LaLa Land

Did I mention I'm getting married??

2012-01-06T09:43:00.004-06:00

http://lauraplusdavid.blogspot.com

I know I said I was going to be DOWNsizing my blogs, and I still am. There's this one (random me), Lauranette Photo (photography blog) and now the David and Laura family blog :)

(Our wedding website and other projects linked from the above blog, which will be my main one from now on.)

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-01T15:22:00.000-06:00

Every year I make a list of resolutions, and at the end of the year, I look back at what I actually achieved. Then I make a list for the coming year. So before moving on to 2012, here's a look at 2011:

Do some form of yoga every day.

Didn't happen. 0 for 1. This goal is still on my radar though...
Join a recipe website and become a better cook.

I joined a number of recipe websites, and learned to cook several new dishes in 2011, some of which I've worked into our dinner routines.
Find a fitness routine that I can be happy with.

In the latter half of 2012, Marissa and I got into the habit of running on Mondays and Wednesdays together, and at least once on our own over the weekend. It's a schedule that works with training for any race, as well as regular workouts and weight loss maintenance, so we've been pretty happy with it. 2-1.
Build endurance to run a 5K in 2011.

In March of 2011, we ran the St. Pat's Day Parade Run - a 5-mile race, which I finished in 1:10:01. I also ran a 10K (6.3 miles) in October, a 2-mile race in November and I RAN the ENTIRE Jingle Bell 5K in December in record time.
Take a Photo-a-Day (365) and post to www.flickr.com/viewsfromlalaland

I only made it like 30+ days in 2011.
De-clutter my house and life.

Always a struggle.
Rebuild my savings.

No, but I'm always moving closer to financial health and freedom :)
Be open to trying new things.

I do try.
Read more books.

Not so much.
Listen to more new music in 2011.

Total fail.
Learn to spike a volleyball (and win another championship).

Check, and check!

Now, onto 2012. I've got fewer this year because I want to focus on getting these things done, and done right!

Lose those last 15 pounds to get down to 145 by my wedding day!
Eliminate as much debt as possible.
Run the entire 5-mile St. Pat's Day race and complete the Great River Road 10-mile run.
COMPLETE a 365 Photo-a-Day project.
Adopt healthier eating habits.

Good luck to everyone!!

Downsizing my body and blogs

2011-10-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

My official run with Weight Watchers has officially ended, and so I'm putting the Gotta Get Fit blog into hibernation in favor of consolidating my personal blogging efforts here.

Although weight loss is a lifetime effort - from 180-156.4 lbs. I feel like I've gathered enough knowledge and reference information to go on without paying the monthly fee just so I can use their website when I could be using a notebook to track my meals for free.

Just more than 10 lbs. to go before I'm at my adult-fittest.

Plus I need a place to house my Supernatural ranting. The TV reviewing didn't go over as well as I'd hoped.

Resistance is Futile: The New Facebook is Coming

2011-09-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

I was listening/watching the live feed from Thursday's f8 conference, and I was genuinely impressed with both the new Timeline and Open Graph applications - so when I popped on over to my Twitter feed and read the sheer number of paranoid people throwing fits about the change, I was actually surprised.

Except for Andy Samburg's lame opening act, what unfolded onstage that day was pure genius - and I think most people will eventually agree - even if it takes a little more time for some people to see it than others.

People are naturally resistant to change - I get that - but the internet is an ever-changing entity. It has to be, in order to stay relevant these days. We can try and try to maintain consistency in some parts of our lives, but the internet is, and always will be, an arena in which those efforts will fail.

Thursday night I unlocked the developer preview on my own Facebook profile and set out to prove why the naysayers - screaming the death of Facebook, a mass exodus to Google+ and the end of privacy online - don't know what they're talking about. Today, I noticed people are a little more positive about the whole thing. I suspect they're actually unlocking their own profiles and seeing for themselves that change isn't all bad. So here are my initial thoughts after playing around a bit:

Timeline is Going to Be a HUGE Time Suck - At Least At First...

The first thing I did when I unlocked my timeline was scroll back to 2005 to see who was posting what on my profile back in the early days of Facebook. So far, I've only removed a few of those things from my timeline, but I may hide a lot more in the long run. Not because I want to hide that content, but because it doesn't fit into the new timeline setup, my profile as the story of my life. They're from an earlier day, and a much different version of Facebook.

See, back then, it was a college-only website, and there were no "status updates." There was only a profile, limited pictures, and a "wall" that served the same purpose as the dry-erase board on my dorm room door, where people could leave me messages. Later, they added the status update - only it was in the form of a sentence "Laura Griffith is ________", during which time all my updates were "-ing" phrases. Those were all good and fine then, but how do they fit into the story of me? Some do, and some don't.

Furthermore, I understand there are some bugs right now, but lots of my photos are out of order, and I feel the need to fix them. Long ago, I hit Facebook's album quota (which I'm not sure exists anymore) and deleted lots of photos only to reload them in "Best of" collections. Now they're showing on my timeline where I re-uploaded them and not where they were taken, which is unfortunate.

As Mark Zuckerberg said at f8, people feel a strong sense of propriety over their personal profiles, a statement that has never been more true than it's about to be thanks to timeline. I suspect I won't be the only one taking the time (and it's going to be a lot) to go through my old posts, and load new ones along my timeline to "curate" the story of me, exactly the way I want it.

Prediction: People will be more careful about what they're posting. Or they should be. Moving forward, I'm going to be asking myself this before every post: "Does this fit into the story of my life, or is it just meaningless b.s. I'll want to hide later?" This should weed out a lot of posts (though not all I'm sure) about people's infants' bowel movements. I hope anyway. Too long, people (including myself) have posted too much nonsense and used Facebook as more of a broadcasting tool than anything else - but they've lost track of the whole point, which is the personal profile. Facebook was built for PERSONAL interaction - that's why it was so exclusive in the beginning. I think it's just getting back to its roots, in a good way.

People will LOVE Timeline, because they love to talk about themselves. The whole point of going through my profile and "curating it" the way I want is so that it will be a better reflection of me - like a resume, only with my personal likes and dislikes, etc. Whether my audience is me or people who know me can be controlled using the new privacy options (I'll get to that later). People, by nature, enjoy talking about themselves - or at least thinking other people care about what we're doing, who we are, and what we care about. The Facebook profile is just a less annoying way of tooting your own horn - and the best part is it's perfectly socially acceptable, unlike bragging into a megaphone - but almost as effective.

More than that, Facebook is a museum of people. My friend mentioned the other day that her girlfriend's husband kept her Facebook page running after she died so that the people who knew her could see pictures of her, thoughts and interests that she had shared, and more. The whole concept of timeline makes that even more interesting because now, with her password, he could potentially go in and organize her entire life on that one profile page by adding photos and milestones and letting her own previous content fill in the rest. Instead of seeing only what she posted shortly before she died, friends could share memories from throughout her entire life on that one profile page.

Sound like a lot? Don't be paranoid. The new Timeline has MORE, not fewer, privacy controls. The privacy controls and circles that Google+ launched with (and Facebook used to not have) are now on Facebook as well in the form of lists. Users can control a separate privacy setting for each post as they make it, and share with specific groups rather than the catch all, Facebook classic "friends." On the timeline, each post from your past can also be hidden, left alone or featured individually. You can be as private or as public as you want to be, and you can make that call from post to post.

Realtime feed is news feed 2.0! Same deal, new look. One of the funniest things I stumbled upon when I unlocked my FB past was a note I wrote in 2006 when News Feed first came out. People were freaking out that this information was being pushed out to friends' home pages, even though that same information had always been available to friends who came looking for it. Last week, when I so rabidly defended Facebook (not because I care, but because it seemed like people were being ignorant about change like they were with news feed, which they eventually grew to love), it was total deja vu.

Realtime is the news feed - in real time (or Twitter, as some people call it). It takes some of the less significant/more time sensitive activity (so and so signed someone's wall; so and so changed their profile pic; so and so is listening to... etc. ) out of the timeline, where it would previously have sat and become old news. I noticed that my profile no longer lists every time I comment on someone's post or when I like something new. Instead, those activity updates run through real time and filter out before too many people even see them, which is fine with me. Those posts always clogged up my old profile and have no real place (except when grouped) on my new timeline as far as I'm concerned.

Top news stories aren't new, and recent stories aren't gone! They just look different. I don't like top stories either - I always clicked "most recent" before. If you are the same as me, there's good news! Even though more emphasis has been placed on "top stories" recently, the "most recent" functionality is not gone. Instead of tabs, it's just a link you click now, that will take you further down your homepage to recent stories rather than to another view of the homepage.

I do think the idea of top stories is cool, if they can get it right. Clicking and unclicking stories in the meantime to let Facebook know what's interesting and what isn't is kind of a pain in the butt, but it's not at all different from what Pandora does with songs it plays on its custom radio stations. (If you mark that you hate it, they won't play it. If you mark that you love it, they'll play it more often along with other songs like it. It's a learning process.) One day I hope top stories can actually show me what I want to see so I don't have to wade through 600+ friends' and pages' updates to read the good stuff.

Open Graph applications aren't stalkers - they're just better for us lazy people.

Personally, I like the idea of allowing an application to access my profile for posting whenever. I am one of those people who like to share anyway, which before required me to allow access every single time I wanted to post something, and a lot of manual posting. This way, I can give an app I like permission one time, and then it's out of my hands. I've done this already with Spotify. The great thing is that if I decide later that I don't want every song I listen to posted to my profile, I can revoke Spotify's access at any time. I plan to do the same with various running apps, entertainment apps, news apps and more. They'll make my profile look cleaner in the long run, and my content will be better organized. And then one day I can look back at 2011 and see what I was listening to/doing/interested in then.

G+ doesn't stand a chance. Except for Hangouts, which I still think would be cool if everyone had a webcam (and you'd be surprised how many people nowadays don't), Facebook now has everything G+ does - not to mention the fact that people have networks on FB with hundreds upon hundreds of people and pages that they would have to completely rebuild if they migrated over. This is not to say no one will migrate, but I'm guessing that as long as Facebook keeps up with the times (and since they've been a leader up through this point I'd say they're in good shape in that area), and doesn't grow stale like MySpace, Facebook won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Those are some initial thoughts... I'm sure I'll have more as I play with this and learn the ropes. Anyone else have the new profile yet? Anyone have any thoughts on the issue?

Mostly, I love that they're going back to the root of the social network - the personal focus - along with the new, impressive imagery and clean layout, and the way the application content looks on the timeline (see Spotify in my screen shot above). It looks very modern, and it's so easy to have everything you love all in one place.

Biggest Loser: A Competition for the Ages

2011-09-20T20:55:00.004-05:00

So this year's "Biggest Loser" is not about couples - it's about ages. This could get interesting - this show already makes me cry and now there are a bunch of senior citizens competing! I am such a sucker for seniors. How cute.

Premiere night opened with the contestants in a desert, and the introduction of the two new trainers - Anna Kournikova and celebrity trainer Dolvett Quince. No more Jillian Michaels (although I just started watching last year, so I wasn't all that attached in the first place).

Tear jerker moment #1 was when the contestants did a mile run/walk to choose their trainers. The seniors were way behind after the other two teams had already crossed the finish line and chosen - and the trainer they were left with, Anna, ran out to meet them.... and then everyone else followed suit. I think she's going to be really sweet - I just hope she doesn't get taken advantage of. (BTW, right after typing this, not even an hour in, the seniors had already started trying to get sympathy from her, and she wasn't having it - you go, girl!)

As always, Bob was awesome. I have a feeling he might get a little mean this season though - kind of like Randy after Simon left American Idol. I'm not sure what I think about Dolvett yet, except that he's going to be hardcore. ("Why are you holding onto my treadmill?!?")
It's still too early in the game to keep tabs on all the contestants and their names - especially as a casual viewer, but I do have a few thoughts about the ones who stood out: I see Anton as this year's Rulon - but I hope to like him a whole lot more - and I think that I will.

My heart absolutely broke (tear jerker moment #2) when a contestant named Becky got a call about the death of her father from congestive heart failure. Knowing the struggles these people are already facing, and then this? I almost expected her to break down and drown her emotions in food (like I probably would - but instead, she did the show proud hit the gym. Good woman.

I have a feeling my favorite contestant though is going to be Ramon. He seems like a cool guy, and he really struck me as genuine talking about how he wants a girlfriend and to go on dates. No one deserves to be that unhappy with themselves, so I hope he does well.

Last chance workout was kind of hilarious, (Bob just loves it, and it seems kind of evil), and then it was time for final weigh-ins:

Johnny, who almost walked out the first day, lost 17 pounds!
Bonnie, one of the seniors, only lost 4 pounds. Not a good showing the first week.
Mike, another senior, lost 12. Good showing, but nothing special.
Debbie, of the senior team, lost 6. Maybe Anna needs to step it up.
Becky, who spent part of the week at home at her dad's funeral, lost... oh wait, a commercial break! .........Ok we're back! She lost 10 pounds, and I was so happy for her!
Joe, a 40-something, lost 22 pounds!! Holy crap! In one week, he trashed his blood pressure medication. What a start!
Anton (started at 447 lbs.) put up an ENORMOUS 32 pounds!! Bob got just what he wanted for Christmas.
Sunny, who I didn't see at all until the weigh in, lost 16. Bob, apparently, was the proper choice.
John (445 lbs.) lost 37 pounds (37 pounds!!!!)
Jennifer lost 19!!!!!!!
Vinny, the first of Dolvett's team, lost 21 pounds :) Apparently Toby Keith (on Twitter) was saying to watch out for this dude. Maybe he knows him?
17 pounds for Ramon. After Bob's team's showing, I could see why they weren't happy with their numbers, but are they crazy?! They did great!!
Jessica lost 15.
Patrick, who showed a complete lack of self confidence (I felt so sorry for this guy), even got kicked out of the gym at one point this week, but he ended up losing 20 :) I really like this guy! Maybe now he can gain some confidence.
Courtney dropped 16 lbs.

Unfortunately, someone had to go home. Johnny was safe as the biggest loser on the senior team, but the sun set early for Debbie.

I thought, "GOOD RIDDANCE!!"

I wanted to smack that woman for saying Bonnie was annoying, and I don't even know Bonnie! That was just rude. Since Debbie only lost 2 more pounds than Bonnie, she pretty much sealed her fate by opening her big trap. No one needs that negativity, especially on this show.

It is worth noting that there were some pretty hilarious tweets being posted tonight. Gotta love the #fattweet #fatshow and #fatfatfat hashtags...

HIMYM and 2 Broke Girls: Good Start to Premiere Week/Month(s)

2011-09-20T19:30:00.003-05:00

So I didn't liveblog last night - that much is obvious. But I'm here to tell you that last night was a really good start to my personal premiere season, and I'm super excited for the rest of the week!

"How I Met Your Mother" saw the return of BEERCULES! Of course, I didn't remember Beercules in the first place, but that doesn't make him any less awesome.

Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!

...

