I hate last week. sooo badly.

Before last week, it'd been a good long minute since I'd had a "bad day."

Needless to say, I honestly can't remember the last time I've had an entirely hellish week [and a half]...

(not boasting, just sayin'...)

Let's break it down:

-I got a $245 speeding ticket for going 47 in a 35 (who knew Green Valley Pkwy was 35?!) on a day that my work made me stay home (schedule fell apart and they didn't need me to come in, therefore no pay for the day---second time it had happened in a week. awe$ome. :|) while I was on my way to the gym...AND, I don't have any "connections" with the Henderson Police (/"a-hole") Department, so up-goes my insurance, on-goes the points (to my driving record) and down-goes the amount of money in my checking acct.

(there are so many negatives in that horrible, single, run-on sentence I almost want to cry...or puke, just reading it).

-I had to "deal" with my prank caller.

**back story: the Monday previous, I was checking my phone while leaving the gym and noticed I had a few missed calls (very rare, typically one, maybe two, never more than that--people don't call. They text, email or skip communication altogether). So, I was a little more than surprised. I immediately checked my missed calls and all 4 calls were from a "private number." I tried blocking "private calls" but my phone wouldn't allow it. I didn't think too much of it though, and headed home. Before I could get in the shower, my phone started ringing, I went to see who it was (notice I don't say "answer it" there...ha! so true..."call screening" is an epidemic in this antisocial/fake world we live in, isn't it?) and it was the Private Call again. I decided to answer (just to figure out who it was and either 1. let them know they had the wrong number--even if they didn't-- or 2. ask them to quit calling) and to my ...pleasant surprise, there was a bit of a pause after I said hello...and then the guy BURPED into the phone!!!

I WAS ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING!!!

Immediately after he burped, the phone hung up and so I followed suit. I figured it was some young, dumb, bored (too many adjectives? :P) guy just playing a prank and that he'd gotten "it" out of his system and would move on...

Boy was I wrong...

He called back about a minute later, I answered, he burped, I HYSTERICALLY laughed (no joke. I must be 5. I thought it was freakin' funny) then he hung up.

This went on and on and on and after the 20th call or so, I stopped answering (I kept answering, honestly, because I thought he might leave me a "burping" voicemail and, no matter how funny, I HATE VOICEMAILS!!!).

He did end up leaving one voicemail that went a little something like, "......BURP..........you like that, don't you? beat that! why don't you challenge me?! " In a voice that sounded EXACTLY like Snoop Dog's (no joke. I've got it saved on my phone, if you'd like to hear).

Anyway, he/it/whatever called another 30 times that night, and I would just reject the call or let it ring on silent. No more voicemails though. The next day after work, I had another 15 missed calls from the "Private number," and that evening, I rejected a few of the calls, and he kept calling back more frequently (like he knew I was off work and could answer/reject/acknowledge the call now. It got to be reeeaaally annoying (and more than slightly-creepy). I figured out that if I just let the phone ring and ring, never rejecting or answering the calls, they came less frequently...but they still came. By Sunday night, I was fed up (yeah, I lasted 6 days). I called t-mobile and asked if they could track down the private number. The very nice lady with the help-desk let me know that I would have to file a police report and then they could figure out where the call was coming from (LeAnna, the other hygienist I work with, thought it may have been a spam or prank/joke from someone I know that has the ipad, because her father in law has an application on his ipad that can perform anonymous/private call - pranks to people he wants them to go to). I really didn't want to have to do that, but I did. I called Henderson police, the lady said she'd get a case written up for me and they'd let me know when/if they found anything out. I haven't heard anything back from the po-po's, but I also haven't had any "private-calls" either...so blah. I'm happy/over it.**

moving on...

-Monday was Valentine's day - I don't dislike this "holiday" but it seems really forced and ungenuine to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it seem as tho people simply "go through the motions" on this holiday (dinner, chocolates, roses), rather than attempting to make an earnest effort at ingenuity or originality? Also, I cleaned the love of my life's teeth (a patient I'm absolutely enamored with.....that happens to be amazing...and cute...and successful...and happily married...and expecting his first child...>:\ blah.) and...yeah. That sucks (in a "I love seeing him, but hate seeing him" sort of way...)

-I found out last Tuesday I might be out of a job. They're thinking about consolidating the hygiene schedule at my work because it's been falling apart so frequently, so they'll only need one hygienist, which means I'm either 1. Out 2 days of work, or 2. Out of a job. Awesome. That, mixed with a fervent hatred for the management/changes happening at that job made for a greeeaaaat week of work.

