Retroactive Posting pre-MLW

This is a blog entry that I started right before MLW and didn't get a chance to finish. I thought I would post it anyway. :) -----------------


Wow---Jonas, you read my blog? This is very exciting to me. I know Amos "does" but really---not sure how often he gets to check up on the life of Lauren. This renews my faith in my readers and their ability to spread the word about things.

This week has been absolutely nuts. Let me talk a little bit about it. It may not seem like "nuts" to you--but you are a lay person. The only people that truly understand how much work this week is are those in MLW.

Beth brought up a great point at dinner last night. Her, Lindsay and I went out for restaurant week and so we were at Remi. She said, "I was thinking on the way here about if the high school Lauren, Beth, and Lindsay knew the present Lauren, Lindsay and Beth were going to have dinner together---they would be really happy." It was cute and very true.

Oh, before I get into this whole dinner escapade, let me explain the bit of debauchery that was involved with us
1. finding Le Parker Meridien and
2. finding the restaurant.

I met up with Lindsay as we were walking over. It was hot and gross and I was carrying a heavy bag

Oh my Casey action plan: After lunch next Saturday---I'm just going to pull him aside and plant a big kiss on him. I'm not really going to give him a choice.

Rant about Israel:
WTF Israel? Seriously. What is up with you invading everyone all the goddamn time? And United States... we practically like GIVE them tanks and guns and everything to blow up tons of stuff. If you were one of the people they decided to attack----you'd be a suicide bomber too---tearing apart families by building walls and all these effing checkpoints. I just want to say---look, Israel was created so you guys would have a homeland and place to be---that's cool. Now, don't be a dick about it constantly. Be a little courteous to others inhabiting the same area----not to mention those that have been living these since the DAWN OF TIME....

-----
I didn't write anymore, which may have been for the best.
Cheers, Lauren

Alp and Apology

Happy 1oth Birthday Alp!

I have never been more busy in my life. I'm sorry for the lack of posts. I promise when I return from MLW/have a life, I will be able to return to my regularly scheduled postings.

Again, I have a lot to say, but no time to write it.

Love,
Lauren

Computer Genius and Stomach

A few things. I think that there should be a function on your computer that allows you to highlight a block of text and then "CAPS LOCK" it---and vice versa. It's totally annoying when you are typing and you aren't looking at the screen and when you finally do, you notice that the entired paragraph is written capital letters. Wouldn't it be so nice to change that? I told my co-worker Vijai about my idea and I suggested I email Bill Gates about working on the problem. He said that it's some coding issue and b/c the computer recognizes....

OK, see, I'm already bored of his explanation of why it can't be done. I personally think that if we can make underwater cameras, and like prosthetic limbs, and go to the moon---why can't we effing make a caps lock highlight function?!

I'm off my soap box.

This week has been really busy--lots of MLW stuff to do and take care of before this weekend. It's really overwhelming. Not to mention my real job. I also still need to bring in things to decorate my desk. Oh, by the way---for the record, that TO DO list I made, I did NONE of the things on it. That's how much NO time I have. Today at work I'm going to try and finish everything up, but seeing as if half the day is already gone and I supposedly have plans tonight I don't know whether or not this is going to happen. One funny thing is that I actually went back to look at the list that I made of the things I need to do to see if there was actually something on the list I did. I did actually do nothing on the list. Not one damn thing. I just made a list and then did jack shit of it. I'm useless.

So my and small committee are planning SAIL. This has to be done before site so that the delegates get hyped and everyone is like "on-board". I was really happy to do this seeing as if I really am on top of my game and have been really productive recently and that I have loads of time. Riight. Luckily, we are practically finished and as soon as site comes around, there will be no more really hard core issues relating to SAIL. Thanks to Ron for the reminder/kick in the a$$.

I'm starting to get that stomach pain that I get when I'm really stressed out. I always get really bad stomach pain/cramps/dry heaving/throwing up, when I'm stressed out. I have gotten this since college. The lady downstairs at the health center gave me Mylanta. She also suggested that I go see a doctor for help. I don't have a doctor in NYC. I didn't really have a doctor in Philly either. I can't remember the last time I had an actual physical. I've been to the Emergency Room more often than a doctor.

Now I'm just starving. I need to eat something. I want to "eat fresh". I kill me! I'm going to Subway---like now.

