Memorial Day Weekend

So I think I have a lot to write about as there was a long weekend and in the usual SimplyLauren fashion, I was busy the entire time.

I arrived Friday night---on time, which was a miracle. Not after I saw an old delegate on the bus to LaGuardia and then made friends with two adorable Dominican girls sitting next to me. They were my friends the entire 20 minute ride to the airport.

I hung out with Jared on Friday night, good times. We watched War of the Worlds (read: stupid and not scary and REALLY unrealiastic) and the Ring 2. The only person in the whole world who ACTUALLY understands how scary the first Ring was for me is Beth. She was sitting next to me as I was asking for death as the fear was too great for me to handle. I swore that I would never watch any other movies after Ring. But for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to watch this sequel. The Ring 2 wasn't scary at all, except for maybe a few select parts with Samarra. There is this part where she is climbing up the well after Naomi Watts and it's freakishly scary. There is also this part where Aidan is in the bathroom taking a picture of the mirror and Samarra is like right behind him slowly creeping up on him. Aidan is weird again in this movie, although not as possessed, like he was in the first. You learn a lot more about Samarra and how she is a loser who lives in a well and never died.
-----------------------------------------------
Saturday, Family Fun:
The real fun times began as the family BBQ began on Saturday afternoon as the troops arrived.
We ate and ate and ate. And played in the sprinkler, which was a blast. I layed out on my deck and my nephews played without broken water fountain sprayed water all over the place. Had a BBQ---it was delicious, bust seriously, whenever they come over my mom thinks it's appropriate to stuff us all like pigs. Nephews are mad cute as usual. Berk did his Wallace impression by stuffing grapes into his cheeks to spread them out so you can see all his teeth like Wallace's actually look and then says in a high voice, "Grommit, pass the crackers and cheese..." SO HILARIOUS.

Bora told another knock knock joke and a story that was really funny. Let me explain.
Bora was descirbing these twins in his class and how they have deformity (gotta love deformities).

Bora: Trianna and Mark have six fingers.
Me: No way (busting out laughing)
Bora: Yes, they do! But they had surgery and they got cut off.
Me: Can you tell they used to have a finger there?
Bora: Yeah, now they have like two pimples next to their pinky.
Me: They BOTH have it? Both of the twins?
Bora: Yeah! Seriously! It's like THIS big! (motioning to a pimple as big as a pea)
Me: (hysterically laughing at their misfortune...)

And now for two jokes, a-la Bora:

Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Apple.
Apple who?
Apple ate the pizza.

and...

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Keyon
who?
Keyon is my best friend.

Later on that evening I hung out with Becca who was home from Philly for the weekend, quite a bit. On Saturday night after the family BBQ, we went over to Blockbuster in White Oak to get some movies to watch. It was taking us a long time to pick out movies. We were in the comedy section and I saw the movie "Pumpkin" with Christina Ricci.

Me: Oh, this movie is funny.
Becca: Why? What's it about?
Me: Christina Ricci starts to like hook up with this retarded kid in her school.
Becca: Lauren, you can't say retarded.
Me: No, he actually was, I wasn't just saying that.
Becca: But you aren't supposed to call people that. I'm pretty sure there is another word for it.
Me: What is the other word?
Becca: I dunno, maybe "challenged"
Me: No, you can say retarded. I promise. And I'm definately writing about this in my blog on Tuesday.

Later on that night when we were watching "Something New", which is about the challenges that interracial couples. Then Becca started to explain what characteristics in a man would be a "deal-breaker" for her. This pretty much was a soliloquy on Becca's part.

Becca: Yeah, well at least she doesnt have to like walk behind him wearing a Burka or something. I think that would be a deal breaker for me.
Me: You mean, having to wear a burka in public?
Becca: Yeah, don't you think?
Me: Um, yes. Clearly. Again, I'm writing about this in my blog.
______________________________________-

Earlier when we were in DTSS (Downtown Silver Spring) going wedding dress shopping, by that I mean, shopping for a dress I can wear at Caroln's wedding. There was nothing really on sale or overly cute that I wanted to get so we headed over to Ulta. I needed some new sunglasses because I had lost/left mine somewhere indeterminate. Good thing there wasn't any that I liked at the store b/c I found mine the next day at Ron's house. I was so happy that I'd gone more than one summer without losing my sunglasses. I also purchased some really cute nail polish and that Neutrogena "Build-a-tan" since I'm not building jack shit of a tan working in an office all day every day. As we were heading up the stairs back to the car, guess who I saw?

dum dum dum...

CLEMON!!!!!

