Sappy Magee

I am such a sap right now. Man, it's absurd. I think it's expected, though, given the events of the past few weeks.

So, Friday night was my grandfather's visitation. It was actually really great. A lot of people were there showing support and it meant a lot to our family. I imagined that it was going to be pretty difficult, but it was very pleasant.

The funeral was absolutely beautiful. I spoke and, although I had a difficult time deciding what I'd say, the words came to me on Friday night. If you'd like to see the tribute I wrote, let me know. That isn't a ploy or a friendship test, by the way; I just don't really feel like shoving it down your throats.

I have to say that I've never felt comfortable in a cemetery until Saturday. I think there are many factors that contribute to that. The casket was draped with an American flag and military people were there giving a final salute and playing "Taps" (I didn't know the name of it until just now, but it is beautiful). Aside from some difficulty folding the flag into a triangle, it was perfect. Honestly, though, the folding debacle made it even better. The weather was amazing and the sun was shining!

Here is a photograph of the flag:



Hmm, what else? On Sunday, the family celebrated Easter at Gran's house and that was nice. I wasn't the most endearing person to be around since I was feeling pretty exhausted by that point, but it was great to get to see my other side of the family. After the Easter celebration, I came home and exercised in an attempt to clear my mind and freshen up my mood.

Then, I ended the weekend by heading to my other grandmother's house to spend the night with her so she wasn't alone. We hadn't had any one-on-one time in quite a while, so it was nice to visit with her and lend her an ear as she adjusts to her new life without my grandfather.

This is really dorky, but I stumbled upon something that made me really excited last night. I had been looking through a lot of photo albums last week because I was asked to pick out the photographs for the slide show at the visitation. I looked through a lot of pictures of my grandparents' trips to all different places like China, Australia, Italy, etc. However, last night I ran into a photo album of random pictures my grandfather took. It's funny because I remember him having a disposable camera at Christmas a few years back. In this album, there were several pictures of us (at Christmas) that he'd taken with the disposable camera. However, the rest of the disposable camera consisted of pictures he'd taken of geese at the lake. It's the same journey he was on when he died last week. It was really neat because I was a little too far removed from the pictures of faraway places, but the geese pictures were so simple and documented something meaningful to me; it was almost like I was walking right there with him. I took two of the pictures -- one he took from the bridge of the geese swimming (you can see his finger in the photo), and one of the geese crossing the sidewalk right in front of him. They were so amateur and I love them because it's like viewing everyday life from his eyes. How long can I talk about some photos of geese? You tell me.

Today I returned back to work and, although I really hadn't been gone, it felt like it. I was greeted by tons of termites running rampant on the carpet outside of my office. I didn't notice them at first because I got to work so early and didn't turn on the light in the hallway. However, a little while later, I looked at the carpet and realized it was like an optical illusion. Seriously. The carpet looked 3D like a Magic Eye puzzle. Are you grossed out yet? I spent the rest of the morning being paranoid that they were crawling on me and, after the Orkin man came and said they were coming up through the floor, the folks in my suite called it a day and headed home. Ugh, I shouldn't be thinking about this so close to bedtime. I'm gonna dream of termites bringing me donuts.

Well, it's about to become my birthday if anyone's counting. I've set a goal for Drew's Crew to raise $2,500 on my birthday. I gave us a tiny head start because I was getting impatient. If you'd like to contribute to the cause, first let me commend you for making it this far in this novel of a post. Secondly, here is the link: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/drewdotson5267.

I want to thank everyone who has shown me some love over the past several days; it has really helped.

Hello, bed of mine! How I've missed thee!

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.

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!

It's like thunda...lightnin'

Well, the weather doesn't exactly look glorious for Shoot the Hooch 2010, but WE WILL PREVAIL! According to the hourly forecast, it's supposed to rain pretty much all day. We'll see where the day takes us, but I'm positive we'll have fun!

