borrowing content

i actually saw this movie on a blog belonging to someone else. i can't take full credit. but i wanted to share it with you, so here's my first shot at embedding video feed. i hope it works.



happy fourth of july weekend (even though the actual holiday is nearly a week away, we're all taking off work until then, right?)

magnolia cupcakes

beach volleyball season is in full force. and despite torrential downpours yesterday, the "magnolia cupcakes" stepped up to the proverbial plate and scored their first big win. present were french fry, bri bri, curious george, general li, nicole (who needs a nickname) and me. the cupcakes dominated the lp strikers, likely because of the video which you too can access at the link above (click the 3 dots). scroll down to the chronicles of narnia clip. you'll be glad you did. i'll get a team pic soon so you too can share in cupcakes' glory. well maybe you won't be part of the glory, but you'll feel it.

errr... doctors

so i've been sick a lot this winter/spring. and for no apparent reason. i eat healthy (okay, except for the number of quesadillas i fix for dinner each week, but breakfast and lunch are much better), i take vitamins, i don't party too hard (it's relative, i know), i work out regularly. maybe i should sleep just a little more. but it's not like i'm doing cartwheels at work... i don't need that much rest!

anyway, i'm sick. again. and i finally caved and went to the doctor. i thought, 'maybe she'll figure out all my illness is connected and she'll tell me how to fix it... maybe she'll take a holistic approach this time.' but deep down, i already knew the answer. i knew she'd ignore my previous symptoms. i knew she'd treat only what was right in front of her. i knew she'd send me home with a z-pac. and that's exactly what happened. she said the average person gets sick 6 times a year. (since when am i average?) she said allergy season is much worse this year than ever before. whatever. that was a waste of a $15 copay for sure.

so tomorrow i'm trying a new approach. acupuncture. considering my fear of needles, it promises to be a good time.

pups in pubs

thirsty dog is a great pub for a number of reasons... yummy pizza, delicious salads, special brewskies, and the sheer brilliance of serving all drinks in two's. even water. double fisting is not optional. pictured are stephen (not my brother), alicia, jill, allison, mike and adam. note alicia's cute puppy. yes, this is a dog friendly bar... one more thing to love about this local watering hole. however, last night two ladies had two terriers that would not stop yapping at any and every pup or person that walked past. my ears are still ringing. and of course, the ladies were convinced that everyone else was the problem. *sigh* some dog owners are impossible. if your dog is friendly, cuddly and quiet... i'm happy to share bar space. leave the yippies at home though, please.

biodiesel is the poo

take a big whiff. (thanks, callie). maryland finally has its very own biodiesel production plant. YAY! seriously, biodiesel is my favorite fuel (and yes, there are many to choose from... you just don't hear about them too often). put simply, biodiesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel that can be used in any diesel engine with no modifications. it burns cleaner than petroleum diesel, increases energy independence from foreign sources of oil and benefits farmers whose crops are used as feedstock for the fuel. i've had the opportunity to work pretty closely with the family running this gig, and i'm so excited the project is finally off the ground. if you're lucky, soon all those buses and trucks emitting black clouds of gross smelling soot will instead smell like french fries or popcorn. mmmmm. just look at that clean soybean oil glistening in the sun.

par for the course

mikey and farhan celebrate their birthdays today and tomorrow, but we partied it up last friday. the fiesta had a golf theme, just for kicks, and allison and alicia did a great job of dressing mikey and farhan for the occasion. funny thing is, those are actually mike's shoes. while the initial plan to play nine holes of pub golf was abandoned, everyone had a great time laughing at the guys. easy targets. taking them out in public was especially fun. farhan got a number of odd looks and guys yelling, "put your collar down!" chin up McPaki. you wear that collar high. happy birthday boys...

new music

last week i went to a show at 8x10 to see mat kearney, which was good... but the guy opening up for him was the best. justin king. he solo-ed the short set, which was amazing, but i think he sounds good with his band too based on what i've heard online (his latest album hasn't been released yet). if you like unique acoustic genius sounds, get his "le bleu" album. i love it. if you like catchy music you can sing to, find their new cd when it comes out.

i love being in a city where i can actually see great musicians so easily and frequently. i left wanting to practice guitar forever...

