Heeeeeeeartbreak waaaaaaaaarfare

Well, today has been quite the Monday. Portions of it felt Mondayesque, but I'm happy for it to be ending on a positive note. I'm feeling refreshed, tired, and ready for a good night's sleep!

The most exciting thing that happened today was that I went to Target during my lunch hour. I had to pick up a prescription, so I figured I'd browse while I was at it. I got some vitamins that I've been meaning to get, and I also got some snacks to nibble on at work. I also got a shirt and a hat, and I'm excited about both. I have the same shirt in purple and it tends to do me well, so I got it in gray, too. I also got a little brown hat. I'm not sure what this type of hat is called, but it's a kind of cute hat I can wear when I feel like being nappy.

Work was fairly busy today. I had a couple of meetings, but nothing compared to the rest of the week. I have probably 14 hours of meetings this week, which makes it pretty difficult to accomplish the things I need to accomplish. Oh well, though... My biggest concern is that I need to be in the office on Friday for a big meeting, so I'll have to forfeit my telecommute day. Blaaaaah! Our intern starts tomorrow, so it will be fun to have a fresh face in the office.

Well, I don't have a lot to say, mainly because I'm too tired. I wanted to work on my book a little tonight because I'm still feeling energized from yesterday, but it shall wait until tomorrow so I can make it an early morning at work.

The eagle has landed

HAPPY MONDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't I enthusiastic?!?! I'm creating enthusiasm right now...

So, yesterday was a pretty awesome day, if I must say so myself. It was the most productive day I've had in a long time. Remember how I wasn't going to set my alarm? Well, I forgot that it was set from Saturday. Sooooooo, when it woke me up at 10:44 a.m., I was pretty disappointed, but that was definitely enough sleep for a tyke like myself.

First I cleaned my room because, BOY, did it need it?! Not only did I clean up everything scattered throughout the floor, but I actually cleaned off my bed for once. It's usually incredible how much stuff I have on my bed when I'm going to sleep. I usually sleep in strange directions that make the junk at the end of the bed irrelevant, but I even cleaned off the bed and could have stretched all the way out if I had chosen to last night.

I washed all of my dirty clothes and even my sheets, so I'm feeling like I've got a wardrobe to chose from today.

At almost 1:00 p.m., I sat down to force myself to work on my book. I went downstairs and sat on the couch with my laptop, with the goal that I would at least do something - whether it was revising, helping bridge sections, etc. Well, I ended up working on it until about 5:30 p.m. with hardly any distractions. I basically worked on making things clearer for a reader other than myself, and I got through about half of it. SUCCESS! I was feeling pretty inspired because a friend's invigoration was contagious.

After working hard all afternoon, I went to meet two long-term friends for Mexican... Imagine that! It was POURING outside, so the roads were flooding a little bit. When we got to the restaurant, there wasn't any parking nearby, so we had to run inside while trying to stay as dry as possible. Of course I had on these slip-on canvas shoes with no socks, so there were some puddles I simply could not make it through if I didn't want to be up to my ankles in water. So, right there before I crossed the street, I took off my shoes and ran barefooted all the way to the restaurant. When we got inside, my feet were so cold that I could barely feel them. Oh, the things we do for Mexican food! Anyway, dinner was fun and it was nice to catch up!

Well, it's the start of another busy week. I'm speaking at a CF Foundation event on Wednesday, so I'm excited about that. Off to start my day...

Papa. Paparazzi.

It seems like I just wrote in here yesterday, but obviously it wasn't... This week flew by, probably because I was anticipating the show.

So, Thursday night was my first apprentified show at the theatre, and I had so much fun! Just for my own memory and not so much yours, these are the games I was in: Emo Interview, Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Remote Control Styles, ABC, and Oscar Musical Rap. I had soooo many WONDERFUL people supporting me and it couldn't have gone any better. I can't wait until the next - whenever that is!

Well, I'm up so late because I just finished working the 8:00 and 10:30 p.m. shows at the theatre. They were both sold out, which was fun. I was in charge of walking around getting suggestions for the show, and then pretty much watching and helping out if anything came up during the show. During the 8:00 p.m. show, a guy asked his girlfriend to prom onstage. He had planned it in advance, and it was actually very cute. I hate to admit it, but it almost made me cry. It was just so sweet, primarily because of its innocence.

