No rain, no gain

Well, well, well... Here we are on this rainy Monday. It actually rained all weekend, but the rain has resulted in warmer temperatures than usual for this time of the year. I'd much rather it be raining and warm than dry and cold. Take that, Winter!

I'm not sure if it was the temperature change or what, but I didn't feel well for much of the weekend. I took about 45 naps on Saturday (I'm seriously not exaggerating.), and spent much of Sunday on the couch coughing. It was pretty exhausting. I took Theraflu and got about 10 hours of sleep last night, accompanied by the occasional waking-up-coughing. I was already on antibiotics when I went to the doctor on January 13, but they upped the dosage and put me on a second one as well. Due to some incompetencies by Target pharmacy workers, I just got the second antibiotic yesterday, so I'm hoping that this whatever-it-is can be put to rest. I've been feeling under-the-weather for entirely too long.

Now for life's non-complaints...

I have been working out lately! I forgot how much fun it is to get some physical exercise. Plus I'm going to be on a beach exactly one month from today, so that's motivating, too. Hooray for strength and sun!

I performed improv Saturday night at 8 and had a blast. I got to do something I'd never done before -- dubbed for a film that was put on silent and projected on the TVs. It was a blast!

What else? It's crazy that it's already nearing the end of January. I feel like we were just counting down to 2012! I can tell it's going to be a good year.

Here's to a NyQuil-enhanced sleep!

Slack Attack

So, I wonder how many months I can summarize in a single blog post. Only time will tell...

November highlights include:
-Diagnosis of a slipped disk in my lower back (The actual incident occurred in August when I leaned forward in a booth to dip a chip in queso. Things were never the same again. This is one of those things that you wish was a joke because it's so ridiculous.)
-Physical therapy (This involved some mermaid-like movements.)
-Falcons vs. Saints game (Yes, I will confront you.)
-Train ride to Nawlins! (My mom and I went on a journey, and it was great to get away. "That's a good-lookin' rat.")
-Eating a sandwich that had MACARONI AND CHEESE ON IT!!!

December highlights include:
-A new microwave that I never would have bought if Sears didn't fail at installing my first one
-My first business trip to New York City (Nothing says "first" like missing your flight there!)
-Going to see Cavalia! (Those horses be crazy, but those acrobats be crazier.)
-Falcons vs. Vikings game (You should have seen me do the Wobble in that tent!)
-Taking a week-long staycation (I have nothing to show for it...not even sanity.)
-My brother's engagement (Wedding overload!)
-HOLIDAYS WITH THE FAMILY! (You can never have too much eggnog+whisky, sausage balls, Apples to Apples, Bagel Bites, mashed 'taters, Taboo, etc.)

January highlights (so far) include:
-BEING SICK (There's nothing like ringing in 2012 with a three-week cold! I think I'm on the home stretch, but I was very, very rough weeks 1 and 2.)
-Falcons vs. Buccaneers game (Let's verify that I am indeed sick by going out for a full-day activity that includes beer.)
-Winning my fantasy football league as a first-timer! (How could you not win with a name like "Wyte Chedda"? Word to my homies.)
-Getting a new roommate! (Traded one life-long friend [AH] for another [AM])

I'm pretty sure that's all the remembering I can do at this moment in time. I know there's other stuff -- probably even important stuff -- that I haven't acknowledged, but I can't be everything to everyone. GEEZ.

Five-hundred twenty-five thousand...

It's so weird because it feels like I just wrote in here, but I guess it was almost a week ago. RIDICULOUS!

Well, last Thursday I went to a CF Foundation event called Chocolate with KS. It was a pretty cool event. I met a friend with CF who I'd been talking to on Facebook, so that was neat. I also got to see an old friend from CF camp, so I enjoyed that. It was kind of fun getting all dressed up and what not. FANCY!!!!

Friday night I performed some improv, and it was a ton of fun. I was supposed to be in both shows on Saturday, too, but something went wrong body-wise. I was feeling a little off before the show, but then it got worse as time progressed. I was really nauseous and felt like I couldn't move. I ended up having to sit out the second half of the first show and the entire second show. My parents (LOVE THEM!) drove my car home because I was really disoriented. Strange. I fell asleep the second I got in bed, and I slept almost 12 hours. I woke up feeling groggy on Sunday, too. I've had some periodic back pain, so I'm wondering if the good ol' kidneys are rebelling again.