So, let's talk about the doctor. Booooooo. Yesterday's appointment with the endocrinologist went pretty well. I have to get about 8 million blood tests done for different things, so I guess I'll be knocking those puppies out on Monday. My bone density has been dropping and they want to check out all kinds of stuff. They also want me to collect my urine over a 24-hour period to see if my parathyroid is jacking up my calcium levels. There is a nice little rhyme that indicates something is wrong with the parathyroid, "moans, groans, stones, and bones." The most ironic thing is that the kidney stone debacle hadn't even happened when I was forced to make this appointment. WE SHALL SEE!

Then, onto the study appointment. Well, we successfully got blood on the first stick today! *round of applause* Basically I sat in a chair and we had a space heater in the chair in front of me blowing right at me. It worked like a charm! Then, onto the dreaded PFTs. I didn't realize the PFTs were dreaded until I saw the results. I last went to the doctor on June 1 - before the travels and the Series of Unfortunate Events. My numbers have dropped pretty significantly in that short time. These are hospitalization-worthy, hands-down, but we'll see if the information is relayed along to my doctor. I don't feel bad enough to warrant going into the hospital, but I do know these are pretty much the worst numbers I've ever seen. Laaaaaaaaame.

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend (ED), her mom, and her brother. It was fun to catch up and eat MEXICAN FOOD! We got kicked out of the restaurant because we're cool like that. And they were also closing for the afternoon.

I operated the camera at the theatre last night. The show was sold out and a lot o' fun.

Off to tackle the Chattahoochee!

Waiting is the hardest part

Oh, kidney stone, how I hate thee.

So, this kidney stone thing is getting a little awkward. I get a text/email/call every couple hours asking me if it has passed. As people know, I'm not very shy about much, but it's just kind of a strange topic since it involves human waste and what not. Anyway, as far as my body and my strainer indicate, it is still hanging out inside of my body.

Since I've been fortunate enough to have never experienced this before, I really don't know what to expect. I mean, theoretically, it could be out in a few minutes and everything would be back to normal (excluding the fact that there's another one in my kidney that could choose to jump out whenever it wants). I'm hopeful that it will be gone today, but in my "big picture" mind, I'm already trying to strategize about tomorrow. I feel most secure at home since people aren't here to witness everything, but it's also hard not to leave the house when I'm feeling pretty good. Who knows how much of that has to do with the painkillers, though...

Today I'm supposed to go to my grandmother's for a little birthday celebration for my mom and uncle. The trickiest parts about that are: 1) I'd have to get a ride, 2) packing the strainer is awkward, and 3) I keep dozing off at a moment's notice. I haven't yet decided whether or not I'll try to truck it over there.

I didn't make it to the theatre last night. I was confident that I could be pain-free while I was there, but I'd HAVE to use the bathroom in the time I was there, which would involve bringing the strainer. AND, given that the camera person is literally in the audience, I'd need to guarantee I wasn't going to fall asleep. Thankfully the theatre folks were very understanding and encouraged me to stay home and get better. All I'm waiting on is the "get better" part.

Well, this is going to sound nutty, but I might go try to exercise. I read that activity can help it pass, so perhaps that's what I'll do. The thought of it makes me anxious.

It feels like it's time to take another narcotic, though, because I feel the dull pain returning in my lower right back. The doctor told me to take medicine at the first sign of pain because the oral painkillers only work up until a certain point before IV painkillers are needed. Maybe the exercise thing needs to be moved to the back burner for now. Sigh.

Thank you to all for being so supportive!

Weight a second

Well, today was a fine day. I really didn't experience much pain at all since I kept myself medicated all day. I only got nauseous a few times and truly only felt some minor pain in my back. That pain was nothing compared to yesterday, though.

The weirdest part of all of this is that I am gaining tons of water weight. Since the stone is just before my bladder, everything isn't flowing through quite like normal. So, I literally weigh five pounds more today than I did a full day ago. Isn't that nutty? I feel like I'm pregnant with a Gatorade baby. It will be GREAT when this is over!

