announcements

first. lowa had her baby. welcome ryan james into the world. the little guy was early and only missed his dad's birthday by a couple of days. read more at baby winstead link and see pics in my list of friends. he really is adorable. hopefully i will get to see him soon.


second. happy birthday to my favorite east coast gal. stacy's five cents. here is a nice photo montage. although i wish i had some of the oldies. but goodies. just didnt have the luxury of digital images back in our glory days. not like the kiddies today. (and stac dont hate me for the halloween anime pic. i love it. and it is us. in a nutshell. i mean. i laughed so hard. i almost whizzed myself in the middle of walgreens. well or maybe a little came out. aww sick. ha.)


third. i was asked to be kit kat's personal bridal attendant. now. i am a little confused as to all that this will entail. but i was told a list would be sent to me soon. i hope. the wedding is in sept. so i have a little time to prepare for this major duty. she also reads this blog. so i can not say too much about it. wink. wink. kidding kt. i am honored. and am so happy to help. in anyway i can. love ya.

how can they?

i received an email from kodakgallery.com, a couple of weeks ago. letting me know that due to inactivity on the site. my account would be terminated on july 25th. come again? yeah thats right. they are going to delete my pictures. my memories. images i have been holding onto since 2004. (and if you know me at all. or have learned from reading this blog. i dont like to let go. it is very hard for me. very.) also in the email. they gave me an ultimatum. oh really kodak. you think you can pressure me into buying some lame trinket from your store. oh okay. and i get to keep my pictures. then yes. yes i will cave in. so i uploaded about 135 images from my camera. left the camera on over lunch. so then the battery died on me. so i still have about 100 images left. none of the images from today seemed printing worthy. kodak also gave me a coupon for 25% off. twist my arm. i bought a 15 oz. mug. with pictures of cory on it. so i can use it at work. and every time people comment on my mug. i can tear up. be an emotional wreck. and say yes. thats my childhood (or really teen/young adult) family puppy. my baby girl. and she has since left us for doggy heaven. wah. wah. or maybe i will save it for those cold winter mornings. when i bury myself in my blankets on the couch. and do not move all day. but drink some coffee to keep me from napping all day. and then get an emotional alone. ha.

i also went shopping last night. at a fun little boutique by work and home. anyway. they are having a big blow out sale. there is a poster in the window with color circles. and a percentage off next to each color. i guess i was ignorant for thinking that was what to go by. as nothing was marked down. but only had a color dot on the price tag. i selected two dresses. marked red. according to the signage. this would have been a 75% off each item. the other colors listed before this were green, blue and yellow. then there was a pinky-red for 75. without asking. i jumped in line to pay. apparently red=40%. i was pissed. false advertising. so i did an anonymous phone call to raise hell. well i cant really do this. its not in my nature. unless its with people at sprint about my cell phone bill. or cable company. the ditzy sales girl just confirmed that red is 40. i would like to spit on their store front. because all sales are final with the sale items.

on another note. project runway. yes. another great season. and it rocks. i feel like the talent. and creativity is back this season. i really enjoyed almost every dress on the runway last night. there were a couple that were my favorites. that did not make into the top 3. so i have showcased them below. i am 3-1 on predicting who gets voted off and the winner. yes. i rule. I have not decided on my favorite personalities on the show. there are still too many designers to really have them shine in one hour. just keep tim gunn and heidi on there and i am happy. happy as a clam. (are they really happy?)

luck be a lady

as luck would have it. jeff and i strolled down to the apple store over lunch. we had the intention of buying one iphone 3g. we went into this plan blindly. i said lets go get the phone. and sit at kona for sushi. (i have been craving since my weekend at the lake). after the walk down there. little sweaty. we waltzed into the apple store. looking for the phone. the past week. i noticed a line outside the store. usually around the block. there was no line outside today. just a small one inside. on one side of the store. while jeff wondered around the store. i insisted i get in this line. it had to be it. and i was correct. turns out. they just got a shipment in. and we were in luck. after standing in the line for about 45 mins. we were approached for the pre-screening. check. made it. i was about one persuasive word away from buying one. if i didnt have a whole year left on my other cell phone provider. i would have done it. now i will just wait for next summer. when something more wonderful. more brilliant comes along. besides. eye on the prize. i have a scooter to save for. so after two hours. of listening to annoying people waiting in line around us. jeff is now the proud owner of an iphone. as he says. its totally a status symbol. ha.