Saturday afternoon I went to a wedding shower for my friend AC. It was nice because I got to visit with people I hadn't seen in a while. Ahh, we are growing up!

Yesterday, I saw RENT! I had never seen it and wasn't all too familiar with the story, but one of the guys from the theatre (KH) was in it. I have to say that it left me speechless. It was entertaining the entire way through, and it was a really meaningful story. The cast was so amazingly talented. WOW!

Today was Monday, but it went pretty well as far as Mondays go. The contractor is finally coming out to my house tomorrow, so I'm hoping we can get these repairs going as soon as possible. This inconvenience has lasted WAY longer than I expected.

Well, it appears to be bedtime. I love sleeping!!!!

Mmmm, curdle

Yep, I'm back.

Well, tonight I'm sitting at home and I should have been working a reunion at work and, currently, I should be out watching an improv show to celebrate my roommate's birthday. However, I find myself about to doze off, which is good. I haven't been feeling too hot this week.

That's kind of the perfect segue to tell the unfortunate series of events that went down last Saturday. It went a little something like this: I enjoyed a few beers at the Braves game with friends (KQ and BB). Then, BB and I headed to the Inman Park Festival to meet up with some other friends (ERR and crew). We walked around and found ourselves at a pub. After a few beers, people suggested a birthday shot. I explained that I don't really do shots, so they were going to pick something simple and delicious. Well, I received the shot (which looked like some kind of liqueur-based thing, take a sip of it, and notice there are chunks in it. Trying to be appreciative, I take another sip and then decide that there's no way this looks right. So, I asked the people at the table and they said that it looked curdled and not to drink anymore.

Fast-forward a little while later and I am projectile vomiting all over Atlanta. Locations included: outside of a bathroom in a pub, on myself, in someone's car, in a gas station parking lot, in a BP, and on my bathroom floor. The count for the night was about 20, and I still feel sick to my stomach every now and then. Today, every time I even took a sip of anything, my stomach cramped up. It was ROUGH.

What else happened this week? Operation: Get Rid of the Office Termites.

I sold a lot of benefit show tickets, but you can get yours here: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/laughtilyoucough.

I performed improv on Cinco de Mayo and, despite it being Cinco de Muerto, the show was fun. I did a straight scene, female stereotypes, Hip or Not, and Oscar Musical Funeral. Between the termite chemicals and the curdled milk, I wasn't at my prime, but I still had a good time. And made a rhyme! Hop on pop!

I'm about to go to sleep in hopes of feeling almost 100 percent tomorrow. My stomach is cooperating right now, but I'm also not consuming anything. I have a long day of work ahead of me.

In other news... I! AM! INSPIRED!

Testing, testing

Well, this is my first attempt at blogging on my phone. Okay, that was a fabrication. I downloaded the Blogger app a few minutes ago, so this is my first time blogging with the app. I did write a tiny blog once logged into the Blogger website. Why am I telling you stuff you don't care about at all? Good question.

I just got home from a friend's (LG) birthday party. I wasn't feeling great today, so I almost didn't go. Then I started wondering if I was giving into the "illness" too easily, so I went regardless of whether or not it was a good idea. Only time will tell.

I'm currently in bed thinking about how I need to be over at the hospital at 8:00 a.m. to fulfill my role as a Patient Family Advisor. Whew. I realize once a month is a very small time commitment, but when it's that early on a day when I'd normally be telecommuting, it's gigantic.

I had steak nachos at Willy's today, so that was what I'd call success. Other than that, the day was kind of rough. At least I wore a new cardigan.

Now that I've wasted your time, I'll go to sleep so tomorrow might yield more worthwhile things.

Slacker

Hey! I've been a major slacker since...well...a while ago. My fancy phone has been the primary culprit considering I spend significantly less time on the Internet when I'm at home. I really only blog from home, and now there are days when I don't open my laptop at all. Enough of my making excuses, but I really do aspire (fun word!) to write in here more frequently. I enjoy it. It looks like I better download a Blogger app. Yep, I just said that.