Today I went to lunch at Mimi's Cafe with a friend that lives in my complex. I hadn't seen her since New Year's, so we had a good time catching up. I got a cheeseburger and onion rings. Woohooo! It was pretty good. When I got home from lunch, though, I literally passed out and didn't wake up for an hour and a half... I have no idea how I was so tired! Tomorrow night I'm meeting some friends for Mexican, so that's going to be AWESOME!

I went to the fitness center this morning, even though it took everything in my power to get out of bed (and this was at 11:00 a.m.). I ran a mile on the treadmill, then did 1.7 miles on the Stairmaster, then alternated between sprints and walking for 1.1 miles on the treadmill. I'm pretty surprised I'm not sore yet because sprints usually do it to me, especially if it's been a while.

Well, I'm about to go to sleep and not set an alarm. I usually set an alarm just for the heck of it, but not tonight. I'm just going to sleep until I can't sleep anymore... So excited!

Smile all day

WELL WELL WELL!! It is Tuesday and the week is almost over! Or so it feels!

Yesterday was an enjoyable day off in which I, once again, accomplished NOTHING. I slept in pretty late and sat around for a while. I got a shower... I then went and ate a late lunch of Mexican food at Pure Taqueria. I also had two peach mojitos, which were pretty enjoyable.

I had improv last night and just wasn't feeling it altogether. I honestly think it had to do with having such an unproductive weekend. I hadn't really had to be 'on' at all during the weekend, so it was hard to kick it into 'focus' last night when I got to the theatre. Oh well... I bet tomorrow I'll be feeling it again.

Today I got up and went into work really early. There was a lot I wanted to accomplish and I hoped to have most of it knocked out before I went into hour after hour of meeting. I stopped at Starbucks on the way to the office and got a vanilla latte. I got to work a little after 7:00 a.m. and was able to knock out a lot before my first meeting at 9:00 a.m. From that point forward, I was away from my desk until close to 12:40 p.m., which makes for a hectic day. I actually wasn't feeling all the well, combined with starving, and headed home a little before 2:00 p.m. to eat lunch and telecommute for the remainder of the day. It was a pretty good workday, especially compared to last week's roller coaster.

After I was done working, I went to the fitness center and walked a while as I read a book. I wanted to run some, but even the limited arm movement in walking was aggravating my SC joint. Sooo.. I took it easy. That reminds me, I should be hearing from the doctor pretty soon about moving forward with the ultrasound.

Anything else interesting going on? I'm getting pretty pumped about my show on Thursday! Each day I learn of a few more people that can hopefully come, so I'm crossing my fingers for a pretty full house! I'm also glad that the weather forecast isn't placing any potential cancellation threats on the show!

Oh, and one last thing... The highlight of my day. I have a column in a CF newsletter, right? Well, today, I got a post on my Facebook page saying, "We got a donation today in your honor! The message said, 'Drew is obviously a talented writer and the column in Reaching Out is a worthwhile contribution to the newsletter.'" That pretty much made me smile all day!

Imajeanation

Well, I believe it's safe to deem today a completely lazy day. I seriously have almost nothing to show for it, but it's good to have days like that sometimes.

I slept in until almost 11:00 a.m., and that was about the extent of what I accomplished today.

I went on an adventure to try to find some new jeans. What used to be my nicer jeans have slowly evolved into worn-out jeans, so I was hoping to find a new pair. The keyword there is 'hoping' because I had absolutely no luck. I have such a hard time finding pants that it's borderline unreal. I even decided to try on skinny jeans in hopes that maybe those would fit right, but that was unsuccessful, too. It was pretty frustrating... I also went looking for jeans at the mall around New Year's and had absolutely no luck, so I'm beginning to think this is Mission: Impossible.

I'm excited to have off work tomorrow. It's once again perpetuating the fact that I haven't gotten fully back in the groove since the holidays, but oh well. I'd rather have the day off than be in a groove. I do have improv tomorrow, though, which I prefer anyway since I'm in the show on Thursday. I know that looking forward to Thursday's show will probably make the week fly by!

This whole weekend-devoted-to-my-book thing hasn't worked out as I was hoping. Instead of making much progress, I've found myself second-guessing everything I could possibly be questioning. I have definitely made progress as far as getting it organized, but I've taken steps backwards as far as how I feel about it mentally. As my friend said, though, I am my worst critic.

