Presumed to be awesome.

Man, I'm wiped. I went in to the office today around mid-morning and managed to make it to 4:30 before I completely ran out of steam. I'll probably do the same tomorrow -- go in, but for only whatever part of the day I can manage. I've really got too much work not to, and, as long as I don't push it, I think it's actually good for me to get up and do something. For now, though, I'm not moving from this couch unless the damn house is on fire!

All in all, though, today was definitely a step forward in the getting-better plan! Yay! And I think all this progress call for a HAPPY LIST! \o/

:: I think we are finally done with the million degree weather! Today was supposed to be the last triple digit day of the year. Nighties and eighties, here we come! I'm breaking out the sweaters now!

:: I won the auction for Cassidy Haley's "Nostalgia" CD, an exclusive one off CD of his unreleased material!!! I'm ridiculously excited about this! I cannot even tell you. I can't wait to hear what's on this thing! (Although we shall not speak about what I was willing to bid for this thing. I'm going to blame it on the residual effects of all the narcotics I've been on.)

:: I had THE best peach for lunch today. It was huge, and juicy, and DELICIOUS! Yum!

:: coolwhipdiva rocks my world! First there was the lovely vase of cheerful flowers and get-well wishes that arrived on Saturday. So pretty! And then today I came home from work to find yummy smelly stuffs from her for my birthday! J, baby, that was perfect! I love that scent so much! THANK YOU!!! *mwah*

:: The day got about a million times better this evening when I was able to have a lovely and long over due phone chat with editorzon! Love you, baby, and I can't wait to see you soon!

:: Speaking of seeing awesome peoples soon, I think I'll be heading to L.A. for a weekend in October! Hookers, I understand there are some Halloween plans at Cicada Club in the works? Count me in! *beams*

*sighs happily* That's a good deal of happy-makin' for one day.

And, for some added miscellany, y'all remember those pictures of Adam Lambert in New Orleans, right? Well, a few more have cropped up. And Adam and his adorable boyfriend are still adorable. And amusing. Despite the unfortunate facial hair and questionable fashion choices. But the lesson I think we all should learn from these pictures has nothing to do with shaving practices, Just For Men hair dye, or shirts with sleeves. No, I think what we've all learned is that 98% of ontd_ai members need to step away from the computer and TAKE A DAMN VACATION TO NEW ORLEANS!!! I was appalled at how many people had no idea what Adam meant when he twittered about the Big Easy! Or who couldn't recognize Pat O'Brien's by the drinks on the table or who had no idea what a hand grenade was!!! Seriously, people, y'all need to get out more! *laughs*

Ok, I'm going back to slothful recovery now. Hope y'all are having a good week!

I've been buried in work since I got back from vacation, but it IS Friday and last weekend was KICK AWESOME, so I'm calling it a win!

( Let's see if I can manage the Cliff Notes version of vacay: )

In all it was a good time. Thank you, chicas, for an awesome birthday weekend! *mwah*

Well, hello there, JULY!!! You certainly got here fast!

First things first on this hump day: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, coolwhipdiva!!! You, my dear, are one of the most fiercely intelligent, graceful, self-assured, driven, got-her-shit-together women I know. You are beautiful, inside and out. I respect and admire you so much and I am blessed beyond words to call you my friend. I can't wait to see you on Friday and to spend an entire weekend celebrating your awesomeness! *mwah*

Entirely related to the above, sometimes I think to myself, damn, how did I ever get so lucky to have such an amazing circle of women that I'm just so blessed to call my friends??? And I don't really know the answer to that, but I'm very damn happy that, whatever the reason, I do have some pretty fucking fabulous friends! *loves you all!*

Also related to the above, I am bailing from this pit of hell we call Phoenix tomorrow afternoon for an awesome weekend in Ojai with my girls, enjoying the cooler temps, lazing about the pool, drinking wine, possibly indulging in a massage, and just generally having an amazing, relaxing weekend celebrating the awesomeness of Ms. J. *g* I cannot wait for this to happen!!! Seriously, just the fact that I get to escape these hellish 108 degree temperatures makes me ridiculously happy. But combine that with a long weekend spent in the most fabulous of company, and I'm positively GIDDY!

