Friday, October 31, 2008

tired of pain

Amazingly, the self-torture I spoke of in the last post has given birth to another type of bodily misery...kidney stones.

I have had kidney stones off and on for about 4 years now. Most of them are attributed to carbonated drinks (Coke, how I love you...) and too much calcium (milk? cheese? I dunno). So now and again I'll go on hiatus from fizzy drinks to cleanse my body. And since I've been running in addition to chugging water daily, stones that have been dormant in my kidneys have decided to escape. Wednesday afternoon the pain was pretty much unbearable. I went home from work an hour early to go home and roll around on my floor while making ungodly noises. I eventually got some medication to knock me out. Later that night I passed a stone. One word: ouch.

At 2 AM Thursday, however, I had another pain in my back. I got up and took another pill to allow myself to sleep. I went to work later on and was in a drug-induced daze all day long. After work I went home and crashed for a couple hours. Then, miraculously, I felt all better.

Now here I am today, knowing that there's a stone inside me that is just waiting. I want it to get out, but I know that's not really up to me. Ah well. Maybe it'll hit me on this Halloween night and I can scare small children with my screams...

Monday, October 27, 2008

feel the burn

Over the last week, I have subscribed to a popular form of self-torture. Running.

In March I'm going skiing again. Last year my stamina wasn't that great and I would be wiped out halfway down the mountain. That's not good. So, since I have also put on some weight over the past year, I decided to get my act together and start working out. And man am I paying for it.

Saturday I ran around this local football field a few times. I was out of breath but really felt like I accomplished something. Then I got home and hit the Bowflex. I was jazzed...until about 4 AM Sunday morning. I woke up with cramps and pains I hadn't felt in a looooong time. Needless to say I didn't sleep at all after that.

But today I ran a little farther...lifted a little more...and I feel like I'm on the way to a better, healthier me. 

It just friggin' hurts.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

why i hate the local fair

I don't know if anyone remembers, but last year on my old blog I complained about this annual fair being held literally in front of my apartment. Well, it's back, and this time they've gone even farther in messing with me.

It's called the Kudzu Festival (kudzu is this terrible plant that originated in China and was brought over here to help stop erosion. It didn't, but instead took over other plants and trees and looks ugly). I hate it. When I was a kid, I loved the festival. You could ride all the rides and they looked, sounded, and felt like they would break at any second...which of course made it more exciting! But the festival soon soured itself to me not one, not two, but three times.

The first time actually started off nice. I was a kid, probably about 10 or 11 years old, and just starting to like girls. This one girl in particular seemed to like me, too. It was great...we played that game where you pop balloons and we both won these cool drawings framed in glass. I was so proud...mine was of Taz (my uncle loved Taz...therefore I loved Taz) and hers was a bunny or something. It was really girly. Anyway, we decided to ride this one thing that would jerk us around for a bit. I put our framed pictures beside me and we began. One sharp turn later and I smashed into the pictures...glass went all in my leg and cut my arm. I cried.

Second time was also with a girl. I was in high school now, and was skipping work that night to take my girlfriend out to the fair. I know, I'm so romantic. We were having fun until my boss saw me and made a very snarky comment to me. He then proceeded to make my life hell until I finally quit that job.

And so here we are. Third time. They say it's the charm...I say it breaks the camel's back. Last year the Kudzu Festival moved to the courthouse lawn/parking spaces. I live right across from the courthouse and park in those spaces! I was a little upset. My landlord gave me a pass to park beside the building but I still got hassled by police every night. And then the carnies. The carnies would walk along the square at all hours, howling and drinking and being...carnies. They really are a different breed.

This year it's all back, but with a twist. I can't have a parking pass! So now I have to park a block or two down and walk home. And the festival is staying open later, which means the loud music and flashing lights go on all night. I have to sleep on my couch (in the room furthest away from the insanity). Awesome!

So I hate it. And I think I have good reasons.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

vacation recap

Well, I had an amazing vacation last week. I went to West Palm Beach, Florida (or more specifically, Jupiter) to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends, Corrie Edwards. After toiling months and months without end here in Mississippi, a nice trip is just what I needed.

So I flew down on Saturday and immediately we went to the beach. I got the opportunity to blind locals and tourists alike with my white body, but soon enough I got a nice tan/burn combination going on.

Sunday we went to Corrie's church, where I turned in an information card and, upon returning home, had a letter and a Starbucks giftcard waiting on me. Talk about an outreach team...

Most of the week was spent on the beach, soaking up the sun and taking on some waves. It was incredible. I seriously fell in love with an entire state in the course of a week. Everyone I met was really nice, too. Although, I tried holding the door for a few people and they looked at me as if I had a crab hanging off my face. Also, I got honked at and flipped off within the first 10 seconds of driving down there. The people definitely aren't as laid back as they are back home, so I had to be aggressive. Since returning home, my hand has hit the horn quite a few times. Sorry, Mississippi.

Another thing about Florida...I don't think a minute goes by when Lil' Wayne isn't on the radio. Either him or Pink singing her song, "So What?", which features the amazingly well written line "...and you're a tool so, so what? I'm still a rock star...". But as dumb as that song is, it was in our heads all week.

While I'm on the subject of radios, Corrie hit me with a great joke one day. While flipping through the stations, she stopped on a country song and said, without pause, "You homesick?". I wanted to make a great comeback but it was no use. She got me. There were other good jokes, too...I'll just have to remember them.

Other cool stuff we did...looked at the local landmark lighthouse (from a distance), saw two sharks, visited a turtle hospital, ate at cool restaurants (Hurricane's sticks out in my head), saw two bands play, and watched Desperate Housewives. Yeah, I watched it. And Eva is still hot as a slightly thicker lady.

So, in other words, I loved Florida. I think I will move there. Seriously.


Pics:


Thursday, October 9, 2008

farewell, adios, etc

I know I promised an update on the geeky game room, and it's coming...I just haven't gotten around to taking pics of it yet.

But for now, I say goodbye for at least a week. I will be leaving Saturday morning (bright and early) for a week in West Palm Beach, Florida! I have never been to FL before, and I have some friends there who are just dying to see me (how's that for confidence??)...

Truth be told, I am very excited! I will be staying exactly 3.4 miles from the beach, and I'll be carrying my camera too. I'll try not to look too tourist-y, but who knows... Anyway, expect a pic-filled post upon my return!

Then, the geeky game room.

Monday, October 6, 2008

my itchy invention

My arm is itching like crazy, and I can only blame myself.

I have decided to try and conserve some energy (as well as some $$$) and not run my air conditioner so much. This has worked in my favor here lately, because the weather has turned a good bit cooler. So to keep some fresh, cool air in my apartment, I came up with this brilliant plan.

As you can see, the fan is in the open window. Blocking any further entry is a piece of cardboard which I cleverly cut with scissors (also visible). The feeling of cold air being pushed through the flowing box fan is really really great. But as you may be able to see, on the bottom left side there is a hole. This hole obviously let some pesky mosquitoes in, which chewed the heck out of me last night.

And now here I am at work, rubbing my arm furiously and wishing I had a number for a good exterminator.


Next post: the geek/game room.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

darn you NBC!

So I went to Oxygen tonight and set a tape to record The Office. And before you ask, yes, I still use a VCR.

I get home, rewind, and press play...and what do I get? A vice-presidential debate! While I know it's very informative and important for the next 4 (or maybe 8) years of our country's existence...come on! I need some Office! I need Stanley's sarcasm...Jim's smirk...Dwight's idiocy...Michael's EXTREME idiocy...shoot, even Meredith's one line per episode. Not to mention the brilliance of Creed.

And oh yes, Jenna Fischer. My only current celebrity crush.


Palin and Biden may represent the future of our country, but come on...they're no Pam and Jim.