Tonight I was thinking about cotton candy and it made me happy. It also made me angry because I don't have any and haven't had it in forever, but cotton candy is awesome. The thought of pure sugar excites me right now, but I should probably focus on going to sleep instead.

Night!

Hairy up with our food

Well, 2010 has been uncharacteristically busy so far... as you may have concluded since I haven't said much. So... I'll share some highlights of my busy week.

I had a CF check-up on Tuesday and it went surprisingly well. Not that I didn't think it would go well, but it was actually the best appointment I've had in over two years. I didn't even have to wait all that long, either... only about 30 or 45 minutes, which is actually impressive for this place.

On Friday I went to the doctor about my SC joint. Unlike the physical therapists who determined it was my first rib that was displaced, the doctor still believes it's my SC joint that's causing the problems. Either way, he didn't have a ton to say... He was going to consult some of the other doctors because he thinks maybe we should do an ultrasound to see exactly what's going on. Everyone seems to be in agreement that this issue shouldn't be plaguing me a year later. But hey... sometimes cornhole can get the best of someone. He said that, depending on what the ultrasound showed, maybe a Cortisone injection would help. That makes me cringe a little, but whatever!

So, tonight I went out to eat at a location. I don't think I'll say the name of the location because of the story I'm about to tell... Well, when my friends and I sat down at the table, the server brought a plate with some forks, chopsticks (that narrows it down a tiny bit), and napkins. I glanced at the plate and noticed a pretty lengthy hair intertwined in the prongs of the fork. This didn't really faze me all that much, but I did ask the server if we could get a new plate with forks. Then, my friend's appetizer arrived and there was literally another lengthy hair making itself at home in her tofu. At this point I almost vomited and I'm not usually grossed out by stuff like this. I mean, what are the chances that we would end up being 2-for-2? Needless to say, everything was comped, but I'm still kind of feeling uneasy when I think about it. I chewed every bite with hesitance, and I'm kind of surprised we even stayed there... Ugh. I grossed myself out just reading that story again.

I didn't have any time to exercise this week... sadly. I did go to the fitness center today and did a combination of walking and running, but mainly walking. My SC joint (the doctor's opinion is clearly winning right now) has been aching a lot and the running was just too high-impact to do comfortably. I'm proud of myself, though, for dragging myself out in the rain to go to the gym.

This weekend was going to be solely devoted to working on my book because I really hope to be done editing by the end of January. It's a long weekend, too, so I told myself I'd get a lot accomplished on the book. I did work on it some today, but I find myself feeling pretty discouraged about it.... I guess this is what happens when my left brain enters the picture. I'm second-guessing pretty much everything, including the recent revelation I had about reorganizing my book. I've told myself I was going to start working again for the last two hours since I got home, but I'm clearly not convinced yet. I promise I'm doing it after I post this... and maybe eat something. :o)

Improv was fun this week. On Monday at rehearsal we did some trust games. On Wednesday, we worked on scenework with the main-stagers, so that was a lot of fun. I'd never worked with many of them before, but things seemed to fall right into place. I'm excited because I'm in the show on Thursday! Woohooo! First apprentified performance.

Finally, before I go, I'd like to announce that my left "control" key experienced an unfortunate accident this week. I basically just broke it. It's funny because I lost control this week (I didn't come up with that joke on my own). Seriously, though, I felt really out of control this week, so it's funny that I also I lost control. HAHAHAHA! How symbolic!

Off to write...

And then you're on your very first date

So, are there ever song lyrics that you sing wrong every single time? You know that they're wrong, but you can't seem to stop singing what you once accidentally thought they were... Well, that's how I am with a line in Taylor Swift's song "Fifteen." It's the lyric that says, "And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car." For some reason, every time I say "and he's got a gun." It makes the song better, really. "And then you're on your very first date and he's got a gun." Oooh, what happens next?

Well, what a week it was... and I can't believe a new one is starting.

On Tuesday I went to work and then came home and watched Georgia Tech lose and disappoint me. I mean, they just didn't seem to have considered the fact that the other team had almost six weeks to prepare for their offense. Anyway, it was pretty upsetting, but oh well. I had a good time watching it, mainly because I ate some jalapeno poppers.

