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!!!

Technology!

Wooohooooo! Well, today was a busy day. I got up and worked a bit and then headed into the office. I went to our staff meeting and had to leave for an appointment shortly after. Today I officially became a Patient Family Advisor at Emory, so that's pretty cool. I got my own namebadge and valet parking validation. I felt pretty official walking around the hospital with a namebadge. I was nominated and interviewed for this last year, but it took a little bit of time to get off the ground. Basically I'll help make recommendations for improved patient care at the hospital. Pretty cool!

Then I headed to my doctor's appointment which went pretty well. My PFTs were exactly the same down to the hundredth of a point. I'm glad they didn't decrease, but I was kind of hoping for an increase. Next time! I also got referred to an endocrinologist because of my bone density scan. BLAH!. Now, for the highlight of my appointment...

When some members from the CF team came to see my benefit show, they gave me a card with a picture of a Nike+ sportband. Now, I didn't realize at the time that they had truly ordered that for me. I just thought it was a metaphor or something. Well, today at the appointment, the doctor walked in with a little box and it contained the sportband. I'm pretty stinkin' excited. It has a little wristband thing and a sensor that goes in my shoe and it will document my workouts - like my pace, distance, etc. I think it's gonna be a good motivator. I was tinkering with it this afternoon and realized I need shoes with a sensor holder or a little pouch to put it in to attach to my shoe. I'm going to figure that out tomorrow. I went and worked out hardcore today, though, because I was excited about it. I can't wait to experiment!

My Braves are about to destroy the Phillies. It's 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Come on, boys! I'm confused because it looks like it's raining at Turner Field, but I haven't seen it here yet...

Hmm, yep. That's about all I have to say. I'm getting really sleepy.

First place

Enough said.

I watched the Braves take the lead in the NL East today. It was a blast! I went to the game with 8 friends and it was a lot of fun. We WON! We also sat in the upper box area and it was really nice. We caught a lot of the breeze and I stayed pretty comfortable all day. My record is 4-0.

Tomorrow I visit the CF doctor. I'm interested to see how that goes... I know it's probably too soon to tell a difference in my PFTs (from the vanilla goodness), but I'm hoping for an increase anyway!

Back to sleep for me. I've been sleeping almost all evening since we got home from the game. I want to be well-rested for a good morning run. I ran this morning and am looking forward to starting tomorrow the same way.

Also, send some positive thoughts to two of my old camp friends - Kathy and Mo. I appreciate it!

Holla back

Hi.

Last night was fun! I was scheduled to work a Saturday at the theatre, which is typically close to an 8-hour ordeal when all is said and done. However, because of the holiday weekend, the 10:30 p.m. show got canceled and I believe the crowds were consolidated into one sellout 8:00 p.m. show. When I got there and learned the news, I was relieved, but I also love seeing the shows, so it was a double-edged sword. I was training someone on camera and, since we had a big crew, it was a relatively easy night. After the show, I went to Tin Lizzy's to get dinner with some folks since we finished so early.

I slept in today and loved it! I woke up at about 11:00 a.m. and did my medicine, then went to the gym. I ran a few miles on the treadmill and more than a mile on the elliptical. I'm not sure what the grand total was, but I felt accomplished! I'm going to try to work out every day this week, so let's see if it fits into the schedule. I feel pretty good when I'm exercising lately... Maybe it's the VANILLA!

What else? I went shopping today with my mom! I had the most success I've had shopping in forever. I ended up getting two bathing suit cover-ups, a pair of jean capris, a pair of jeans, a dress, and four tank tops. Anybody who knows me knows that this is a miracle. I usually end up in a horrible mood when I have to go shopping, but I was pleasantly surprised today! Woohoo! I started setting things on top of my suitcase. This is becoming so real! Saturday is departure day!

Tomorrow I'm going to the Braves game with some theatre folks and some friends. It should be a blast! I haven't checked the weather forecast because I'm not sure if I want to know how it looks after Friday night's shenanigans. It's probably better if I just play it by ear! Maybe we'll sit in the club level... Now I'm really curious if it's gonna rain. It's been dreary in Atlanta lately. Mmm, I accidentally checked - 60 percent chance of scattered showers. WHATEVER!

Time for bed! I've got a big day of Philly-hating ahead of me.

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!

Get a life!

Oohhhhhhhh MAN! I just got home from performing not too long ago. It was a really small crowd (Memorial Day), but it was fun. I had a good time! I played Buzzer Debate (Barbara Buchanan), Sounds Like a Song/Rap, Remote Control, Script in Hand (off book), and Musical Styles. The show was a lot of fun. I was out in the cafe afterwards and this dude came up and made some crack about how I should get singing lessons. He should be glad it took me a second to process what he said or I would have made a sassy remark back to him. I could name about 30 or 58 comebacks I've already thought of, but I'll keep them to myself. He was laughing when he said it so I think he was being Mr. I-Think-I-Need-To-Be-Funny-Because-I'm-At-A-Comedy-Theater and didn't mean any ill-will. Either way, he was dressed like a farmer.

I went to the gym for a hot second this morning. I should have done something more vigorous, but whatever. I was tired. I'll make up for it tomorrow.

Well, I almost got nailed by a cop car tonight, so that was exhilarating. Some cops were all pulled over with their lights on stopping these two guys walking and carrying what looked to be liquor store bags. One cop passed by the incident and then decided to make a right turn from the inside lane when I was in the far right lane. I literally had to slam on the brakes and barely missed him. My left hand reached up to honk out of instinct, but (like my car) my hand came to a screeching halt because I can't imagine a cop enjoying being honked at in front of all of his friends. My heart was pounding the rest of the way home because it was so close.

I had Willy's steak nachos with a friend today. Oh my heavens.

I can't tell yet who's going to with the bathing suit race - me or Victoria's Secret. They haven't shipped yet, so I'm still on the fence about whether or not I'll have them in time for the trip. This is called living life on the edge, children!

What else? I went to a three-hour training session today and about gouged my eyeballs out. The content itself wasn't horrendous, but sometimes things click too quickly for me to stay focused.

Big weekend ahead. I'm so excited for the holiday weekend. I hope we get out of work early tomorrow. I'll be telecommuting anyway, but it would be nice to have that surprise.

Foooooooood.

The days fly by lately. I can hardly believe I worked from home all day because I wonder where all the time went. I wrote a few donor profiles for some solicitations, worked on some mass emails for send, etc. It's just a mystery to me lately. I feel like I'm making significant progress, yet there are hardly any signs that I'm moving things forward (in many areas of my life). This is precisely why I need to be in paradise for two full weeks. Soon. Enough.

Speaking of, I took a gamble today. Since I had such online bathing suit success and really hadn't gotten new ones in years (still wearing some from six years ago), I went ahead and splurged today. My definition of 'splurged' is funny because it's different than 95 percent of society's, but I bought two more that were on clearance (AKA averaging $10 per suit piece, which is far from breaking the bank). The risky part is that, because I like to save money, I didn't choose for any expedited shipping. The estimated arrival date was June 7, which will be my second day in the Dominican Republic. I received the last bathing suit several days before the expected arrival date, so I'm praying the same will happen. I hope the holiday doesn't throw things. I am trying to use my subconscious to receive an email saying the items have shipped. This ease of online shopping is scary. I see how people become shopaholics.

I wish I could give you a visual update on my arm bruise, but I don't have that technology (notice the cheapskate theme tonight?). It's getting to the green stage of bruising. I think it should be starting to disappear at any point. I really have no updates on the vanilla front. I still am trying to be optimistic and tell myself I'm taking the real drug, but I haven't noticed many real physical symptoms. The physical symptoms I had the other day don't appear to be drug-related, so that's good (although a little bad!). I just wonder how long it might take to notice true positive results from the drug in the first place...

Braves game Friday night. Baller! I know I don't mention them much anymore because I'm having a hard time following them, but they'll always be in my heart. Go Braves!

Have you noticed I don't mention Mexican food with the same fervor I did? There are some major things awry in my life!

Perhaps I'll come up with my updated life plan as I go to sleep tonight. PEACE!

