Yen

Hi!

Well, I am all Cortisoned up since the last time I wrote. The injection went well; it was much easier than last time. It was the exact same procedure, but last time I had no idea what was going to happen. This time, though, I was mentally prepared to feel like my chest was collapsing, so I wasn't concerned when it happened. The soreness seems to be better this time, too, or maybe it's just that I was expecting it... Hopefully it will stop hurting in about 24 hours!

Umm, my friend AM is in town. Awesome! We have kept it pretty low-key, but we did go out to Willy's for lunch and had sushi for dinner with JM. It was like a Dominican Republic reunion. I love dinners with friends!

I'm exhausted because we stayed up really late after her arrival last night (or I guess technically today). We have agreed to sleep in tomorrow... big time!

My new phone is still making me really happy. I learn new tricks all day long!

We haven't figured out yet what we'll do tomorrow night, but I'm sure it will be fun. Cheers to a wonderful 2011, y'all! It's resolution time!

ROAR ROAR ROAR

It seems like I just wrote, but what gives...

Right now I'm perturbed because I just opened a ridiculous medical bill...and I don't use the term 'ridiculous' lightly. It's amazing that health procedures cost so much money, especially when they're things that I don't even want. I guess it would be one thing if I behaved in a way that brought on tons of medical expenses, but it's sort of lame that something genetic could cost so much money. Normally I don't have a 'why me' attitude and that's not what I'm trying to convey; I'm just saying that it's a shame that all of this money pays for things I'd rather not have. In case it wasn't obvious, opening that envelope was not a good end to my day. But oh well...all of my complaining isn't going to give me a discount, so I should probably stop.

What else? I'm tired. I just finished working lights at the theatre. I am going to sleep like a baby. I guarantee you that.

I'm getting my Cortisone injection tomorrow. PUT IT ON MY TAB. (Side note: I can't really be too bitter about that one because the cornhole injury was an unfortunate accident directly related to my behavior.) Pitiful.

I had a nice Christmas and have had an enjoyable week so far. Aside from the Falcons' loss on Monday and my long complaint-ridden paragraph to start this blog, I really don't have anything to complain about. :-)

My phone is CRAZY!

Sweet dreams. You are awesome.

Hoooo, Hoooo, Hoooo

That title was me being Santa from A Christmas Story. We're in the throes of the 24-hour marathon (or whatever it is nowadays!), and I always find myself repeating Santa's angry "Hoooo, Hoooo, Hoooo" before he stomps on Ralphie's fingers.

Anyway, mentioning A Christmas Story is the perfect segue into last night's improv show since we did what we liked to call A Christmas Improv. It was a fun show and I had a lot of friends and family members supporting me. A mainstager who's in school in LA was home for the holidays, so he performed with us (Damien). I played Questions and Advice, Narration Switch, and Emo Interview (changing). Cheers to my last show in 2010!

I'm very tired, but I felt like writing anyway. I can't believe it's almost Christmas. This year was unbelievably long, but incredibly short at the same time. It always baffles me how I can feel that way. You know what I'm talking about, though...

Today I got a new phone, so I'm pretty excited about that. It's fancy! I'm enjoying it because I had lost all patience with the pitiful phone I was using as a replacement. This phone is doing crazy-cool things so far and I realize I have probably only seen 1% of what it has to offer. High five for technology!

I really wrote this post to tell everyone happy holidays. This is always a thought-provoking time of year, and there are many things that make me grateful. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this year wonderful!

Fra-gee-lay

Hi! It's Tuesday!

It feels like the week is flying by, but I realize it's only Tuesday. I guess I'm allowed to say it's flying by, though, since tomorrow is basically Friday. Woohoo! I loooove shortened workweeks!

Last night we had our annual family Bunco game. Per usual, I did just good enough and just bad enough to keep from winning anything. Shucks! It was fun to see everyone, though. I need to work on my dice-rolling skills.

What else? I'm editing our entire [new] website at work; it's launching in January. Most people would think this was punishment, but I think it's an early present! I felt like I accomplished so much yesterday and then realized I have about 348297329785263 pages to go. I WILL PREVAIL!

I can't believe it's the week of Christmas. Seriously. It seems like just the other day I was backing into a car and yelling about my kidney stones. Ahh, the memories! It's pretty inevitable that I'll have better luck in 2011, although 2010 has been a blast despite its complications.

Well, I guess it's time to head to work and HTML the silly out of some things. Perhaps I'll treat myself to Starbucks. What latte do I want today?! Decisions, decisions.

Have a great one! <3 <3 <3

It's pouting time

I'm in an unexplained bad mood right now. I really can't rationalize it, but I think it's probably a combination of being tired and having a long to-do list. WHATEVER.

Thursday's show was awesome! It was sold out and we got a standing ovation. Hoorah! I was in a straight scene, ABC Buzzer, Emo Second Date (not changing emotions), Meet the Holiday Experts and Oscar Musical. The audience was great and had a lot of energy, so we responded with a lot of energy. I enjoyed myself! 'Tis the season...

Friday I telecommuted for a bit and went into work for another little bit. One of my colleagues (HA!) was having her going away party, so we all went to El Azteca for happy hour. Me, TO, and a couple work friends (KQ and SS) then went to the theatre to watch the show. It, too, was a sellout, so we watched it from the cafe.

Yesterday I made myself useless for a lot of the day and then covered someone's lights shift at the theatre. That definitely wasn't in my plans, but duty called. Soooooo, I stayed up way too late again. I did get a present, though, from ES! I got the Elf DVD (LOVE IT!), some rum (LOVE IT!), and the Jimmy Eat World CD (LOVE THE TRACKS I'VE HEARD!).

I'm pretty sure it's nap time.

DD phone home

My silly phone isn't cooperating with me. Yesterday I couldn't hear anyone that called. The same thing happened today, and then some key buttons quit working. After growing increasingly impatient today, I decided to use this back-up that I promise is from the early 2000s. Now I just hooked up this Zack Morris style cell phone and will give it a whirl tomorrow, I guess.

I just got home from rehearsal. The roads were icy, so me and KW got there late. Then, rehearsal went a little longer than expected because we were working on something. Add the ice into the drive home and here it is after 11:00 p.m. I'm about to go to sleep!

Anyway, I just thought I'd document here that my phone is acting a fool.

Sweet dreams!

Roaaaura

Daaaaaang, it's been a while. Tell me the last time I didn't start off by saying something like that.

Well, Wednesday I took my car to Nissan to get the brakes checked out because they were making unusual noises. Basically, the dude gave me a paper explaining that Nissan brakes sometimes make unusual noises. So, I guess that resolves that ... unless my brakes go out. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Wednesday afternoon we had a university-wide marketing/communications meeting and holiday celebration. We went bowling at the new mini-alley they opened at an on-campus hotel. I was hesitant to bowl because my SC joint was hurting, so I drank a beer before bowling. Self-medication. Then, I got children's-sized shoes with Velcro on them. Then, between addressing comments that the bowling ball was bigger than me, I proceeded to bowl an 83, which is pretty phenomenal for me.

I performed some improvisational comedy on Thursday night, so that was fun. One of the cast members got sick, so we had a last-minute substitution in the form of TO. I played Conducted Rap (rapping about Mexican food... how appropriate), Buzzer Interview, Repeat Scene Direction (gansta, paranoid valley girl), Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Meet the Experts (Barbara on travel), and Musical Styles (80s Rock, Jazz, R&B, and Southern Rock). We had a lot of fun, and I was excited to have some friends in the audience.

Yesterday I had to go into the office because it was an office clean-up day. After getting my Eggnog Latte, I headed to work. When I was almost to work, it happened ... I started to see the 'aura.' I was seeing a lot of ripples and it was getting progressively worse. I made it to the office and then hunted down someone with Excedrin Migraine. I took pills and borrowed some sunglasses, but I was pretty much down for the count. I tried eating lunch and started to get nauseous, so I came home. We were getting off early anyway because we had our holiday party last night, but I missed that, too. Oh well. I had a great nap, and that helped a little. Then I slept 12 hours last night, so I'm hopeful that it's gone.

I'm about to go to the gym. YEAAAAAAH!

Have a satisfying Saturday!

breathe easy

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!

Today I had the highest PFTs I've had since March of 2007. I am seriously in shock! It's not that I've been feeling bad or anything, but I didn't even know that it was possible! The doctor kept asking me what I thought caused the increase, but I have no idea. It's probably a combination of the hospital, the sinus surgery, the time off work, etc. Either way, I'm not complaining! Now I feel like trying to push the limit even more. I don't go back to the doctor for three months (ahh, it's like music to my ears), so we'll see what I can whip up by March!

Then I went to my (protein) study appointment and that went pretty well, I guess. It took four attempts to get blood, but is this surprising to anyone? Nope? Nobody? Me either.

What else? I'm about to go to sleep. I know it's early, but I'm really tired. Oh, that reminds me that I also told the doctor that the additional sleep was probably helping me healthwise. I need to do my noseroid. Speaking of 'roids, I'm getting a Cortisone injection in my SC joint at the end of the month. What a walking disaster!

I didn't get to eat Willy's today because I was slammed at work. The good news is that I knocked out EVERYTHING I needed to finish today before I headed to the doctor.

Mmm, bedtime.

I rememba. In Decemba.

The Falcons make me proud! We (yes, I am on the team) just improved our record to 10-2. AWESOME! I still have on my Falcons hoodie.

