Horsing around

Happy Tuesday!

Well, I'll go ahead and get my venting out of the way first. Way back in March or maybe April, the ENT scheduled allergy testing for today. I had to discontinue some medications and what not for a week to prepare for the appointment. I took half of a day off work for the appointment. Per usual, I got my appointment reminder phone call on Friday. After riding MARTA down to the appointment, I walked in and the receptionist was like, "Oh, that appointment was rescheduled for Tuesday, June 28 at 9:00 a.m." I was like, "Umm, what?" She said, "Oh, the allergy nurse is on vacation this week." I'M GLAD I CAN READ MINDS. NOT. So, needless to say, I'm not a happy camper. High five on failing.

In other news, the Charley horses are running rampant (AKA galloping). I am literally on the verge of horsing at all times. The weirdest occurrences today were in my hands and in my chin. Yeah, for real. I have been feeling horse-free for the last couple of hours, so I'm hoping this spell is about over... I've never experienced anything like this.

What else? This morning, after I'd been at work for a few hours, I went to Kroger and got biscuits for me and KQ; I had a craving. I also had a major disappointment because I went to two different Krogers, and they didn't have sushi made yet. SIGH.

It's almost my mom's birthday. Happy birthday, cutie! I love you!

I've been pretty inspired to write lately. I haven't exactly pulled the trigger yet, but there is a lot of material brewing. "Brewing" sounds pretty creepy more often than not.

I exercised yesterday morning before work, but I was pretty unsuccessful this morning. I did go up to the fitness center, but I just couldn't make it through. I was feeling a little off-kilter, and I kept thinking I was going to cramp up. Tomorrow...

Well, I guess I'll call it a night. The next several days are gonna be BUSY!

The Braves won tonight. GO TEAM!

Night owl

Yooooooooooo. Just got home from a crew shift at the theatre. I was supposed to be on camera, but I ended up suggestionizing and camerafying solo because there was a no-show. It was fun! I hadn't seen a main stage show in a good bit. Hoorah!

I performed on Thursday night and was in some fun scenes - Buzzer Talk Show, Spanish-Dubbed Soap Opera, Sit Stand Lean Oscar, ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry, and Musical Styles (Reggae, Blues, Country, Rap). I have an official new favorite game of all time: ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry. Oh man! That junk is crazy-fun! My mom came to the show (per usual!) and so did two friends (JM and SLW). Baller!

Well, I've been staying up way too late since this whole hospitalization thing. I gradually stay up later and later and sleep later and later. I've pretty much lost all structure to my days, but I'm going to fix it ASAP. I guess this proves that, when I have it my way, I'm a bit of a night owl. I've always thought that I was a cross between a morning person and a night owl, but someone who slumps in the afternoons. I think I prefer being up late versus going to bed early. See? I wouldn't be having this debate with myself at 1:21 a.m. if I wasn't a night owl.

I don't really feel like saying anything else. I could try to recap the entire week, but it runs together. I went to the doctor and it went pretty well, but I need to see the eye doctor and the neurologist. Umm, my roommate and I went to Willy's on Thursday for lunch, but I think I need it again tomorrow (which is now 'today').

Honestly, I just can't believe October is ending. It feels like it just started... Happy Halloween! I don't like Halloween.

Dinosaurs are my favorite

I have no idea why I am up late looking at dinosaurs online. I am thinking of purchasing a dinosaur t-shirt. Can you tell that maybe I've been removed from the real world for too long?

Well, I had a productive weekend! I ran four miles last night and four again tonight. I haven't done strenuous exercise in a while, so I am definitely feeling it. The fact that I don't believe in stretching also contributes to that, but I don't mind it; it's a constant reminder that I did something worthwhile. I might need to take tomorrow off of exercising if I'm walking like this...

Today my mom came out to see me and we ran some errands. I got a new pair of skinny jeans and some boots. We also got air in my tires and washed my car! Then we went to Starbucks and I got a vanilla latte. It felt like I hadn't been in forever!

Yesterday a longtime friend (SW) came to see me and we went out to lunch. We had such a great time catching up with each other and talking about all sorts of things. It's funny how I can still have so much in common with someone I met 15(ish) years ago. I loved our visit!

I guess I better try to make myself go to sleep.

Vrooooom. Vroooooom.

First and foremost, sorry for the delay. I don't actually think that people care that much, but I do realize that this is how most people have been keeping up with the hospitalization/surgery, so I figured I ought to break the silence.

Well, I got out of the hospital on Friday at around noon. I was having mixed feelings about it, as I usually do when I'm leaving the hospital. I don't exactly know what causes me to feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster when I'm hospitalized. In a way, the hospital setting is relieving because you get a free pass to feel however you want to feel. At the same time, though, I've noticed that the hospital breeds pity parties, which isn't something that interests me. Anyway, I said all of that to say that the last few days have carried with them many ups and downs - fluctuations that seemed acceptable in the hospital, but are a little harder to carry back into real life.

