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Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!


Ah yes.  Can you feel it?  That sense of excitement, ambition, hope.  A clean slate.  New start.  Everyone gets a chance to try again.  Refreshing isn't it?  I think overall 2010 was a really amazing year, the best I've had in a while actually, and I'm very, VERY thankful.  I decided to look back at my New Years post from last year and see how I did.  Not surprisingly, I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but even still I did make *some* progress.  Here's what I posted last year (abbreviated):


*Eat better and exercise more.
This I actually succeeded in the most of all my goals, and I think as far as a goal to do well with this is the best one.  Since this time last year I'm down a total of 15 pounds and a pants size.  I've lost 13 total inches off my body.  While this is really great and I'm excited, I still have a ways to go.  I wish I could have lost more, but at least I lost it and it stayed off.  For that, I'm very thankful.

*Save my money.
I did really well with this for a good little while, and then....summer came.  All the money I saved went down the drain in 3 short months.  Boo.  So here I am, back at square one and ready to start again.  And also ready to take precautions against what happened last time.  (PS - I had also mentioned saving for a Wii Fit to help with the healthy goal, which I did save for and get, and which did help me.  So yay!)

*Blogging more regularly.
EPIC FAIL.  Try again sister.

*Keep in touch better.
I think I've done this for the most part.  I realize that there are ebbs and flows in friendships and I can't stay in constant contact with EVERYONE all the time.  But I think I have tried to be more aware of keeping in touch.

*Craft business.
Also epic fail.  Try again sister.

*Learn guitar.
Last epic fail.  Try again sister.

So with that look at last year's goals, here's what I'm going for this year:

*Stick with the continuing diet and exercise.  I'm on a roll baby!

*Try again with the savings.  This year my savings goal is getting ONE ENTIRE LOAN paid off.  Oh yeah baby.  That would be a weight lifted off my shoulders and starting to see a light at the end of my tunnel of debt.

*Blogging restart.  I've said it so often I don't even believe myself anymore.  But I don't just want to blog more consistently, I'd like to do a total overhaul.  Maybe even start a new one.  We'll see how that pans out though.  For now, let's try for consistency.

*Make time for cooking.  I love to cook and I'd like to put some extra energy into making new things and getting in the habit of eating fresh over premade.

*Keep a list of things that inspire me and look at frequently.

*Also a list of things I'd like to do.  Pick something and take a step to try one every so often.

That sounds like a good start to the new year.  As always I expect a certain amount of laziness, but as long as I have some goals to work toward I feel good.  I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years and I hope 2011 brings you all lots of wonderful things!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Hi All! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season without too much undue stress. It's hard for me to believe that Christmas has come and gone already and New Years is just a few short days away. Crazy. I will, of course have a New Years post up soon (cause what is the new year without resolutions that you stick to diligently for a month or so and then slowly forget about halfway through the year?) so stay tuned for that. Also, I was poking around this great blog and have come across a post in which the author pretty well explains why I tend to drift away from my blog....expectations. And sometimes rum. But mostly the former. You should definitely read it just for the fun factor, she's always hilarious. So for your viewing pleasure I give you:

Hyperbole and a Half

You'll have to scroll to the top to start reading...sorry the link is being weird.  Oh well.

Again, I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Monday Mingle!


I told you I'd be back today!  Got my video uploaded this evening so I can join the lovely mingle ladies.  I do NOT know what is up with my sound ya'll.  It's fine for like 30 seconds and then it goes out of sync again.  Does anyone have any idea what might cause that?  I'm open to suggestion.  ANYwho, password is misadventure, as usual.  Enjoy!

Monday Mingle Nov. 22 from Lauren on Vimeo.

Bloggy Bite!

Just a quick post to say I'm going to post later, lol. Its Monday Mingle time again and I just haven't had time to upload my video yet. So stay tuned for that exciting tidbit. I know you can't wait. ;) Until then, I'm going to buzz back to work...break's over!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Blog Snack

Another lunchtime blog session! And "Fireflies" is on the radio in the break room...awesome! Surprise for me today, I just ran into some folks from home here at work. I think we might have dinner plans for tomorrow, so that's fun. Other than that I'm pretty excited to finish up my week at 6pm today and be off all weekend. Working retail that doesn't always happen, but its sure nice when it does! Also a surprise for me today is actually getting a lunch break. I didn't think I was working long enough to get one so I didn't pack anything. However, our district manager dropped off a bunch of goodies I've been munching on...mwahaha. :) Alrighty, later Gators! Back to work!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Writer's Workshop

I thought I would participate in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week.  If you'd like to join in, just go visit Mama Kat here.  And while you're there, check out what other people have written!
For this week's prompt I've chosen: Why are you burned out?


To be quite honest, I'm not sure if I'm burned out so much as fed up.  Are they the same thing?  Maybe.  Here are my frustrations though.


*Not having a set schedule.  It absolutely drives me crazy not knowing if/when I can schedule other things in my life due to work.  I only know my work schedule a week in advance and it's never the same.  I understand I work retail and that's the nature of the beast.  However, if given the choice I wouldn't work retail.  Which leads me to...


*Not being able to find a "Good Job."  I would like to preface this with the fact that I am very thankful to even HAVE a job right now.  I am also thankful that it's a job I don't mind doing.  However, it's just not doing as much for me as it needs to.  I have quite a bit of debt I'm trying to pay off, as well as being able to save some money for future endeavors.  Right now I'm just barely making my bills with enough left for groceries.  And while I'm glad I'm able to pay my bills, I don't like cutting it so close.


*Not being as productive as I'd like.  I have grand plans of things to do when I don't have to work, but the fact of the matter is on my days off I wind up sleeping late, reading, and watching TV.  I don't want to do anything else.  Then later I always think, "Well, as nice as that was, you've wasted another day."  A huge thing I'm working on is adding other things to my daily routine.  Even if it's blogging.  That's something different.  Yesterday, a friend and I exercised for 45 min and it was awesome.  Baby steps.


