For some reason, I thought that two weeks after surgery, I’d be good as new. I didn’t realize I’d still have a horrible sore throat, a nasty taste in my mouth, a numb tongue, practically no taste buds, and still be tired. The doctor said I should start feeling better in a couple of weeks and my tongue and taste buds back to normal in a couple of months.
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Remember how DG and I were hanging out? Well, he won’t talk to me suddenly. At the end of December, I called him then emailed him to say hi, and no response. I saw him online and IMd him…nada. I have absolutely no clue what happened. But, with the new year will hopefully come new men.
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Since I’m finally allowed to socialize again, my calendar for January is already filling up quickly! I have a girls’ night with Jen, Ann-Marie, and Marisa planned for Italian (what else, since I’m on this soft-food diet still), a coffee date, a Big Brothers Big Sisters meeting, tickets to the Mortified show with my friend Karrin, speeddating, and an outing with my Little.
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I totally forgot to mention–the day before my surgery, my parents took me to Surfas to get my Hanukkah present–new pots and pans! I love them so much. (The pots and pans and my parents.)
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Today is my dad’s hernia surgery. Please think good thoughts for a speedy recovery.
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Okay, on to TV. Anyone else (I know Dori did) watch Top Chef last night? I can’t say I’m surprised by the elimination, and I hope either Ilan or Sam wins. What about Beauty and the Geek? I liked the premier and will watch the rest of the season. I also have In Case of Emergency Tivod and will probably end up recording Gay, Straight, or Taken as well. What are you watching?

I’m back in LA. The scabs almost gone. Yay! Tomorrow morning is my two week follow-up with the ENT, and if all goes as planned, I’ll be back at work following the appointment.

I hope everyone had a very fun and safe New Year’s Eve, and here’s to a happy and healthy 2007!

Random things (from a Tylenol with Codeine induced haze) in random order from the past week:

• Although we didn’t make it to the movies this year (yes, because of me), we had a somewhat Jewish Christmas–we had Chinese food for dinner.
• I have watched John Tucker Must Die (cute), Keeping Up With The Steins (hysterical), and Lake House (didn’t like it at all). I’ve also watched some really bad TV, including the Dr. Keith somebody show (he had Anna Nicole Smith’s mom on), about 60 billion hours of the Food Network, and a Little People, Big World marathon. And other shows too of course.
• If I never eat Jello, popsicles, mac & cheese, or sorbet/ice cream again, I wouldn’t complain.
• My sister took me to 7/11 for a Slurpee on Christmas day. They were closed. I was so sad as I can’t have any [carbonated] soda until 14 days post-op and a Slurpee isn’t carbonated and it feels ohsogood on my throat.
• I’ve taken two, yes two, showers in the past week. And washed my hair once.
• Yesterday was my first day out of the house. My mom took me and my sister for lunch (I had more pasta, woohoo!), then my sister took me for a manicure and to the bookstore. By the time we got home from that little outing, I was totally beat. I have no energy whatsoever.
• Today I get to wash my hair (in warm water!) then my sister and I are going to buy new wallets. You have no idea how exciting it is for me to get out of the house.
• In other exciting news, I put on my (pre-tonsillectomy) super tight jeans and they buttoned with no problem. I think I’ve lost around seven pounds thus far. Which would make sense considering it takes me about an hour to take two bites of food.
• Aside from liquids, the easiest thing for me to eat has been this delicious baked french toast. My family and I thank you for the recipe Deb!
• When the doctor says “there may be some ear pain,” he isn’t kidding. Worst. Pain. Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever.
• On the flip side, said ear pain coincides with the scab forming/sloughing.
• Additionally, I have begun swallowing my scabs. I noticed something weird in my throat last night following dinner, then when I woke up this morning much of the scabs on the right side were gone. I apparently swallowed them in my sleep.
• My parents and sister are all saints by the way.

And in totally unrelated to tonsils stuff, my sister was wondering if anyone knows a place in LA where you can do that inflatable sumo wrestling thing. Don’t ask. We’ve been watching a lot of those MTV dating shows. Also, she’s in the market for an elliptical crosstrainer (under $1000)–has anyone purchased one locally? And if so, where did you get it?

My mom took me to the doctor this morning for my follow-up visit then we headed down to San Diego. The doctor said I’m healing very nicely and faster than he expected. Also, the pain is a lot more bearable today, except my ears are hurting like crazy now. I have managed to cut back on the pain meds, and my mom is totally amazing and patient with me–have I mentioned how awesome she is? I’ve eaten a ton of macaroni and cheese (you need protein Hilary, protein! says my mom) and have been downing water with electrolytes in it. My left hand is totally bruised and black and blue from the IV mess, but it’s beginning to look a little better now. Also, I’m able to speak with a little more than just grunts today. Yay for progress!