We found out that Barney DOES eventually get married, that Robin still loves him, that Marshall is going to start his dream job soon, that he and Lily are becoming parents and that Victoria is back!! But I'll get to that.

First, I love when TV shows give nods to pop culture - I thought the whole "autotune Ted's wedding toast" idea was genius, and the YouTube theme of the night, which included Marshall's streaking escapades as "Beercules," was equally entertaining.

Moving onto relationships, I loved finding out that Robin still has feelings for Barney, but it broke my heart when the whole Nora dilemma came into play. Of course, it wouldn't be a television show if everyone fell in love easily and lasted forever. I admire Barney's efforts, and his attempts to change, but it kills me that they're clearly aimed in the wrong direction.

Finally, I really truly thought Victoria might the mother once upon a time, and now I have a glimmer of hope that it's still possible. I can't say much more about that... I just can't wait to see where all this goes this season.

Anyway, moving on -

I always wonder when a new show starts if it's going to be able to keep my attention. There's always a chance, of course, that it keeps my attention but not America's and it gets canceled before its time, but that's none of my concern just yet.

"2 Broke Girls" came out swinging last night. My first reaction was shock at the vulgarity of some of the jokes, but I really settled into it quickly, and it definitely kept my attention.

The main characters are witty - but not annoying witty like the "Gilmore Girls" were - and are, for the most part quite likeable. "Max" is played by Kat Dennings, whom I remember fondly from "40-Year-Old Virgin."

I can't say much else because I have a terrible memory and should have done this last night - except that I'm intrigued by the concept of a running "cash total" at the end of the episode.

TV Premiere Season Starts Tomorrow!

2011-09-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

Television premiere series starts tomorrow with How I Met Your Mother at 7 p.m. on CBS. I am not entirely sure what's supposed to go down this episode. All I know is there's a wedding, and that Barney has apparently not cut his fingernails in 36 years.

I am hoping to do some liveblogging during the commercial breaks of most of the season premieres on my calendar, but I'm not making any promises. I keep a pretty tight schedule these days. Anyway, you can keep up with that on Twitter @lauranette.

My Fall 2011 Premiere Calendar

2011-09-14T10:19:00.003-05:00

Here is my Fall 2011 Premiere Calendar. Will be back to add details, but for now, here's my list (CST):

Mon., Sept. 19

HIMYM | 7p CBS

Tues., Sept. 20

Glee | 7p FOX
Biggest Loser | 7p NBC
The New Girl | 8p FOX
Raising Hope | 8:30p FOX

Wed., Sept 21

Modern Family |8p ABC

Thurs., Sept. 22

Big Bang Theory | 7p CBS
Grey's Anatomy | 8p ABC
The Office | 8p NBC

Fri., Sept. 23

Supernatural | 8p CW11
Ashmore Estates on Ghost Adventures | 8p Travel Channel

Sun., Sept. 25

Pan Am | 9p ABC

Mon., Sept. 26

Terra Nova |7p FOX

Wed., Sept. 28

Suburgatory | 7:30 ABC

Thurs., Sept. 29

Private Practice | 9p ABC

Wed., Oct. 5

American Horror Story | 9p FX

Sun., Oct. 16

The Walking Dead | 8p AMC

Fri., Oct. 21

Grimm | 8p NBC

Sun., Oct. 23 (will be at Supernatural Convention in Chicago)

Once Upon a Time | 7p ABC

What are you looking forward to?

A friend got me into Google+...

2011-07-01T10:17:00.006-05:00

...and after reading several articles and exploring a little myself, I have some initial thoughts. Most have to deal with the question I'm seeing all over the internet - Can Google+ Beat Facebook?

If that's even the right question, I think it's too soon to tell.

I don't remember where I read it, but one blogger suggested that while Google is obviously a web giant that employs extremely talented programmers with fantastic ideas - they aren't really a social network company, are they? I mean, look at Orkut.

Now don't get me wrong - Google+ has a plethora of pretty awesome features, including Circles, which will allow users to share with certain social circles instead of with everyone they know, and Huddle, instant group messaging that sounds super awesome but somehow not all that different from services like GroupMe (correct me if I'm wrong). The two that stand out to me the most are Hangout - a video chatroom of sorts that appears to be a lot more user friendly than, say, Skype, and doesn't involve downloading a program onto your hard drive - and Instant Upload for photos (and I assume videos), which as a photography enthusiast, is quite a draw.

Possibly even more exciting is easy integration on the web browsers and Google services I already use, especially for sharing (+1 is kind of like Digg and StumbleUpon), privacy defaults that aren't as obtrusive as Facebook's, and the ability to download everything you've ever shared on + in one neat little zip folder if you choose to do so. Also kind of nice - thanks to my Google profile, my + profile setup was already 75% complete when I signed up. All these things put Google in a nice position, even if Facebook has a head start.

Still - even considering the masses of people who migrated from the (formerly) immensely popular MySpace to Facebook, I think most are naturally resistant to change without a damn good reason. In the case of MySpace, at least for me, there were so many reasons it seemed like a no-brainer - Facebook was cleaner, people used their real names, and it was somewhat exclusive at the time (i.e. I didn't get spammed all the time) to name a few. It's going to be a question of whether these Google+ features outweigh Facebook's, and whether they actually make that big of a difference for the majority of people.

While sharing with specific circles sounds enticing, I think that despite the moaning and groaning, most people LIKE broadcasting their every move to everyone they know. They like growing their social networks as big as they can go. I can see people creating circles and still sharing the same stuff with all of them.

Two more things to consider - 1. Facebook Connect. While Google certainly would have the ability to do something similar with + in the future, there's not a similar service built into the current version. Even when people aren't on Facebook, they're using Facebook these days. 2. Facebook has been around something like 6 years and we've seen almost as many versions already. Even if Google+'s features outweigh Facebook's now, that's not to say Facebook won't come out with something just as useful in future versions. As much as I love Google products, the people at Facebook know what they're doing. As long as Mark Zuckerberg is around, I don't see Facebook going down anytime soon. Even if the "cool" factor shifts to Google+ (which is probably inevitable, at least in the beginning), Facebook won't be any less useful - and it's because it's useful, not cool, that it does so well.

My friends, and coworkers especially, know me as the girl who pushes Google services at every turn (i.e. as a web editor, every time someone has a problem viewing something online I always push them to switch to Chrome, anytime anyone moans about slow e-mail and full inboxes I push them toward Gmail, and I've even converted a few iPhone devotees to Android lovers). I would suggest everyone check it out, and I'll certainly be on it - but I don't think it's going to "beat" Facebook per se.

Bonnaroo Craziness

2011-06-04T23:05:00.001-05:00

Justin is over here right now and we're getting ready to put some CDs together. I just came up with my list of priorities (at least how it looks today). Keep posted on my Roo Rants via http://bonnaroovirgin.blogspot.com.

May 27 Update

2011-05-27T10:43:00.001-05:00

Just dropping in.
Here are some things I've been up to lately:

I graduated from Lewis and Clark Community College this month. I didn't walk because I already did that when I got my bachelor's from EIU (that, and I shot photos for work at the ceremony instead ;)), but I did earn an Associate in Applied Science in Web Design.
I'm in my fifth week on Weight Watchers online and actually, I love it. The last couple weeks have been slow going, but I'm down about 12 pounds, and I'm feeling good while eating the things I want to eat (but better portion sizes) and still learning to be healthier overall. Cravings for the bad stuff come and go, but as long as I have some form of chocolate (even tiny amounts) I'm usually good to go.
Two weeks from today, I will be at Bonnaroo enjoying its best day (the one with the most stacked schedule for me). I haven't decided how I'm going to cover it this year. Maybe just on Twitter. It's my first year with a smartphone after all. I've really neglected Bonnaroo Virgin, but the week after next I'll probably be posting a lot more since I'll be off work and getting pumped.
Tonight I'll go running with my Bonnaroo crew for the first time, as we are preparing to run the Warrior Dash in Missouri in October. I ran the St. Patrick's Day 5-Mile Parade Run in March and it was a lot of fun! Only thing is I had shin splints days later from overdoing it - so I really want to prepare well this time. It's a shorter race but its off-road and there are obstacles ;) Follow my training or friend me at DailyMile.com!
In July, we're going to Pitchfork Festival as well. I'm only going on Saturday, but the boys are there all weekend so I get some quality time with Brian. We're going to see Harry Potter 7!

I think that's about it. See you next time!

What would you do if caught "Between a Rock and a Hard Place"

2011-03-08T10:50:00.002-06:00

Hey there, it's been awhile. My mind has totally been occupied by other things lately - mainly, work, school, and this.

It's the story of Aron Ralston, a great outdoorsman who becomes trapped in a canyon with his right arm crushed under an 800-lb boulder and must amputate that arm using only a blunt multi-tool as a surgical instrument and climbing gear as an impromptu tourniquet, just to survive.

It's truly an inspiring story. Even though Aron was an experienced mountain climber and canyoneer and in better shape than the average American at the time of his accident, the whole incident begs the question - what would you or I have done to survive in a similar situation? Or would we?

David and I had been wanting to watch the movie "127 Hours" since the Academy Awards a few weeks ago, so when Family Video was all out on the day of its release, I opted to go to Wal-Mart and just buy the film instead - and I'm glad I did.

The music (A. R. Rahman and various artists) is brilliant and director Danny Boyle somehow manages to make a movie that's mostly one actor stuck in the same place the whole time play like an exciting, nail biting action drama - but the real magic for me is all about actor James Franco's amazing portrayal of the main character, Aron Ralston. You can't help but connect with the guy, and feel what he's feeling, and I think without that - this movie wouldn't have been so successful.

Knowing the story going into the film for the first time only adds to the experience - you cringe as he feels around his home cabinet and brushes by (but leaves behind) his Swiss Army knife, you see the beauty of the canyonlands as he takes it all in, you feel his pain and fear as a boulder traps him in the wilderness with limited options, and you anxiously await the moment when he's freed, half excited to see him walk out of there alive, and half afraid because you know what he does to make that happen.

Yes, the amputation scene is gruesome, but totally crucial to the storyline. Some people can't handle it, and should probably look away for those three minutes (although, fair warning - the sound is almost as bad as the visual). I, on the other hand, am used to watching crime dramas and hospital dramas so the sight of blood and guts are not so physically debilitating to me. I will say, however, that knowing this is based on something that really happened, paired with great sound editing and cinematography, this scene is emotionally stressful, for lack of a better way of describing it.

I watched the movie twice, but I still could not stop thinking about Aron Ralston. So yesterday, I visited the library and took out "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," which is the same story in book form, told by the real survivor himself. I'm currently to the part where he's just gotten trapped, and I can't wait to get home to read on. Even though I know what happens, and I've seen Boyle's genius interpretation, just to read the real Ralston's own words describing the unthinkable is... exhilarating. It's almost as if you're there with him as you're reading, living it and cheering him on, even though most of us will (thankfully) never find ourselves in any situation like it.

Here's the "127 Hours" trailer. If you haven't seen this movie or read this book, please do. You'll be doing yourself a favor.

Top 10 Songs of 2010

2011-02-06T23:06:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to share this list on my personal blog, since it's originally posted at Music Togetherness. Here are my favorite pop songs from 2010:

Let’s face it, the world of music can be quite intimidating. Outside of a good review website with similar tastes, which I’ve never been able to find, most of my exploration is limited to Music Togetherness, what David is into these days, and what’s rumored at Bonnaroo. Mostly, I like someone to tell me what to listen to – so I turn to pop radio. It’s easy. It’s catchy. It’s fun.

Whether these songs came out near the end of 2009 or in 2010, they’ve enjoyed much of their rotation within the past year. And since not every song has the staying power to endure pop radio rotation without causing listeners to want to tear their ears off, these are the best of the best.

10. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has often turned me off with her meat suits and her “performance art." If you've ever seen her perform on YouTube as Stefani Germanotta (a Vanessa Carlton-esque performer), you can see where this whole thing might come off a little fake. Judging by the name of her upcoming album, "Born Like This," my guess would be that she would fight this accusation to the death, but whichever side of the argument you end up on, the fact is that this woman can put out some damn catchy music and is no doubt one of the biggest things to hit pop culture in the past decade. After smashing onto the scene with the upbeat “Just Dance” she went a little wayward with “Love Game” and “Pokerface,” but really came back on my radar with“Paparazzi" and especially "Bad Romance,” which is her best song to date. It's great club music.

9. OMG – Usher featuring Will-i-am

While I chalked up "Bad Romance" to great club music, it really just doesn't get better than this in 2010. I love how Usher has progressed over the years from a crooner I couldn’t help but fall in love with as a young teen, to a dance club staple I could get boozed up and dance to in college ("Yeah!"). He’s continuing this tradition with "OMG" by wrangling in the help of the enormously successful Black Eyed Peas' Will-i-am (although for the life of me I cannot figure that one out, I don't mind him on this track - maybe it's the lack of Fergie...). It’s never been about the lyrics on this one ("Honey got some boobies like wow, oh, wow?" Ouch, Usher), but the beat grabbed me in the beginning and has never let go. The chorus is the best part, with it's tempo buildup and release. Omy gosh, indeed.

8. Secrets – OneRepublic

Although it’s not my favorite track on the band’s sophomore album, it is one of the band’s best singles to date. What I love about the band it its blatant use of violin (and clapping) and its need to sound big for every chorus. I mentioned it before, but frontman Ryan Tedder just knows pop music, and I think it shows.

7. Hey Soul Sister – Train

With “Hey Soul Sister,” a lighthearted little ditty with rotation power like you wouldn’t believe, the band formerly only really known for “Drops of Jupiter” (2001), made a major comeback. Out of all the songs on my list this year, I have no doubt heard this one the most over the past year, and it has never once started to get old. I’m a sucker for the ukulele, and even know the lyrics can get really ridiculous at times ("left-side brain?"), it’s the organ that really gets me and sends shivers up my spine. And it’s totally fun to sing, even with bad voice.

6. King of Anything – Sara Bareilles

Ever since she came on the scene with "Love Song" I have loved Bareilles’ voice – it's shades of Adele, which I've always meant to try and get into... The chorus “who cares if you disagree, you are not me, who made you king of anything?," is incredibly empowering. The whole song is feel-good, so beautiful and liberating at the same time, and I love that - "oh, oh, oh oh, oh" thing she does with her voice following the chorus. I'm a sucker for a voice used as an instrument and not just a method of delivering lyrics.

5. Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars

It’s rare that a song catches my attention the first time I hear it, then commands that attention every time I hear it for months and months on end, but this is one such tune. I think it’s got a great message – it’s classic stuff chicks love to hear (from classics like “Wonderful Tonight” to cheesier bits like “Your Body is a Wonderland”), but it’s sweet in a world where female (especially teen female) self esteem has gone wayyyy down. You also can't deny this guy's voice. Bruno Mars is probably my favorite male vocalist on the radio today.