When we left the hospital, my mom and I went to a few different pharmacies trying to get a handle on the prescriptions that I needed. By the time we got home, I was wiped out and took a nap while my amazing mom went to the grocery store to get me some things. My IV medications got delivered Friday evening and the nurse came by to make sure I had everything under control. I wasn't quite feeling up to being alone, so my mom spent the night with me. We slept on the couches and I was very thankful to have her company.

I sat around a lot on Saturday. We got up and my mom headed back to her house. I took my plethora of medications. Then I sat outside writing for a little bit. I was in a very 'deep' mood, and that has continued into today. Then I took another nap (I'm good at that lately) and my mom came back and took me to my parents' house. It was good to spend one more night with company. My mom and I made a quick stop by my grandmother's house on the way here this afternoon.

I had some visitors today. Two friends from the theatre stopped by (LG and EG), and it was good to talk creative with them. We talked about creative endeavors, but we also talked about life, so I was in hog heaven. PLUS, they brought me some queso from Willy's. AWESOME! Anyway, I really enjoyed their company; it got my creative juices flowing. Another friend (JM) also stopped by for a bit, and I continued my philosophical discussions with her. It's days like today when I remember how fortunate I am to know such caring people.

Tomorrow will be my first would-be-workday at home. I think my brother plans to come by WITH HIS DOG!, so that will be fun. I'm hoping this post-hospital funk has almost passed.

Red wine and Ambien

I haven't had red wine and Ambien; I was simply quoting a John Mayer song. I have, however, had a similar cocktail. Ambien is really cool. At lunch at Wendy's yesterday, my mom was telling me how Ambien shuts down parts of your central nervous system. It's crazy because, sometimes I take Ambien and don't feel very tired, but I won't have remembered doing stuff when I wake up the next day. We'll see if this blog post falls into that category...

Yesterday was a very relaxing day. I slept til about noon, and then got up to watch some college football. My mom came over in the afternoon and, as you may have guessed, we went to Wendy's. We then stopped by Marshalls where I fed my jacketaholism. I got the cutest navy blue, lightweight pea-coat type ordeal! Oh man, it is so cute. I want to wear it NOW.

Last night I met a friend (ER) at Pappasito's for some margaritas. We got this pitcher of something called the Wave, which was part margarita and part sangria. It was pretty good, but my stomach gets a little fierce when I've had too much sour mix. Man, I love that girl. It was so much fun just to chat and what not. AWESOME!

Today was another worthless day. I slept until about 11:00 a.m. and then tried to go exercise. While I did exercise for a good chunk of time, some of it was spent walking on the treadmill because I was kind of enthralled in a girly book I was reading. I came home, showered, and got ready for an uneventful day.

The highlights of the day consist of wins from the Atlanta Braves and Falcons. The Phillies, however, pulled out a come-from-behind RIDICULOUS win, which made me pretty angry.

I spent the rest of the day writing aimlessly in different journals, experiencing pain in my sinuses - you know, the usual. I literally stepped outside twice - once for the gym, and once to take the trash out. I guess I needed one of those pointless days, but it would be nice to feel productive right now. Who knows... maybe some of the stuff I wrote has significance.

Toes in the sand

Hi! I am writing from the beach - Cape San Blas. I'm down here with my mom and aunt and am enjoying myself. This is a true escape. We have nothing planned. Yeah, we've only got about 24 hours left, but it's nice not to have anything on the agenda.

Before I forget, Thursday night's show was a blast! I played Sounds Like a Song/Rap, 1-2-3, Helping Hands Oscar, Buzzer Talk Show (BB), and Musical Styles. It was fun to be on stage simply having a blast. There were many points in the show when I was just having so much fun that it was next to impossible not to laugh. I had some fun friends in the audience, too, so it was an all-around good time. Yeehaw!

I've started my new inhaled antibiotic and, while I have to do it three times a day, I feel like it's going to work. Good things ahead!

Well, I'm a lucky girl. I know a lot of awesome people. Thank you all for being fantastic!

HUSTLAH

I'm a hustlah, y'all.

So, this morning I forgot to mention that I got up before dawn and worked out. Yeah, you heard it here. I ran on the treadmill and then hopped on the elliptical. I think that should be my order from now on because running on the treadmill really gets me going and then I can coast on the elliptical. It seemed more worthwhile, and I'm gauging that completely on the fact that I started sweating sooner and maintained it throughout the entire workout. Hot, I know. That's what I do.

The meeting at the hospital was pretty cool. It was neat to learn some of the inner workings, but it was also nice to give an objective, firsthand opinion. I feel like this is going to be a great experience. We're already en route to implementing an idea that I suggested today.