I have received beautiful flowers and cards (thank you!), and wonderful comments here on the blog. You guys are all awesome.

In other news, when we got back to SD today, we found out my dad needs to have surgery in a couple of weeks for a hernia. I know, crazy huh? My mom gets to play nurse all over again.

Happy holidays!

Holy shit, I’m in pain. My most amazing mom has been waking me up every four hours to give me ice packs and my meds and I’m still hurting. Once the stuff from the hospital wore off, it was a total different story. the left side of my tongue is totally numb from the clamp now too. Fortunately, my mom is also crushing up all my medicines (I knew that meat pounder would come in handy one day) for me and got me a bell to ring if I need her. And my sister stayed the night last night as well. How awesome is my family? The sucky part is that tomorrow is my dad’s birthday and I have to stay here until Friday (the doctor wants me to come for a post-op then) so he’ll be all alone on his birthday. Crappy, huh?

Unfortunately, no ice cream for me as it creates mucus, and that is something we are trying to avoid because it makes me clear my throat and/or sneeze. Instead, I’ve had pedialyte popsicles (they have electrolytes in them), ice chips, a Slurpee, and Icees from the freezer section of the grocery store. I’m trying to get down Vitamin Water, but the thicker frozen stuff seems to be easier to take.

Today is gonna suck.

Just a quick post while I still have the good drugs in my system. Everything went well. The surgery lasted two and a half hours instead of 30 minutes because my left tonsil was really bad. I had no major bleeding. Century City Hospital is really nice, as is the staff. My tongue is still numb from the metal thing they used to hold it down (yes, gross). The pre-op nurse told me when she put my IV in that it was “messy.” The post-op nurse accidentally OD’d me on pain meds, so I’ve been sleeping a really long time. My mom asked the doctor if it was okay for me to have risotto specifically, because it was not on the guideline-type list of foods I can eat; yes, the doctor’s reaction was what you would imagine it would be. My sister and mom are having fun playing charades with me, and IMing with my sister is proving to be quite beneficial being as I can’t talk for a few days. As the pain meds wear off, the pain is becoming very evident. Finally, my mom is finding it quite fun to take pictures of me with bags of frozen of peas on either side of my neck.

Thanks again for all of your nice thoughts, they are very much appreciated!

Tomorrow is the big day! I’m kinda nervous, but I’m even more excited and looking forward to not having chronic Strep. What a difference that will be!

I’ll try to post something later this week, but in the meantime, happy holidays!

My baking blog has been nominated for a 2006 Food Blog Award, how cool is that? Thank you Rachel for the nomination!
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Especially for Stacey, a tonsil update: Went to the doctor on Monday for my pre-op. Throat and tonsils are red and white (how festive, I know) so I am back on the super super duper antibiotics. Going back to the doctor on Monday so he can take another look and give the all clear for Tuesday’s surgery. If they’re not looking much better, the surgery may be postponed.

In related news, my coworker had to go and one up me by having an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday. (He’s doing well.) I think I just lost major sympathy points from the rest of my team.
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Is anyone else watching twentyfourseven on MTV? No? Umm, then uh, neither am I. But if you happened to catch it, did you also think it was a really cheesy version of Entourage?
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Divorced Dad appears to have been mugged hit by The Bus. I emailed him on Tuesday (to see if we’re still on for this weekend) and never heard back. And of course, my Yahoo email had to pick Wednesday morning to lock me out. I left him a voicemail yesterday afternoon and so far, not a word. At least I’ll have a clean dating slate for the new year.
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While catching up with David the other night, he told me about this new search engine called GoodSearch. Everytime you search for a term on the site, money is donated to the non-profit organization of your choice. How cool is that?
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Last night was girls’ night with Ann-Marie, Jen, and Marisa. We checked out Damon and Pythias in Westwood Village then hit Diddy Riese for desssert. Yum and fun!
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And finally, I have finished all of my holiday shopping (I love Amazon). Good thing too, as Hanukkah begins tomorrow night. Now if I could only remember to buy candles for the menorah I’ll be all set.