4. Firework – Katy Perry

It took me a little while to warm up to a slutty pop star who went from singing Christian songs to “I Kissed a Girl” and who looks exactly like Zooey Deschanel with a boob job, but I’ve warmed up to Perry as one of the best pop stars of this decade. “Teenage Dream” is a solid album, as is the title track, but Katy really hits her energy and stride on “Firework.” I think it shows off her voice in a way that makes her sound more unique than I could have imagined of her.

3. Fuck You – CeeLo Green

When I first heard this I was sure it was some sort of joke. I mean, it was fun, but it seemed kind of absurd. Months later, “Glee” featured it in the episode in which Gwenyth Paltrow guest starred and I watched David’s jaw drop when he heard Glee was doing a CeeLo song. Once he explained who CeeLo was, and that I might like him if I gave him more of a chance, I really fell in love with the song (obviously). It’s incredibly groovy and the lyrics are actually kind of endearing despite the cursing. (I even think the radio edit “forget you” version is pretty good.) “I guess he’s an Xbox, and I’m more an Atari...” - classic. Please God, bring CeeLo to Bonnaroo.

2. We R Who We R – Ke$ha

Like it or not, Ke$ha isn’t going anywhere - she's in it for the long haul, and I'm not mad at it. In fact, I'd consider her one of the big 3 in female pop these days (Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha). Aside from the fun factor in this song, the beat has incredible high energy, and the song’s message is really great too. Like a lot of other uplifting songs on this list, Ke$ha's point is that it's cool to be unique and quirky, so be yourself. "We are who we are" says it all. She wrote it after all the bullying resulting in suicide that kept hitting the news. And she's a good one to send the message too, because she is so unique. I think it's cool that in a pop world where plenty before her have used their ghetto pasts to become famous, she's using her trashy past for the same end (and it's working out). Plus for some reason, I've always been interested in that culture (i.e. Rob Zombie movies).

1. The Only Exception – Paramore

Probably my favorite of the year, this song is a sweet Coldplay-esque ballad about a girl who learns to believe in love. Aside from being a better role model than most singers in pop, Hayley Williams’ voice is beautiful, and the video is nice too. Mostly, though, I think the song speaks for itself better than anything I could say about it.

11 Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-01T12:32:00.003-06:00

Every year I make multiple resolutions - more like goals I'd like to work toward/look forward to in the new year. This year, I've decided on 11, for 2011. Here we go:

1. Do some form of yoga every day.

2. Join a recipe website and become a better cook.

3. Find a fitness routine that I can be happy with.

4. Build endurance to run a 5K in 2011.

5. Take a Photo-a-Day (365) and post to www.flickr.com/viewsfromlalaland

6. De-clutter my house and life.

7. Rebuild my savings.

8. Be open to trying new things.

9. Read more books.

10. Listen to more new music in 2011.

11. Learn to spike a volleyball (and win another championship).

10 Things I Actually Accomplished in 2010

2010-12-15T10:03:00.003-06:00

Two thousand and ten is coming to a close, but I don't want to focus on the things I want to do in 2011 until I review what's actually happened in 2010:

Here are the things I have accomplished:

I got on medication for low thyroid function, learned how to manage asthma issues and finally found out what I'm allergic to - and I feel a whole lot better for it.
I lost 10 pounds and have kept it off since January.
I ran for eight minutes straight without dying, crushing my one-minute pre-asthma diagnosis record, and found out I actually enjoy it.
I tried spinning and, with my dad, found a new interest in cycling.
I tried the South Beach Diet and found new healthy foods I enjoy.
I made strides in budgeting and have started rebuilding my savings.
I bought a Canon Rebel t1i DSLR camera and have put it to good use paying for itself.
I took a class in yogalates and built my strength significantly - I can now hold side plank and crow when I never was able to before.
I did a new charity walk this year - Step Out for Diabetes.
I got one of my freelance stories published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Edit adds**

*Built an awesome new website at www.lc.edu :)

10 Things To Be Thankful for in 2010

2010-11-24T10:15:00.005-06:00

Kitties with multiple nicknames
20/20 eyesight
The cast of "Supernatural"
Cheap wine glasses from Dollar Tree filled with sweet Reisling
Bubble baths
Claritin D
Black Dynamite (the camera, not the movie)
Harry Potter 7.0
Bonnaroo
My never ending abundance of Fake Blood

Oh yeah, and family, friends and my beloved.

I Am Supernaturally Obsessed with the TV

2010-09-28T23:39:00.006-05:00

So more than a month ago, though that barely puts a dent in the amount of time that's passed since I last posted here, David and I started to watch "Supernatural" every night before bed.

The show's been on since 2005, and we never really heard anything about it - but here we were, lost without LOST when we heard that Mark Pellegrino, who plays Jacob on LOST, played Lucifer on Supernatural.

Not knowing what to expect from a CW show about the Supernatural, the pilot terrified the crap out of both of us.

Basically, the show is this: Haunted by the killing of their mother by a supernatural being when they were young, Sam and Dean Winchester travel the Midwest in a black '67 Impala looking for their father, who has just gone missing hunting the thing that killed her. Raised as hunters themselves, the boys take down every supernatural being in their path, saving innocent people along the way. Many episodes focus on a monster of the week - mainly those of popular urban legends, in the style of The X-Files - though in later seasons, the show gets more into the mythology of the characters and the major storyline that involves demons and angels, and even a prophet who may or may not be God.

While entertaining the hell out of its hardcore fanbase, Supernatural also manages to poke fun at itself and balance the seriousness of an Apocolyptic series arc with a little harmless humor (one of my favorite things about the show). It doesn't hurt that the three most important characters are all super hotties. I almost feel like I'm 17 again.

SPOILERS IN VIDEO
In season 5, Sam says yes to Lucifer and tries to put the fallen angel back in his hole. And here's how that ends:

Anyway it's a little late, being that it's season 6 and the original story arc has run it's course, but I think I'm going to start reviewing each episode as we go along. Watch with me - Fridays at 8 p.m. Central on the CW.

Cincy Chili... yuuuuum!

2010-07-19T16:07:00.002-05:00

So I did NOT keep to my diet this weekend.

We ate at:

*Skyline Chili

*Graeter's Ice Cream

*Five Guys Burgers and Fries

*Blue Ash Chili

*City BBQ

In the battle of Skyline vs. Blue Ash for Cincinnati's best chili - I'd have to say Skyline wins. However, the food at Blue Ash was also amazing, and they might have the edge when it comes to atmosphere and service.

Good weekend, but now I've got to get back to the diet.

Funniest YouTube Video EVER

2010-07-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Seriously, it doesn't get much better than this.

A Few Websites that Hold My Attention

2010-06-16T15:51:00.001-05:00

I know this may be a little random, but here are some lifestyle sites I can't stay away from.

TheBar.com - Warning! You must be 21 to enter, but this website has great articles and yummy cocktail recipes to browse through for hours. You can even order personalized labels if you so desire.
TheKnot.com - What girl - single or otherwise - doesn't dream of her wedding day? The Knot, based on a magazine of the same name, has great info on styling and decorating trends as well as a to-do list for brides-to-be.
TheNest.com - It's supposed to come after theknot.com, but for those who have already moved in with their significant others (a 'la me) The Nest is the place to start. It's got a great community forum, just like the knot, design tips and tricks, home buying and home owning advice, and relationship advice to boot. If you're already past these two and ready to start a family, there's The Bump as well. But I'm no where near there so I'm not as familiar with the site.

Back from Bonnaroo 2010

2010-06-15T14:40:00.007-05:00

I've got lots and lots and lots to say about this year's festival over at Bonnaroo Virgin so check that out, but here are some pics I'd like to share here as well.

Photo Processing Lessons

2010-06-04T10:08:00.005-05:00

I didn't want to put this in the Lauranette Photography blog because it's my first time trying this and it's not really my style (it's Korin's, she's teaching me how to do it)...

This is only a test, and I'm not saying I did it all that well...

Original

Processed

I don't think this was my best effort, it was kind of a rush and not the greatest photo in the world for this kind of thing, but practice makes perfect, right? And I'll eventually develop my own style from what I learned here.

Bringing it Back to Basics

2010-06-02T20:08:00.003-05:00

I can never decide what I want to do as far as blogging goes. I want to blog about Bonnaroo. I want to blog about health. I want to blog about photography. No one's reading all about me, who would want to anyway?

But I realize I miss having an online journal - even if no one reads it - for me. And one day, when I get married and have a family, this will be the place I'll want to post all of my fun news.

So I'm bringing this back, and I've returned to the template I used in the old days. Simple. Brown. Me. If you want to follow, go right ahead. For now, I've still got all my other blogs but this will be the one I post in the most consistently, and where you can find the links to the others if you're interested in reading on. (You can find those other blogs in a feed at the top right of this page.)

Reason for my Weakness

2010-01-08T15:10:00.005-06:00

What kind of illness is extra more unfortunate for someone who can't stand to SEE other people touch their necks let alone get her own neck touched??

I'll give you a clue------------------------------->

So over the last few months, as if the onset of bad allergies and a touch of asthma weren't enough, I've had my blood tested for underactive thyroid. My parents thought it was a little weird when they came to my house around 6:30 p.m. and I had already passed out on the couch for the night. My boyfriend was a little curious as to why I go to sleep so much earlier than he does when I only get up an hour and a half before him. I was wondering why I stopped eating McDonald's for several months (after eating large meals about 3 times a week there for a long time) and started a running program and actually gained nearly 20 pounds in 7 months.

The answer? Ding, ding, ding. Underactive thyroid. And yes, my doctor had to take lots of blood and touch my neck a whole bunch before being able to determine that. (I'm still recovering.)

My numbers weren't so low that I have any major health problems, but low enough that this problem is a highly probable cause (at least a contributor) to my fatigue and weight gain at age 26.

The bad news is that this doesn't go away, and I'll have yet another pill to take every night for the rest of my life. The good news is much more exciting. For one, a lot of bad things can happen to people with a similar condition that's not being treated, i.e. heart problems, infertility, etc., and hopefully I've avoided most of that. Secondly, there is a reason that my exercise and lifestyle changes haven't helped my efforts in losing weight - and that reason can be fixed. Starting tomorrow, its onward and upward people, and I'm pumped.

My neck, on the other hand, is not.

A look back at 2009; 2010 Resolutions

2009-12-31T14:19:00.006-06:00

Before I greet 2010 with open arms, a review of this past year's resolutions and whether or not I actually accomplished anything in 2009 (I copied this list straight out of last year's post btw):

10. Keep a more open mind when it comes to movies, music and books.

I feel like I accomplished something here. If not with movies and books, most of you know my friends, David and I started a music club called Music Togetherness. We're about to enter week 17 (or week 2-1). See how open I'm becoming at http://musictogetherness.blogspot.com.

9. Budget money better and build savings back up.

Being that my savings right now is at an all time low, it doesn't look like I accomplished much in this area. Between moving to a new home with cheaper payments and getting a better job with better pay I really don't know where it all went, but at least I can honestly say I'm entering the upswing in this category. Paying off credit card debt is a good start to 2010, wouldn't you say? I did also start a checking/savings account for the house if that counts.

8. Get rid of unnecessary clutter at home and at work.

Well, we got a new house in 2009, so instead of getting rid of clutter, we spread it out. I am doing better with more space though I think. And my work desk is organized to the hilt.

7. Try your hand at improving cooking and entertaining skills.

We've hosted a number of parties this year, including Thomas's surprise 25th birthday and one helluva Halloween party. In addition, I got really good at making these kick butt breakfast burritos and I got a lot of new cooking equipment for Christmas so onward and upward.

6. Get lauranette.com up and running with a purpose.

Well, I got something up, but it's not what I wanted. Try again.

5. Update resume and professional contacts.

Accomplished! I got a new job in August :)

4. Get my associate's degree in Web design from LCCC.

Not quite, but I have a good excuse. I took a little hiatus while getting some time in as an LCCC employee, and after February, I can take my last 4 classes for free! Boo-yah.

3. Organize files on computer, get more space for file storage.

Check. Got a 1TB external hard drive for Christmas. Cleaning off C drive as we speak!

2. Feel better about myself, lose 25 pounds by 2010.

I found out I had asthma which was why I felt terrible when trying to run, so with a new inhaler I found out I actually like running. I ran a 2.5K in October, and although I slacked after that and overall gained more weight than I lost, at least I gained some self confidence in 09.

1. Eat better and exercise regularly. Get back into yoga.

I did well with this on and off for about 3 out of the 12 months. Overall, fail.

Now for my new list. What can we expect in 2010?

10. Read more books and check some of those off my Goodreads.com to-read shelf.

9. Redesign laurnanette.com with a purpose.

8. Learn to cook and eat new, healthy dishes to improve skills and diet.

7. Finish associate's degree in Web design; take classes in photography.

6. Buy a Canon Rebel Ti1 DSLR camera and become a better photographer.

5. Budget money, pay off credit cards and build up savings.

4. Have a yard sale to get rid of unnecessary clutter at the house (and earn a little extra money for 'Roo).

3. Commit to at least 5 days of exercise per week.

2. Train for and run at least one 5K race in 2010.

1. New you for Bonnaroo - Lose 30 pounds by Dec. 31 and be at least halfway there by Bonnaroo in June.

Google Voicemail is a hoot

2009-12-16T13:12:00.006-06:00

The text translations are never quite right are they? Here are a couple I've received since switching from regular voicemail:

A coworker, looking for a missing cell number - "And I page. I'm just trying to get a hold of parcel lock midnight. Thank you work on her cell number yesterday. If you could give me abuzz back"
My dad, telling me James needed to reschedule an appointment - "Hey, This is regarding a problem gym after work friday there anyway when you can change that Thursday Hi Bill is because we're give me a call."
Family video, telling me some games were late - "Hello from your friends and family video. I'm calling to remind you WE Hill items over due on your account, please do their 24 hour drop box for your convenience or renew your late items over the phone. Thank you for choosing family. They DL at your entertainment. Joy." (Actually, that one was pretty good....)
Me, calling to locate my cell phone - "There is what you guys hello"
My mom, telling me I was late for Thanksgiving dinner - "Hello. You gotta run off Alliance well."

And that is why, you don't leave a voicemail. Or you speak really clearly when you do.

The roughest weekend of Mini cat's life so far

2009-11-28T20:38:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I took Hayley kitty, or Min-Min as I so often call her, to the vet for two shots, spaying and declawing. I thought this would help her kick the urge to climb into my Christmas tree and the timing seemed about right.

This morning I picked her up. She seemed to be in good spirits but Sadie Gray was, much to my dismay, VERY unhappy to see her back in the house. She hissed and spit and poor recovering Mini had no idea what to do. She still wanted to be with her big sister. I realize that's fairly normal and that they will have to get used to one another again, but I'm not in the mood to be patient.

I noticed Mini was licking herself way more than I remember Sadie did. I tried to stop her but you can't completely control kitties without watching them 24/7. After awhile, while she was licking her belly wound, I caught a glimpse of what looked like the incision coming open. There was a little bit of blood around the area, although no guts, but I freaked out.

I called David, who had his parents come over and take a look while he was at work. They too noticed it looked like a stitch was missing and by gently touching her wound we were able to definitively tell the wound was indeed open. We made the decision that it would be best to call the local animal hospital since our kitties' regular vet was closed for the weekend.