Well, I'm probably about to go to sleep and it's just after 8:00 p.m. I stayed up pretty late last night AND the cold weather makes me want to sleep. I just saw that the morning wind chill is supposed to be in the teens tomorrow. That's absolutely absurd if you ask me...

The ENT said my nose looked pretty bad, so that's just wonderful. He put me on a steroid for six weeks, so hopefully that helps with the inflammation. The noseroid goes straight into my nostril. CRAZY!

I had a fun weekend! I took it easy on Friday night because I was just so exhausted from the week's shenanigans. Saturday I tried a new drink at Starbucks - the Gingerbread Latte - recommended by AM. It was awesome! Then I headed down to the theatre to work the box office at the kids' show.

After the show, MJ and I tried to go to the SEC football championship game at the Georgia Dome. There were absolutely no tickets when we arrived there, so we went and watched it at a bar instead. Then we went to a wine party. I had a good time and stayed up LATE.

Today I've been good for nothing. I really only accomplished two things: 1) I did a load of laundry, and 2) I fixed shells and cheese. I also took two naps if those fall into the 'accomplishments' category.

Happy December!

Yo, Drizzle

So, tonight when I went to meet MV at Starbucks, I got a Caramel Apple Spice drink. I told the guy I didn't want any whipped cream. Then, I was sitting there waiting and he said, "Do you want any caramel drizzle?" I thought it was hilarious because there was once a time when the word 'drizzle' was interchangeable with my name. I used to be 'Drizzle' to so many people that I would turn my head when the meteorologist said there was a chance of drizzle. I'd be like, "WHAT UP, WEATHER MIZZLE!" It was really hard to keep my mouth shut and not make a joke to Mr. Starbizzle, but he wouldn't have understood.

Also, it's been rainy all stinkin' day, so the title is a play on words. You're welcome.

I am as tired as can be. Tomorrow is going to be such a long day, too, beginning with a meeting at 7:00 a.m. I think I've officially made celebrity status because a driver will be taking me to my ENT appointment tomorrow. Basically, my presence at this meeting is so in-demand that I am being chauffeured to and from the doctor after the meeting. Isn't that awesome? Anyway, I'm excited because it's my first meeting as a member of the Program Steering Committee for the newly-formed CF Center of Excellence in Atlanta. I'm going to be in a room with all doctors and researchers. I love furthering CF research.

I had Willy's today and oh. my. heavens. Unbelievable. I also felt like a celebrity when I went in there. The workers were talking about my new hair, and the girl at the register (who I thought was mute) was like, "Where are your glasses?" I about dropped my nachos because I was startled, but I told her they were on my desk.

Well, I think that's about all the narcissism I can handle for the day, so I'll go to sleep and dream of myself. :-) GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD VIBES!

Drinkin' the Kool-Aid

Yo! Yo! Yo! Those exclamations actually represent tiredness, contrary to popular belief.

Has anybody ever played Purble Place? It's a Microsoft game, I believe, and it has a fun memory, card-matching option. When I first discovered it years ago, I used to play it obsessively. I've calmed down over the years, but I'm on another kick right now. It's getting to be problematic.

Bless me. I just sneezed for the sixth-ish time today.

Well, I am WORN OUT! I got up at about 5:00 a.m. and was at work by 7:00 a.m. On the way into the office, I got an EGGNOG LATTE! I had it for the first time on Friday night and couldn't decide what I thought of it. So, I got it again today and I still haven't come to a conclusion. I feel like getting it again tomorrow, though, so that's got to be a good sign, right?

Today some colleagues and I went out to eat at Top Spice. I like saying 'colleagues' because I feel like it makes me sound prestigious. I never said it at my previous workplaces, but I enjoy saying it now because it's funny to me.

I didn't work out today, but I did wear some suede boots. Those two thoughts shouldn't be joined in one sentence because they're completely separate, but I like to illustrate the way my mind works. Now (to the other end of the fashion spectrum), though, I'm wearing a tie-dyed sweatshirt I got at the Piggly Wiggly in Port St. Joe, Florida.

If anyone has any publishing connections, feel free to let me take advantage of you. I mean that with all of my heart.

Can you even believe that tomorrow is the last day of November? Me either. It's pretty absurd.

Raise your glass

I've become so delinquent on this blog-posting business. Oh well. I'm enjoying myself!

I had a good Thanksgiving. We usually go to my uncle's farm, but that didn't happen this year. I ended up doing a Thanksgiving dinner with my friend (LW) at her husband's parents' place on Thursday night. Even though I missed my family, I had a really great time. It was very low-key and we just pretty much sat around and enjoyed each others' company. The food was delicious, too! I'm thankful for everyone who offered to host me. :-)

After the dinner, I ended up heading to my parents' house as a surprise. I was already out in their direction, so I figured I would show up and spend the night. I spent all day Friday hanging out until I had to head to the theatre to work lights. Then I headed back to my parents' house Friday night and did Thanksgiving: The Sequel with my dad's side of the family on Saturday. Then, I headed to the theatre again to do suggestions for last night's show. Are you getting exhausted reading this? I feel worn out just typing it.

Today I went to my brother's place and watched the Falcons beat the Packers. It was fun!

I'm about to go to sleep. It's really early, but I've had a busy weekend. I've got a big day tomorrow!

It's gonna be a great week, world!

Candy caaaaaane

Where has the week gone? That was rhetorical.

Monday I went to the neurologist and basically learned that I need to stop taking headache medicine. I haven't taken it very frequently, but apparently it can perpetuate migraines by causing rebound headaches. Who knew? After the neurologist, I had my exit appointment from the study that my kidneys didn't like. Woohooo! I promise I've had probably 30+ doctors' appointments this year.

I've had some good eats this week! I had Pure Taqueria, Ippolito's and El Azteca! I feel like I've eaten a ton, but I guess it goes hand-in-hand with this time of year. Deeee-lish! Of course I've had Starbucks about 78 times this week, too, because that's officially become a problem of mine... I'm on a vanilla latte streak right now.

I ran about 3 miles yesterday and plan on doing it again tomorrow. Booyow!

I'm thankful for...
-living comfortably
-enjoying alone time
-getting a warm shower
-public service workers

Happy Thanksgiving to all! <3 Every day's a good one!

Blinded by the light

Man! I can't believe it's Saturday night. This week has just flown by...

Well, I performed some improv comedy on Thursday night! It was one of the most unusual shows I've ever been in, particularly because of the ending. One of the [former] apprentices just got promoted to mainstage (MK!), so it was his last show. As bittersweet as it was, I had fun! I played Sounds Like a Song/Rap, Emo Principal's Office, Musical Styles, ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry, and Helping Hands Oscar. For HHO, we were supposed to be eating in a restaurant, so we also had a server (who couldn't use his arms, either). By the end of the scene, I'd eaten cheese, a cracker, and cold ravioli, as well as took a swig of expired Italian dressing. However, I'd say the more memorable part was that MK ended up being coerced into eating the cold ravioli I'd already chewed and spit out. GROSS, but hilarious!

What else? I'm really pleased with where I stand book-wise, so that feels really rewarding.

Today I went to the Georgia Tech football game and they won! It was the first time I'd ever been to Bobby Dodd stadium, so that was cool.

Tonight I'm taking it easy. I'm hoping to get some work done, but I'm also feeling particularly drained from sitting in the sun all day. Speaking of sun, my headache has been very cooperative lately. Awesome!

6:09 p.m.

Hello World.

This is a pivotal moment. Don't forget it.

Drew

That's all they really waaaaaaaant

It's Tuuuuueeeeeesday.

Well, I had my eye doctor appointment yesterday and it went pretty well. My prescription was unchanged from last year, so that's good news, even though it doesn't answer any headache questions. I did get scheduled for a visual field exam test and a follow-up appointment with the eye doctor, so we'll see if that provides any answers what-so-ever. Yesterday was really rough headache-wise, so I pretty much had to sleep for the entire afternoon.

I met up with a friend (AP) for dinner yesterday, too. We used to work together at Wolf Camera, so it was fun to catch up.

Today was surprisingly good, though! I got up and noticed my head wasn't hurting, so I went to the gym. I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical, and my head didn't bother me at all. AWESOME! The rest of the day was pretty much pain-free, so I'm knocking on wood here... I did get unusually tired today, so I did some napping.

Anything else? I met MV and her son for lunch at Chick-fil-A, so that was fun. He is almost a year old and is absolutely precious. I'm usually not a baby person, but he makes it easy to make an exception.

I've got kind of a long day tomorrow, so I better get a good night's sleep to make it through the day. I can't wait to sleep!!!

In over my head

Holy headache. I really don't mean to be a complainer, but something is truly wrong with my head. I don't think it's okay that I've had a headache since October 12. The pain gets better and worse throughout the day, but there's never been a time that I thought my headache was gone. It's pretty unfortunate that I don't go to the neurologist until next Monday (the earliest appointment I could get) because I'm starting to think there might be a real problem. Tomorrow I'm going to try to negotiate my way into something sooner because these tingles and warm sensations in my head don't seem like they could signify anything good.

Well, I've been working on my book and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Creative endeavors are hard, especially when you get so close to the work that it's impossible to view it objectively. I'm trying not to let myself read too much of it until I get to a place where I'd be comfortable handing it off. I know from previous experience that I tend to be very hard on myself when it comes to stuff like this, so I'm trying to put that off as long as possible to keep from getting discouraged.

I've had a great couple of days, though. I've noticed that my headache seems to worsen as the day goes on, so I've tried to make the most of the days, knowing that the night might get rough.