This is a very abbreviated Thursday Things as I’m feeling like crap today. Just so you know.
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The other day, I checked my home voicemail from work and was surprised to find a voicemail from an investigator at the Clark County Coroner’s office in Vegas. Turns out he was looking for information on the woman who lived across the hall from me until she died a few years ago. In her apartment in Hollywood. Not in Vegas. A little odd if you ask me.
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Last night was date number two with Divorced Dad. We had dinner at Chan Dara in Hollywood then came back to my apartment and talked for about an hour. It should be noted that unlike Mugged Guy, Divorced Dad did open my car door. But anyway. Dinner was delicious and the conversation was pretty good. I learned a little about why his marriage ended, a lot about his kids, and then we bonded over 80s music and Dr. 90210. I do believe a third date is in the works. Also to be noted: There’s no way Divorced Dad is 5′10″ like he claimed to be, because even with my tiny one inch heels I was towering over him, and I’m only 5′9″. But it’s okay because his awesome arms more than make up for it.
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In TV news, there is no news! Sweeps is over and the programming is all weird now. I have Top Chef and The Biggest Loser on Tivo, so please don’t tell me what happens. And no How I Met Your Mother this week. What was that all about?
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In tonsil news, I got a really bad sore throat on Tuesday afternoon so I visited the doctor Wednesday morning. He did a Strep culture which will most likely be inconclusive as I had only finished my last dose of antibiotics a week prior, and they stay in your system for up to ten days. Anyway, he said it appears I have a virus (yay for a totally shot immune system!), and am to “take it easy” this weekend. And by that he means a) no alcohol and b) no group events or parties. Could there be any worse time of the year for those social restrictions? I think not. And to top it off, this weekend I was supposed to attend my first ever cookie exchange. I’m so sad.

The two good things to come out of the doctor’s appointment were that a) since it appears to just be a virus, my surgery is still happening as planned and b) he sprayed my throat with Novocaine so it was completely numb and didn’t hurt for most of Wednesday. Love that stuff.

Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a crazy headache, bloody nose, and super sore throat. I’m going to pop some Extra Strength Tylenol (oh yeah!) then go back to bed and hope my virus and the Santa Anas are gone when I wake up.

Wednesday
The morning started with a sore throat and a visit to the ENT. He told me it looked like I was fighting something off, and if I got sick, I should start the super super duper heavy dose of antibiotics. Oh joy.

That night after work, I drove down to San Diego in very little traffic, it was really nice. I also spent about 30 minutes chatting on the phone with a new Internet boy; he’s divorced with two boys. (Divorced Guy seems so…harsh. I need a name for him though.) He seems really cool and I’m looking forward to meeting him. Once I got into SD, I started to feel like crap so I did some laundry then went to bed early.

Thursday
Woke up at 6:45 when my sister set the house alarm off by opening her window, then fortunately went back to sleep for a few more hours. I took a look at my tonsils, and yes, those pesky things were red and white yet again so I started the super super duper antibiotics. Blah.

Then we got to cooking. I made corn bread muffins (which ended up going in the stuffing because they were just eh), banana chocolate chip muffins, and the most amazing super duper apple pie ever. My mom made a turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. As usual, we had enough food to feed a small village. Did I mention there were only five of us?

That night, we watched a bunch of Thursday TV shows, saw a mouse in the dining room (from the construction), then Mugged Guy and I spoke on the phone for about an hour. It was a fun conversation; he makes me laugh easily, and we talked about getting together again.

Friday
Slept in! Woke up feeling a million times better than the day before. I’m sure that’s due the 4000 mg of antibiotics I’m on each day. I know, crazy! That afternoon we all saw Stranger Than Fiction–it’s definitely safe to say it’s not a typical Will Ferrell movie whatsoever.

Following the movie we came back home only to find my dad lost his wallet, so he and my sister’s boyfriend searched, called the theater, and searched some more while my mom called to cancel all his credit cards. Then we went out for a very yummy belated birthday dinner for my sister. Of course, after dinner my dad ran into the theater and found his wallet under the seat, a whole eight hours later.

In between the wallet excitement and dinner, Mugged Guy and I spoke on the phone again and made plans for Sunday night. (Don’t get too excited yet.)

Saturday
Slept in again. Lounged around in the morning then went to Bed Bath and Beyond with my mom and sister while my dad and my sister’s boyfriend watched football then had lunch at Rico’s, an old favorite restaurant from our Encinitas days. On our way back home after lunch, I got a text message from Mugged Guy (he’s out of town), saying we need to reschedule because he won’t be back in town in time to go out. (Now you see why I warned you.)

That afternoon, we did some shopping at Banana Republic (jeans, a tank, and a sweater), then went for dinner and came home and hung out.

As always, I had a fun weekend and it was wonderful spending so much time with my family. Now we’re heading out for brunch (mmm, huevos rancheros) then it’s back to LA, hopefully sans traffic.

