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)!

Dairy products

So, I started antibiotics today to fight off whatever I may have had. On the instructions, it mentioned not taking it two hours before or after eating calcium-rich foods, like dairy products. I can't name a time I've ever gone four waking hours without dairy, so I apologize to the medicine in advance.

After all those long months in a disaster of a home, the repairs are about to begin. None of the credit goes to the insurance company. In the past, I would have recommended my insurance company, but instead I'll recommend not having a lame water heater. Much easier!

Adios for now!

Cherry cough drop

Well, here I am waiting on the train. I was a minute late for my respective train, so I'm not going to get to work at the time I planned. As I sat down, I dropped  my granola bar on the train station floor, so I'm having a cherry cough drop for breakfast. Champion!

I spent much of the weekend on the bed, the couch,  sleeping, or sleeping on the bed or couch. I kept feeling like I was coming down with something, but then I'd feel fine the next day. Friday night was the end of that, though, where I shivered my way to a 102-degree fever. I'd never say I got to feeling awful, but I never quite felt right all weekend. I was supposed to perform on Saturday night, but had to pull out of the show.

Train alert! Hope everyone had a nice (yet rainy) Labor Day!

A change will do you good

Well, I started my new job today. It's crazy to take the life you've known for so long (2 years, 8 months to be exact) and venture down a new path. Today was exciting -- meeting new people, learning new stuff, exploring a new building, etc. Yes, the information overload can be quite exhausting, but I know I'll be in good hands. It's funny because I'm resistant to change in some respects, but I love it in others. Cheers to new beginnings!

The biggest adjustment for me is the routine I'd come to know. Interestingly, though, I'd come to know a life without much routine. So, lack of routine was the routine. When I was working at Emory, I was in the office three days a week and at home the other two. Also, the start and stop times were very flexible in that some mornings I went in at 7 and other mornings at 9. That being said, it's crazy knowing that I need to get up at the same time each morning. It's good, though, because I think I was able to better regulate other areas of my life (like exercising, sleeping, etc.) when my days resembled each other. I didn't quite accomplish the exercising feat this morning (no surprise there), but I'm hoping to get in a quick workout in the morning.

I was at the beach last weekend and had a great time. The weather was beautiful, the company was amazing, and I just enjoyed every minute of it. As I've said many times before, the return-to-work-from-vacation day is usually about as tough as they come. It probably didn't work to my benefit to get home around 8:30 p.m. yesterday, so I imagine tomorrow might be a bit easier than today energy-wise. I also didn't drink any coffee today. What is the world coming to these days?

I guess it's off to bed if there's any hope I'll work out in the morning. I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday!

Whatever!

I just saw the coolest clock ever. All of the numbers are randomly piled in the bottom corner, but the hands are still on a time -- just without numbers. On the face of the clock, it says "Whatever!" I love it! It literally made me laugh out loud.

Onto other things... I went to the Braves game last night and got a Dan Uggla bobblehead. It is awesome! It doesn't exactly look like him, but it's still cool. The Braves won a good game off of a solo HR by Chipper Jones. I don't make many predictions in baseball, but right when he came up to bat, I said, "I feel like he's about to get a solo homerun." Two pitches later, he knocked one out of the park, scoring the only run of the game. GO BRAVES!

I've had a pretty productive week between cleaning, going to the doctor, exercising, etc. It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you're not working! I feel like I would get a lot more done if keeping up with myself was a full-time job. :-) Do I usually use emoticons in blogs? Oh wait, I haven't been blogging regularly enough to know the answer to that.

I just ate some pancakes and bacon and it's 12:40 p.m. Yeah, you know it!

I really want to publish this post so I can take the "W" key off of my keyboard to see what's making it difficult to press.

Lately I've been really happy. Busy, but happy. I worked really hard over these past few weeks to leave Emory in the best shape possible. Although it was a lot of work, I feel good about it.

Well, I hope life is treating everyone well. A friend from CF camp, Megan, died this week, so she's learning what it's like to breathe easy. It's just a reminder that life is precious and that there is plenty to appreciate.

Love to all!

Chapter: Closed

Well, I know I've been MIA for record time, but I've had some exciting stuff happening...

First and most significant, yesterday was my last day at Emory. I met some great people there, so saying goodbye was hard. I had a great run there, though!

What else? There is so much to cover that it's difficult.

I went to the Braves game last night with my uncle (TH), my sister, and KS. The Braves came from behind in the ninth inning to win. They even let it get down to a full count with two outs before scoring the run to tie and the run to win. It was an amazing game! Those nail-biters are stressful, yet so much fun!