Side note: I love the song "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Maroon 5. I just listened to it twice.

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! That is so crazy! That reminds me that I am thankful for meeting new people, getting a good night's sleep, and having access to health care.

Well, I think it's about time to take a nap. The light is bothering me more than usual today. I sound like a vampire. I've never jumped on the vampire bandwagon, but I'm pretty sure they don't like light. Happy Sunday!

What I need to doooo....

Hi! I'm doing my vest!

Well, this week has been great so far! On Monday I ran 3+ miles without ever even stepping foot on the rails of the treadmill. Monday evening I met a complete stranger (MJ) who just moved to Atlanta, and that was a lot of fun.

Then, yesterday evening I met MV for coffee at Starbucks. Before we met, I spent probably an hour typing things from handwritten notebooks, so that made me feel pretty accomplished. After we met, I saw The Social Network with ES. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. I never even started to doze off, which is a gigantic accomplishment for a movie-watching failure like myself.

I'm headed to a doctor's appointment this afternoon. It's for a new study I started when I was in the hospital. Yeah, you'd think I'd be on a study hiatus given my recent experience, but oh well. I can't imagine getting hurt by drinking protein... Knock on wood!

My book is coming along! I am really excited to work on it this afternoon. :-)

I am grateful for good people, cheese, and headache medicine.

+1 Hour

So, I'm going to make a conscious effort to blog regularly this week. I actually enjoy doing it, so I hate that I've been slacking, but I've just had a lot going on - in my head more than anything.

Today we got an extra hour of sleep, which was awesome. I didn't sleep an extra hour, but I like that I got up at a decent hour for the first time in a while. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get an extra hour built into every day. I'm sure it would eventually become the norm and I'd fill it without even thinking, but it sounds so appealing. It's kind of like the way I feel like I have gained all this time when a meeting at work gets canceled. Anyway, because of the time change, I'm feeling sleepy especially early tonight, which I also consider a positive.

Even though I'm not supposed to be reading while I'm engulfed in my book-writing shenanigans, I have been periodically reading portions of a book about being grateful. It got me thinking a lot about gratitude, so I want to mention a few things that make me feel grateful today:
-Having heat as it starts to get cold
-Good food
-Laughing at random things
-My family

I saw a musical on Friday night at Emory (with ES). It was called "Pippin: His Life and Times." Someone I know from the theatre, Robby, played the role of Pippin. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was completely blown away by the musical. It hit home for several different reasons, and I'm really, really glad I went. Hooray for Pippin! I am grateful for Pippin!

Well, I'm going to spend some time on my book before I get too tired to be productive. Sweet dreams!

Purple streak, purple streak, she's purple streakaaay

Please sing the title of this post to the tune of "Super Freak." Thank you. [After the fact: Who would have known that "Super Freak" was in the dictionary? I had it as one word and SpellCheck zapped it.]

I got my hair did on Tuesday and, as you may have inferred from the title, I got it dyed a darker brown with some burgundy-esque lowlights. It's a pretty drastic difference, but it's pretty cool, if I do say so myself. It made its first public appearance yesterday, and I'd say it went well. It feels pretty fitting. My friend Stewart did it at a salon near my parents' house. I just adore it!

This week has been pretty unusual; I've just had a lot of change on the horizon. I don't really need to get into detail because I don't feel like it, but it's amazing how much can happen in a week. Life sure has a funny way of happening all at once...but I'm still feeling cheery.

Today was a little weird because my face felt as though I'd never even had sinus surgery, so that was lame. I'm hoping it was caused by something totally random because I don't need to be dealing with pain again ALREADY!

I'm just writing because I felt like I was overdue, but now I'm going to dry my hair.

Yaaaawn

Man, I set these goals to go to sleep early, and then I find myself up late yet again. Sigh. I guess that's the way life works when you don't have structure to your days.

I slept in until about 12:30 p.m. when I got a knock on the door from one of my neighbors (DF). He and a friend invited me to Taco Mac to watch some football, so I graciously accepted the invitation. We had a really good time watching football and catching up. I like fun people! Plus I had some Fiesta Chicken Nachos.

My friend (BA) and I then met up and ended up going on a walk by the Chattahoochee. We spent a lot of time talking about life and walked about six miles. Pretty impressive, I must say! It started to get pretty chilly at the end of our walk, so we ended up heading to Cafe Intermezzo to drink something warm. Today was good because I spent quality time with quality people. I enjoyed it! Can't get enough of that junk!

I have a goal to get up before noon tomorrow. I know that sounds somewhat pitiful since most people's days are halfway over by noon, but hey - I'm living a different lifestyle right now.

This week is gonna be a good one. I can feel it!

Night owl

Yooooooooooo. Just got home from a crew shift at the theatre. I was supposed to be on camera, but I ended up suggestionizing and camerafying solo because there was a no-show. It was fun! I hadn't seen a main stage show in a good bit. Hoorah!

I performed on Thursday night and was in some fun scenes - Buzzer Talk Show, Spanish-Dubbed Soap Opera, Sit Stand Lean Oscar, ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry, and Musical Styles (Reggae, Blues, Country, Rap). I have an official new favorite game of all time: ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry. Oh man! That junk is crazy-fun! My mom came to the show (per usual!) and so did two friends (JM and SLW). Baller!

Well, I've been staying up way too late since this whole hospitalization thing. I gradually stay up later and later and sleep later and later. I've pretty much lost all structure to my days, but I'm going to fix it ASAP. I guess this proves that, when I have it my way, I'm a bit of a night owl. I've always thought that I was a cross between a morning person and a night owl, but someone who slumps in the afternoons. I think I prefer being up late versus going to bed early. See? I wouldn't be having this debate with myself at 1:21 a.m. if I wasn't a night owl.

I don't really feel like saying anything else. I could try to recap the entire week, but it runs together. I went to the doctor and it went pretty well, but I need to see the eye doctor and the neurologist. Umm, my roommate and I went to Willy's on Thursday for lunch, but I think I need it again tomorrow (which is now 'today').

Honestly, I just can't believe October is ending. It feels like it just started... Happy Halloween! I don't like Halloween.

Dinosaurs are my favorite

I have no idea why I am up late looking at dinosaurs online. I am thinking of purchasing a dinosaur t-shirt. Can you tell that maybe I've been removed from the real world for too long?

Well, I had a productive weekend! I ran four miles last night and four again tonight. I haven't done strenuous exercise in a while, so I am definitely feeling it. The fact that I don't believe in stretching also contributes to that, but I don't mind it; it's a constant reminder that I did something worthwhile. I might need to take tomorrow off of exercising if I'm walking like this...

Today my mom came out to see me and we ran some errands. I got a new pair of skinny jeans and some boots. We also got air in my tires and washed my car! Then we went to Starbucks and I got a vanilla latte. It felt like I hadn't been in forever!

Yesterday a longtime friend (SW) came to see me and we went out to lunch. We had such a great time catching up with each other and talking about all sorts of things. It's funny how I can still have so much in common with someone I met 15(ish) years ago. I loved our visit!

I guess I better try to make myself go to sleep.

Leavin' on a MARTA train

Well, I'm getting ready to venture out into the real world for my post-op appointment. I have made the decision to ride MARTA. IT'SMARTA. I was already considering this anyway since I don't feel like driving/parking/paying a fortune, but my decision was confirmed when I was visited last night by what I deem to be the start of a...

MIGRAINE.

It started much like it did the night before the migraine at the hospital. There were holes throughout my vision and it got to where I literally could not read anything. There were also flashes of light - almost like waves. I decided to go to sleep because it was disconcerting to look around when I couldn't see anything clearly. Even with my eyes closed, though, there was a ton of activity. This morning I woke up with a headache, so I took two Excedrin Migraines. I hope the medicine slapped that thing around.

Last night I went to the improv show! I figured that it was the best way to make my post-surgery/hospitalization public debut. My roommate and I went and had so much fun! It was an awesome show. It was the perfect mix of personalities, games, senses of humor, etc. Thank you to my fellow apprenti for making it more-than-worth the journey out of the house!

I don't have much else to say. I've exercised and written a lot this week, so I feel pretty productive. I'm looking forward to the weekend (even though this entire week has been like a weekend)!

Y'all wanna see my bruise???

How redneck is that title?! Anyway, the nurse came by to change my PICC line dressing, and look at that craziness! Perhaps if the nurses saw this, they would understand why I said I was in pain. I am honestly fascinated by this bruise... Let me take another moment of silence to reflect on it.

Today was a really great day. I got up to do my early IV, and then I went back to sleep for a few more hours. I got up and did my breathing treatments, and then my brother and Turk arrived here. We watched Major League, which I really enjoyed. About halfway through the movie, the nurse came by, so it held things up a bit. I really loved the company, and the movie was funny, too! Kevin brought me several movies, so I'll probably watch another one tomorrow.

After the boys left, I decided to go for a walk. It was way too nice to walk on the treadmill, so I walked around in my complex for a while. On my walk, my friend (JM) texted when I was right outside her condo, so we visited for a while. After my walk, my uncle came by with Coldstone (raspberry sorbet with gummy bears). Then the roomie and I hung out for a bit, so I had a great day. Plus, I think the Yankees are about to lose!

Well, I guess I'm about to sign off for the night. I'm going to write for a little while before I go to sleep. Good night, world!

Vrooooom. Vroooooom.

First and foremost, sorry for the delay. I don't actually think that people care that much, but I do realize that this is how most people have been keeping up with the hospitalization/surgery, so I figured I ought to break the silence.