The Braves won today after being swept by the White Sox in a three-game series earlier this week. I was relieved to see that!

Today my mom helped me take my car to get an estimate since I am not really up for driving with these medications. It is truly going to be pretty cheap. I've just gotta work out the details surrounding getting to and from places while the car is getting perfected. I'm relieved that this isn't going to be THAT big of a deal.

As of right now, I plan to work at the theatre tomorrow. If tomorrow is anything like today was, I should be completely fine getting out of the house for a bit to work. I'm only on camera for both shows, so that sounds like it could be easy. My biggest concern is just the drowsiness. I seem to have made vast improvements on the pain front, but I don't want to be dozing during my crew shift. I guess I'll make the final decision tomorrow.

I need to go downstairs to get more Gatorade to add to the rest sitting inside my body waiting. This has to be causing hiccups somehow. I've had them about six times today.

Time for some sleep!

Late December back in '63

Guess who hasn't gone to sleep yet?! Guess who isn't going to sleep tonight?! This was not intentional.

Today was such a busy day. Between trying to finalize everything under the sun for work and get ready for this trip, I have been going nonstop all day. I stayed up later than I should have last night, but I think the adrenaline was kicking in because I wasn't feeling tired. This morning I woke up pretty early, too, probably because my body knew how much there was to accomplish today...

DANG! THE BRAVES LOST! They didn't just lose or anything. It hit me that I didn't see any of the game, so I checked the score.

Anyway, I did go to the fitness center for a brief stint today and met a neighbor. That was a highlight of the day because it was the only moment when I forgot how much stuff there was to do. Fast-forward through a day of nonstop work (I am still emailing work people right now) into a crew shift. The camera is officially jacked up, so it was a challenge to train tonight's pupil appropriately, but he got the gist of it. The show was a blast.

Right before the show I was in decision-making mode. Knowing how much stuff I needed to get done when I'd get home at midnight, I made the decision to drink a Monster at 9:00 p.m. for my shift drink. I was tired enough that I never really got a boost, but at least I'm coasting right now. About an hour ago, I had to make another decision - whether to take a nap or not. I started to lay down to take a nap, but then I decided maybe I should truck through. So, I went and unloaded the dishwasher.

I'm very hopeful that everything goes smoothly with our travel arrangements tomorrow. My biggest source of paranoia is all of my medicine. I tried to make phone calls to make sure I have it all figured out, but I'm not sure how effective that was. Let's just say that my study drug looks shady... little homemade-looking packets of white powder. Being the person I am, I would like to be up-front at the airport about all of my medical stuff and what not. However, I don't want to end up going through some ridiculous drama just because I chose to be honest. I'm carrying all of my medicine in my carry-on and I have the best documentation I could get for each of the items. I don't think I will bring anything up unless I'm asked. Once I get through the airport shenanigans to leave, though, I'll have to go through Customs. I hope I'm not in a jail in the Dominican Republic by the time you read this. Maybe I could sue someone and make a lot of money if that happened. I must officially be delirious to be having these trains of thought. Choo. Choo.

I need to make a luggage tag.

I don't feel so hot today, but I know that relaxation is just around the corner. It doesn't help that I've been up forever, but oh well. I might drink an Emergen-C after I finish my morning breathing treatments that I just started. I'm getting picked up in 1.25 hours.

Man! I set up my out-of-office reply a few hours ago. That felt so good! I literally won't deal with work for the next 16 days. BALLER! I know I'm going to have some revelations over the next few days of things I forgot to do, but I'm going to let them slide.

It's weird when an occasion finally arrives that you thought would never get here. It's still a little surreal to me, and part of that probably involves the fact that my brain isn't functioning at its full capacity right now. Wait, I don't think that makes sense. It's not acting to its fullest potential? I would hope its capacity isn't maxed out because I don't feel very smart right now. I am talking in circles.

I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Luggage tag. Luggage tag. Luggage tag. I just finished my breathing treatments, so I guess I'd better pack up my little machine and put it in my carry-on. La. Dee. Da.

I'm gonna miss y'all. I love everyone. Please bail me out of the DR jail.

Oh, and I doubt I'll have access to blog-writing. But I'll try to document each day so that I can write upon my return.

Roadblock

Yesterday was CRAZY!

My bathing suits shipped! I just went and tracked the package and it appears to be in the ATL. Guess who's getting her bathing suits on time! Awww, snap. Now let's just hope I got the right sizes.

I got up and worked for a while and then decided I wanted to go pick up something from Starbucks, so off I went. I quickly grabbed an Iced White Chocolate Mocha Latte (mwahahaha!), which kicked the day off right.

Then, for my lunch hour, I went to the fitness center where I witnessed a miracle. I'm being overdramatic, but I did run 3.36 miles without ever even slowing down. In fact, I increased the speed after two miles. Usually I end up standing on the side of the treadmill for a few seconds several times, or may even turn the pace a little slower for a bit. Yesterday, I was ON FIRE! I honestly couldn't believe how energetic and unfazed I was. There wasn't a single moment when I thought I needed to stop. In fact, I only stopped because I needed to get back home. Maybe Starbucks for breakfast helped...

The afternoon was consumed with work changes that are under way that I'm probably not allowed to mention. It's good, though.

At this point it was almost time for the Braves game debacle. Well, I had a drink or two before we hopped on MARTA to ride down to the game. It was raining when we got on MARTA, and my sister decided we should bring an umbrella. I'm very glad she did because I said I was willing to tough it out, but didn't realize it was going to be a monsoon. When we got down to the Five Points station to hop on the bus to the stadium, it was raining so unbelievably hard. Everyone was standing under the awning waiting for it to stop, but we made a run for it with the umbrella. It was a pretty bad call because we were sloshing water everywhere. Then, I proceeded to get on the bus and sit in a seat next to a leaking window, so I sat in water and it continued streaming in the window and getting on my pants. We moved across the aisle.

We got off the bus and hurried to a covered portion at one of the ticket gates. Our parents were in a parking lot tailgating (inside the truck) nearby. We were going to wait it out because we didn't think we should even try the long walk in the pouring, horizontal rain. Well, I asked the Atlanta Police Department officer if we could drink beers and he said no because we were in public. So we decided we were ready to venture to the truck. Our dad met us halfway, but it was a long journey. We got to the car and I ate a footlong (yes!) Publix sub. I also drank three Bud Light Limes. Finally, at about 8:45 p.m., it seemed to be clearing up so we headed to the stadium.

Thankfully our seats were in the club level and were covered. The game was a good one, and I improved my seasonal record to 3-0. It was 7-3 in the top of the 9th with one out when the bottom fell out of the sky. So, they called a rain delay at about 11:30 p.m. I wanted to stay and wait it out, but then they announced that the Friday night fireworks were canceled due to a noise ordinance (since it had gotten so late). With that information, I really didn't push back on my family because they were ready to go.

We took the long journey back on MARTA and got in the car a little after 12:30 a.m. Well, when we got to my sister's place, there were tons and tons of cop cars on the road. It appeared we had stumbled upon a roadblock. It was just past my sister's place and just before mine (we live less than .2 miles apart). They were letting cars through one at a time and talking to everyone, so needless to say, I did not feel prepared to drive. Instead, I fell asleep on my sister's couch. I woke up at about 1:30 a.m. and went outside to look. The roadblock was still in-process. So, I went back to sleep again and got up at 3:30 a.m., just in time to realize I'd missed my vanilla for the first time since the study began. Oops. Stupid cops. I finally headed the .2 mile home since the cops were done.

Is it just me or am I interacting with a lot of cops lately?