Softball last night was so much fun. We won---of course. Except, I'm not going to lie when I say that it was a tough game. The final score was 12-9. It was not anyone's best performance. Except for Tessa, who is my GIRL. She had a great hit and then eventually got home. I, on the otherhand. Had a hit right to the pitcher, and I got out. And then---the second time I was up---I had a nice line drive over by third but they were too quick for me---and again, I got out. Boo---drinks and wings after at Brother Jimmy's. Was a fun time as usual. Wasn't as late of a night as the first game, although this morning I was not feeling on my game.

Seriously though, I am going to eat now.

Love,
Lauren

P.S. TGIF.

Posting

Sorry there isn't one today.

If you only knew how much work I had.

Softball Tonight. I have to run.

Hopefully I'll post tomorrow.

Love,
Lauren

Writing and Super Tasters

So I come into work and check my email. There is one from my dad. The only time my dad actually emails me is when he needs some sort of question answered or he wants to tell me something funny. This email was full of random attachments. I went on to read the body and it said that my dad had been going through old disks and found one with a bunch of stuff of mine on it---papers from college. I love going back and looking at stuff that I wrote before, it cracks me up. Unfortunately, these papers did not crack me up, they filled me with disgrace. The papers were from two classes I took sophomore year of college, one was "Ancient World History" and the other "Constitutional Law". It was after ConLaw that I knew that Law School wasn't for me. I hated that class. Oh, wait, I am off track, back to my original commentary. So the papers were like mid-term reports and other final papers. I was such a bad writer! I can't believe I passed college with such good grades?! What were my professors thinking?! I was literally reading these papers and thinking, this isn't even remotely good. There are so many problems and the flow of my writing just really blew. I wrote back to my dad telling him just this. I think I didn't really learn to write well until I studied abroad in Rome and then also senior year. I attribute this to my increased interest in the subject matter of the papers and essays I was writing in addition to the fact that I was indeed, older and wiser. Anyway...this was just a personal commentary about my life in early college.

I'm very tired this morning. I have consistently been getting no sleep and it's beginning to feel horrible every time my alarm goes off. It's pretty much a nightmare. I forgot to turn on the A/C before I went to bed last night. I guess I wasn't that hot initially going to bed. I had to wake up in the middle of the night---and turn it on and attempt to go back to sleep even though I was all sweaty and disgusting. Anyway, I think that also contributed to my lack of sleep and exhaustion. I feel better now than I did before. This coffee that I drink in the mornings really works wonders. I feel like I could be really productive. You should have seen me on the bus, I was straight up sleeping. I don't really remember getting ready, I was in a state of delirium. I do remember that the shower I took was cold and I couldn't remember which one was the hot knob so it just wasn't getting warmer at all. I was just too tired to fool around with the knob things. That is a sad story. Every night I hope I'm going to be able to get to bed early, but it just never works out that way.

I feel really disorganized right now. I mean, I come home to my messy apartment with no order whatsoever. Papers and trash all over my dining room table. My bathroom is starting to get that red mold by the drain, and the green stuff on the tiles. Usually I clean that up as soon as it pops up. I just don't have the time! I am running in and out of there so much, always going somewhere---that I can't ever take the time to do the things I need to.

SimplyLauren's To Do List:

• get dress for CK's wedding
• buy present for CK/Christian
• figure out how I'm going to get to MLW/wedding/etc.
• finish making all MLW visuals
• finish typing up group/mix plans
• make materials lists for MLW
• try and meet with team
• clean bathtub
• organize files
• hang up clothes
• mop kitchen floor
• catch up on my correspondence
• buy a new bikini top
• help Nick find a job in San Fran
• bring in things to decorate my new desk at work
• finish reading the Alchemist
• make out with Casey
• get belated presents for Biggs and Susannah
• vacuum living room/bedroom
• think about what color I want to paint my room
• throw away everything in my fridge (b/c it is all rotten)
• throw away all old food in apartment

See how much I have to do? All is equally important and I should try and get to it before MLW.

So apparently Materazzi called Zidane a dirty muslim terrorist. If that is true, I am sad for Zidane---though I already am. I bet he's still a hero in France. What a fucked up thing to say. Oh sorry for the random missing post and that I spelled Materazzi's name wrong. I guess I published before I meant to and honestly, you can go back and edit, but I don't really feel like doing that at all.