Well, I got out of the hospital on Friday at around noon. I was having mixed feelings about it, as I usually do when I'm leaving the hospital. I don't exactly know what causes me to feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster when I'm hospitalized. In a way, the hospital setting is relieving because you get a free pass to feel however you want to feel. At the same time, though, I've noticed that the hospital breeds pity parties, which isn't something that interests me. Anyway, I said all of that to say that the last few days have carried with them many ups and downs - fluctuations that seemed acceptable in the hospital, but are a little harder to carry back into real life.

When we left the hospital, my mom and I went to a few different pharmacies trying to get a handle on the prescriptions that I needed. By the time we got home, I was wiped out and took a nap while my amazing mom went to the grocery store to get me some things. My IV medications got delivered Friday evening and the nurse came by to make sure I had everything under control. I wasn't quite feeling up to being alone, so my mom spent the night with me. We slept on the couches and I was very thankful to have her company.

I sat around a lot on Saturday. We got up and my mom headed back to her house. I took my plethora of medications. Then I sat outside writing for a little bit. I was in a very 'deep' mood, and that has continued into today. Then I took another nap (I'm good at that lately) and my mom came back and took me to my parents' house. It was good to spend one more night with company. My mom and I made a quick stop by my grandmother's house on the way here this afternoon.

I had some visitors today. Two friends from the theatre stopped by (LG and EG), and it was good to talk creative with them. We talked about creative endeavors, but we also talked about life, so I was in hog heaven. PLUS, they brought me some queso from Willy's. AWESOME! Anyway, I really enjoyed their company; it got my creative juices flowing. Another friend (JM) also stopped by for a bit, and I continued my philosophical discussions with her. It's days like today when I remember how fortunate I am to know such caring people.

Tomorrow will be my first would-be-workday at home. I think my brother plans to come by WITH HIS DOG!, so that will be fun. I'm hoping this post-hospital funk has almost passed.

Surgerification

Hello all.

I have been surgerized. I am feeling surprisingly well! I remember feeling much, much worse when I got the surgery back in 2007. I have no idea what could be causing the difference, but I'll take it! Hooray for being well-navigated on the road to recovery.

Today was kind of a blur, as one might imagine. I got picked up from my hospital room at about 9:45 a.m. to head the building for surgery. The wheelchair ride was pretty fun. It's interesting to watch people look at you as they try to figure out what's wrong. I got to the surgery clinic, signed some paperwork, and headed into the OR (on foot, which I found amusing). They gave me some sedatives, but I honestly have no idea when they actually even started with the anesthesia.

When I woke up from surgery, I had no idea what time it was, I felt surprisingly good, and I was chatting with a nice nurse named Anna. I didn't stay down in recovery for very long because I was doing so well already. My transporter came to get me again and took me on a stretcher back to my room. I vaguely remember announcing "kill or be killed" throughout the gurney journey (you like that?).

After I got back to my room, I wanted to eat. SHOCK! My mom went and got me some chocolate frozen yogurt, so that was nice; my throat was a little irritated from the tube they had down it during surgery. I closed my eyes and rested some, but I don't think I ever actually fell asleep. I had a baked potato and a little bit of chicken for dinner, followed up with some cherry-flavored Italian ice. Yum! I've been snacking all night - I'm not sure what's causing this crazy appetite. Cabin fever, perhaps?

Word on the street is that I'm headed home on IVs tomorrow. I'm excited about that because I've been wanting to write, but the hospital has been quite distracting. For example, someone is waxing the floors right now and it's 12:23 a.m. Speaking of, I wonder where the nurse is with my midnight IV...

Thank you to everyone for sending me well wishes for my surgery. They seem to have worked because this is unbelievably easy (knock on wood)!

Mi migraine

To give a quick update since I've fallen off the planet...

I got placed in a room yesterday afternoon, got a PICC line, started on IV antibiotics, etc. I also spent the evening watching the Braves LOSE, but at least I did it with two good friends. My arm was in a lot of pain from the PICC line, so laughing was traumatizing, but I still had a great time. As sad as I am that the Braves are out of the playoffs, we'd been hanging by a thread for far too long. Now I can look forward to 2011 with optimism and a new manager - Fredi Gonzalez.

Did I get to mention yet how much fun I had on Sunday night? Despite the Braves' loss, I was so happy to be a Braves fan. Turner Field was out of control, and I wish it could be like that all the time. We were tomahawk chopping left and right, and I just couldn't have asked for a more memorable evening. Yes, I could have asked for a win, but oh well...

Today was not a very good day. I woke up with the worst headache I've ever had. Unfortunately it wasn't going away, either. I thought it might have been from one of the IV antibiotics I had just finished, but the headache stuck around. I took a Percocet and it didn't help. I then took Tylenol and that didn't really help. Finally, around lunchtime, they started giving me legitimate migraine medicine, and it knocked me out for most of the afternoon/evening. I guess I officially experienced a migraine. Thankfully the pain is very dull right now. I wonder if it was caused by the antibiotics or what...

I've been lucky to have some visitors, and have several folks coming by tomorrow. Today I got some steak nachos from Willy's. AWESOME!

Good night to all...

In the year of 1492

Hello from Admissions at the hospital! I can't wait until the day that I get to the hospital and they're actually ready for me. That would be a lot of fun. Honestly, I've gotten into rooms more quickly when I've come in on a whim versus when planned several days in advance. What's up with that?

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!

I'll write more later. I'm distracted.

Wiffle ball

Hello!

Well, today started out a bit differently than usual. I did sleep in until about 10:00 a.m. Anyway, shortly after I woke up, my friend (PM) from a previous workplace texted me to ask if I could play on his wiffle ball team. They were short some girls and he knew that I lived nearby the field -- and he and I were on the same kickball team once, so he knows I like sports. It sounded intriguing, so I threw on some clothes and made it to the field shortly after the game started.

My first at-bat was a total embarrassment, but I felt pretty solid after that. The first time I hit the ball and started to run, I immediately felt pain in my left hip flexor ... primarily because I didn't stretch, didn't warm-up, and haven't sprinted in quite some time. Then, the second time, I got on base and had major pain in my right hip flexor -- like thought-I-was-gonna-have-to-leave-the-game bad. I ended up scoring that inning and, thankfully, it was the end of the game. I have been in pain ever since, but only on the right side. It mainly hurts when I walk and when I lift my leg for any reason, such as going up the stairs, repositioning myself on the bed/couch. I honestly think that a wiffle ball injury is more humiliating than my infamous cornhole injury. We'll see how it feels in the morning. Oh, it also hurts when I laugh or cough. LAUGH 'TIL YOU COUGH! Needless to say, the wiffle ball incident impeded my exercise goal, but at least I did something active.

The rest of the day has been pretty relaxing. I came home, worked on some mass emails, then watched some college football with my roommate. My friend (JM) and I went out to eat at MiMi's Cafe, and I got meatballs and ravioli. It was good!

Tomorrow is a big day for me! Not only is it my last day before the hospitalization, but I am going to my parents' house for a cookout and then the BRAVES GAME! I am really, really looking forward to it all, which is why I'm getting an early night's sleep.

I've got my Braves pajama shirt on. GO TEAM!

Loving the view from cloud 9

Oh man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Braves just made me so proud! When we were down 4-1 going into the 7th, I've got to admit I was getting a little concerned. Then, WAM BAM, THANK YOU MA'AM to tie it up in the 8th. It took 11 innings, but the Braves and Giants are now tied 1-1 in the 5-game series. Whew! I wish I could articulate how excited I am right now. It's funny because I'm so wound up that I don't even feel tired! It's so similar (yet different) from last night.

So, the Braves lost a very uneventful 1-0 game last night (Thursday...it's Friday in my mind right now). I mean, I think there were seven total hits between both teams and it was basically a pitchers' duel, although Lincecomb definitely outpitched Lowe. Anyway, I was just perturbed because of the umpire's botched call that kept a runner on base -- that particular runner being the only player who scored in the entire game. I literally was up in the night having a conniption fit over it. When I woke up this morning, it was the first thing that crossed my mind. Now, though, that junk is chump change. CHUMP CHANGE! AHH!

SUNDAY CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH! I am exerting so much energy right now.

Well, yesterday (Thursday) was a really great day, despite the game. I received a comment on my blog that made my entire day, if not my whole week. It's incredible that something simple can make a big difference to someone. I find myself feeling so inspired this week. It's odd to imagine the 'woe is me' person I was on Monday when I feel so invincible now.

This morning I saw my cousin (BH) before her appointment with the CF doctor. We went to IHOP and I had a really great breakfast. PANCAKES! I was feeling so appreciative that I left a gigantic tip. Now, I know it's not really generosity if you feel like you need attention for it, but I am trying to illustrate that happiness/positivity really does have a snowball effect.

What else? My sinuses are causing pain in places I've never had it before, such as directly behind my eyeballs and in my cheekbones. I can truly say that I am looking forward to my surgery. RELIEF IS ON THE WAY!

Gosh, I need to chill out. It is 2:00 a.m. I'm going to try to get to sleep, I guess. Tomorrow's gonna be an alarm-free day. Oh, and I think I'll exercise.

LET'S! GO! BRAVES!

How things change again...

I am in totaaaaaaaally different spirits than I was on Monday, so get excited, y'all!