Wow

Sooooooooooo, this is really random, but I literally happened upon a guy on Facebook that I met about 12 years ago - maybe even 13. It would be a little bit embarrassing if he were reading this, but I met him back in the late 90s (so weird to say) when I attended a CF camp in the Florida Keys. I haphazardly clicked on this CFer on Facebook and this other guy's name stuck out like a sore thumb. I met him the summer before seventh grade, and he was about 31 years old if I remember correctly. I just really idolized him because he would try to get us all to go running in the morning before breakfast. I wrote some letters to him after camp and have pictures of us on a snorkeling trip. Anyway, I remember searching for him on Facebook a long time ago because I've never forgotten meeting him, but I couldn't find him at the time. I hope he remembers me. CFers have this weird bond; it's kind of like that bond that twins have that can't be explained.

Well, last night didn't quite go according to plan. I'm not sure if I wrote this or simply thought it, but I had every intention of going to bed early last night since I was home early (before 10) and knew I had a long day ahead of me. For some reason, when I laid down for bed, I just wasn't tired at all. I was trying to think of every trick in the book for getting to bed, but nothing was making me tired. I truly can't remember the last time it took two hours to fall asleep after I laid down, but it was frustrating. I also woke throughout the night, and found myself really restless. It looks like that's the payback for staying up too late on the weekends.

I don't have a whole lot to say about today. There's work-related things that I could elaborate on, but that wouldn't be a ton of fun. I had some meetings and what not. The perk of the day was that I had some steak nachos at Willy's. Dang, I want some right now.

It's tough because I'm getting tired and don't want to miss this opportunity. After last night, I feel like I should start trying to sleep as early as possible. Wow, it's after midnight.

Well, today was an okay one. I didn't work out, but I did try on a bathing suit I received from an online purchase and it fit okay. I wonder what I'll think of it tomorrow. The bottom line is that tomorrow will involve an intense workout.

SMiLe!!!!!!!

Into the fog

What a day.

Well, I woke up feeling strange. I didn't make it to the gym this morning because it was really difficult to get out of bed. Something seemed off the entire morning. As I drove to work, I kept feeling like I had a meeting or something, but nothing came to mind. Then, right as I passed one building in particular, it hit me that I was supposed to be there. Oops. It was for a training and it completely escaped me. The weirdest part is that I had an urge to check my calendar last night because I felt like I was forgetting something, but I forced myself not to get on work email because I didn't want it to keep me up later than I already was. Well... lesson learned.

I had a 3:15 p.m. appointment with a colleague at Starbucks. Right as I turned at the intersection with Starbucks and glanced at the street sign, it hit me that I wasn't at the Starbucks listed on the Outlook appointment. Oops. I had just headed to a Starbucks without even thinking.

The weird thing is that both of those mistakes are so unlike me. I usually check and double-check things to avoid mistakes like that. It's odd, too, because my hands aren't typing what I'm thinking today.

Anyway, I finally made it to the appointment (LATE) and enjoyed that. It was probably the highlight of my day because we were talking about life. I also had my Iced White Chocolate Mocha Latte.

I got back to work and knocked a few things out, then hopped on the elliptical for 30 minutes. I was feeling okay as I was on the elliptical, but I started feeling really lightheaded when I finished. I don't know if I've ever had a hot flash, but it seemed like it could have been one. I got really flustered and felt like I was going to pass out. I left work as soon as possible to try to get to the grocery store because I felt like I couldn't get to food fast enough. I ended up getting some sushi and ate it on the way to rehearsal.

Rehearsal was odd because I was feeling really foggy-headed. I was feeling weak and slightly disoriented. I felt like I might tip over if I got up again. It was strange. I was also freezing, and I don't really think it was cold in there. My teeth were chattering the whole way home.

That brings me to here - bedtime. I hope I feel better and can make it to work tomorrow. If I didn't have a pretty important meeting tomorrow, I would have already warned my supervisor that I might not make it. I'm hoping I will just wake up feeling better. Maybe I'm on the real drug and it's jacking me up? Hope not. I mean, I hope I'm on the drug, but I hope it's not messing me up.

Marathon

If you couldn't tell by my lack of posting, this weekend has truly been a marathon. I am going to do my best to fill in the things that have happened since last Thursday...

Friday I worked from home (YAY!). On my lunch hour, I ran to Target to pick up a prescription and look for a dress to wear to the wedding. I had one or two at home that I considered wearing, but I didn't know how appropriate they'd be. So, being the bargain shopper that I am, I ended up grabbing one at Ross, along with some dressy flip flops (not to wear to the wedding). The dress itself was a color called Very Fuschia and was really cute. I found some Ann Taylor flip flops (size 5!) that are black and leather. They're pretty hot!

Then, Friday afternoon involved finishing the ceiling fan project and cleaning up a bit before heading down to my shift at the theatre. I was doing suggestions and camera and had a good time. The thing I love most about improv is that it's always changing. Each show is so different! Oh, I also worked out on Friday, so I've been doing really well with that!

Saturday morning I got up and helped my new roommate move in... Yeehaw! I was amazed at how quickly we did it. My mom and I ran some errands and I came back home to try to nap to fuel up for the wedding. After my nap I went to the gym and got in a good workout before showering and getting ready for the wedding.

The wedding was a blast. The bride (LZ) looked absolutely beautiful. There was a simple elegance to the whole thing. It was a little humorous because the minister was late to the wedding. That made for some awkward moments as everyone was standing at the altar looking around for him. He said his watch stopped... Interesting. He also accidentally called the groom Greg (instead of Chris). Hmm...Then we headed to the reception which was a ball. I had entirely too many drinks and even got on the dance floor. It was just a really good time!

We got back to KQ's place just before midnight and AH met us to go out. Yes, we made a whole night of it. An incompetent cab driver took us to Buckhead, where we had a good time. We got there so late that we didn't have much time to hang out, but we had fun! AH drove us back home and we left my car at KQ's. I went to bed at close to 4:00 a.m.

Today we got up and were back at it again (me, KQ, AH), getting ready for today's concert. Let me tell you that we were not prepared for today's concert. It had a 3:00 p.m. start time, so I figured we'd be home by about 6:00 p.m. at the latest. Shortly after getting to Lake Lanier in the SWELTERING HEAT, Miss Georgia (weird) made a comment about how she would be announcing all of the performers 'this afternoon and tonight.' At that point, we realized we were in it for the long haul. I saw so many people - Corey Smith, Drivin' n' Cryin', Chris Janson, Jeff Foxworthy (what?), and DIERKS BENTLEY!

Let me tell you... I've never been to a lot of stand-up or anything like that, and I really am not that familiar with Jeff Foxworthy. I gotta say, though, that I was cracking up the entire time. He was really, really funny. He did this bit about how people with bad breath always talk the closest to you. I'm gonna botch this up, but he said something like, "They'll be like 'what's up' and you're like 'you ate a dirty diaper.'"

My favorite singers of the day were Corey Smith and Dierks Bentley (of course). It was a really great concert, but I could have stood a heads up on the fact that it was going to last six hours. We were sitting on beach towels in the sand, sweating our lives away. I had a good time, though, and got a little sun, which is nice.

That brings me to right here, right now. I just got home less than an hour ago. I don't really have many study observations to make. I'm not feeling very different, but I've also had a really weird, exhausting, sleep-depriving weekend, so there's a lot of factors up in the air. We'll see how I feel on a regular workweek. Mwahahaha!

Placebo effect in effect

Here I am... all vanilla'd up. So, I had my study appointment today. My arms decided not to give blood at the study appointment, which seems to be the norm nowadays. I drank water all morning to make sure I was hydrated and did the best I could, but my arms were not interested in cooperating. I ended up getting 8 sticks for not much blood. One of these attempted areas is gonna be a WHAMMY because I insisted on continuing to try. In the team's defense, I'm the persistent one who wants to keep fishing around until they get in the vein.

I learned today that I will actually never be told whether ot not I was on the real drug. Here are all of the reasons why I already think I'm on the real thing...