I think really why I'm burned out is because I do a job with a crazy schedule most of the week and then when I DO have the time to things I want to, I'm just lazy, which in turn makes me frustrated.  So I think really like I said, I think I'm more fed up than burned out.  Regardless though, I'm tying to work on it little by little.  :)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Monday Mingle!


Hello hello!  I remembered (very late) that it's Monday Mingle time!  So I'm going to go ahead and jump in for this week.  :)  I got a new headset with a mic, which I think helps with sound, but unfortunately made my vid and audio sync up kinda weird.  So you'll hear me before you'll see my lips move.  :/  Oh well.  Password is: misadventure.  Enjoy and laugh at my silly syncing audio!  :D

Untitled from Lauren on Vimeo.

Lunch Break Blogging

Maybe this is how I can be a more efficient blogger, writing a little something on my lunch breaks. It kinda makes me feel like I'm cheating though, using my phone. I'm interested to see how well it works actually. And until I get my reader base built up again I think lunchtime vingettes is where its at. Nothing really of note to say other than I'm trying out this new app for my Droid. Had a yummy and healthy lunch of whole grain pasta with basil pesto sauce, both organic. And of course a the Facebook flavor of Vitaminwater. What? Don't give me that look, its black cherry lime.
Until next time, hope everyone has a great day!

Friday, November 5, 2010

A New Beginning?

Hello out there.  If there is anyone that still reads this blog.....amazing, lol.  I've said like three times that I promise to write more and I'll be good about posting.  I am a dirty liar.  And for that, I am sorry.  Like Stella, I need to get my groove back.  I still feel scattered, pressed for time, tired, but mostly, just lazy.  Since it's NaNoWriMo/NaBloPoMo (National Novel Writing Month/National Blog Posting Month), I thought now is as good a time as any to make room in calendar for a small post every so often.  For the month you're supposed to post and/or write every day, but I'm not going to commit to that.  I will, however, commit to 3 days a week. I feel like that is a reasonable goal to help me get back into blogging.  For reals I MUST learn time management.  MUST.  I tend to get blinders on and only focus on one or two things at a time, and truthfully I feel like I miss out on a lot by doing that.  When I was blogging all the time, that's all I did: work and blog.  This summer it was work and party.  Now it's work and play games.  The only thing I've been consistant at is working, lol.  Which, I guess of anything is good to be consistant.  So ok, I've set the goal of writing again, now here's another question I'm pondering.  Should I just start a new blog?  A full fresh start.  I mean let's face it, the name of this blog is Misadventures in Theatre and I haven't really done anything theatrical since I've been writing, and the only time I AM doing anything theatrical I get all distracted and don't write.  So perhaps it's time for a name change?  Or does that even bother anyone?  I would like thoughts and feedback on this, from anyone who still even floats by on occasion.  I am also open to any name suggestions, since I seem to put naming my blog up there with naming a child for importance, and I also seem to be incapable of making these decisions on my own.  
So hello again blogword.  I hope to see you again soon.  I make no promises, but I can tell you I'll try.  I'll even put it on my calendar.  And really, that's the best we can hope for.  :)  

Monday, August 23, 2010

Monday Mingle!

OMG I know.  It's been forever right?  Well guess what, I'm back to the Monday Mingles again!  Whoo!  *confetti drops and crowd cheers*  This lovely meme is brought to you by Jen @ EightyMPHmom so go over and check her out!  (To get a straight link to the Mingles, click on the coffee cup pic at the top of this post.)  Password for the video is: misadventure.  Enjoy!


Untitled from Lauren on Vimeo.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Winding down

I know.  I suck.  Blah blah blah....no posting for a month at a time...blah....I'm sorry.

Let's move on, shall we?  K.

So, as summer draws to a close I'm in the same situation I continuously find myself in: Searching for a home and a job.  You'd think I'd really be good at this by now wouldn't you?  Actually, I have the job thing lined up, which is really super awesome because the renters like to know that you'll have a continuous way of paying them each month.  Now we're just waiting on the "yes" from the apartment.  Would really be great to hear from them by tomorrow, plzkthx.

Also, I would like to say that for not planning on staying at my summer job for the whole season, I've done a pretty good job of throwing that plan out the window.  Since I'm still here and all.  There's actually only two weeks left....which seems so crazy to me.  Aren't we still in the middle of summer?  Didn't we just open the last show a month ago?  What do you mean it's almost over?  I do not like this time-flying-by thing.  Not one bit.

But, I guess I should probably make the most of it.  So on that note, I think the lake is calling me.  See you soon!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

In Limbo

Well hello.  I know, I know.  I'm terrible.  I haven't blogged in *counts on fingers*....um.....*counts toes too*....um... approximately a gazillion years.  But we've been so busy!  The first half of the summer is finally over an on to the second half that includes much more hiking, swimming, BBQing, parties, and most of all, sleep.  Whoo!
We most recently had Christmas in July, which is one of my all-time favorite parts of the summer.  We all draw a name for Secret Santa and have about a week to put something together.  This year was really exceptional, I think everyone really kicked it up a notch.  There wasn't a single person that wasn't excited about their gift, which means it was definitely a success.  :)
Prior to Christmas, we also of course celebrated the 4th with our usual giant picinic-y dinner and loads of fireworks.  Yes, we can light off our own up here, which is always more fun!  Anyone who wants can shoot off fireworks while the rest of us eat food, drink beer, and watch them fill the air with a zillion colors.  It's really quite the fantastic evening.
I've been to the lake a couple times already and have a nice start to a sun tan.  :)  I'm hoping to get to the park and go hiking here soon....it always kinda scares me because I don't know that I'm really in that kind of shape to go traipsing literally all across creation.  I guess there's only one way to find out though huh?  I've done much better taking care of myself this year than I have before.  Even so I've gained some weight, but I guess I can't be too mad, my clothes still fit.
I'm kinda just hanging out waiting for my next job to start and get all moved again.  I have two amazing roommates that I'll be sharing a house with, so I'm really excited.  I think it's going to be exactly what I needed after this past winter.
Well, I don't really have a whole lot more to say.  Just a lot of fun in the sun, a little bit of hard work, and lots of good memories.  :)

Monday, May 31, 2010

Monday Mingle!