In other awesome news, and not coincidentally, also related to the aforementioned fabulosity of my friends, *g* azewewish, amazing woman that she is, has scored us VIP tickets to see Down in L.A. in August!!! *flails wildly* The VIP tickets apparently include a meet and great with the band (!!!), photo/autograph and the like, some merch, early admission to the show, as well as admission to the sound check (!!!). And while she mentioned something about introducing me to Philip and his Cock of Awesomeness, I'm pretty sure that the tickets aren't actually that good. *g* Whatever, man. I am stoked for this!!! *glee*

In less awesome news, I had a client call me a fucking bitch and throw a chair at me yesterday. Thankfully there was prison bars and shatter resistant glass between him and me, but it was still scary as hell to watch him completely lose it like that. And in the crazy, mad rush to meet today's disclosure deadline, I've managed to spill my coffee TWICE! The same coffee. Twice! *facepalm* Can I have my long weekend now, please?

:: Not having to wake up with an alarm at very early in the morning!

:: A great workout with the Trainer, including lots of cathartic hitting of things! \o/

:: First taste of watermelon this summer! Yummy!

:: Good conversations that lead to much needed clarity and possible new solutions! Effective communication skills FTW!

:: Amazing friends that love and support me in a myriad of ways! ♥ ♥ ♥

:: Much overdue good baseball playin' by my boys and finally a game in the "win" column! (Bonus!Grand Slam by my CHRISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I spent the morning in court trying to figure out my trial schedule for April, given the fact that if things go right at next week's interview, I'll hopefully be working for the court soon and having to withdraw from all of my pending cases. So, after much wrangling and one very unhappy prosecutor later, we decided to schedule one trial for April 6, a second trial on April 13, with the possibility of continuing the earlier trial to the end of the month if I don't get the clerkship. It wasn't until I got home that I remembered that the D'backs' Home Opener is on April 6th. In the afternoon. Right about the time that I'll be picking a jury. *sobs* I really wanted to go to that game! I even have my tickets already! There's the possibility that the April 6th trial will be continued to the end of the month, freeing me up to go to the game, but only if I don't get the clerkship. As much as I love my D'backs and miss baseball like woah and would really love to be at the Home Opener, I still want the clerkship more. I just wish it didn't have to be one or the other! *sadface*

In happier news, though, I get _lisalisa_ and azewewish in just 3 days for a fun-filled SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL WEEKEND!!!!! *bounces* Despite my best efforts, Saturday's game is going to be the first spring training game I make it to this season. I'm very excited! My girls!!! Baseball!!! Sunshine! Sunburns! Beer! Hotdogs! Hot baseball players!!! So much to be GLEEFUL about!!!!

Other happy things include:

1. Friday Night Lights is possibly getting picked up for TWO MORE SEASONS!!! (Thanks to azewewish for the very happy-making heads up.) Seriously, this show remains THE best show on television. If you're not watching it, I can't even begin to fathom why. I will be happy beyond measure if we get it for another two years! Speaking of the awesomeness that is FNL, I finally got a chance to read Scott Porter's blog about Jason's last show and I cried like a crying thing! (Note: link has spoilers up to Episode 3.8.) The episode last Friday shredded me, and then reading about what was happening behind the scenes just had me crying all over again. Gods, I love this show so hard!

2. Nathan Fillion was on my T.V. last night!!! I'm not entirely sure yet what I think of Castle (as with most pilots, I think it needs a few episodes to acquit itself and I'm willing to give it that much before I form an opinion), but I am absolutely certain that Nathan is still inexplicably HOT LIKE FIRE, and I am very happy to have his awesome, quirky face on my television again! Also, bonus Poke from Generation Kill!!! *glee*

3. Apparently Merlin is still in the wings for NBC, and is looking at a late spring call up. *grabby hands*

4. I am oddly intrigued by the premise in Kings, which premiers this Sunday. It's a modern-day retelling of the story of David and Goliath. Restorying biblical mythology with rumored gay characters (reported here) and incredibly hot actors (HELLO Christopher Egan and Sebastian Stan!) -- what's not to love???

I hate leaving a list at 4, but I don't have time for a #5. I have to work on my writing sample, so that I can land that awesome clerkship job, so that I can miss the D'backs' home opener. Yay! With a side order of *woe*.

I had a fabulous time in Austin. annkiri is a GODDESS. I've mentioned that, right? *g* I had such a good time hanging out with her and with soylahtayplease; we talked and laughed and drank and ate and talked some more and then did it all again for HOURS! Thank you both! ♥

For being the first full Monday after several weeks of holiday-related down time, today was a surprisingly good day. But of all the good things about this day, the absolute BEST thing is that today is the day that we celebrate the birth of the fabulous azewewish! Happy birthday, baby!!! You have enriched my life with your love and friendship, you've inspired me with your strength of character, with your fierce independence and your sharp mind, you've made me laugh more than just about anyone, and we've had some damn good times! I hope your day was as fantastic as you are, full of all the things that make you happiest, and I hope the year ahead brings an abundance of love, laughter and more damn good times your way! *mwah*

Since my trial got vacated, I had an unexpectedly productive day. I blew through my To Do list and organized myself for the rest of the week. I feel quite accomplished!

