Worst way to wake up

I woke up this morning in maybe the worst way possible . . . ok so maybe not the worst way (fire, burglary, tornado, hurricane are a few worse ways) but for anyone who has had a cramp in their calf, they know what I am talking about. Dead asleep at 6:40 a.m. and all of a sudden it feels as if I have been shot in calf. I couldn't stretch it out, I couldn't reach my toes to try and pull it out of the softball-like knot. I couldn't even bring myself to feel the knot in my calf. Renea thought I was having a heart-attack.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?"

"AAARRRGGGGG"

"What is it?"

"CRAMPPPPP!!"

I could bearly get the words out. Lying there for what seemed like forever, in actuality it was closer to 60 seconds my leg and muscle finally relented and I got out of bed and was able to stretch it out.

Now the biggest fear when getting the cramp is that it will return and soon. So all morning I have been on edge thinking that that the next move I make will bring me down. And of course when relaying the story the answer is bananas. "Eat bananas that will make it go away." Little too late for that advice.

YEEEEEOOOOOWWWW!

Ok, this morning I needed a kick. Specifically a caffeine kick, so I decided to go to Speedway and pick up a coffee. I saw as I was walking through the door a Shockwave Energy Coffee (with more caffeine) so I thought, "Let's try it." So I poured myself a cup and was on my merry way.

I am not a huge coffee drinker, but on occasion I will have a cup and lately, when it is cold, I find myself drinking it more and more. Usually caffeine doesn't bother me. I could drink a Mountain Dew right before bed and be ok. But man, this Shockwave stuff was STRONG. Within the first 5-10 sips it started to hit me, and what it made me do is drink it faster and that might have been the problem. I downed a 20oz cup of coffee in less than an hour and I was flying. It is 2:30 p.m. and I am still buzzing. So take care in drinking some of this. Rarely does something claim that it will do something and actually back it up.

Also as a little tip that was forwarded to me by my buddy Frank. Stephen A. "Cheese Doodle" Smith has a "online blog" (as opposed to an offline blog). Now I am not suggesting that you read the blog. I wouldn't do that to you, BUT skip straight to the comments. Most of them are very funny, some are written by some ignorant fools, but most are in jest. Enjoy!

XBOX back!

Ok, because of my paa-thetic blog postings as of late I didn't write about my XBOX dying. Partly because I was heart broken and partly because I am lazy (yea I said it).

Any-who, a couple of days before the new year my XBOX got what is known in gamer circles as "THE RED RING OF DEATH" (I am contractually obligated to say it like that) which basically makes your XBOX an Atari circa 1980. Luckily XBOX extended the warranty (out to 3 years from its purchase date) on all 360s this summer so mine was covered. The process to get it fix was relatively easy. But the time the XBOX was gone and how long it took the get just the box for me to mail it back in took forever. I called them to report the RED RING on the Sunday before New Years. I didn't get the box to ship it back in until Jan 9th. I then took it directly to the UPS store to drop it off and I tracked it (or stalked it, whatever you want to call it) until it arrived in Texas. I called last week to check on it, they said, or rather the automated voice said, that it had been repaired and I would see it in 3-5 working days. The gave me no stalking number so I could follow it so I had to just wait.

Well yesterday it came back. FINALLY! And I am not real sure who was more excited. Me, cause well it is my XBOX. Renea, because I am not coming to bed the same time she goes and therefor not pestering the hell out of her until I fall asleep, or Owen who seemed to be the most excited about it because he now gets to play his motorcycle game.

I have to say I was a little surprised about how excited Owen was. I mean he liked playing the games and all, but he certainly isn't addicted to it like me, or so I thought. He couldn't wait for me to get it all plugged back in and to put his game on (and it isn't even a full version of a game, just a demo).

Overall I didn't have to pay for anything, and plus Microsoft gave me a free month of XBOX live to make up for the month I missed.

So now all is right. I can now take the frustrations of the day out on the University of Michigan in NCAA football, the Patriots and Tom Brady in Madden and all of those little kids online in Halo 3.

(I do have to point out this though, when my iPod broke a few years ago, I mailed it back in a box Apple overnighted and 2 days later I had a new iPod, Apple still rocks in my mind).

Water Flavor Packs

I am not a big water drinker, but I have tried over the past few days to add more water to my day and drink more of it. One thing I started buying about a year ago was the little packs of flavor to add to your water. Some of them are pretty good and some, not so much, but I have found what may be my favorite flavor . . . Grape. Kroger's brand grape to be specific. It doesn't make the water purple, but more of a cloudy color and it really adds a nice flavor to the water. It doesn't make it seem like watered down grape juice. I have had it the last 2 days in the water I take to work out. It is pretty good. I highly recommend it if you have an aversion to water "straight-up" like I do.

Little Perk

I enjoy listening to music at work. Sometimes it gets boring listening to the songs in my iTunes and also the songs on Pandora (see below) but I have Sirius radio now and I have been listening to it for the past few weeks. It is nice (when it works) and it gives me a ton of variety. My 2 favorite stations for music: Radio Magaritaville and Coffee House Café. Both are good "working" music stations. Helps me relax. What I would prefer is using headphones so I could crank it up, but then I wouldn't be able to answer my phone and people who come into my office with no appointment (actually that wouldn't be so bad about the latter.)