Hello hello!  It's that time again!  This week for Monday Mingle I submitted questions, woot woot!  To join in the fun, pop on over and say hi to Jen @ EightyMPHmom!  Password for the vid is: misadventure.  Have a great week ya'll!  (PS - My still frame on the vid makes me look like I'm doing some bizarre kissy-face, lol)







Sunday, May 23, 2010

Monday Mingle!


Hey hey!  Monday Mingle time!  To go visit our lovely host Jen and all the other minglers, head on over to Eighty MPH Mom!  I feel like I was a little spastic this week, sorry about that.  Password as always is: misadventure.  Enjoy!
Monday Mingle May 24, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.


Saturday, May 22, 2010

Week One

Wow guys.  What a crazy week!  I feel like we've been here for months already and it's just day 7.  I'm not sure we were even that productive this week, which kinda scares me a little.  We put up two shows in two weeks and we've only completed one drop.  What that really means is that we have two shows worth of scenery to get built and painted in the next week so we're ready to start techs the week after.  Not gonna lie, I panicked a bit this morning when we discussed it in company meeting.  It's really not like we're slacking either...there's just been a lot of running around that had to get done, and we can't paint anything until the shop builds it, so you know, there is that.  We should be in pretty good shape though.
That's the drop we finished today.  I like it.  Very art nouveau.  Also, just so you can have some perspective, that's 15 feet tall by 44 feet long.  Yup.
Also, since we're a part of the Playhouse, we get a ridiculous deal on memberships at the local gym.  And let me tell you, this gym is FAN-cy.  So today during our lunch break I went over and signed up.  The cool thing too is that you can just go month by month, so there's no pressure to buy more time than we'll be here.  I have 6 weeks to get my Project Runway dress zipped up.  And I'm not going to try it on until two days before I plan to wear it.  This way if I need to make any alterations or alternate dress arrangements I have some time.  In a perfect world I'll put it on and zip it right up and it'll fit just right.  I have to quit making excuses like "I don't have time" or "I'm tired" or "Well I'll go out today, and just start tomorrow."  NO!  No no no.  I've been so distracted by all these wonderful friends and just being so happy that I've kinda lost my focus.  I mean don't get me wrong, I am definitely all about being happy, but I will be happier if I continue to lose weight and become the healthy person I want to be.  Focus.  Must, focus.
Also incredibly noteworthy, on Thursday I went to see the Barenaked Ladies in concert!  HECK YEAH!  I had bought the ticket in February, and got the go ahead for the evening off the day after.  I was way prepared and totally wasn't going to miss it!  OMG, it was awesome.  It's right up there with my favorite life moments.  They are truly amazing and talented musicians, and I just couldn't help but be overwhelmingly happy the entire time.  I actually considered not going, I'm still fighting off a bit of a cold, and I was thinking I should just stay and work, but at the last second I was like, "Nope, you're going.  Because you'll totally regret it if you don't."  And you know what?  I was right.  I'm so happy and thankful I had the chance to go.  I bought my boss a shirt as a thank you gift for letting me go.  :)  And on a complete fluke, I wound up texting with one of my friend's girlfriends during the set break, and she told me they were his favorite band ever and asked if I would buy him a shirt as well.  So of course I said I would!  As it turns out, he was ecstatic and said it was his very first band shirt, so I was totally a winner on that one and got Awesome Friend points.  :D
I'm going to try to get a mingle up this week too, so hopefully I'll have tomorrow for ya.  But this is just a snippet of what my first week has been like.  Many more adventures to come!  Stay tuned!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sooo happy....*sigh*

I am the happiest girl right now!  Just got to my most favorite place in the world.  Amazing the energy that something like that can give you.  :)  I got in on Monday, and every day this week a few more folks trickle in....and we all keep getting more and more excited to start the season!  It's really like we never left.  Even the new kids have taken to us like ducks to water.  Which is good, better than scaring them off!  lol!
I've been working a little this week, for most of the day, but nothing really strenuous.  Just some piddly things.  But those are finished now, so I'm done with working until Sunday.  :D  Whoooo!  We have a small show opening tonight, so those of us that are here are going to get all gussied up and go watch the show.  I'm so excited, it's awesome you guys.  If you haven't heard of Forbidden Broadway (which I hadn't), you should look into it.  SO FUNNY.
I've also been so happily distracted by everything that I'm already fearing July is going to arrive too soon.
Things I've done in the last 5 days:
Killed a spider.
Met up with old friends.
Been at the bar.  Every night.  (not always drinking!  Just for the record. :) )
Had a night without heat or hot water.
Ridden in the trunk of my own car.
Made a midnight munchie ham sandwich.
Had some heart-to-heart talks.
Been waist-deep in fabric.
Curled a wig.
Lacquered just about anything that is standing still. (i.e. a giant platform and some show signs)
Repainted faces.
Walked up and down The Hill.  It's still a pain, but not as much of one.
Met lots of new friends.
Been shot with a squirt gun.
Gone to breakfast at an amazing diner.
Promised my denim jacket to one of my new friends.
Gone grocery shopping for a super secret special dinner.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for us!  Yeah!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Monday Mingle!

Iiiiiit's Monday Mingle!  Sorry I was absent last week, time just got away from me.  But I'm back now. :)  To join in or just go see all the other Monday Mingles, stop by and see Jen @ EightyMPHmom!
Password for the video is: misadventure.  Enjoy!  :D (Oh, and the still frame makes me look like I just saw something really disgusting...lol.  I assure you that is not the case.)

