAH!

I can't believe it's almost the weekend already. I love four-day weeks. Which is why I looooooove Summer Fridays. Next week we start Summer Fridays, so I'll have every other Friday off work. Count. Me. In.

I'm too tired to say anything worth a hoot.

Wake up, go to the bathroom, go to prison

So, I was looking at www.ajc.com today and found myself laughing hysterically at a quotation in one of the articles. The article was about T.I. and his farewell concert before his 101-day prison stint. Here is what Kue Brower, a producer for T.I.’s opening act Southern Comfort, said in the paper:

“Prison - that’s not even a question,” he said. “Going to prison is like waking up in the morning. It happens to everybody.”

SERIOUSLY?!?! I mean, how many mornings have you literally woken up and thought today might be the day that you do something that lands you in prison?! Really? It 'happens' to everybody. It's kind of like the woman who said her son was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he chose to kill someone. WHAT?! It's not like going to prison is one of those inevitable life changes you encounter... ya know, one of those completely external circumstances that you find yourself facing.

Tomorrow is the day back to work after a holiday weekend. That's always a tough one. I am working on figuring some things out, though, so my life is heading on the up-and-up.

Accidents galore

So, let's talk about something crazy. I was driving home from work and nearing the exit ramp for Roswell Road. I was stopped and glanced in my rearview mirror to see a car rearend the car behind me. It scared me and my heart started pounding so I pulled over to make sure I hadn't been hit as well. The three of us were on the side of the road looking at the damage and my car had not been affected.

As we are looking out into the interstate, I see something ugly about to happen. Another car was stopped on the exit ramp and a car came barreling towards it at about 40 miles per hour. I felt the air from the impact about 10 yards away from me. Pieces of car went airborn and I swear my heart stopped. The three of us from the first collision were all standing there in shock, as this literally happened right before our eyes.

At this point, there are six cars on the side of the road and we are all in states of shock, waiting for the police to arrive. I debated about leaving, but didn't want to leave since I had now witnessed two car accidents. Just when I thought it was over, I heard a screech, turned my head, and witnessed a third car accident about fifteen yards away.

I was seriously speechless. It is still surreal to me. When the cops came, I was freed to go since there were enough people who said there was no debate about what had happened in any of the accidents. Oh man! I can't even believe it.

Then, on a sad note, a friend was in a car accident in which two people were killed. Thankfully he is okay, but it was just so overwhelming. So many lives seemed to flash right before eyes. I guess it goes to show you that anything can happen at any time.

Immersion

HAPPY FRIDAY. It's the Friday before a holiday weekend. Heck yes! I am in the process of getting caffeinated. It would be so awesome if people didn't need sleep. I love sleeping, but being tired sucks.

I check the weather all the time and I have no idea why. It's not like it matters what the weather is like when I am sitting inside. Maybe checking the weather becomes an obsession when there isn't a window in sight. Or perhaps I'm just a fool.

So, I heard something kinda cute on the way to work this morning. Someone on the radio said this little bit of wisdom: "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight." How adorable is that! It makes me think about how great it is when you find yourself laughing at something in your head. I have found myself doing that a lot lately. Not in a psychotic way, but in a smiling-on-the-inside kinda way.

Oh yeah - So, I just glanced at what I had already titled this and realized I hadn't talked about that yet. Anyways, I am reading a cool book titled Standing at Water's Edge. It's about creativity and it's really interesting so far. It kind of helps dissect the creative process and the thought processes of creators. It is about how people enter into states of creative immersion through different hobbies, relationships, etc. I know this is heavy thinking for a Friday morning, but I want to read more of it, so I figured I'd yap about it for a moment.

Time to focus. Peace out, player-haters.

Subcommittee of the committee of the...

Well, I got a library card on Sunday and checked out five books. I've only decided one of them is worthless so far. If I had actually looked at its cover, I would have judged it and wouldn't have gotten it. That just shows you to always judge a book by its cover. I started on a different one, but haven't gotten into that one yet. It may be time to move on...