Last night I went out to dinner at Indus Valley---this really great Indian place on the upper west. Anyway, it was me, Katie, Josh, Beth obviously, China, and Becca. Becca asked for her food to come without coriander. I asked her if she was alergic, but she really is a "super taster". Dude, this is the most fascinating thing ever. She said that she can't eat foods with coriander---which I also learned was the same as cilantro---but the seed, because it makes all of the food taste like soap. Anyway, so she told me that Indian and Mexican are hard for her b/c it is a really common ingredient. I was so fascinated by this. I told her that my dad hates cilantro and so I called him today and asked him if he was a "super taster" and he didn't think so but I told him the next time I was home that we would do a "taste test" so that we could figure it out. I would be so psyched if I had a "super taster" for a father. :)

So I must get back to work. I'm going out to dinner at this phatty steakhouse tonight with Jess for Restaurant Week. Don't be jealous. Have a great day!

Love,

Lauren

Zidane and Building

First things first---HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY BETHY!!! I love you! I can't wait to see you tonight!

I'm still in disbelief about the game yesterday. Zidane, my favorite player on the field yesterday, whom I've loved for a while--Real Madrid times, lost his opportunity to leave the field and his career with honor and glory. Instead he left like a jack ass. I've been reading things about what Mazarrati must have said to him and people "claim" that he said something about not liking "brie and baguettes", which I think it kind of lame and not true, but I'd like to think that he said something really awful to at least PROVOKE Zidane.

Another thing that I'm totally annoyed about: my co-workers. They are all republican and therefore inherently anti-French. Which is so ignorant b/c if they are thinking about politics and stuff---why are they for like whack-ass Italy? It's just so hypocritical and annoying, that no matter what the french do, they get shat on by the dumb-asses at my office. It is so obnoxious that

My mom loves me. Read an excerpt from an email she just sent me this morning. Gotta love her.

"A white pair of panties was left behind -- my fault... I didn't get them out of the dryer for you. But I know you have backup, so I'll just leave it on your bed."

My mom doesn't know I write about her on the blog, so best to keep it quiet if you are ever in her presence. Thanks in advance.

So a building blew up today in New York, on 62nd in between Madison and Park Ave. Everyone keeps emailing me if I'm ok. Yes, I am. Thanks for your concern. They think someone was trying to commit suicide by causing a natural gas leak and then the whole thing backfired, literally. I think the super was hurt but no one died I don't think.

What am I eating for lunch today? I think i'm going to have a BLT with Avocado. Yum. I had that last week an it was amazing. I might also get some Pirates Booty. That shit is delicious! This entry isn't that great.

I am sad the World Cup is over----to echo Charlie's comments I guess. We were talking about it yesterday.

Oh, I'm supposed to give Jared a shout-out. I promised him I would. So---Jared, thanks for hanging out with me on Saturday and buying me beer and crab dip. You rule. Thanks for also making me get my hands dirty by touching the newspaper to stuff the fence. The kids better have realized what a sacrifice I made that night.

I need to do work and MLW.

Love you all,
Lauren

Too Busy

I'm too busy to post today. MLW calls. Sorry faithful readers.

Love,
Lauren

New England Vacation

I'm back---I know, try and contain your excitement. I know you missed me so. I have much to report. I will try and post this today, but work is weird, it's always hard after taking a day off and then having a four day weekend. We'll see how it goes. Not sure how everything will play out. Let the recap begin!

But real fast: Ken Lay died this morning of a heart attack---christ.

Friday:
Work was pretty busy on Friday. My friend Stephen at work was giving me a hard time about taking the Fung Wah bus to Boston. He was like---"it's so ghetto, you are going to sit next to some fat woman eating McDonalds or some skinny gross Chinese man slurping noodles the entire time." First of all, that was not how it was at all. It was a perfectly normal bus ride with nothing out of the ordinary at all. Also, it was effing 15 dollars. Can't beat that. The only issue was that it took a while to get out of the city, but that was to be expected since it was a holiday weekend. I didn't care. I had magazines and my iPod. Once I got to Boston, I called Leah, she told me to take the "T" which for all you Boston virgins like myself, is their subway. More on this later.* I met her at a CVS with her friend, who is now my friend---brenda. Then we went to Nelson's house. It was a pretty nice pad. We listening to Tribe and played Beer Pong. Leah and I were on a team and we pretty much dominated both games. If my dominated I mean, we won, but only b/c the other two teams had at least one horrid player on them. No offense Brenda or that weird girl in the green halter top. So----it was great. But around 12:30 we were all really tired and went back to Leah's.