Monday Mingle May 10, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Panic Mode!

But in a totally good way.  I'm getting ready to pack up and head out for the summer and I'm SO EXCITED.  We have the same work schedule every day the whole time I'm there, and I'm planning to set aside bloggy time so I can tell you guys all about our crazy adventures.  Because you can bet there will be lots of those.  It's pretty much a crazy ride from day one right up until we all leave!
And bonus, the title of my blog will actually make sense for a change, since I'll actually be doing theatre work.  Woot!  Being the scenic artist for a playhouse is an awesome job, so there will also be lots and lots of pictures of me and various others in paint-covered clothing dancing around the shop with rollers and brushes.  :)
But before all the fun can start, I have to actually get there.  And I am NOT ready.  Well, mentally I'm totally ready.  Mentally I think I was there a month ago.  Physically though I'm absolutely scattered.  I've got clothes in piles that need washing, forests-worth of papers in bags, and about 572384734958732 things to do before Monday.
In addition to that my eating pattern this week has been really screwed up.  So about now I'm feeling like the Michelin Man about now.
Cause you know, my biceps look like a pair of tires.  Amazing what a week of haphazard eating will do to you when you've been so careful for so long.  I'm a little disappointed because NOW is when I wanted to feel my best.  But I know this feeling will be gone soon and I'll be right back with it, and I have to be positive.
Alright!  So, first step, climb the mountain of clothing in my bedroom.  Then, tackle The Hill.  Whooo!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Pretty self-explainatory.  I would hope.  :)

So I just saw the greatest commercial ever, it was for Weber grills, and it had a bunch of people doing crazy dances.  If there are two things I love in life, they would be barbecue and crazy dances.  Both of which I'll get to enjoy very soon....yes! Well, mostly the barbecue part, I do the crazy dancing part most every day.  Which is probably why most of the time my bosses shake their heads at me.  Hey, at least I'm entertaining!  Anydance, here is the video for your own enjoyment!  (PS - The song rocks my face off too!  It's called "You Light Me Up"...how appropriate.  It was made for the commercial, and if you're like me and HAVE TO HAVE IT, click here for only place it's available.  The Weber website.  You're welcome. :D )


Speaking of songs that are catchy, Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti is right up there.  The video makes me oddly happy.  Everyone is just so content and really enjoying themselves.  Plus, I don't think you can listen to the song and not dance.  I dare you.  :)


Hmmm....let's see.  I don't know that I'm actually loving exercise, but I DO love that even though I look like this:
After I exercise, I feel like this:
And yes, I am usually laying on the floor like that when I'm done too.  That Jillian...she doesn't mess around, I tell ya.

For absolutely hilarious blog posts, ya'll should check out The Bloggess if you haven't already.  Hilarious.  I wish I could write like these people who are so snarky and witty.  (I'm looking at you Travis, Daffy, and Jen.)  Alas, here I am, talking about tv ads for a charcoal grill.  I tell ya, the fun never ends around this place.  (Oh, and you should also read this, because it might be funniest Craigslist ad ever.  Yup.  Which I found on The Bloggess.)


Sunday, May 2, 2010

Memoir Monday: That Time I Was Homeless (Kind of)

Memoir Monday is brought to you by that fabulous funny guy Travis @ I Like to Fish.
Now, when I say I was homeless, I don't really mean HOMELESS.  Way back when I was in high school, I was also in youth group at church.  And my youth group, we did a ton of really cool things, but one of the most memorable, was the time we went and tried to experience what it was like to be homeless for an evening.
So this troupe of high school students, armed with cardboard boxes and every bit of clothing they could fit on their body, traipsed into the cathedral parking lot one cold Montana evening.  We were given $5 for food for dinner, and told we would be walking to the nearest grocery store.  Our herd was gathered and we started our walk to go find some food, all of us murmuring and talking about what it was like to be "on the streets."  Once at the grocery store, we scattered.  Some of us formed small groups of two or three, and planned little mini-meals.  Like, "Alright, well So-and-So, you get salad stuff, You-There get bread and cheese, I'll go to the deli and get some ham and turkey."  Yeah.  We were all resourceful like that.  There were some folks who went and bought chips and dip or fried chicken or candy (not even kidding...) and later on when we got back to "camp" were a little disappointed in their choices.  (Hindsight is rough, ain't it?)  What really wound up happening is that everyone eventually came together and shared their food, so everyone had a bit of everything and no one was forced to eat an entire bag of Snickers Minis for dinner.
Someone had also brought their guitar, and of course we made a fire (it was controlled, and in a parking lot) so we all sat around and had our very "Kumbaya" moments.  Which really, is kind of the point of church retreats, is it not?  So we sang, and ate, and I think someone even thought to by marshmallows so we went and grabbed some sticks from around the yard and roasted them over the fire.
When it was time for bed, we busted out our cardboard boxes and duct tape.  The same groups that had planned at dinner time, had a plan for the night as well.  What we did was tape all our boxes together to make a little "house" and share the space.  So all the little intricate tunnels of cardboard boxes were littering the cathedral lawn.  I'm sure it looked awesome.  :)  The girls whom I wound up sharing with said the next morning they were cozy and slept just great.  I, on the other had, slept in one of the outer boxes and practically froze to death.  I mean it's Montana in November people, it gets COLD at night!  And here I am, layered in three shirts, a sweatshirt, my heavy winter coat, mittens AND gloves, and a hat and I'm freezing.  I think I actually over-layered, which caused me to sweat, which then in turn made me colder because of the air hitting my body.  (Again, hindsight's rough, ain't it?)  But you know, we all made it.  I know that our little evening was hardly a comparison to what some folks actually go through, but amidst all the goofing around we did have some serious discussion.  Some of us faired better than others, but in the end we all learned a lot and were much more thankful that we only had to do this for one evening and not every day for survival.  And I have to say, it was a really cool experience.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Monday Mingle! AND Memoir Monday!