i somehow also escaped the hottest weekend thus far. i ventured to the lake of the ozarks. or loto. for a weekend spent on the front of a boat. sipping cocktails. singing ballads. and watching the nutcases come out of the wood work. i think i saw more silicone than i would walking the streets of l.a. okay. might be a stretch. since its been a couple of years since my last trip to cali. but i did see a lot of fake boobies. bleached. tan. bimbos. (the ducks below are real. not silicone.) i also was able to re-enact titanic on the front of the boat. yatcha. for your viewing sake. i will not post those pics. might scare the children. nightmares. and such. but the lucky part was. i had no idea how hot it truly was. until i returned to my hot box. or apartment on sunday evening.

dis shoes

one of my favorite summer jobs was during college. my friends and i would come back home. and work on the army base cleaning houses. it was glorious. we did complain a lot during the time. but now i look back and realize. what a wonderful job we had. we would roll out of bed. brother and i would carpool and pick up friends along the way. get a house assignment. take a nap. clean for about 1 hour. lunch time. then another nap. clean another house for an hour. be done by 4:30. then we would all usually meet up in the evenings for some bbqs. and beverages.

it was also during this time. i learned one of the most valuable lessons. you can clean anything. all you need is a razor blade. and a little all purpose cleaner. we cleaned empty houses. usually after painters. and maintenance. had been thru. but there were many stoves. refrigerators. sinks. etc. that required the razor blade touch. i was reminded of this recently when cleaning the 'jelly' (term used for all un-identified substances in small amounts.) from under my sink knobs. now. they look brand new. so thank you dis. for paying me a ton of money. to do minimal work. and to also passing along the best cleaning trick. ever.

for the shoe shoppers out there. i would like to extend the following discount at shoes.com. the offer promotion code is BFF08 and you get 20% off through august 31. shop away. share with everyone. below is a pic from my friend that works for their site. and was so gracious to share. spotted: dbaugh and coworker at the la dodgers game. high class. so posh when you work for shoes.com xoxo, jg.

also spotted. a girl in the accounting dept. has a vespa. that she rides to work. i am so jealous. makes my schwinn look like a p.o.s. day two of riding wasnt as bad. although. if i keep this up. i need to invest in a desk fan. or so a fellow bike rider told me. he actually goes 5 miles. yikes.

learned

1. it was not a smart idea to ride my bike to work this morning. well maybe if i wanted to sit in a pool of my own sweat once i arrived to the office. it was a bloody mess. i mean while riding. it was fine. a nice breeze. not too much pain in my thighs. tried to find the best possible route. this included using crosswalks. trying not to hit pedestrians. and going up the least amount of hills. which was the tricky part. i also will not wear a dark. silky top. that of course shows my perspiration. when i locked my bike up on the bike rack. i felt dizzy. and parched. glorious. just makes me even more ready for a new day of work.
   
2. the fad of white sneakers. and white socks. on grown men. will never go away. unfortunate.
   
3. you cant stop the bitches from wearin' the flip flops. and from being too loud when walking amongst the cubicals. pick up your feet.
   
4. you can never have enough cups at your desk.
5. i have a hard time being amongst the suburbanites. especially at a grand opening of a new decor store. i mean i was under dressed by wearing flip flops. (again. you cant keep the bitches from wearing them.) you would think it was the unavailing of the fountain of youth.
   
6. if i stop being lazy. i just may be able to create my book of bad (or awesome) bumper stickers. and license plates. see exhibit a.

might as well

go to the stinkin' power & light district. drink a pitcher of margaritas. watch people. and do some more people watching. dance. and then decide to go home early. besides we have brunch. and pool time in the am. (flash back saturday evening).

one more

here is a second video clip from feist. my favorite song. let it die. its a little longer that the other.

among the elements

snoop dog/311 concert was awesome. i never thought i would enjoy a rap concert. as much as i did. but then again its snoop. who doesnt love him. and if my mother is reading this. no i did not inhale. i was just breathing. and the clouds of smoke were surrounding me. i had no other choice. this thursday night activity made my friday morning a little fuzzy. it was tough. ouch.

i am a proud owner of a royals straw cowboy hat. just what every kansas city-nite needs. it was my goal of the evening. and after standing in line to buy tickets. some lame-o couldnt figure out how to buy tickets. i stood there watching all the other folks grabbing hats. i just stood there. waiting on the man. when we entered the gates. they were gone. i was so distraught. and just knew i needed this hat (they were giving them out for free to the first 20,000 attendees). i then offered to buy a hat from someone for $5. now i have my bret michaels look alike straw hat. it will be perfect for the lake. and pretty much everyday wear. ha.

