long distance laughing

i won't be posting for a few weeks. internet access in karachi will be sporadic at best. but i can promise to laugh up a storm and take lots of pics and share it all with you later. here is roohi, farhan's bride-to-be. i am SO excited. peace out... lau.

snafu fixed

travel plans are a-okay. whew!

bits and pieces

i'm all over the place today, so here's a little update...

i got to see my brother pierce this weekend. he's at camp for the summer as a counselor. i used to love being a camp counselor (though the washington post clearly thought this was a strike against me). it was great to be in the mountains, put my feet in the creek, and sit on an old southern porch while catching up with my little bro. he's one of my favorite people. this pic is a year old, but you can tell there's a lot of love.

travel update: there's a slight snafu in my flight to pakistan. cross your fingers and say your prayers that the situation is resolved SOON!

birthday shout out: mollie has blessed the world with her presence for a quarter of a century. yay mollie!

new digs: i moved into a new office. it's bigger, has more windows, and the lady in the office next to me yells things like "numb nuts!" for no apparent reason. good times.

northern aggression

i may have lived in the capital of the confederacy for a while, walked past stonewall jackson's grave every day on my way home from middle school, sung countless concerts in front of general lee's marble likeness... but i never owned a "south will rise again" t-shirt. not my style. this weekend mike and i were driving to lex and spotted signs indicating you could tune in to some am radio station to get battlefield updates. sadly, we didn't catch the call letters and thus had to speculate on what exactly these updates could entail. "the time is 3:40 pm. the temperature is 88. field conditions are the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and pretty much every day for nearly 150 years. but stay tuned for the latest..." edge of your seat excitement.

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.

gl 3 thugs

i'm still collecting pics from this weekend's fabulous adventures, so i'll post this one instead that my dear freshman (who is now a senior graduating thursday) sent to me (thanks assaba!!!)most of you already know i was a dorm counselor my senior year of college... one of my most rewarding experiences ever. so much so that i still think about one day pursuing a career as dean of freshmen. i had the best hall with 14 wonderful women who i still care a lot about. we called ourselves the "gl 3 thugs" (you don't need to know why) and they all still call me "dc" even when i'm not around... i mean, i'm never around anymore anyway. so all the thugs (minus dc) had a reunion last week. i think it's pretty special that these girls all got together... it says something about the kind of hall we had. dc love to my thugs!

rules of engagement

i was somewhat surprised to read in the latest wlu '03 newsletter how many people are engaged or married. not that there's anything wrong with settling down, but this is not a group of students that go to college to find a mate. this is a group of students that prioritize success and career and learning over a "mrs" degree. i don't know how they have time to date, much less fall in love and get married!

my first reaction to the newsletter was panic. did i miss the boat? am i going about life the wrong way? was it a mistake to take a year sabbatical from dating? to live the double life of a full time professional and full time student?

but then i went to this event last night with some girl friends. we were volunteers. and since i was working at the registration table, i met just about everyone that walked through the door. now this was a wine and dine silent auction chill but swanky gathering. after interacting with a few folks, i was reminded of why i've chosen to be single thus far.

i decided to make a list of do's and don'ts. some may be specific to me, but my guess is most of these are universal. read and learn. (though if you're my friend then you probably don't need to learn this in the first place... and if you're not my friend, why are you reading my blog?)

don't ask me out if you're in your 40's, 50's, etc. not that i have anything against people of this era... my mom is in her 40's and my dad in his 50's. both great people.

don't try to impress me with your boat. i work in annapolis. i have lots of friends with boats. writing, "for a good sail call..." on a slip of paper is not cool.

do make friends with my friends. that spice girls song is my mantra.

do be prepared for lots of church. don't think i'm saying that to be cute.

don't ask for my number. huh uh. no.

do practice what some would call southern hospitality, though i think it's really common courtesy.

don't be high maintenance.

do know your baseball.

do be courageous.

don't make fun of mexicans or gay people.

do be loyal to your family and friends. cheaters need not apply.

do realize that if i make you feel special, it's because you are special. don't think that means i want to date you.

ahhh, yes. as i read through these i'm convinced it'll be a while before i do that whole dating thing. so congratulations my dear (soon to be or already) married classmates. i wish you all the joy and love in the world. one day maybe i'll stumble upon a relationship that's as blessed and special as what you've found. i'll leave that to God. in the mean time, i feel blessed and special just the way i am.