When we got her there she was still in good shape, and they let me know she still had a layer of internal stitches holding her insides in (thank GOD!) but that she had indeed chewed through the outside layer as we had feared. They put a number of staples in her belly to make sure that wound stays closed, gave us some antibiotic to give her to ward off any infection and told us to keep her in an Elizabethan collar for two weeks until the staples and stitches can come out.

She hated the collar of course. In true Mini cat fashion, it took her an hour or under that to get an arm through the collar, and then another 15 minutes to wriggle it down to her midsection where it wouldn't do any good. David and I fixed it so it's pretty tight, taking precaution that she can still breathe and eat and all that good stuff. Since then she's been sleeping and cowering on David and I whenever the other kitty comes near.

So she's not going to like it but for the good of the family, Sadie is going to be sleeping in the basement for the next several nights and staying down there when we aren't around to keep an eye on them - until she can learn to get along with the sick kitty. When we're home they can spend some time trying to get reacquainted.

That's the story.

Birthdays just aren't as exciting when you're older

2009-11-18T10:24:00.002-06:00

First, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. Though not that different from usual, it was a pretty nice day.

I spent my entire day at work designing (which I think is totally fun) a booklet about L&C's Green Initiatives (which is a subject I actually am very interested in), then came home to roses (yellow, not for friendship but because they're my favorite color of roses), two kitties and a boyfriend that I love. We watched an episode of The Office we DVR'd from last week before meeting my family at Tony's in Downtown Alton for a steak dinner, which was delicious. After Tony's I convinced them to walk over to Bossanova (which has remodeled in the front and is gorgeous), where I asked Steve the bartender to make me a surprise that turned out to be a kind of tea with vodka (but not a Long Island) and was quite tasty. To David's surprise, since he was going to pick up the bill, that drink wasn't even on it - so score one for us (and yay for Steve the bartender). Afterward we headed to my parents' for cake that my dad forgot to use water in (bless his heart) and presents. I got some new storage for the bathroom, yay! David got me a video game that's pretty much an extension for my love of Farmville, which I need to play tonight, and is getting me some iPod accessories later this week, which will be nice. So it was pretty low key.

Most of my birthdays over the years have either been really bad or really good, so last year I decided to stop making a big deal about them.

Trying to squeeze something super special out of my birthdays before the big 25 had only really gone well twice - the time I turned 17 and Diane threw me a surprise party where several of my best guy friends danced around in her black bras, and my 22nd birthday bingo bash in Charleston for which my favorite roommate Erin whipped together all of my EIU people and plenty of Jello shots, and even got my favorite professor out to the Moose lodge for some O66 Clickety-click, Bottoms Up, will-never-forget fun.

My 21st birthday could have gone better - EIU was new and fresh and the only person I really knew all that well that was 21 drank too much and got sick by the time I even made it to Marty's, and my 24th (Rick Ankiel) left a permanent scar and numbness in my right knee from an unpadded ball pit at the City Museum in St. Louis.

So there was no pica pole this year, and no abundance of wine like there was last year, and much of my day was a pretty regular day at work. The good news is I'm in a much better place at 26 than I have been in the past.

I own a home that we fixed up nice, I have a live-in boyfriend and two cats who are my precious babies, I have a job that I actually love and that isn't bankrupting me, and things are otherwise going well. I only wish I'd have been able to make it to darts this week and I'm sad I'm going to have to miss volleyball this week. (At least I still get to play volleyball, as the LCCC faculty and staff take on student teams Thursday night).

Stumbled upon some Adam Lambert snippets today...

2009-11-13T21:40:00.001-06:00

So the guy everyone thought had loads of talent and unique style about him is coming out with an album that sounds strikingly like girly pop, not the rock he was supposed to be all about - http://mjsbigblog.com/for-your-entertaiment-preview-snippets.htm

From the snippets, I can tell that the title track" For Your Entertainment" might be a hit with popular radio audiences, and I'm guessing that because of its similarities to the sounds of Lady Gaga and Miss Britney Spears - it reminds me a lot of "Toxic" and we all remember how popular that was.

OK, yes, his voice is fabulous, but I don't think we're seeing full potential here, not by a long shot, and quite frankly I'm starting to wonder if he should have taken Queen up on that offer...

On the positive side, I really like the track "Sleepwalker," or what I've heard of it. As I read on (http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/11/adam-lambert-for-your-entertainment-song-snippets/), I'm not surprised that OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder had a hand in that one.

The album is not without its ballads - time to show off his pretty side - but for the most part, "For Your Entertainment" is very Backstreet Boys' "Millenium" for a newer age. I bring up that comparison only because I was stuck without an iPod in my rental car last week and was forced to listen to the one CD I grabbed or deal with talk shows in the morning. If you listen to the two side by side, there are similarities. Adam's voice is much better than the Boys' but the songwriting and peppy tunes have a lot in common and that's kind of disappointing.

Not to say I won't listen to it and like it, but I still enjoy the BSB and NSYNC so what do I know? I will be surprised if my music-loving boyfriend finds any quality in this stuff (then again, we could have an "Umbrella" repeat on our hands, who knows).

2009 EIU Homecoming Weekend

2009-10-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

As luck would have it, I came down with a rather nasty cold/sinus infection on Thursday that caused me to miss a day of work on Friday, and I feared I might have to miss this year's Homecoming. Determined to make it anyhow, I got my rest and doped myself up with cold medicines, B vitamins and plenty of fluids and made the trek to Charleston around 5 a.m. on Saturday.

I arrived at my one-time home around 8 a.m. and picked up my registration materials (including the ugliest T-shirt ever) at Old Main for the 10th Annual EIU Homecoming 2.5K race - my first race and a big reason I was so bent on making it. I ran the race with Mal and Stephen and kept pace about 3/4 of the first mile until Stephen started walking and I joined him. Mal shot ahead. She would go on to run the whole 1.5 mile stretch, but that wasn't even a goal of mine - I just wanted to do my best and cross the finish line. Not as many people were out watching as I had thought there would be, so that was nice, but I did pick up some inspiration from two kids on 7th Street giving high fives to passing runners. I ran most of 7th street, walked around the square, then ran/walked the last portion down 6th, finishing at 18:05. I could have done better had I not been sick and forgotten my inhaler, but I thought I did well for me at a 12:03 minute pace. For the rest of the day, the cold that had settled into my chest that morning made it hard for me to catch my breath in the chilly weather.

While visiting Lola and JR in the DEN newsroom, Mal (and baby Ian) and I scored two front row tickets to the afternoon football game v. Tennessee Tech (thanks to Sally), which Stephen was shooting for EIU. We stayed until it started to sleet, then took cover, and when we returned sat a row higher to watch Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo have his number retired and receive a key to the city of Charleston.

I wondered how hard he had to try not to laugh at that, but was impressed that he came back and humored his little alma mater, backwards hat or no backwards hat. College girls screamed and a cheerleader blushed when he said "hi" to her as he passed. I heard rumors that he had rented out Stu's to party that night, and Mal and I wondered what all the displaced underage drinkers would do for kicks instead. Of course, I can't confirm that actually happened, but it's neat to think about - Tony Romo, at Stu's.

I heard Billy Panther tried to put his arm around him too, haha. Anyway, the rest of the game, Mal and I sat in the car and took walks with little Ian, who is incredibly charming, especially in his EIU gear, while we waited for Stephen.

After the game, our little group joined DEN newsies, teachers, advisors, alum and friends at Top of the Roc for Chili Bash. Erin, who came down with the flu, was not present but I did get to see my former roommate David, who unfortunately had to work for Top of the Roc that night and did not get to fraternize with us as much as we'd have liked. I visited with Marco and Colin, Colin's lady Claire, and a few others before driving back to good ole' A-town to continue my health recovery.

Halloween approaches...

2009-10-14T10:09:00.007-05:00

... as does Homecoming and Fright Fest and a visit to Cincinnati - October is a busy month!

It's already been pretty eventful. Brian came out on Oct. 2 and we watched Final Destinations I, II and III as well as Halloween I, II, III and IV, and caught the second to last regular season Cards game on Saturday. We never made it to R Acres of Terror because of a flat tire, but it's always a good weekend when Brian comes in.

Last weekend the Cards lost their third game in the National League Division series, effectively ending their season, while I was with Amy and one of her friends at the Fox for "Phantom of the Opera." It was my first "Phantom" experience as well as my first at the Fox, and I'd love to go back. That place is incredibly beautiful. The show was good too, as was the Boathouse in Forest Park, where Amy took us to eat beforehand. Sunday, after little Brianne's 2nd birthday party, David and I got some shopping done and while he and his friends held a hardcore basketball league draft, I decorated the main floor of my house. There is still much to do...

Tonight and tomorrow night, I'm going for light runs on the treadmill in prep for this weekend. I'll go to bed early Friday, drive into Charleston around 8 a.m. Saturday and run in my very first race. It won't really be much of a race for me - just a self-motivation fun sort of thing. There are people walking the route, so hopefully I shouldn't come in last - but if I did for some reason, it wouldn't be a big deal because it's finishing the race that means I've accomplished more than everyone who isn't participating ;) Chili bash at Top of the Roc will follow a day of catching up with old friends, and that makes for a pretty nice weekend. Sunday, I can relax and maybe get some more decorating done.

The following weekend, we have plans to go to Fright Fest with Rachelowe, but our Oct. 31 party will be here before you know it. I hope we get a decent amount of people out, and I hope they have a lot of fun. The weekend after that, I think we're going to try and make it to Cincy to visit Thomas and Beth. (Regardless of that visit I hope they can make it to our party!)

In other news, David and I are now in a darts league in Jerseyville with my cousin Lisa and her boyfriend Kevin. Every other week we play at our home bar, Molloy's, and every other week we play elsewhere in Jville. We're not amazing, but after one night we are 8-5.

Additionally, I've been working on T-shirts for volleyball that are coming out nicely. I think I'll experiment with more designs when I get some more free time...

Things at work are going well, and I'm getting excited because we have a Web site planning meeting this week. It looks like my fun is about to begin ;)

And that's my life right now in a nutshell. :)

The Office Wedding: Cutest Thing Since Ross and Rachel

2009-10-09T20:01:00.006-05:00

I just finished watching "The Office" Wedding special, but was lucky enough to catch the wedding sequence itself Thursday night before volleyball. I hear it's creating some Emmy buzz, and I'm just in love with it.

In one three-minute clip, the show manages to be funny for the same reasons it's been funny for six seasons - kooky personalities and clever references to what's going on in pop culture - and at the same time melt viewers' hearts with a romantic milestone of what's possibly the sweetest and most realistic relationships between two characters on TV.

Me, I've always been a Ross and Rachel fan (and will remain one) - but after numerous breakups and seasons of dating other people, it's easier to see those characters as individuals in addition to the big picture.

In "The Office," despite Roy and Karen flukes, it's always been Jim and Pam :) and I'm glad they got their happy ending, office style.

I love Madison

2009-09-30T21:32:00.005-05:00

I never thought I'd be one to fall in love with Wisconsin, but that very thing happened while I was there with a friend/coworker this past weekend.

From Madison, WI

We flew in Sunday to get a head start on things and stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, where we were greeted with a warm cookie and pleased to find out the beds were COMFY!

Because we didn't look at the NCMPR conference brochure carefully enough, we missed a cruise on Lake Monona, but did get to explore on our own, wandering onto University of Wisconsin's campus where we had the perfect view of Lake Mendota and down State Street where we spent lots of unnecessary but fun money. My favorite stores were one called "Sunshine Daydream" and another that had really cool retro and vintage items.

The weather was very cold and wintry, so I bought a Wisconsin hoodie (although I'm told by an Illini fan I shouldn't have), a hat and gloves with the fingers cut out.

Our shopping trip was cut short when it started pouring on us, but we hurried back to the hotel in time to dry off a bit and watch some TV before hitting the Nitty Gritty for dinner. We seriously regretted not lying about it being one of our birthdays. Apparently the place is known for that. They have great burgers too.

Monday we woke up early and caught a shuttle to the Monona Terrace Convention Center for a day of work-related learning. We learned A LOT, but only one speaker really stood out, Dr. Pam Cox-Otto from Interact, who had a really fun personality and taught us all about Gen Y (which really hit home for Korin and I, being that we are Gen Y'ers). The food wasn't fabulous but the view from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building was.

From Madison, WI

We skipped out on the awards dinner because Lewis and Clark hadn't put in any entries. Instead, we hit State Street again for some more shopping. It started raining again, but we got back to our hotel safely and rested before taking a ride back to some Italian place, Tutto Italian Bar e Grill, or something like that. It was recommended to us by one of our shuttle drivers, who was young and seemed fun and friendly. On the way back, we gave a bum our leftovers, bc we didn't have a fridge or microwave anyway, and called it a night.

Tuesday wasn't as eventful, but we hit State Street for yet another go, only this time we wanted to see the free local exhibit at the art museum. One of the exhibits was all about the Earth and recycling and the other about lists. I'm not sure I got the lists one right, but it spoke to me about how people are so busy these days that it can become overwhelming pretty easily.

From Madison, WI

We ate at the hotel's Badgerland Bar and Grill, and they gave us another warm cookie although Korin's nervousness about the flight home got the better of her stomach.

So good news all around - I had a lot of fun, found a place a really enjoy, got to know a coworker a lot better, got two great nights of sleep, learned a ton and the week was half over by the time I got back. And Brian's coming in this weekend so there will be fun to be had by all!

Just a few quick updates

2009-09-21T14:46:00.002-05:00

*I'm on Week 3 of the Couch to 5K running program and I just ate 6 cookies and a piece of birthday cake at the office, so I'm not looking forward to tonight's run.

*I am flying out to a PR conference trip with a coworker this weekend. It's in Madison, Wisconsin and I'm really excited.

*Brian is visiting in two weeks, which officially starts Halloween season a little late for me this year. I still need to decide on a costume.

*The Cardinals are close to clenching their playoff spot, and the Cubs have officially sucked for their 102nd year straight.

*I need a haircut somethin' fierce.

*Beatles Rock Band is awesome and I am not a bad singer when mimicking the vocal stylings of John, George and Paul (Ringo's voice is a little low for me).

*Music Togetherness, our little tunes club/discussion and review blog, is in it's third week - Herbie Hancock. Check it out to see what we thought of NSYNC and Jamie Cullum.

Bonnarooers are right, Kanye really does suck

2009-09-14T09:53:00.002-05:00

And last night's display of jerkitude at the MTV VMAs, which I didn't watch, proves it.

Congratulations, now a whole new group of music lovers hate you.

As reported by various online news sources, the first Moon Man last night for Best Female Music Video went to Taylor Swift for "You Belong With Me." (Which I watched just now and find absolutely adorable. Embedded below.) Apparently Kanye West thought Beyonce should have won for "Single Ladies" because he rushed on stage, took the mic and crashed Taylor's party by preaching in favor of a different outcome. Talk about unclassy.