So, I'm going to say random bullets about my cruise:
-The population was mainly comprised of senior citizens (love it!) and rednecks (amused by it!).
-It doesn't get much better than watching toothless karaoke.
-I held an alligator!
-Spinning out in a boat is an incredibly exhilarating feeling.
-Cottage cheese is good.
-Tanning on a beach and seeing snow in a 36-hour period isn't normal.
-Consider getting a second opinion when asking someone the time; the bus will leave without you.
-Hold onto your balloon hat when you go to the top of the boat, even when docked.
-Kayaking through mangroves is like something out of a movie.
-Cruises re-program how often you think you need to eat.

All in all, I had a blast on the cruise! I have one observation that I noticed on the last cruise, and then reconfirmed this cruise: Time seems like it's passing slowly for the first day or two -- like, you really think you have all the time in the world -- and then it just speeds up and you feel like it all happened in the blink of an eye. I need to go on a 4352342-day cruise next time.

This week was a pretty stressful one since it was mass email week AND I was already backlogged. I survived it, but it definitely wasn't easy. I performed on Thursday night, so that was fun. I played Conducted Rap, Sounds Like A Song, Foreign-Dubbed Soap Opera, Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Dating Game, and Musical Styles. It was a pretty big crowd for a Thursday night, so that was cool. Yippee!

Oh man! Guess what! One of my friends (MV) gave me a baseball "To Drew" from John Smoltz! I literally couldn't believe it. I am sooooo ready for the season to begin.

Well, I've been taking it easy this weekend. I was so delirious by yesterday evening that I was barely functioning. I seriously reached into the oven without a mitt on my hand. That's not a metaphor; that's the truth. Thankfully I caught myself before I grabbed the tray, but I think that speaks for itself. I'm hoping next week will be slightly more relaxed, but you never know!

It's time to read a little bit and sleep for another 10 or 12 hours. I started to feel like I could be getting sick, but I'm thinking it was just the stress from the workweek.

Happy weekend, all!

P.S. I won a trophy and medal on the cruise -- gotta keep representin' for the Dotson household. There was some kind of brain teaser trivia and I pretty much dominated. I guess that makes me a total nerd, but I have a trophy and medal to prove it.

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!

No, urine trouble

I'm kinda perturbed with the lab. When I walked down the street with my jug o' urine and arrived at the lab, they informed me that they actually needed to give me a specific collection container. They said that they had a kit they needed to order for the 24-hour test. So, it appears as though that entire shenanigan was for nothing whatsoever. Congratulations on: 1) making me do all that for nothing, and 2) dragging out this "what's wrong" thing out a little longer.

Although it's very rare for me to go shopping, I've got to admit that I went AGAIN yesterday. I was so excited to have my Thursday night free that I went to a few stores on the way home. I got three items, and they include: a new purse (it is made out of recycled bottles!), a pair of bright blue shorts (just like the gray ones from Wednesday), and a pair of skinny jeans. Yes, I said it - skinny jeans. I've always been too weirded out by the way I look in them, but these fit like they were made for me...a 4-inch taller version of me. I'm still slowly adjusting to the thought of them by trying them on periodically throughout the day.

I know I am talking about it more than I should, but I really don't feel well. I woke up this morning sounding absolutely horrible. It got a little better as the day went on, but I'm feeling gross again now. I am doing my vest in hopes of helping the situation, but it feels like it's mainly sinus-related. A part of me wonders if it's time to go back to the ENT to talk about Sinus Surgery #3. NOT INTERESTED.

I ran three miles today and then jumped in the pool. It was miraculous!

Yesterday I had Willy's and a good time. It, too, was miraculous!

I'm watching the Braves right now. This game has been such a roller coaster! Not too long ago, they were down 4-1. Then B-Mac got a 3-run homer, resulting in a tie game. Pretty much immediately after that, the Marlins got another run, pulling into the lead. Then, in the top of the 9th, there was not only a rain delay, but the Braves pulled ahead 6-5. There is one out in the bottom of the 9th and I'm praying the Braves can pull this through. Go team!

Tomorrow I plan to go to the pool and then go out with some friends. Exciting!