First, to give you an update, the rodent has been eRATicated. Last night when I got home from work I noticed a fly. Now, I remember doing a double-take, thinking that I'd never seen a fly in my house in two years. The fly was dying on the floor, so I went to the library and to Publix. Well, that's not why I went those places, but anyway... After my errands, I walked back in and saw a few more flies buzz by. At this point, with my malfunctioning nose, I decided (in my mind) that I smelled something. My roommate was not here to borrow her sense of smell, so I called my uncle. He came over, looked under the dishwasher (where I'd convinced myself the smell was), and said, "Your suspicions are confirmed." He then extracted the carcass. THIS IS A RAT-FREE ENVIRONMENT. Ugh, the weight of the dead rat in a grocery bag made me nauseous.

Speaking of nauseous, the Phillies pitched a no-hitter tonight. I'm hopeful that they've now blown their wad too early and will completely flop. Rather than smack-talking, I should probably just say that I'm way excited to watch the Braves tomorrow. My boss has even given me permission to wear Braves attire to work, so it's gonna be a great day! GO TEAM!

I've totally digested and accepted the hospital news, so that's just chump change to me at this point. Do y'all know what chump change is? I've always used that saying, especially with my family. I Googled it and there were results, so I guess I'm not crazy.

I know I sound totally soapboxish, but it's amazing what can happen when you spend your time on positive things. I had a related email conversation with a friend (SW) today, and it really is incredible the difference it can make. :-)

How things change...

Well, today went much differently than expected. That sentence sounds weird, but I'm out of it. Anyway, I went into work super early (7ish) because I wanted to get home early so that I could see a friend who is (was) leaving the state tomorrow. When I got to work I was very focused, knowing that I have a lot to accomplish this week before I take off for surgery. I emailed the staff about my upcoming leave and started cranking things out.

Out of nowhere I started getting a call from an unknown number. I could tell it was an Emory number, so I answered, thinking it probably had to do with surgery talk or something. To my surprise, it was one of the CF doctors. I still assumed she was calling to verify that all systems were go, but she was instead informing me that some tests from my doctor's appointment (on September 2) showed that I had developed a bacteria in my lungs. As you can imagine, I was very shocked - not only because that appointment was so long ago, but also because this information was nowhere to be found last week.

After an emotionally exhausting day, the new plan consists of me getting admitted to the hospital next Monday to start IVs, with surgery being postponed until next Thursday. As tough as today has been, I am feeling at peace with what is going to happen. Needless to say, I was too much of an emotional wreck to tack on the goodbye, so that has been postponed until tomorrow.

In positive news, THE BRAVES ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS. I am going to the game on Sunday! The doctor tried to get me to come into the hospital on Friday, but I negotiated my way out of it. When I was emailing the surgeon's assistant to explain my unrelenting need to get the date changed, I was like, "To be completely honest, I am a die-hard Braves fan." She was very sweet and encouraging - one of the highlights of my day. My friend (ES) gave me some Braves SillyBandz today! I have on a tomahawk right now.

I am running on low emotional fuel right now, so I'm going to go to sleep. Although I never would have imagined it earlier in the day, I'm starting to see the positive...

Thank you for any thoughts of healing and happiness that you can send my way.

P.S. No word from the rat.

I'll rat you out

First things first, yes, it's early, but I'm about to go out of town. I am a horrible packer.

Anyway, I was in the show last night and it was fun. I had EIGHT friends/family members there, so I was super-excited about that! ES was the emcee, and I played Emo School (I was a teacher), Phones (off-stage), Sounds Like A Song/Rap, Buzzer Game Show, and Oscar Musical. Since I probably won't get to be in a show until the last week in October (or maybe early November), I was glad to send it out with a bang. BANG! It was also my friend's (BA) first show, and he did awesome!

Well, a rat has been the focal point of my life for the last two days. Uggh... Shudder. When I woke up on Wednesday morning and walked down the stairs, I noticed an unwanted creature in the hallway, right near the crawlspace closet. I tried to trap him in the closet with a towel, thinking someone could help me extract him. However, he moved the towel, and the next time I saw him was when I hurdled him in the kitchen. I was literally on-edge all day, and I still don't feel comfortable sitting here. Atlanta Pest Control came yesterday and set up a few sticky traps (in addition to my real trap with peanut butter), but the critter hasn't taken the bait yet. There's one trap I haven't checked yet. I will do that right now while you wait in suspense.......NOPE. Rats!

I am excited for the weekend. It's gonna be good to get out of town and have some escaping-reality time.

Love you all.

TOMAHAWK CHIZZZOP!

I am in such a great mood today. I'm really not even sure why, but I feel awesome. I mean, physically my face is aching because my sinuses are my worst enemy. But mentally? I feel spectacular!

I just got home from Starbucks. If you need a decaffeinated option at Starbucks, I highly recommend the Spiced Apple Cider. I can't remember if that's the name of it, but it is AMAZING! I chatted with my friend (MV) and it made me think about a lot of life-related things, which often gets me energized. Woooohoooo!

Today I went to Willy's, which is par for the course on Tuesdays. I don't think I've ever used that saying, but it felt good. Anyway, my steak nachos were off the chain. I don't think they could have been any more incredible than they were. True story.

THE BRAVES ARE ONE STRIKE AWAY FROM WINNING!

Umm, last night was way enjoyable. I read some, I watched TV, I took some naps, and the night dragged on forever. I ended up falling asleep pretty early, and woke up to a pleasant extra-innings win for the Braves. Come on, boys!

THE BRAVES WON! (Right now.) While the Phillies clinched the NL East last night, the Braves are in the running for the Wild Card. I have a GOOD feeling about it! Now I just need the Cubs to beat the Padres tonight.

I'm pretty sure I'll stop talking right now. It would be the first time I've done that all day.

There's no place like home

First things first - I thought about backdating this post, but I didn't. Either way, this is solely about my Saturday and a teensy bit about my Sunday.

Well, homecoming weekend was a BLAST! Even though I sometimes complain about the things I have to sacrifice to work on the weekends, commencement and homecoming are always a lot of fun.

On Saturday morning, I worked at a movie screening of a film produced by an alumnus from the Class of 1990. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the film, but it seemed like it was a big hit. I also got to chat with the filmmaker, Mark Goffman. I need to send him a follow-up email for something work-related. Anyway, that was pretty awesome. I'm bummed I didn't get to see the movie, but it's called Dumbstruck, so remember that you heard it here first.

Then I walked all over creation running errands for people. Next up: working the Indigo Girls concert. I was at the wristband tent, so I pretty much awkwardly looked at IDs. Thankfully I don't think anyone tried to pull a fast one on me. If they did, congratulations. I got to sip on a few beers while I worked, so of course that made the sweltering heat more bearable. My biggest accomplishment of the afternoon was helping a lost child reunite with her parents. She was a tiny little thing - probably about two years old. She said her name was "Maggie" between sobs. She said her last name was "Care Bear." I think she was lying to me, but we found her parents regardless.

It was then time for the PARTAAAAAY! I worked with SG at the Class of 1990 reunion. Talk about some party animals! By the time all was said and done, they had close to 200 people in attendance, which was LOADS more than (almost all of) the other reunions. Those folks liked to drink! Even though they were a rowdy bunch, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I had a ton of fun and was thoroughly amused throughout the entire night! I didn't get home until close to 1:00 a.m., but I enjoyed every minute of it...except walking to the car on tired feet.

Sunday was pretty much a day of relaxation - a day of frustration with the Braves and jubilation with the Falcons. It was rainy, too, which made it much easier to lay around being useless. Anyway, it was the perfect end to the weekend.

Been tryin' to get down...

to the heart of the matter. Tonight's song is "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley. There's no secret meaning to that - it just got stuck in my head because of a random conversation earlier.

So, where did the week go? I don't even know.

Well, I do know that on Tuesday night I worked a graduation show at the theatre. I was on lights, which meant I was in charge of recording the DVD. Now, this was nerve racking considering this show was only happening because it was a redo of a show that did not record several weeks ago. However, the recording was successful! I had a really fun time working in the booth during the show, and then went out with a couple friends (JR, TO) for a few beers afterwards.

Wednesday one of my greatest fears came true... kinda. My friend (AM) called after she got off work - she lives in Virginia. We were chatting as I made my way down to Midtown to do a little work before rehearsal. Out of nowhere, she was in mid-sentence, and she said, "Whoa, whoa, whoaaaaa." Then, I just heard crashing, much like when you're in a restaurant and a server drops a tray. She was like, "I just got hit. I gotta go." Thankfully I could tell it wasn't too horrible because she sounded relatively calm. Either way, it scared the living daylights out of me. I've always had this unrealistic fear that I would hear something like that happen.

Last night I attended the 10-year anniversary party of the house where we work. I was supposed to be working at the registration table, but we had plenty of people, so I pretty much got to mingle and sip on cocktails. When my shift technically ended, I decided to rush down to Midtown to see my friend's (JR) first show as an apprentice. Man, it was so fun to be in the audience without any obligations! The show was awesome and I was thoroughly amused.

It's Homecoming, so I have to work pretty much all day tomorrow. I start at a movie screening at 10:30 a.m. and will basically work until midnight. I know it will be fun because it typically is, but MAN, that's a long day. I'm working at the Indigo Girls concert after the movie screening and then I head to the Class of 1990 reunion. I've got a big day ahead of me!

I have nothing to say about the Braves. NOTHING.

Well, I'm starting to get impatient waiting for sinus surgery. I have headaches pretty much all the time now. Two weeks to go!

I worked out today, so I am proud of myself. I haven't felt like it much lately with my head feeling the way it does, but I'm glad I went. I plan to exercise tomorrow morning before I head over to campus for my slew of events.