1) It tastes absolutely awful. If this really were just some kind of vanilla extract, I can't imagine it tasting this bad. It tastes so bad that it's GOT to be real!
2) Right after I took it I was feeling a little weird - just like a slight disorientation as though I had taken a chemical of some kind.
3) My throat has been hurting although I haven't been coughing... Just a few minutes ago I pulled up the list of side effects reported in the last stage of clinical trials and 'sore throat' was one of them. Please note that I was 100 percent unaware of this until moments ago, but my throat has been hurting for a few hours...

All of my reasons are kind of funny because they're so placebo-esque. I mean, I realize reason #2 is just me deciding like I 'feel' like I took something. I am just trying to use the power of my subconscious to make this drug for real! Another thing to note is that I also just started exercising hardcore.

So, with that in mind, I might start feeling better independent of the vanilla, but we'll see. I did end up getting up this morning and exercising. I was a hair away from skipping because I knew I hadn't gotten much sleep. However, I really didn't want to miss a day and knew that I wouldn't have the option later in the day, so I went for it. I ran 3 miles - almost 15 minutes of continuous jogging and about 15 minutes of sprints/short bursts. It sure wore me out!

YES! I might have just heard thunder...

Tonight's show was a lot of fun. The audience was a really good size for a Thursday night - the biggest I've seen in a little while. I played Emo Interview (changer), ABC Buzzer, Meet the Experts (Barbara Buchanan on "Going Green"), and Repeat Scene Direction (dumb blonde and stoner). I had a great time! I talked to some really nice folks after the show.

It's time to sleep!

It was 1980-something

Well, I am tired and really shouldn't be writing this. I am up way later than planned. I had every intention of getting in bed before 10:00 p.m., but I was up trying to finalize some roommate stuff. Now I don't even feel sleepy...

Today was a pretty good day. It's kind of weird not having Drew's Crew to talk about anymore. I remember last year that I experienced some post-walk funk because of the rush I get raising money for the CF Foundation. Well, I guess I can still talk about Drew's Crew because I got two $100 donations today, as well as an envelope with $358 from a good friend who couldn't make it to the walk. If I'm adding things up correctly, this will all total to be more than $21,300. I can't wait to see the total continue to rise! I mean, it's over, but donations can still come in and I won't refuse them when they do! Logistically I couldn't refuse them if I wanted to, but I was being expressive.

I exercised today, and it felt GOOD! I ran on the treadmill for about a mile. Then I hopped on the elliptical for a little while, and ended with another bout on the treadmill. It totaled to be more than 40 minutes of exercise (about 44), so I'm glad. The whole being-up-late thing is sort of interfering with the plan I had to exercise tomorrow morning. However, I think I'm still going to do it because tomorrow's a big day and I could use the good start...

RANDOMIZATION THURSDAY!!!! I have to be at Emory by 8:00 a.m., so that's pretty stinkin' early. However, I'm just looking forward to it. The photographer is going to come and it should be a good time! I'm interested to see what my PFTs are. I have been feeling a tiny bit funky for the last two weeks(ish), so I have no idea what to expect PFT-wise. Only time will tell...

Speaking of, 'only time will tell' is probably a good thing for me to remember right now. Of the things in my life that aren't quite what I would like, they really are all things that ought to be corrected with time. Sometimes I wish time could be sped up so that change wasn't so difficult and life lessons didn't take so long, but oh well... How ironic. Lately I have been so focused on there not being enough time, yet today I'm proposing the idea of fast-forwarding time. This is one of life's many complexities that I love!

Today I was thinking about my book, mainly because of an inspiring message I received. I need to quit talking/thinking and start doing/writing. The darn thing isn't going to write itself.

I've got a show to do tomorrow. Good night!

Bye bye bye

Well, well, well... It's almost Wednesday.

Today was an okay day. There's not a whole lot to say about it, but it was pretty okay. I got up at the crack of dawn to get to work early as planned. I arrived at work at about 10 after 7:00 a.m., which is even earlier than usual. Right as I got out of my car, it hit me that I might not be able to get into the building. I'd forgotten that I switched to a very small purse over the weekend because of the concert. I'd still been carrying that small purse because it only had necessities. However, I realized right as I got out of the car that I wouldn't have my access card which is a problem when you're the first person at work. So, I did a lap around the building hoping that maybe someone would show up or that maybe someone from facilities was inside. No luck. So instead I went to Starbucks and got my new favorite - Iced White Chocolate Mocha latte. It was the silver lining!

I had a meeting today to discuss my unpredictable workload, so hopefully something good comes of that. I also saw my boss and her brand new baby. He was extremely cute. He is a thin little guy and has a very expressive face. I also got to have a miniature heart-to-heart with her, which was good and bad. Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh.

My friend KQ and I went to Willy's for lunch, which was awesome. I really enjoyed that. Food is so good when I'm feeling kind of rough emotionally. It was nice to get away and catch up with KQ for a bit... and talk about this upcoming weekend's adventures together, which include a wedding and Dierks Bentley.

I came home from work at the time I'd planned, even though I got into the building late. I just dodged the traffic and worked from home for the remainder of the time so that I could have my Tuesday night like usual...

I visited the gym again and got in a good workout. I did a combination of the treadmill and the elliptical. I also lifted some weights at home and I have a pretty good feeling I'll be sore tomorrow. I'm a little sore today, so that's good; that means PROGRESS! It really does feel great to exercise. I am so glad I'm making a conscious effort to get back on track with it. Now I've just gotta maintain and keep making it a priority.

Well, today I feel a bit better. My face has been feeling tired like it's something allergy-related. I'm not sure, though. I've been vesting like a champion in order to hopefully kick whatever it is that might be bringing me down. It definitely doesn't feel like I'm getting worse, so that's good.

I have my study appointment at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday. Did I mention that a journalist is coming to my appointment to photograph me? Barring that there aren't any issues with him being there, he's going to get some images of me in a clinical setting. I met him at the walk and he is a photojournalist. I'm probably more excited about that than I should be... narcissistic fibrosis. Bring on the vanilla!

Off to bed I go. I'm telecommuting tomorrow and hopefully finishing the ceiling fan project.

Just a small town girl

Hmm, it's late. Guess why I'm still up?! We had late rehearsal! I have only been home for a few minutes. I did take advantage of the late rehearsal start by napping during the time that I normally would have been at earlier rehearsal, so let's hope I can conk out tonight.

I worked from home today so I could get some handyman projects started during my roommate transition. Most of a ceiling fan is put up in the other bedroom, so that's nice. It is lightless and bladeless right now, but it's up and functioning.

What else? I am really trying to get in a good exercise routine for several reasons... 1) I feel better by all definitions when I'm exercising. 2) I've sounded kind of junky the last few days. 3) I am going on vacation in a few weeks and feel kinda blah. Today I exercised for 38 minutes, so that's a good start. I also lifted some weights. I don't know that I did enough to be sore tomorrow or anything, but, again, it's a good start. I'm going to be in gung-ho mode these next several weeks. I'm already trying to plan when I might exercise tomorrow... before or after work? Hmm.

I think tomorrow I'll pull the early-to-work move so that I'll have the whole night ahead of me. My sleeping patterns have been kind of unusual, so I should probably get home, exercise, and have a restful evening. I am blabbering for no good reason.

Oooh! I think I am starting on the study drug/placebo on Thursday. I think for my ego's sake, I'll begin referring to it as 'the vanilla.' All I know is that it's vanilla-flavored regardless and it will save face for me in the chance that I receive the placebo. Ugh, it sickens me to even type that. Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts. Give me the REAL vanilla! Now that defeats the purpose of calling it by a nickname... Vanilla. Period.

Time for bed. I don't have much to say today.

Yeeeehaw!

Well, yesterday was quite the day! I got up close to 6:30 a.m. to get ready for the Great Strides Walk. I had a lot of fun at the walk and had many people supporting me. There were probably 20 of us, which was by far the biggest group that I've ever had. We all wore our t-shirts and got a lot of compliments, which made me smile - made that t-shirt stress more worthwhile. I also got to meet two people that I've known online over the past year (JT and CM), so that was a lot of fun. AND, I got to see my friend ED for the second time in one week! CRAZY! It was fun catching up with all of the folks from the Foundation, the care clinics, etc. The CF community really is a special one.