- Also, Tuesdays are my loooong days (leave the house at 7am, come back home at 10pm) and last Tuesday I DESTROYED my shoulder at work, added insult to injury while teaching that evening, and then slept on the dang thing SO wrong, therefore, when I woke up on Wednesday, I thought I might be dying (I woke up at 3am to the pain of my back/shoulder and, if you know me, you know I don't get up unless I HAVE to). I put some icy/hot patches (multiple, yes) on my shoulder and took some (1600mg) ibuprofen, and then tried to go back to sleep (unsuccessfully). I worked that day, but was in miserable amounts of pain. By Wednesday night I couldn't raise my arm anywhere NEAR shoulder height, but just tried to put heat on it and took more pain-reliever. That night I woke up multiple times in excruciating pain (the pain got worse when laying down....awesome.), and couldn't sleep throughout most of the night. Thursday was equally as miserable as Wednesday, but it was my "Friday" so I just sucked it up and made it to the end of the day then...went home to die. I opted for no gym again that night, but needed to do something more productive than I had the night before (which was spent moping and suffering) so I gathered my tax documents together and dropped them off at my tax-lady's house.

By Friday, I was drained and thoroughly expected things to start picking up....

I got a lovely email from my tax lady saying I owed $2,000 in taxes this year because I, "make too much and don't have enough in deductions."

KILL ME.

By this time, I had been so mentally, emotionally and physically beaten up, I honestly couldn't have cared less about the money. Yes, the situation sucks...but what're ya gonna do? BLAH.

So NOW things are going to pick up, right?

The highlight of my week was to be Saturday's big game (Matty's team) against my Boss's sons team (the Iron Man- who were also undefeated)...

Friday night I went out and got a drink (calm down, it was a 79 cent GIANT coke zero from the circle K---though don't think I didn't SERIOUSLY consider something stronger...) with a friend and VENTED about my week. A few hours later, I came home to my mom telling me that Matty had just finished a 2-hour-straight puking stint. Poor kid. I was sad and desperately (which may feel like a tad-too dramatic of a word to use there but in truth, you COULD. NOT. capture my feelings more accurately) hoping he'd still be able to play in the next day's game.

Luckily, when he got up on Saturday, he felt a lot better but still wasn't at 100%. I'll post about the game later, but one looonng (poorly called, unfairly ruled) story/game later, Matt's team lost. Matt played an AMAZING game (all things considered), but my boss's son scored the "winning shot" with 19seconds left, leading them to a 2 point victory. Such a bummer!

SO...punch after punch, swing after swing, and hit after hit after hit...I came home early Saturday evening and mentally, emotionally and physically tapped out.

You won last week Universe, without a doubt...you won*.

When I woke up on Sunday, I knew...things could only go up from where they were...and so far so good (I don't have alopecia --a story for another time--, I don't live anywhere near anywhere that has "freezing weather" or "ice storms"--shout out Jen, and thanks for the reminder--, and I am healthy --unlike most of the other family members I'm currently living with--). I'm grateful for last week...that's a hunk of b.s......rather, I'm enlightened by last week and, if anything, have learned (as if I haven't already learnt the lesson from past lessons, trials and experiences) to seriously, no, really...seeeriously, be grateful for the big things...but also the very little things....

Such as:

Sisters who, no matter how much they dislike you, always have your back!

An adorable little brother who, more than willingly, brushed and blow-dried my hair when I was (honestly, not being a pansy here) incapable of doing so myself.

The cooler behind the kitchen table...

which is the unexpected winter-home of our beloved and spoiled pet turtle, "baby turtle"

this guy at the mall...

that I caught a glimpse of while walking past the "trinket/doodad" store next to Express...and who reminded me a very little of:

this guy...and some other character I can't quite put my finger on (any help?)

and for living in Las Vegas...where your "Sunday best" may also be seen in a strip club...

and for my little sister who, like me, does NOT take herself too seriously (and looks like...some dr. seuss character, mixed with the joker..)

and for a mom who supplied this box of fun...

Which allowed for the following works of art

(dare I say, transvestite masterpieces...?):

Here's to a MUCH better week (know anyone looking for a hygienist?...)

~Cheers!

*note: i am very aware that "it" could get/can be/has been worse, but this week really did suck...and this is my blog, my venting mechanism and my therapy session. Sorry if you don't like it.