Wed. Nez. Day.

Good morning, Blogger! How art thou?

I'm getting ready to head into good ol' work. I plan to treat myself to a chai tea latte with a SHOT OF ESPRESSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that my energy level will be the equivalent of all of those exclamation marks.

Well, what's new in my life? Aside from the $0.47 in cash-back I received on my checking account statement... Someone with my same name in Mississippi has been ordering some pizzas online, and the confirmations have been coming to my email address. Both orders were exactly the same, and this savvy shopper has been using a coupon code. Way to go, Drew! Eat that Chicken and Bacon Carbonara!

(Does anyone else using Blogger [or anyone at Blogger who was eagerly awaiting another post from me] have the same issue with the auto-save? It literally stops you from typing for a few seconds, which is super obnoxious. I realize I already typed something along these lines, but I am allowed to complain until I get that latte.)

I already tweeted about this (How 2012!), but I had a dream last night that I was eating sour gummy worms at a very small Boyz II Men concert. I believe it was at a university. One of last season's Bachelorette contestants was with my group of people. They opened with "End of the Road," and their voices were so beautiful. It was much better than Monday night's dream about losing the two teeth to the left (when facing me, if you're interested) of my two front teeth. I think that dream was because I forgot to make a dentist appointment on Monday. I made it yesterday, though, which is why my subconscious let me eat those sour gummy worms at the concert last night. Deeeee-lish!

Last week's vacation was AMAZING. I want to go on vacation every other week. I forgot how much I love the sunshine! It was beautiful weather, quality time with family, tons of indulging, etc. I think it was the last non-wedding related trip I'll go on this summer... or was it? MWAHAHAHA!

Well, I better finish getting ready for work so that I can get my hands on that latte. Happy Wednesday!

Seat Yourself

Man, have you ever played Mad Gab? (I think that's the name.) That game is fun! I can't describe it easily, so just Google it. There was no point to this information, but it inspired the title of this post. The clue was "see chores elf," with the answer being "seat yourself." My mom kept repeating "see chores elf," and it sounded exactly like she was saying "seat yourself," but it just wasn't clicking. Yep, you needed to witness it yourself.

I feel hungry, but I've eaten plenty today. I'm on vacation, so I don't return to work until June 18. Woohoo!

My dad and I have been doing a decent bit of fishing in the ocean. So far we've caught 12 catfish, 4 whiting and 4 sharks -- all hammerheads. They are so adorable and have tiny little eyeballs!

Tonight I get to sleep in a real bed, so that's exciting! Moving on up! I'm excited because the floor has been somewhat anxiety-provoking ever since the R-word incident on night one. I don't want to talk about it.

I am so tired right now.

I guess I better go bask in the fact that I'm sleeping in a bed. This is a rare accomplishment on this particular trip.

Pink lime

I'm drinking a pink lime frozt (Why the "z"?) at Starbucks. I'm sitting outside, and it's probably about 10 degrees too warm to be doing so. But I am invincible with my pink lime froZt.

I had a busy holiday weekend. I performed in three improv shows, so that was a blast. Saturday I went bridesmaid dress shopping. Sunday I went to a brunch to celebrate the four marriages on my mom's side of the family. Monday I (unfortunately) went to the Braves game, and they lost in a Braves-like fashion. Last night they broke their impressive 8-game losing streak. I had such high hopes for that streak!

Tomorrow I go back to the doctor, so we'll see how that goes. I wish I could say I was looking forward to it, but I'd be a big old liar.

I guess I better head to rehearsal since it takes 15 minutes to go half of a mile in Atlanta.

Smile about something!

Sparkling

Hello! It's time for my occasional post. I'm pretty sure the last time I posted was around the time of my birthday. I've been going pretty much nonstop ever since, but does that surprise anyone?

First and foremost, my sister got MARRIED this past weekend. It was so much fun, but I am wiped out. I spoke at the rehearsal dinner, and that was a lot of fun. I was told my speech was "epic." I also got my first pedicure on Friday. My toes are lookin' good!

The wedding day itself reminded me of prom. We got up super early to start getting our hair done. I loved mine! The photographer arrived at 10:30 a.m., and it was pretty much paparazzi fest for the remainder of the day. I can't wait to see some of the photos, especially where we reenacted the cover of the Bridesmaids DVD. The ceremony itself was pretty short. I felt like I might tip over at a few points, but I think that part of that was due to my lack of spectacles.