When I came home, I was completely exhausted. Not really from walking, but from being sleep-deprived for one too many days. I conked out for more than two hours. I literally didn't even hear my phone ring. I slept like a log and got up with time to eat and get ready before hopping on MARTA to go to the concert. I needed some cash so I ran up to Publix and got cash back by buying Red Bulls for us...

Right as we were leaving, we were discussing the probability of rain and thought we'd be fine. Literally as we pulled out of the complex, we heard a weird noise (like knocking on the car) and both wondered if something was wrong with the car. Then, though, we realized that the world's largest raindrops were starting to fall from the sky. I don't think I've ever seen raindrops as big as these. We kept driving to the MARTA station and heard a loud crack of thunder and rain started pouring from the sky. I just started laughing uncontrollably. We were terrified. I don't know when it stopped, but it was like it had never rained south of Atlanta near the concert.

The journey to and from the concert was interesting. It was full of high school girls dressed inappropriately and hanging on guys. Now, normally I am a pretty understanding person, but many of them were surprisingly rude and inconsiderate - running into people without apologizing, yelling over us to talk to each other, etc. We initially wondered if we were ever that annoying, and, although we might have been loud or immature, I don't think any of us had blatant disregard for other people.

Anyway, enough of that nonsense! The concert was a ball! We saw Love and Theft, Lady Antebellum, and Tim McGraw. It was a lot of fun. We had lawn seats and sat up on the hill away from too much of the chaos. The weather ended up being perfect and the whole night was a lot of fun. I can now understand why people say the things they do about Tim McGraw. Cowboys are studdly.

Today is supposed to be a day of rest and relaxation. I woke up earlier that I'd have liked, so I think I'll take a noon-hour nap!

An amazing day

Today was an incredible and inspiring day. Yeah, I worked way more than I was supposed to on what was going to be my day off, but there was nothing but positivity in every other aspect of my life. Let me start telling you all of the great things that happened today...

• First and foremost, Drew's Crew is sitting at an ONLINE total of $20,226. We even have at least $500 that hasn't posted, and I'm still collecting donations!
• I got the green light to get randomized for my study! Hopefully I will be on the vanilla goodness within the next week or so. FINALLY!
• I watched a space shuttle launch in real-time on the Internet. Yes, I would have loved to have been there in person, but I do have a friend who was and took some video, so I'm excited. That space shuttle launch blew my mind.
• My new favorite drink at Starbucks is the Iced White Chocolate Mocha Latte. For real. I'm glad I made that choice to branch out yesterday, because I got another today.
• I was feeling so pumped up from all of the good news that I went to the gym and ran two miles without stopping or even feeling tired, despite not exercising like that in over a week. Then I walked another mile on an incline.
• Being excited and humbled from the success of Drew's Crew, I donated $100 to another Great Strides team for tomorrow's walk.
• It didn't stop there, though. I saw a CF friend on Facebook posting a link to donate for Relay for Life and was intrigued. I thought of a friend (KM) battling CF and cancer and wanted to make a donation. Ironically, the person was $65 short of his goal, and '65' is associated with CF from the mispronunciation of cystic fibrosis as '65 roses.' All of the stars aligned, so I donated the $65 in honor of my friend KM, knowing how good it feels to meet the goal.

Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm excited to celebrate the success of Drew's Crew at the walk, as well as ALL of the money raised to support CF research. I think there will probably be about 20 people walking for me, which should be fun! I will get to see some friends I haven't seen in a while, too, and meet some other CF-related folks that I only know online. It should be AWESOME!

In all of the craziness that's been my life these last few weeks, I might have forgotten to mention that I'm going to a concert tomorrow night with my friend (and soon-to-be roommate) AH. We are going to see Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum. I am really looking forward to it. It's been forever since I've been to an outdoor concert like this! Hopefully I'll nap between events to recuperate. I took an Ambien over an hour ago hoping to get a good night's sleep. I have just been so excited that it's tough to sleep. That's a good problem to have - it's GOOD excitement keeping me up versus negativity.

I am so happy and thankful. I'm truly on top of the world.

Un un un un undo it

Hi!!!!!!!!! I am CRAZY!

Let me tell you why I'm worn down... Literally since last Wednesday I haven't had ANY TIME TO CHILL! Show last Thursday, work Friday day and night, work Saturday day, show Saturday night, work Sunday day and night, work Monday from 5:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., work Tuesday day, benefit show Tuesday night, work Wednesday, retirement party late afternoon, rehearsal Wednesday night, work Thursday day, show Thursday night. I am exhausted from simply typing that.

I pretty much had a breakdown at work due to sleep and hunger deprivation. I am feeling better right now. I am about to work for a bit (yes, it's midnight) with aspirations of not working AT ALL tomorrow. I planned all week to take some comp time on Friday and then today was one of those putting-out-fires-left-and-right kinda days, making it next to impossible to get that break on which I hung my hopes. DRAMATIC!

Tonight's show was fun. It was my first five-person show. I was in Conducted Orchestra, Buzzer, Meet the Experts (Magic - Barbara Buchanan), Foreign-Dubbed Soap Opera (on stage), Remote Control Styles, and Musical Styles (Country Ballad, 90s Boy Band, R&B, Opera, Rap). Tonight was a lot of fun and the crowd was great, too! I think being very sleepy (yet energized) helps with improv because it makes it next to impossible to overthink anything. Barbara was so absurd tonight. I need to come up with a new character.

GUESS WHAT!!!!!! Drew's Crew is my favorite. Online we are sitting at $18,596. However, I recently got a $50 donation that isn't in the total yet, AND one of my friends had a charity trivia night tonight and raised $340! Add that all together and I think we're sitting pretty at $18,986. Can you even believe it? I said CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I will raise that $1,014 by the walk time and nobody will stop me. I'm not sure how I plan to do it, but it will be done.

I had an exciting morning! I turned in some money at the CF Foundation. While I was there I finagled my way into a coffee run in exchange for a donation. It was a great deal! Everyone was a winner! Then, when I got to work, I was blown away by a BIG OL' $500 DONATION. Holy heavens! The world is great!

What else? I wish I had a dog. When I see little dogs on the street and dangling their heads out of cars, I want one so badly.

Umm, tomorrow is going to be a great day of relaxation and donation.

I keep getting into a good workout routine and then dropping it like a bad habit. Tomorrow I think I will do some evaluating of a way to make my life a bit more balanced in general. I need my friend back from Israel so we can have a LIFE session. Perhaps I will have to do it as an individual.

Night, y'all.

Happiest girl in the WHOLE WORLD

I know that the title is cheesy, but I am so happy with tonight's event. I mean, holy mackerel. I am still in awe at the support and love that filled that room. Honestly I'm not sure of totals since there are multiple moving parts, but I think the show raised a grand total of about $2,500. Within minutes of the show starting, all of the hard work and stress was well worth it.

Although words cannot express my appreciation, I want to say thank you here to everyone who made tonight possible - whether it be Whole World folks, actors, ticket-holders, etc. Even though a mass thank you seems kind of lame and impersonal, I am truly thankful for every person in that place tonight, and every person who supported from afar. I have never really organized something of the sort on my own, and it was so beautiful to see it all come to fruition.

Because it's tradition, tonight I played Emo Interview, Buzzer Debate, and Oscar Musical. The show was just incredible, but I may be biased. Everyone was so high-energy and hilarious! I know I've probably never sounded this optimistic in all of my time blogging, but GOOD GRIEF, I mean every word of it!

In other news... Well, there's no other news. I have a one-track mind of rainbows and butterflies right now. I am so happy. Let's cure cystic fibrosis.

Let me tell you a story called...

"Where has all the time gone?"

That's the only reference I'm going to make to being short on time in this post.

