Swine Flu?

Are we facing a crazy world epidemic? Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of dirty rednecks like closing down international borders! So the Swine Flu is all the rage these days, and, I'll say it - I'm totally into it. Not into the kids dying in third world countries into it, because that would just be cruel. No, rather, I'm into thinking I could see a live, syndicated version of Outbreak, sans monkeys, plus pork.

They tell us its okay to still eat "the other white meat", just like you can't get chicken pox from eating the delicious hot wings at the Cedar Inn.

My bet? Not that big of a deal. I base this solely on Wolf Blitzer's comment, "Will the Swine Flu truly impact society? Discussion when we return. Here's a hint: no!"

Hard work does pay off!

I had a big fundraising event this weekend. I mean BIG. I'm in charge of raising $1/2 million, and this event was goaled to raise $176,000. Needless to say, the volunteers I work with are AWESOME. We've been working our butts off since September to pull it off, and it was hugely successful - $191,000 and counting.

Looking back, having a meeting every single Sunday night, getting phone calls and text messages on Tuesday nights at 10 pm from volunteers, or having printing requests on Saturday nights at 7 - it could frustrate a girl. However, honestly I would bend over backwards for these kids because they make my job so much easier.

My co-workers don't let me forget that this event is, year after year, incredibly successful. Not necessarily in a congratulatory way, but in an "I can't believe your volunteers are so great and you must not do anything" kind of way. It pisses me off, especially knowing that I've literally given up every single Sunday during their Spring semester, sans Easter, to have a meeting. And that I had to up my text messages because thats how "kids" communicate.

PS these "kids" are in college - but they're kids to me because I've known so many of them since they were freshmen. And they're graduating this year. Talk about making a girl feel old.

Anyhow, I'm feeling contemplative about the rest of my events sucking balls. Wish some of these kids would graduate and move to middle of nowhere Minnesota to help me out there.

No, Cubs NO!

I had the amazing privilege of going home to Milwaukee this weekend for Brewers opening day. Well, technically I went on "second opening day". Some douchebag in the scheduling department has made some egregious errors and scheduled opening weekend as the Cubs' Series. Seriously? Let's talk economics here. I know I was only a measly Liberal Arts student, but even I get the importance of allowing stupid Cubs' fans to come spend their money in Milwaukee. Opening Day is historically the biggest ticket sales day of the year, with the Cubs series a close second. Why would you combine two huge money making events into one? NOT to mention that the Twins/Brewers Series is scheduled for a Tuesday-Thursday. Guess they just lost my ticket sale, there is no way I can come back for game during the middle of the week.

Regardless - Opening Day was impossible to get tickets for. So Leff's had their world-famous tailgate party on "Second Opening Day". Hot mess, says I. The game was at 6 pm, which means the 1 pm drinking start time was SUPER.

And today - Easter Sunday. Hallelujia, Christ is Risen and I haven't thrown up. I seriously thought about it. I even skipped church. Mom was proud. I told her God didn't want me in church if I was still drunk.
Then, I made it to South Central Wisconsin (relax, Dad drove my car) without dying and got to take a nap. Then, my young cousins got to learn a lesson in overindulging in beer from their much older, wiser cousin as I walked around with a Diet Coke cooling my head all afternoon.

I survived the drive back to Minnesota too. Didn't even puke once.

So proud.

Ouch.

I forgot to mention that I joined the Y on February 28th. Ouch. However, I've worked out more in the past month than I have in the past 6 years - not joking.

I'm so out of shape, it's sad. My 100 pound weight fluctuation is starting to freak me, my parents, and my friends out, so I decided it was time to take care of it.

I have decided that I can afford the $60 month if I stop eating fast food (also will be better for me) and if I try to bring my lunch to work more often.

Next step: Find a zero calorie beer.

Cruisin'

When I bought my new (to me) car back in December, I was just so excited at the idea of taking on bigger responsibility with another loan actually owning something the bank owning me for the next 5 years, and inevitably the rest of my life. Well, in my excitement, I test drove a 2009 version of the car I planned to buy. LOVED IT, and they assured me the cars were the same, just the 2009 version (vs. 2007) had satellite radio - like I need that, I have enough voices in my head, I don't need the Cafferty Files going on in there too.

Anyhow, I came back 2 days later, check from the bank in hand, ready to sign over my life. So I saw my new love of my life in the parking lot and got really excited. The guy (not sleazy at all, seriously), expected me to sign over the second I walked in the door. I think my dad was a little floored when I said, "Uh - no, can I please test drive the car first?" because normally I'm assertive, but not normally just an outright bitch. So we hopped in the car, and jumped on an on-ramp to the freeway. I reached down to click the cruise control button... and reached... and took my eyes off the road to check where it was. Hint: not there. No cruise control!!! I was livid. "The exact same, but no satellite radio" my ass. Honestly, I wouldn't have been so ticked if I didn't already have a check from the bank for the exact amount of the car, plus the loan had been done on the VIN number for that car.

Anyhow, long story short, I was fuming when I got back to the dealership. They decided they would cut me a deal - they would have cruise control installed at dealer price ($300 vs $700) and I would pay half ($150). I said I could deal with that. Since I bought my car in Milwaukee, I needed to have the CC installed in the Cities, so I finally just got it taken care of today. It is AWESOME.

I know what you're thinking, cruise control is the lazy man's driver, but I drive SO much for work, and to visit Milwaukee. I've put on 8,000 miles on this car since I bought it in December (and lied to my insurance company about it too!), so cruise control is vital.

And I'll leave you with this:

Luck O' the Irish!

WHAT A TIME! 7th annual St. Paul St. Patty's Day Pub Crawl commenced. Mind you, I haven't even been of legal age to drink for 7 years, but this was indeed my 3rd year on the crawl. And - big news - the first year I've actually stayed out until bar close.

The point here, friends, is that the pub crawl starts at 11 am. 14 hours later, I got home.

Friends and I woke up early on Sunday - starving. Jimmy John's did not open until 11, but you better believe they had an online order waiting for them, circa 10:15 am. I almost hugged the poor high school senior when he delivered it to me. My BFF was very excited that she could finally prove that someone else lived in the house, not just her and her Turkey Tom, no tomatoes but with cucumbers.

However, pre-Jimmy John's - the WIBFF (Wisconsin Best Friend Forever) started talking about her boyfriend throwing up the night before. Yes, I was hungover, but this definitely didn't bother me. Even when she talked about how he threw up on her. However - then she mentioned brushing her teeth, and I immediately gagged. Just the thought of shoving something down my throat seriously made my mouth all hot and wet (and not in the good way, but in the I'm going to throw up and if you're in my way I won't hesitate to throw up on you way) and I had to rush to the bathroom to get it all out.

This would be the first time I've puked from drinking in 2009. Brava. This would be the 3rd time I've puked from drinking in my life. However, I puke swallowing pills and thinking about brushing my teeth, or even just thinking about puking or thinking about brushing my teeth. Just writing this is making me gag a little.

Maybe I need to see a therapist.

Plus the big stupid fundraiser this past week is done, and now I can move on with my life... until I have to continue it this week at HCMC.

Just keep swimming...

Or running, or staying awake and not falling asleep at your desk because you've worked 3 - 16 hour days in a row and are so distracted by work that you fall asleep thinking about it, dream about it, wake up thinking about it, and think about it in the shower to the point of being so distracted you wash your hair twice because you can't remember if you already washed it.

I've decided to take control. I'm going to get back into reading trashy romance novels before bed so that, at the very least, my dreams can still be my own. And Lucky Stetson, the Texan who will be visiting my dreams after I'm done with the next book.

So far its working really well. My blood pressure is down, I don't want to kill my boss, I don't care that my cubicle is outrageously messy, and I am not grinding my teeth in my sleep.

Let's hope it keeps up through the busy summer of work.