The reception was a blast. We did the Wobble. Claire also dedicated Montell Jordan's "This is How We Do it" to my brother and me. There were some awesome mashed potatoes with all kinds of toppings. By the end of it, I was so worn out that I fell asleep around 10:30. I had so much fun! I am so happy for Claire and Billy. Claire was gorgeous, Billy was handsome, and they both looked so happy. Happy ever after!

The improv benefit show (Laugh 'Til You Cough) was a huge hit. My team is still short of our Great Strides goal, but I am pleased. The walk is on Saturday! I wish we had raised more money at this point in time, but I know some years are tougher than others. I'm also missing several walkers from last year, and I didn't factor that in when setting my goal.

(I know this post is dragging on! I should break it into several to look like I've been blogging more frequently!)

I had a doctor's appointment today, and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. I'm not surprised, though, given how busy I've been. I got put on two oral antibiotics and have to go back in two weeks. I think that, if I can increase my sleep and decrease my running-around-like-a-crazy-person, I ought to be just fine.

I've been exercising like a champion! I've met my minimum of three hours every week except one. (I started probably two months ago.) I feel a lot better when I'm in a good workout routine.

I was planning to get to bed at 9:30, and I just realized it's a few minutes after. I better go ahead and post this so that I can get up and exercise before work.

Go Drew's Crew!

Huddy birthday to me!

Guess what! I'm going to the Braves game today! I haven't been to a game yet this season, and I'm fortunate to make my return on the same day Tim Hudson makes his. The temperatures are going to be in the high 80s today, so I'm prepared for a doozy. I'm excited!

I celebrated my birthday on Thursday, and it was nice! I got up pretty early, exercised and scheduled a massage appointment. Then I headed to meet a friend (CP) for Tin Lizzy's (Mmm... Mexican Food Round #1). I then hurried to my massage. It was glorious, but I did think the masseuse might rip off my Achilles' tendon at one point. My Achilles' tendon is my Achilles' heel. I came home and showered before heading to Mexican Food Round #2 with RA. It was a nice, simple day!

This weekend I did the hat trick of improv shows -- Friday's show and both Saturday shows. The shows were a blast! I laugh a lot backstage and even on-stage (oops!). Last night's most surprising moment was when I got hit in the rib cage by a dill pickle spear. Man, it was so unexpected and hilarious!

I know this is a short post, but I better start slathering (weird word) on the sunscreen before I head down to the stadium. Happy weekend, world!

So this is where the title goes, huh?

This is my first time using Blogger since some apparent updates were made. Hopefully I won't get agitated.

So, I've done my infamous wait-forever-between-posts trick, which is getting pretty old. (Blogger just made me agitated.) Every time I write, I make the resolution to write more frequently, yet I still seem to fall into my old ways. Maybe it's a sign of aging. What? Did someone mention aging? That's funny because my birthday starts in 21 minutes. I'm sure I've probably said t(Blogger just made me more agitated.)his before, but I am not a birthday person. I don't run from birthdays or anything, but I sure don't expect much on my birthday. I take birthdays with a grain of salt (or multiple grains of salt on the rim of a margarita!), and I am fine if it's like any other day. I prefer that my birthday be as non-stressful as possible, but that's pretty much the only requirement. (It's really unfortunate when Blogger auto-saves and loses everything I type in that 3-second window. For someone who types a billion words per minute, that's a lot of text.)

What all has happened since April 8, you ask? I'll give the rundown of the things I can recall at this moment. The weekend before last was my sister's bachelorette party. A group of us went up to a house in Dahlonega and went to the wineries. It was a lot of fun! We reminisced about Free Willy, played Cranium, ate queso, etc. I seriously had a blast! I cannot believe that Claire gets married in just over two weeks. Insanity! Speaking of looking good in my bridesmaid dress...

I went running on Sunday and took a tumble down an asphalt hill. That was pretty unfortunate, especially for my left leg and hand. Thankfully I'm still all in one piece, but my leg is pretty skinned up, and my palm is to' up from the flo' up. I've been healing quite nicely! After having an approximately 15-year streak of not skinning any elbows or knees, my success has come to a[n asp]halt. A big thank you goes out to the cars that slowed down -- I'm not sure if they were being helpful or laughing too hard to drive.