Red wine and Ambien

I haven't had red wine and Ambien; I was simply quoting a John Mayer song. I have, however, had a similar cocktail. Ambien is really cool. At lunch at Wendy's yesterday, my mom was telling me how Ambien shuts down parts of your central nervous system. It's crazy because, sometimes I take Ambien and don't feel very tired, but I won't have remembered doing stuff when I wake up the next day. We'll see if this blog post falls into that category...

Yesterday was a very relaxing day. I slept til about noon, and then got up to watch some college football. My mom came over in the afternoon and, as you may have guessed, we went to Wendy's. We then stopped by Marshalls where I fed my jacketaholism. I got the cutest navy blue, lightweight pea-coat type ordeal! Oh man, it is so cute. I want to wear it NOW.

Last night I met a friend (ER) at Pappasito's for some margaritas. We got this pitcher of something called the Wave, which was part margarita and part sangria. It was pretty good, but my stomach gets a little fierce when I've had too much sour mix. Man, I love that girl. It was so much fun just to chat and what not. AWESOME!

Today was another worthless day. I slept until about 11:00 a.m. and then tried to go exercise. While I did exercise for a good chunk of time, some of it was spent walking on the treadmill because I was kind of enthralled in a girly book I was reading. I came home, showered, and got ready for an uneventful day.

The highlights of the day consist of wins from the Atlanta Braves and Falcons. The Phillies, however, pulled out a come-from-behind RIDICULOUS win, which made me pretty angry.

I spent the rest of the day writing aimlessly in different journals, experiencing pain in my sinuses - you know, the usual. I literally stepped outside twice - once for the gym, and once to take the trash out. I guess I needed one of those pointless days, but it would be nice to feel productive right now. Who knows... maybe some of the stuff I wrote has significance.

ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAR

I'm at one of those points again where the world just feels like it's spinning out of control. I literally feel like I blogged yesterday, but apparently it's been four days. In some respects that makes me glad because I know I'm out and about accomplishing things. In other ways, though, it's discouraging because I know I'm not stopping to smell the roses, which is kinda stressing me out.

Well, I will vomit if I talk about the Braves game on Wednesday. My record has dropped to 6 and 4. BLAH BLAH BLAH. The Braves and I are not on great terms right now, but I was happy for a win tonight.

My surgery is officially on the books for October 11. I'm not sure yet what the plan is as far as getting admitted, going on IV antibiotics, taking off from work, etc. Honestly I'm still processing the fact that it's scheduled, so I'll give it a few days to start finalizing those details. I feel a sense of relief, but I'm also overwhelmed.

I was in the show last night and it was fun! It was one of the new apprentices' (AF) first shows, so that was cool. He and I were in every scene together, too! I played Remote Control Styles, Musical Styles (80s love ballad, 90s boy band, R&B, rap), Repeat Scene Stereotypes (drag queens, drunk drug dealers, rednecks), and Oscar Musical Funeral (as Barbara Buchanan). Yeeehaw!

Today I met my siblings (and my brother's girlfriend) for lunch at Chick-fil-A. Then, for dinner, I went to Los Bravos with KW. I needed to get out and do something because today was kinda 'mleh.' I had a great time. We watched a documentary called Dear Zachary and it was really interesting. Although today had its ups and downs, I'm thankful to be ending on an 'up.'

Sleeping sounds so awesome right now! I am really excited to sleep and feel new in the morning!

When I wake up in the mornin'...

Sometimes I fail at things. Lately, that thing is writing blogs. It's funny because blogging is something I enjoy, so I don't exactly know why it's been falling to the wayside lately.

I had a good weekend. I took it VERY easy - really made the most of having a weekend without obligations. Honestly, it seemed like it lasted FOREVER! I stayed home pretty much the entire time, mainly watching sports. I saw Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Falcons get their first losses of the season. Ugh!

Atlanta's athletic failure continued on Sunday night when I went to the Braves game with BA. We had a lot of fun! Unfortunately the Braves lost. I did, however, eat some Dippin' Dots. I really, really didn't want to witness another loss this year, but sometimes the stars just don't align. I'll have another opportunity, though...

TOMORROW! Me and my brother are going to the game, and it's at 12:10 p.m. I'm pretty excited because I don't think I've ever taken off work to go to a sporting event. It makes me think of Zack Morris on "Saved By the Bell" when he plays hooky and catches a ball at the Dodgers game and is caught on TV. The main difference here is that I requested time off forever ago, but it will still feel risque! However, I might be on TV! My brother got us awesome tickets in literally the fifth row. AHHH! I am excited!

I don't have a whole lot else to say. I got the official call about sinus surgery today, so I should have that scheduled within a week. The nurse mentioned that recovery would be about two weeks, which kinda surprised me. Now I've just gotta coordinate with the CF doctor to see if I should try to do IV antibiotics or anything while I'm already getting thrown into the slammer. Decisions, decisions.

Have a great night!

Did you hear about the corduroy pillow?
It's making HEADLINES!

If I could turn back time

Don't you wish I would stop quoting songs in my post titles?

I just got home from working my last crew shift of September. Now, that's technically a slight fabrication because I think I'll be helping out at a [repeat] graduation show on the 21st. Either way, it feels good to have that out of the way early in the month. That means I have some full-fledged weekends ahead of me! And, when I say "weekends," I mean "one weekend" because I have to work at homecoming on the weekend of the 24th. I trained someone on lights tonight. I'm not sure how successful I was at training because there was only one show and he didn't really get to practice, but he seemed to get it - the light bulb seemed to go off for him. HAAAAA!

Last night's show (I guess two nights ago now) was a lot of fun! The piano guy was sick, so we had to do it musicianless! That was a first. I played Repeat Scene Direction (masculine, nerdy ninja, schizophrenic), Foreign-Dubbed Soap Opera, Remote Control Styles, ABC Buzzer Cooking Show, and Helping Hands Oscar. It was so much fun! The crowd wasn't gigantic by any means, but they were really supportive and it seemed like everyone in the cast had a blast. It was such a great end to a somewhat stressful [mass-emailing] day. For the first time ever, a patron told me she laughed so hard she cried. SUCCESS!

Today I swam some laps during lunch. I've been soooo horrible at exercising lately and decided I'd give it a whirl today. It was enjoyable, even though I didn't swim all that much. Tomorrow I plan to run for a while. I'm kind of in that chicken-versus-egg-not-working-out-because-I'm-too-tired-but-tired-because-I'm-not-working-out scenario. Time to correct that JUNK!

Tomorrow I have a friend leading a team (SW) at the Great Strides walk at the University of West Georgia. I am so thankful to have an extension of Drew's Crew -- Drew's Crew Two -- representing at the walk tomorrow. I was hoping to make it, but should have requested off from the theatre in advance. I feel loved even though I am supporting from a distance.

Bedtime for me. I'm exhausted. Even though this week was short, it was JAM-PACKED! I got my CT scan done Thursday, but haven't heard back from the doctor. I'm eager to get that sinus surgery on the books.

Good night, world!

Standin' in the light of your halo

I am not a fan of that song by Beyonce (the one I quoted in my title). I don't even know why I put that as my title. I'm never going to look at this post again.

Well, first things first, it's kinda late. I went to Starbucks this evening and got a half-caffeinated vanilla latte. I don't think I got too caffeinated, but this shortened workweek also has me slightly off-kilter. Anyway, I plan on going to sleep RIGHT AFTER I finish this post. Take that, Blogger!

Yesterday the Braves fell out of first place for the first time since May. It hurt. It truly did. However, the good news is that there's still plenty of time. I really don't want it to come down to the wire, so I have trust that they'll pull through. I changed my Facebook profile picture in their honor today, so they better not do anything crazy.

I'm in tomorrow night's show, so I'm excited for that! Also, we found out tonight that we're going to have Mondays off of rehearsal for the next couple of months. I'm pretty sure I'm in shock, but I am also feeling super-relieved. With how run-down I've been feeling lately, I could definitely use an extra night to rejuvenate - especially at the beginning of the week. I can't wait to get on that stage tomorrow!

I had a marathon study appointment yesterday. It was this big check-in appointment where I did basically everything that I did when I was originally screened for the study. The ironic part is, since I haven't been on the study drug (OR PLACEBO!) for almost two weeks, testing these things was absolutely unnecessary. The bottom line is that I'll get paid and they wanted me to do it, but it sure was worthless. Regardless of whether or not I was on the drug or the placebo, it would have been out of my system.

Tomorrow I have my sinus CT scan, so hopefully I can schedule my surgery sooner than later and proceed like normal. I can't believe my ENT appointment was only a week ago. It seems like I've been waiting to schedule this surgery for MONTHS. Ooh, drama queen.

Honestly, I know there's more to say, but I don't think I'll try to retrieve it from my brain. Odds are that it's just more rambling...per usual.

Have a good night!!!! HAPPY THURSDAY!

Moving picture

Helloooooooooo! It's bedtime! I know it's early, but I'm trying to take advantage of the Labor Day holiday - and my parents' anniversary. This week will be AWESOME if I start it off with some solid sleep!

Well, my hair appointment was successful on Saturday. I got my hair dyed brown with some blonde highlights. I like it so far. We'll see how its unveiling goes at work tomorrow.

Saturday night's crew shift was surprisingly short because the 10:30 p.m. show got canceled. Although it stinks that it got canceled, it was refreshing to finish up earlier than expected. I ended up going out for a few drinks after the show, so I still got home as late as usual (2:00 a.m).