Wednesday I had improv, but we had a work call rather than rehearsing. So, I carried some stuff around that ended up irritating my first rib. It was also absolutely freezing outside, so that didn't help my cause. I was glad to get home relatively early, though, because I wanted a good night's sleep for my first apprentice show on Thursday.

I woke up Thursday super-excited about my show. However, as the day progressed and the talk of wintry weather increased, I began to worry that my show might get canceled. Well, I didn't have to worry too long because it was indeed called off. So, I came home from work and my roommate and I went to get ice cream at the grocery store as it was beginning to snow. It ended up snowing a decent amount and freezing over, so that makes everyone in Atlanta lose their minds.

Friday work was canceled due to the snow, so that was a nice perk. I pretty much had a lazy day until it was time to go work at the theatre. Claire and I met for El Toro before my shift. Then, we went to the shoe store and I got some cute plaid boots. I was surprised at the size of the crowd at the theatre on Friday considering the slick mess outside.

Last night, I went to a going away party for a friend that's moving to Israel for an intensive Arabic study. It was a lot of fun and I'm going to miss her, but I admire her so much for following her passion. We ended up staying out until almost 3:00 a.m. PARTAY! A server told me I looked like Lo from The Hills. I have also been told I look like Kristen and Lauren from The Hills, so I'm confused.

Finally, today - I had about 300 pictures taken of me, so that was fun. One of my friends from work enjoys photography and I just so happen to need a headshot for improv, so I stood out smiling in the freezing cold. It was pretty fun!

I'm hoping to spend the remainder of my day working on my book, but I wanted to update my blog before I got started on that. Or else I would use it as a reason not to be focused. I can't wait to enjoy the lazy rest of my day!

Good night, Monday

I am tired right now, but I figured I'd write in my delirium.

Improv was a lot of fun tonight. I actually felt 'on' for the first time in what seems like forever, although it doesn't help that I had a break with the holidays and what not. It's probably a good thing I'm feeling 'on' this week because I'm in the show on Thursday night. My first show as an apprentice....Woohoo! It's giving me something to look forward to in this week back to reality. I hope some people can come see my debut!

Tomorrow night I get to watch Georgia Tech play in the Orange Bowl from the comfort of my own home. I hope they win. I really want to wear my Georgia Tech hoodie to work tomorrow, but I don't know if I will since it's Tuesday, which means it's staff meeting day. If it weren't Tuesday, there's a 100 percent chance I would wear it, but it's the one day of the week that everyone sees me. Sooooo, perhaps I'll have to put it on at the end of the workday. Frankly I think people in behind-the-scenes positions (like myself) should be able to wear absolutely anything to work as long as it isn't vulgar. Wearing sweats to work would boost my morale.

Today I had Willy's, which was a good first lunch hour of 2010. Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet a friend who's in town for lunch. She's not in town for lunch, but I mean, I'm supposed to meet her for lunch. I hope it works out, even if we eat at an odd hour for the sake of coordinating our schedules.

I did the elliptical today at work. While I exercised, I read several pages of my book (the one written be me) and made notes on them for organizational purposes. I am reworking the silly out of that thing because the revelation I recently had changes so much about it...including the title. Am I being vague? Are you intrigued? Are you going to read it when it comes out?

It's definitely time to sleep. While it seems to be all that folks can talk about right now, it is extremely cold outside. It truly doesn't get much colder than this in Atlanta. Rumors are that it might snow on Thursday, but I'll believe it when I see it. I've never been a big snow person, but if it's going to be this cold, I prefer it yield some kind of result that couldn't happen otherwise. It makes shivering feel more worthwhile.

2010

Welcome to 2010! I just ate a nutritious dinner to kick off the new year. I had a double steakburger, double onion rings, and a mocha shake... Steak and Shake, baby! Clearly I didn't make any resolutions about eating healthily. I'm still trying to work out what my resolutions are going to be. Maybe I should make a resolution to make New Year's resolutions for 2011. Two of my definite goals are to do my vest at least three hours a week and make an effort to work only 40 hours a week for my own sanity.

Well, let me just say that New Year's Eve was so much fun! I ended up going to a hotel party with a group of six girls. It was sooooo hilarious. The crowd was twice our age and it was such an adventurous night. We went out to eat at Bahama Breeze and then went to the party in the hotel bar/lounge area. It was definitely one of the best NYEs I've ever had! I woke up in the middle of the night and had 39 text messages, so that was funny. We met a guy we named T-Boz, I got a ROSE!, people went swimming in dresses, we received a complaint from the hotel staff about being too loud... all in all it was a success!