Strep test came back negative. However, my doctor believes that is because the infection is so deep in the tonsil and the doctor I saw on Thursday (my doc was in surgery) didn’t push far enough into the tonsil to swab that part. Yes, I am aware that is gross.

Good news: I’m feeling better and didn’t need the Rocephin shot in my tuchas.
Bad news: Surgery has been postponed to December 19.

So now I have to fill a prescription for 2000 mg of Augmentin (twice what I’m taking now) and the Rocephin shot and have them both handy in case I get sick again.

I just wanted this to be all over. But on the bright side, at least I’ll get to bake for Thanksgiving in my parents’ new kitchen.

Once again, my tonsils ruled my weekend.

Things I did not do this weekend:

• Go to a lunch I was invited to on Saturday.
• Go out with Esther et al. to the Improv Saturday night.
• Go to a brunch I was invited to this morning.
• Go to the super special Leevees/Guster show tonight.
• Try any new recipes.
• Anything remotely fun.

Things I did do this weekend:

• Receive an email from the guy I matched with at HurryDate.
• Talk to Mr. Tuesday Night on the phone. (Okay, that was remotely fun.) He’s supposed to call me Monday to firm up a date and time. I told him if I don’t hear from him, I will assume he was abducted by aliens.
• Sneeze, cough, and curse my tonsils. A lot.
• Go to the doctor (yeah, he sees patients on Saturday) who said that we’re looking at a 75 percent chance of rescheduling my surgery. I’ll know for sure Monday morning after my pre-op appointment. And oh yeah, I may have to get a shot of antibiotics in my tuchas.
• Sleep.
• Drink lots of liquids.
• Catch up on Tivo’d shows.
• Stay in my pajamas the entire day today.
• Fill out my pre-op paperwork.
• Scrub my apartment with anti-bacterial everything.
• Cry, because I’m frustrated that I’ve been sick so much and just want to feel normal again.

If my surgery is rescheduled I am going to be quite upset, because I was really, hoping this would all be over soon. And also because I missed the Guster show.

Tuesday’s girls’ night/Tito’s Taco’s dinner was, as usual, much fun, and I was finally let in on a secret that one of my friends is pregnant! I’m so excited for her, and can’t wait to use these cute sprinkles that I bought a few months ago.
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In dating news, last night my friend Karrin and I attended Hurrydate. They no longer have an all Jewish night, so I did the regular one. I only put one Yes out of the ten men I met, I just didn’t click with anyone. And I think part of that may be due to the strange age range they had–women 30-40 and men 35-45. Anyway, I’ll know if my one Yes put me as a Yes later on tonight. Stay tuned.

In related news, when DG left on Tuesday night he said he’d call me the following day. And he did. Now we’ll see if he calls before the weekend to let me know whether or not he’s working.
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In tonsil news, only 12 more days to go until my surgery. But…I woke up this morning with a huge patch of white stuff on my right tonsil. I’m hoping to get into the ENT after my dentist appointment this morning. I canceled my dentist appointment and am going to the ENT instead. I so hope I don’t have to postpone the surgery!
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In unrelated to anything news, my Yahoo email was down most of the day yesterday, so if you sent me anything to that address, please resend it.
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Tonight’s dinner plans got rescheduled, which is sort of a relief. I’m desperate to do some laundry and hit Trader Joe’s. Plus, I have about 10 hours of stuff on Tivo to catch up on.
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And that’s it. I know, a really boring Thursday Things. Feel free to discuss whatever’s on your mind, so long as it doesn’t have anything to do with any of the shows I have not yet watched this week.

Just a note to start with: I’m aware of the lag/inability to leave a comment. My once reliable hosting company appears to have grown too large too fast and I’m ready to switch. Any suggestions for hosting companies?
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Have you seen this banana guard? Seriously. It’s real. And check out the last question on the FAQ page.
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Only 19 days until my surgery! But of course, Tuesday I woke up with a really bad sore throat and went back to the ENT for yet another throat culture. I should get the results today or tomorrow–please cross your fingers it’s negative for Strep. Also, during the appointment I got in trouble for using Q-Tips. Remember the discussion we had about this back in August?
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In car news, I’m over the hybrid idea. (The Prius and Civic don’t have a sunroof, and I don’t drive enough to make the hybrid worth the money.) However, since I love my little Honda so much, I’m now looking at the Accord and new CRV.
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Tonight I have tentative plans for drinks with DG. Yes, that DG. And tentative depending on a) how well I feel; and b) how late he’s working.
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In TV news, how happy am I that Mariska Hargitay is finally back on Law & Order: SVU? That blond woman was so annoying; I did not like here at all.

