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.

zZzZzZzZz

Welcome to Tuesday. I just wrote a blog post and lost the whole thing.

I really realize how pointless my ramblings are when I don't even know if it's worth retyping. Basically all I said was that I could

___

Well, what you see above is what I wrote before work today. Now it's not even Tuesday anymore, I'm tired, and I have no idea what irrelevant information I intended to share this morning.

I'm sure I mentioned how I couldn't sleep last night. I think the whole staying-up-until-dawn-on-Sunday thing put a little wrench in my plan. I was literally in bed for a few hours when I decided I should go ahead and get my morning shower. Then, after that didn't make me tired (at 3:00 a.m.), I decided to do sudoku. DORK! I dried my hair after that and then finally fell asleep for a few hours. I haven't had a night like that in forever. I am really surprised I made it through the day. I'll confess, though, that I had a Monster at about 5:30 p.m.

Today was quite the day. I sat at my desk for all of two hours, and none of that was in a chunk that exceeded 30 minutes. Chunk is kind of a gross word. Anyway, I had meetings from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by sitting in on an interview/discussion for another hour and 45 minutes.

Tonight I was working on camera at a graduation show. I truly had a blast! One of my friends that was originally in my six-month class performed. He and his story are both incredible.

I'm about to start an inhaled antibiotic. It's pretty new to the market, but the doctor suggested that I start on it. She said, and I quote, "It may help stave off a course of IV antibiotics." We can only hope! I want to get my hands on it before I head out of town for the weekend. Yeeehaw!

Well, I usually telecommute on Wednesdays, but I have a training that requires my being in the office, so I'm sure that will be enthralling.

Late December back in '63

Guess who hasn't gone to sleep yet?! Guess who isn't going to sleep tonight?! This was not intentional.

Today was such a busy day. Between trying to finalize everything under the sun for work and get ready for this trip, I have been going nonstop all day. I stayed up later than I should have last night, but I think the adrenaline was kicking in because I wasn't feeling tired. This morning I woke up pretty early, too, probably because my body knew how much there was to accomplish today...

DANG! THE BRAVES LOST! They didn't just lose or anything. It hit me that I didn't see any of the game, so I checked the score.

Anyway, I did go to the fitness center for a brief stint today and met a neighbor. That was a highlight of the day because it was the only moment when I forgot how much stuff there was to do. Fast-forward through a day of nonstop work (I am still emailing work people right now) into a crew shift. The camera is officially jacked up, so it was a challenge to train tonight's pupil appropriately, but he got the gist of it. The show was a blast.

Right before the show I was in decision-making mode. Knowing how much stuff I needed to get done when I'd get home at midnight, I made the decision to drink a Monster at 9:00 p.m. for my shift drink. I was tired enough that I never really got a boost, but at least I'm coasting right now. About an hour ago, I had to make another decision - whether to take a nap or not. I started to lay down to take a nap, but then I decided maybe I should truck through. So, I went and unloaded the dishwasher.

I'm very hopeful that everything goes smoothly with our travel arrangements tomorrow. My biggest source of paranoia is all of my medicine. I tried to make phone calls to make sure I have it all figured out, but I'm not sure how effective that was. Let's just say that my study drug looks shady... little homemade-looking packets of white powder. Being the person I am, I would like to be up-front at the airport about all of my medical stuff and what not. However, I don't want to end up going through some ridiculous drama just because I chose to be honest. I'm carrying all of my medicine in my carry-on and I have the best documentation I could get for each of the items. I don't think I will bring anything up unless I'm asked. Once I get through the airport shenanigans to leave, though, I'll have to go through Customs. I hope I'm not in a jail in the Dominican Republic by the time you read this. Maybe I could sue someone and make a lot of money if that happened. I must officially be delirious to be having these trains of thought. Choo. Choo.

I need to make a luggage tag.

I don't feel so hot today, but I know that relaxation is just around the corner. It doesn't help that I've been up forever, but oh well. I might drink an Emergen-C after I finish my morning breathing treatments that I just started. I'm getting picked up in 1.25 hours.