I'm getting ready to go down to the theatre for a lengthy shift on camera. Let's. Get. Energized!

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiime

Good grief, where does the time go? I swear time is getting lesser and lesser by the day.

Yesterday I slept in until 11:00 a.m. Now, given the fact that I'm complaining about having no time, I realize that wasn't exactly an effective use of my Saturday morning. However, I wouldn't have felt compelled to sleep that late if I wasn't completely exhausted, so I'm just listening to my body. Then I headed over to the gym and exercised for a bit. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical and 12 on the treadmill. It was a good start to the day!

Then I hurriedly showered and got ready and met my friend DH for lunch. We were going to go to Hudson Grille, but apparently it closed or something, so we went to Taco Mac instead. Wooo! Aside from her coming to my improv show last Thursday, we hadn't really talked in YEARS, so that was a lot of fun. I love catching up with relatable people!

I then decided that I needed to go get groceries since it had been probably close to a month. I am really not good at fulfilling my basic needs when I have next to no free time. I realize that my basic needs should come first, but dang, it's tough. I just went into Target (the SUPER kind!) and got some stuff. I had a hard time because I wanted to get home quickly and dodge the rain, so I just arbitrarily grabbed healthyish stuff, plus a few things like shampoo, etc. Consider it true if it's written here - I really want to start eating healthier. Not for vanity's sake, but because I know I don't have good eating habits and I used to feel much more energized when I ate such a variety. Granted, at that time, my only concerns were being in high school and making smoothies, but I felt healthier nutrition-wise. So, that's a goal of mine.

I put groceries up, laid down for a bit, then realized it was time to head out to my crew shift at the theatre. I stopped by Starbucks at the way (See? Thinking I can drink my energy?) and got an iced vanilla latte. I got down to the theatre and trained a newby on suggestions and worked the camera during the show. The shows were a lot of fun to watch and, even though I was out late, I enjoyed myself!

Now I'm getting ready to go watch the kids perform at the theatre - well, the youths and teens. It should be a lot of fun. I'm getting lunch beforehand. YAY!

THIS POST WAS POINTLESS!

Hold on while I ice my chest

GREETINGS! IT'S THURSDAY!

Well, my chest is really sore today because I got my much-anticipated Cortisone injection. It was kind of what I imagined it might be when I tried to conceptualize what it would be like for a needle to go into my chest. I was on the gurney (or whatever) and the guy put the gooey gel on my SC joint. He started moving the ultrasound thingy (these are all medical terms) around to get a good picture of the joint. He moved it around for a while, then told me to get ready for a cold spray. After the cold, the needle went into my chest at a diagonal. When the needle got into the place they were going for in the joint, the doctor could not make the syringe cooperate. I think it was a matter of being at a place in my chest that didn't want the medicine. So, they ended up having to take it out.

Then, then tried again. This time they got in the joint pretty easily at an angle that was actually willing to receive the medicine. He slowly started to push the syringe. He warned me that I would feel a lot of pressure, but it was kind of like someone had just put a twenty-five pound weight on my chest or something. It was weird because it was in such a specified location, but it felt like the joint was about to explode from the pressure. Anyway, he warned me that after the injected Lidocaine wore off, it would start to get sore. And boy, was he right. There's a little bruise in the center of my chest and I'm feeling pretty sore. I iced it after rehearsal last night. I'm probably gonna need to pop a painkiller today. He said the pain should only last a few days.

The week has gone pretty well, I'd say. It has actually flown by; I can't believe today's Thursday. Tonight I'm going to the improv show to support some fellow actors. I think I'm meeting a friend for MEXICAN! beforehand, which will be the perfect after-work activity on a Thursday. Then tomorrow I will be working from home until I need to head down to the theatre to work suggestions and camera again. Saturday I will be worthless.

I really need to finish getting ready for work. I forgot that I'm going to be relying on my less-coordinated arm to dry my hair and what not. Here goes!