Speaking of annoying…Marcel on Top Chef just bugs. So. Damn. Much.
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In case anyone was wondering, I love my new bag-less vacuum cleaner. It is so cool!
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And finally, this weekend I’m heading down to my parents’ house (where they now have sinks, but still no mirrors). While in SD, I plan on going to Julie’s son’s fourth birthday party, test driving cars with my dad, relaxing, and eating lots of leftover Halloween candy. Fun fun!

Did anyone else read about the newest fad–eyelash transplants? Seriously. It’s for real. And only $3000 an eye.
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I have to set the record straight about Detroit winning game two. It apparently had nothing to do with pine tar, and a lot to do with my dad wearing his Detroit Tigers socks. Don’t ask.
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In TV news, I think I’m the only person still watching What About Brian, aren’t I? Six Degrees is confusing the hell out of me–is her name Mae or Claire? Or does she have multiple personalities? The Cho brothers on The Amazing Race–stupid or nice? I haven’t decided yet. Top Chef–loving it! How I Met Your Mother–still awesome.
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I went to Target yesterday to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Did you know they’re all bag-less now? Too cool. Anyway, the reason I mentioned Target–they have Christmas crap already. Isn’t it a bit early for Christmas stuff? I mean, at least wait until after Halloween, non?
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Totally unrelated to anything else, I want to say a quick hello to my aunt Nan who apparently still reads my blog but never comments. Tsk tsk.
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And that’s it. No tonsil news other than my last culture came back negative for both Strep and pseudomonas. (Yay!) And my doctor gave me strict orders to “be careful about who you choose to kiss.” Fortunately, that seems to be an easy choice lately.

Are Julie and I the only ones who watched the season premiere of What About Brian? If you saw it, what did you think? Seemed a little far fetched to me.

In other TV news, Project Runway rocked. Do you think Jeffrey cheated? I think so.
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Tomorrow two of my friends are coming into town and I am so excited! It’s been a couple of years since the three of us have been together in the same city. One of the girls is pregnant, and I have a feeling the other may surprise me with pregnancy news as well.
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In dating news (ooh, got your attention, didn’t I?), I have a date for Tuesday night with a guy who thus far, checks out quite well. No red flags. No weird phone conversations or emails. No crazy girlfriends emailing me. Anyway, please think good thoughts.
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Remember how the other day I said the new antibiotics were making me jittery? Well, I went home from work early on Tuesday because I was extremely jittery and nauseous and feeling really out of it. I called the doctor who then lowered the dose and increased the number of days. All good, right?

That night, I relaxed at home, talked to Eve, my mom, and my sister, made dinner, took my medicine, and found a comfy spot on the couch. Then I realized oh fuck, I took a second dose of the antibiotic when I took the second dose of the antiviral drug. (Did I mention I was really out of it?) I called the pharmacist in a panic, who basically said I’ll be very jittery and dizzy and nauseous (which of course, is exactly what I was hoping to avoid with the whole lower dose thing). I got no sleep that night. I watched TV until about 2:00 a.m. (my Tivo is now empty), tossed and turned, would fall asleep for about two minutes then jerk awake, fall asleep again, then wake up dripping wet with sweat. I called in sick to work (which really sucks because I need those sick days for my tonsillectomy) and slept Wednesday away, save for the I’ll Prove My Baby Is Your 14th Child episode of Maury.

And to top it off, I still have a stupid sore throat.
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And finally, how about them Tigers, hmm?

Just a note that in case you don’t see any new posts for a few days, not to worry. The doctor called today and said that although my culture came back negative for Strep, it came back positive for something called a pseudomonas infection. (Any doctors out there care to shed some light on it?) Anyway, the antibiotic he put me on, Levaquin, makes me a little jittery so I don’t think I’m going to be sitting in front of the computer any more than I need to. I’m going back to see him tomorrow and will ask about a different drug and some other stuff.

Have I mentioned how anxious I am to get my tonsils out?

Weekend Stuff
I’m sick again. More details about that in the Tonsil Update part of this post.

Friday night after work, I had food delivered to my apartment. The total was $15.04, so I had $20.04 (plus two singles in case he only had a $5 bill) ready for the delivery guy. I gave him the $20.04, he said thank you, and began walking away. I asked him for my change, to which he replied, “I only have $2.” Which meant of course, he got a $3 tip. (I usually only tip delivery drivers $2–am I cheap? What’s the going rate?)