My book is coming along really well! I know my goal was to complete it by the end of the year, and it's truly almost there. I think it's practically complete writing-wise; now it's just in the editing/reorganizing/filling in blanks phase. I'm really looking forward to it being a total hit!

My friend Anne and I are sitting here watching Office Space - this movie is so inspirational and accurate. I appreciate it more and more each time I see it. We have had a pretty lazy day, other than the fact that I went to my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary party.

So, yesterday an incident went down at my house. My roommate was vacuuming and a circuit tripped (or whatever it's called). Anyway, I think the breaker has gone bad because we can't make it come back on now... at all. There are no lights downstairs and none of the outlets in the living room work. We have a huge orange extension cord connecting the TV to an outlet in the kitchen and a lamp from upstairs sitting on the kitchen floor. It looks pretty...trashy.

Well, we're gonna crash early tonight since last night didn't entail much sleeping. I can't wait!

Subconscious mind

Let me just tell you how powerful your subconscious mind is. Well, how powerful mine is. I know I sound like a psychobabbling buffoon right now, but get this... In my last post, I mentioned working on my book and how I knew the answer would come to me soon. Well, as I was laying down for bed that night, it hit me like a ton of bricks. There's still some significant ironing out to do, but I spent three hours transforming it tonight. I am feeling super-relieved and excited, although it's a major change from my original concept. Looking back, I have no idea how this didn't come to me sooner!

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and, per usual, I am not a fan of the holiday. There's so much hype about going out and doing something crazy and fun when it's truly no different than any other night of the year. The good news is that a friend called yesterday and made a last-minute plan to come to town, so I am excited! I haven't seen her since May and we always have a grand ol' time together!

I exercised yesterday and today. Yesterday I did the elliptical at work and today I did a combintion of the treadmill and the gangster elliptical we have at the fitness center. I'm satisfied with my dedication, especially after all of the holiday laziness. I'm hoping to make it three straight days tomorrow! No excuses because I'm working from home tomorrow, but we get off at 3:00 p.m. anyway for the holidays.

I haven't had much of an appetite the last few days. Maybe I ate myself out of commission over the holidays or something. I haven't really gotten hungry and haven't enjoyed eating as much as usual. I had Chili's for lunch yesterday and Mexican today and didn't finish the meals I typically wolf down. Odd!

I did my vest for about an hour and a half yesterday. That's one of my biggest resolutions for 2010, although I haven't started writing them down yet. I plan to, though, because I definitely believe in the power of writing things down and holding myself accountable.

Today I am just rambling like I'm an expert on random topics, when in all actuality I just feel like being on a pedestal for no reason. Perhaps I'll stop and go to sleep instead. Sounds like a compromise!

It's the mooooost wonderful tiiiiime of the year

Well, what can I say!? It has been an enjoyable break, but I can't believe it's almost over. I'm looking forward to another short week, though, with two days in the office, one working from home, and then four consecutive days off again. I have to say that I prefer this life over the one in which the majority of my time is spent at work. But oh well. I'll save that life for when I've won the lottery.

I haven't been outside since Friday, which is awesome. Some people might call it lazy, but it has been so enjoyable for me! I have literally worn pajamas since Tuesday, with the exception of eight hours on Christmas Eve and another seven hours on Christmas. It's back to work tomorrow, so I'm enjoying these last several hours in pajamas while they last.

I've worked on my book a lot while I've been home, but I'm still waiting to receive the answer of how to organize it all... my brain is supposed to be sending it to me. It is all scattered and on different topics, but it's all a part of what makes me who I am. I know that the answer will come to me soon because I set a deadline of December 31, 2009. Only about four more days!

I can safely say that I've enjoyed a lot of food over the holidays... including two rounds of pancakes (one for lunch today!). On Christmas Eve we had traditional Thanksgiving-like food, such as turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. Then, on Christmas Day, we did our usual brunch where I gorged myself on sausage balls, quiche, fruit, etc. I have pretty much eaten for half of each day and slept for the other half. Rejuvenation, baby!

My mom and I are going to watch Failure to Launch at 7:00 p.m. We watched Knocked Up earlier today and Funny People yesterday. I'm just proud of myself because I haven't fallen asleep during any of the movies, and that's typically my forte. I think it's because I've fixed coffee to drink during each of the movies. What a senior citizen!