Achooooo

The sneeze total in the hour and a half I've been awake is now at seven. I don't know what's up, but my nose has been running pretty severely since Sunday night. Mmm, perhaps the suspicion that I was getting sick was on-target. However, I'm confident I can kick this. YES. I. CAN.

I had a pretty good weekend, although the snow thing threw it off a bit. Saturday was pretty fun. I officially went to IHOP for the third consecutive weekend; this time I went with a friend that lives in my complex. The second we walked into IHOP, the workers started telling me I looked exactly like 'Sarah' that used to work there. They were all pointing me out to each other. It's pretty strange because I don't know how I could possibly look like so many people. Oh, and I got an Elizabeth Shue lookalike comment on Friday.

Saturday night I worked two sold-out shows at the theatre. I was on suggestions and camera. It was pretty fun because it was a packed house. We also gave out roses for creative suggestions. How. Sweet. Anyway, I had a good time and worked with a fun crew.

Sunday a friend and I went to watch a college basketball game (a friend is an assistant coach there). The game was pretty fun; I like sports in general. Then the three of us went to get Mexican and margaritas for dinner. It was a non-traditional Valentine's Day, but I'm not a big fan anyway.

Yesterday I woke up feeling pretty gross. I was all sniffly and what not. My throat hurt pretty bad, too, from being horizontal, but it got progressively better as the day went on. I was also FREEZING all day, but the thermometer suggested that I didn't have a fever. Anyway, today when I woke up, my throat didn't hurt as much, but, as I mentioned earlier, I am sneezy magee.

I had sushi for lunch yesterday with some people from the CFF. It was fun aaaaand delicious. We talked about some fundraising strategy for the walk (yes, kids, it's about that time!!!!). Over the next few days, I'm going to write some motivational letters that are going to get blasted out to team leaders. It's time to get inspirational!

Rehearsal was the late shift again last night, but I'm excited because it's at 7:00 p.m. next week. Awesome! By the time I got there, I was feeling so run-down. [Interjection: I ate Mexican food (SHOCK!) for dinner before rehearsal.] We mainly sat around and talked about problem areas at rehearsal, which was kind of a blessing considering how 'off' I was feeling with my stuffy head. Anyway, I got home around 11:30 p.m. and got to sleep to gear up for an early day at work. WOOOOOOO!

Vanilla latte.

..........

This week isn't on the top of my "Best Weeks Ever" list. In fact, it's far from it. I've definitely complained more than I should this week, but it was an exceptionally hard week for me. I was plagued by headaches Monday through Thursday and, although there were some twinges of pain throughout the day today, I was fairly pain-free.

I got a call about my SC joint today. I am scheduled for an ultrasound of the joint on February 17 and may also be given a cortisone injection if the doctor sees the troublesome area. While the thought of a needle going into the boniest part of my chest doesn't sound appealing, I like the idea of potentially getting rid of the pain!

The improv schedule for February came out and I'm in the shows on the 4th and 25th, so I'm looking forward to both of those. I got suggestions and worked the camera last night, so it was fun to see a show after a somewhat stressful week. I also saw some patrons that I thought I recognized from the previous week and they complimented my performance, which made me feel really good. I can't wait until I get to perform again next Thursday!

I plan to keep it pretty low-key this weekend, especially considering how worn down I feel right now. I haven't felt this exhausted in a long time. Every little movement feels like it requires so much energy. Tomorrow morning I've got to be up pretty early to go to a birthday breakfast for my grandfather at IHOP. I haven't been there in a long time, so I'm excited! IHOP pancakes aren't as good as my mother's Bisquick pancakes, but I'll manage. My grandfather just turned 86. Wow!