Also of the good: paying off my car!!! I made my last car payment today! This is exciting!

And, to round off the GOOD, in only 10 days, I get to go to Austin and see annkiri!!! I can't wait! This will be my first time spending any amount of time in Austin, so I appeal to my flist: what should be on my Austin Must Do list?

I enjoyed a truly lovely day for my birthday. After an early court hearing, I gave myself the rest of the day off -- an awesome perk of being your own boss! I also treated myself to a massage this afternoon -- 90 minutes of pure bliss! Gods did I ever need that! It was FABULOUS!

My mom, who is awesome, bought me a new camera for my birthday. Her reasoning? I needed a camera with a better zoom in order to take pictures of my D'backs at games! *laughs* I think that she really just wants a better shot of Conor Jackson's ass! But who can blame her. *g*

This evening my family took me out to dinner. I wanted BBQ ribs, so that's what we had. Oh, yes. And margaritas! ( Birthday margaritas! )

Also? My brother is evil and had our waitress announce my birthday to the restaurant at large. This wouldn't have been so bad if it had not required me climbing up on the "Birthday Saddle." ( No. I'm sadly not kidding. There is photographic evidence of my shame. )

Although the aforementioned margaritas may have resulted in less actual embarrassment on my part than the occassion deserved. *facepalm*

Anyway. Good times! *g*

Also lovely this day were all the wonderful birthday messages from all of you, including sparkly tiaras and yummy cupcakes. All of the beautiful birthday messages absolutely made my day and left me positively verklempt! I am blessed indeed to have such wonderful friends! *hugs y'all*

Now I'm capping off the day with ice cream cake! Ice cream AND cake all in one slice of deliciousness. Brilliant! :)

Well, "festivities" is probably an overstatement. But my weekend, festive or otherwise, certainly is now officially underway. I don't have court tomorrow, and I got all my jail visits done today, so I'm declaring tomorrow a day off! The start of my long weekend has been officially kicked off by the the drinking of rum!!! So, as long as the rum keeps flowing, festivities may happen after all. *g*

I've had annkiri here for a few days thanks to her car woes. While I'm sorry she's having to deal with the annoyance and expense of car troubles, I am very happy indeed to have had the chance to spend some extra time with her. Tuesday we went to the ball park and enjoyed watching the Diamondbacks beat the Padres from great seats right behind the home dugout. Good times!

( Me and Becca after Tuesday's game. )

There shall be MOAR BASEBALL this weekend as I have tickets to both tomorrow's and Saturday's games. Yay!!! \o/

Unrelatedly, I am distressed that I have yet to read any swimmer slash. I know the Hot Boys in Water portion of the Olympics are over, but I still NEED some Michael/Ryan fic. Where is it? Also, this ESPN piece left me hankering for Michael/Ian fic. "I'm happy to help him out if he wants a hand with some of these things," the Aussie said. See? There NEEDS to be fic dammit!

Also apropos of nothing at all, have y'all seen this video of a recent GQ photo shoot of the girls of Friday Night Lights? Smokin' hot! Speaking of FNL, do we have any idea when the new season starts? *wants*

Ok, back to this weekend thing. But first, I need MORE RUM!!!

Comic Con, or maybe just all the travel this month, has really kicked my ass. I've been having to forcibly drag myself through this week. Thank the gods tomorrow is Friday. I have some serious plans for sleeping in and laying about this weekend. *nods*

I've got piles of work to do tonight, but at least I get to do it while watching the Diamondbacks play. They seriously have to make a good showing in this series against the Dodgers. I just tasked sabrinagb with cheering loudly for my boys, so I'm sure that my presence by proxy will make all the difference in getting this series off on the right foot. *g* Speaking of baseball, today was full of some shocker trades. I can't even imagine the BoSox without Manny. *shakes head*

What else? Oh, yes. annkiri was here for a brief pit stop yesterday and we had a lovely dinner. She'll be back in a few weeks on her way back to Texas, just in time to join me to see Christian Kane play out in Queen Creek. Yeah. I have no idea why he's playing in Queen Creek, but apparently he is. I've never heard him play, so I'm kinda looking forward to it. Plus? I get Becca for a few days!!! \o/

Now, though, there's D-Backs baseball on my screen, so I'm outa here. :)