Well, I better start getting ready for the movie. I've got a lot of stuff to pack up before I leave for work in the morning. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!

Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tell 'em all I'm on vacation

Title: Song lyric from "Truth" by Jason Aldean.

WELL WELL WELL! It's Thursday night which only means one thing... I'm working from home tomorrow! Telecommuting makes a world of difference to me. It gives me the opportunity to sleep a little later, wear my pajamas all day and have some quiet time that I don't often get at work. I can't wait to get to go for a multi-hour waking period without having to speak out loud to anyone other than myself, although I won't do that either.

Tonight I got home from work a little after 7:00 p.m. and got changed into pajamas. I straightened my room a bit, and then got settled watching some Saturday Night Live holiday special. It was pretty entertaining, I must say. But I was definitely a little disappointed that The Office wasn't on in order for SNL to be on... You win some, you lose some.

I had a dream the other night that someone broke into my house. It was really interesting because the thief was actually still inside and was just sort of redecorating. Per my usual dorky behavior, I tried to look up those terms, and the robbery is understandably indicative of feeling as though my identity is being stolen or credit is being taken from me. Decorating involves trying to mask things or cover up something. Whew! Lots to think about, but someone is apparently out to get me!

Today I had what I may deem the best nachos I've ever had at Willy's. I don't know what made them any different than the nachos I usually get, but I think it's that I needed them now more than ever - emotionally. This week has been draining in every sense of the word. Now, tell me if it's ironic that I accidentally typed "weak" rather than "week" the first go-round. I think not. I think that would be one of the best adjectives to describe my current state!

It's time for another night of dreams to analyze.

Bulletproof

Well, the week hasn't improved much since Monday, but the good news is that I am alive and surviving. I somehow feel like switching from 2009 to 2010 will make me feel refreshed, although that's kind of crazy and unrealistic. Oh well... Maybe the two shortened workweeks will give me some time to take it easy. I don't think I'm going to take any days off; I prefer to hoard my vacation days.

Yesterday I got one of my favorite compliments of all-time... I was told I am bulletproof. Now, I realize that could be backhanded if said in the wrong context, but I was very flattered to hear it. I think I have gotten much more bulletproof over the last year or so. Can't nobody stop me!

Today I went to Target and got two Christmas gifts for people on my list. I think they'll like them... primarily because I was given direct instructions and no additional options. Merry Christmas! I also picked up two prescriptions, so I made a whole trip out of it. As much as I love Target, I hate shopping in general, so I'm pleased I made it through the experience without getting too angry.

Tonight at improv we didn't actually rehearse, which was probably in my best interest. I don't know what's up with me this week, but I haven't felt this wound up and unfocused in quite a while. Tomorrow should be a relaxing night if all goes as planned to be worthless. Then, I'm at the theatre Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. So I'm bracing myself for a busy weekend.

I exercised yesterday and today...round of applause. Yesterday I really kicked it into high gear and did a combination of sprints and the Stairmaster. I got riled up enough that it was difficult to go to bed. That's probably a better exercise routine for waking up rather than winding down. Today I just did the elliptical at work, so I didn't get myself into hardcore mode. Oh well, I still got in some quality exercise.

My eyes are telling me it's bedtime, so perhaps I'll listen. Good night!

One of those days

Today was one of those days. It was one of those days where, no matter what I did, I couldn't get in a good mood. Maybe it was the fact that it was Monday, that I was tired, that the weather was dreary, that the holiday stress is upon me... I don't know. But all I can say is that I am so happy to be in this bed of mine ready to hit the hay.

Well, I have yet to do any Christmas shopping and I realize that in two hours it will only be ten days away. I'm not sure where the time has gone, but it seems like I've lived in a vacuum all year; the time escapes me and I can't seem to track it down. While I enjoy the holidays, I also find them particularly draining. There's so much preparation to do, things to wrap up at work, etc.

I haven't yet decided what days I'm going to take off for the rest of the year. I was toying with the idea of not taking off any - We get off the 24th, 25th, 31st, and 1st. However, I think I'm going to go absolutely insane if I don't do something more. I may try to telecommute a bit since my typical telecommute day (Friday) falls on two of the vacation days.