I'm standing in Starbucks right now waiting on my latte. Got it! Delicious!

As far as big things go, insurance is still dragging their feet, so my feet are still walking on no floor. Pretty frustrating, if I do say so myself, but I've learned that it's not worth stressing about because they're going to take their precious time.

Well, my friend (MV) should be walking in any minute now, so I guess I'll post. I promise I'll be back soon!

They call her love, love, love, love, love

Hi. Allow me to reintroduce myself.

Well, I've been all over the place lately! I was in Florida from Saturday to Saturday, so that was cool. I went to the beach with my parents, one of my uncles, and two of my friends (AH and AM). We had a really great time. I wasn't feeling super and the mosquitoes were attacking me like I was the last person on the planet, but I laughed more than I have in a long time. I want to go on a permanent vacation!

On Sunday, I went and performed improv at a camp in North Carolina. We performed two 45-minute shows -- one for grades 2-6 and one for grades 7-9. It was pretty refreshing to perform for such young audiences; they seemed to have a great time!

Last Saturday night I went to my first drive-in movie (with KS). It was a lot of fun! We saw "Horrible Bosses" and "Bad Teacher." They were pretty entertaining, and we ate a lot of cheese!

I've had a headache all week. What's up with that?

Well, all of a sudden I feel like I'm going to fall asleep typing, so I guess I'll shut the good ol' eyes.

Sleep well, world. Have some crazy dreams!

Take out da papers and da trash

Greetings!

There's not a ton I care to share, but I figured I'd stop by since it has been so long. I've been staying pretty busy lately. It's been quite exhausting, but I've enjoyed it for the most part.

My floor still isn't fixed... and by "not fixed," I mean that the contractor hasn't even started replacing it. Basically I'm in insurance limbo right now -- hovering between my homeowner's insurance coverage and my condo complex's master policy. I probably sound more intelligent than I am, but I'm just kind of waiting for the proper person to say that the work should begin. It's been almost two months without floors (Can you believe that?), so I'd be lying if I said I was in an extreme hurry at this point.

What else? My sister got engaged, so that's exciting! I'm going to be her maid of honor. I'm not sure how all of this wedding stuff works, but I'm very happy for her and know that she's found a keeper. This is how we do it! She got engaged just before the Braves game on Friday, July 1, and I went to that Braves game, too (with KS). I can't believe I've been to so few games this season, but it was good to put another win in the books!

I'm hopeful that some positive change is on the horizon. CHANGE!!!!!!!

Well, I'm pretty sleepy, so I'm going to hit the hay. In summary, life has been pretty good, but I know that I've put some important things on the back-burner. I intended for them to be very temporary, but it feels like it's going to last a bit longer than I anticipated. Everything will work out, though; it always does.

In closing, I'm lucky to know so many wonderful people. Life is good!

Five-hundred twenty-five thousand...

It's so weird because it feels like I just wrote in here, but I guess it was almost a week ago. RIDICULOUS!

Well, last Thursday I went to a CF Foundation event called Chocolate with KS. It was a pretty cool event. I met a friend with CF who I'd been talking to on Facebook, so that was neat. I also got to see an old friend from CF camp, so I enjoyed that. It was kind of fun getting all dressed up and what not. FANCY!!!!

Friday night I performed some improv, and it was a ton of fun. I was supposed to be in both shows on Saturday, too, but something went wrong body-wise. I was feeling a little off before the show, but then it got worse as time progressed. I was really nauseous and felt like I couldn't move. I ended up having to sit out the second half of the first show and the entire second show. My parents (LOVE THEM!) drove my car home because I was really disoriented. Strange. I fell asleep the second I got in bed, and I slept almost 12 hours. I woke up feeling groggy on Sunday, too. I've had some periodic back pain, so I'm wondering if the good ol' kidneys are rebelling again.

Saturday afternoon I went to a wedding shower for my friend AC. It was nice because I got to visit with people I hadn't seen in a while. Ahh, we are growing up!

Yesterday, I saw RENT! I had never seen it and wasn't all too familiar with the story, but one of the guys from the theatre (KH) was in it. I have to say that it left me speechless. It was entertaining the entire way through, and it was a really meaningful story. The cast was so amazingly talented. WOW!

Today was Monday, but it went pretty well as far as Mondays go. The contractor is finally coming out to my house tomorrow, so I'm hoping we can get these repairs going as soon as possible. This inconvenience has lasted WAY longer than I expected.

Well, it appears to be bedtime. I love sleeping!!!!

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!

CHARLEY HORSE!

Hey!

Man, last night when I was sleeping, I got the worst Charley horse in my leg. There's not a lot that makes me feel as out-of-control as a Charley Horse does. INTENSE!

Let's see... I came back to town on Wednesday; I was at the beach. My cousin and I flew back, so that was an adventure. Airplanes are pretty freaky, but it's not as bad when the entire flight is 42 minutes. The taking off and landing parts are what creep me out, but I remained pretty calm.

I was also in the newspaper on Wednesday. The CFF is hosting an event on Thursday, and the paper came to my [ransacked] place for an interview. You can access the article here. Celeb! I'm excited, too, because it mentions Drew's Crew!

So, the total fishing count for the beach was 12 sharks and 14 non-sharks. The sharks were so cute! I won't say that next year when one of 'em bites my leg off, but I liked them!

Yesterday I ate some funnel cake! I went to a festival and it poured! I don't know why I'm typing so many exclamation marks.

My floor and walls are still MIA right now, but I'm going to get insurance on the horn tomorrow for an update. It's a little frustrating that it's been almost a month since the fiasco and no repairs have been done yet, but I'm hoping we can get the show on the road this week.

I'm about to go to sleep. It's early and all of that, but I'm exhausted! I met KW at Starbucks this morning because I had to work on some stuff for the CF center communications plan. I got a lot accomplished, but I'm still not quite done.

I'm going to get up and exercise in the morning. MARK MY WORDS!

Shark Bites

Hi!

Yesterday my dad and I caught a shark in the ocean. He was so adorable! He felt exactly like I thought he would. He was about the size of a Shark Bites fruit snack. I LOVED HIM!

Mondaaaaaaaaay.

Hello, fedora

So, I've been wearing a fedora last night and today, and it's pretty fun. People look at me like I'm very important. I mean, I am, but they don't necessarily know that! :-)

This week had its ups and downs. I got interviewed for the paper for something CFF-related, so that was cool. The estimator came out to look at my condo-in-shambles, so hopefully the repairs will be started within the week. By Wednesday, it felt like everything was falling into place.

I actually sent a text that said things were "falling into place" and put some Easy Mac in the microwave. I then heard a weird series of noises, walked into the kitchen, and saw that the microwave was lighting up blue inside. No, there was not any metal or aluminum inside. So, the microwave is on the fritz, which is unfortunate since it's my method for cooking nearly everything.

Hash browns are good, y'all.

Peace out.

LKAJSLKDFJALKEJA!

It's Saturday morning!

Well, this week had a heavy water-on-the-floor focus. The workers came and picked up all of the dehumidifying equipment on Tuesday. Then, by the end of the day on Tuesday, I noticed water was back. Hoping it was simply residual, I tried to give it until Wednesday morning to panic. The water remained pretty steady on Wednesday and into Thursday, so I was convinced that there was something new happening. I realize it sounds like I was taking my sweet time, but I kept unsuccessfully trying to get in touch with my claim representative.

It turns out that my neighbor's water heater started leaking. Yes, for real. The worker who came back on Thursday said, and I quote, "I've never seen anything like this before." When my neighbor got home from work, she and I looked around her place to confirm, and there was a continuous stream of water coming from her heater. She had it replaced yesterday and GUESS WHAT! THE WATER HAS STOPPED! Knock on wood (which is easy considering it's exposed all over my place!).

Given all of the shenanigans and the fact that I was stressed out, I made exercising a big priority over the past week. I ran three miles every day and, MAN, I feel good. It's hilarious that I hadn't exercised consistently in a while and then I went and ran 20+ miles. I'm actually going to exercise after I finish this blog.

One of my best friends (AM) moved to Atlanta yesterday. I have to say that it's all kind of surreal to me because I haven't seen her yet, but I will today. Ahhh! We have been reunited!

Man, I want some cheddar cheese.

I feel like I have more to say, but it's tough when I wait so stinkin' long between blogs lately. The festival shows on Sunday were a lot of fun despite the 95-degree weather. It was easier than last time because the tent was smaller and wasn't positioned next to anything too loud. LOVED IT!

Well, I better channel this hyperactivity into my workout.

HAPPY JUNE!

Troubled waters

What a week. WHAT. A. WEEK. It's been a while since I've had a week as eventful as this week. Aaaaand I don't exactly mean that in a good way.

Highlights include:
-Dealing with the cops Sunday morning due to some "malicious mischief"
-Losing my phone and wallet on Tuesday night
-Ruining my hardwood floors Thursday/Friday courtesy of my water heater losing its mind

My phone ended up being in my roommate's coworker's car, so it only took about 12 hours to track that down. My wallet ended up being in the grass at the amphitheater after the Jimmy Buffett concert. It took me way longer than it should have to realize my wallet was missing, but an amphitheater employee called me and I went to retrieve it. Everything looks to be intact, with the exception of someone stealing my cash. Oh well, mo' money, mo' problems.

That's the perfect segue into the fact that I spent almost $800 yesterday on home repairs. I had to get a new water heater and the accessories required to install that, so that totaled almost $300. My mom gave me a card for $25 off a purchase of $250+, so I went and got that cost adjusted today. I also had to pay the $500 deductible for the water mitigation and water damage.

Right now my living room is missing about one-third of its hardwood floor and probably six square feet of sheet rock. My utility closet is missing all of its floor and probably 12 square feet of sheet rock. And, finally, my kitchen is missing the hardwood floor bordering two of the walls. The fans and dehumidifiers are so loud that I'm starting to get a headache. However, they're like a whisper compared to that jackhammer that was tearing up the floor today. RIP you jerk of a water heater.

Let's try to move on to more positive things... I ate Yogli Mogli with my mom today! I worked out yesterday and today, which majorly helped in the destressing department. I also got a check in the mail from my mortgage company, so that was a welcomed surprise in the aftermath of Spendfest Friday. Hooray!

I can't believe it's a holiday weekend. I missed improv rehearsal on Wednesday because I felt like I was getting sick, although I'm pretty sure it was stress bogging me down. In retrospect, it's a major positive that I'm not performing this weekend (except for a festival tomorrow) because it would have been so hectic trying to manage that with all of the home repairs. The weekend has felt insane enough without any obligations. It's pretty ironic because, on Thursday before the water incident, I was running my mouth about how I hadn't had such a lengthy stint without an obligation in as long as I can remember. Enter: water.

Well, I'm gonna try to enjoy the rest of my Saturday night. I think it's about time to take some headache medicine. The Braves are in extra innings right now, and I really think I need to give them some attention.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Droo's Croo

Hi!

Well, today was the big day -- the day of the CF walk. All of Drew's Crew's hard work paid off to the tune of $32,322. And money is still posting! My team has literally left me speechless. The walk was a lot of fun! It was sweltering outside, but we had a good time! My team was very energetic, and I think everyone really enjoyed our presence. We definitely would have won the Most Entertaining Team award with all of our shenanigans.

This week was pretty interesting. More or less. The only super-weird thing that happened was that I received a psychotic email from an apparent nutcase that I've never met. There were so many gems in the email, but I'd have to say this was my favorite line: "I AM A CIVILIZED BEING WHO KNOWS HOW TO CONDUCT MYSELF IN A DIGNIFIED AND RESPECTFUL MANNER." Really? Because I beg to differ. In the words of KW, "Anyone who sends a complete stranger entire paragraphs in caps is worrisome." TRUE STORY. I probably shouldn't be talking about this here.

Well, I think I'm gonna roll out and get some sushi. GET IT?!?!?!

Have a stellar Saturday!

That's heavy

Today I had one of those moments when I looked at the calendar and wondered where the last several months have gone. Although this year has had its share of inconveniences, there's a lot that makes me happy, too.

I really want to rant about the things that are stressing me out, but instead I'll list some things that made me smile today:
-Drew's Crew is going to hit the $30K fundraising mark by Saturday's event, and I'm absolutely amazed. I'm less than $500 shy of my personal goal, so if you'd like to contribute, click here.
-I ate Willy's today and they fixed my order without me uttering a word.
-I ran 3+ miles today, and it was a breeze.
-Hines Ward is still on Dancing with the Stars.
-The Braves came from behind to win in extra innings thanks to two home runs by Brian McCann.

It's probably best that I go to sleep. Sleep well, world!

WHY AM I AWAKE?!

To answer my question, I'm upgrading the software on my phone and it is taking forever. I'm pretty annoyed because I started to doze off as the software was updating and, when I flinched, I hit a button and inadvertently canceled it. Now I'm having to repeat steps. Argh!

Well, it's been a pretty crazy week. Tuesday's CFF benefit show was amazing. I was so pleased with the turnout, but I was also so relieved for it to be over. There were probably about 80 or 90 people there, and we raised a pretty big chunk of change. AWESOME! I played Sit Stand Lean Oscar, Musical Styles, Emo Spot, and ABC Buzzer. I had so much fun and felt so supported!