OR, Singing Out Loud and How I Learned to Change a Bumper

Whoop whoop!  I'm getting ambitious again, watch out!  This week I have BOTH the Monday Mingle (from Jen @ EightyMPHmom) and the Memoir Monday (from Travis @ I Like to Fish)!

Also you guys, apparently everything in my life is either "awesome" or "amazing" lol.  Sooo....for next week my goal is to use neither of those words.  My vocabulary is really much wider than that, I promise. :)  Password for the video is: misadventure.  Enjoy!

Monday Mingle April 26, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.



Alright! So for my memoir this week I decided to write about the time I changed the bumper on my car.
And to tell you why I had to get into mechanic mode, I have to tell you a little story first. It all begins with a trip home from the bar. Because what good story doesn't, really? So I always have my car with me, even when I'm working at the little summer theatre, where it truly is unnecessary, because I'm lazy. And this means I usually wind up being the taxi back up "The Hill" at the end of the day when everyone is at the bar. (In case you missed my guest post about this hill, go here to see what I'm talking about.) And I'm not sure how it came about, but it became a Big Deal to ride in my trunk. No, that is not a euphemism. I'd just pop the trunk and two or three people would sit in it like a recliner. Well, after about four days of this, I said, "You know, this is really unfair, *I* want to ride in the trunk!" So one of my friends said, "OK, well next time you give us a ride up, I'll drive and you can ride in the trunk!" Deal. 
Fast forward a few days later. We're getting ready to head back up the hill, I had my keys over to my friend, some folks pile in the car, another friend and I pile in the trunk, and we head up The Hill. I should probably mention at this point it was about 2 in the morning. We pull in front of the house to let everyone out of the car, I get in the passenger seat, and my friend who is driving says, "Well I'll just pull it around for you and park it." Sure! This entails going around the block, which, nothing can happen in a block right? *crickets* RIGHT?
So in between where we are currently, and where my car would like to be, is a giant parking lot. Made of gravel. My friend is....adventurous....and asked me, "So, can I try something?" Ummm...sure! Why not? Now, I know him, and I should really know better than to give him permission to "try something" in my still-kind-of-new car. Lack of judgement like this is what leads to good stories. And new bumpers.
So we cruise on into this parking lot, and immediately the emergency brake is pulled, and we spin around like a record. On the second rotation, we exited the parking lot....right into a fire hydrant. We actually didn't realize we had HIT the fire hydrant at the time, and didn't get out to check. There was a general, "That was close!" comment before we drove on up, parked my car, said goodnight and went to bed. 
Next morning I walk outside and....BAM. There it is.
Uh, maybe we were a *liiiittle* bit closer than we thought, eh?

So I showed my friend and he felt awful, way more so than he should have, cause I thought it was HILARIOUS. I mean the last time something hit my car I had to get a whole new car, so you know, a hole in the bumper, that's nothing. Despite me saying everything was ok, he offered to pay for it, which was really nice. And I let him, because it made him feel better and hey, free bumper.
Well I learned that you can get a bumper overnighted and delivered to your door for $65. Cool eh? So now I have this bumper. I had asked my boss where a good place to get it put on would be. His response was, "Are you kidding? You live with a bunch of technicians. I think we can figure it out." Good point sir, good point. And after that my Feminist Mojo kicked in and I was all, "Well I don't need their help, I'll DO IT MYSELF!" And I totally did, ya'll. It took about 45 minutes, and I removed, reassembled, and reattached my own bumper. Oh yeah. I don't know if you're aware, but that makes me a licensed mechanic now. So if you need anything, just let me know. I was a little nervous at first, like I kind of expected it to fall off at any moment. But I've since run over a parking curbs (you know the ones that you can't tell if you're parked close enough until you hear *crunch*) and it's still very firmly attached. The only difference is that they sent me an unpainted bumper, so I have a black bumper on my white car. And I thought about getting it painted, but you know what? I like it. And I'm proud of it. Gives it character. :)

**DISCLAIMER** I would like to say that I DO NOT in ANY WAY condone crazy or unsafe driving. (Unless you are a professional driver on a closed course, then by all means rock it out.) The town we were in is very small, and we were going a total of maybe 4 blocks...which kind of makes the whole incident that much more pathetic.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Writer's Workshop

Mama's Losin' It

Writer's Workshop is brought to you by Mama Kat from Mama's Losin It.

The prompt I'm choosing to write about is:
What is the joy in your current moment?

I think the thing that is bringing me joy in this moment, is the fact that I'm finally starting to get my life in order.  It's been a *very* long time coming, and I was pretty much in shambles.  I've come leaps and bounds in the last year, but in the last three months I've accelerated in such a good way.  For years now I've been trying to get my budget and my weight under control.  I've struggled with both for so long I was really stuck in a rut.  This year though, I started at New Years, and I stuck to it.  I went to the bank and had them help me balance my checkbook and start a register.  I read Jillian's book "Master Your Metabolism" and I overhauled my diet.  (Diet here meaning the food I eat on a daily basis, not something I am "on" to lose weight.)  After my Olympic trip I had have a slip up on both, and I had a mess again.  BUT, I picked myself up, went back to the bank, back to the grocery store, and started again.  I've been making a conscience effort to exercise every day as well, and I've been pretty well sticking to it.  I guess I'm just happy that I've finally seemed to find my inner strength to get things done.  And I don't think that the correlation between my health and my finances is a coincidence.  Actually, last week's Biggest Loser talked about that, and I had a total epiphany, lol.  I was like, "OMG!  No WONDER!"  Makes total sense. They both require attention, dedication, and perseverance, and all I was doing previously was neglecting them.  Because it was easier.  Well I'm not about taking the easy road anymore.  I'm taking control and I couldn't be happier!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Monday Mingle!