My boss is on vacation starting tomorrow through July 26. This means I am the boss of all communications at work. I am making that sound much more important than it is.

I accomplished a first today(ish). In a 24-hour period, I had Starbucks three times. So, last night I only had a hot chocolate because I was drinking it so late and didn't want to be up all night. Today I went to Starbucks at lunch to clear my head (bad mood) and got my White Chocolate Mocha latte and some fruit. They stamped that come-back-after-whatever-time-and-get-a-$2-grande-iced-drink thing on my receipt, and I was sold. I ended up going there for a little while between work and rehearsal, and enjoyed an iced Mocha latte. In both Starbucks sessions, I worked on some creative endeavors, so that was fun!

Rehearsal tonight was fun. We talked about/worked on a game I've never played and rarely seen - Jam Session. It's a musical game and we all know that singing is my expertise. Right, farmer? JERK. After the casting was announced for this week's show (the private event), there was a slight change in plans because the show was supposed to be mainstage. I was already calculating how I would efficiently utilize my time on Thursday night, but found out tonight that I'm going to be in the show anyway. So, although the groceries will have to wait, it will be fun. My mom will officially miss her first show tomorrow, but I know she'll be there in spirit! She would be there if it was allowed.

I have some exciting book-related things to do before I go to sleep! I realize it's already after midnight, but this is the kind of energy I had after I took that writing course at Emory. I'm all riled up! It should be okay if I stay up kind of late because I'm telecommuting tomorrow, so I can knock off the two hours it takes me to get ready and sit in traffic.

You've gotta be kidneying me

Seriously.

I woke up today and got out of bed, ready to head to the gym. After I'd been standing for a few minutes, I was in excruciating pain. Now, though, it was more localized in my abdomen than in my back. I got in the shower to tough it out, and literally couldn't stand. By the time I got out of the shower, I was just in tears. I called my mom and just started bawling like a tiny little baby.

She was headed out to my place and I couldn't take it anymore. She called my sister, who came to get me so that we could get a head start. We went to Emory because it makes it so much easier for the doctors to know everything about me. I was that person in the ER doubled over, crying out in pain. They got me back to a room and my blood pressure was hovering at 160-something over 100-something.

In all seriousness, it was pretty scary. There were moments when I wasn't sure I was going to make it through. I have never been through pain anywhere near this bad at any point in my life. The central theme throughout the day was that "people say they'd rather have a baby than a kidney stone." I was in a room just bawling and yelling at the top of my lungs for more than an hour. Finally they started giving me IV morphine, which worked for a few minutes and then wore off.

At this point a doctor came in, heard the story, and was pretty sure it was a kidney stone. She ordered another painkiller that's good for stones, and got me scheduled for a CT scan. The painkiller did wonders and I was able to lay flat for the first time all day. I went to get the CT scan which showed two kidney stones. One of them has already made it through the toughest parts and is hanging out just before my bladder. The other's just chilling in my kidney.

I got to come home after 10 long hours, and don't really have to go back unless I vomit, get a fever, or have the severe pain again. It's about time for another pain pill. I'm on four different medications while we wait this out, but it should take care of itself. We're just hoping the second one stays put in my kidney. Jerk.

Thanks to everyone for helping minimize the accident drama from last night. Honestly I've forgotten almost all about it since I didn't get to call the insurance company while in the dungeon.

I've already found a crew shift replacement for tomorrow night, and am going to try to wait it out and attend on Saturday if I'm functioning. I know some folks who are on crew Saturday and I bet someone would drive me (!) if I'm still on all of the medicine.

This has got to be the end of this series of events.

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.

Hooooooold My Hand

That title is me singing Hootie and the Blowish. I picked one of my mom's favorite artists to create a Pandora station while we get ready to leave for Thanksgiving festivities.

We had family Bunco competition last night and I got destroyed, as usual. Bunco is a dice-rolling game that truly involves nothing but luck. I just never have the luck when we play. You can win money for winning and for losing, but I'm always right in the middle. I'm not lucky enough, and not unlucky enough. Eh, I guess that's a good problem to have.

Yesterday I hit the jackpot at Target. I got 8 new articles of clothing. I am wearing one of my new shirts today. I was on a mission to find long-sleeved shirts because I have a plethora of short-sleeved shirts, but alternate between the same few long-sleeved things I like. Yeeeeeehaw!

Today we are stopping by Grandmama and Granddaddy's place, then heading to Gran's to eat. The thing I'm most looking forward to is Gran's mashed potatoes and Mom's apple cobbler. I could do with or without the turkey, but I'll probably slosh some hot sauce on it or something to make it flavorful. Turkey is just so.... turkey.

Well, I'm going to do my usual making-everyone-late thing if I don't hurry and go finish making my hair strizzaight. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!