and the weekend finale was the best. really it was. save the best for last. it was another intimate evening with one of my favorite musicians. it was finally time for the feist concert. i had will call tickets. so had no idea where our seats were. brother and i got there early. to a ghost town. should have known when paying for parking. the ticket girl asked what was going on that night. they were only expecting 1,500. probably 1/3rd of the venue was actually filled. we entered the venue about an hour until show time. we had great seats. right in the middle. 7 rows from the stage. it was a gorgeous night. cooled off nicely. and the only thing that was somewhat alarming were the bats flying after dusk. feist was perfect. i loved it. the music was fab. the ornate. clever. puppet show in the back. the evening was ideal. and i love my shirt from the show. that i am sporting today. here are some clips and pics. (you would think by now. i might have sat down and read my damn manual for the camera. my shutter speed is still too slow. so i have a slew of blurry pics. oh well. i cant trade the images in my head. and the feeling of being there).

new obsession

i can not find enough flair. give enough flair. post it. i absolutely adore it. i wish they were real buttons. i would add this to my already cluttered cube wall. it is an application on facebook. i am not big into all the applications. like the kids these days. but this one has just become so much fun. i can type in anything. and a cool button pops up. here is my flair wall thus far.


i also love summer time. it is kind of a love/hate relationship. sometimes the humidity can be unbearable in the midwest. but for the most part. you adapt. the things i enjoy about summer. being outdoors. such activities include. concerts (311/Snoop tonight, Feist on Sunday -- yippee!). sports games. go royals. and more pool time this weekend. aahh. and being able to walk out the door without worrying about bundling up. its just such an easy. breezy. carefree season. i dont mess with my hair. clothes. makeup. done.

very random. but the radio station i listen to while getting ready in the morning. (i would like to do a survey - compare radio morning listeners vs. morning tv talk shows. results could be interesting. with further investigating on other characteristics.) anywho. every morning they have a list 0f 8 songs that follow a theme. today it was songs to be played at a funeral. and one was played. that i decided would be my song. cant believe i forgot about this one. so back to my oddities from the other day. questions #44. answer= last goodbye. jeff buckley. i love it. i turn it up. i sing my loudest. yes. that has to be it. (again. eerie.)

44 oddities

its rainy outside. not much motivation to be productive. might clean my desk later. the balls of dust seems somewhat unhealthy. a meeting was cancelled so i decided to clean out my inbox. or file things away. i found this old forward and thought it would make for a good post.

1. Do you like blue cheese? yes. used to not. but now it is one of my favorites.
2. Have you ever smoked? yes. used to be a drinking smoker.
3. Do you own a gun? no. and i dont like them.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? cherry. cherry is my most favorite.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? yes. something about being so vulnerable.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? love them. who doesnt crave a good hotdog. cant wait for the royals game this week.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? the griswalds. christmas vacation.
8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? skinny vanilla lattes.
9. Can you do push ups? somedays more than others.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? would probably be my charlotte tippit. friendship ring.
11. Favorite hobby? blogging. internet stalking. watching movies. tv. shopping. running.
12. Do you have A.D.D.? i have not yet been diagnosed. but i think i do. like today.
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? i cant say no.
14. Middle name? lauren
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
i wish i were at home. listening to the rain from bed. i want a cupcake. or maybe a coke.
17. Current worry? will my stimulus check be forwarded to my new address.
18. Current hate right now? hate is such a strong word. it might be working. why cant we have summer vacation like some european countries.
19. Favorite place to be? home. with family.
20. How did you bring in the new year? STL with best friends and lots of dancing.
21. Where would you like to go? Greece.
22. Name three people who will complete this? well since i am not forwarding this on. no one.
23. Do you own slippers? yes. and i wear them all winter.
24. What shirt are you wearing? white tank. a pretty tank top stacy's 5 cents got me for my birthday 3 years ago.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? i prefer high (600+) thread count egyptian cotton.
26. Can you whistle? no.
27. Favorite color? blue.
28. Would you be a pirate? yes. with piratittude.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? what ever is stuck in my head. but usually dont.
30. Favorite Girl's Name? hmm. Claire. and Hattie is cute.
31. Favorite boy's name? eww. i dk. boy.
32. What's in your pocket right now? a pocket.
33. Last thing that made you laugh? an email chain at work.
34. What vehicle do you drive? saturn vue
35. Worst injury you've ever had? broke my ulna bone. required surgery. awful. i am sure i have blogged about it.
36. Do you love where you live? its okay for now. close to my family and friends.
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? one big one.
38. Who is your loudest friend? i am the loudest out of the bunch. i think. that or i dont hang out with loud people. they bug me.
39. Do you have any pets? no.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? they must be hiding it.
41. Your favorite book(s)? picture books. and the way they smell.
> 42. Do you collect anything? too much stuff. bumble bees has been the longest collection. others include. barbie dolls. keychains. cards. magazines.
43. Favorite Sports Team? Nebraska Husker Football
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? a little eerie...hmm...i think i would prefer a soundtrack. a little of everything. but if i had to pick. maybe cecilia by simon and garfunkel. or a little everything she does is magic by the police.