Yesterday was a day full of wondrous Emory-related events. I worked at a classical concert and at the Corpus Cordis Aureum reception, which is the group of Emory alumni that graduated at least 50 years ago. It was interesting noting the differences between the new graduates and the CCA graduates. The new graduates refused to wait in short lines at the block party, while the CCA folks waited several times as long and never even made a remark about it. While this isn't a direct reference to the thing I said I wasn't going to reference earlier, it's neat how waiting seems irrelevant when you're 80 years old. I could stand to exemplify some of that patience more in my day-to-day life. There's no need to be in such a stinkin' hurry all the time.

This morning I got up a few minutes before 4:00 a.m. to get ready for commencement. Thankfully, although it was cold outside, the weather cooperated and the rain held off until later in the day. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered the commencement address and, I've got to admit, he was pretty funny. Inspiring? Umm, not so much. Entertaining? Yes! He literally went through all of the lines folks would want him to say, including "Hasta la vista, baby," "It's not a tumor," "I'll be back," etc. He was good-humored about the whole thing. Although he attempted, there wasn't a very moving message, but it was enjoyable to watch, so I didn't mind.

I got home a little before lunchtime. Since it's my wonderful sister's birthday, I treated her to lunch at our favorite, El Toro. I ate quickly and came home and worked for a while until I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I knocked a few more things out and then headed downtown to rehearsal. Traffic was an absolute nightmare, but I was surprised to arrive only six minutes late. We worked on Oscars, which was fun.

My SC joint is literally killing me. I think I need to call el doctor tomorrow. I sound like such a hypochondriac in these posts sometimes.

Tomorrow is the big day! I have study-related appointments at 7:50 and 8:30 a.m., so it's gonna be another lengthy day. Then, off to work to knock things out until it's time to get ready for the show. Tickets have been pouring in left and right, so I am getting very excited. I think my doctor is going to be there as well, so that's awesome news! Although a few donations haven't posted online yet, Drew's Crew exceeded $16K today. I AM READY TO PUMP YOU UP!

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, boy

I just got home from performing in my first Saturday night show EVER. It was fun! The audience was kinda quiet for being as big as it was, but I was happy with the show. I played Stereotypes (one short scene - Rednecks), Styles, Buzzer, Emo Interview (changing), and Meet the Experts (Barbara Buchanan). In Meet the Experts, we ended up being experts in self-defense, which was perfect for Barbara. There were some really nice patrons in the cafe after the show and we even got pictures together. Oh - and the emcee (Eric) asked if I minded if he gave a plug for the CF benefit during the show. When we were walking off from Meet the Experts, he asked me to wait, so I stood up there for the plug wearing an absolutely ridiculous outfit. People are probably afraid to attend after all of Barbara's talk of guns and violence!

I've been coughing a ton today. Something in the air just isn't working for me these last few days, and it didn't help that I was outside for a decent chunk of the day. Working the block party wasn't bad at all. The time went by pretty quickly, but I've been having some sinus issues ever since. Oh lordy!

Tomorrow I don't think I have to be to work until 1:00 p.m., so I plan to sleep to my little heart's content. I was going to try to work out today between the block party and call time, but I was just so exhausted that I was afraid to use the energy exercising. I want to get up and exercise tomorrow, though, which should be feasible given the late start to the day.

Hmm... I'm kind of running out of things to say. I'm just overwhelmed with what the next few days look like. It's tough because I feel like I shouldn't even sleep since I'm so short on time. However, I am also very tired and feel like I could sleep for 24 hours. Decisions, decisions. I've just gotta wake up focused so I can get stuff done. In addition to working all of this weekend's events, I also have a lot of work to get done on Monday, so I'm not even going to get to take the afternoon off like everyone else. Well, I guess I should stop complaining and get some sleep. NIGHT!!!!!!

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.

Double-decker

Well, I failed at exercising yet again today. I had every intention of getting up and knocking it out this morning, but I'd also taken a nighttime sinus medicine that apparently had different plans. Then, I decided that I could squeeze in a quick workout between finishing up work and heading to rehearsal. However, I ended up getting a call from a colleague-in-a-frenzy about nametags (we are so vital to this world!), so I helped her and then realized I couldn't even pretend to get the workout done in time to get downtown. However, halfway through the commute to the theatre, I realized that I was heading down there as if I had to be there at 7:00 p.m. versus 7:15 p.m., so I had plenty of time to kill. In which case I headed to Starbucks and paid a ridiculous amount for some orange juice. No workout + expensive orange juice = whatever.

Umm, so today I went to this nursing luncheon at the Cobb Energy Center. I nominated my good friend WB for the award because it is such a joy to be his patient. If being in the hospital is joyous. Although he was not one of the top ten honorees, we had a really great time. Most of the winners had been in the profession for a long, long time compared to my friend, but I know that he will accomplish similar things - he already does. The day was very inspiring and made me think a lot about life and what I hope to have accomplished when all is said and done.

What else? Sold some more tickets for the benefit show! I'm also excited because we've finalized the cast and it should be a great time. I am just so appreciative to have the support of everyone at the theatre, whether through ticket donations, offering to help, performing, etc. I am lucky.

I'm in the show tomorrow night, so of course I'm excited about that. I could stand to have gotten more sleep this week, but sometimes we get carried away. I think part of the lack of sleep has been because I've felt more energetic than usual. So, even though missing sleep is a negative, it's partly a positive because I think it's been fueled by excitement for different things.

Today a creepy slug was on my windshield. He was whitish/clearish, had many legs, was two stories tall, and had a red head. As gross as it was, it was kind of amusing, too, because, as the car got faster, he stood much like I do on MARTA. He spread his legs like he was surfing or something. Then he probably lost his life, so it was a sad day for that double-decker.

Laugh 'til you Cizzy

What can I say?! Today I am feeling better about the benefit show! So far it has raised $490, and I know there are plenty of other folks that plan to get tickets. Get 'em while they're hot! I hope to get some backing from some of the doctors and what not...

Well, I got up and did the early-to-work thing again today. However, I didn't exercise after work today. I just took it easy, which is good. I definitely could have used my free time more effectively, but oh well. I feel like the night lasted forever, which is a perk of being unaccomplished. I am going into work tomorrow morning even though it's one of my telecommute days. I am meeting the show emcee to check out the space for the benefit. Then I am going to a luncheon for one of my friends at the Cobb Energy Center. I nominated him for a nursing award, and the nominees are getting recognized at a luncheon. It should be fun!

I plan to exercise in the morning, so I hope that works out well. Tomorrow will be a long and adventurous day, but it should be fun. I have got a long weekend of working commencement ahead of me. I work Friday night, most of the day Saturday and Sunday, followed by being there super-early on commencement morning (Monday). I'm kind of thankful I got spared the night responsibilities this year, but it's gonna be a busy weekend nonetheless.

Well, I went to Willy's today. I know it doesn't exactly fit my nutritional goals, but I did have a big variety of color on there, so I must have gotten some kind of value from it... or so I hope! Man, those nachos were good and it was fun to get to visit with work friends! I ran into half of our staff there - a bunch of addicts.

Drew's Crew is at $14,270.83, which makes me very happy! I really, really, really hope we can hit our goal of $20K. I know it gets tough in the middle of the campaign, but things tend to pick up near the end, so I am hopeful! And thankful.

It's bedtime for sure. Tomorrow might be a Starbucks morning. I haven't gone yet this week, which is surprising given my early mornings. Mmm, latte.

Got a pebble

Hi. It is past my bedtime. Nobody can stop me.

I got up this morning and wrote a dream down in my dream journal. It was a really creepy, horroresque type dream. There wasn't a serial killer on the loose or anything, but people were all on the ground on their backs meditating like it was a cult or something. It was just all really strange, like these people were half-zombie or something. Ironically, it looked strikingly like improv warm-up, but there were hundreds of people and they all seemed possessed. Hmm! I didn't look in the dictionary today, but I'll check it out tomorrow. ODD!

I sold some tickets to the improv benefit show today. I could start to freak out soon, but I don't think it would be productive. Rather, I should use that time to market the event. So, instead of freaking out right now, here goes: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/laughtilyoucough. Drew's Crew is sitting at $13,895.83 right now. I know we'll hit $14K tomorrow, especially when you get your ticket to the show. :-)

Today I went into work early as planned. By the way, it was raining harder this morning in Atlanta than I remember in a long time - probably even harder than the flood last year. I went to Artuzzi's for lunch with a colleague and had the chopped chicken gorgonzola salad. Man, that's one of the best salads ever, and this is from a person who does not usually like salad. I got to leave right at 4:30 p.m. and headed home.