It was so exciting. He looks all grown up and I was like---elated to see him and I probably was jabbering out of my mind. He asked who I still kept in touch with and I told him all the CAP people. He said he's working in VA, or something, I actually can't remember what he said. It was sort of a blur.

So that was my exciting Silver Spring sighting.

We went back to Becca's and watched "Something New" and part of "Transamerica" but I was too tired to finish and so I drove home before it was over.

Sunday: All MLW, All the Time.
You can pretty much say that from waking till sleep I was doing something MLW related. There was first new staff day with the cute new staff and then a bit of the dolphin dance, and then the returning staff piled in for an afternoon meeting. Team leader bowling while watching Lord of the Rings and dancing to like late 90s music wearing cool bowling shoes and then me wanting to gauge my eye out b/c my contact was acting up again. Mike and I returned to Ron's house to make visuals in his basement. It was joy over joy. Just kidding. It was fun although I was spent at the end of it all.

I drove out to Clarendon to say bye to Andy and Ashley as they move to LA to actually live together as a married couple. It was sad but I had a good time shooting the shit with Andy and JB, Noelle, and Charlie. It was fun, I was so exhausted though. I got lost on my way home from Arlington, shocking that is...I ALWAYS get off on the wrong highway and get all tangled up in the downtown or end up somewhere I don't want to be. Sunday night was a case of taking the longest way possible back to Silver Spring. I ended up somehow getting on 295 and then eventually getting on 95 North, but it was the wrong way along the beltway, it was like---going around the PG county way. I have nothing against PG county, but some parts are legitimately sketchy. I was watching the gas gauge carefully and it was hovering above empty. I NEEDED to stop and get gas. I got off at an exit that looked "ok" and "populated". Yeah, it was populated with sketchy people blasting "Poppin' Time" over and over. Anyway, I shoved the 20 at the man and ran and pumped my gas. It actually ended up being fine and only a few cat calls from a man who I'm sure had never seen a white girl before. It took me over an hour to get home. It took me 35 minutes to get there. So annoying. I hate driving to Northern VA. Yeah, NOVA sucks.

Monday--NWB:
Woke up reatively early to go to breakfast at the Stewarts. It was so delicious. :) Thanks! Then we went to the pool for the swim team meeting, which consisted of me talking with parents and kids from years back and straight chillin'. Then Jess and I got slurpees and I went home to grab my suit. Becca and I went to the pool right after and layed out. It was nice to get some color. And if my color, I mean a bit sunburned, in the straight Lauren tradition. God! My face is tan though, it's just my chest and my inner thighs (yeah, don't ask). So---whatever. The water was cold, but it felt so good after sweating my ass off in the sun for an hour. Then went drove over to Santucci's to get a sandwich only to discover that they were closed. We went to Beks house so she could change and that we could look up movie times. Then I went home and changed. We ended up seeing Mission Impossible 3. I know, I hate Tom Cruise. I even vowed that I wouldn't seen any more of his movies, a rule that I broke twice this weekend between this at War of the Worlds. I don't care. I like action movies and seeing TC almost die like 10 times was pleasurable for me. He's good at those roles. Don't get me wrong, he's psychotic. But, he's good at being Ethan Hunt. Then we rushed home b/c I was supposed to catch a flight. On my phone though was a VM from Nicky and Mrs. Stewart saying I should come to the pool for a BBQ. I pushed my flight until 9 and then ran over there to join in on the fun. I met Nick's girlfriend Claire who is mad cool and hung out with the Wooters et al. . Then I flew home.

************************************
Fun Solution Tid-Bit for the Day--brought to you by Lindsey!

Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately. Illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, wild animals attacking humans in Florida.
Not me. I concentrate on solutions to problems. The result is a win-win-win situation:

+ Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border
+ Use the dirt to raise the levies in New Orleans
+ Put the Florida alligators in the moat
*************************************

Happy Mon--sike Tuesday!
Love,
Lauren

Shout Outs:
JB: for our conversation on Sunday night and being the best ever.
Noelle: Good luck in Africa. I'll miss your company this summer!
Andy: Have a safe flight with Ashley. Keep in touch!
Jaxx/Dustin/TL: it's going to be too tight for McDaniel this summer. I can't wait.
the fam: thanks for the bangin' BBQ on Saturday and fun in the backyard. Love you all!
Navin: Sorry about the other weekend when you called when you were in NY. I was in Philly and I'm sorry I never called you back.
Nick: So good seeing you this weekend. :)
Jared: Had a blast Friday night. See you soon. ;)