Put on my new suede boots and I boarded the train

So, I thought of that title earlier today and totally forgot about belting it out at a bar the weekend before last. Man, that was kinda fun, but that moment is over. Moving forward... onwards and upwards.

I went to Marshalls today for my telecommuting lunch break and got some super-cute suede boots. They are flat and gray, and I make them look good. I also got a pair of gray shorts. I don't envision myself ever wearing those items simultaneously. The boots were only $29, but I found online that the actual retail price is........ TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLLLLARS. Can we say 'bargaining baller'?

WAY TO SCREW UP, BRAVES. Sorry. Forgive me for that anger. They're in the 12th inning, which is annoying in and of itself, but geez louis.* Get it together. High five on giving up two runs. NOT.

I sound entirely too hyper for it to be after 11:00 p.m., huh? I'm just in a really good mood. I woke up feeling awful (like really sick) today and, although my physical health is not my strength these days, I feel really great mentally. I need to recuperate this weekend.

Mmm, I better get to bed. I have to take my JUG O' URINE to the lab in the morning before our going-away pancake breakfast with the old boss. I guess I made it a pancake breakfast in my head, but it's not technically a pancake breakfast. I'm also going out to lunch tomorrow. I'm excited!

I exercised like a champ today, which makes me happy because I think it will help me feel better.

*I spell "geez louis" the way I pronounce it, which is like the way the city St. Louis is pronounced. I know that's not the phrase, but I pronounce it that way because I think it's better like that. It also originated from someone at one of my sister's former jobs who seriously said it that way.

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.

Rain makes corn

I am watching my boys win a baseball game against the Dodgers right now. It's 3-0 in an inning that I can't see without my glasses... I think it could be the fifth. I am so proud of the Braves right now!

Well, I am almost done packing for the Dominican. I have no idea what I'm going to need, but I think I've gotten the bathing suits and lounging clothes covered. I'm kind of paranoid about medicine, having appropriate attire, etc. I figure I'm going to be in paradise, though, so I shouldn't need much. Only time will tell if I'm correct...

Today I went to Target to try to get some prescriptions before I leave on my journey. I dropped them off on Tuesday, and I got there today and spent literally an hour negotiating with them to get it all figured out. At the end of it all, I got 1 1/2 of my three prescriptions. The only one that I got fully was the one that I won't need unless I get sick - the antibiotic. Even mentioning the word 'sick' makes me sick(!) right now because that's not my vision of the perfect vacation, but you never know. I didn't wake up feeling very good today, and I've sneezed about 15 times. I think this signals that I'm at the end of this going-nonstop stretch.

What else? I met my brother at Monterrey today for lunch. I got an order of grilled steak quesadillas and they were SUPERB! That's not exactly the diet of a person who's about to be wearing bikinis, but whatever. They were awesome!

Speaking of bikinis, I got both of my Victoria's Secret bathing suits yesterday. I wish they fit better than they did, but there's not much I can do about it now. One of them is a little disfigured from the way it was packaged for shipping, and the other just isn't very flattering. I don't think it's merchandise issues. Instead it is being-hard-on-myself issues, so I will probably get over it when I'm at the beach. I really haven't worn a bathing suit yet this year, except at the Dierks concert, but I was wearing a cover-up dress over it the entire time. Blaaaaah, blaaaaah.

I exercised tonight. I didn't push myself as hard as I'd have liked, but my SC joint has really been bothering me for almost two weeks. I've had radiating pain in the area for a little while now, and it has literally kept me up at night because I couldn't get comfortable. It's a weird heating sensation. I guess that's on the to-do list for when I return if I don't experience a miraculous recovery while I'm away. Maybe I'm due for another Cortisone injection. Ouch.

Time to get ready for bed. I've got a lot to accomplish at work tomorrow. On top of that, I have to work at the theatre tomorrow night. I can do it!!!

Momentum

Ahhhhh, I just got home from working an event. I had to work registration at a ceremony for the top 100 seniors and their families. Fun times! It's always interesting when I put my game face on because I'm so much peppier than normal, yet it feels natural. I am amused by it, which I guess is a good thing since I'll have to be like that all weekend.