It is time once again for Monday Mingle with Jen @ EightyMPHmom! Whoop whoop! This is also the most super-fast mingle I've done yet...under 5 minutes! Guess I didn't have much to say this week, lol. Also, word of the day was apparently "amazing" because I said it like 17 times...whoops! I'll have to study up on my thesaurus for next time. ;) Anywho, password is: misadventure. Enjoy!



Monday Mingle April 19, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Summer Fashion That Made Me Go "WHAT?!?"

Alright you guys.  As you have probably guessed by now, I do a lot of shopping.  I mean, a LOT.  I also love clothes more than is probably healthy (and I work in clothing store…that’s like someone with a gambling addiction working in a casino…just not smart).  HOWEVER, there are two things I’ve run across recently that I find ridiculous. 
The first I think is not only ridiculous, but kind of infuriating.  Let me just show you the atrocity in question:




No no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you, those are socks made to wear with flip flops.  Let me repeat that.  SOCKS MADE TO WEAR WITH FLIP FLOPS.  Who thought this was a good idea?  These actually make me a little unnecessarily mad, I realize that, they fill me with the same rage as Heelys.  And really, that is one of the cardinal rules of dress isn’t it?  Don’t wear socks with sandals?  I think if I see anyone actually wearing these, I will point and laugh very loudly at their feet, and make a very snarky comment that they are sure to hear.  Yes, I realize that’s a very a-hole thing to do, but at least I’m an a-hole that isn’t wearing socks with FLIP FLOPS. 

My next issue with summer fashion is this:


That, my friends, is an adult onesie.  Not to be confused with footie pajamas, which are AMAZING (and made for the privacy of one’s home, for you know, sleeping).  I literally saw a dozen different variations of these adult onesies in one store.  Some were even strapless.  And yes, for some people, I’m sure these look adorable, but those people make up like 2% of the population.  For the rest of us, the onesie should be left behind at age 3.  I just don’t feel like it’s terribly flattering.  I am also well aware that if I were to try one on, I would look very much like Tweedle Dee.

That’s all the rant I have in me today, promise lol.  Is there any particular clothing item you’ve seen lately that made you do a double take?  Do tell!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Resolution Update

This week I updated my progress with my weight loss, like I have been doing, but I actually looked at my totals thus far and was pleasantly surprised.  Since January, I've lost 10 pounds, 5 inches off my waist, and 2 inches each off my chest and hips.  It's nowhere near where I wanted to be three months later, and I can't help but think how much farther along I could be if I had doubled my efforts and really dug in.  Don't get me wrong though, it's still a great start and I'm still very proud.  It's encouraging.  And I totally plan to keep up with what I'm doing, if not give myself a little kick in the butt again.  For being such an eternal optimist I'm often times very hard on myself.  "Oh...I could have done better."  "Well I only walked today, I should have done more of a workout."  Blah blah blah.  Fact is, I've made huge changes in my life that are building toward a healthier future, and that's something to be proud of!  So here's to no more negativity!
I've not done quite as well with my finances, but I've gotten back on track in the last month, so things are looking up there as well.  I still saved a little, and a little is better than none at all!  I've got a budget, I've got reminders, I've got my calendars, I've got it all, so hopefully in a little while I'll have some more savings to go with it!  I'm not gonna lie ya'll, keeping up with my money is practically painful.  After my Olympic trip everything went haywire and I didn't touch anything for a good month.  Yeah...mistake.  I spent two and half hours one just catching up on entries, and another two hours another day just getting everything to balance.  Then I took the following day to uncross my eyes, lol.  BUT, everything is SO scheduled and in line now that I'm very pleased.  And you can bet I'm going to make sure it stays that way.  I also learned that when I have to write everything down, I don't spend as much.  Funny, isn't it?  It's like, that was the point of a checkbook all along...hmmm.....  ;)
As far as my other resolutions, I think I have done much better at keeping in touch with my friends.  I have NOT done much for my crafty business, nor my guitar, which I've only picked up a handful of times.  That's ok though, I gave myself quite a list to focus on, and focusing on the two I have been I think is the most important.
Well, that's where I stand on my New Years Resolutions as of right now!  So tell me, how are YOU doing?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore....

If I told you the kind of weather we had last week, you wouldn't believe me.  In fact, I AM going to tell you, and you probably still won't believe me.
Well, it was kinda chilly earlier in the week, but starting to warm up.  I check the weather Thursday morning, see that it's going to be about 60, and go, "Great!  I'll wear my cute new skirt!"  I really should know better by now.
I leave in the morning around 9, get to work, and on my way to the bank an hour later, it's a lovely 57 degrees, as it should be.  A little breezy, but nothing awful.  Yet.
A couple hours later, the sun was still shining, but the wind had picked up.  A LOT.  And around noon...CRASH!  The following picture was taken on my phone from the doorway of the store I work in.
I'm not sure if you can tell, but the entire awning actually BLEW OFF.  It got the little barber shop awning too, over there on the left, and went all the way across.  Craziness!  That's some strong wind.  I believe it was clocked at 53 mph.  But that was not all.
Another two hours pass.  The sun has long since been replaced by ominous dark clouds, and the temp has dropped considerably.  Then, just to top things off, it begins to snow.  Not just any snow, big, wet, heavy snow.  And it snowed like a beast for about....20 minutes.  Then, like nothing had ever happened, the clouds part, the sun comes out, and I'm pretty sure I heard birds chirping somewhere.  
And yet, it still wasn't over.  Before I got home that night at 8, it snowed and melted three more times.
Ahh....Springtime.  You gotta love it.
I just wish I would have worn pants.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Monday Mingle!


Oh my goodness you guys, I suck.  Though I did manage to squeeze out a couple posts this week, which is an improvement.  I just don't seem to do much of anything exciting lol.  ANYblog, it's time again for Monday Mingle!  Password is, as usual: misadventure.  :)


Monday Mingle April 12, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.