I am telecommuting today. I have a doctor's appointment on the other side of creation this afternoon, so my employer was kind enough to let me work from home. I'd rather be at work than the doctor, but at least I'm making the most of the opportunity!

I really want to go running for some reason. I know it would be absolutely stupid to do considering the SC joint, but it sounds so freeing. For now, though, I will stick with lower-impact exercise to preserve the fact that I have two arms. On a side note, my arm/shoulder/chest is feeling good.

I just woke up and am already tired.

Walk it out (Walk it out)

Today was the day! Despite the horrid weather predictions, it actually didn't end up being too bad for the walk. We got misted on for maybe .5 or 1 mile, but it was great otherwise. It wasn't sunny or anything, but it beat what I thought it would be. I had a team of eleven folks, so we had a good time!

I did not perservere enough for the cotton candy. I waited in line for about ten or fifteen minutes once and it just wasn't moving like I hoped it would be. Then, a little later, my mom went back and waited in line for another ten minutes or so, but the line was just at a stand-still. I guess I didn't go for the cotton candy anyways, but it was slightly disappointing! At least the hot dog was good.

I have had an otherwise lazy day. I have felt unbelievably tired; I think it's the allergies battling against me. I was planning to go to the Braves game today, but felt that I had maxed out my outdoors time this morning. I'm just ready for this pollen nonsense to pass. I am watching the Braves on television and don't mind that I am sitting in the comfort of my bed for this loss. I shouldn't act like this game's over yet...

It's bedtime. I am going to go to spin in the morning to try to alleviate some of this allergy craziness!

Sinus Magee

I am beyond ready for allergy season to be over. My face feels so crowded right now. I have high hopes that I am nearing the final stretch.

Tomorrow is the walk for CF. I am excited that it is finally here, but kinda wish my team had exceeded $10,000 in donations. There's still a chance that it will happen since the donation deadline was extended through June 30. A swell friend of mine also already has a fundraiser in the works for June 13, so that's pretty awesome! Right now, I believe the team is maybe about $500 short of $10,000.

Anyways, the weather predictions for tomorrow aren't looking so hot. But the cotton candy prediction is promising. I should have starved myself all day so I could make room for cotton candy. Now that I think about it, is it possible to get full on cotton candy? I mean, it's basically a liquid by the time it makes it to your stomach. I guess you could eat it until you got sick from the sugar and vomited. Note to self. I'm hoping for some good weather for a good morning with good friends!

Today I started rereading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. What a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone who may have stumbled upon this. It made me think about a lot the first time through, and I found myself thinking about even more in the chunk I read earlier today. I admire him.

I guess I'm going to get ready to sleep. I took some Benadryl in hopes of straightening some shenanigans out within my face. Sinus pain SUCKS!

I'm hoping for a great day tomorrow!

What a day!!!

Well, today was a grand success if I've ever seen one. First off, I got up at regular time and worked from home for several hours. Then, I used some comp time to relax for the afternoon. I feel like I accomplished a lot.

I went and picked up my new license plate for my car, so that's nice. A part of me was hoping to get some really cool letter and number combination, so there was some slight disappointment when it looked like any old license plate, but I can't win them all. I got 50% of the letters from my first name and 67% of the numbers from my month/date birthday, so that's success. Yes, I realize that it's dorky that I have already thought about this, but this is why I will beat you at nearly any puzzle or game show. In that case, I can win them all.

Then, I went to the gas station and grocery store. It was adventurous going through the grocery store during the day because there were lots of elderly folks blocking the aisles. It's okay, though, because I considered the trip to be a speedy success. I spent $40, which is good for me, because I usually end up at the checkout with hardly anything. I didn't get anything exciting, with the exception of oyster crackers. Gosh, those are great.

I came home and my uncle hooked me up with his TiVo. That's exciting because maybe I can start working on my New Year's resolution, which was to start watching more television. I have failed miserably so far. I recorded my first TV show tonight - The Office. I look forward to trying to figure out how to watch it. My uncle and I also hit up Coldstone, where I got the traditional watermelon sorbet with gummy bears. It was incredible!