Also, I have two issues: First, isn’t it a bit presumptuous of him to think I was giving him a $5 tip on a $15 delivery order? Secondly, don’t delivery guys normally carry at least $5 in change?

Okay, now that that is off my chest I can bore you with details of yet another “take it easy” weekend where I did the following:

• Blog housekeeping. You may have noticed that the smilies in the comments are working again (you’re welcome Elise), and all links are now on the links page rather than in the sidebar. Yes, this is what happens when you have to live in a bubble and not get sick until after a tonsillectomy. You find random shit to do.
• Finally figured out how to download pictures from my cell phone to my computer.
• Managed to hit Target, the market, the dry cleaners, and clean my apartment before I crashed for the night.
• Watched four (yes, four!) Law & Order episodes.
• Realized that ohmygod, there is actually a chance of Detroit winning the World Series.
• Bought new tops at Banana Republic and Macys. Good sales.

Next week is already looking super busy and next weekend I have some friends coming into town from Michigan and Colorado. Lots of good stuff going on!

Tonsil Update
For those of you interested in my tonsils, here’s the latest: I woke up Thursday with yet another sore throat. Went to the ENT who said it’s probably viral because my temperature is below normal and my tonsils are pale, and those are both signs of a viral infection. Who knew? Anyway, he put me on some anti-viral medication (again, who knew?) and told me to get a flu shot ASAP and “take it easy” yet again.

The doctor also gave me a sheet of paper detailing what I can expect following the surgery. Basically, I’ll have a super sore throat, a swollen tongue, and horrible bad breath. Yay, can’t wait.

Good news: My last appointment with the ENT showed that the antiobiotics are doing what they’re supposed to do; I am currently Strep free which means we can begin the countdown! We’re looking at doing my surgery sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yay!
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In the last few weeks, I have twice seen tourists carrying a book called California for Dummies. Seriously.
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It’s not too late to Ask. I’ll answer over the weekend.
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A few LA peeps have asked me when the next LA blogger bash will be. Anyone interested in going? Or rather, planning it?
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I’m a Netflix dropout. Yep, I put my account on hold because right now, there’s just too much good stuff to watch on TV.
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Speaking of TV. I really enjoyed the season premiere of How I Met Your Mother and I still want to marry Josh Radnor. I thought Studio 60 was just sort of eh. Law & Order SVU was really freaky, but what’s with Mariska’s character leaving again? I thought the new eps would be post-pregnancy, but she was quite obviously pregnant in the season premiere. And tonight is Grey’s and Six Degrees. Thank god for Tivo. What shows have you enjoyed?
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I love Amazon. When I ordered my all-in-one printer, I noticed that unlike the newer model, the one I ordered didn’t qualify for free shipping. I emailed customer support inquiring as to why, and they explained that not all items qualify, yada yada yada, and due to my misunderstanding, they refunded me the shipping amount. Just like that. I didn’t even ask for a refund. Talk about good customer service!
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And finally, tomorrow afternoon I’m heading down to Del Mar to spend Rosh Hashana with my parents (Bethany is still in NY). May you have a happy, healthy, and sweet new year. Shana tova.

Warning: Boring rambling post. Mainly about my tonsils. But also my ass.

I had to cancel my trip to Seattle. (Fortunately, I booked with Alaska Air and they give credit for the amount of the ticket and charge a $50 re-booking fee, which really isn’t too bad.)

I woke up this morning feeling horrible (or as my sister would say, like ass) and called the ENT. My right tonsil was suddenly bright red and hurt like hell. The doctor switched my antibiotic to an even more super duper heavy duty one and told me if I’m not feeling better by tomorrow afternoon, I need to come back in and get a shot of antibiotics in my ass. (Okay fine, he really said caboose, not ass.) And oh, my tonsils are for sure coming out.

I asked him about the coblation tonsillectomy that I’ve read a ton about on the Internet. He said he has performed it but didn’t notice much of a difference with his patients’ recovery or bleeding so he doesn’t do it anymore. But he did say they have an awesome marketing campaign going on. [ed. note: Nanette, tell your former coworker.] Also, he mentioned that I need to be as bacteria-free as possible for 6-8 weeks before I can even have the surgery performed. At this rate I’ll be old and poor–with all the money I’ve spent on doctor’s visits and drugs I could have bought an iPod. Or two. Anyway, he also said that I should expect a 10-14 day recovery period and should plan on missing at least one week of work. And thanks to the Internet and my obsession with reading up on potential surgeries, I found out that the recovery includes scabs forming and falling off, and me swallowing them. Yummy. Or as the doctor said, protein.