Blogs I mentioned in my video:
Jenepper @ Maybe If You Just Relax
Karie @ The Five Fish

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Things That Crossed My Mind Today

I'm pretty sure that if I were start school over again as a kindergardener, they would say I'm ADD.  I feel like I have at least 50 thoughts a second, which really is pretty impossible to properly separate and give due attention to every thought or idea.  Some things that crossed my mind today....

I never, EVER, want to depend on prescription drugs to sustain me if at all humanly possible.

Why on earth would you wear shorts so short they get eaten my your crotch?  GROSS.

Chocolate dutch mints are delicious....and give me a ridiculous sugar high.

Does it just become an unwritten rule that once you reach a certain age all the standards of society change to how you think they should be?  Cause, um, they don't.  Just sayin.

I wonder if I could reserve an apartment three months early without having to pay rent.

I really need to get some sketching done.

Wow....it's snowing!

....and now it's 50 degrees, I'll go for a walk.

Why do these numbers not add up?!?!?

Pistol squats are the DEVIL.  And impossible.

Melissa totally needed to be kicked off, yet again.  No one likes a game player.

That's all I can really remember for today.  I know it's kind of a cop-out, but I'm at least trying to exercise my bloggy muscles again, so I think I can get a little credit.  :)  Back atcha tomorrow with more useless drivel!  Have a happy hump day folks!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Notes to the Universe

*dusts off blog*.....*chokes and coughs on dust*  Whoo boy, it's been a while hasn't it?  I apologize for that you guys.  Since two Wednesdays ago I've kinda just been running around in circles.  Goal this week is post every day, even if it's just a blog fart.  Today though I thought I'd do my Notes to the Universe, since I seem to have started doing that on Tuesdays.  And they're easy.  And I'm lazy.  :)


Dear Marc Summers,
I wish you would have just stuck to being host of Double Dare.  You're just not as charismatic on Unwrapped.  You are hilarious though, on Best Thing I Ever Ate.  Maybe you should just try Unwrapped with no script, I bet it would be pretty awesome.

Dear Older Gentleman with the Walker,
You really broke my heart today.  I hope you had a lovely visit to the store and thank you for talking with me.  I really wish the best for you.  Enjoy the wine!

Dear Hips and Belly,
Thank you for helping me to carry large boxes, laundry baskets, and very small children.  I suppose you're not ALL bad.

Dear Springtime,
You. are. my. favorite!  I love very much that I can work a full day and it's still light when I leave.  This makes me very happy and much less irritable.  Which is really a win for everyone.

Dear Budget,
Why do you hate me?  Please, let's get through this together ok?  I just need some balance.

Dear Sky,
You've been kinda dark lately.  Lighten up!

Dear Adorable Small Children,
You guys are SO incredibly well-behaved, you've really impressed me.  You give me hope for future generations.  Thank you for being so sweet.  You totally deserved those jelly beans.

That's it today folks, short and sweet.  Have a great day!


Sunday, April 4, 2010

Monday Mingle!


Hi again! I'm back with another Monday Mingle, brought to you by Jen @ EightyMPHmom! Stop by and say hello to the other mingling folks, won'tcha? :) Password for the vid is, as usual: misadventure. I really rambled on this time guys....so sorry! Enjoy!

Monday Mingle April 5, 2010 from Lauren on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I'm a Guest!

Hey folks!  Not too long a post today, but I wanted to let you all know that I'm guest posting over at Travis' blog, I Like to Fish, today!  So you should stop by and check it out!  I didn't realize it's been almost a week since I posted... I'm really sorry about that.  I've got loads to write about too.  I better get on it!  I'll try to be more regular in my posting here soon.  (Do they make a blog laxative?)  But for now, pop on over and say hi to TravyG and check out my post!

Happy Hump Day!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Olympic Escapades: Vancouver! Curling!


Alright!  Day two of our Olympic adventure, curling!  The curling was my favorite thing of the whole trip.  Really.
We started out the day having lunch at a little Japanese restaurant.  Hello sushi!  Then we headed out to find the Olympic Village and some souvenirs.  I wanted my red mittens!  It actually took the better part of the afternoon to find where we were going, and then to find the “Official Olympic Store” that was housed in the Hudson Bay Company.  The line for the store was ridiculous!  It went down the block, back up the block, and down the block again.  But really, for how long it was, we only waited about 45 minutes to get inside.  Once I got in it was like total sensory overload.  I didn’t know which way to go.  I did immediately try to find my mittens, but was told, much to my dismay, that they were SOLD OUT and only had the kids sizes.  Heart, broken.  So I did the rest of my shopping, and right as I was getting ready to get in the checkout line, I saw a girl walking by with an adult sized pair of mittens with the tags.  I stopped her and said, “Where did you find those?!?”  and she said, ‘They just brought them down!  They’re over there, RUN!”  So I darted off to mittens fresh of the truck, and grabbed like 7 pairs.  Mittens for everyone!  :D  I also bought this really cute sleek white winter jacket that I’m so totally excited about.  Right when I got home though the weather got nice again, go figure, lol.
After that truly Olympic shopping experience, we headed off to go watch our curling game!  The lines for the games was like being in line at the airport.  Ok, empty your pockets, take off your jacket, please step through the little metal detector, ok thank you, you’re good to go!  While waiting I started chatting with this really lovely couple who were actually from Vancouver and had curled together for 18 years.  They were telling me all about the game and how big a part it was in their lives.  I learned that it’s basically the Canadian equivalent of bowling.  Like instead of Friday night bowling leagues, there are Friday night curling leagues.  This couple’s regular Friday game was actually cancelled on account of the Olympics, lol. 
Once we got in, I wandered up to what I thought was my seat, which I found out later (over halfway through the match later) that I was in the wrong section.  But I settled in and started talking to the folks around me, and we had this little sort of community discussion, where the folks who were avid curling fans would explain the game and strategies to those of us who didn’t know.  It was really very cool.  What was also cool was that there were four matching going on at once, so we got to see eight teams play, one of whom was Canada.  The matches were: Canada-Denmark, China-Sweden, Great Britian-Japan, and Russia-Swiss.  And let me tell you, the Japanese were kickin’ butt and takin’ names.  Their game was over first, they didn’t even play the last frame.  The Canada-Denmark match wound up being a tie, so they went into overtime.  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Never in my life have I witnessed such a crowd!  It was truly phenomenal.  And when it came down to the last throw of the game, which happened to be the Canadians, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.  The stone was let go, and as it got closer and closer to the center of the target, more and more people were slowly rising to their feet.  When it landed in the center there was an ERUPTION.  And eruption of epic proportions!  Cow bells, yelling, feet stomping….it was so joyous.  I’m so happy to have been a part of that moment.  :)

 A shot of all the teams getting ready to make their throws.