Man! I set up my out-of-office reply a few hours ago. That felt so good! I literally won't deal with work for the next 16 days. BALLER! I know I'm going to have some revelations over the next few days of things I forgot to do, but I'm going to let them slide.

It's weird when an occasion finally arrives that you thought would never get here. It's still a little surreal to me, and part of that probably involves the fact that my brain isn't functioning at its full capacity right now. Wait, I don't think that makes sense. It's not acting to its fullest potential? I would hope its capacity isn't maxed out because I don't feel very smart right now. I am talking in circles.

I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Luggage tag. Luggage tag. Luggage tag. I just finished my breathing treatments, so I guess I'd better pack up my little machine and put it in my carry-on. La. Dee. Da.

I'm gonna miss y'all. I love everyone. Please bail me out of the DR jail.

Oh, and I doubt I'll have access to blog-writing. But I'll try to document each day so that I can write upon my return.

Rain makes corn

I am watching my boys win a baseball game against the Dodgers right now. It's 3-0 in an inning that I can't see without my glasses... I think it could be the fifth. I am so proud of the Braves right now!

Well, I am almost done packing for the Dominican. I have no idea what I'm going to need, but I think I've gotten the bathing suits and lounging clothes covered. I'm kind of paranoid about medicine, having appropriate attire, etc. I figure I'm going to be in paradise, though, so I shouldn't need much. Only time will tell if I'm correct...

Today I went to Target to try to get some prescriptions before I leave on my journey. I dropped them off on Tuesday, and I got there today and spent literally an hour negotiating with them to get it all figured out. At the end of it all, I got 1 1/2 of my three prescriptions. The only one that I got fully was the one that I won't need unless I get sick - the antibiotic. Even mentioning the word 'sick' makes me sick(!) right now because that's not my vision of the perfect vacation, but you never know. I didn't wake up feeling very good today, and I've sneezed about 15 times. I think this signals that I'm at the end of this going-nonstop stretch.

What else? I met my brother at Monterrey today for lunch. I got an order of grilled steak quesadillas and they were SUPERB! That's not exactly the diet of a person who's about to be wearing bikinis, but whatever. They were awesome!

Speaking of bikinis, I got both of my Victoria's Secret bathing suits yesterday. I wish they fit better than they did, but there's not much I can do about it now. One of them is a little disfigured from the way it was packaged for shipping, and the other just isn't very flattering. I don't think it's merchandise issues. Instead it is being-hard-on-myself issues, so I will probably get over it when I'm at the beach. I really haven't worn a bathing suit yet this year, except at the Dierks concert, but I was wearing a cover-up dress over it the entire time. Blaaaaah, blaaaaah.

I exercised tonight. I didn't push myself as hard as I'd have liked, but my SC joint has really been bothering me for almost two weeks. I've had radiating pain in the area for a little while now, and it has literally kept me up at night because I couldn't get comfortable. It's a weird heating sensation. I guess that's on the to-do list for when I return if I don't experience a miraculous recovery while I'm away. Maybe I'm due for another Cortisone injection. Ouch.

Time to get ready for bed. I've got a lot to accomplish at work tomorrow. On top of that, I have to work at the theatre tomorrow night. I can do it!!!

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.

Double-decker

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

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

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

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

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

Not myself

I've gotta say... I don't know if it's a combination of the medicines, if it's my body, if it's the allergies, or what, but I don't feel like myself at all. I am feeling extremely run-down when I haven't even done much. I'm just not keeping up with my daily activities like I was a few weeks ago. I don't know what's causing it, but I might need to make a guest appearance at the doctor soon if something doesn't improve. I'm feeling short-of-breath a lot, and I've been having some pain in my lungs when I breathe. I tried to take a nap because it was the only thing I could think of to make me forget about it, but I couldn't even fall asleep. I'm starting to feel very tired now, though, so maybe it will enable me to get a great night's sleep.