My birthday now starts in four minutes. (I know you're probably thinking I don't type a billion words per minute, but Blogger has been acting out this entire time.) I feel like I should post this now.

I will say more very soon. I mean that. SENDING LOVE!

Vortex

Good grief! You're killing me, Blogger.

First and foremost, happy Easter to all Easter celebrators out there! I went to a family gathering at Gran's house today, where I ate some delicious food and spent some time visiting. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. Spring has sprung! My eyes are still itching a bit, though. I wouldn't mind a nice April shower!

So, I was really impressed with myself because I thought I'd written last week. However, I re-read my last post and realized that I last wrote two weeks and one day ago. I couldn't decide whether to be more disappointed that I didn't accomplish the two-posts-in-two-weeks feat or that I have lost all sense of time.

That being said, a lot of good things have happened since I last blogged, especially as it relates to fundraising. My team is above the $6,200 mark, and I can only hope that the momentum continues. I am so grateful for all of the donations I have received thus far. I am continually amazed by strangers' generosity. (Shameless plug: If you are a stranger that happened upon this page, here's what I'm yapping about: www.cff.org/great_strides/drew). People are wonderful!

I have been doing a pretty good job of exercising recently. I feel like I mentioned this in my last post, but I'm too lazy to check, so you can hear it again! I've set a goal to work out three hours a week, and I have been quite successful. This is a time when my stubbornness comes in handy. I did 30 minutes today; I'm one-sixth of the way there. (I love semicolons!)

My eyes and I are both (all three of us!) super excited by the prospect of sleeping. Sweet dreams, world!

Weeeeeeeeeee belong

I should probably be asleep right now, but I took about 2-3 hours of naps today, so I think it's fine that I'm up late (Yes, 10:30!).

Life has been crazy crazy crazy, but when isn't it? I don't even know where to start.

My sister's wedding is fast approaching. We've still got about seven weeks, I think, but the time has just flown by. Yesterday we went to her first dress fitting, and I spent the majority of the time fanning her because she was hot. She then stated, "I hope it cools down by May," which got a good laugh. I'm pretty sure it's going to be HOT outside by May, considering the thermometer has already hit 80 and it's March. That reminds me that I should probably check this week's weather; it's about time that it gets freakishly cold or blizzard-esque. Nevermind. It looks like tomorrow will bring a high of 80 again. I'm not complaining! Yet.

The CF walk is also fast approaching. I am a bit behind schedule on everything, but I'm going to kick it into gear this week. Hooray! I've had a handful of walkers sign up for my team so far, but I'm hoping to get some more! Just for recordkeeping purposes, my team is sitting pretty at $2,502 right now. My page can be viewed here: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/drew. Go Drew's Crew!

Things are going really well on the health front...knock on wood! I've been doing surprisingly well allergy-wise (I've attributed this to knock-off Zyrtec.), which is awesome...especially since Atlanta had a record-shattering pollen count of 9,000-something last week. The whole stomach fiasco is hopefully drawing to a close; today has been the best stomach day I've had in weeks. I had an endoscopy on March 12, and the doctor pretty much said my stomach was inflamed, but that he didn't see an ulcer. I had a good week or two, and then it really started bothering me again. Yesterday was a bad day, but today was a good day.

In case you were wondering, the mouse on my laptop quit working, so I busted out an old-school mouse that is attached to my laptop. Please don't lose any sleep over it.

I have been exercising, kids! It seems like lately I exercise in waves. I get in a good routine, and then I jack my back up or something along those lines. Then things get hectic for a bit, and I take some time off. Then I have another good week, and then I fall off the horse. (Is that a phrase?) Last week I decided I would keep track of the time I spent exercising, thinking that it would help hold me accountable. I knocked out a surprising 184 minutes of exercise, which makes me happy. I'm hoping to beat that this week. I'm already at 45!

A few things have happened recently that make me remember how precious life is. Someone recently gave a presentation at work, and she said, "When your head hits the pillow at night, you're the one who knows what you did that day." (I'm sure she said it more eloquently, but I didn't lose the message.) Anyway, I try to do the best I can every day, and, if I have a day that didn't quite measure up, I know that I don't need to dwell on it. Instead, I can use that as inspiration to do better the next day. Cherish the days!

Marching forward

I'm blogging from my phone in bed. Yes, it's not even 9:30 p.m. and I'm about to doze off.