Today was our division-wide holiday party. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I can't really say whether or not it met my expectations. I was hoping there might be some adult beverages and what not, but what can I say... the budget doesn't support it. Blaaaaaaaaaaah.

Well, I had improv tonight and, after the events of the day, you can imagine that I wasn't exactly in the mood to try to entertain. In fact, if I could have done anything, I would have come home and been antisocial, probably falling asleep by 8:00 p.m. However, I toughed it out and, in summation, I didn't perform as horrendously as I thought I could.

Time to finally do what I've been dreaming of all day.....SLEEP. Tomorrow will definitely be better than today. Pessimistic Patty signing off.

Best Invisible Design Award

So, I didn't win the Bah Humbug category in the door-decorating contest at work, but my boss and I won the Best Invisible Design Award. I must say I'm pretty pleased. The door we envisioned was definitely awesome, so I'm glad we were recognized accordingly.

Our holiday party and work was fun, and I ate entirely too much. We had one of my all-time favorites, which are cheese straws. Good grief, those are awesome. I also had a variety of other things... little sandwiches, dip, quiche, cake, etc. I could have eaten myself into a coma, but I stopped when I was reasonably stuffed, so that was a good exercise of self-control on my part.

After the holiday party, I broke my personal rule and went to the library. I'm not supposed to be reading until I finish writing my book, but I had to turn in a few books and figured I'd go ahead and get some others. I've already started reading one of them and I really enjoy it so far. I need to work out some kind of compromise with myself so that I can continue to read, but also continue to make forward progress on my book.

Yesterday was a nice day to work from home. It was cold out, so I stayed comfortably in bed and worked on my laptop. As has become Friday tradition, I had lunch at El Toro, so that was the perfect mid-day break. Last night, Claire and I watched some television, ate some Chick-fil-A, and played some Jenga. Wild night!

Well, today I got up and exercised. My back has been bothering me lately, so I walked on the treadmill on an incline. I would have liked to have done something vigorous, but it was a good workout anyway... plus, I got to read a good chunk of the book I shouldn't be reading.

I'm about to head to Taco Mac to meet two work people before going to a concert tonight. The concert is this male a capella group, and it's supposed to be good. I'm excited to see what it's all about! I think they do singing as well as skits, so I look forward to being entertained.

I'm tired, so I hope a second wind is about to kick in.... WOOOHOOOO!

Why you so obsessed with me?

Gosh, I am so tired right now. I'm not even sure what I'm doing and why I'm not asleep. It feels like today should already be next Monday because this week has been so long.

Well, yesterday at work we had our holiday door decorating contest. Unfortunately, the person I planned to team up with was at a conference, so I gracefully bowed out. There was a Bah Humbug category, so maybe I'll win that. But probably not. BAH HUMBUG! I love stuff like that, but I also know how ridiculously competitive I get, so it's probably best that I didn't participate.

Last night we had our annual homeowners' meeting. Let's just say it was interesting... and I think I got some good character ideas for improv. I'm glad I went because I find stuff like that thoroughly amusing. I also wish I hadn't gone because it's time I'll never get back, but oh well. At least I know my dues are increasing since nobody will probably tell me.

Today was a pretty good day. I feel like I got a lot accomplished at work, but I can't even tell you what I meant by that because I'm not sure. I went to Starbucks during lunch and wrote/read some, so that was a nice use of time. I also got on the elliptical today before I headed home. I got in a pretty good workout, if I do say so myself. Then, I came home and wasted the night away. I ate a little bit and read some more. I just tried to straighten up my room a bit, but I got tired and started sitting in bed instead.

Tomorrow is our holiday party at work. It starts at noon and then we get to enjoy an early release, so it's going to be a short day. It's too bad I have kind of a lot of stuff to do, but I'll just take care of the rest of it from home after the party if need be. I'm excited to get to leave work early. Yeeeehaw!

I just wrote this entire thing and decided I didn't say anything worthwhile. Oh well. Sometimes I just don't have anything exciting to say... or I'm too tired to make it sound exciting. Night!

Goooo Yellow Jackets!

Friday's workout-during-lunch plan wasn't too successful. In fact, I ended up eating El Toro instead. That's always a worthwhile tradeoff. Burn calories or gorge myself? Gorge! Heck yes!