Some Canadian curling action!

Me with my new coat and snazzy mittens sporting some Canadian pride after the game!

I think that's all I got for this installment of Olympic Escapades.  There will probably be one more post about it, with some pictures of the city, and the torch of course!  Have a great day everyone!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Another Installment of "Dear Universe"

I'm not quite sure when all of a sudden I started doing this so frequently, but I always find myself making notes to the Universe nowadays.  So, here are a few that I've made recently.

Dear beer,
Thank you for being so amazingly tasty and enhancing the fun of my friends and I.  I do wish you'd work out a deal my intestines though, that would be lovely.  Plzkthx.

Dear Mother Nature,
I realize we all have our mood swings, but driving home in a blizzard I can't see through one night and then waking up to sunshine and 60 degrees the next day is a bit of a stretch isn't it?  I know it's a wishy-washy time for all of us right now, but all I'm asking is a little consistency.  I just want to know how to dress.

Dear weekend,
Thank you for letting me sleep in.  I really do appreciate it.  However, all that resting up kinda throws off my sleeping pattern, making Monday much more difficult than it really needs to be.  Let's work on this together ok?

Dear T-shirt with giant screen print on the front,
Please stop smelling like crayons.  I don't want to have to quarantine you.

Dear Nintendo,
Creating a shortage of Wiis on the EXACT DAY I get my tax refund is NOT NICE.  I would really love to give you money for a product, and there is not one store in this town that had one for me to buy, when they all had at least three the day before.  I repeat, NOT NICE.

Dear natural peanut butter,
I realize sometimes you separate and I need to give you a stir.  However attacking my good leather shoes with your extra oil will in fact only make me want to throw you across the kitchen instead.

That's all I got for today folks!  Have a lovely Tuesday!  Oh, and Minglers, I *will* be making the rounds this week.  Please be patient with me.  :)

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Monday Mingle! AND Memoir Monday!



It's that time again kids! Time for Monday Mingle, brought to you by Jen @ EightyMPHmom. Also, this weeks questions were submitted by Greg @ Telling Dad, and if you haven't gone to visit him yet, please do so. He's a fabulously funny guy. Password for the video is, as usual: misadventure. Enjoy!
Untitled from Lauren on Vimeo.



In addition to doing my Mingle this week, I am unusually on top of my game and am going to participate in Memoir Monday, which is hosted by Travis @ I Like to Fish. And without further ado, I bring to you...

Olympic Escapades: Vancouver Time! The Hockey Game.

Oh. My. Goodness. You know, it's been almost a month and I still can't believe I was actually there? It was all very surreal to me. And I know I'm never going to be able to remember everything for this one post, it would be forever long. So, for this post I'll just cover the hockey game.
First of all, Vancouver is GORGEOUS. I want to live there. And the people were so nice. What a great place to attend my first Olympics. (Yes, I say first, because I hope to go to more in the future. :D ) The events we had tickets for were a women's hockey game and a women's curling match.
The hockey game was between China and Russia. We wound up getting there right after the first period ended just due to the transportation. Oh, and by the way, the public transportation was amazing. They did a phenomenal job shuffling around so many people. It was actually really incredibly efficient, we were just the ones that were running a little late. Anybus, we get there and get in our seats to settle in for some hockey action. It was a really good game, which ended with a score of 2 to 1, Russia. Two Chinese girls got thrown down, one limped off the ice and the other had to be half carried....she hit the wall pretty hard. That said, checking is not allowed in women's hockey, news to me. (Checking = throwing yourself into your opponent, basically.) The Russian's weren't messing around though! Also noteworthy at the game, when they had the clock stopped and played music, at one point they played Lady Gaga, which made me totally happy. BUT the best part ever, when they played the YMCA at the break between the second and third period. The volunteers that were helping seat people were down in front of the stands demonstrating to those who might not understand what the heck was going on. It was...truly a hilarious and awesome time. So I got to do the YMCA with thousands of my closest friends. :D There were also some China fans who were chanting "CHINA!" to the tune of the Imperial Death March from Star Wars, which I of course thought was hilarious as well. In case you're unfamiliar, here is a little sound bite for you:


imperial death march sound bite

It went something like "Chi-chi-chi-chi...chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-NA!" Yeah, just imagine that if you can, lol.
Oh, and also, after the game when we were walking back to the bus, we were behind a Chinese mother and her little boy, probably about 6 or 7. The little boy was singing what I imagine to be some traditional Chinese song, it sounded very lullaby-esque. Whatever it was, it was SO cute. He was just singing quietly the entire time we were walking back, and I just had to smile.
I realize that I didn't say much about the actual game, but it was the whole experience that was great. I don't know a ton about hockey, just that it's fun to watch. The crowd was great and really supportive of both teams. And I think another cool thing too was actually being back at home and watching the USA/Canada game and going "I was RIGHT THERE a week ago! Wow..." Crazy. Just crazy I tell you.
Stay tuned for the curling match recap coming soon! (and by soon I mean this week...and not, you know, sometime in the indefinite future. Heh.)

Me at the arena after the game. You can see the flags they had hanging up showing the teams and the rings on the railing I'm standing by. :) Woot!