email to my dad
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: britney spears (no, I'm not joking)
Topic: Friends and Family
Thought this would be a good summary of my activities... so I'm posting it.

Hi Dad!

Haven't talked to you lately.. just wanted to say hi. :) This weekend I'll be filming my debut appearance on the big screen! :) Kurtis is going down to the beach this weekend to see his family since I'll be busy... so it's just going to be me and the cats. First time I've had the house to myself in probably a year or more. I'll probably take advantage of the situation to paint my toenails and since no one will be there to complain about the nail polish smell, lol. How are things with you? Have you heard anything more from the woman who wanted you to play the lead in her film? