Updates, Updates, Updates

At the end of February, early March, I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando, FL for work.  I attended a conference (training) related to my job.  For four days, I studied the basics of Deposit & Lending Compliance.  I know that might not sound exciting to many of you, but YES, I actually enjoyed it.  I was familiar with most of the deposit regulations (Reg CC, Reg DD, Reg E, among others) but the lending session really kicked my butt (especially Reg Z & RESPA ... my brain was toast by the end of Day 2!)

While I was in Orlando, I also got to have a little bit of fun. (Don't tell my boss that!)

On Wednesday night, I met up with an old friend ... we haven't seen each other since 5th grade, when she moved back to Japan.  We'd kept in touch over the years via letters (yes, real ones) and then found each other on Facebook not too long ago.  When she saw my post about being in Orlando, she contacted me that night and we immediately decided that we had to get together.  We met up in Downtown Disney and enjoyed dinner at an Irish Pub (where we had meat pies ... savory & sweet pies for you Sweeney Todd fans). Later that night we went over to the Magic Kingdom where I got to do some shopping and we watched the fireworks show. All in all, it was a great night!

On my last night there (after the conference was over) I decided to catch the final performance of Wicked. I love, love, love this show and this was my second time seeing it.  Although the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center was a little smaller than I expected for a city the size of Orlando, it was a nice setting.  Even better, the tickets I scored were three rows back (which I had no idea when I purchased).  To say I was thrilled would be putting it lightly.

 

15 minutes til curtain! 

After a whirlwind week, I was glad to arrive home on Saturday. I was in kitteh withdrawal after a week in a hotel (Although I highly recommend the Homewood Suites in Maitland, FL if you are ever visiting the area, it was a little off the beaten path. However, it was very close to the office my training classes were being held in and the rooms and free food made it even better).

I was home for a couple of days when my body crashed and I had to be re-admitted to UAB Hospital.  So, on March 9, I checked in for sixteen fun-filled and exciting days.  Although it meant celebrating my birthday in the hospital, it wasn't a bad visit overall.  I am now officially back to work and back up to all of my old tricks!

Time Keeps on Slipping ...

away from me, apparently.  Aye!  What a week ~ another crazy busy one, it seems.  Every time I had good intentions on sitting down to post a blog update, something came up.  However, I'm at "lunch" now, so I figured it's as good a time as any to get caught up.

ENT Update:

I had my sinus "surgery" in the office last Tuesday.  Not an experience I care to repeat.  The actual procedure (revising scar tissue and removing polyps from my frontal sinuses) wasn't terrible in and of itself because I was numb from my eyes to my teeth, but the process of a) getting numb from my eyes to my teeth and b) recovering AFTER being numb from my eyes to my teeth was not so thrilling.

(If you don't want to read all the juicy details, skip the next few paragraphs)

After getting settled in the chair of torture exam chair, things got underway by spraying lidocaine up my nose. Next, a squirt of pentacaine in both nares. Step 3 involved taking a piece of cotton drenched in pentacaine and shoving it way, way, way up my left nostril (up to the frontal sinuses).  After marinating for about five minutes, the fun really started.  If you call fun having a 3-inch needle filled with lidocaine poked up your nose and said lidocaine being squirted into your frontal nasal cavities.

Have you ever noticed the similarity between all things ENT and medieval torture devices?  I have.

To give my ENT full credit, my sinuses were completely numb.  There was no "pain" involved while he was digging around in my frontal sinuses.  I could feel pressure and hear the scrape, scrape, scraping sounds of instruments inside my head.  It was definitely a mind game.  As long as I could keep my mental hamster wheel spinning and not focus on the aforementioned, I could keep myself from crawling over the back of the chair.

The total time (from numb to done) was about 45 minutes.  Not that I relish the thought of ever doing it again, but for future reference, it is possible.

And although I could have driven myself home, I was glad that my dad (thanks, Dad!) picked me up and dropped me off.  Once home, especially after the -Caine sisters started wearing off, my head was ready to implode.  Thanks be to Tylenol, my bed, and some kitteh love, I survived the rest of the day.

I did return to work on Wednesday (although I can't honestly say I accomplished much) and was pretty much back to normal on Thursday with only a lingering headache and some sinus pain.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I go back for my one week post-op exam.  Stay tuned for more.

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On Wednesday night I enjoyed my weekly dinner with the fam.  We changed things up this week by having Mexican and it was fabulous!

Thursday night was our first CFF Young Professionals meeting.  I think (I hope!) this is going to be a very interesting group to be involved in.  Although this week's gathering (dinner and drinks) was more of a "meet and greet" rather than an actual meeting, I think the group has the potential to do some great things.  At our first meeting we had two adult CF patients (myself and a 39 year old fibro), two CF spouses, one CF aunt, and several other people who know or have known somebody with CF and are inspired to help.  I know not everybody could be at our first meeting, so I'm looking forward to seeing who attends the next meeting.

This weekend went by FAR to fast (don't they always?).  My super amazing hair stylist called me and I was able to get my hair done ... no major changes this time, although I did change the light silvery-blue from before to an indigo blue.  I was planning on going next Saturday, but it was nice to be able to get it done early.

I also had an appointment at Best Buy to get my new iPod adapter installed in my car.  This is an after market piece that is hardwired to play your iPod through the radio without using an FM transmitter.  LOVE.  Even if the installation took twice as long as it should have (a very long 3.5 hours).  

But it was worth it ... no more heinous FM transmitter!!!  No lie, I have been through at least five FM transmitters and not a single one would play my iPod without horrible static or interference.  The nice thing about this particular transmitter is that it is completely transferable - if (or rather, when) I sell my car, I can have it removed and installed in my new vehicle.

On Saturday night my family and I celebrated our birthday extravaganza (this celebration was for Alex [22], myself [32], Cheryl [52], and my grandmother [29]) at Bonefish Grill.  Excellent food.  Excellent fun.  As always.

And last, but certainly not least, on Sunday we went to the season finale of the Birmingham Broadway Series to see The Wizard of Oz.

Fantastic performance!  I can't wait to find out what will be here for the 2010 - 2011 season.  In July, you'll find me at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta enjoying this:

Obsessed?  It's only my eighth (ninth?) show.  I'm far from obsessed.

And in November (hopefully), you will find me under the lights of Broadway:

and

What I'm Listening To...

For the Broadway fans...

(and I'm one of them!)

Video Recaps Full Episodes Webisodes

Playbills in Review

Anybody that knows me knows how much I LOVE musicals, theatre, Broadway ... shows of any kind. I didn't see as many productions as I would have liked to in 2008, but it was crazy year. So without further adieu:

From Playbills 2008

From Playbills 2008

From Playbills 2008

By the way, I can't *wait* for Wicked to be here in April and I am kind of debating on whether to see the Cirque show that is coming to town. What do you think? I haven't seen the 2009 schedule, but I'm already ready to decide what to see next.