Random Tidbit #1: Mel and I have named my laptop "Captain Syphilis". Cookie if you get the reference.
Random Tidbit #2: My harddrive, however, is named "Simmons 2.0". Two cookies if you get this one.

To say right now that I am pissed would be a vast understatement. Turns out those funny buzzing noises my external harddrive's been making? Means it's kaput. Dysfunctional. Dead. It is NO MORE. It has CEASED to BE. What do I have to say about that? I think I can sum it up nicely into two simple words.

GOD DAMNIT!

Not only is the fucking $120 harddrive broken, according to Sai there is NO way to retrieve the data contained within it. Initially I was pissed and like "okay, I'll live... even though I lost Seasons 1-2 of Numb3rs, season 1 of Bones, a bunch of L&O franchise eps, some anime I'll never find again and half of all of my fucking music and the scans of my sketchbooks. Fuck that's gonna take forever to redo. On the drive home I realized something else.

ALL OF MY FUCKING PICTURES WERE ON THAT THING. MY DIGITAL CAMERA PICS, OTHER PEOPLE'S PICS THEY GAVE ME... ALL OF THEM. FUCKING GONE. I'm between screaming/tossing the harddrive out of the window and crying. I haven't printed any of those. They're LOST. I'm really devastated by that part.

And to add insult to injury? Sai says my CD drive is broken. That I need to get a replacement which'll run me at least $90. FUCK.

If my external drive isn't still under warranty, I'm gonna kill the asshats at Best Buy who sold me this thing.

Oh, and FYI? The ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat Specialist) says I might have early-onset Meniere's Disease. Fucking fantastic. I'm gonna curl up and cry now.

[I’m feeling| Upset, angry ]
[Current Addiction:| Innocence ~ Avril Lavigne ]

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Yea though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil,
for thou art with me

Requiescat in pace, Joseph Vasseur.

[I’m feeling| Crushed ]
[Current Addiction:| How To Save A Life ~ The Fray ]

(Taken about 7:30 AM CST through my bedroom window)

Emily: It's April.
Bri: IT WAS FUCKING 60 AND RAINY OR SUNNY FOR LIKE A WEEK. I really wish i was kidding Em.
Emily: Wow. Well -- at least it's not a blizzard?
Bri: Lemme put this in perspective -- there was NO snow when I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 4 AM.
Emily: So when did the snow show up?
Bri: It is now 7:39 AM. When I was sleeping apparently.
Emily: Huh.
Bri: No wonder I'm not allowed to sleep! I sleep and it fucking snows!
Emily: LOL.

...Fuck this shit, I'm moving to Florida.

[I’m feeling| Pissed off and tired ]
[Current Addiction:| Keep it Gay ~ The Producers ]

So... yeah. Long time since I've really updated this. Guess there's not much to talk about. Been working a lot. Been sick the last 3 weeks, missed a lot of work, gonna get fired if this keeps up. Tom, my sleep doc has me on Mirapex for RLS and Roserem for the insomnia, though I'm hesitant about whether the latter works, since I still wake up at least 3 times a night. I'm going back on the 30th to meet with one of their experts so yeah.

( Updates on stuff no one cares about )

I'm taking steps to get back into school. I printed off an application to Anoka Ramsey Community College and about 10 pages of stuff I need to know. I'm going to shoot for an Associate in Arts degree (which is basically the generals I need when I transfer for my BA). I looked up tuition (minus residency costs) and I was blown away. ARCC full-time (30 credits) one year came to about $4,345. One year at College of St. Catherine without residency was $28,000. I'm cutting costs by about 24 grand a year. What does this mean? I CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD COLLEGE. I'm so excited and ready to get back into school. Summer semester begins June 2nd and I'm gonna call the admissions office for an appointment with an advisor to discuss what transfers over from CSC and what I want to take for summer semester.

[I’m feeling| Satisfied with college stuff ]
[Current Addiction:| Somewhere to Hide ~ Matt Nathanson ]

Time to cut my f-list again. Comment to stay on.