mud and muck

every once in a while, i get out from behind my computer and get to do field work. yesterday my "chief" (who also happens to be "the hammer" noted in previous blogs) and jasmen and i took a field trip to the blackwater national wildlife refuge on the eastern shore. we learned about wetland loss and degradation (blackwater nwr has lost nearly 7,000 acres of wetlands since 1933), proliferation of invasive species, and the fragmentation of fish and wildlife habitats. our office is helping to fund some marsh restoration in part because it will aid with carbon sequestration in the area.

so yesterday we stomped around marsh lands, used gps to map and mark specific points for data collection, and analyzed soil samples. we got to wear great big boots and try not to sink too deep into the mud. it makes really excellent noises.

we saw lots of wildlife too, including a family of bald eagles... personally, i feel a sense of patriotism when i see a bald eagle take flight. apparently others (ehem, my non-southern co-workers) don't get that same feeling. oh well.

random acts of kindness

yesterday... out of nowhere... i got a present.what it was or who it was from is not important (at least not for you, my loyal readers... clearly the person is important to me). it was just such a joy to come home to a little package for no particular reason. a reminder that i am indeed a special person and very loved. can you imagine what the world would be like if we all practiced random acts of kindness?

boats and baseball

the clipper city (one of the tall ships in the inner harbor) has this amazing deal where you can sail on the ship for two hours, enjoy an abundance of frosty beverages and hot dogs, and then go to the baseball game... all for $35! and the seats were good too! here are jenelle, anna, jamie, laurel and megan... which is only one third of our total group. we were definitely outnumbered by the red sox fans, but we put up a good fight.

dude rollers victorious!!!

after a long and grueling season of loss after loss after loss... shouts of victory rang out from riverside park saturday morning. the other team was so intimidated, they didn't even show up to play. yes, our one win of the season was from forfeit. minor details. our record: 1-7. but we're dedicated. and next season will be a winning season. we all celebrated the big W at michelle and erin's preppy popped collar taco party. delicious. well done, ladies.

what is love?

thanks uncle lynn and anonymous (mr. stinky pants) for responding to my last question about being a contemporary of Jesus. now i have another for you... what is love? (no need to do the SNL side head bop, thanks). last night marked my final two classes of the philosophy and theology segment at st. john's. for many weeks now, my preceptorial class (pictured) has discussed love in the context of plato's dialogues, the Bible, poetry, etc. i enjoyed the discussion thoroughly, and the company too. note mr. kutler's garland laced with ribbons... reminiscent of the drunken alcibides crowning socrates in symposium.

jumbotron divas (and dudes)

last night's o's game against the tigers was pretty exciting. we still need to get our attendance numbers up, but david, laurel, bryan and i did what we could to fill the stands and keep the vendors in business. in addition to winning a close game (and my fantasy players' good stats, yeah mora!) we somehow managed to get on the jumbotron THREE times! YES! that great big screen that the WHOLE stadium of fans stares at... and my friends and me jumping up and down for all to see! ah, the excitement.

what's a johnnie?

johnnies are an interesting bunch of people that attend st. john's college, like me. here's a pic of my seminar. normally we sit around a big square table and talk about books for two hours, but this particular night we had dinner and discussion.

yesterday (in our last class) we discussed kierkegaard's philosophical fragments. an interesting question was raised that i'd like to pose to any of you... should we be grateful not to have known the historical Jesus? you don't need to have read kierkegaard to respond. just reflect on whether being a contemporary of Jesus would help or hinder faith. i'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!!

(i changed the setting on comments so anyone can respond... even anonymously if you prefer... yeah, i'm not actually expecting responses. but it would be cool!)

block party

federal hill has a new addition: daley. and daley's new neighbors are a raucous bunch. they threw a great block party on cinco de mayo, complete with bean bag games and spanish music. megan, tiffany, christina, me and mary kate took a very sratty shot on the stoop (stoops are a b'more thing, ask if you need clarification).

cinco de mayo sangria

it's cinco de mayo. and i used to teach spanish. and i turned in a major paper last night. let the festivities begin! if you avoid tequila and margaritas like me (sad, i know) then try making some white sangria tonight. white wine, brandy, fresh strawberries and mint... a very refreshing way to celebrate the battle of May 5, 1862, when a small mexican army beat the french. yummy.

sandstorm

i recently posted some pics of my friend garreth who is stationed in iraq.here's a pic from garreth of one of the frequent sandstorms... and i thought lubbock was bad!

