I had chosen to work from home yesterday, and now I’m glad that I did. There were a few things around the house that *had* to be done, and I was feeling pretty proud of myself because I had gotten up in enough time to get an early start on things. At 7:30 I opened my work email and worked on a few things there. I made breakfast and piddled around in the kitchen a little bit and was feeling pretty good.

Then it hit me … the Mother of All Headaches.

About 10 I started feeling it, the crushing pain on the back of my neck and my temples. Then my eyes started throbbing. I thought, “No big deal, I’ll take an Axert and a hot shower and that’ll help.”

It only got worse from there.

I started feeling nauseous. I mean REALLY nauseous — we’re talking Lamaze-type breathing just to try to keep volatile projectile puking my insides out nausea.

It didn’t work.

I was unable to hold food down pretty much all day. I drank some juice. That didn’t work either. I had to ride out and pick up Jessie’s new glasses, so I did that and thought that picking up one of my favorite meals might help perk me up. I got home, took another Axert and a Sudafed, and sat my happy butt down to eat some Krystals chiks. (but I held off on the hotsauce this time, dont’chaknow!)

Bad idea … WTF was I thinking?!

I had about 2 fries and those “came back to visit.” By this point it’s 2:30, my head feels like it’s in the Vice Grips from Hell, my heart is racing wildly, I’m afraid to take anything else, and I’m calling my doctor’s office to see if she can work me in. The receptionist asked me if it was an emergency. I said, “Well, if she can’t see me soon, I’m going to the ER right now!” She put me on hold for a moment and asked me if I could come in at 3. Jessie’s school is a few minutes from my doctor’s office and I knew I could pick her up and swing by there.

I swear sometimes I think I need one of those medical alert bracelets or something when I have one of these “Uber Mega Headaches from Hades”!

Poor little Jessie, she is the absolute SWEETEST person on the face of this earth — when she wants to be. ;P And yesterday, she took one look at me and said, “You’re paler than you usually are. Are those my new glasses? Cool!”

LOL.

She patiently sat with me in the waiting room while I waited for my name to be called, and talked to me the whole time to keep my mind “off being sick.” (Isn’t that adorable?) I think she looked at nearly every magazine in the room and took care in pointing out everything to me. When I turned away from a food advertisement, she asked what was wrong. I explained that I was trying hard to concentrate on not throwing up, so food didn’t interest me right then. She’s quiet for a moment then says, “Oh. Well food interests me a LOT. I’m hungry!”

That’s my girl.

Jim had texted me to tell me he was leaving work and should he meet me there. I was told by one of the nurses that it would be best if someone came to pick me up when we were done, so I told him to “come on.” We had been called into a room and sat down with my doctor’s nurse. I explained what was going on and what all I had taken up to that point (and what I think came back up). Jim comes in right before the doctor shows up, so he gets to sit in there with us too. (much to Jessie’s delight!)

I explained to her what all happened and what I had taken. She takes my blood pressure and my pulse (by this time it was down closer to normal). She runs several tests and determines that it wasn’t flu or anything, just a really bad migraine.

I think I would have much rather had the flu by that point! ;P

She asks me if I want a shot to ease my pain and nausea. I agreed, and while they’re being prepared, we’re told that I’m not to drive for the rest of the day/night. Jim looks at me and asks about my car.

At that point, I was ready to give it away … gimme the damned shot!!

I told him that I would leave it there and pick it up the next day (today). He didn’t like that idea and voiced his concerns. The doctor looks at me and then at him and says, “She cannot drive if she gets this shot.”

I looked at Jim and said, “I am GETTING this shot!” We had to sign some sort of release form stating that he was driving me and would not let me drive yesterday or last night.

So I get a shot of Nubain for the migraine and a shot of Fenergan for the nausea. The migraine went away within an hour, but my nausea mostly subsided. It was never really gone until this morning when I got up.

I’m feeling much better today, but God help me, I don’t ever want to go through one that strong again!

I got home this afternoon and was surprised to find that a package had arrived for me. I didn’t remember ordering anything and didn’t recognize the return address. I opened the box and found that it included a stack of memo pads, stickers, keychain, t-shirt, and stuffed cow — courtesy of Sim at Utterz!