Will cut Wednesday, April 16th.

[I’m feeling| Apathetic ]
[Current Addiction:| CSI:NY ]

Today was a good day. Well, aside from not sleeping worth shit, anyway.

I worked a full six-hour shift without getting too dizzy to stand or just being otherwise sick. I spent the entire duration back in lumber making friends with Kerry, our new Commercial Sales CSA. He's a real laid-back, fun, sweet guy who can't operate the computer for the life of him. So I helped him out with a delivery order and all that.

Later, a woman came in with a big deck project she needed ordered for pick-up later. I pretty much got the amount needed, item numbers for product, and put it all together with little help from anyone. I was really proud of myself today.

So I left work after finishing and ringing up that huge order and went to Mel's house to hang out for about an hour. She and I went to St. Cloud State University for a cultural seminar she has to write a paper on. It was supposed to be Japan Night but the tickets sold out so we went to Ebony Night which focused on stereotypes involving African-Americans in our culture today. There was an amazing keynote speaker and Mel and I had fun with it.

RED VS BLUE CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY! *wiggles~* Movie marathon. Seriously.

I get really loopy when I'm lacking sleep and I've been holed up in bed for over a week. I kept making really random Family Guy references all night.

[I’m feeling| A little loopy ]
[Current Addiction:| Saturday Night Live ]

This is what happens when I help Mel with her Pathophysiology homework.

Bri: *reading out loud* Your aunt Harriet phones to say that she lost the dietary suggestions her doctor gave her after her peptic ulcer was diagnosed. She wants to know if a soothing glass of milk before bed would be a good idea. She also wonders how her prescribed H2-receptor antagonist works. Indicate how you should respond to each question.
Mel: The receptor attaches onto the side wall, and it’s like the bouncer. When the histamine wants to come up and get into the club, and the bouncer says, "No you can’t come in". So it like keeps the histamine out of the lining of the stomach and asophagus which is the club. See the histamine is like a drug dealer, and the antagonists are like the bouncers. So they basically keep the drug dealers outta their club. Aww yeah~!

( HEPATITIS )

[I’m feeling| Amused as hell ]
[Current Addiction:| Not So Kool-Aid ~ Dane Cook ]

And I want to kiss all the boys.

Attention F-list:


Mel and I will be (by the end of the month) the PROUD new owners of the entire Red vs. Blue series on DVD. It is the most costly impulsive thing either of us has done in a while and it's gonna be SO FREAKIN WORTH IT MAN.

That ends this Public Service Announcement brought to you by Church and Tucker, Inc.

If it's a sniper rifle... only I can use it.

Thank you. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming. And ourselves to Mel's Pathophysiology homework.

[I’m feeling| WHOO! ]
[Current Addiction:| Mel asking about mood themes ]

Kit, Naru, Mel - this year's Take Back The Night Rally is in Loring Park (on Hennepin Ave) in Minneapolis (again) and I would really like to attend it (again).

But I can't go alone. Physically, yeah I can. Am I brave enough? No.

It's on Thursday, April 24th from 6 PM to about 9:30 PM.

Emcee: Leigh Combs of KFAI's "Fresh Fruit"
Keynote Speaker: House Rep. Karen Clark
Performances by Ashley Gold, Jessica Lopez Lyman and Indigo!
March led by the MN Roller Girls!

Kit and I heard Ashley Gold perform at last year's rally and she really was amazing. I know there will be buses to Loring Park from Macalester, Hamline, and St. Kate's but I don't know about the U of M. Which isn't a big deal because public transportation goes that way and I have a car.

This would mean a LOT to me. Kit, you can bang on the drums again!

[I’m feeling| Sick of being sick ]
[Current Addiction:| Breathe ~ Greenwheel ]

Many thanks to gothkittyn for sharing this with me. I love hormones.

This is (supposedly) a letter an Austin woman sent Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It's PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down t he beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from 'the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jenifer fought a violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants ... which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'

Are you #$%@* kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin, chocolate and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bull. And that's a promise I will keep. Always.

Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin

[I’m feeling| Amused ]
[Current Addiction:| When Your Mind's Made Up ~ Glen Hansard ft. Marketa Irglova ]

I am still taking requests for the icon meme, so feel free.

For Kit-monster alina_cantha:
(by sunlitdays) For those special fandom-wank snowflakes and general idiots who make me want to bang my head against the wall.

( The rest )

For Mel golden_whisper:
(by those_icons) (1.) It's Stephen Colbert. (2.) It just... perfectly sums up my feelings for some people some days. Plus it's just awesome.

( The rest under the cut )

[I’m feeling| Crappy ]
[Current Addiction:| Deal or No Deal ]

Because I promised Liz and Emily adorableness.

( Kittens! )

Adorable kitten video - linked because LJ won't embed the fucking thing.

[I’m feeling| Pissed at Photobucket ]
[Current Addiction:| Hollywood's Not America ~ Ferras ]

Two this time, both stolen shamelessly from Emily - iluvroadrunner6 - because she's awesome like that.

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee. Whoo!

To be edited as more people pick icons of mine.

For Emily iluvroadrunner6:
(made by daquien) I love Adam. Seriously. He's the most adorable man ever. And the 3-D puzzle of doom would've made me wanna kill something too.

( Icon Squee-age Below )

01. Post this on your journal.
02. Your friends will comment with some of your fandoms and/or characters from said fandoms.
03. In a new post (or in comments) respond back with one or two of your unpopular opinions for that fandom and/or characters from said fandoms.
Fandoms: CSI:NY, Law & Order (all three), Desperate Housewives, The Dresden Files, House, X-Files, Women's Murder Club, Numb3rs

[I’m feeling| Moody ]
[Current Addiction:| Hook Me Up (Tommy Trash Remix) ~ The Veronicas ]

Sleep apnea, collapsed palate, sinus issues, and RLS aside... I finally know why I can't fucking sleep.

Because 9 times out of 10 when I have to get up early (read: before 10 AM) for work, my brother's three alarm clocks go off at 6 AM but he doesn't fucking WAKE UP so they go off for half an hour until I wake up and go in the next room to shut them the fuck off. Grandma and Kelsey still have to get him up every morning so why the hell do we have 3 alarms? I'm gonna disconnect all of them.

Also because Lily insists on meowing LOUDLY for about an hour to go out but when I let her out, two minutes later she's outside the door meowing to come back in. Then she won't shut the hell up. I'm going to kill that cat one morning.

Btw Mel? Apparently Mom and Brittany have decided Petrie deserves to die so we're putting him to sleep. If you'd like to come over tomorrow after school and say goodbye, that would be good. We won't go into my opinion on that because it doesn't matter. And Jack died the other day. But he'd made it three days after getting hit by a car for a third time, so it was his time.

Today I get to piss off the Powers-That-Be with my note for my appointment with Tom since the Sleep Study went so horribly they had to knock me out with pills just to get me to sleep and Tom was gone by the time I was conscious. Hey, I'll take an 8-2 shift over an 8-5 anyday. Especially today.

Today's gonna suck. I can feel it. And I'm getting sick again. Also- it's supposed to snow again. I fucking hate Minnesota somedays.

This morning calls for an extra shot of espresso in my iced mocha.

[I’m feeling| Pissed off and exhausted ]
[Current Addiction:| Footprints In The Sand ~ Leona Lewis ]

CSI:NY/Eddie Cahill fans on my f-list, keep a lookout at shadows_in_fire for Flack icons this weekend. Because this week's challenge at dflackicontest is a good one. Anna seriously died. Into a melty little puddle. I also owe iluvroadrunner6 iconage of the GORGEOUS new Flack episode still from Modern Day.

I'm not kidding, Eddie Cahill has the most amazingly gorgeous smile I've ever seen. We'll ignore Anna drooling and whimpering and needing a really cold shower for now.

( Cut for gorgeous )

Yes, that was the entire point of this entry. And this.