hiatus

its been almost a week since my last posting. wow. my world has been consumed with. dogs. and more dog sitting. pool time. celebrated lady liberty's b-day. fireworks. bbq. washers. (undefeated. i mean i scored the middle cylinder 3 times in a row. in one game. if i were in a video game. my shoes would turn to red or something. to show i was on fire). i managed to turn red on my own. this goes back to pool time. i spent sunday lounging with untitled at her apartment pool. there is a ledge. so you can sit in the water. but not be submerged. although. going all the way under was the only thing that seemed to really cool me off. anyway. i spent the afternoon. flopping around like a beached whale. and embarrassing untitled. i couldnt get comfortable. the ledge and bottom of the pool is in aluminum. which add skin covered in sunscreen. not easy to stay seated. and i got a little pink. which on my skin looks more extreme. and i am tan. today.

the apartment is coming along nicely. the mountains of boxes have been condensed. i think i only have 4 that need to be sorted. pretend i am on one of those organization shows. and make the three piles. keep. sell. donate. until then. i will just walk around the boxes. and pretend they are not there.

i did not take any pictures this weekend. there were a couple of moments where i thought. hmm. this would have been a great foot shot. but then i get lazy. and decide it is too hot to move. yeah. because it was officially hot this weekend. the wall o'heat is out. the humidity. i guess it is time.

girls and boys

funny gal that ingrid michaelson. she put on a wonderful. intimate show last night. there were a couple of choice people in the crowd. i could have done with out. loud shouter. huge guy with this roaring voice. or obnoxious girl that i think had turrets. with her silly japanese fan. she would yell out the most random things. i mean. ingrid even shushed her once. but as brother said. it takes all kinds. so here are some pics i got last night. i tried a special effect on my camera. the stars on the lights. also. not the most steady of hands on the video. but it captured the evening nicely.



on another note. i think i have pulled something. in my lower region. my left butt cheek. is killing me. i have been walking around like an old lady. with something shoved up her. you get the point. i have been stretching it. which is the only thing that makes it feel somewhat better. i even do my crazy yoga moves in my cubical. i dont know what to do. i havent been running this week. due unpacking. but i want to be able to go. go. go. next week. i walked one lap on monday night. thats when i really noticed the pain. but i stretched and it didnt bother me until yesterday.

ingrid part duece

tonight ingrid michaelson is coming back to kc. brother and i are going for round two. its at a different venue. but still small enough. that i know it will be an awesome show. i dont think i can work the rest of the day. i am so excited. i was on her website and noticed a new contest. to win a gibson guitar. how fitting. ha. too bad it is a singing contest. and us gibsons. well we were not blessed with the best vocals. we could probably enter. maybe get picked as the worst. what not to do.

here are some pics i have been meaning to post. the first is at inblooms going away happy hour. all her work buds ditched her (sans untitled. she doesnt count since she is friend and coworker). so the three of us united and had our own fun.


next. sitting at my favorite coffee shop. on a sunny friday morning. lemonade was in town. so i took a personal day. we slept in. then walked to go grab coffee. delightful. two of my favorite things. with two of my favorite gal pals. inbloom and lemonade.


and now. moving flip flops. with the new apartment. filled with boxes. i made a nice dent last night. after driving around with untitled. we dined at sweet tomato. our new favorite feasting place. helene. the lady at the front that passes out the trays. informed us about the price difference of lunch vs. dinner. more people tend to come back 4-5 times. during dinner. so it is more expensive. you would be surprised how much people can eat. she says. then told me about how kids are blowing up houses with fireworks. one boy burnt down his parents entire house. brand new house. parents need to monitor firework usage. she says. the best part of the feast. was the frozen yogurt machine at the end. with dark chocolate swirl. yum-mo. and maybe helene.

then i drove to dollar general and aldi's. it was during this part of the excursion. i hit little rocky. rocky the squirrel. i saw him. but thought he was going to either stop. or run faster. but no. he went crunch under my big ol' tires. we turned the radio off. and had a moment of silence. i felt bad. then i was yelled at dollar general. i walked in and the lady asked me to set my bag at the front. i looked at her. then said this is my purse. she said sorry thats policy. i grabbed my bag. like heck no. she then told me to zip it up. that it would be okay to walk with it then. she then proceeded to talk badly about my while i was walking off. to other customers. i did not purchase anything at her stupid store. i just wanted some shelf paper. finally found it two stores later. and spent the rest of the night riffling through boxes. kitchen. bathroom. 90% complete. closet. ugh. i have too much crap. need to purge more.