When I got home, I went to the gym and exercised. I ran a bit on the treadmill, but my stinkin' SC joint was bothering me. It's been flaring up a bit lately, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Anyway, I ended up getting off of the treadmill and onto the elliptical since I can keep my arms still or move them in a very controlled way. It was a pretty good workout. I meant to lift some weights when I got back to my place, but I apparently got sidetracked. Perhaps tomorrow!

Rehearsal was late tonight - from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. It was pretty fun, though. It was nice getting to come home before rehearsal for the first time in forever. I'm glad I planned it that way because I had plenty of time to remove myself from the working mindset. We mainly played Blind Scene, which was fun because it's much easier to truly improvise when you have no idea what's going on in the scene. To everyone except my improv friends or super-fans (Mom!), that probably meant nothing. Anyway, I enjoyed tonight.

Tomorrow I'm going to do the early-to-work thing again. I got a shower right before rehearsal knowing that I'd be up late tonight. Why am I still up?! Oh me, oh my. I look forward to going in early, getting out early, and having tomorrow evening/night all to myself. That's TIME!

Big wheels keep on turnin'

Well, I still want to blabber about what I mentioned earlier - TIME.

I am kind of stressed out lately. Actually, saying 'kind of' is an understatement. I am extremely stressed out. I was thinking through the upcoming weekends today and realized that I don't have a free weekend until at least the end of June, but more likely July. That's a long time. This weekend is Emory's commencement, next weekend is the walk/a concert, the next weekend is a wedding/a concert, and the list goes on and on... I'm just really trying to think of when I might catch a break.

Now, don't get me wrong - I am enjoying myself - but I am just feeling so burnt out. It's difficult for me to keep up with this busy pace and maintain my health at the same time. I should gain back some time when the upcoming improv benefit for the CF Foundation and the walk pass, but I'm still going to be pretty busy.

My plan for tomorrow is to get to work by 7:00 or 7:30 a.m., then possibly arrive home by 5:00 p.m. or maybe a little later. We have late rehearsal tomorrow night, so I'd like to get to come home and relax for a bit, even though it will involve a lot of driving. Then I'll head to rehearsal at 9:00 p.m. and get home just before 11:30 p.m. What a day!

I am really just using this to think through the day, so pardon the boredom of it.

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!

May I apologize...

Well, I can't believe that I haven't posted since April 28. I mean, I can because it technically just became May 1, but I didn't mean to leave you all desperately hanging for so long. So, let me rehash the last few days...

THURSDAY!

I ended up waking up really early; I was having a difficult time sleeping for some odd reason. I woke up a little before 5:00 a.m., and finally gave up and got up at around 5:30 a.m. I went to the gym, as promised, and ran three miles, which was pretty awesome. It's nice to run three miles by the time 6:00 a.m. rolls around. I got ready to head to Emory for the study, and pulled in there at 8:30 a.m. on the nose.

The study was pretty interesting. It ended up taking waaaay longer than expected because my arms weren't cooperating. It's so odd because bloodwork has never been a problem for me. However, in these study appointments, I've had a difficult time. It's like my veins know when it actually matters that they cooperate, and then choose to do the opposite. It took so many tries for them to get the blood they needed. I don't mind needles all that much, though.

I did get into something called a BodPod which measured my body fat percentage. It's supposed to be a pretty accurate measurement because it's not pinching a certain area or anything. I had to put on a bathing suit and swim cap and sit in this little egg-like thing. I'm annoyed because I am trying to post a picture in here and it won't let me. Oh well, click here if you want, but come back to my blog. I'm 25.7% body fat, so take that. Man, I need to put on some more muscle for real. That's a goal of mine. I used to be so much more muscular and felt better.

I finished the study stuff much later than expected, and went to work where we celebrated a colleague's upcoming wedding. It was a nice break to the day, even though I'd just gotten to work. We had wine and cheese and it was a cute little get-together. Then, I finished up some work, got some packages ready for FedEx, and darted out to drop them off before I needed to be at the theatre.

I got to the theatre with about three minutes to spare. Man, it was such a fun show! I can't exactly put my finger on the cause, but the audience was just great and the energy in the theatre was spectacular. I played theeeeeeese things: Buzzer, Foreign-Dubbed Soap Opera (translator), Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Script in Hand (on book), and Musical Styles. I am still excited about the show! I had a friend from work come with her mom, as well as a friend from another job, so those were fun surprises. As always, my number one fan (Mom!) was cracking up in the audience. Loooove her. It was a great end to my birthday week.

FRIDAY!

Well, I'm happy to have witnessed the end to the nine-game losing streak the Braves had going for them. I am officially 2-0 this season, which is a good start. Tonight Heyward hit a home run, so I'm pretty sure he likes when I'm in the crowd. I had so much fun at the game with one of my friends and some of his friends. We were making puns out of the batters' names and it was just a hoot. It was so dorky and awesome!

What else did I do today? I got up and exercised, so yeehaw. I'm trying for three in a row tomorrow.

I also met an old coworker for lunch at Taco Mac. I literally hadn't seen him in two years since I left that job, so it was a ton of fun to catch up. We could have sat there and talked all day. I hope we'll do it again soon because it was a nice use of the lunch hour!

I am too tired to say anything else. I know this post was kinda boring, but I am so exhausted!

I wear my sunglizzles at night

I keep forgetting to mention this new shirt I got at Target last week(ish). It's fresh on my mind because I might wear it in tomorrow's show. I got it for $4! It has sunglasses on it, hence the title of this post. It has six or eight pairs of sunglasses on it, and it's kinda cute-like. I love me some cheap junk.

So, let me tell you more about being a terrorist for the last 24 hours. I'm surprised at how well I slept last night. Now, I keep forgetting that I took an AdvilPM, which could have been a big contributor, but man, I slept like a log! I am also relieved by how nonchokered I felt. It was pretty awesome! That brings me to my next breaking news topic...

I have come up with a new invention. I am going to post it out for the world to see, and then sue you when you take my idea. It's a pillow that dangles from your body. Now, give me a minute to explain. I think the strap will velcro across your torso right underneath your arms to prevent any strain from being on one area in particular. The pillow will then dangle down to one side, with the top of the pillow hitting waist height. Are you with me?

That's basically how I was all day. I wore the bomber vest, but instead of putting the machine back into the fanny pack, I left it inside its pillow. It brought a whole new perspective to life. Everywhere I went, I was comfortable because there was a pillow attached to me. As I walked, I naturally held on to the pillow and felt so comfy and safe, like a child. The pillow also acted as a portable lap desk for my laptop, which was really convenient. I know this is probably sounding crazy, but I bet someone said that about the Snuggie years ago. I'm still thinking of a name, but I promise it was awesome. I'm not being facetious at all; I felt so protected and at-ease all day.

My friend brought me Moe's today! Guess what I had?! STEAK NACHOS! We had a nice visit over lunch, and it was so awesome to have some human interaction AND some delicious food during a period in which I wasn't going to have any of that. It was good to catch up and talk life!

Umm, what else? I made some revelations today when I met my friend at Starbucks. I'm excited about them, so I hope I don't forget them. Maybe then I can have re-revelations.

Well, I gotta get to bed. I have a big morning ahead of me. I plan to get up and exercise for a bit first thing. Then, on the way to Emory, I have to stop at the grocery store to get a few items for a colleague's bridal shower tomorrow. However, I have a study appointment at 8:30 a.m., so I'll head straight there. I am fasting right now. I'm not sure how long all of tomorrow will take, but then I'll go into work until I have to head down to the SHOW! I am excited to be in the show! Even though it hasn't been very long, it sure feels like it. Adddddddiction.

Drew's Crew: $13,350!