laurence in lex

i think every once in a while, i should have "guest appearances" on the blog. so meet laurence. he lives and lex and works at w&l as the environmental studies program coordinator. he's also a fly guide (www.fishthevalley.com) and teaches a fly fishing PE class this term. he's got mad acoustic skills and a great voice. we met at lex coffee yesterday to discuss energy, environment, ecotourism, brazil, africa, ministry, school, and friends. i think that about covers it.

pierce's pad

i finally made it down to roanoke to visit my little bro pierce friday night. mom, stephen, pierce and his friend joan and i had a fabulous thai meal before mom started her major trek to texas (she's moving). at last i got to see pierce's pad. i told him to sit on his bed so i could take a pic of his room. being pierce, he decided to pose instead.

goshen: God's country

i love the city, truly. but being in the mountains, surrounded by Creation and all its sounds and smells... it's where i feel closest to God and where my Spirit is most renewed. goshen is my absolute favorite place in the world. i drove down from baltimore, stopped outside of lex for a chili cheese dog, put the top down on the car and drove through the mountains until i found my favorite spot. a great big rock in the middle of the maury river cutting through the mountain pass. the river was pretty high (and cold) so the water swirled all around me as i sat and thought and rested. ideal way to start a long weekend!

traffic sucks

normally, it takes 30-40 minutes to drive from work in annapolis to home in baltimore. yesterday it took two hours. thank goodness i have a convertible... driving with the top down made the ridiculous commute a bit more bearable. plus, i did some homework. did i really take a picture of myself doing homework while driving? yes. it was that slow.

back in class

yesterday i had the JOY of visiting woodlawn high school where i used to teach and coach. my office has been working with GM to bring hydrogen fuel cell technology into the classrooms, demonstrating its use in transportation. students got to look under the hood, talk to technicians, and ride in a very cool million dollar vehicle. it was really neat to see the kids so interested in alternative fuels (they asked great questions!) and to see the GM folks so excited about the students.

it was a very affirming day for me as well. i ran into several former students and every one of them remembered me and how much fun MY class was. i think about my students all the time (i have pictures of them in my office), but sometimes i wonder if i had a lasting impression on any of them or if they would remember anything i taught them. here's the update...

deatrus, a very smart kid that i absolutely loved even though he was constantly getting in trouble, is now on honor roll and tells me i'm still his favorite teacher. (already, i'm glowing...)

leah, a quiet but brilliant young lady, tells me she is in spanish 3 (she's only required to take two years) and making great grades. she's not the timid freshman she used to be.

jess, who had never set foot on a lacrosse field when i first met her and really struggled just to cradle the ball, is now one of the team captains.

WOW. not that i'm responsible for the successes these students are achieving... they are doing all the work. but even just to be a part of it makes me feel like a star.

plus, i got to have lunch with one of my favorite teachers, hope. over 30 teachers left in 2004 with me and another 64 left last year... but hope remains. she's awesome.

bucaroos

i think it's been well established that baseball is one of the better aspects of spring. though i'll openly admit my amateur status, having only been a fan for 3 years, i'm pretty sure i take the game more seriously than many more seasoned folks. one of the fun things about the game is the field. walking out into the open and seeing the grass stretch out under the lights... it's borderline romantic. i'm partial to camden yards, of course, but visiting pnc park in pittsburg was a real treat this weekend. the field, the river, the skyline in the setting sun... really, they planned this park well. this was my first pirates game (vs the cubs), but i played the part of a pirates fan well. armed with my jason bay bobble head (yes! he's now in my office next to the less illustrious sammy sosa), and seated with my more dedicated pirates fan friends (nice eye patch, erin... arrrr), i think i fit in pretty well. as if that wasn't enough, erin and i took turns posing with pirate the parrot. actually, i posed... erin danced. that parrot can get a little freaky! watch out, kids. go bucs!

road trip

many people travel on easter weekend, but we travel in style. there are several things you need for a successful road trip... 1) a road, 2) a vehicle (preferably a cargo van full of furniture), 3) a papazon cushion to provide extra seating/bedding, 4) sheetz and mto sandwiches, 5) iPod and iPod radio transmitter, 6) walkie talkies, 7) rock band sightings, 8) two girls that think they're rock stars, 9) a guy that will put up with said rock stars, 10) ice cream stop. it also helps if you have an exciting destination like harrisville, pennsylvania. warning... papazon cushions are very conducive to sleeping. use with caution.