I promise once this bacteria thing is under control and I feel like a normal person again, I will write more interesting posts. Unless you like reading about my tonsils.

Because Thursday is just too far away and I have no witty thoughts or anything exciting going on at the moment.

My Strep test from last week came back positive which is good news (I know, it’s sad when you’re hoping for Strep) because now we know that it is in fact bacterial and there’s a teeny tiny glimmer of hope that the super duper dose of antibiotics will work permanently. And I may win the lottery too, but whatever.

I’m debating rescheduling my trip to Seattle and going down to San Diego for the long weekend instead because I’m not feeling one hundred percent and my energy is seriously lacking. I don’t know what to do about the trip, I am so torn.

And in related to Seattle news, while searching for “what seats on airplanes don’t recline,” I stumbled upon Seat Guru. It’s quite informative!

And finally, thanks to everyone who emailed me about the tonsillectomy!
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Now on to totally unrelated to tonsils stuff. Tomorrow night is my monthly dinner with Jen, Ann-Marie, and Marisa; we’re going to Nook. I had to make reservations two weeks ago. Insane. But it’s so good.
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I was a little disappointed with the Entourage season finale. It just seemed so predictable. Thoughts?
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Am I the only one watching the Gene Simmons reality show on A&E?
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Lately, I’ve found myself saying If I get married… instead of When I get married… and it makes me sad. And it makes me want to slap whomever will follow-up with, Not if, when! You will get married! Shove it.
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I’ve been recruited to volunteer at the annual Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters poker tournament again. However, unlike other years, rumor has it this year a) there is an open bar; and b) the majority of the 200 players are men in their 20s and 30s. Woohoo.

Lots of stuff going on:

• Went to ENT at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. The blood work showed no autoimmune diseases which is good news. However, that means I most likely need to get my tonsils removed. The doctor prescribed me a super duper heavy duty antibiotic (800 mg a day for 10 days!) as a last ditch attempt to get to the bacteria inside the tonsils. This usually doesn’t work, but it’s the last thing to try before declaring surgery a must. I go back to him on September 8 and that’s when we’ll make the final decision. But at the moment, all bets are on surgery. Has anyone had their tonsils removed as an adult? From what I’ve heard, it’s way more miserable than having it done as a child.
• I returned to my office around 8:45, and shortly after settling in, received a whispered phone call from a coworker telling me that someone had been let go. Yep, the layoffs were in full force–fifteen people this time, including a friend from my department. Needless to say, it was a sad day and no one did any work.
• This weekend, I had my Little over for a sleepover. I took her to Mulberry Street Pizza for dinner, then across the street to Color Me Mine to paint pottery (she chose a penguin bank, I chose a cupcake shaped container), then to the market to buy ice cream for dessert and pancake mix (I know, for shame!) for the morning. While at the market, I noticed Magic Shell and asked her if she liked it. She told me she’d never heard of it, and after I explained what it was, she responded, “is it from the olden days?” I told her if she wanted chocolate chip pancakes in the morning she’d better quit asking me if stuff was from the olden days. The agreement was going well until she inquired about the song “Gone Daddy Gone” by Gnarles Barkley. I told her that I had the CD by the Violent Femmes, and she said, “huh?”
• My sister stopped by to pick up a messenger bag I loaned (gave?) her to take to NY where she will be for the next month working on a show that shoots out there. I’m so jealous, and I will give her specific instructions on what kind of dragees I want her to bring back to California.
• I made English toffee.
• I’m leaving for Seattle Friday evening. I wish my trip was later in the month though, because a) my throat is horribly sore and b) the antibiotics are doing a number on my stomach.
• Though he’d disagree (I’m working, I want to see you but I’m busy working), I think it’s time to call DG a victim of The Bus.
• Yes I live in Hollywood; no I did not go to Sunset Junction. I suppose that makes me totally uncool. But I did hit the Hollywood Farmer’s Market so maybe that will help up my cred.

I can’t wait for my trip. And even more, I can’t wait for my throat/glands/body to stop hurting.