Utterz is the service that I’ve been using to post things to my blog from my cell via their handy widgets. I can also update my Twitter as well as a whole multitude of blogging platforms and popular social networking sites if I so desired. You can post text, video and pictures by email, or call in and voice post. (or post directly from their website!)

And BTW, I totally blame Mojo Denbow for introducing me to Utterz!

Swag is always nice and I am tickled pink to have received these utterly cool goodies! Thank you Sim, and thank you Utterz … you guys rock!

I’ve tried very hard to keep a positive outlook about our team and our coach. We started the season out great last year, but quickly fell into an abysmal losing-streak that continued through the end of the season — it seemed that we just couldn’t get out of the rut, couldn’t get things together in time. I’d had a lot of hope for the next upcoming season. But little by little I can see that the coach I *thought* we had, we don’t really have at all.

I’m fired up, I’m mad, and I just gotta say: What the Hell, Saban?

Within the 14 month span of your reign at Alabama, eight football players have been arrested. Five of which occurred on The Strip. If you ask me, it’s high time you institute some tougher rules, a curfew, and light a fire underneath the ass of each and every one of those boys!

What Alabama needs is a coach who can LEAD these boys and turn them into men, but we don’t have that. Apparently we have the ACLU Coach of the Year. What the hell happened to your infamous “rough” training regimen? Or the leadership we’ve been promised?

Let’s examine recent events …

There’s starting linebacker Prince Hall, who has been “suspended indefinitely” for “for violating team rules.” And this isn’t the first time this has happened for Hall either. In fact, he began the 2007 season with a one-game suspension for “violating team rules” and went on to be suspended for a half later on in the season.

It sounds to me like he needs a “come to Jesus” talk with you, Coach.

Earlier this week, Rashad Johnson was arrested for disorderly conduct at The Strip (what a surprise!). This guy is a team captain, and he is setting a VERY BAD example for the other (younger) players on his team!

What are you doing about this, Coach?

And then there’s redshirt defensive end Jeremy Elder who was arrested last week for robbing two students. Last I read, he’s been dismissed from the team and withdrawn from the school altogether. While I agree that the punishment in this case was swift and just, the fact of the matter is that he didn’t have the notion impressed on him enough that he needed to stay OUT of trouble in order to play.

Anyone with half a brain can remember that if they screw up they can’t play anymore, IMO.

Moving onwards back, we have two walk-ons who were arrested in December for assault. Quarterback Thomas Darrah and fullback Jacob Vane were restricted to “scout team duty” and were not allowed to play in any games. That’s a good start, but again these boys didn’t have the notion impressed on them enough either.

In August, Simeon Castille was arrested for disorderly conduct — at The Strip.

In July, Roy Upchurch and Brandon Fanney were arrested for disorderly conduct — also at The Strip. (Anyone seeing a pattern here?) In that same incident, Brandon Deaderick was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, resisting arrest and providing a false name to police.

This is just me, but …

If any one of these were my kid, I’d get in his face and say, “Screw up again, and you’re out of here.” It’s not hard, and you need to seriously grow a set and show these kids that if they act like punks, they’ll be treated like them — toss ‘em out on their ass!

Today’s funny bit came to me via email from my pal Cookie:

Alabama Blonde

Two bored casino dealers are waiting at the craps table. A very attractive blonde woman from South Alabama arrived and bet twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) on a single roll of the dice. She said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I feel much luckier when I play topless.”

With that, she stripped to the waist; rolled the dice; and yelled, “Come on, Southern Girl needs new clothes!”

As the dice bounced and came to a stop, she jumped up-and-down and squealed “YES! YES! I WON! I WON!”

She hugged each of the dealers…and then picked up her winnings, and her clothes, and quickly departed. The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded. Finally, one of them asked, “What did she roll?”

The other answered, “I don’t know… I thought you were watching.”

Moral of the story:

Not all Southerners are stupid.
Not all blondes are dumb.
But all men… are men.

Both Beth and Uncle Monster have sent this to me. This is perhaps one of the best (cutest!) explanations of Star Wars Episode IV. Made by www.fistofblog.com, featuring his 3 year old daughter: