ROAR ROAR ROAR

It seems like I just wrote, but what gives...

Right now I'm perturbed because I just opened a ridiculous medical bill...and I don't use the term 'ridiculous' lightly. It's amazing that health procedures cost so much money, especially when they're things that I don't even want. I guess it would be one thing if I behaved in a way that brought on tons of medical expenses, but it's sort of lame that something genetic could cost so much money. Normally I don't have a 'why me' attitude and that's not what I'm trying to convey; I'm just saying that it's a shame that all of this money pays for things I'd rather not have. In case it wasn't obvious, opening that envelope was not a good end to my day. But oh well...all of my complaining isn't going to give me a discount, so I should probably stop.

What else? I'm tired. I just finished working lights at the theatre. I am going to sleep like a baby. I guarantee you that.

I'm getting my Cortisone injection tomorrow. PUT IT ON MY TAB. (Side note: I can't really be too bitter about that one because the cornhole injury was an unfortunate accident directly related to my behavior.) Pitiful.

I had a nice Christmas and have had an enjoyable week so far. Aside from the Falcons' loss on Monday and my long complaint-ridden paragraph to start this blog, I really don't have anything to complain about. :-)

My phone is CRAZY!

Sweet dreams. You are awesome.

Roaaaura

Daaaaaang, it's been a while. Tell me the last time I didn't start off by saying something like that.

Well, Wednesday I took my car to Nissan to get the brakes checked out because they were making unusual noises. Basically, the dude gave me a paper explaining that Nissan brakes sometimes make unusual noises. So, I guess that resolves that ... unless my brakes go out. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Wednesday afternoon we had a university-wide marketing/communications meeting and holiday celebration. We went bowling at the new mini-alley they opened at an on-campus hotel. I was hesitant to bowl because my SC joint was hurting, so I drank a beer before bowling. Self-medication. Then, I got children's-sized shoes with Velcro on them. Then, between addressing comments that the bowling ball was bigger than me, I proceeded to bowl an 83, which is pretty phenomenal for me.

I performed some improvisational comedy on Thursday night, so that was fun. One of the cast members got sick, so we had a last-minute substitution in the form of TO. I played Conducted Rap (rapping about Mexican food... how appropriate), Buzzer Interview, Repeat Scene Direction (gansta, paranoid valley girl), Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Meet the Experts (Barbara on travel), and Musical Styles (80s Rock, Jazz, R&B, and Southern Rock). We had a lot of fun, and I was excited to have some friends in the audience.

Yesterday I had to go into the office because it was an office clean-up day. After getting my Eggnog Latte, I headed to work. When I was almost to work, it happened ... I started to see the 'aura.' I was seeing a lot of ripples and it was getting progressively worse. I made it to the office and then hunted down someone with Excedrin Migraine. I took pills and borrowed some sunglasses, but I was pretty much down for the count. I tried eating lunch and started to get nauseous, so I came home. We were getting off early anyway because we had our holiday party last night, but I missed that, too. Oh well. I had a great nap, and that helped a little. Then I slept 12 hours last night, so I'm hopeful that it's gone.

I'm about to go to the gym. YEAAAAAAH!

Have a satisfying Saturday!

breathe easy

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!

Today I had the highest PFTs I've had since March of 2007. I am seriously in shock! It's not that I've been feeling bad or anything, but I didn't even know that it was possible! The doctor kept asking me what I thought caused the increase, but I have no idea. It's probably a combination of the hospital, the sinus surgery, the time off work, etc. Either way, I'm not complaining! Now I feel like trying to push the limit even more. I don't go back to the doctor for three months (ahh, it's like music to my ears), so we'll see what I can whip up by March!

Then I went to my (protein) study appointment and that went pretty well, I guess. It took four attempts to get blood, but is this surprising to anyone? Nope? Nobody? Me either.

What else? I'm about to go to sleep. I know it's early, but I'm really tired. Oh, that reminds me that I also told the doctor that the additional sleep was probably helping me healthwise. I need to do my noseroid. Speaking of 'roids, I'm getting a Cortisone injection in my SC joint at the end of the month. What a walking disaster!

I didn't get to eat Willy's today because I was slammed at work. The good news is that I knocked out EVERYTHING I needed to finish today before I headed to the doctor.

Mmm, bedtime.

I've fallen and I can't get up

Yes, my back hurts. I mean, ouch. I was somewhat numb for the first portion of the day, probably because I took some of the prescription Motrin I got when I was in the ER several months back. Now, though, my back is just screaming at me again. I didn't hear a response from the doctor, but I will say that today was an improvement from yesterday, so I'm hoping it's just something muscular... The good news is that my SC joint hasn't hurt since I got back in town. I sound like such a hypochondriac right now.