Saturday:
Leah and I woke up sort of late. We had planned on going to the beach with Brenda and this girl Jess. We got a late start, something that wouldn't affect us until later on in the afternoon. We packed our bags, pulled on our bikini's and headed out. Boston traffic was crappy. It took us forever to get to the beach. Then, once we got there---we had to park in this town called Ipswitch. We then had to wait for a shuttle. I had to pee really really badly, so I walked over to this abandoned car repair store to "see if they had a restroom I could use." When really the whole time I knew I was going to just pee behind the building. The effing shuttlebus took forever. We got to the beach, walked a ways to find a place that wasn't infested with kids and annoying people. We laid out for a few hours left of daylight. Just kidding, I got a little sun. Yeah, no burn. Phew. We began to drive home and we stopped to eat because we were all effing starving. It was glorious.

Salem: What an adventure! I get chills just thinking about the Crucible and "I can't do it Mr. Danforth!" Anyway---On our way back from the beach we took the scenic route and stopped in Salem. I wanted to see spirits and the witch things. :) I'm a loser, I know. Brenda had been there before and told us that if you take pictures and there are spirits there---they will show up on your camera as "orbs". I immediately became obsessed with taking pictures of everything just so I could see and orb or a disgruntled spirit. Anyway----of course I took pictures of like everything---doors, windows, signs, graves. Nothing. No orbs. :( After the orb-hunting expedition, we came across a graveyard. Graveyards are cool---I mean, old ones are cool, new graves aren't that cool. I wasn't scared. They were from the 1700-1800s. Anyway, we were meandering around the graveyard and looking at them. Then we noticed these two guys like with a camera and talking seriously about the graves and everything. Me, being my inquisitive self began a conversation:

Me: So, are you guys from Salem?
Them: No, we just come up here every weekend to do paranormal research.
Me: Really? Like spirits and ghosts? Can you show me where to find orbs?
Them: Yeah, but Salem is some shit, most of it is like tourism and BS.
Me: (disappointed) So I won't be able to take a picture of orbs?
Them: No, not here really, but I can show you some I took?
Me: (excited) Really? Oh---let me see!
*shows me freaky pictures of orbs---I get freaked out*
Guy with tattoos: Yeah, there was this old insane aslym where they used to burn people alive and I became obsessed with it----like I used to crawl into the incinerator and collect bones. I also used to sleep there becuase I was obsessed with it. Then they tore it down.
Me: (freaked out) That's great. er-----um. I think we should go.
Boston Accent guy: Well we have a website, you should check it out.
Brenda: Ok, i'll write it down.
Guy with tattoos: There was also this one time where I was in this jail (although it could have been that same insane aslyum) and I heard a little girl crying like so loud and then I saw a pool of blood on the floor and then it disappeared one second later.
Me: Yeah, that's great. I really don't believe in this stuff. We are going to leave now. Cya. Thanks.

After that---we took pictures of the Witch Trials memorial and drove back to Boston.

Later that night we met up with Lindsay and Derek at Tia's this "kickass" place in Boston. It reminded me of the waterfront in Georgetown. Oh right---Matt Barker was there too---totally blast from the past. I was in a weird mood. I had fun for about 70% of the time, then I became moody Lauren and wanted to go home at around 1:30.

Sunday:
Leah and I woke up leisurely, and then went to breakfast/lunch at the SouthEnd Buttery. It was YUMMY!!! Then we took a stroll, and if my stroll I mean we walked for the entire day, around downtown Boston. We walked up and down Newbury street wandering in and out of shops. We spent appx. an hour in Victoria's Secret trying on bras. I got the Ipex one, and I'm super excited about it---you can make all these different strap combinations and so I can actually wear different types of shirts from now on! Then we got tired and stopped in Trident Booksellers for a snack. I got a cranberry spritizer and Leah got this like drink with all these random fruits and veggies in it. It was green and she said it tasted like salad. I will also vouch for this----it tasted like salad. Oh, and we got sweet potato fries. I paid and left my debit card there--like an asshole. It was annoying. I didn't realize this until we went to Cambridge and were eating dinner at this place called "Grendels Den". They had this dollar menu that was quite impressive. We all pigged out on it along with two pitchers of Sangria. :) Delish.

