Update: I ended up going to a different Super Bowl party than the one below. My friend ended up not feeling well and called me at the last minute to cancel. So, I called another friend and went to another party. I had a good time, and all was well. At the end of the day, I feel I was where I was supposed to be, so I have no complaints.

I will be going to my first real Super Bowl party in a few hours. Last week a friend sent me an email about the party and asked me if I wanted to go. With advance tickets only being $5 I said sure. So, after I finish this post I’ll begin getting ready to attend the 2nd Annual “Stewperbowl” hosted by 2 Live Stews, two brothers (biological, that is) by the last name of Stewart who host a sports talk radio show here in Atlanta.

I’ll do a post about how the party goes sometime after I get back.

Today is Friday and I’d love to go out and do something… maybe take in a movie at Atlantic Station, or something. But, I’ll be here at home near the bathroom. Yeah, it’s looking like it’s going to be one of those days. As for the remainder of the weekend, who knows. I’ll probably spend it doing YouTube videos and shopping online. I wonder if I can find a shoe sale…

Check out my new hair! But, excuse the swelling under my eyes. I was really tired and my allergies were really bothering me. I have no excuse for my eyebrows, though – just know they’ll be taken care of ASAP; especially before I wear this wig out somewhere trying to look cute, LOL.

I’m wearing the FREETRESS Equal synthetic lace front wig, in the style named Beyonce. Futura is the name of the synthetic fiber, and it’s heat safe up to 400 degrees. Yes, ladies, you can use your flat irons, steam rollers, and curling irons on this wig! One of the best things about this wig is that the hairline is made to mimic a natural hairline – no more straight-edge hairlines that make you look a HAM.

It’s 3:50 AM. I am awake. Damn.

The culprits? My shoulders. I tossed and turned for awhile trying to ignore their soreness, but I’m a side sleeper so it was a losing battle. So, I finally got up and massaged Icy Hot into both of them and put a heating pad on one. When I laid back down it was 3 AM on the dot. At 3:45 I gave up trying to get back to sleep and got up.

I went to the grocery store today and had to lift a few bags, some of which were kind of heavy. I think the up/down and side/side movement I had to do to load and unload the bags is the reason they were hurting. As usual, my right shoulder hurt the worst. My primary care doctor back home (before I moved here) said I needed physical therapy. I never followed up on that, but I think I need to.

Well, I’ve been up for 1.5 hours and I’m still not sleepy. I think I’m going to try to find some tutorials on how to create an introduction for my videos. I have Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum. The easiest method and program wins.

This is my third time living in Atlanta, and I don’t remember it ever snowing. We’ve had flurries, but nothing sticking. Last night’s snow is still on the ground, despite it being very sunny outside. For the last few weeks, Atlanta has not lived up to it’s nickname, Hotlanta!

It’s COLD in Atlanta. Just.Friggin’.Cold. Right now, at 11:15 in the morning, it’s 22 degrees outside. Today’s high is supposed to reach 37 degrees. I was supposed to have dinner with one of my BFF’s today, but she won’t have any moolah until after 6 PM. Sunset is at 5:46 PM today, and the temp is supposed to drop to 19 degrees. NINETEEN DEGREES! Unbleepingbelievable! Uhmmmm, my public transpo dependent behind is staying in the house.

She and I are going to have to try for tomorrow (43/24) or next Monday (48/29). As much as I want to sit down and catch up with my sisterfriend, it’s just too cold. She might have her kids in tow, so I definitely don’t want those babies out in 19 degree weather waiting for MARTA.

It’s 8:30 PM and I’m trying my best to make it to 10 PM. What I hadn’t been able to accomplish in the last 3 months, after a bad cold this past September got me off schedule, my holiday house guests accomplished in a week: getting my sleep cycle back on a normal schedule.

When I tell you that the first few days were HELL, please believe me, LOL. But, my cousin needed me and she had a very active and very verbal 23 month old in tow, so I did what I had to do. It sucked that as soon as I started feeling human again – as opposed to feeling like a sleep walking zombie – she had figured out her next move (the visit wasn’t 100% social) and was going back to South Carolina. But, I’m glad I was able to help her in her time of need. I told her, but I don’t think she really understands, how much she and her boys helped me get my sleep cycle back on track.

I got to go home to Greenville for about an hour on Christmas Eve. It’s a tradition, on my dad’s side, for everyone to gather for food and fellowship. Despite this year being cut short for me, I’m glad I was able to go – especially since my cousin Roland (backed up by his fiance) told me I looked healthier/better this Christmas than I did last year.

I had mentioned to him that I’d gone into remission from Lupus, and he said that he could tell that I was better, because last year my face was very swollen. I told him that this time last year I was on 3 immunosuppressants: Imuran (low dose chemotherapy in pill form), Plaquenil, and Prednisone, but now I was only on Prednisone, and was being stepped down off of it as we spoke. He and his fiance said they could definitely tell the difference over last Christmas. That was REALLY good to hear.

What’s more is that I think I lost a few pounds. This past week, I put on some jeans that I hadn’t worn in months – like I don’t remember the last time I wore them. But, what I do remember is that they were uncomfortably tight, especially around the waist. So, I hung them up and just let them be. But, this past week, I had relatives from out of town visiting and I needed to grab some pants quickly, so I pulled those jeans off the hanger and put them on. Not only were they now comfy again, but I actually had some slack in them. They were still form fitting (nothing can hide my badunkadunk), but I didn’t feel like I was stuffed into a sausage casing, which was how I felt the last time I wore them.

My next step is to start my long-awaited exercise regimen. My apartment complex has a 24/7 fitness center and I have an 8 gig iPod Nano to ease the pain, LOL. I was just waiting for the “all clear” to do more than light walking. Okay, I don’t have the all clear yet, but I’ll get it soon. I can’t end 2010 still this size! This is the largest I’ve ever been, and I’m not used to being a “big girl”. I don’t eat a lot (something my country cousin – and her mama – used to cooking BIG meals lamented, LOL), so I know I’ll lose and tone when I start exercising. I’ll still have the issues that come with Fibromyalgia, but exercise will help, and the bottom line is that this may just be a case of “no pain, no gain”.

For a week, I’ve answered to the name Michael. Why? I hosted my cousin and her 2 sons, 12 years and 23 months, in my home from Dec. 23rd until today. My little 23 month old cousin ASSIGNED me the name Michael, LOL. Out of nowhere, he started calling me Michael and refused to call me anything else. It was too funny, and he is so adorable that I just answered to it. I’m going to miss that little stankabutt.