I've watched the reruns, with Kanye on his soap box and poor Taylor standing there looking stunned... She's just a kid for Christ's sake, and she deserves to revel in her win.

And that's exactly what Beyonce said, remembering when she won for the first time with Destiny's Child. That was right before she waived her own acceptance speech for Music Video of the Year in favor of letting Taylor finish her moment.

I'm not a huge country fan but I love Taylor Swift. On the other hand, I'm always talking about how much I loathe Beyonce... but after this, I have to respect Beyonce for being the classy woman that she is.

By the same token, I could do without supporting a giant d-bag like Kanye. Boo Kanye.

Music togetherness project

2009-09-03T19:59:00.004-05:00

So David and I saw a post on the "I Love Music" message board where a guy and his girlfriend are using music as a togetherness project.

We decided to do the same thing.

The idea is that each week, we will take turns choosing an artist and a sampling of either all their albums or up to five of their albums to listen to and discuss at the end of said week. It's like a book club, with music.

We are starting with NSYNC. That David is a lucky man.

We'll tell you how it goes...

HERE ARE THE RULES

1. Albums must be listened to in chronological order.

2. There are no excuses for not listening, and there are no albums that are off limits for this project (as long as artist has put out two or more CDs).

3. At the end of the week, each participant (David and I) must have more to say than "that was doody" and offer some insight to the other participant to be posted on this blog.

4. A new artist is picked every Friday, and discussions of the previous artist will take place over the weekend. Discussions will be posted online by Monday.

5. No repeats are allowed, with the exception of solo artists from a band that's already been covered.

Happy listening to us.
And one more thing...

Dirty Pop.

Daily mile

2009-09-03T15:46:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know and some of you may not know, it has been my recent desire to become a runner.

I have goaded David into eating better with me and I've been trying to cover some miles every day after work. Stephen showed me to a wonderful Web site, dailymile.com, which tracks all my progress (see the widget on the left side of this page). I could use a few friends and motivators, if you're interested, or you can leave me comments right here.

I haven't given the Couch to 5K program another shot lately, but I've been employing the same idea at my own pace to get used to running (and to convince myself I like it). I decided, the first day I ran for two minutes without dying, that I do. Eventually, I will re-employ the actual program.

My next goal is to do a 2.5K at EIU Homecoming on Oct. 17 to see if this is something I could really get into. Stephen and his wife Mal, I believe, are going to do it as well, and my friend Amy might be coming with :)

Once I get through that, there's a whole world of possibility out there for me - fun runs, charities, etc.

And there's the health benefits too. I feel so much better physically (except for my legs) now that I've been running, and I'm hoping I can lose some weight in the process. We were out shooting the soccer girls' team photos today and I realized how much I miss being somewhat athletic. Couldn't hurt my volleyball game either...

American Idols Live Tour 2009 hits St. Louis

2009-08-30T16:13:00.003-05:00

I took my mom to go see American Idols Live 2009 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and was not disappointed.

We got there a little late - traffic was bad and parking a nightmare. We missed Michael Sarver, which I didn't think was a big deal, but ended up feeling bad about when I found out my mom actually likes him.

When we found our seats in the upper deck, I was surprised to see that almost no one had bad seats. On top of that, they were super comfortable. Quite a departure from Bonnaroo 2009 ;) (Which I loved, don't get me wrong.)

Megan Joy was first. I'd always liked her voice and been disappointed week after week on the show by her performances, but was presently surprised to see I liked her live.

After Megan Joy was Scott MacIntyre, who turned out to be a veteran performer and quite funny as an added bonus. He made jokes about his blindness and "the high five heard 'round the world," and put everyone in good spirits. I liked his rendition of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles."

Lil Rounds was next. I didn't really like her set. Then again, I'm no fan of "Queen B" either, so I wasn't happy when she sang "Single Ladies." I did like this one OK tho.

Anoop gave a beautiful rendition of "Always On My Mind" but I enjoyed Ne-Yo's "Mad" better. I could have seen Ne-Yo live with a press pass earlier this year but didn't make it to the show.

Matt Giraud came out with the song I enjoyed most by him, "Hard to Handle." He showed off his vocal range with "Georgia on My Mind," which was nice, but then he sang "You Found Me," which I still agree with the judges from this season doesn't fit his voice very well.

Allison Iraheta's "So What" was disappointing, although I agree it helped her seem young when her voice sounds so much more mature. "Barracuda" was cool, but I can't find decent YouTube video of that so here's the duet with her and Adam Lambert on "Slow Ride."

Danny Gokey was mostly mushy and disappointing, to my dismay. I loved Danny from the beginning and I think he's hot and feel bad that his wife died, but American Idol is not about preaching. Additionally, if he's going to sound this gushy on a CD he's just not for me. However, "PYT" was entertaining and "Maria Maria" was hot.

I knew Adam Lambert was going to be big, but what I didn't know was how sexual he would be on stage. I liked most of his set, aside from Muse's "Starlight." I was most excited to see "Mad World" live, which was great, but this Bowie Medley almost made me wish I were a gay man.

After Lambert, I was nervous for this year's Idol winner Kris Allen, but I shouldn't have been. Because I'm such a fan, here is his entire set (I thought this version of "Heartless" was amazing live in a big venue):

Lunch with Dad today

2009-08-19T13:51:00.001-05:00

Dad came in today and ate lunch with me in the Reid Cafe. He said he really enjoyed the pork tenderloin, while I had a garden burger, which was really good by the way. I'll have to eat that more often.

We spent the rest of my break walking around campus, admiring the gardening and the sculptures. We even wandered into the library, which has always held interest for me because of the rumors that it is haunted.

We were both impressed by the library, which I had been in before, and it was really nice to have a visit from him :) We'll have to do that more often.

Once I got back into the office, Korin (the graphic designer I share an office with) and I talked about hauntings and now I'm really in the mood for Halloween... maybe it will make for some cool campus discussions on our social sites or something... Just a thought.

New job, new routine, new lifestyle

2009-08-18T15:29:00.001-05:00

As you can tell from the ticker on my blog, I did not reach my diet goal for the start of school. Instead, stress and other factors contributed to a 5-pound weight GAIN.

I'm disappointed but not ready to give up yet. Other things are changing in my life, so why not this? (Am I starting to sound hopeless or what?)

Since I last updated, I left The Telegraph for a new job at Lewis and Clark Community College as a media specialist/Web editor. Basically, I left behind stressful deadlines, low morale and sleeping in for a more lucrative career, friendly people, a stimulating atmosphere, a job that I think I'm really going to like and 3 more hours of daylight than I used to have.

I figure stress was one of the factors in my eating and exercise patterns, and likely one of the causes of my weight problems - along with having to eat out of vending machines if I wanted to take a short break and eating fast food late at night - all of which has virtually disappeared.

I'm going to put it to the real test, a bit of which I got to taste last week during my first full week at the new gig. Here's my plan, if I have enough will power to follow it:

1. Eat something healthy for breakfast every day.

For the last week and a half I've gotten myself into the habit of getting up in the morning with time to shower and dry my hair, put on some makeup and eat something quick for breakfast - typically Special K cereal, a granola bar, two slices of whole wheat toast, a yogurt cup or a piece of fruit and a bottle of water. This I already consider a success, because it's easy, makes me feel good and gives my metabolism a jump start each day.

2. Eat lunch at the same time everyday.

I hear it's good to get into patterns, and while I may not be able to eat lunch at noon on the dot every day here, I can get much more into the habit of a schedule than I could at my old job.

3. Try to make healthy lunch choices.

With all the fast food around here, this is going to be a tough one - thank God there are healthy choices downstairs in the Reid Cafe, at Subway across the street and sometimes at my parents' house. I do have to watch my dad, who still tries to feed me like I'm a starving child and who stocks up on junk like doughnuts, Hostess cupcakes and Pringles, but it's nice to be able to visit him. After awhile I might stock some frozen veggies in their freezer for lunch so I have more time to visit and unwind and less time to eat his junk.

4. Drink more water.

I really have to cut down the soda intake, but this is going to be a process. If I can learn to make healthy choices elsewhere and don't go overboard with the soda, I think I can ween myself away slowly.

5. Work out.

David told me the other day he wanted to be skinny again. My Metro Sports couples' membership breathed a sigh of relief. Five times a week is going to have to be mandatory for me this semester, and NO, volleyball won't count. I'm going to bring a bag to work with me so I can work out here before I leave campus, unless David calls and wants to meet at Metro. If I miss a day during the week for any reason, I should hit Metro on the weekend.

6. Record food/exercise journal on Livestrong.com.

I was doing this for awhile but fell out of the habit. I need to get back in. This is a great way to tell what your patterns are and to watch overeating after excercise.

7. Fix dinner rather than going out.

With my new hours, working out AND cooking dinner are both feasible. The only problem is my portion control, because if I wait that long after working out and have to smell food while I'm cooking it, I'm going to want to eat more than I need. Admitting that is the first step to making sure it stops happening.

8. Get a good night's sleep.

Knowing I am not a morning person has made me go to bed much earlier than I used to which I know is healthier for me.

Family photo archive Web site

2009-07-29T22:32:00.003-05:00

I recently purchased a scanner with the idea in mind to scan all the old photos in my parents' ancient photo albums. It'll be quite the undertaking, but I'm up to the task.

Today, I started with the oldest (mind you, they are not completely in order) and have started a private Web site on Shutterfly.com, which I will be inviting family members and friends of the family to join.

http://griffithwittman.shutterfly.com

I named the site Griffith-Wittman because the photo albums that started it all contain my parents' photos from both sides of the family as well as of friends from both sides.

Besides the fact that some of your old photos could be on the site, there are other benefits to joining -

Once a member of the site, a person can view and add photos, notes and video to keep everyone updated.

For those interested in photo-personalized gifts, this site makes it easy to order straightaway from any of the photos posted.

Unfortunately, members can't download photos from the site, so if you are a member and would like a digital copy of anything, please email me at laminette.griff@gmail.com and I'd be happy to e-mail you a copy you can print at home or at Walgreens. Additionally, I think the site allows you to order prints...

I'm trying to find everyone on Facebook and ask them to spread the word, but if you know someone who would like an invite, send me e-mail addresses.

Thanks!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-16T23:21:00.001-05:00

3.5 out of 5 stars

Don't look at this as a movie review, rather than my own personal reaction to HP 6. I really liked the movie, and since I hardly remember what was in the book when I read it, I didn't notice discrepancies that other people did between the two versions.

What I liked was the humor, and the fact that the movie was incredibly visually appealing. (Those main characters sure are growing into their own aren't they? It's fun comparing them now with their tiny baby selves in the first movie...)

What I didn't like was the lack of a fight scene inside Hogwarts that took place in the book between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix (-1 star), and the fact that Remus Lupin was in the movie for about 8 seconds (-0.5 stars). Lupin is only my favorite HP character, followed by Ron, then Harry.

Now I'm back to reading the sixth in the Harry Potter series, and then I'll be back to talk more about the differences between the two. (And then onto 7 and then inevitably back to that dreaded fan fiction.) Until then, I'll leave you with this.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was as chilling as I hoped/thought it would be, and somehow at the same time, managed to be the most fun and funny of all the previous movies in the franchise. It was a good time, and it will be had again. By me. When I buy the movie set. (David already has the book set.)

I disagree that the story was not well told, though I will agree the book told it better. Despite the fact that much of the material had to be left out to fit into a comfortable time frame for a movie, I think it would have been fairly easy to follow if I hadn't known the story beforehand. As easy as the sixth part of a franchise can be for someone getting into it late, anyway.

Alright then, I'm off.

Harry Potter!

2009-07-14T01:26:00.001-05:00

Just got our tickets on Fandango.com! We're going to Edwardsville at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Woohoo!

July 4 weekend set me back

2009-07-06T12:18:00.002-05:00

... Justin's red pepper burgers, too yummy to resist, and stupid, stupid alcohol, contributed to a 3 pound weight gain that set me back this Fourth of July weekend. That and the fact that I had NO energy all week and a wierd schedule that kept me in bed until work Monday through Friday.

Thank God this week I'm back to a somewhat regular schedule. Still tired as all get out tho.

How did your weekend go?

My parents met me on July 3 after work to see the fireworks in Downtown Alton. Not so much after work as a half hour before I got off, because I got held up waiting for the fireworks story for the front, but it turned out OK in the end.

They got to see the newsroom and sit and relax for a little bit while I finished, then I showed them around and got one of the press guys to give them a tour of the whole newspaper printing process. I think I got the walking tour three years ago when I started but it wasn't as in depth as that.

Afterward, the lawn to the left of the building here was a perfect vantage point for watching the fireworks. We could even see the St. Louis fireworks in the distance, and the show was a good one. It sprinkled a little but never really rained, thank God.

On July 4, Justin and Jacob came over and played the new Tiger Woods golf game for the Wii while Justin prepared the grill. Thomas, Beth, Madden, Pam and Amy all came and ate, and we played some bags and The Game of Things later in the night.

By Sunday I was completely wiped out. I laid around watching "Friends" all day.

With the exception of the 3 pounds, it was a pretty decent weekend.

Toying with an idea...

2009-06-30T15:37:00.001-05:00

Of finding a 5K and attempting to train for it. Would be much more interesting and fun to train with a friend. Anyone interested?

Anyone know where I can find an affordable pedometer that measures distance?

Off to a good, and bad, start

2009-06-29T14:53:00.003-05:00

Three pounds. Not bad for the first week back.

I didn't work out Friday, but after a week of working out after work, I did clean the heck out of the house. I ate decently healthy and mostly small meals most of the weekend, minus some Domino's Pizza on Sunday, which was, I might add, a veggie and I only had two small pieces (and then I ate the other two this morning).

I didn't work out today. I was in a sort of depressed state and wanted to lay in bed. I didn't go to the gym all weekend but hula hooped, step classed and rhythym boxed on the Wii on Saturday, which worked up a sweat. We walked yesterday, but it was to One Stop, and what began as a trip for healthy beverages (water, diet soda to quench my soda craving) ended with the purchase of a Snicker's Ice Cream bar, containing 300 calories. Luckily, I hadn't eaten much else that day.

Still working on all that.

This is the week of wierd schedules so I won't be hitting any classes at Metro except maybe yoga on Wednesday, so I have to find another way to get fit for an hour and I have to find the motivation to do it in the morning. I'm so not a morning person.

Everything will be OK as long as I don't overdo the eating this week and throw myself off track. It is a holiday week, which is not the best of signs... I'm not losing hope though.

Laura v. Minette Diet Challenge '09

2009-06-23T14:04:00.002-05:00

(Or at least, that's what I'm calling it.)

Over our Chicago vacation (which was fabulous by the way) my mom and I decided to challenge each other to a weight loss competition. Sure, it's great to do something for yourself, but it's also easier when you break out a competitive edge. Just ask the "Biggest Loser."

Starting at approximately 171 lbs. each, we'll see who can get closest to 145 lbs. between now and the end of August (around "American Idols" Live and the beginning of a new school year).