Monday:
Today was the busiest day of them all---Leah and I woke up CRAZY early---well, for vacation and headed down to Providence to meet my friend Mark and his girlfriend. We get to their apt. at like 9---and then we head off to the beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we laid out for a good three hours. Then, around 2---we left to grab some fish and chips at Aunt Carrie's, the BOMB place. It was amazing and just enough so that I was full and also

Then we headed off to the Marina to get on the boat---it was so cute. It was a really nice sailboat. It was me, Leah, Mark, Adele, Mark's sister Karen and his dad. We had picked up clam chowder before hand and clam cakes and we had a case full of beer. We were pretty much set. We sailed for a few hours, shooting the shit and then we rode up to the big Mansion from "Meet Joe Black". It was pretty cool. Then we started to sail back into the harbor where the fireworks were going to go off---they were so great! We had this like panoramic view of all the different towns that were having shows that night. :) It was incredible. Then we docked and drove to Coldstone. It was amazingly delicious. The only bad thing was that Leah and I had to drive back to Boston at like 1am.

Tuesday:
We woke up relatively early (read: 10am) and walked back to that Trident place so I could claim my debit card. Then, we walked around aimlessly to try and find an internet cafe so I could buy my bus ticket back to NYC on the Fung Wah. We finally found one--walked through the Boston Commons and visited Jess who we had dinner with on Sunday night. Then pretty much we grabbed a slice of pizza at Upper Crust and rushed home so I could make it to the bus station on time.

Back in NYC---I hung out and changed with Michael then we walked over to Michelle's for a party and fireworks watching on her roof. Quality Michael bonding time and also quality Casey flitrting via text message.

I want to buy a red gingham halter top dress for CK's wedding. Someone help me find a cute affordable one.

*Lauren's Thoughts on the "T": As many of you know, I live in New York City, the greatest city in the world. I will be the first person to admit that I have officially become a New York snob when it comes to everyday things, like accessibility, convienence, and transportation. I love the busses and subway for the most part and it can get you almost anywhere in Manhattan was facility. Admitting this, I still have some legitimate issues with the way the "T" is run. Some serious issues are as follows:

It closes at 12:30am. WTF. I know that last call is at like 1am in Boston, as opposed to the 4am closing time in NYC but they should AT LEAST make it close AFTER last call so that people can get home who are poor and can't afford a cab.

1. There is no uniform way to pay. There are tokens. Great! I love tokens, it's like Philadelphia---I love Philly and I don't mind tokens. There is also this thing called "Charlie Pass". It's names after the Charles river. Yes, I know---very cute. You can buy this one where you put money on it and it gets debited everytime you use it---like NYC. And also you can buy a monthly pass, also like NYC. However, not ALL the places take that "debit" Charlie pass, so you get screwed when you are at a tokens only station. THere are no signs about which stations take the Charlie pass and which only take tokens. Stupid Stupid.
2. The stops are far apart. Like---I know Boston is more "suburban" than other cities, but it is annoying that if you miss your stop you can't really get out and walk back. The stops are way too far apart. I understand this reasoning, but it's still annoying, b/c I missed a stop and was subsequently annoyed at this.
3. The trains come once every 30 minutes. This is ridiculous. Boston's excuse is, "Well, we are a commuting city. They come more often during rush hour". Fine. I believe you Boston, but still---there are people that need to take it on the weekends and don't want to wait an hour for the flipping train!
4. People talk to you on the train. I don't like this. I am very outgoing and will offer directions to people that look lost. But you have to look REALLY lost so I don't seem like a jack ass when I offer up my help. But people kept asking ME directions and stuff. Like I looked like I knew where I was going? No way dude?! There was also people who just wanted to start talking to me. And no, not to pick me up, just to like "chat". What's up with that Boston?!
5. The busses are on a different like---system then the "T". For example, in NYC you have a Metrocard that you can use on busses and subways. In BOSTON----you can't use your stupid Charlie Pass on busses, only the lame trains and this one ghetto "silver line". Does this make sense? I bet it has to do with Unions. Either way---it's annoying.

Rug Burn Update: I have a scab that is healing quite nicely and I don't think I'm going to have a scar. I am, however, obsessed with picking at it.

I'm too tired to write anymore about what is going on today. Sorry.

Happy Hump Day!

Love, Lauren

P.S My crush on Casey continues and is still going strong. In case you all thought it was just a fickle fling. :)