Sunday I slept in until about 11:00 a.m. and then headed to the gym. I spent most of the day being lazy. I did, however, go to a MOVIE! I went to see The Other Guys (with MM), which was pretty funny. I hadn't been to the movies in forever and I really enjoyed it. I didn't fall asleep during it, either, which is an accomplishment for me.

Today was a lazy day, too, but I got to catch up with a friend I haven't gotten to see much this year (ER). Between her endeavors in Israel and my crazy-busy life since she's returned, it was good to catch up. We had some beers at the pool and talked life. It was so good to see her!

Finally, I went out to eat at El Azteca with JM. I hadn't seen her since her BIRTHDAY last weekend, so that was fun, too. It was a Labor Day well-spent.

Now I'm gonna get a solid night's sleep!

Laaaaaaaaaaaabor Day

I am getting so bad at blogging. I cut myself some slack, though, because it feels like I haven't been home much at all this week.

Well, Thursday was an eventful day. Because of all of the kidney issues, the doctor mentioned wanting to hospitalize me to give me fluids to help flush out my kidneys. They went ahead and moved next Tuesday's CF appointment up to Thursday so that they could put me in the hospital with as much information as possible. So, I went to get bloodwork so they'd have the results by the time of my appointment. Now, for the dramatic turn in all of this - my kidney bloodwork was almost back to normal and my PFTs were up another three percent. Nobody understands at this point, but the hospital talk was merely a scare and now it's only a matter of scheduling sinus surgery. This has been such an emotional roller coaster!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday night I spoke at a CF fundraising cultivation event. It was fun! Since I was running around all day, I really had zero preparation time, but I still think it went well. Yeehaw!

Yesterday (Friday) was a good day. My roommate was working from home, too, so it was a lot of fun. I wish she got to work from home with me every Friday. :-) When I got off work early, I went to meet Claire at the pool. We hung out and chatted for a few hours. On my way to work at the theatre, I treated myself to Yogli Mogli and ate many things shunned by my low-oxalate diet.

I worked the lights without any supervision last night, so that was fun. Light-wise, all went extremely well. However, the lights person is also in charge of recording the DVD, and I got the dreaded "Disc cannot be finalized" message. Thankfully everyone was really laid back, but it made me so mad. That was the easiest part of the last three shows. People were like, "Oh lord. I know that message." So, OOPS, although I heard I couldn't have done anything to fix it.

Right now I'm sitting at my parents' kitchen table. I'm about to go get my hair did(!).

Happy birthday to my brother (yesterday), and happy Labor Day to all!

He knows my nose

Wow. Wow. I can't believe I haven't said anything in so long. It feels like I was just writing in here... Well, where should I start? HECTIC.

Saturday was a fun day. I slept in and went to the gym. Then, my mom and I went over to my grandmother's house and we all (plus my uncle) went out to eat at El Toro. At one point, my grandmother said, "I had something so hot I couldn't eat it the other day and I thought of Drew. My tongue caught on fire." I don't know why, but it cracked me up. Lunch was delicious!

I worked lights on Saturday night and I'd say it was pretty successful. Aside from a few iffy music cues, I thought it went really well. It was fun and mentally stimulating all at once. Woohoo!

Sunday was lazyish. I slept in (again!) and went to the pool. The weather was actually pretty cool, so I didn't stay out for very long. I came inside and napped on and off for most of the Braves game. The Braves made a MIRACULOUS comeback to win the game, so that left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling!

On Sunday night I dreamt that my front four teeth were messed up. It was almost like they were baby teeth again. The weirdest thing is that I know someone else (MM) who also had a jacked-up-front-four-teeth dream simultaneously. Tell me something cooler than that...

Rehearsal was canceled on Monday since we don't have a show this week, so I ended up going to the Braves game (again!) with ES. The Braves killed it, so I happily improved my record to 6-2; I broke my two-game losing streak, thankfully. Even though I probably shouldn't have stayed out so late on my one night off this week, it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't take it back!

Today was taxing. I went to the ENT for a check-up and it looks to be time for SURGERY. I get a CT scan next week to get the full scope, but it's pretty much a definite thing. This came as no surprise, but I'm still irritated. I also got an email about needing to see a kidney specialist, so add that to my list of nonsense. Summer 2010 will go down in history... I'm ready for it to end.

I worked the camera at a graduation show tonight, which is why I'm still up after 1:00 a.m. on a work night. This isn't my idea of a smart decision, but I've only been home for an hour. The Braves killed it tonight, but the Phillies won, too, soooo... We're up by 3 games, so I'll take it!

You are the only exception

Well, I went to the Braves game tonight (ES!). As much as it pains me to say it, they got absolutely destroyed. Tommy Hanson gave up solo HRs to the first two batters, so it just didn't start off the way I would have liked. After a saddening loss (score: 7-1), I saw my first Friday night fireworks of the season. That was definitely the highlight of the night! The last two were rained out, but I finally succeeded.

So, when I went to type "Friday," I accidentally typed "Fridney," which reminds me that I've been having a lot of conversations about my kidneys lately. I ended up getting ultrasounded yesterday. While I haven't officially spoken to the doctor, I've gotten word that my kidneys have changed from the initial pre-study ultrasound. All I really heard was something about how one used to be 9cm and is now over 10cm. Hmm, I guess that could explain some of the pain. The lack of urgency makes me think that nobody's overly concerned, but I hope to talk to a doctor on Monday.

Today was my last Summer Friday, and I'm not exactly pleased with how I spent it. That sounds kind of depressing, but I really have nothing to show for it aside from the Braves game. It was the epitome of a lazy day. I guess that's how it should have been, but I didn't even end up at the pool, the gym, or anything like that. Oh well! Maybe tomorrow.

I've been feeling kind of overwhelmed lately, but I think my interpretation of reality is skewed since I haven't been in tip-top physical shape. Sometimes I wonder how much our minds and bodies truly affect each other. I'm totally starting to philosophize, but I've felt uncharacteristically unhealthy this summer, and it seems like my happiness has been wavering, too. Which came first? The chicken or the egg? It crosses my mind all the time.

Now let me use some sleep to heal my mind and body! :) I'm requesting that positive energy be sent my way!

Party in my mouth

Cherries make the day better.

Well, today was an interesting one, I must say. Early this morning I got an email from the study coordinator. Although the blood level we were originally concerned about was normal, I've had two abnormal creatinine levels. Basically, from my understanding, if this level is high, it indicates poor kidney function. So, I got taken off of the drug. Now, I don't know if this is a permanent or temporary thing. I believe I am going to be getting an ultrasound done tomorrow, but I don't know for sure. The study folks are consulting other folks and I guess I'll learn more. It's got me wondering if the bouts of pain were from an actual kidney stone or just my kidney. I WANT AN ULTRASOUND! In other news, I have GOT to be on the real thing, right? Vanilla doesn't make your body go haywire.

I went to the grocery store today during lunchtime. I picked up a few items, and one of those items was CHERRIES. They have made me happy despite my angry kidneys.

I had rehearsal tonight and we worked on dialects. I was in a surprisingly good mood and laughed A LOT. Dialects are funny.

The Braves blew a 9-run lead today, so that was impressive. Thankfully the Phillies have also lost three games in a row, so we're still hanging on to our 2 1/2 game lead. Today's game was an absolute embarrassment. I kind of wished I hadn't been telecommuting so I didn't have to see it unfold.

I better rest up for tomorrow. I'd like to exercise in the morning and I have NO IDEA if I'm in the show or not. Plus, since I may or may not be getting an ultrasound, tomorrow will be spontaneous.

SLEEP WELL!

WiLLY NiLLY!

So, I came up with a new character idea today. I'm not prepared to announce details yet because they're still being finalized in my head. However, I am super-excited about this character's potential. It looks like Dottie has some competition!

Today was an okay day. I intended to get up and work out this morning, but sometimes things don't go as planned. I opted to sleep instead. I took my gym clothes to work in case I had a burst of energy, but I'm still waiting on that as I type...

I had several meetings today, totaling about four hours of my day. The new character was born in one of the meetings, so that was very worthwhile. :-)

Some colleagues and I (LT and BC) went to Panera today, and it really hit me how much nonsense I'm not supposed to eat anymore. I realize I can eat these things in limited portions, but dang! The list is so long. I ended up going with a chicken ceasar salad so I didn't eat too much bread.

After work, I headed to Starbucks to meet a friend (MV). I enjoyed our time together, per usual. I then went to El Azteca (with MM) and got a quesadilla and a margarita. Bueno!

It's bedtime. Actually, it's past bedtime if anyone's counting.

Upside down

I guess it's officially Tuesday. Booooo! I mean, I have no problem with Monday being over, but I wish it was about an hour earlier so I could get enough sleep tonight. Oh well! I'm over it.

Sunday was a good day. I slept in pretty late - almost until 11:00 a.m. It felt GOOD. I headed to the pool for a bit and it was literally unbearably hot. It caught me off-guard. It was almost impossible to sit there. I read a little bit and spent the rest of the time people-watching.

The Braves then DESTROYED the Cubs 16-5. It felt so good.

I then headed down to an improv workshop at the theatre. We worked with someone named Chelsea from Upright Citizens Brigade. While UCB does longform improv and we do not, it made me think about some things differently. The three hours passed by really quickly, but I had fun. It was neat to hear a different perspective on improv.