If I win, she pays me $20. (Almost $1 per pound.)

If she wins, I clean her house. (She likes a thorough house cleaning, so nothing easy.)

I lost 6-8 pounds during my quest to be skinnier and more healthy for Bonnaroo, but then I fell out of rhythm and gained all of it back. Dieting and exercise is hard work when you're super busy! But in my quest to be healthier for Bonnaroo I did pick up a few healthy habits to help me on my way. I discovered boxed veggie lunches and Zumba classes at Metro. And sand volleyball started back up.

Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted.

Subsequent Roo-related posts at Bonnaroo Virgin

2009-06-15T16:46:00.004-05:00

Please head over to my Bonnaroo blog for more posts about my experience at 'Roo throughout the next several weeks. (And then hang out there afterward for music and festival-related posts...)

I'm a Bonnaroo Virgin (well, not anymore I guess)

In the meantime, this blog will head back to life as usual in LaLa Land :(

I'm at ROO! Updates

2009-06-09T00:01:00.005-05:00

This post used to contain a widget for people to follow my weekend tweets while I was away, outside of my actual Twitter page, http://twitter.com/lauranette

Since the weekend is over, visit my work blog for a re-tweet, so to speak - a rundown of all my Twitter and Twitpic posts throughout the weekend.

http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com/2009/06/15/bonnaroo-weekend-re-tweet/

Supply shopping for Roo '09

2009-06-08T23:38:00.006-05:00

I know I have a blog strictly dedicated to 'Roo, but for the next week, they're all going to be the same. That's right. I'm duplicate posting everywhere.

David and I bought most of our supplies tonight at Wal-Mart and piled them in the guest bedroom. I wanted to have all this done before the weekend was over, but I guess we've still got two days to make sure everything's in order before we actually have to take off.

Anyway, we netted a 12 x 10 Coleman tent for close to $80 at Wal-Mart. It's made for 5 people so it'll be nice and spacious. We hope to get a lot of use out of it in the future. Additionally, we got a lot of hygiene supplies and food that won't go bad in the Tennessee heat.

One change in the plans - Justin will not be coming with us. I knew this days ago but haven't updated as I should have. It's a money thing, but he'll be with us in spirit.

As I mentioned a number of times before, I'll be Twittering the whole thing. My new cell phone (which can hold 6,000+ photos) will be on hand at all times and ready to post whenever via picture messaging. David will be sending photo updates as well. Battery power won't be an issue - I got a car charger that fits both of our phones.

You can follow my Twitter page (@lauranette) to get all the updates, or report here, where a Twitter widget will be displaying the feed - another example of all the ways Twitter can be a pretty impressive tool for us journalists.

David is in the office listening to Animal Collective (which we will see on Friday), while I have Dave Matthews streaming via my blog, which reminds me - I really need to update that playlist...

Tickets aplenty!

2009-05-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

Just got a note in my e-mail that my "American Idol" tickets have been printed and will be shipped shortly. Couldn't be more pumped about that.

Furthermore, I was notified that my Bonnaroo ticket should arrive sometime today or tomorrow!

It's all happening at once, so exciting ;)

I am totally in need of a vacation. After today and tomorrow, I've got one full week and then I'm on vacation. 2 weeks till 'Roo! Just trying to hold out that long...

Memorial Day + Justin + grill = I ate too much

2009-05-26T17:57:00.002-05:00

Obligatory holiday post.

David and I were gearing up for a pretty boring Memorial Day and boy was the weather crappy. I got up the same time I would have if I had gone to work and cleaned for HOURS. David actually did go to work. I went grocery shopping and to drop off some library books. I planned on browsing Twitter, watching too many episodes of "America's Next Top Model" and then falling asleep.

Then Justin called David, wondering if we wanted to grill, so we decided to take advantage of an overhang we have above our walkout basement. We got two games of bags in before we had to retire them for the day, and spent the rest of the night cooking, chatting - generally taking it easy.

When the food was done, I decided against my vegetarian-esque lifestyle and opted for a burger this time. What the hell? They were infused with onions and red peppers, it's not like I didn't get my veggies in ;) They were the best hamburgers (yes, plural) that I have ever tasted. He really should open a restaurant. He'd make the big bucks just off me.

We spent the rest of the night watching Larry King Live, which was more Ryan Seacrest and Idols live than anything, and then they made CDs that we'll listen to on the way to Bonnaroo. Getting pumped! By then, though, I was tuckered out and ready for a night's sleep.

Some links I'm browsing today

2009-05-22T18:13:00.002-05:00

Clay Aiken says a Kris Allen victory takes 'Idol' back to its roots

http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/05/clay-aiken-on-kris-allen-and-adam-lambert

Addictomatic- Type in something you're addicted to and get ready for instant gratification ;)

http://addictomatic.com/

"Idol" backlash strikes

2009-05-21T13:29:00.005-05:00

OK people. I thought I had posted my last Idol blog for awhile but it seems never ending. I just read a bunch of stories and blogs and commented on the Huffington Post Web site that called Kris Allen "mediocre." I can't help but repeat myself.

I will be the first to admit that I voted for Kris (about a 100 times). But unlike what every news article or opinion I've read today says - it wasn't because Adam's sexuality is questionable (come on people, that shouldn't matter in any situation, let alone a singing competition) or because I like to reward mediocrity.

I don't really think people should compare apples and oranges.

Adam is a GREAT performer. (Which I've been kind of scared to admit until today, knowing that if he won I would be totally bitter and I didn't want to jinx it - but there it is.) His performance with Queen last night blew me away. He's got vocal range that Kris doesn't have, and is super exciting as a performer.

Just because Kris isn't exactly those things doesn't mean he's mediocre. I think he actually has MORE artistic ability than Adam - his renditions overall were more creative than Adam's ("Heartless"? I mean come on. It was better than Kanye). He has a great voice too - it doesn't need as much range because in his genre he would have no need for the high falsetto. He plays a number of musical instruments and is certainly likeable.

As far as looks go, both performers are extremely good looking. In different ways. Apples and oranges.

It's like comparing John Lennon and Michael Jackson. Just because they're different, will you deny that they're both great? It's a matter of preference - and while Queen and Kiss were super popular decades ago, it's the Jason Mrazes and John Mayers of the world you hear on popular radio these days.

That's why Kris won, and he certainly deserved it.

Extending the dorky 'Idol' obsession through August

2009-05-21T12:39:00.001-05:00

Yes. I bought tickets to American Idols Live.

I paid approximately $62 each - 2 tickets - and David's coming with.

The show is Sat. Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. It's been too long since my last dorky concert.

Liveblogging tonight during 'Idol' finale Part I

2009-05-19T18:12:00.002-05:00

For those of you that are interested, I will be Twittering during the "Idol" finale (part one and part two, tonight and tomorrow night, beginning at 6:50 p.m. both nights).

You can of course read my Tweets on this blog, or you can take the higher road ;) and read them at http://twitter.com/lauranette

If you feel strongly either way about how this season will end, check out my work blog http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com and agree with me, or leave me a nasty comment.

It's our anniversary!

2009-05-12T13:31:00.001-05:00

David and I have been together now for two years. Unfortunately, I have a final presentation tonight and we can't celebrate properly. I just wanted the world to know how much I love him and how happy I am that we made it to this point ;)

Happy anniversary, baby.

Back from a long weekend in Chicago

2009-05-12T13:30:00.001-05:00

Today I'm back to work after a long weekend in Chicago. A long weekend period, really.

Saturday morning David and I joined Mark and Emily from the Lincoln Lofts, where we used to live, in playing a volleyball tournament out at Wave Taco in Downtown St. Louis. We lost six games before we won the last two, but it was really fun. However, my face is sunburned from lack of sunscreen, and I got a late start in getting to Chicago.

I got out of the shower and headed out around 5:30, arriving in Chicago about five hours later. Brian had just got off from work. Good timing. Erin brought her man over and visited a little bit, and then they left and we headed to bed to get ready for an early day on Sunday.

Around 10 a.m. Sunday we gathered with a bunch of Brian's family members in Chicago and boarded a bus for Milwaukee. It was Brian's birthday and Mother's Day all at once, so we celebrated with a 4-2 Cubs win at Miller Park, which was beautiful. I got lots of pictures and video of the Sausage Race.

That evening, we ate at Lou Malnati's with Brian's family and his brother's fiancee Nora. It was pretty good. I wrote a blog about it. By the time we got back to his house and whipped out Guitar Hero: World Tour (a birthday present from his sister Katie), I had pretty much conked out on the couch. I went to bed, and Brian finally fell asleep hours later.

Monday morning we headed out to Hyde Park and decided to hit the Harry Potter exhibition at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry before Erin met us up again. It was amazing. I also wrote a blog about that.

When we met her in Wrigleyville that afternoon, I recognized Lucky's Sandwich Co. from the Travel Channel's "Man vs. Food," so of course we had to eat there. I really liked it.

I left the city around 4:45 and got home around 10 (traffic jam as I was leaving the city). Look for individual posts on all of this on Twitter or at http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com.

Wacky 'American Idol' last night...

2009-04-30T17:43:00.001-05:00

I just commented this at Huffington Post and I thought it merited a blog appearance.

David I'm sure was in good company last night when he was blown away at the fact that Kris and Adam rounded out the AI bottom three along with Matt. Allison and longtime favorite of mine, Danny Gokey, were in the top two. Even I was surprised, though somewhat relieved. If they had been in the bottom three, I would have feared for the safety of one of my favorites.

I learned a valuable lesson last year, and America should have too, when many of us thought little Davy Archuleta had it in the bag. Performance after performance, being praised by the judges for being perfect is something he has in common with this year's Adam. True, Adam has something that David didn't - real performance talent and experience (although they both have great voices). Adam owns the stage when he's up there, he doesn't twitch like a 16-17 year old boy in front of his stage daddy (don't get me wrong, I love David A.). But the two have another something important in common-

When that many people like you, you can bet just as many hate you. I still think that's what gave David Cook the win last year, although I loved him as well.

Personally, I'd expect Kris to come in and pose a serious threat to Adam's stability in this competition. Kris is gorgeous, musically talented with a great voice and instrumental ability, completely original and that package comes in a great "guy next door" wrapping. Better than last year's Cook, if you ask me, but comparable in numerous ways.

Adam has hands-down the best voice in the competition - but that doesn't mean it's the best suited for selling an incredible number of albums. I'd pay lots of money to see him on Broadway, but would never buy his CD. He's too theatrical and too all over the place. You can't blame him for wanting to show off his incredible range, but come on Adam - it's getting ridiculous.

I didn't even like this week's performance. And although I thought Kris was great - and I may be going against the grain with this one - Danny and Allison deserved their top two spots this week. Not saying they are the top two in this competition because they're not - but based on this week, they were right where they should have been.

I was pretty sure Matt was going home, and I was OK with it, even though I've been a big fan from the beginning. I mentioned on Twitter today that I really want to go to a piano bar now. Sometime soon, anyway.

My predictions for the last 4? If it goes the way I want it to - Allison goes next, then Danny, then Adam with Kris being crowned the American Idol at the end. I could be wrong, but I'm going to live dangerously.

Dick Ankiel?

2009-04-22T16:37:00.006-05:00

Last night, David made mention of some of his Cubs fan friends who had taken to calling my beloved Rick "Dick" Ankiel. Like David, I thought they were taking a shot at him.

So until last night, I admit, he wasn't having a very good season. He's on my fantasy team and I'VE even sat him out. I know. You can pick up your jaw now.

On top of that, he's been sporting some very strange facial hair as of late. I was liking the dirty unshaven look (just when I thought nothing could be prettier than Ricky's clean-shaven face) and then he went and cut it all off EXCEPT THE DIRTY MUSTACHE. I didn't see it, though I hope to get a peep tonight. From what I hear though, yuck.

Now this.

He actually WANTS to be called "Dick." Why, Ricky, why?

About to turn 30 this year, planning to start a family, and on the brink of free agency's windfall, Ankiel sees contentment where others see quiet. There is only one thing he's thinking about changing.

His name.

Ankiel has been preoccupied recently about when it is age appropriate for him to shorten his given name, Richard, to "Dick" instead of "Rick." Some friends and clubhouse denizens have already taken to calling him "Dick" this spring. He calls it an instant "ice-breaker."

That Dick Ankiel, always redefining himself.

Call him Rick. Call him Dick.

Call him a Cardinal.

Get the full story from the Post-Dispatch here.

Took my test at the doctor's today

2009-04-22T13:39:00.001-05:00

I have never been admitted to or had to do anything inside of a hospital other than visit my parents or spend some time in the emergency room, so it goes without saying that I got lost inside Alton Memorial this morning. It wouldn't have been so bad but all the rerouting from the construction in the front can really confuse a person.

On top of that, the pulmonary function tests are taken inside a unit for "wound care," which was a little alarming. I was almost afraid I'd see something gross - kind of like when I was at Walgreen's last night and saw a little girl carrying a plastic bag of puke around with her - but I digress...

They had me sit in this plastic chamber and breathe into a tube. Normal breaths, deep breaths, panting breaths... oh, and my favorite *sense the sarcasm* - they had me hyperventilate on purpose. I could have passed out, but other than that the test was mostly harmless.

Then they made me breathe in all this medicine - the same stuff in the Proventil inhaler Dr. Ricci prescribed - and had me take the tests again to find any difference. The tests inside the chamber were supposed to simulate breathing during and after exercise.

I have to wait for the doctor's official results but the lady that performed the tests said there was a 35 and 55% difference in my lungs after the medicine. So the good news is, it's manageable :) Yay.

I just jogged for the first time since my inhaler

2009-04-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

And it was a great experience.

Mostly, I walked so I wouldn't get all sweaty and gross for work, but I pushed my limits a few times to see how things would go. I only jogged for about three minutes but I could finally tell a difference between out of shape catching my breath and asthma gasping for air.

This could be kind of exciting...

Couch to 5K, I'm coming back for another round!

Busy week ahead

2009-04-21T12:22:00.003-05:00

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning to take a full pulmonary test in relation to my recent allergy and asthma issues. We'll see how that goes.

Friday, the boss is sending me to Carbondale to recieve a number of awards The Telegraph recently won from the Southern Illinois Editorial Association, so that will be my entire workshift. It's a long drive, but it will be a nice break. Additionally, it'll be nice to reap some rewards from all the staff's hard work.

Friday night and Saturday morning we have a lot of cleaning and cooking to do at the house to prepare for the housewarming/open house. It should be a lot of fun, so I hope to see you there. (P.S. I bought invitations but never sent them out. Maybe I'll get to that tomorrow. :( ) Here's the info anyway.

6- 9 p.m.

Sat. April 25, 2009

Laura & David's place (ask if you need directions)

BYOB, we will have food and fun :)

Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Blame It"

2009-04-13T16:27:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Extra last night. Loving it.

I can finally breathe

2009-04-13T14:36:00.002-05:00

I started having major allergy problems about two years ago.