life in a bucket

this weekend i got some serious sun, but only my face and feet are pink... whew! my friend john was the host with the most in oc (maryland, not california) who let me crash his pad and his family. i can't remember the last time i went to the beach with a bunch of kids... it's so entertaining! i have to admit i'm a bit jealous of little emma. i miss the days when i wore bows and ruffles on my swimsuits, thought trips to the trash can were adventures, was encouraged to take naps, and could fit in a bucket.

a girl's best friend

so farhan is definitely one of my best friends... and has been for years now. i can rely on our friendship as much as i can any familial relationship. we're leaving in a few weeks for a very special trip to pakistan. both farhan and his sister arzoo will be celebrating marriages and farhan will then bring his loooovely bride roohi back to b'more to start a life together. all the baltimorons are eagerly awaiting roohi's arrival! we can't wait to welcome her to charm city.

last night farhan and i went ring shopping. FUN! it's really funny, because though i consider myself to be a pretty low maintenance gal (wishful thinking, i know) i get pretty girlie-girl around diamonds. i couldn't stop laughing, they just sparkle so much! i got to try several on since they just wouldn't look the same on farhan's hands. haha. again, they're so sparkly! woe to the man that sweeps me off my feet.

phos

i started a new blog. it's called "phos" and it serves a different, less social, purpose. check it out if you want http://phosislight.blogspot.com... "lauren laughs" will of course continue :-)

mellow yellow

if you live in charm city or the surrounding areas, you may have noticed a change in your fuel. or maybe you didn't notice since it won't affect the performance of your car. basically, the epa has identified certain areas (usually urban centers or coridors between major cities) that must use fuel meeting a higher air quality standard than the fuel used in... say... small town lex vegas. we call this "rfg" or reformulated gasoline. in the past, fuel suppliers were using an additive called mtbe, but have since switched to ethanol for a number of reasons. all you need to know is that ethonol burns cleaner, is less toxic to the environment, is a renewable fuel (usually made from corn, so we can just keep growing more!) and is domestically produced (though we're getting some from brazil right now too). a 10% blend of ethanol (or E-10) has been approved for use in all vehicles, so you don't have to make any modifications to your car. pretty seemless transition, eh? you may have seen the "live green go yellow" ads gm has been airing. these vehicles can run on a higher concentration of ethanol (E-85) and therefore do a lot for our environment, our farmers, and our energy independence.

maggie the wonder dog

i wanted to leave you all with some thoughts before the weekend, but i wasn't sure what to say. i figured a picture would be a good place to start, so i checked my archives and came up with this little gem. if you're from around here, you may be able to tell that mags is running around federal hill (note harbor in the background) which dates this pic because mom and maggie both moved to texas a month-ish ago. hmmm... maybe that's a talking point... though it doesn't go well with the "lauren laughs" theme. shoot, i'll do it anyway.

maybe you're used to living far from your parents, but i'm not. when i broke up with a boy a few years ago, my mom hopped in the car and drove to my place for the weekend... mostly so i wouldn't have to search for a church on my own (i wasn't that broken up about the boy). when someone in the family has needed something, we've always been able to drop what we're doing and get to the person in a few hours drive... usually with little to no interruption in the normal routine of work and life.

now i saw my mom a month ago, and that's do-able, and we're both peachy. but if i wait until one of us needs the other person, then i'll have to buy a really expensive last minute plane ticket and probably miss several days of work and school. can i do that? i don't know... so maybe i need to act preemtively and buy a ticket now even though i don't feel the need to just yet? and maybe i should plan to get out there before school starts since it's impossible to travel when it's in session? but i know mom is coming up here later this summer or fall to pack up her baltimore house... so would that be a prudent use of time and funds considering i will have just spent some time with her. ahhhh... it's not that any of these thoughts are overwhelming (really, mom... don't worry as you read this) but they're just new to me.

but isn't the pic of maggie the best? ha...

mighty fine memorial weekend

it's hard to know what pics to post from this weekend (hence the delay). it's one of those "inside joke" kinda times. but i'm just going to post my favorites since this blog is really about what makes me laugh anyway... haha...general li's namesake... love for the oc and everyone's favorite family...the view from dinner on the porch... no, really.... *sigh* legs flying in goshen...brian pre-splash...dad showing how to use a blow torch for creme brulee. yummy. most of the weekend was spent napping, reading, eating, napping, reading, eating, and of course laughing. a big thanks to mike, erin and brian for coming to lex and making the weekend so fun and special. a HUGE thanks to my dad for a beautiful home and delicious food and the best company!! y'all are the poo and a blessing too.