I got a neat present tonight, too. The birthday that keeps on giving! It is a dream journal and a book to interpret my dreams. I am going to start documenting my dreams on paper using the journal. I remember when I was younger I'd keep a pad by my bed and would often be able to catch my dreams before they escaped me in the morning. It was hilarious going back and looking what I wrote later in the day when I had completely forgotten that I'd logged the dream. I hope I get a good one tonight! Oh, the pressure!

Get in your pillow

Greetings from someone who looks like a threat to national security. I am all hooked up to my monitoring vest to count my coughs and what not. I wouldn't mess with me if I saw me wearing this outfit. I have on this black vest with a choker and it's all connected to a machine that sits inside of a fanny pack. The funniest part about it is that the fanny pack is The North Face brand. I'm glad it isn't some knock-off since I want to go out in public like this. Oh wait, NOOOOO! Only because you care about my life and wouldn't be reading this if you didn't...


Aren't you intimidated? Are you ready for the cute part, though?! Because I have to wear this for 24 hours (which obviously includes sleeping in it), the machine has a little pillow it goes in for bed! I know I shouldn't be excited about it, but aww! I already put him into his little pillow because I thought it would be adorable. It was actually really anticlimactic, but I did get to take off the fanny pack.

Today was a pretty decent day. I finalized some benefit show items, and am hoping to get the go-ahead to market that tomorrow. I want it to be a big hit, so I'm excited to get started! Drew's Crew looks to be ending the day at $13,105, which makes me happy.

I've been keeping this food journal for the OTHER study, and it's actually pretty embarrassing. It says to note if my eating habits are exceptionally unusual during this three-day period for any reason. And, although I wish there was a reason I could say they're weird, I'm just a weird eater. The evaluator is going to be ashamed of me. And my friend SR would be, too! :-) I mean, eating is clearly not my strong-suit. I do plenty of it, but the habits are sooo not what I learned in school.

What else? I feel kind of giddy like there's stuff I'm forgetting to say, but I have no idea what that could be. Oh - thought of one! I am excited because a friend is bringing me lunch tomorrow. I am seriously not leaving the house like this - more for society's sake than my own vanity - so it will be nice to have food catered. Plus, I wasn't expecting to interact with any humans during this 24-hour period, so I'm glad to be wrong.

I'm excited to do some improvising tomorrow! We have had all kinds of different renditions of rehearsal, so it's been a while since we've really played games and what not.

Well, I think I better start getting ready for bed. I don't want to be like this, but the Braves are actually horrible. I mean, holy mackerel. Their patheticism is incredible. I don't even know why I am still watching this mess.

Go girl, it's your birthday

Well, what to say, what to say. I'm torn between what to say because I don't want to make it sound like my day was absolutely miserable. Buuuuuuut, I didn't have a very good day. I had a difficult time sleeping last night because my mind was going a million miles per hour. It's been a while since I've had a night like that, but it happened last night.

Since it was difficult for me to sleep, it was also tough to get up this morning, but I was set on getting to the gym. I ended up resetting my alarm a few times, and got up and did a quick 22-minute workout. I did about 4 1/2 minutes on the treadmill, but was having a hard time, so I got on the elliptical for 7 1/2. Then, I ran on the treadmill for 10 minutes to seal the deal. I'm not exactly sure why it was so difficult compared to last week, but maybe because I wasn't feeling well...

I went to Starbucks on the way to work and got an iced mocha latte. Then, when I got to work, one of my wonderful coworkers surprised me with a McDonald's Mocha Frappe or what not. So, by 11:00 a.m., I'd completed both of those drinks and was pretty rowdy and feeling decent, although coughy. Haha. Coffee. HAAAA! I didn't even mean to do that, but anyway...

My coworker and I went to my FAVORITE Mexican restuurant (Monterrey) for lunch, where I had two grilled steak quesadillas. It was so delicious, and she surprised me by treating me! It was so sweet. One of my coworkers had also brought cupcakes, so I was excited about that and brought some of them home.

After lunch I was just having a really hard time. I wasn't feeling very well and it was really bringing me down; I've had a lot weighing on my mind. I ended up having to duck out of work early because I was feeling pretty bad. I came home and things didn't improve much. Then, I headed to rehearsal still in a bit of a funk, but everyone was really sweet and tried to help me out of it.

I got a few really thoughtful gifts that I'm excited about and, even though I probably didn't show it tonight, I am so thankful to have my theatre friends.

So many people wished me a happy birthday and, although Drew's Crew didn't rake it in like I hoped we might, there's still time left. Even though I seemed like a hot mess for the majority of the day, I am so lucky to know so many great people. Now if only the Braves can pull out a win tonight; it's tied right now...

Well, I'm hoping for a great day tomorrow - for everyone. I'm sending positive thoughts all kinds of directions.

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!

Coincidence

Sometimes I read entirely too much into coincidences. I have no idea why I even felt the need to say that because I'm not going to explain what I mean by that. Vague, I know. Moving right along...

A friend treated me to a nice night out on the town, and we hadn't hung out in a while, so I was glad to spend time with her! First we went out to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Given the nastiness of the weather today, I figured it would be nice to escape to the tropics, despite watching the rain through the window. We enjoyed catching up and talking about life, which is always a crowd-pleaser in my book. Then we headed to Cafe Intermezzo where we grabbed some hot chocolate and continued our discussion! I also opened a sweet gift from her - a HUGE bag of Haribo gummy bears AND a gift card to the movies. I need to start getting up-to-speed with current movies so that I can use it wisely! Anyway, I considered tonight my birthday celebration for the most part, and it was time well-spent; it got me thinking.

I got some donations today! I am really appreciative, and the team is sitting at $12,100. I'm hoping to bring home some bacon on my birthday, so I've got high hopes for that! Let's celebrate!

Making that text a hyperlink made me think about the fact that I'm getting kind of good at HTML stuff. I dabble in it at work and have been using it some here and there for different fundraising things, and I actually like it. Basically it's like a brainteaser of sorts, so maybe I should look into learning more... DORK!

I haven't done too much that's noteworthy today... or yesterday. I got enrolled in ANOTHER study that I'll do on Thursday, so I have to start keeping a food journal tomorrow. I hope I don't forget. I don't have a printer, so I'm going to keep track in a gangsterfied way until I can get it printed.

Umm, that's about it. I am feeling motivated in many senses of the word!

Yawn

What a day! Well, today I got up and hit the fitness center before work. I surprisingly ran two miles without stopping, and then walked for a couple minutes before heading back home. I reset my alarm a few times, so I didn't have as much time to exercise as usual when I go before work. Oh well! It was better than nothing. I was really excited to run for 20 minutes without ever even stepping my feet on the side of the treadmill; I haven't done that in a bit!

I went to work and knocked out a TON of stuff all in a few hours of time. I was in the office from a little before 9 until a little before 1, then headed to my CF study appointment.

So, the appointment went really well. Well, it didn't, but it did. When I did my PFTs, they were surprisingly low - lower than my appointment last week, and about on-par with my first study appointment. The doctor basically told me there were two options... 1) try IV antibiotics and see what happens, or 2) have him declare me 'stable' so I would be eligible for the study. Since a drop of a few percentage points can be attributed to many things other than my true lung function, I went with the tell-me-I'm-stable route.

I then proceeded with my EKG, bloodwork, nasal PD (measuring electrical activity in your nasal cells - WILD!), sweat tests, etc. All in all, it took about five hours to complete all of the necessary testing. It looks like I'm good to get randomized as long as today's results come back looking good! It's funny because, after all of the things that could have kept me from being in the study, the biggest issue today was getting blood out of my arms. We moved from arm to arm with multiple people trying to get a good result. Finally we got a good vein and, of the nine tubes that needed to get filled, we got to the ninth one and my arm gave out. Someone else had to come save the day by poking and prodding around to get that final BIG tube filled. Thankfully I don't mind needles in the arms.

After all of that, I met a few theatre friends at El Azteca (Midtown area) before the improv show tonight. It was a showcase put on by the folks in the Improv Studies group, and I had a lot of fun. I probably stayed out later than I should have, as you can probably tell, so I'm about to hit the hay. I have a crew shift at the theatre tomorrow night, so it looks like it will be Saturday before I can relax.