I endured sinus infection after sinus infection. I treated itchy, burning eyes with allergy drops. It was all manageable with a little Claritin D, but when that got too expensive to use on a regular basis, I tried to switch back to plain ole' Claritin. But plain ole' Claritin didn't work.

When the wheezing and itchy throat started, Benadryl would give me one good day, then would cease to work. Then Zyrtec. Not even the D, which I'd dubbed my magic bullet all that time, could help.

I tried to pinpoint the beginning of all this mess and the onset of the major problems seemed to have come on after a particularly bad go at Week 2 of the Couch to 5K program I had been so excited about.

I had worked through Week 1 - three 20+-minute workouts (plus warm up and cool down) that consisted of light intervals of walking 60 seconds and jogging for 30, with a day of rest in between. I was out of breath, though it got a little better after my second day. Week 2 had been a different story. The same workout lengthened itself to 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking - but the way my body reacted, one would have thought I jumped straight to the 5K.

My iPod malfunctioned and my Couch to 5K podcast stalled just after my warmup, then 30 seconds of jogging. I walked briefly to restart the program and then hit it hard. What normally wouldn't have hit me until just before the 20 minutes was up hit me like a brick during the first interval. I ignored what I then thought was my out of shape self and pushed on. I got to the end of the workout, coughing, sneezing, wheezing all over the place. It got worse when I thought it should have been getting better. Embarrassed, I sat in the adjoining empty dance studio, in the corner, in the dark, trying to concentrate on my breathing and recover. My chest was tight and I couldn't get air IN, although it didn't seem as hard to get it out. A half hour passed but the wheezing hadn't gotten better. I could at least stand up without fainting, and thought it might be safe at this point to drive home. In bed at home, it took me more than an hour more to recover.

I told this to my doctor last week when I told him about the allergies. I also told him that my grandmother had pretty severe asthma as a young woman. He said it sounded like a case of exercise induced asthma, as I had somewhat suspected.

I still have to get a chest x-ray and a respiratory test sometime before the beginning of May, but in the meantime he has me on Singulair and gave me an inhaler to use before exercise. I can finally breathe!! (He also gave me some allergy medication, but I can't afford it right now. For now, this will have to do.) Last night, after some brief exercise, I felt what it must be like to be out of breath and not in-pain out of breath.

It all makes sense, really. I never had much wind in me as a kid, and even in high school, I loathed running because I didn't have the lung capacity for it. Everybody always told me to stop whining and I felt bad because I thought I was lazy and blamed myself. It's somewhat assuring to me now that I have a problem, and better than that, it can be controlled.

And I can get back to my weight loss program.

With only 8 weeks to go, I am only down 4.5 pounds from my start weight... 20 pounds from my original goal (due to not eating meat, but also not exercising much :()

2.5 lbs a week seems a little strenuous but I'd be happy to get down to 155 (10 pounds lighter than now) if I can establish a regular routine.

Housewarming/ open house set for April 25

2009-04-04T21:09:00.002-05:00

Hey readers,

For those of you who have been following along, we are just about ready to show off the house. I have set up a closed Facebook event (ask if you want an invite) and will be sending a few (mostly to those not online) via snail mail.

I have also put event information and extensive photographs at my new Shutterfly site, soon to be linked to Lauranette.com, http://lauranette.shutterfly.com

We're officially moved in

2009-03-27T21:23:00.001-05:00

Other than a few technical things like paintings and my desk - we are completely moved in.

Thank God. I was starting to really reach an unmanageable amount of stress.

This weekend will be the first I don't have to work my butt off the whole time. It will be nice.

Here and There is undergoing some changes

2009-03-24T16:34:00.001-05:00

Some of you who read this blog also read my work blog, Here and There . Those of you that don't should still read this update:

Hello there, readers!

Soon, the Here and There blog will have a new name and a new logo, but I'm here to tell you not to worry, and assure you that the change is good.

Here and There was first conceived with the ideas of travel and entertainment in mind, but with the economy not doing so great and my posts ever digressing from the original idea, the new blog name and logo will be much better suited to its content. (And you will still have access to all my old posts on the new blog.)

"Quarterlife Crisis," as the new blog will be called, will cover life issues and topics of interest for young adults in their 20s. I should know, because I am one of those people.

Life in one's twenties can be very similar to life in one's teens, or it can jump ahead into adulthood with the start of a blossoming career, the purchase of a new home or the building of a family.

My goal is to make my posts more informative for readers by incorporating current events and advice as it pertains to young adults. I'll also be covering topics of interest ranging from local entertainment to lifestyle choices like vegetarianism or an interest in practicing yoga, and some of the same topics I've already chosen to write about here.

Please do lookout for the change, and I hope you'll stay with me.

~Laura

I'll add the new address once "Quarterlife Crisis" goes live, which could be tomorrow or it could take a week or so, depending on how busy corporate and our IT guys are currently.

Once the change is made, most of my posts at "One Too Many blogs" will remain similar to a personal journal, and less personal topics will be covered over there. Stay tuned!

Move-in day, Part I

2009-03-21T01:42:00.002-05:00

Friday, I got home from work early because of working over my 8 hours every day earlier in the week. With all that extra time on my hands (it was only around 3:45 p.m.), I called my parents and asked if they would like to start moving. I need my dad's truck after all.

They came over, but they didn't seem to be happy about it. Instead, they were super stressed out and everyone was getting grouchy. I really honestly don't know why they were all so worked up - this day was a free day, and we had planned to get mostly everything moved on Saturday. I figured it was time we wouldn't have had otherwise and I saw it as an opportunity to take it easy for some of the weekend - something none of us have been able to do since I bought the house.

Move-in day was quickly gearing up to be one of my top 5 all-time worst days. I'm pretty sure my mom's still pissed, but I can't help it if I want to do things my way for the first time. I don't think it's that much to ask since it is my house after all. I don't think that makes me less appreciative of their help.

Here it is, 1:47 a.m. and things are still in boxes strewn about the house, but that's because we don't have all the furniture in place just yet and we have to clean everything off as we place it. I did get the rest of the blinds hung.

We still have the apartment until March 31. It kind of sucks that we moved so early because we did pay for those 11 days in a prime spot downtown (and they weren't cheap days) and we seem to be wasting them. We still have some things down there... like lots of clothes, kitchen stuff, one couch and one dresser. We still have lots of cleaning to do so that Julie can come check everything out on Wednesday.

The other part of me is glad to be here tho, typing this from my pretty blue office. Photos once the boxes are gonzo.

Luv!

'Vacation' wrapup

2009-03-16T22:52:00.005-05:00

The house is almost complete.

I spent my entire vacation trying to get things done and spending more money than I ever thought possible. Now, we'll spend this week and weekend moving everything in and start on the apartment.

Thanks to people who've helped out since Feb. 20 - David, my mom, Jim and Nancy Inlow, Brian Inlow, James, Justin, Amy, etc. - but especially my dad who has damn near lived at the house trying to get each and every little thing done while trying to save me money where he could.

Here are some of the photos I uploaded to Facebook, a few of my most recent pics as well as some from the beginning so you can get the big picture.

For those of you not on Facebook:

living room

walk-in closet with original wood paneling

black guest bedroom

Gas leak

2009-03-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

We had a gas leak, which is now fixed and was covered by my home warranty. It cost me $50.

Nothing bad enough to blow up the house, but the heating and cooling guy had to pull down some ceiling tiles in the basement to expose the pipe, which we will have to replace. That basement room needed a total makeover anyway.

The good news is, the smell that we thought was just the guy living there before us was gas, and now it's gone.

Oh joy.

On a side note, the flooring is done in the guest bedroom, office and living room. Those rooms are effectively complete, except for some touch ups here and there. Will load pics later!

Herschel J. Barkington, Esq. 1994-2009

2009-03-06T10:32:00.003-06:00

Even though it happened days ago, my dad broke the news to me just last night - Hershey has died and gone to doggy heaven.

Dad said he hadn't been doing well lately, and had the warm weather just come a week earlier, he may have made it a while longer.

Hershey lived his 15 long years outside, so even though others may have thought it cruel, he didn't know another life and seemed to be a happy dog most of the time. He was healthy for years, and never appeared to get sick until one year he started having seizures. That was a scary time. I was always afraid to check on him, for fear he might be dead. We treated every day like it could be his last. After a visit to the vet and a week or so of recooperation, we discovered that he had come in contact with some insect repellent and it had been poisoning him. He recovered quickly when we removed all traces of that stuff, and he was healthy again. That was one or two years ago.

This year, near the end, it became harder for him to cope in the cold weather. His old body wasn't absorbing nutrients like it should have. To help him out, my dad started feeding him lower-grade steaks, which he loved. He continued losing weight but still got that look in his eye and panted happily whenever he would have a visitor. Still, I could see the strain it was putting on my dad...

We were in the process of trying to move him over to my new place, where he could have stayed inside until the weather warmed up. With my dad spending most of his days tinkering over at the house, at least he would have been near a friend. But when my dad finally decided to pack Hershey up and take him over, he appeared too weak to be moved. He was always afraid of riding in vehicles anyway.

My dad checked on him one last time the day he died before heading to my place to work. He had developed sores over the last few days from refusing to get out of his doghouse, so my dad tried to doctor them. When he returned from my house, Hershey lay in his, calm and peaceful. I can't imagine how hard it was on my dad, and all I can think of is how the poor puppy died alone.

I regret that I hardly visited him these past few years. When I did, he would 'roo and wag his tail like crazy. I would pet his head and he would walk in circles - he preferred to be petted on his back. I remember his cry when I had to walk away... that will haunt me for a long time, but maybe I deserve it.

Luckily, he had a constant companion in my dad. My dad did his tinkering right next to Hershey's home. He had a lawn chair set up out there where he would take his breaks and play with him. Boy, did they love each other.

I hope Hershey had a decent life and I hope he is peaceful and happy wherever he is.

RIP baby puppy. We're sorry things could have been better for you and we will miss you like crazy. *Tears*

I'm getting free money for my house

2009-03-03T21:27:00.002-06:00

Thanks to President Obama's economic stimulus plan, I no longer have to pay back the $5,300 tax credit I have coming to me as a first-time homebuyer.

I filed my taxes on Friday, and today got a message about an amendment I need to make regarding the law change.

Before, I was eligible to get 10 percent of my purchase price back on my 2008 taxes, but I would have had to pay 1/15 of it back every year for 15 years by having it withheld from my taxes. Kind of a pain, but a pain I was willing to deal with in order to get my house fixed up to comfy standards.

Now, as long as I stay in the home as a main residence for three years (the Madison County grant stipulation is 5 years anyway), I don't have to pay back a cent.

Thank you, America. Such a load off my financial mind.

Me and the tall guy

2009-03-02T15:14:00.001-06:00

Yeah, we tight.

Our walls have colors

2009-03-02T00:12:00.008-06:00

Peep our new slideshow:

This weekend David's parents came and helped us paint. Then his brother Brian joined us and we got a lot done.

The guest bedroom is ready for flooring and then it will be done completely. We're thinking a light grayish carpet. The white trim and charcoal (black/navy looking) turned out exactly as I had hoped, and everyone is the most impressed with this room. It's funny because it started out the ugliest room in the house by far.

The office, formerly a dirty white with a sparkly yellow closet, has been painted a bright blue. I hear blue is good for creativity. The wood-colored fan is being painted white, because we like the contrast in the windows. This room is getting wood laminate for flooring and it'll be done.

The living room is a work in progress. When we first painted it "melted chocolate," it looked a bit like I pooped in my hand and smeared it on the walls. We went back to Home Depot and dropped another $25 to go darker, duller, like we'd originally envisioned. It's DARK looking and shiny in the photos, but that's because it wasn't dry when I took these pics. It'll look cool with a lighter couch, some sweet lamp lighting and some bright furniture. Trussit. It was a yellowish-tan color, same as the kitchen, but we decided it and the hallway needed some patching, and we went in a different color direction.

After all this painting, my aunts came over and suggested we paint the master bedroom. We weren't going to, but then I realized I was shaping up to like it the least out of every room in the house. We started putting the base on Sunday but gave up for the day when we ran out of supplies. Because we're going darker in just about every other room, we've decided on some shade of tan. Great Northern RIP.

Be on the lookout for more photos and updates. One more week till my vacation and we'll really see some results.

What did you give up for Lent?

2009-02-25T15:04:00.001-06:00

I'm really not the religious type, but I was raised Catholic. I remember during past Lenten seasons, I've had a hard time staying away from meat on Fridays. I don't even eat meat that much, but it always seemed like I was having a McDonald's hamburger on those days.

So this year, to make up for that (and because I want to live healthier), I am giving up meat for the entirety of Lent. (And when I say meat, I mean all meat - including chicken and fish. I don't like fish anyway.) Thought I'd try the life of a vegetarian for a while.

The hardest part is going to be the small stuff I never thought about having meat in it, but I think I can do it. Like I said I don't eat much meat anyway and always tend to get vegetarian options at restaurants.

Wish me luck!

White woodworking continued...

2009-02-23T11:50:00.005-06:00

Amy came over on Sunday to help with the house.

We put in another entire day. Ate like crap again (a little better with lunchmeat sandwiches instead of fast food, but the morning's donuts made up for that).

I didn't take enough pics for a slideshow because we spent the whole day on woodwork again. This time, we put Behr's satin white latex indoor paint on top of the base coat we did Saturday. 2 layers. Most of the woodworking looks good. The doors could use some touching up or another coat to be perfectly honest, but our work was starting to show a little more. This week, we'll finish the woodwork and be able to move onto the walls by Sunday. Yay! The fun part!

Here are some before and after photos. You can already see improvement!

Yellow sparkle closet in the office BEFORE

Sparkle closet AFTER

Window woodworking BEFORE
(keep in mind it looks better in the photo than it did in person)

Window woodwork painted white AFTER

Guest bedroom closet BEFORE

Guest bedroom woodworking and walls BEFORE

Guest bedroom closet AFTER (walls still in progress)

Here are some more pics of some of our work on Sunday. The doors are almost done!

Day 2 - Painting the woodwork white

2009-02-21T20:10:00.003-06:00

Today we started painting the woodwork - windows and trim - white, with the exception of everything in the knotty pine master bedroom (and the bathroom and kitchen, which are already taken care of). We're going to humor the wood there and pretend to be sleeping at the Great Northern (Twin Peaks) because it is in decent shape and the room is slightly newer than the rest of the house, being that it was an add-on.

We started around 10:30 a.m. after a night of deep sleep. My parents had already been at the house for a bit, scrubbing things down and patching rough spots. Today we realized, moreso than yesterday anyway, that we've got a lot of work ahead of us. I think it'll be well worth it though.

Justin came over and was glad to help. The room that saw the most work today is the one he'll crash in if he stays over after a night of hard partying, so I guess he's earning his keep. JK. The guest bedroom had some awful wood paneling in it before, and we plan on painting that - so we did the walls, windows and trim in that room.

It looks rough right now, but it's only the basecoat. Tomorrow, we'll work to paint it all white. All over again.

Really though, if you look around the house and notice all that is white now that wasn't - it seems like we really accomplished something. We've spent close to $100 so far I'd estimate.