I took a look at the TSA site to see what I can and can’t pack in my carry-on. And what did I learn? Well, I can’t bring toothpaste but I can bring KY Jelly. Uhh. Because we all use KY Jelly on airplanes, right?
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This week has seen some good eating with girlfriends. Tuesday night was sushi at U-Zen on the Westside with Ann-Marie and Wednesday night was Buddha’s Belly in my ‘hood with Eve and Marnie. Both were delish and lots of fun. And I even left Buddha’s with a souvenir–a pea from the edamame in my bra. Don’t ask.
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The other day I was getting lunch in the basement of my office building and saw a guy I thought looked familiar. After racking my brain trying to figure out how I knew him, I realized he’s emailed me numerous times on Jdate. Oops.
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Went to the doctor on Tuesday to show him my tonsils and have blood work done. He thinks the reason for my misery is either a) some sort of infection (not good) that will hopefully show up in the blood work; or b) bacteria inside my tonsils (gross, I know) that would require a tonsillectomy. He advised me to go back to the ENT on Friday when the blood work comes in. Hopefully I’ll know more then, because I’m beyond tired of being sick all the time.

Things that sucketh:

• People who won’t make plans until the last minute, for whatever reason, but especially the ones that do so because they’re afraid something better may come up.
• Other people’s drama.
• People who get in the elevator before the people inside get out.
• The comeback of ugly 80s clothing.
• Flakey people.
• Boys who use IM instead of the phone to inquire about dates.
• White dots on my tonsils. Again and again and again.
• No current dating prospects (aside from IM-using DG).

Things that rocketh:

• The new Guster CD and awesome seats for the show.
• My hair today.
• Next week’s trip to Seattle where I will not only be staying with my cousin, but I’ll get to see his band perform at a concert in the park and visit with my aunt and uncle and go to Bumbershoot.
• Dinner with friends tonight and tomorrow.
• The remodeling of my parents’ house is scheduled to be completed in September which means I can finally go visit them and see Julie and her boys.
• Surfas.
• Car wash in the parking garage and dry cleaners in the lobby at work.
• Season premieres that start shortly!

The end.

The white dots on my tonsils made another appearance over the weekend (thank you Mono!) so I decided it was time to visit an ENT and have everything checked out. As part of the new patient paperwork, I was asked if I snore. I know I’ve snored in the past, so I checked Yes.

Fast forward to the exam room and the doctor noticing I did not answer a couple of questions. “Has your sleeping partner ever had to leave the bedroom because of your snoring?” he asked me. Umm. Sleeping partner? “I uh, don’t have a sleeping partner,” I told him. “Okay, so you’re single,” he said. “Yes, I am sans sleeping partner. But if you know of any nice Jewish boys, let me know,” I responded. “My wife’s friends are first in line for those,” he said. “Sorry.”

Once my marital/sleeping status was confirmed, he continued with the exam, and after looking in my ears asked me, “You don’t use Q-Tips to clean your ears, do you?” Thinking this was a trick question, I hesitated, and tried to figure out how this was at all related to my sleeping partner-less snoring. “Um. Yes?” I answered. “Never use Q-tips to clean your ears, they’re not intended for that. If you need to, use a hair dryer to dry them when you get out of the shower,” he said. “Your ears need wax like your eyes need tears.”

And so, I left the ENT’s office with three new thoughts: 1) Not only am I single, I am officially sleeping partner-less; 2) I may not snore, as I have no way of knowing since I am currently sleeping partner-less; 3) Q-tips really aren’t intended to be put into small body orifices.

So yeah, my week is starting out well. How’s yours?

*You know how the saying goes, “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” Well, if I snore in bed but no one hears it, do I really snore?

I woke up at 6:00 to my alarm then quickly went back to bed. My throat was killing me and my tonsils were huge and covered in white dots. (Yes, I know that’s gross.) I immediately left a message with my doctor hoping he could get me in for a strep test then went back to sleep.

Half an hour later, DG called. When I sounded half asleep, he apologized profusely, saying he thought I told him I was up at 6:15 everyday. I told him he was right but that I stayed home sick today, and that we would need to reschedule our rescheduled date. He said no problem, told me to enjoy some really bad TV, and to call him to let him know what the doctor says.

So I slept and watched TV for a couple of hours then went to my appointment. My doctor said I have either strep (which is unlikely because a) the rapid test came back negative and b) I have a cough) or another infection related to my mono. Apparently mono never completely goes away, and viruses that won’t bother other people will bother me because of the stupid mono. He did some bloodwork to see if it’s viral or bacterial and until we get the results back on Wednesday, I’m taking antibiotics. But anyway, I called DG on my way back from the doctor to fill him in. Turns out, when he got to work, he was asked to go to Vegas for work tonight and won’t be back until Friday or Saturday. He said he’ll give me a call when he gets back into town and we’ll figure out another day to get together. I’m hoping to see him before my birthday (which is Monday in case you want to buy me a gift), but I doubt that will happen.

I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps DG and I aren’t supposed to have a third date.