Finally, I have saved the best news for last... I have been fundraising for the Great Strides CF walk that takes place on Saturday morning. Today, I exceeded my personal fundraising goal of $5,000, so I am very happy to have met it despite getting off to a slow start! I have had the support of many amazing people and seeing the progress brings me tears of joy. I won't be able to thank folks enough when CF finally stands for Cure Found. :o)

Wrong place at the wrong time

So, you know how people sometimes say that someone was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? I just heard it on the news. This mother was saying that her son was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her son shot and killed a bartender and was previously charged with armed robbery and a home invasion/shooting. How does that even make sense?! Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is like innocently walking down the sidewalk eating an ice cream cone when a car jumps the curb and hits you. I don't think executing premeditated crimes constitutes as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But maybe I'm crazy...

In case anyone was wondering about my candle-handing-out experience last Thursday night... Believe it or not, I was a candle-handing-out failure. I was talking with someone about something on the computer at work and walked outside and all of the people were gone. I ran around the corner to find them all already holding candles. My bad. I failed miserably at my responsibility for the night. Thankfully everyone got a laugh out of it when I came running outside and realized I missed it.

I have been in a neverending battle over homeowner's dues with the property management company of my condo complex. It's like they're drunk at work every day or something. After relentlessly arguing, I finally got them to remove about $800 that were incorrectly billed to me. Today I got an email from the guy letting me know that now all I owe is $56.71 for October's prorated dues. Thankfully, I was able to conveniently attach the document he provided me last month showing that I already paid that amount. Get it together, moron. I don't think he realizes how stupid he looks. Or maybe he does considering I Facebooked him and he had a picture of him licking a statue of a woman's breasts. So professional... Makes me feel like I'm dealing with a stand-up guy. I wish I could have uploaded a photo when I filed my complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Anyways, I guess I'm gonna hit the hay. I sat in on five interviews and a two-hour training today. Needless to say, I don't even remember my name right now.

Red Beezy

OMG. I am drinking a Red Bull. I am so not like this, but I've already worked over 40 hours this week and it's Thursday. Today I have been that delirious level of tired where I seem intoxicated.

I went to the SC joint doctor on Tuesday and got some good news...ish. He said let's give it two more months before considering anything 'invasive.' I'm happy to hear that, but I also wouldn't mind kicking the pain to the curb. I was prescribed a few different medications administered through patches, so that has been helping a little. Whatever... I'm a champion.

I'm about to have to go hand people candles. That is my task for tonight. Saturday I was assigned the task of THE Beer Supervisor for a party with over 1,200 guests. Good idea? Not so much. My job description said to look for visibly intoxicated people and take them to the medic tent. I say that in the past tense because I think I switched shifts with someone. Anyways, yeah... As exciting as it sounded, I don't know that I want to be in charge of regulating drunks.

Well, it's candle time. I can't wait to go home!

Exhausted

Man, it's been a little while since I've written, huh? I guess almost two weeks. It seems like I've been really busy, but I can't even think of exciting stuff to say I did.

I went and got ice cream at Coldstone three times this week. I got berry yogurt with gummy bears twice and watermelon sorbet with gummy bears once. That watermelon sorbet was so good that it makes me salivate when I imagine it.... I wish I was drinking some milk right now, but I'm too lazy to go downstairs and get any.

My sternoclavicular joint is causing problems. Yesterday and today it felt like it did a day or two after I injured it, which sucks because it's been about eight weeks. I really hope that some miracle happens before I go back and see the doctor on May 12. I read online about options to fix it if it's not healing on its own. Let's just say that none of them seemed really exciting.

I can't believe it's May already. Last night was really the first night since the allergy escapade that I slept through the entire night without waking up coughing..... Knock on wood. I am hoping for another good night tonight. I just took an Advil PM because I have an excruciating headache. Time to go to sleep! I can't wait!