While I'm on the topic of health and what not, my bloodwork was a breeze today! I dressed warmly and put on a jacket for about 30 minutes before the actual blood draw. As I walked into the clinic building, the study coordinator came down the steps and told me to stay there in the lobby versus coming up to the lab where it's COLD. So, I got needled in the middle of the lobby of the building. Either way, it was beautiful. I know a lot of people hate needles and blood, but it was so refreshing after the unsuccessful sticks yesterday. Plus, this means I don't have to withdraw from the study over something ridiculous.

There was some major improvement on the appetite front today. I went to Willy's and was able to sustain my appetite throughout the entire meal! Maybe I was just having Willydrawals. Man, those nachos were good.

The Braves lost tonight, which was disappointing after a good winning streak. I handled it very well, though, because they've been playing so well lately.

What else? I need to do my annual self-evaluation for work when I'm telecommuting tomorrow. I've tried to work on it the past two days, but I get so distracted when I'm trying to answer the narratives at work. Plus, I wanted to give it some time to get over the shock of returning to work after vacation. I did it at this same time last year (the day I returned from Florida), and wasn't the most positive person.

Last night I couldn't sleep for anything. I literally got about two hours of sleep. I have no idea why I'm still up at 1:00 a.m. I thought I would have crashed a long time ago. I took a small nap tonight, but I'm surprised I've lasted this long. Tomorrow's probably going to be tough.

Cheers to all. Life is precious.

Heel!

Well, the time at the beach is ticking away... Only about 15 hours left before making the journey back to Atlanta. While I am sad to be heading back, there is some mild comfort in the thought of returning to regular life. I've gotten entirely too spoiled in these last few weeks.

I got a splinter the other day and finally got it extracted today. It was actually a sliver of a shell in my heel. Several family members worked on it today, and my uncle finally removed it with a needle and magnifying glass. Is that gross? My heel was bleeding, but now I think I'm back to normal. There's still a little wound, but it appears that the shell is gone.

I got a little pouch to hold my Nike sportband sensor. I found it at the outlet mall and it only cost $2.97. I can't wait to try it when I get home, although I'm hoping my SC joint will be feeling a bit better by then. It has been such a mess on this entire trip, especially on the airplane. I literally thought it was going to explode on the flight to Jacksonville.

The beach house numbers are dwindling. We have had 15 different people here and are now down to a mere seven. It's nice that it's getting quiet (and that I'll get to sleep in a bed!), but I did enjoy visiting with everyone. And playing Apples to Apples!

Tomorrow I'm riding back with my grandmother, uncle and mom. We plan to leave at around 11:00 a.m., and I can't remember how long the ride takes. I'm going to be relieved to have some alone time. It's been so long!

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!!!

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!

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!

Jaaaaaaaaaava chip

Sunday was a success... First, I walked 3 miles on the treadmill while reading. Then, some apprentices met for Korean food and then we stopped by Baskin Robbins to enjoy some good old-fashioned dessert. When I got back from that gathering, my fraaaaaaand came over to help film more of my fundraising video. This time we got video of me doing mainly non-treatmenty things, like brushing my teeth, getting in my car, etc. We also went over to the fitness center and got video of me running on the treadmill. I ran about a mile in the time that I was being filmed and then realized afterwards: 'Hey, I just ran on the treadmill and it didn't hurt my SC joint once.' So, I was really excited! As far as the video goes, I can't wait to see how it comes along. I'm ready to start fundraising BIG-TIME! (Then we ate Mexican food!)

Monday I got up for work and was just lagging big-time. I dont know what's gotten into me, but I have just been feeling so run-down. I started feeling progressively worse on Sunday and, knowing that I'd been outside a decent bit, I decided to look up the pollen counts. Believe it or not, they were high, so I attributed some of the sneezing and itchiness to that. Monday I felt so weak. Things that are usually effortless required significant determination. So, I was a little concerned considering my show on Thursday, which I've been looking forward to for what feels like FOREVER!

Rehearsal on Monday night went well, but when I got up this morning, I just couldn't go to work. I ended up working from home in bed all day. I didn't feel nearly as weak as the day progressed. It was nice to get to be immobile and minimize the stress and distraction. By the end of the work day, I was feeling pretty good and pretty confident that maybe I wasn't catching anything after all. So, I went up to the fitness center to try to destroy anything that could be plaguing me. Much to my surprise, I ran three miles and walked one. I stopped at each mile point and got some water because I was feeling dehydrated, but I was pretty pleased. Again, no pain in the SC joint! Somebody might be unstoppable!

