So this running thing. It's awesome. Seriously. However...running outside in Salt Lake makes me really sick. Not in a metaphorical way, in a literal losing my voice, sore throat way. The combination of cold, dry air and pollution really did a number on me this past weekend. And I'm so frustrated, because you're not supposed to get sick when you're trying to work out, right? I was trying to do something good for me, and instead I'm stuck sounding like a smoker.

Oh well. Best intentions, right?

Which brings me to the song for today. Years ago I heard Heather Small's 'Proud'...can't remember where. I immediately put it on my gym playlist, where it has stayed. Fast forward and The Biggest Loser uses it as a theme song, as well as (get excited!) The London 2012 Olympics!

Now, I love the Olympics. And every time I remember they're this summer it makes me happy. I was trying to find the original video from when they were bidding for the games, it had the song and a bunch of school kids talking about the Olympics, and was really fun.

But I couldn't find it.

I did, however, find something just as good. Behold, a new(ish) promo video for the games featuring the song and a really clever gimmick. My favorite are the fencing businessmen.

I rang in the New Year coughing and sneezing and aching. Oops. Guess all that travel and school stress caught up with me. The trip home was worth it.

Today I've been laying low and watching Netflix. But really all I want in the world is You've Got Mail. I'm pretty sure Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would cure me.

Right? Right.

teeth. Warning: I'm about to talk AT LENGTH about my wisdom teeth. Since I missed a whole week of blogging because of them, it seemed fitting to write an update.

Let me take you back a few years ago, to when I was living in New York and my dentist said he wanted to take my wisdom teeth out in the next six months. I was fine with this. I had great dental insurance, and I had friends who could take care of me after surgery, and my mom was only two hours away in case I needed her. So, the time came for my next cleaning and I went in prepared to schedule oral surgery, since all four of my teeth were impacted. But this time, my dentist says that since my teeth haven't moved I should just wait it out. He said I could be 90 years old before they caused any problems, and as long as I wasn't having any pain, I was OK.

Fast forward to last week, and me spending four days doing little more than lying in bed with tears streaming down my cheeks because I'm was in so much pain. I could feel my teeth throbbing in my toes.

Yeah, that happened. Luckily, my parents live two hours earlier than I do, and on top of that they wake up insanely early, so calling them at 4am to cry was an option.

"Get thee to a dentist!" my father said.

Just kidding. He didn't say that. He said that tooth pain is legitimate and the doctor wouldn't laugh at me if I said I had a toothache. The doctor suggested the maximum dosage of Advil and lots of icing and rinsing with salt water. Doesn't that sound yummy?

Let's take a road trip for a moment...back in my senior year of high school I got really sick. With whooping cough. Because I am clearly living in the 1800s when people got whooping cough. It's actually pretty common, look it up.

Anyway, I was really sick. Like....couldn't sleep or breathe or eat or anything. Once when we were reminiscing about it my mother actually said the words "I thought we might lose you." So yeah. Sick. Not near death, but it's good to know my mom loves me. I had to use two different inhalers and take the most foul tasting cough syrup I've ever tasted. But after the first couple times I took that stuff, I looked forward to it. Because I knew that it would make me feel better and stop coughing so I could breathe and/or pass out.

That's what the salt water rinses became. As gross as they are, they are such a relief.

So I'm icing and rinsing with yummy warm salt water and taking Advil like it's my job. And it's not working. I give in and call the doctor again and she called in a prescription for Lortab, which I'd never taken. And hope to never take again. Yes, it stopped the pain, but it also left me so groggy and dizzy that I wasn't sure if it was worth it. Who am I kidding? It was worth it. The point is, I didn't feel right again until about 8 hours after I took the thing. I went to dinner with a friend and took exactly three bites of mashed potatoes before realizing that eating was a thing of the past on Lortab.

Well, after a mess of appointments with dentists and oral surgeons, I'm finally scheduled to have all four wisdom teeth extracted, as well as work done on the teeth adjacent that were damaged by them. Should be a reallllly fun time.

The good news? Harvey is flying out to take care of me for the weekend. I pretty much have the best parents ever. Don't even try to measure yours up to mine. They will always win. Know why? They're short, and therefore cuter than your parents. So on top of being awesome and wise and giving and loving and kind and hilarious and all those things, they are ADORABLE.

All I want to do is chew something. In the past five days of eating soft food I've determined that chewing is essential to feeling full. And happiness.

I want to eat chicken or pizza or SOMETHING THAT'S NOT PUDDING.

I thought I'd be feeling much better by now, but I'm not. And I'm going a little bit stir crazy from being in the house since Tuesday. I've been trying to keep myself busy (vacuuming, cleaning my room and bathroom, going through all my clothes, painting my nails, watching a lot of movies) but I think it's time to go outside. Even if it's only to go to the grocery store and pick up more soft foods...because that's all I can swallow.

Oy.

Can I whine just for a little? Please?

I have strep throat. (and for some reason, whenever I type that, I want to spell it strept)

My throat had been a little bit sore since Friday, but things really escalated Sunday evening. I took some Tylenol PM hoping for 8 hours of deep sleep, but at 1:42 AM I was wide awake. And tossing. And unable to swallow.

I knew it was time to admit I was sick, and made an appointment at the health center for later that afternoon. It was rainy and gross, and I had to wait for a while before I was seen (even though I had an appointment). When the doctor felt my neck the first thing out of her mouth was "Oh my, that's not good." Not very encouraging.

It turns out my lymph nodes and tonsils were so swollen that at first she thought I had a very muscular neck. Yeah. She took a throat culture (which was painful, b/c she couldn't get past my swollen glands to my throat) and the verdict is: strep.

I had to drop off some exams off for the professor I TA for, and was hoping not to run into anyone I knew, but of course I did (in sweats with wavy, un blow-dried hair, and no make up). And then hit every red light possible on the way home.

Then Kristy texted me that she had tickets to the Jazz game last night, but I was obviously too sick to go. Which was a bummer, but not a tragedy. Until I found out they were playing the Sixers last night. Yes, I missed out on tickets to the Jazz playing my hometown team. And they lost.

So you can see how it was really an awful day. But there were some bright spots...

Heather came over to watch The Bachelor finale and brought Frostys. And Brad picked Emily! Also, the doctor prescribed a diet of ice cream, pudding, and other soft foods until I can swallow properly again. So my Lent boycott of sweets is suspended for a little while.

Here's hoping I'm well in time for my Spring Break trip next week.

Want to know a secret?

I love Katy Perry. (OK, it's not really a secret.)

Specifically, the song "Teenage Dream". I can listen to it anytime. I never get tired of it. Ever. (Kristy* can testify to that) It always makes me want to dance, and when I want to dance I'm happy. Therefore, this song=happiness. I know these things, because I had to take logic in college.

So, even though I'm sick at home in bed today with the worst sore throat ever (seriously, I think it is swelled shut, and I am SO HUNGRY), I can still put this song on and be happy.

I am pretty lame, I know.