Vat o' queso

Guess who's all willy nilly right now... ME! That was a pun, but you don't know it yet. I had steak nachos from Willy's today for lunch. Tonight we had a work call at the theatre. When we finished working, we were treated to a nacho bar from Willy's. After all was said and done, there was a bunch of stuff left over. Most of the people were gone before we realized how much extra food there was, so people got sent home with stuff. I ended up with a big ol' vat o' queso. I must say I'm pretty excited about it; you can never have too much cheese.

Before I forget to give them their proper recognition, the Braves SEALED THE DEAL last night. I was very, very tired and we entered the ninth inning down 3 to 0. The first batter in the ninth automatically got an out, so I was feeling pretty discouraged. I was tired and thought it would be better for me to check the score in the morning than stay up for the last two outs. So, I turned the game off and started trying to sleep. Within minutes, though, I had text messages from my mom and brother. With two outs, the Braves got a two-run homer (Glaus) followed by a solo homer by Heyward. At this point I had the TV on the see the start ofthe tenth inning. After an easy top of the inning, the first battler in the bottom of the tenth (McLouth) got a walk-off home run. It was so awesome! It made me proud. Then they went and lost tonight, but whatever. Go Braves!

I am getting really excited about the benefit show. I plan to unveil the details by Monday, I hope. I'm ready to start selling tickets and seeing that total rise! So many people have offered to volunteer their time and energy, and I just know it's going to be awesome and fun for everyone involved. And, of course, it helps a cause that means so much to me. I am thankful for everyone.

Speaking of, today was AWESOME for Drew's Crew! One of the walkers made BANK today, raising over $500. Some checks got posted as well, so the total of everything posted at this exact moment in time is $11,630. That is only about $50 less than what Drew's Crew raised ALL of last year, and we still have 23 days to go. MAN! I AM SO ENERGIZED! We are going to blow our old selves out of the water!

WHAT ELSE?! Tomorrow I have my study appointment. Yeehaw! I am going into work at the regular time and then will head out a few minutes before 1:00 p.m. The appointment should take about four or five hours. Then, tomorrow night, the Improv Studies Program is performing a show, so I'm going to go check that out. I'm looking forward to seeing them perform!

I'm just feeling really happy. Life is great!

Cure Found

I don't have much to say, but figured I'd say something...

I'm getting ready for bed. My face has been aching from allergies today. In fact, I worked from home in an effort to recuperate. I really don't want to have to reschedule my study appointment, but I feel like I might have to if my symptoms don't improve. I hope that tomorrow I'll wake up feeling better since the rain helped wash away some of the pollen today.

THIS JUST IN: $100 donation from a complete stranger! Man, I am excited. Now I've gotta investigate to see if anyone knows this person... People are good.

In other CFF-related news, I am tentatively doing an improv benefit show on May 11. I secured some free event space today, and am in the process of ironing out the details. This should be a really great, profitable event. That makes me happy.

I don't have a lot to say. I am just tired.

Ooooh - oh - oooooooh!

That title is me trying to articulate the sound of the tomahawk chop. I went to the Braves game yesterday afternoon, and BOY, was it an exciting one! The Braves were down 3-2 to start the ninth, and came back to win the thing. Jason Heyward came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. He hit a game-winning single, and it was so cute. They huddled on the field and it made me want to cry. Then he got pied in the face! I'm just excited because my record is 1-0 right now. The Braves win 100 percent of the games I attend!

Well, my boss went into labor. I don't know for sure whether or not she's had the baby or what not, but she was in early labor last night. I am excited to see pictures, but I'm really going to miss her when she's gone.

Today the apprentices went bowling instead of rehearsing. Since the Improv Studies Program has a show this Thursday, we got the night free from apprentice rehearsal. Going bowling was a nice change of pace. It was fun to get to bond a bit in a non-improv atmosphere. Anytime we've gone out in public together, I always wonder if people are curious as to how we are friends. It's just an interesting combination of people. I bowled a 78 on the first game and was at 37 on the second game (with two frames left) when we ran out of time. I had a good time. Bowling is fun! I did get one strike, so that was nice!

Guess what! Today I scheduled my second study screening for this Thursday. They can only re-screen once, so I've got to do awesome on Thursday in order to be eligible. If I do as well as I did at the doctor last week, I should hopefully be good to go - at least lung-wise. I really, really hope that we can get this under way. I haven't gotten too excited about it in the last several weeks because I was trying to focus on the health issues of the present, but I hope everything goes well and I get approved within the next couple of weeks! Send the positive energy this way. I'll have to take half of a day off of work to participate, but hopefully it will be worth all of the positive benefits of the drug (if I don't get the placebo!).

Umm, that's about it. Drew's Crew is at $10,428. I am only $22 shy of $5,000 on my personal page. Yeeehaw! Thank you all!

Shorty

GUESS WHAT! I NEED TO GO TO SLEEP!

Today was a big day for Drew's Crew. We surpassed the $10,000 mark!! To be exact, the online total is reflecting $10,165. This makes me really, really happy. I know that $20,000 is going to be tough to make, but I just know that there are good things to come...

Soooo, I got my hair chopped off today. I think you can officially call it 'chopping' when 100 percent of people that see you acknowledge that it is chopped. I am still accepting the change. It looks great and feels great, so in a couple of days I will be all about it. I also got it a little bit lighter. Only about half of the people I've seen noticed that, so the color isn't very drastic. I can hardly notice it myself because I'm not seeing past the short hair. We'll have to see what happens when I style it on my own...

I was feeling a little unsure afterwards, trying to decide if I looked younger, older, or the same. I had a few people say I looked older (like in a sophisticated way). Then, though, I made a quick stop in Publix and the worker called me "lil' bit." That wasn't at all what I was going for, but all that got erased by some of the kind words my theatre family had for me tonight - particularly 'a perfect haircut.'

I am very tired. Therefore, I shall sleep.

RA RA RA RA RAAAAAA

WOW! It's late.

Well, tonight was the night - Drewby Doo's Mainstage Debut. (I realize that was annoying, but I couldn't not say it when it just crossed my mind.) I headed down to the theatre with plenty of time given all of Atlanta's festivities. I left 1 hour and 45 minutes before I needed to arrive to allot time to go to the grocery store and fight Friday traffic on top of Braves traffic, Freaknik traffic, festival traffic, etc. Congratulations to me for going to the grocery store AND getting to Midtown with 1 hour and 15 minutes until call time. That's record time for any day. Period.

So, I ended up going to Starbucks instead. Ironically, before all was said and done, half of tonight's cast members and the house manager were sitting at a table chatting. I'm not exactly sure if people were also surprised by how little traffic there was, if this is routine for some folks, etc., but it sure was an unexpected and almost surreal way to start the night. It was nice to sit around and talk instead of re-reading everything I've ever written in my notebook.

Tonight I played: Stereotypes, Repeat Scene Direction (paranoid, claustrophobic, pregnant), Senior Class President Buzzer Debate (a younger Barbara - Barb), and ABC (starting in the middle). All in all, I had a lot of fun. I was headier than I'd liked to have been, but it was hard not to treat it as something special because... IT WAS! I am feeling an entire series of post-show emotions, but my main feeling is 'thankful.' I am really happy that I got the experience. Oh, and a special shout-out to all of my wonderful friends who were there (in many senses of the word) for me tonight. After 'thankful,' I feel very motivated. I want to absorb everything I possibly can. I mean, I'm even excited about having to work my shift tomorrow, despite it being my sixth day there this week. I'm excited to watch and learn more.

I forgot to drop some big news yesterday (Thursday) - We booked flights to the Dominican Republic! I can't believe I'm going on a real, all-out vacation. I have never done this for myself... this splurging-type thing for a vacation. It is now official, and I'm excited to pamper myself!

Speaking of pampering, tomorrow I am getting my hair done - highlights and a cut. It will be a nice start to the day. After my new hair and before my double at the theatre, I bet I'll end up napping! I'm excited to get all freshened up and rejuvenated hair-wise.

I know there's a lot more to say... I have the post-show chatties. However, I realize it's after 2:00 a.m., and I need to rest my little head on a pillow.