This evening I did my vest for a little while. I also finished up the letters that I was writing for the CFF. I hope they are on-target. I was pretty pleased with them and rewarded myself with a little bowl of java chip ice cream. I was holding that over my head as a bribe, knowing that it would motivate me to seal the deal on the letters. I want projects like that to be so unbelievably phenomenal that I tend to drag them longer than I should... thinking I'll have a revelation, etc.

Anyway, today was a big success. Tomorrow's Wednesday and then Thursday? It's showtime!!!!

Hold on while I ice my chest

GREETINGS! IT'S THURSDAY!

Well, my chest is really sore today because I got my much-anticipated Cortisone injection. It was kind of what I imagined it might be when I tried to conceptualize what it would be like for a needle to go into my chest. I was on the gurney (or whatever) and the guy put the gooey gel on my SC joint. He started moving the ultrasound thingy (these are all medical terms) around to get a good picture of the joint. He moved it around for a while, then told me to get ready for a cold spray. After the cold, the needle went into my chest at a diagonal. When the needle got into the place they were going for in the joint, the doctor could not make the syringe cooperate. I think it was a matter of being at a place in my chest that didn't want the medicine. So, they ended up having to take it out.

Then, then tried again. This time they got in the joint pretty easily at an angle that was actually willing to receive the medicine. He slowly started to push the syringe. He warned me that I would feel a lot of pressure, but it was kind of like someone had just put a twenty-five pound weight on my chest or something. It was weird because it was in such a specified location, but it felt like the joint was about to explode from the pressure. Anyway, he warned me that after the injected Lidocaine wore off, it would start to get sore. And boy, was he right. There's a little bruise in the center of my chest and I'm feeling pretty sore. I iced it after rehearsal last night. I'm probably gonna need to pop a painkiller today. He said the pain should only last a few days.

The week has gone pretty well, I'd say. It has actually flown by; I can't believe today's Thursday. Tonight I'm going to the improv show to support some fellow actors. I think I'm meeting a friend for MEXICAN! beforehand, which will be the perfect after-work activity on a Thursday. Then tomorrow I will be working from home until I need to head down to the theatre to work suggestions and camera again. Saturday I will be worthless.

I really need to finish getting ready for work. I forgot that I'm going to be relying on my less-coordinated arm to dry my hair and what not. Here goes!

..........

This week isn't on the top of my "Best Weeks Ever" list. In fact, it's far from it. I've definitely complained more than I should this week, but it was an exceptionally hard week for me. I was plagued by headaches Monday through Thursday and, although there were some twinges of pain throughout the day today, I was fairly pain-free.

I got a call about my SC joint today. I am scheduled for an ultrasound of the joint on February 17 and may also be given a cortisone injection if the doctor sees the troublesome area. While the thought of a needle going into the boniest part of my chest doesn't sound appealing, I like the idea of potentially getting rid of the pain!

The improv schedule for February came out and I'm in the shows on the 4th and 25th, so I'm looking forward to both of those. I got suggestions and worked the camera last night, so it was fun to see a show after a somewhat stressful week. I also saw some patrons that I thought I recognized from the previous week and they complimented my performance, which made me feel really good. I can't wait until I get to perform again next Thursday!

I plan to keep it pretty low-key this weekend, especially considering how worn down I feel right now. I haven't felt this exhausted in a long time. Every little movement feels like it requires so much energy. Tomorrow morning I've got to be up pretty early to go to a birthday breakfast for my grandfather at IHOP. I haven't been there in a long time, so I'm excited! IHOP pancakes aren't as good as my mother's Bisquick pancakes, but I'll manage. My grandfather just turned 86. Wow!

As you may recall (primarily if I wrote it in here because I'm not sure if I did...), I set a goal of finishing the revision of my autobiography by January 31, 2010. That's only two days away and I'm definitely not where I imagined to be at this point. I am going into writing lockdown mode tomorrow after breakfast and staying focused for the remainder of the day. Maybe before I go to bed I'll jot a list of areas that need some strengthening. Often, when I sit down, I find myself dumbfounded regarding where I'll begin. Plus, I think I'm too tired to do any efficient writing tonight, so I'll just hoard that energy for tomorrow.

Well, I somehow almost dropped my laptop on the ground just then, so I should probably cut myself off. Here's to a productive weekend!

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!

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...

Manic Monday

Well, today I went to physical therapy for my SC joint. Although I have said for the last four months that I injured my SC joint, it appears that I might be wrong. The physical therapist thinks that I displaced my first rib instead, which also connects to the sternum. Regardless, he tried to pop it back in and was not successful. I will say that it was somewhat terrifying for a Monday morning, but oh well. I go back Thursday and will do more 'exercises' and we will try again.