Friday was a pretty good day. My back started hurting me from the 'roided up activities I did during the improv show. I stopped at Chick-fil-A to pick something up on the way into work. I was only at work for a few hours, but I was feeling like I'd been there for days by the time I got in my car to head home. Not in an I-don't-want-to-be-here kind of way, but in an I'm-not-feeling-well kind of way. I went out to eat with my friend for dinner, and we enjoyed ourselves at Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was nice and tropical. Made me want to get to warm weather by skipping the brunt of the allergy season.

I slept for close to 11 hours last night. My mom came and got me and we went to my grandmother's house for a while. The three of us ended up going out to eat at El Toro for a sort of late lunch. My mom and I went to the mall after we finished at Gran's house, hoping to find another pair of the very inexpensive jeans that fit me pretty well, but didn't have such luck. Oh well!

When I got home, I sat around for a while reading and doing things online. Then I decided to treat myself to a bubble bath, in which I couldn't make the drain on my bathtub close for some reason. Sooo, that plan got canceled pretty quickly. I finished reading this book called Beyond Breathing a few minutes ago, and I'll probably go to sleep very soon. I'm literally running on empty. This is weird for me.

Drew's Crew is doing pretty awesome. We are at almost $5,400 online, with another $400 or so in checks. I know some truly incredible people. I also learned of a CFer that died today, so it makes me want that $20K goal so much more. Gotta keep fighting the good fight.

Day 1: Do you know why you're here?

Today has been an eventful day at the hospital. I got here at 8:00 a.m. like planned, and the person at registration was extremely confused. She asked if I was supposed to have come yesterday, and I told her that I specifically planned to come at 8:00 a.m. on 8/19, which was why I preregistered on the telephone yesterday. After waiting for 45 minutes in a waiting room, someone came to wheel me to a temporary room while my room floor was being waxed. That was extremely pertinent to get done.

When I was in the temporary room, everyone seemed like they had no idea where I came from, but I could have sworn we made this arrangement last Friday. Finally, at one point, a lady asked if I knew what doctor admitted me. Then, she literally asked, "Do you know why you're here?" I mean, do I look like an idiot? Of course I know why I packed my bags and came to the hospital. There was some kind of miscommunication (always), and they finally realized who I was. Then, a lady with a super-thick accent came in and was telling me she didn't expect me to be so cute. I guess my chart was ugly or something.

Fast-forward a few hours and I've gotten situated in my temporarily permanent room. A guy came to get me in a wheelchair to take me down to x-rays. On the way down, he yawned and I jokingly told him not to fall asleep on me. Then, he told me how he went out for his birthday the night before; they enjoyed Mexican food and the strip club. Good to know. So, I'm down there patiently waiting for my x-ray, decked out in protective gear to keep me from getting sick from anyone, but actually looking deathly contagious. A woman came out looking for Mr. Dotson and started trying to wheel a man away. I was telling her it was me and she proceeded to call this man Mr. Dotson. He had been groaning for the last ten minutes and grunted out that he wasn't Mr. Dotson. I continued to tell her she was looking for me and she forcefully tried to take the guy with her. Finally, on the 332532nd try, she realized that I was the person she was referring to as Mr. Dotson. Then she apologized about 7 times, like I think I actually look like a man. A very small, petite man with long hair and a female voice. I guess she didn't expect me to be so cute, either.

Other than that, nothing too exciting has happened. My mom went down to the food court and got me some legitimate food. I enjoyed some chicken tenders and onion rings. Mmm, healthy!

Wow, remind me knock on wood next time I say nothing exciting has happened. Right after I typed that they started yelling about a nonbreather in the room next to me and calling in code over the intercom. Perhaps I won't say that again, as there are about a million people out in the hall panicking now.

It's been a little while - a chaotic while - but my neighbor got taken to ICU. Well, I'm almost done with this medicine and can't wait to go to sleep. Right as I typed that, the machine beeped to indicate I am finished. I feel like I have super-powers right now. I want a cheese tray. Nope, didn't happen.

BEDTIME!!!!!!