As you may recall (primarily if I wrote it in here because I'm not sure if I did...), I set a goal of finishing the revision of my autobiography by January 31, 2010. That's only two days away and I'm definitely not where I imagined to be at this point. I am going into writing lockdown mode tomorrow after breakfast and staying focused for the remainder of the day. Maybe before I go to bed I'll jot a list of areas that need some strengthening. Often, when I sit down, I find myself dumbfounded regarding where I'll begin. Plus, I think I'm too tired to do any efficient writing tonight, so I'll just hoard that energy for tomorrow.

Well, I somehow almost dropped my laptop on the ground just then, so I should probably cut myself off. Here's to a productive weekend!

A success story

Hmm, well, going to sleep is long overdue, but I figured I ought to write in here since it crossed my mind. I got home from the CF event I spoke at not too long ago. The event was in a very nice home in the Lenox Mall area. It took me forever to get there because I forgot about the roads that are still washed out due to the flood. The good news, however, is that I got there.

I winged it, for the most part, but I think it went well. It was a small and intimate gathering, so it wasn't as intimidating as it could have been. I met some very nice people all there to support my cause, so that's always uplifting!

I also found out some news I deem super-exciting. I was speaking with a CF doctor about clinical trials and one just got approved this week. Less than 10 percent of the CF population could benefit from this drug, and I happen to be in that small group. I have been following this drug for almost three years now, so I am way excited that my treatment center will have access to it. It could seriously make a huge difference in my life. Guess who's looking into that tomorrow!

Well, I ended up working from home today. I've had a headache since Monday and just wasn't feeling up to driving to work today. I also had a very difficult time sleeping last night, so that wasn't helping matters. The headache hasn't bothered me all evening, so let's hope this is indicative of what tomorrow will bring!

Tomorrow I am doing camera/suggestions at the theatre. It's funny that not being there in two days seems so weird to me. I think that means I'm officially in deep. I also don't have to be there for any reason this weekend, so that will feel unusual, too.

Anyway, I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I think I'll call it a night. I don't know the last time I was up this late on a weeknight. I know I didn't say a whole lot worth hearing, but whatever. I'm excited about that drug. YEAH BABY!

Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeetings. Today is 12-21, which is a palindrome. Therefore, I also used a palindrome to title this post. DORK!

Well, what a weekend! I worked at the theatre on Friday and Saturday nights. I did pre-show suggestions both nights, and also ran the camera on Saturday night. It didn't feel much like work, so that's cool. I also got to laugh a lot in the process, so volunteering was surprisingly fun. I was out pretty late both nights... Friday night I got home around 1, and Saturday it was more like 2. WILD CHILD!

Saturday I got up and exercised, then went shopping and knocked out pretty much everything you can imagine. It was relatively painless, which I didn't expect the weekend before Christmas. It's amazing how efficiently you can shop the closer you get to the deadline. I mean, the lines may be long and what not, but there's no longer time to debate, compare, pick and choose.

Sunday I got up and ran 3 miles (you heard me) and then went to lunch with a friend. We went to J. Christopher's and I had the spinach and bacon skillet. It made my mouth water! I could eat another right now. I debated getting the pancakes, but restaurant pancakes often don't do it for me. They are too...solid and calculated. I can't wait to eat some homemade pancakes this week!

Last night we had a theatre holiday party, and it was a lot of fun. I brought apple tart for dessert and my white elephant gift was a bottle of Bailey's. I ended up getting a tumbler... too bad the Bailey's already belonged to someone else at that point. There was so much delicious food to eat, including one of my favorites... buffalo chicken dip!

That brings me to a very important point. Back in September, I ranked my top three foods as Mexican, pancakes, and grilled cheese. However, I have an amendment to make. I'm officially replacing grilled cheese with buffalo chicken dip in my all-time top three favorite foods. Buffalo chicken dip is just sooooo savory.

Well, it's time to go to bed around 8:30 p.m. because I stayed up too late last night. Tomorrow is my last day in the office this week. YEAAAAAAH BUDDY! GET IT CRUNK! I'm seriously so excited about it. Plus, I'm going to lunch with my old boss, so that's always fun!