I had fun at the lake on the 4th of July. I wish I had gone to physical therapy before the 4th so the guy could have told me to do whatever I wanted. He said that I could do anything I wanted as long as it didn't hurt. I bet being dragged behind the boat wouldn't have hurt....because I was drinking beers. So maybe it's good that I didn't go, but he said I'm not going to make it worse; it just flares up when I aggravate it.

I just ate lunch and my stomach is growling. Maybe I should go get something fun after I finish up filling in at the switchboard. I could really eat some nachos right now. I could also eat onion rings.

Crippled thing

I have felt pretty crippled lately. Can you believe that it's already July and my SC joint is still bothering me? I did something to aggravate it lately, but can't figure out what it was. Regardless, I have been feeling more limited in my motion than I was back in March when the injury initially happened. Somehow the pain can now be felt when I move my uninjured arm, too. Does anybody feel sorry for me???????????????? JK, but even moving my head feels risky.

Today was an EXCITING day. I slept 12 much-needed hours. I ended up bailing on last night's Braves game so I could get some sleep. I was clearly in need. I went up to the pool and read for a bit. Then, I headed back from the pool to meet the plumber. Oh, the joys of homeownership. There were some water stains on the downstairs ceiling that have only appeared since I bought the place, so I was concerned. I've had some overdramatic dreams about the ceiling falling down, so I figured maybe it was about time to call.

The plumbers thought that there was nothing to be worried about. It didn't seem like the stains were caused by anything that was currently happening, so we attributed it to a flooding of my bathroom that happened back in January. The toilet went nuts one morning and starting shooting water everywhere, so hopefully the water stains are just from that incident and there isn't a huge problem brewing in the pipes... They cleaned out the drain in my bathtub and there were some plastic parts and random shenanigans in there. I look forward to showering in the morning without wading through the tub. The simple things...

Anyways, the Braves just won their fifth game in a row. WHAT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm all hopped up

Today was not the best day of my life. I will go ahead and throw that out there. I am not even afraid to admit that.

The good news was that I had a doctor's appointment that I went to all hopped up on Vicodin, so that was adventurous. My uncle drove me there and got to hear an entirely new side of me as I rambled in the car. I almost couldn't sit still in the car because looking out the window was like an out-of-body experience. I was being so loud in the car and then had to turn on my game face when I walked into the doctor's office. I was just kind of staring off into space. I am still kind of spacey if this doesn't seem as logical as usual. Not that I'm ever logical.

The appointment itself was horrendous, but the narcotics were amusing.

It isn't even 9:00 p.m. and I'm getting ready to go to sleep. I know that's slightly elderly of me, but I'm tired and feel like I might be getting a little sick. My SC joint is actually hurting some, too. I just popped a numbing patch onto that bad boy. Do I sound like an overmedicator? Cool.

Today I had a smoothie AND El Toro. What a swell eating day!

Subcommittee of the committee of the...

Well, I got a library card on Sunday and checked out five books. I've only decided one of them is worthless so far. If I had actually looked at its cover, I would have judged it and wouldn't have gotten it. That just shows you to always judge a book by its cover. I started on a different one, but haven't gotten into that one yet. It may be time to move on...

I am telecommuting today. I have a doctor's appointment on the other side of creation this afternoon, so my employer was kind enough to let me work from home. I'd rather be at work than the doctor, but at least I'm making the most of the opportunity!

I really want to go running for some reason. I know it would be absolutely stupid to do considering the SC joint, but it sounds so freeing. For now, though, I will stick with lower-impact exercise to preserve the fact that I have two arms. On a side note, my arm/shoulder/chest is feeling good.

I just woke up and am already tired.

Red Beezy

OMG. I am drinking a Red Bull. I am so not like this, but I've already worked over 40 hours this week and it's Thursday. Today I have been that delirious level of tired where I seem intoxicated.

I went to the SC joint doctor on Tuesday and got some good news...ish. He said let's give it two more months before considering anything 'invasive.' I'm happy to hear that, but I also wouldn't mind kicking the pain to the curb. I was prescribed a few different medications administered through patches, so that has been helping a little. Whatever... I'm a champion.

I'm about to have to go hand people candles. That is my task for tonight. Saturday I was assigned the task of THE Beer Supervisor for a party with over 1,200 guests. Good idea? Not so much. My job description said to look for visibly intoxicated people and take them to the medic tent. I say that in the past tense because I think I switched shifts with someone. Anyways, yeah... As exciting as it sounded, I don't know that I want to be in charge of regulating drunks.

Well, it's candle time. I can't wait to go home!