Monday was a good day! I don't like saying "Monday" because it still feels like it's Monday. Anyway, I hoped to work out before work, but I simply couldn't make myself get up. I headed to work and had some meetings. The Willy's group went on Monday instead of Tuesday, so that was a fun start to the week. I ended up leaving work a bit early so I could...............drumroll...............

get bloodwork done! When they drew (THAT'S ME!) blood for the study last week, one of my levels came back pretty low, so they needed to retest it. I should find out on Wednesday (hopefully) whether or not it is back to normal. If it isn't, I'm pretty sure I have to temporarily discontinue the drug.

I also got my official diet recommendations regarding this oxalate thing, and basically the list of restrictions is a mile long. The saddest part I read today was that I am not supposed to eat pretzels. That was surprising.

I worked out after work and hope to go in the morning if I can get some solid sleep. We had 9:00 p.m. rehearsal tonight, which explains why I'm up so late. We spent the time talking about strengths/weaknesses/goals, so I've done a lot of self-reflection today.

Looking forward to a new day... <3

One last thing! Today I checked my mail and got summoned for JURY DUTY! I am way excited. I'm in a standby group, so I am super-hopeful that we have to go. Then, after that, I hope I get selected to be on the jury. I love learning how things work.

Our house. In the middle of the street.

It is late! I need sleep!

I just got home from my first night of training lights at the theatre. It was a lot better than I expected it would be. For one, it didn't take as much out of me as is does when I'm mingling with the patrons. Mainly, though, it was easier than I thought it would be ... probably because my teacher was DA BOMB (KW)! I watched the entire first show and then did (almost) all of the second show with moral support. Awesome!

What else? The stone. I had another bout of kidney stone pain this morning. It wasn't Vicodin-worthy, but it was pain of a there-are-almost-tears-in-my-eyes level. Thankfully I took some ibuprofen and it was pretty short-lived. The anxiety-provoking thing about this is that, now that I know what I'm expecting, I know that the pain should be returning. That is NOT a good feeling! I got some twinges of pain throughout the night, but nothing long-lasting. Let's see how tonight goes!

I had J. Christopher's today. Spinach and bacon skillet in the houuuuuse! It included many things that I believe are on the do-not-eat list, but that's okay. I forgive myself.

Tomorrow evening I have a workshop at the theatre. That being said, I'll probably take it easy all day since the weekend has been a little hectic. I went out last night and was up until about 2:00 a.m., and here I am at the same hour again tonight. What a wild child I am! At least I'm enjoying myself...

The eyelids are heavy, so I better give in and sleep.

I love y'all.

For real.

Every little step I take

First off - The title of this blog is a lyric to a song. I actually wanted to title my last blog this lyric, but I didn't because a friend had just titled a blog about "steps" and I didn't want to overSTEP my boundaries. HA! Anyway, I chose to title the last blog the NEXT line of the song just so I didn't seem like a copycat. However, each time I've seen that title, I've been like, "What? 'You will be there?'" because it's not as obvious and takes me a minute to figure out, even though I wrote it. So, in summary, the last two blogs have been inspired by Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step I Take," which was actually inspired by ANOTHER friend's Facebook status.

Now, if you know me, you know that I can go off on unnecessary tangents like the one above. (BTW: Now I'm listening to Bobby Brown.) However, you probably also notice that it's after 3:00 a.m. and I don't have the day off work or anything. Both of these mysteries can be explained by one simple fact, and it's that I'm pretty sure another kidney stone is rearing its ugly head.

I got my first twinge of back pain last Saturday before the show, but it was gone before I began performing. This pain is FOR REAL, though. So, to explain the unnecessary tangent, I'm actually on Vicodin right now. I tried ibuprofen and didn't keep it down, so I upgraded to bigger guns. I think I'm about to add another half of a Vicodin to the mix to try to get the pain below a 3 or 4.

Well, yesterday (Wednesday) during lunch, I went to exercise. I wore my bathing suit under my gym clothes, planning to take a dip in the pool after I finished running. Shortly after getting on the treadmill, I decided I'd rather swim laps. I ended up getting off the treadmill and heading out to the pool, even though I was goggleless. The result: I swam 30 laps! Now, the pool at my complex isn't Olympic-sized or anything, but it's between 15 and 20 yards. So, that was a big accomplishment. It felt good to do the butterfly for the first time in what felt like forever. It was a great workout! Now I want to get a membership at some kind of indoor pool so that it can become a habit.

When I woke up with the back pain, I was hopeful that it was swimming induced. As I learned with the last stone, though, when there is not a single physical position I can contort myself into to feel better, that's bad news. Ugh. I am nauseous.

Well, I've got a big few days ahead of me, so I guess we'll see where I stand after another bout of sleep.

You will be there

Yo! It's Tuesday night.

The Braves won big tonight and it made me proud. They've been scoring a lot of runs lately, so that makes me smile! I was kinda hoping to go to the game tonight since my theatre schedule isn't exactly conducive to seeing games. Buuuut, I wasn't feeling all that great and already had plans to meet my friend (MV) at Starbucks (AGAIN!), so I didn't go. It would have been fun, but perhaps I'll be able to go to some more games in the coming weeks... Before we head to the play-offs. UNNNH!

Well, let me go ahead and say that this Cipro oral antibiotic is not making my body happy. Lung-wise I'm doing fine. Stomach-wise... NO. "Food" sounds like a curse word. That didn't stop me from eating Willy's today, which may or may not have been a bad idea.

I got blood drawn yesterday! It only took two tries, so I was very pleased. I sat there using a space heater for about 20 or 30 minutes before we even attempted. I don't know if that actually helps, but it comforts me from a mental standpoint.

I'm telecommuting tomorrow. I need to go to the gym either before work or during lunch. I went for a hot second this morning, but I felt too sick to my stomach to continue. So, it's time to kick it back into gear. I feel a little lazy lately.

Tomorrow will probably be a late(ish) night at the theatre. Our annual fundraiser is on Thursday, so tomorrow will likely include a lot of last-minute prep. Friday is the only night I don't have to be at the theatre until next Tuesday. Sometimes I understand why my body doesn't like me so much anymore.

Enough yapping. Life is a cool thing.

Easy like Sunday moooornin'

I am up earlier than I should be.

Well, yesterday was a good day! I got up and did my morning breathing treatments before heading to the gym. I exercised, then came home and showered so I could meet a friend (MV) at Starbucks. We had a good time chatting and laughing; I love when she and I crack up about random stuff.

After that I headed to Goodwill to meet one of my fellow actors to look for some costume gear. I ended up purchasing Dottie's outfit in case I wanted to be her in last night's show. I guess that's the perfect segue into last night's show...

TONS! O'! FUN! The show was sold out and the crowd was pretty awesome! I had some people there supporting me, so that always makes me happy. While Dottie has not yet been birthed, I played Buzzer, Repeat Scene Family, Phones (on-stage), and Remote Control Styles. I just had so much fun with my fellow castmates. There's nothing better than having just as much fun as the audience.

Although I was worn out from the show, I decided to hang around to watch one of my friends make her mainstage debut (KW!). The show was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed being a patron; it's been a while since I did that. I was like a proud parent out in the audience! I also ran into two people I know (separately). Atlanta can get pretty small sometimes!

Well, today's gonna be a relaxing day. I plan on takin' it eaaaasy. I think I'm about to read some more of my third library book. READING IS FUN!

Riddle me this

Even though I don't feel like I have a lot to show for it, today was a very worthwhile day.

Yesterday I ended up finagling my way onto the doctor's calendar for today - both the CF doctor (not my usual one, but a good one!) and the endocrinologist. So, I ended up waking around the same time as usual to head to the doctor.

My study coordinator was there to try to get blood from me and we gave up after three sticks. Trying again Monday...

The endocrinologist had all the reports from my blood and urine fiascoes, so that was a relief. It sounds like many things checked out well, but it looks like the tests showed that I need to go on a low-oxalate diet. Basically my risk of forming kidney stones is extremely high because of the overabundance of oxalate in my body. Now, I don't really even know what oxalate it, but I did learn a few things. I remember the doctor specifically mentioning not consuming wine and chocolate. I was pleased to hear that a lot of vegetables were blacklisted, so that's a perk. All I know is that I need to touch base with the nutritionist next week to talk about this new diet. As for the funny part, I also need to go on a low-calcium diet, but I'm bordering on osteoporosis. RIDDLE ME THAT!

Now, the CF doctor went surprisingly well. My PFTs had risen from my study appointment, and had only dropped slightly from my pre-vacation appointment. I actually couldn't believe it. They think it can probably be attributed to my new inhaled antibiotic. The doctor mentioned throwing me in the hospital since I feel bad, but said that she thought we should try 21 days of oral antibiotics. Obviously they want me to feel well, but it's also hard to warrant putting me in the hospital when my numbers are pretty good. I guess that's a good problem to have...

I met my old boss for lunch at El Azteca after the visits. We had a really great conversation, per usual, and it had my mind spinning for the remainder of the day. I was thinking a lot about vulnerability and taking chances. Sometimes it's hard to live vulnerably in a world where being 'tough' is the socially acceptable way to be. The more I do improv, the more I become comfortable with being vulnerable in many aspects of my life. I really cherish life and I value the relationships in my life, but sometimes I think I ought to do a better job of demonstrating that. I want to know that, no matter what happens in my life, I stayed true to myself and I wasn't afraid of being open and honest.

Tomorrow I'm performing in the 8:00 p.m. show. It hasn't quite hit me yet. The closer it gets, though, the more excited I am.

The Braves won. YEAH!