Murphy: Here's an idea. Do you know anything about basketball?
Anna: Yes. We played basketball on our first date.
Murphy: So, the weather there is good right? Go play basketball again, lots of physical contact and groping in the name of sports. Work him up a little and bam.
Anna: *pauses, starts to laugh* "Groping in the name of sports"?
Murphy: Hey, ten bucks it works.

[I’m feeling| Happy in the pants ]
[Current Addiction:| Granite ~ Pendulum ]

I'm filling out an application and I need help answering two questions, please.

What would your friends say are your best qualities?

What would your friends say are your worst qualities?

Help is appreciated. Kthxbai.

[I’m feeling| Blah ]
[Current Addiction:| Mel and Mom talking ]

Alright, here's the skinny -- and I'm keeping it brief because I'm at the Dunn Bros Cafe on University in Midtown St. Paul on their computer -- the sleep study went well.

I have Restless Leg Syndrome and Sleep Apnea, as well as a collapsed pallet(sp?).

Basically? My legs twitch, I snore/stop breathing about 15 times an hour, sleeping on my back makes it worse, and feel like I'm choking.

I slept from midnight to 1 AM when my tech came in to put on a CPAP breathing mask. Which apparently helps my oxygen levels. I slept til 6. Later my doc came in and showed me my results.

I did not reach REM sleep once.

Yes, that's right. Actually, I never even reached Stage 4 sleep. Any med student or Psych student knows what that means.

As my doc so eloquently put it -- "I don't sleep for shit." and my running joke with my coworkers -- "I don't sleep, I just pass out for random intervals of time" -- is actually a fact.

So? I have Requip for my Restless Leg Syndrome and I go back for another study the 25th. Whoo!

This all explains the memory loss, fatigue, headaches, and my spell back in September with the passing out and such. At least, it should. By next year (once we nail this) I should be back to NORMAL sleep. I don't even know what the hell that feels like anymore.

And my PTSD is a big part of why I don't sleep. Cause it all started when the memories flooded back. Long story.

So yeah, I'm off to Half-Price books to pick up the next two Dresden books and then Borders for the one Dr. Ellis recommended and then to Roseville for lunch with mom!

I feel like such a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm not going crazy. This can be fixed.

Because I was tagged by nerdtopian.

Comment here and I'll...

1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, a word etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favourite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you must post this in your LJ.

[I’m feeling| Doo doo doo ]
[Current Addiction:| American Idol ]

List 10 things that have made you happy recently and tag 10 people to do the same

Ten Recent Joys For Bri
1. Vacation! *victory dance*
2. gusthemoose and the nipples conversation
3. Finishing The Dresden Files Even though it made my Morgan/Anna shipper come out of hiding to bug me.
4. 2-Hour Storm Front -- with Murphy and Harry TOTALLY MAKING OUT. *spasm*
5. druinsanity and Danny! *flails*
6. c_masterminds
7. Walking With Prehistoric Beasts on Discovery Channel *happy wiggle*
8. Mouse and Mister *adorable!flail*
9. Making new friends in Kas and Lisa
10. Women's Murder Club being "renewed" for 3 more episodes

I tag...
Whoever the hell wants to do it, lol.

[I’m feeling| *happy dance* ]
[Current Addiction:| Walking With Prehistoric Beasts ]

Dear LJ,

Thank you for bringing me to Liz. She is made of epic win.

Case-in-point?

Bri: *slaps stomach* Stop that!
Liz: *weird look*
Bri: It’s growling at me!
Liz: Oh... I thought you hit your boobs. I was like, "what are they saying to you"?
Bri: *dies*
Liz: "Play with my nipples~!"
Bri and Liz: *ROTFL for about five minutes*

Bri: Now it hurts and it's growling at me!
Liz: Maybe you should stop hitting it. ...Play with your nipples.
Bri: *DIES*

I rest my case.

[I’m feeling| Amused ]
[Current Addiction:| If You Were Gay ~ Avenue Q ]