Wednesday was eventful because I got promoted from the apprentice cast to the main stage cast. I have to say that I was pretty stinkin' shocked; I'm not sure that I've really digested the information yet, but Thursday night was my final apprentice hurrah! I played Emo Spot, Phones, Musical Styles, ABC Buzzer Beatnik Poetry, and Helping Hands Oscar. It was a really fun show! Tonight I performed, too, and I played Blind Scene, Meet the Experts, Conducted Rap, and Confessions. In the past, I've been naming games thinking that it would give me an idea of who casts me in what games, what my specialties appear to be, etc. Now, though, I can probably put the analyzing to rest. CRAZY!

I'm perturbed right now because this download is taking forever and I wish I hadn't jumped and hit a button. It's almost back to the halfway point, which is about where I was before the incident.

Gosh, I have nothing valuable to say because I am so tired that it's unreal. Come on, phone/computer. Get your acts together.

I'm just going to publish this post because I can't possibly pretend to focus right now.

Mmmm, curdle

Yep, I'm back.

Well, tonight I'm sitting at home and I should have been working a reunion at work and, currently, I should be out watching an improv show to celebrate my roommate's birthday. However, I find myself about to doze off, which is good. I haven't been feeling too hot this week.

That's kind of the perfect segue to tell the unfortunate series of events that went down last Saturday. It went a little something like this: I enjoyed a few beers at the Braves game with friends (KQ and BB). Then, BB and I headed to the Inman Park Festival to meet up with some other friends (ERR and crew). We walked around and found ourselves at a pub. After a few beers, people suggested a birthday shot. I explained that I don't really do shots, so they were going to pick something simple and delicious. Well, I received the shot (which looked like some kind of liqueur-based thing, take a sip of it, and notice there are chunks in it. Trying to be appreciative, I take another sip and then decide that there's no way this looks right. So, I asked the people at the table and they said that it looked curdled and not to drink anymore.

Fast-forward a little while later and I am projectile vomiting all over Atlanta. Locations included: outside of a bathroom in a pub, on myself, in someone's car, in a gas station parking lot, in a BP, and on my bathroom floor. The count for the night was about 20, and I still feel sick to my stomach every now and then. Today, every time I even took a sip of anything, my stomach cramped up. It was ROUGH.

What else happened this week? Operation: Get Rid of the Office Termites.

I sold a lot of benefit show tickets, but you can get yours here: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/laughtilyoucough.

I performed improv on Cinco de Mayo and, despite it being Cinco de Muerto, the show was fun. I did a straight scene, female stereotypes, Hip or Not, and Oscar Musical Funeral. Between the termite chemicals and the curdled milk, I wasn't at my prime, but I still had a good time. And made a rhyme! Hop on pop!

I'm about to go to sleep in hopes of feeling almost 100 percent tomorrow. My stomach is cooperating right now, but I'm also not consuming anything. I have a long day of work ahead of me.

In other news... I! AM! INSPIRED!

Onions have layers

It appears to be bedtime. Yes, it's about 9:37 on a Friday night and I'm calling it quits. My tiredness from the week has finally caught up to me.

So, as I suggested in the tiny post on Tuesday, I had an amazing birthday. I have just felt so supported over the recent weeks, and my birthday took the cake. HAAA! Birthday pun. Anyway, as I believe I'd mentioned, I set a goal to raise $2,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on my birthday. Well, Drew's Crew ended up raising about $4,000 in a 24-hour period instead. I can't even begin to explain how incredible that felt.

I ended up treating myself to a massage on my birthday. I don't ever do anything like that, so it was awesome to do something pamper-esque. It's funny because my massage therapist said that my back was like a brick wall. She said she usually tells people to drink a bottle of water after the massage, but she recommended I drink a gallon. It's hard to believe, but I'm still extremely sore from it; I feel good, though! I felt like I was on another planet for a few hours after the massage. I guess I'm quite the toxin machine.

Me, AH, KW, and my mom went to El Azteca for my birthday dinner and the lady brought me a tequila shot. I took a sip and poured the rest into my margarita while the fire in my mouth died down. After dinner we headed down to the Fox to see Shrek the Musical. It was so much fun! I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone. I love Donkey!

I am about to doze off, so I will do a brief summary of the rest of the week...
Wednesday: Cortisone and tornadoes (sending thoughts to everyone affected)
Thursday: Termite chemicals and margaritas
Friday: Target and Oreo cheesecake

I finally had my white powdered donuts for breakfast this morning. I feel intense satisfaction after having had that craving for a few months.

Note to self:

Today was incredible.