(inspired by freydis )

Take a picture of yourself right now.
* Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair...just take a picture.
* Post that picture with NO editing.
* Post these instructions with your picture.

( this is me moments before I slip into a food-coma )
(hahaha, I didn't notice until after I posted that my clothes coordinate well with my LJ color scheme.)

I'm wrapping up day 4 of my trip to corporate.  My interviews with marketing lasted for close to 3 hours yesterday, and they want me to come back tomorrow afternoon to meet some of the other directors and to shadow some of the associates.  I'm so incredibly intrigued by life at corporate.  I really liked what the merchandising director and the product manager had to say about the job and what they expect and how employees are evaluated, and I'm eager to see the actual office and the people who would be my colleagues should I move out here.   I've heard the advice that I'd be happy living in Chicago and commuting by train to Waukegan.  I know I'd be happier living in Chicago proper, but I don't know if I'd be able to afford it.  But then again, I'm looking at it from my customer service rep's wages.  I haven't even begun to talk to corporate about what marketing and merchandising reps make.  It's worth looking into, one way or the other.  It would make me more eager to move out here if I was in the city proper.  Hmn. . .

Anyway, I look pretty dazed and stupefied in the pic above because I'm seriously ready to go into hibernation.  I'm in Waukegan with 3 coworkers from our PA branch, and we've gone out every night.  I never thought I'd say it, but I'm getting really tired of food.  I mean, I adore food, and I love going out to eat (and yay, what better time to do that than on a business trip when you're going to get comped for everything?).  But seriously, my stomach hates hates hates me right now.  Today alone I had cheese curds (haha, we're just south of the Wisconsin border, and last night we went to Texas Roadhouse up in Kenosha.  On the way, we made a side trip the Mars's Cheese Castle.  Because you can't go to Wisconsin without going to a cheese castle.  C'mon.  But I didn't buy any cheese.  I spent my money on a bottle of Vampire Wine.  Because that's what *I* do when I'm in Wisconsin.  Mmmm, Vampire Wine. . . . Anyway, long story short, one of my companions bought cheese curds and we noshed on them this morning, and the four of us are now hopelessly addicted).  The cheese curds were so tasty, I convinced everyone that we absolutely *had* to go to Culver's for lunch.  I was craving a ButterBurger and their deep fried cheese curds, and I was hoping they had the pumpkin spice milkshakes again this year (oh, what a treat that was when I was out here last year for Melissa's credit memo training!).  For dinner, the user testing project managers took us to a hibachi restaurant.  Seeing how I was still stuffed from meals at Rainforest Cafe, Culver's, Jimmy John's (incredible subs with even incredibler pickles), Steven's (posh bistro), Texas Roadhouse, and this extraordinary Italian cafe, I thought I'd be clever tonight and just get some sushi.  It's light, it's healthy, it won't put me over the edge and cause me to burst at the seams.  

Ha.  Hahahaha. 

When I requested the sushi menu (I couldn't even risk being tempted by the hibachi menu), they gave me one of those preprinted menu slips and a golf pencil.  I got excited and started checking off my favorite types, the red snapper, whitefish, yellow tail,white tuna, and ooooh, look, they have sweet shrimp!  And so on.  Then I took a look at the hand rolls and checked off a few items on that side, too.  That was my fatal error.  I thought the rolls were served 1 piece per order, just like the Nigiri.  I ended up ordering 7 pieces of Nigiri and 2 types of rolls.  Okay, that's really a lot right there, especially considering how I really wasn't hungry (dude, I'm still trying to figure out what the hell I was thinking, eating cheese curds-- fried AND fresh-- a ButterBurger, AND a pumpkin shake!  My stomach isn't that big to begin with!).  Try and imagine the look on my face when the waiter hefted my plate onto the counter before me.  The hand rolls apparently come 6 pieces per order.  So I didn't get 7 pieces of sushi and 2 rolls.  I got 7 pieces of sushi and 12 rolls.   Oh my god, the pain.  But it was sooooooo gooooooood! 

I can't breathe right now.   Have you ever seen that Kevin James stand up routine where he comments on how bad his physical fitness is that he can't even finish a Big Mac without needing a nap?  He says he's like a bear who's been shot with a tranquilizer, and then he proceeds to do an impression, complete with labored breathing and snorting.  That's me, right now.  I can't even handle the idea of eating again any time soon.  But we're going to Medieval Times tomorrow night, and that's a shitload of chicken and potatoes right there.  I'm so exhausted from running all around northern IL and so stuffed to the bursting point from big heavy meals, I'm going to get home Saturday afternoon and slip into hibernation.  I think I've got enough fuel stored to last me through next spring.

It's been a good week.