I telecommuted today, which was nice. This week was so hectic and flew by, but this weekend's gonna be a doozy. Tomorrow I have to be at work at about 11:00 a.m. to work at another table for one of the commencement events. I am assigned to get off around 3:00 p.m., so I hope that's accurate (or that I get off even earlier!). Then I am in tomorrow night's show (YAY!), so I have to be at the theatre by 6:30 p.m. Sunday I work from mid-day into the evening. What a weekend!

Last night's show was fun! It was a small crowd, but I enjoyed myself. I played Buzzer, Repeat Scene Styles (50s beach movie, anime, zombie film), Hip or Not (as Barbara Buchanan), and Stereotypes. Barbara was in her element last night, or so it felt. The show was fun, but I was burning alive up there! I think I might try to see if I have sleeveless shirts that might be appropriate for tomorrow because it was hot in that place.

So, I'm a little AHHHH about the benefit. Even if nobody else signed up, I know it would still be a blast, but only one person registered today. A Facebook event was created and there are several 'yes' responses that aren't yet officially on the list, so I'm hopeful that people are just procrastinating. Drew's Crew is soooo close to $15,000. I feel like we've been hovering around it forever, but we're at $14,895.83. There are a few offline donations that would put us over that. COME ON, TEAM!!!

That's about it. I am not feeling great. I coughed a ton yesterday and today I just sound all junky. Hopefully I'll wake up feeling super tomorrow. I better dose up on some allergy medicine before working outside for four hours.

Whatcha say?

Well, tomorrow's my birthday. I've never been a big birthday person, but I'm also not a holiday person in general. I know I've mentioned it several times before, but there's just so much hype involved, and then it's just kind of weird. I was considering taking tomorrow off since it's my birthday, but everyone else will be working, so I'm not sure if there's a point. I think I'd rather save the day and use it for a vacation rather than to sit around on my birthday, wondering what's going on at work. It looks like I just got that decision taken care of...

I'm not feeling that great, and I'm not sure why. I'm feeling kind of short of breath. I've also been sneezing, and just feeling really worn down. I've taken it easy this weekend and forced myself to rest, but I'm not feeling like I imagined I'd be after an easy weekend. Hopefully I'll wake up feeling refreshed.

I didn't do a whole lot today. I sat out in the sun for about an hour, which was nice. My ceiling got painted, so hopefully the colors match and I don't have to get the rest of the room repainted. But, even if that happened, it wouldn't be a really big deal.

My mom came by to give me a few presents, and we ended up going out to eat. I got a few bags of gummy bears (shock!) and two shirts. I also got my much-anticipated birthday donation, so I was very happy about that. We picked up my sister and went out to eat at El Toro. I got a gift from my sister, which was a cute journal and a turtle made out of different metal odds and ends. She got him at the Dogwood Festival, and I laugh when I look at him; he is so funny. I wish I could show him to you, but that would involve too many steps that I don't want to perform right now.

Update: Drew's Crew is at $12,800 (I added the $20 donation that my mom just got, even though it isn't posted). YAY! I hope that the birthday thing garners donations in the way it did last year. I was really happy!

What else? The Braves are pretty much sickening right now. It is seriously a joke. This rain delay that they called is probably the best thing that could happen to us right now - save some embarrassment. Haha! My brother and I are twins... He just texted and said, "I've never been so happy for a rain delay. We can't strand runners during a rain delay." I hope they can get it together because this just hurts to watch.

Well, I guess I better get to sleep. I'm going to run in the morning to get my birthday off to a good and productive start. Good night, all!

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.

Stop the clock

The last few days are such a blur to me.

Sunday was a pretty lazy and relaxing day, but I can't say the same for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

Monday I struggled through the day for some reason, feeling an overall exhaustion. I went straight from work to my final improv practice, which was fun. We did a faux show to prepare for last night's performance. There was not a single thing I did in the faux show that I did in the real show last night, but hey. You live and you learn! I guess I was just getting those out of my system.