Unfortunately this weekend didn't consist of much catching up on sleep. I had a lot to get done, so I ended up staying awake until an unreasonable hour this weekend. This coming week is going to be a bit hectic, too, so I'm just hoping I can stay energized!

Well, to make a long story short, I reinjured my back right before I left for Cancun 11 days ago. The doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory medication that gave me a stomach ulcer while in Cancun. If anyone is thinking, 'Hey, didn't you experience an unusual and random health occurrence last time you left the country,' then you are correct. I have improved significantly since I returned home. But ouch!

Cancun was a blast, though. One of my favorite experiences was the spa. It was much less awkward than the spa in the Dominican, for those of you who know that story. There was this freezing cold tub to jump in before the hot tub, and it was unreal. The water was about 55 degrees. I was in so much pain! It was the biggest thrill of the trip, I'd say. I've never experienced anything like it.

One other random trip fact before I fall asleep... Before the flight there, they made us fill out emergency contact forms. Weird, huh? Maybe it's a new international policy or something, but it felt very field trip-like. And a bit unsettling.

Well, I'm gonna shut these silly, watering eyes.

Viva la vida, Blogger!

I'm going on a trip, fools!

No rain, no gain

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

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

Now for life's non-complaints...

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

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

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

Here's to a NyQuil-enhanced sleep!

Slack Attack

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

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

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

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

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

Here I am!

I know I'm nowhere to be found lately. I just can't keep up with this world and its crazy ways. That was simply for dramatic effect. Anyway, I actually started a post on my computer a few weeks ago, but realized I never posted it.

I'm not going to say much of significance right now, but I'm here to say I should be able to pick up the pace soon. I need to summarize the entire month of November and the first half of December.

I'm almost to work, but I have a headache I can't seem to shake (for weeks now). Today might be a half day.

Hope all is well, and thank you all for being awesome!

I'm trained for this.

Well, I'm on MARTA. I didn't miss the train on this glorious Monday morning, so I consider that a sign of good things to come.

I had a good weekend. Friday night I met some old coworkers for dinner because one of them (SS) was celebrating a birthday. Then several of them came to watch me perform, which was fun.
Wow, that guy's suitcase is huge.

On Saturday I went to a family birthday get-together. We had burgers, and they were delicious! Then we watched my cousin's soccer game, which I really enjoyed. Go Abbey! It made me wish I still played.

Then I went and had pizza with KS. It was a lot of fun!

I then went on a hunt for the glasses I lost last weekend, but I was not successful. I ended the day seeing 50/50 (Me? Movies?) with AM and RE. I would recommend it. Humor combined with illness is right up my alley.

Yesterday was a lazy day. I did exercise, but I also slept in excess. The Falcons won, and Drew Brees was amazing for my fantasy team!

I ended the weekend with Italian food and Yogli Mogli while talking Mission: Creative with ES.

Well, I'm one stop away. Hope everyone has a nice Monday!

Got a leg up

Good morning!

So, first and foremost, let me address that yesterday's high in Atlanta was 86, and tomorrow it is 58. The lows this week are dropping into the 30s. WHAT IS THIS?

Well, this weekend was pretty eventful. I'm going to post this picture before I give any explanation.

Yep, that's my leg hanging out of a window. On Sunday, we filmed a video for the theater, and I had to play a goth teenager sneaking in through a window. This picture just cracks me up; I can't imagine what neighbors were thinking.

In the Fantasy Football department, I'm still in first place. Mwahaha! Ultimately it won't matter what place I get, but I'm having fun. Winning is always fun!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and it went surprisingly well(ish). I got the flu shot, and I woke up a little achy. The flu shot deliverer was amazing, though. I honestly had no clue she had given me the shot. That may also reflect on my attention span.

Speaking of shortened attention spans, I better get going. Thank you to a lot of folks this week.

Day = Difference

This post is going to be therapeutic, so read at your own risk. I have a lot on my mind.

I have been thinking a lot about the difference a day can make. It actually makes me think about my friend Kathy who died last year. When she was diagnosed with cancer (on top of having CF), her Facebook profile had the line (or a very close iteration): "What a difference a day can make." Her life was transformed in a single day -- the day she found out she had leukemia. Her life changed in that very instant. Most change throughout life is gradual and can't be pinpointed to a specific moment. It's like, all of a sudden you wake up one day and realize that a transformation happened so slowly that you don't even recall how you got where you are. Then, there are other changes that happen so instantaneously that you can't possibly process the information as quickly as necessary.