Enjoy the slideshow from today's work! (More photos of the basement also included):

Day 1 - The Woodwork

2009-02-21T19:53:00.007-06:00

Once we got inside the house for the first time as the owners, I made sure to take some more "before" pictures. Because I went into work early yesterday morning and because closing didn't take long, I was able to get off at 5. We were at the house until 10:30 at least.

The woodwork around the doors and windows was one of our biggest concerns going in (other than the windows themselves, which will have to be replaced over time).

First, we tried to strip the bubbling varnish to refinish everything, but in the end, we decided just to paint all of the windows and trim white. We love the white woodwork in the apartment, so we figured, why not?

I'll be doing slideshows each day that I take pictures and adding them to this blog as we go along. Enjoy!

I'm a homeowner.

2009-02-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

Just got back from closing. Now I have to work for an hour and a half before I can go celebrate!

Will include more pics later. We're going over tonight to start some work.

Thanks to everyone who wished us well!!

UPDATE: I just opened a card our realtor gave us. It had a $50 gift card in it!! I didn't expect that :)

So excited!

2009-02-20T10:55:00.002-06:00

I close on the house in T-2 hrs and 35 minutes. Yay!

Closing is set!

2009-02-17T11:37:00.001-06:00

I will close on the house at 2:30 p.m. Friday!
Yay!!

-via e-mail

More house pictures on Flickr

2009-02-16T15:02:00.002-06:00

I wanted to mention I took some more pictures of the house. Different parts you couldn't see clearly from the ones on the Century 21 Web site. I was kind of in a hurry, so expect better quality photos when we actually get to get in and work on stuff. Plus there will be people in them!!

www.flickr.com/viewsfromlalaland OR See my photostream in the left hand column of this blog page. For now, here's some things you haven't seen.

Week in review Feb. 9-15

2009-02-16T10:58:00.001-06:00

Last week I started the Couch to 5K running challenge from coolrunning.com.

I successfully completed the first week and am excited to move on this week. Paired with vastly smaller portions and better eating habits, I haven't really lost too much weight just yet. But I am feeling tighter and less flabby - and much better, thank you.

I ran Monday, Wednesday and Saturday - or I walked briskly for 5 minutes then alternated 60 seconds of jogging followed by 90 seconds of walking 8 times, then walked for 6 minutes to cool down.

In other news, we didn't do so well in volleyball last week, so let's hope this coming week improves.

This weekend was a slow one, but I got a lot of much-needed rest. I am suffering from pretty bad, chronic allergies. The Bendryl has pretty much kicked in now, but I don't know whether it's really helping or just making me feel funny.

Valentine's Day was good. I drove to the Galleria, looking all scrubby in my running gear and shorts, and braved the V-day crowd at the Cheesecake Factory to bring myself and David home a piece of Chocolate Peanut Butter cheesecake each. I know it's not on my diet but I ate it in two stages - plus it made David's day. Sunday we ate at Castelli's, because David had to work and didn't know when he would get off Saturday.

Also Sunday, we walked through the house again with David's parents. It was their first time through and they liked it. My realtor is supposed to let me know by tomorrow whether we will close this Friday or Monday. I hope this Friday because David's miraculously off this weekend and we can get a lot of our painting done.

That's about it, except another long week ahead. I'll keep you posted!

We may be closing three days early!

2009-02-12T15:40:00.001-06:00

The seller has made the repairs he was supposed to, and the inspector has gone back in and looked around. I assume it passed, because my realtor is talking like everything went through OK.

Paperwork is being processed at the title company right now, and as soon as everything is ready, she is supposed to let me know what time we'll be closing. Last I heard, it was being moved from Feb. 23 to Feb. 20, which would give us an entire additional weekend to work on the house before we have to move in. Yay! Getting so excited!!

Last night I had to do First-time homebuyer's one-on-one counseling with a company called Justine Petersen out of St. Louis. A guy named Colby met me in Edwardsville and gave me the rundown on what I can expect at closing. He also taught me about everything I've done up until now just because my realtor, parents and loan officer have been having me do.

I learned that my credit score is in great shape - 748. It didn't surprise him when I said my parents have good credit because he said he sees lots of children with credit habits similar to their parents. But I think he was surprised it was high. He said only about 5 percent of Americans have credit comparable to that. With the way the economy is and the number of people in debt, that wouldn't surprise me.

He gave me some pointers for keeping it high and even raising it. He told me how to pay off a 30-year mortgage in 15 years without refinancing and a whole lot more. It really takes the edge off the stress, knowing what I'm going into.

Seems like smooth sailing from here.

We're going into the house Sunday and I'm going to take lots of my own "before" pictures. Stay tuned for updates.

My first run today...

2009-02-09T23:10:00.002-06:00

It took my first run today to realize how freaking heavy I am!! I thought my legs might could crumple under the weight!!

Breath-wise, I was good until about the last three minutes of the 25 minute workout.

I need some breathing tips, but I'm otherwise looking forward to trying hard and pushing my way to what right now seems impossible, a 5K distance.

Bonnaroo fitness double post

2009-02-09T17:26:00.001-06:00

If you read I'm a Bonnaroo Virgin, then you may have already read this post. If not, read on.

So I've been wanting to get in shape for awhile, but always found it quite easy to slough off my efforts and go back to lounging and fast food.

The fact of the matter is though, I can't be my unhealthy self on the farm with temps hovering around 100 and a gagillion people crammed into a loud, loud, dirty, smelly (yet heavenly) space. It won't be as heavenly if I am.

So I'm taking this opportunity to try and stick to my fitness initiative. I have just about 17 weeks.

Here's the plan.

I'm trying to make David do a "couch to 5K" running plan with me. It requires going to the gym three days per week, which I think we can handle. It's a 9-week program altogether.

I'll stick to Yoga and Wii fit on the other days, so as not to wear myself out.

I can't start eating 100 percent healthy right away because that would be a diet 180, but I can cut down on fast food and portion sizes. Less soda, more water, etc.

I'll be keeping track of my progress on my Bonnaroo blog. It will be fun and you all can laugh at me if I don't make my goal. Maybe that will give me some more inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration, lots of 'Rooers are doing the same thing as I am. I found a really neat thread on Inforoo where the girls are supporting one another through the whole process.

(I'm onesweetla83 if you want to find me.)

Wish me luck!

Blink 182 is coming back!

2009-02-08T20:15:00.000-06:00

Mark, Tom and a recovering Travis just announced it at the Grammys :)

Yyyyyaaaaayyyy!!!

Re-launching 'I'm a Bonnaroo Virgin'

2009-02-03T14:39:00.003-06:00

The 2009 Bonnaroo initial lineup has been announced. We are going this year. It's settled. Whether it's a big group or just David and I.

Therefore, I am re-launching my blog, I'm a Bonnaroo Virgin.

I suggest you follow along.

Superbowl weekend

2009-02-02T16:42:00.001-06:00

I'm so exhausted.

I've not felt well all weekend, but I did have a relaxing Saturday. Amy took me to get my nails done at this salon in East Alton she usually goes to. I got French tips, which is the girliest thing I've done in a long time, but they look nice! It was very relaxing. Also, we got to talk and we really needed to, so that was nice.

Superbowl Sunday was pretty crazy. David and I went to Ben and Jacob's and started the fun there. Then I had to leave around 1:15 p.m. for a badly scheduled Relay for Life bowling tournament put on by my mom's team. Callie and I had fun, but as usual didn't do so well. That, of course, doesn't matter though because it was still for a good cause. Our teams were the last to bowl, so I returned to the Superbowl party around 6 p.m.

By that time, I already had a throbbing headache that didn't go away. On top of that, the Steelers won the Superbowl. Luckily I didn't put much stock into the game this year and didn't really care. I took a prescription strendth Ibuprofen, but that ended up only making me stomach hurt, so I sat through "The Office," a show I normally love, and then we had to leave.

I fell asleep and felt good this morning, but started to wear down this afternoon. Ugh I have to make it through class tonight...

Back on track

2009-01-30T12:47:00.002-06:00

The seller is willing to make the repairs! Whew...

(*wipes sweat from brow*)

So he's making repairs on the other issues in the house now, we've gotten our extension on the windows and are pricing those so the seller can put some money in our escrow for it, and we're still set to close Feb. 23.

I have already done my insurance stuff, but I need to send in some signatures and schedule and take the 2-hr first time homebuyer's course for the grant, then I should be pretty much set.

Things are moving along and that's good because I'm impatient! Now I can start trying to figure out what we wanna do with the rooms!

On a non-house related note

2009-01-28T14:51:00.001-06:00

Bonnaroo is announcing it's initial lineup on Feb. 3!

http://bonnaroo.com

Yay!

"Hold Harmless" extension

2009-01-28T13:26:00.001-06:00

Quick update: If the seller agrees to work with us, which I hope he will, we have been granted an extension on the window repairs due to the cold.

The way I understand it is we got the extension because the repairs cannot be done right now and it is neither our fault as the buyers nor his fault as the seller that it's winter time right now and it's cold during the winter.

If everything works out, either the seller will have so many days after it gets warm to come in and make the fixes or he will have to put a to-be-determined amount of money for the repairs in the escrow account and we will have so many days after it gets warm to do the fixes.

I would prefer that he come in and do them, but either way we can work it out will work for me. I just want my house.

He still has to agree though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed still. It shouldn't take much to get him to make the electrical repairs since, like I said previously, the city inspection will require those to be done as well.

I hate inspections.

If it isn't one thing...

2009-01-28T11:48:00.003-06:00

My realtor hasn't heard back from the seller's agent as to whether or not he's willing to do the fixes on the windows. She does seem to think he will have no problem, and I'm starting to feel better about that.

I almost think he had to have known when he signed the contract with me, specifically, that the windows might not pass inspection. I mean, he redid the kitchen and bathroom and put in a new furnace and water heater... it's almost like he hadn't gotten to the windows yet and just decided to get rid of the house. I think that may work in my favor if he wants to get rid of it badly enough, and like I said, my realtor seems to be thinking positive about at least that.

But if it isn't one thing, it's another.

Can you even glaze windows or paint them in the winter? Sources are pointing to no. My agent said she had this same dilemma last winter and the grant coordinator in that instance gave the buyers an extension. The seller then gave the buyers the money for the fixes and when it got warmer they had 45 days to complete them. That would be oh so nice.

Anyway, my agent said she doesn't think this will keep me from closing and she doesn't think I'll lose the house so I'm not falling to pieces just yet. But I am still nervous and I hope to hear good news soon!

Inspection wasn't TOO bad but I'm worried

2009-01-27T16:04:00.001-06:00

In order to get the house, I need the $3,000 Alton grant that helps pay for inspections, down payment, etc. In order to get the grant, the Western house has to pass an inspection.

We did that inspection today and some things looked good: the furnace is new; the water heater is new; the floors are solid, etc.

But the house did have some minor wiring problems and needs work on or replacement of all the windows in the house. There are 11-plus windows. The inspector said the seller can scrape the windows and re-glaze them, whatever that means, or he can replace them. As I understand it, he can go the glaze route for a decent price and fix the minor wiring issues in the basement, and then the house would be good to go.

I also understand that he can say no and choose not to fix those things. He should fix the wiring, because it won't pass the city's inspection if he doesn't and that would be an issue for any prospective buyers. But the windows, I'm pretty sure, aren't a problem for another buyer who doesn't need the $3,000 grant and would be willing to fix them themselves. I can't help where I stand on that issue.

I called my realtor, who called the inspector, and was supposed to call the seller's realtor to see if this seller might be willing to do the work and go through with our deal. I'm crossing my fingers and praying to God, but at this point I'm worried we might lose the house. It sucks being at work because I certainly can't concentrate on work right now. I could really use some moral support right now. It doesn't help that I'm incredibly impatient.

Loan in process, inspection is tomorrow

2009-01-26T14:20:00.001-06:00

Here's my quick update for the day.

I met with the lender this morning, Pulaski Bank in Alton, and signed a bunch of paperwork. My signature is getting pretty tiresome to look at and it's only getting worse! Point being, the loan is now being processed and I'm not spending anything until it's through!! (Except bills and other necessities - the normal stuff, you know).

It sounds like things are moving swiftly so far, and closing is set for Feb. 23, which works out because our lease is up at the end of March and we need some time to fix things up. I can't wait and have been watching far too much HGTV lately. I'm trying not to get overly excited or get to thinking its OK to spend more money than I can, but I am allowed to get pumped, I'm buying my first house for Christ's sake.

Our realtor has set us up with a specific home inspector, which is required through a local grant I got as a first time homebuyer. My dad and I will meet him over at the house tomorrow afternoon on my lunch break and check things out. For my sake, keep your fingers crossed that there's not a lot wrong and we can proceed on schedule. (And if there is a lot wrong, that the seller has a big hand in paying for it!)

More updates as I have them.

Pictures of the house - BEFORE

2009-01-26T13:57:00.000-06:00

I know this was kind of sudden

2009-01-21T19:04:00.001-06:00

About a month ago or so, I started looking at houses and considering my housing options. My lease at the Lincoln Lofts was going to be up in April, and I needed to figure out my plan for the future.

Two weeks or so ago, I started hardcore looking at houses in my low price range, and quickly found how limited I was going to be. Although I had some hope in the beginning, because the house I settled on happens to be the second one I actually saw.

From there, I noticed quality and potential going straight downhill. But this particular house was in a not too shabby area of Alton, the city I've always considered home, it had tons of storage, a garage and a shed, a basement, a brand new kitchen and bathroom, and loads of possibility for building resale value - not to mention for becoming a home I can call my own.

My parents thought it a little sudden but I felt my house slipping away, although it haunted my dreams in previous nights. I did a lot of calling and research, and made an informed decision. I would offer a low price, ask for closing costs and just see what would happen.

Through a realtor that has been very helpful to me, I made that offer and got countered. I made one more counter offer, and guess what? The seller took it.

In short, an agreement has been made between myself and the seller, and it has been determined financially feasible for me to own this home. If all goes smoothly, you may be looking at a home owner. That's my news.

I am buying a house?

2009-01-21T14:06:00.001-06:00

If everything goes through with the bank, I just bought a house. Details later.

Lauranette.com is up

2009-01-15T18:07:00.003-06:00

It may look lame now, but keep in consideration that I coded lauranette.com by hand.

Also consider that I was a bit out of practice when I did it, so there are still some validation issues I need to work out.

I plan on using the site in the coming year to display my work in writing, video, photo and design (both print and Web) as well as my resume. I'm currently working on a more solid template (I think it's going to look a lot more like this blog than anything else) and design for the site, as well as gathering site content.

Right now I have linked this blog and one I created at lauranette.com to blog about journalism. I haven't posted to that one in awhile and still need to mess with the theme a bit.

Classes start Tuesday and I'll be learning more about Javascript and venturing into the world of Flash. I forsee that this site will become a lot more exciting when I get a chance to incorporate some of that knowledge.

Already, as you can see, I have come along way from nothing. So wish me luck in the coming semester.