Tuesday was just a loooooooong day. I got up and went to work like usual, and had to be at the theatre at 6:00 p.m. When I got to the theatre, we went through the line-up. That's when I found out that I'd be in two games I'd never played before and in two singing games. Surprisingly, I was too tired to realize what was happening to want to gouge my eyeballs out. In fact, I was somewhat anxiously excited to see what would happen. I thought the show went pretty well. I keep having flashbacks to random things I said or did and I'm afraid to watch the DVD next week. Oh well! It was a lot of fun and feels so much more natural than it did 7 months ago.

Today I finally feel the worst I have in several weeks. I know I haven't felt up-to-par in a few weeks, but today I can officially say I feel a little lousy. I am coughing, my throat is starting to hurt, etc. Then again, that seems to be the norm these days; a lot of people seem to be a little ill. Speaking of sick, I think I am getting the H1N1 vaccine tomorrow. I am in the high-risk group and can get it for free at work. I'm a little skeptical for no good reason, so we'll see what I decide.

I came home from work and napped for almost 5 hours. Now I'm getting ready to go back to sleep. Tomorrow I am giving a speech at a CF Foundation event. I haven't made an outline yet, but an outline seems trivial after I had to rap in front of an audience last night. An outline seems like a good project for...tomorrow.

Time to go back to bed. Like a log.

An Uncrustable

Well, what in the world can I say? I'm just so exhausted and can't wait until the weekend. I could use some major rest and relaxation. I've felt tired and bordering on getting sick all week. I go to the doctor in the morning, so hopefully this feeling sick thing is just a bit of a fluke. Thursday is my usual telecommuting day, but because of tomorrow's doctor appointment, I am doing it tomorrow instead. Woooo. I can't believe tomorrow is Friday. It feels like both the shortest and longest week ever, however that's possible.

My first rib has been aching some this week. I'm not sure if maybe it's the colder temperatures or what, but I'm bordering on having to go back to see the physical therapist, which isn't ideal. Maybe I'll stick a patch on it tonight.

I went to the grocery store late last night because we were having a brown bag lunch at work today. I had nothing that could comprise a brown bag lunch, so I stopped at Publix on the way home from improv. I ended up walking around and getting a random assortment of things, including apple slices/grapes, Cheez-Its, Wheat Thins, hummus, cashews, those Uncrustrables PBJ sandwiches and some ice cream. For lunch today, I packed some apple slices/grapes, Cheezi-Its and an Uncrustable (I like the way that sounds when it's singular). My roommate was nice enough to surprise me with a cookie. I felt like a child carrying that lunch box. I also look like a child.

The Cardinals lost game 1 last night. It's okay, though. They are tied in the 7th inning in game 2 right now. The Phillies lost today, so that's awesome. I can't decide if I'd rather see them lose in the first round or a little later so it hurts a little more. Oh my gosh. Right after I said the Cards were tied, they scored. I knew they wanted to impress me.

Anyway, hopefully I get a good report at the doctor tomorrow. And hopefully I have a restful weekend!

Yo Banana Boy

Hi. Did you know that the title of this blog entry is a palindrome? Neat, huh?

Well, I left work early yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. I missed improv and then worked from home today. I am going back into the office tomorrow, and then will be telecommuting Thursday and off on Friday. Hopefully this week will help me get reenergized naturally.

I ate some Moose Tracks yesterday and it was everything I dreamt it would be. Possibly even more. I am totally going to have a bowl of that goodness soon. Perhaps after I take a bubble bath. Pampering myself? You got it!

GUESS WHAT! I am so excited! Tomorrow I am taking a 3.5-hour writing class! Good night, I can't wait. I have been looking forward to this for weeks. I hope I learn some super-valuable information to help with my motivation. And if I don't, perhaps I will be motivated to write about how horrible it was. Anyway, I am ready to learn. I miss school.

I had a Jell-O cooking mishap in my kitchen today. You would have thought a little child was left alone to try to cook Jell-O. I got distracted for what seemed like five seconds, and next thing I knew, Jell-O was overflowing out of the pot. I swear that stuff was flammable. It started bubbling up and the bubble turned brown and it started smoking. In all of this fiasco, I tried to hurriedly get Jell-O into little bowls, spilling it all over the counter. Then, when I was moving the bowls into the fridge, I got Jell-O all over the floor. Sigh. If only I had watched the pot; it would not have boiled.

Time to hop in the tub and eat some Moose Tracks/Jell-O.