For the first time in almost two years, I am genuinely happy. It seems like everything that has been going wrong for the past 22 months is changing for the better. I've made some good friends in this land of solitude. I can go to class and not feel like my head is going to explode from all of the overwhelming information. But most of all, I feel like I am finally taking steps to becoming an accomplished adult. I have a more clear vision of what I want in life, and I'm on the path to obtaining those wants.
I say all of this to give a background of how the past few weeks of my life have been: wonderful, that's how. And the past two days have just been icing on this divine cake.
Here's a play-by-play:
If you follow me on Twitter or have been reading my statuses on Facebook, you may have recently noticed an unnecessary amount of messages encouraging people to watch "The Chris Gethard Show". That is because I am in love with that show. It is nerdy and funny and is the epitome of greatness. When I found out about it, I watched 36 episodes in about two weeks. Anyway, I was online Monday and checked the show's blog to find out about this week's episode. The title was "F**k School, F**k Math." On Monday, I was a little bit stressed out because I had a mid-term in Instrumentation the next day and a test in Mass Transport on Wednesday. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with school, so I decided this would be a good episode for me to call into the show and contribute/vent my grievances against academia. I called in. I got on! I got to talk to two of my favorite comedians on the telephone! It was amazing! I didn't think anything else this week could top it. (If you want to hear my hick voice, check it out: The Chris Gethard Show. I'm around the 12 minute mark. Be warned: if you don't like curse words, don't watch.)
But I was wrong.
I was still on a high on Thursday at school. I couldn't really focus on my lab activities because of the previous night's excitement, so I just sat on the outskirts of my group's area in the lab and wasted time until 4:00pm. During this time, my advisor came to the door of the lab and pulled me outside. He proceeded to tell me that I have received an academic award for the year. (And for those who don't know, I almost failed a class in the fall that would have set me back a full year in the curriculum, so to hear that I had received an award for academics was insane!) My already giddy-for-Gethard self was then over-the-moon with excitement. I held back the emotions that made me want to plant a big one on Dr. O'Neal and went back to my chair to swing my feet back and forth with exhilaration.
Oh, but that's not all.
For the past six months, I have been waiting for April 12, so that I could see the Upright Citizen's Brigade Touring Company at the Dixie Theater in Ruston. As you may have inferred from my rant about Chris Gethard, I am a comedy nerd. I have watched/memorized lines and cast members' information from 20+ seasons of SNL, The Second City, a couple recorded shows of Improv Olympic's stage shows, and way too much of UCB's stuff (TCGS, Asscat!, etc.). As you can imagine, I was ecstatic when I heard the news that the TourCo was coming to town. After doing research on what performers tour in certain regions of the US, I hoped and hoped that someone affiliated with Gethard would be gracing The Dixie with his/her presence. And, hot damn, it happened. In the middle of the show, I realize that a character from TCGS is on the stage. I proceed to flip the hell out upon this realization and couldn't wait until the show was over so that I could possibly meet him. I asked the head of Troupe Dixie if there was any way I could meet the cast, and she graciously rushed me backstage. I stood there, in an awestruck state, as I conversed with a writer and new star of TCGS. I couldn't believe it. I rambled on and on and on like an idiot for what seemed like forever, but at the same time, a very short instant. I'm sure he was thinking to himself that I was a panko nutjob, but Dru was extremely nice, and he, John, and Frank flattered me by talking to me for a few minutes.
And although I spent the rest of the night (and the majority of this morning) sick with what I assume was food poisoning from artichoke dip that sat out in the Louisiana heat for ~4 hours, it was a phenomenal evening.
I'm on the upswing, nerds. This chick is in high spirits, and I continue to be this way forever, or until I run into the next transitional phase of my life.