The holiday party Friday night was fun. I realized last-minute that I didn't have cash for parking, so I swung by Publix and got cash back by purchasing a Red Bull. I pretty much watched student volunteers man the door. It was a very easy job, and it was kind of fun to be in such a happening place. It was pretty crowded, though, because everyone felt the need to stay in a very confined space.

Yesterday was pretty productive, I guess. I got up, went to the gym, and went to Lowe's to get some supplies. I got a letter of violation for having brass doorknobs rather than brush nickel, so I had to get new doorknobs and locks. Sometimes it's absurd to have to pay for stuff you don't even want. Especially when it's expensive.

Then, I sat around and went to the grocery store before watching Georgia Tech win the ACC championship. The game was entirely too close for comfort, but it was a good game nonetheless. I cleaned my room a bit at the end of the game because I found myself getting frustrated with what I was seeing. All's well that ends well!

Today the new doorknobs and locks were installed, and the old satellite dish (that I also got a letter about) was removed. It feels good not to be a delinquent homeowner anymore. In addition to watching these things get taken care of, I watched the Falcons get taken care of. It was a pretty ugly game. OH. WELL. At least one of my teams made me proud this weekend.

Well, tomorrow starts a long week of mass emails and shenanigans. I have improv on Monday and Wednesday and our annual homeowners' meeting on Tuesday. We have a work holiday potluck on Thursday. Plus, there are about a million mass emails I need to create that will send this week. So, it looks like it will be a busy one.

On that note, I'm going to try to get to bed early so I can get up and exercise before work. I went to the gym yesterday AND today, so let's see if I can make it three in a row. Good night!

Today. Was the happiest day of her life.

Before anyone gets too rambunctious, I'm just singing the lyrics in my head in the title of this post. So chill out, fan club.

Well, guess where I was tonight.... The theatre. HA!!!!!!!! Bet nobody guessed. Tonight's show was a lot of fun, and I'm super-glad I went. Even though I was tired and didn't know if I should go, I am confident that I made the best decision.

Everything that happened today is blurring together. Things that happened this morning feel like they happened two days ago. One of my frizziends had a dead car battery this morning, so I left work to go lend my car's strength to a car in need. It was successful. I don't know why watching people with jumper cables makes me so anxious.

After work, I met a friend at Willy's to grab something to eat before the show. I had been in a Willy's drought (probably three weeks), but I went twice this week, so that satisfied my stomach and soul. I got the same thing both times..... steak nachos. Yeah buddy.

I need to hit the gym tomorrow. I have failed at my attempt to work out this week. That's okay, though. One step at a time... I figure I can work out during my lunch hour since I won't be concerned with getting sweaty (telecommuting). Then, I'm working at the young alumni holiday party at night, so that will be hilarious.

Off to bed!

Umm..... What?

I can't even fathom that it's Wednesday night. My internet wasn't working the last few days, and I hadn't had the time to try to figure it out. However, it's amazing what unplugging a couple cords can do for you. Primarily if you plug them back in after you unplug them. So, I'm up and running again!

I have been at the theatre the last three days... I had my first apprentice rehearsal on Monday night, went to a graduation show last night, and had rehearsal again tonight. It has been a busy, but fun week. I can tell I am going to learn a lot and I'm going to learn it quickly.

I installed my cruise card on my dashboard today. I use the term 'installed' like it involved more than sticking a sticker on the windshield, but it seemed like a pretty big deal. I cruised right through the toll plaza today and felt so free. I felt kind of rebellious. I also thought everyone was probably looking at me as I cruised by, so I felt narcissistic. Not fumbling for 50 cents was such a relief. Sadly, I am being serious.

Yesterday at work, we volunteered at Project Open Hand packing meals for people who are homebound. My first task was scooping broccoli into plastic trays. My second task was putting grape juice boxes into the bags of meals. My third and final task was putting chocolate chip cookies into bags. It was so much fun! We were having such a good time listening to music and moving things down the assembly line. I kind of wish we went there every day.

What else?! I worked out before work yesterday, and I'd like to get in the habit of doing that since I'm going into work a little later so I don't have much time to kill between work and improv. I got a pretty killer workout in by getting up a simple 35 minutes early. It doesn't mean I'm going to do it tomorrow, but it felt very productive. I might try to hop on the elliptical at work tomorrow since I left my gym bag at my desk...

Well, I just got sleepy very suddenly, so I'm off to bed. Happy December!