Slacker

Hey! I've been a major slacker since...well...a while ago. My fancy phone has been the primary culprit considering I spend significantly less time on the Internet when I'm at home. I really only blog from home, and now there are days when I don't open my laptop at all. Enough of my making excuses, but I really do aspire (fun word!) to write in here more frequently. I enjoy it. It looks like I better download a Blogger app. Yep, I just said that.

So, I'm going to say random bullets about my cruise:
-The population was mainly comprised of senior citizens (love it!) and rednecks (amused by it!).
-It doesn't get much better than watching toothless karaoke.
-I held an alligator!
-Spinning out in a boat is an incredibly exhilarating feeling.
-Cottage cheese is good.
-Tanning on a beach and seeing snow in a 36-hour period isn't normal.
-Consider getting a second opinion when asking someone the time; the bus will leave without you.
-Hold onto your balloon hat when you go to the top of the boat, even when docked.
-Kayaking through mangroves is like something out of a movie.
-Cruises re-program how often you think you need to eat.

All in all, I had a blast on the cruise! I have one observation that I noticed on the last cruise, and then reconfirmed this cruise: Time seems like it's passing slowly for the first day or two -- like, you really think you have all the time in the world -- and then it just speeds up and you feel like it all happened in the blink of an eye. I need to go on a 4352342-day cruise next time.

This week was a pretty stressful one since it was mass email week AND I was already backlogged. I survived it, but it definitely wasn't easy. I performed on Thursday night, so that was fun. I played Conducted Rap, Sounds Like A Song, Foreign-Dubbed Soap Opera, Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Dating Game, and Musical Styles. It was a pretty big crowd for a Thursday night, so that was cool. Yippee!

Oh man! Guess what! One of my friends (MV) gave me a baseball "To Drew" from John Smoltz! I literally couldn't believe it. I am sooooo ready for the season to begin.

Well, I've been taking it easy this weekend. I was so delirious by yesterday evening that I was barely functioning. I seriously reached into the oven without a mitt on my hand. That's not a metaphor; that's the truth. Thankfully I caught myself before I grabbed the tray, but I think that speaks for itself. I'm hoping next week will be slightly more relaxed, but you never know!

It's time to read a little bit and sleep for another 10 or 12 hours. I started to feel like I could be getting sick, but I'm thinking it was just the stress from the workweek.

Happy weekend, all!

P.S. I won a trophy and medal on the cruise -- gotta keep representin' for the Dotson household. There was some kind of brain teaser trivia and I pretty much dominated. I guess that makes me a total nerd, but I have a trophy and medal to prove 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!

Mr. Sparky

Well, I was a total woman yesterday. A few months ago, three lights in my house stopped working within a week of each other. I tried new lightbulbs and couldn't get the lights to work. Since Mr. Sparky had previously come and done some work on these same switches, he came out again to take a second look. (By the way, I realize his name is not Mr. Sparky, but it's easier that way.) Being the generous woman that she is, my mom met him here so that I didn't have to take off of work.

Anyways, it turns out they just needed new lightbulbs. Somehow I had gotten a 'bad pack' of lightbulbs, so all of the lightbulbs I was using to test the lights were broken. Oops. Sorry, Mom, for having to face the electrician. I bet he was really happy. Lesson learned: Try a lightbulb from another pack.

In other news... Hmm, do I have any other news? Not so much. I am acting like a senior citizen. I'm sitting here watching a game show and there's an AARP magazine and a library book on the couch with me. Sometimes I wonder how I aged so quickly. Every other commercial is about retirement and life insurance and what not, too.

Dang, it's almost 8:00 p.m. I better start getting ready for bed!!!