happy easter hammer

easter wouldn't be easter without a little egg decorating and quality family time. the donovan's adopted me for the weekend and invited me to their cozy home in harrisville (small town), PA. brian, erin, colin and i decided to send a special easter greeting with our masterfully colored easter eggs and baby lamb cake. this one goes out to big mike the hammer (be sure to click on the picture for the full effect). note the bunny ears, compliments of erin. after taking this picture, all eggs were deviled and eaten... yum. the baby lamb cake was good too. happy easter!

meet ray

my office had a gift exchange last christmas... the kind where you can trade for what you think is a better gift but you can also get the crappy gift if you're not careful. the game takes a lot of strategy. well i picked ray (actually, ray came with a friend named spot... but he didn't last long). luckily no one else in the office tried to take ray from me... probably because they'd hate to squelch the look of elation on my face. ray is mostly orange with some black accents. for a while he had a black spot on his side and a cute little black mustache... but now he's back to being mostly orange with just black tips on his tail. i guess he's a little chameleon. everyone in the office loves ray. people come by to talk to him on a regular basis. if i'm out of the office, several people feed him several times a day (making his water very dirty), and folks have been known to come in and adjust my window shades to make sure he's getting enough light, etc. ray loves to swim around and make bubble noises. he's a very happy fish. a big thanks to suze for being cool enough to come up with the idea of bringing fishies to a gift exchange in the first place. ray is the gift that keeps on giving!

boulakasha!

back in the days of beirut at "ESL" in good ole lex, chris clark used to call me a "ringer" because my aim was so perfect early on but steadily declined as the games continued. (can't imagine why!) well, it seems the same may be true in my fantasy baseball league. i've been climbing the charts the past three days and now i'm ranked number ONE! woohoo! i felt compelled to share this newfound glory since i'm sure it will be short lived (i inadvertently benched one of my better players and can't fix it until next week... shoot.) i'd like to thank the guys that put this together (the hammer and sweet sassy molassy), and the guys that joined up just to make sure this little girl could learn the ropes. girls still win, but y'all get props for humoring me.

girls always win

so the o's may have lost again friday (and saturday... and sunday...) but that didn't keep this group of girls from having a good time.

somehow daley and megan didn't make it into the pic , but this is me with carolyn, christina and anna at camden yards. all three girls happen to be in my bible study... spending time with them is always one of the highlights of my week.

i'm not sure what it is that makes girls so special. i've actually always been one to surround myself with guy friends. growing up with two brothers, i tend to be pretty comfortable around dudes. in the past year, however, my girlfriends have been such a blessing... this weekend was no exception. i love all my friends. this week though, girls win.

orange brownies

my aunt pat made these while i was in texas and i was hooked! i've made them twice for parties since then... everyone agrees they're a little slice of heaven. (except joe, who doesn't like orange stuff). super easy and super yummy...

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.

(thank you www.foodnetwork.com)

shout out to a marine

this is my friend garreth. we went to college together, and he's cool. a great leader with a real heart for people and a way with words. he's in iraq now and has been for several weeks. he's the only friend that i know of serving in iraq, and i'm really proud of the work he's doing.


garreth is in charge of a 60 man platoon of marines, soldiers, and staff sergeants... currently the largest platoon in his battalion. i'm writing this as if i know what i'm talking about, but i don't really. i had to reference his emails just to make sure i got the facts straight.


i'd post his command philosophy (because it is pretty amazing to read) but i a) don't know what he would think of that, and b) think it may be too much text for all you short attention span-ers. just wanted you to have a face to put with all those "support our troops" bumper stickers. i'm glad garreth is looking out for me.

the first cook out

i loooove spring. it brings so many good things: green, flowers, baseball, cookouts, baseball, and i get to keep the top down on my convertible. what's not to love? some friends kicked things off right with the first (of many, i'm sure) cookout/roof deck party of the season. i'm going to have to pick and choose what i post since we were all in such a celebratory mood.

ahh, nothing like a game of beirut to ring in spring. you're sure to lose a ping pong ball (or 47) if playing on the roof, however. note the lovely backdrop.

here we have some dudes... but only one is a dude roller. team captain, to be exact. hence the odd expression. mmmm... maybe that's because we've lost all 4 games this season?

the host got a little wet... totally not my fault.

okay... i can't help it. this pic is just too funny. i promise we're drinking water and eating pizza at this point. amazing how daley still looks classy, even with zabel acting like a fool.