A nurse I knew died last week from stomach cancer. She had no advanced warning, but went to the doctor complaining of stomach pain and found out that a) she had cancer, and b) it had spread to her entire body. She died three weeks later. I find it nearly impossible to grasp the concept that she was in a hospital more days than not, yet was unaware of the cancer.

Moments like these remind me exactly how precious each day is. It's so easy to get lost in the concept of the future -- living for it, preparing for it, dreaming of it. Sometimes we get so focused on the future that we lose sight of today. I realize I'm not making any never-been-heard revelations here, but this has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart over the past few weeks. No, we shouldn't get so caught up in today that we make reckless decisions that jeopardize the future. However, we also shouldn't harp so much on the future that we deprive ourselves of the things that bring us today's happiness.

Each day is meant to be cherished.

____

Disclaimer: Blog posts like this annoy me sometimes, but I wrote it for myself. So STEP OFF!

La-dee-da. Dee-da.

Good morning!

I have a pretty bad headache. I also didn't sleep well at all. So, things are cheery on this Monday morning!

Well, it's time for some random updates!

House: REPAIRED! Complete! These hardwood floors are pretty slippery, so I need to get a pad to go under this rug before I fall and hurt something/someone.

Improv: Tons o' fun! I've been performing at least one show almost every weekend, and I'm having a blast.

Braves: Although I should probably omit this topic, the Braves' playoff hopes came down to the final game, and they lost it in extra innings. To the Phillies. I know. Man, it was tough to watch such a promising season turn sour so quickly. Braves 2012!

Fantasy Football: Well, I'm hesitant to write about this since my opponent has two players in tonight's game, but... As of last week, I was the only undefeated team in the league at 4-0. I guess it pays to rely solely on the statistics and/or recommendations. Tonight is going to be way too close for comfort.

I'm about to manage to make myself late, so that's it for now!

Love and happiness!

Surprise!

So, guess what! My house is 95% repaired. Aside from one painting thing, it's like it was (but better) before that soggy day at the end of May. It's like a surprise party every time I walk in the front door and don't get stuck on the floor.

Side note: I'm not a fan of people who make it impossible to sit [in the empty seat] next to them on the train. Yes, lady, I'm talking to you.

I performed two shows on Saturday night, and it was a blast. A patron asked for my autograph after the show, so that was a fun first. Great shows and great audiences!

Well, I'm the proud owner of an undefeated Fantasy Football team. I had the highest score in the league this week. The Falcons (Turner and Gonzalez) deserve a lot of credit for my success.
It's almost time to make the rainy walk to work. Happy Tuesday, world!

I'm bloggin' on the train

That title is to the tune of "Singin' in the Rain."

Well I was excited to get home yesterday to see that I had no floors or furniture. One would think that would be a disappointment, but when you've been in limbo since May, it's relieving! Progress!

The downside of that is that the glue from the hardwoods is so sticky that it was hard to walk. I'm not saying "hard" in comparison to the norm; I'm saying it took a lot of leg strength to pull your shoes off the floor. I got more of a workout cooking macaroni than I did on the treadmill yesterday. Then I sat on the counter and washed the dishes. True story.

My Fantasy Football Team won its match and had one of the higher scores, although not the highest. I thought Drew(!) Brees was going to earn me a trophy for the highest-scoring player this week, but then Tom Brady had to go out and pass like a cyborg. Next week!

One more stop. Happy Tuesday!

Put me in, Coach!

Well, I performed two shows this weekend after a short hiatus, so that was fun. I felt a tiny bit rusty, but it was nice to be back. Something fishy happened on Friday night! (A creepy-eyed photo is going to be somewhere in this post, but I'm not positive where it will land.)

I'm playing Fantasy Football for the first time this year, so today is a pretty pivotal day for me! My QB (Drew Brees [Team Drew!]) played on Thursday night and scored more points than projected. I'm excited to watch the Falcons today; my Fantasy team is counting on them!

PODS delivered my unit yesterday, and it's the first physical symbol of progress! The work begins tomorrow and will hopefully be done by Friday. I can't believe I've been waiting for this since May. Hooray for hardwood!

I want a latte a latte.

Off to conquer the day (and the Bears)!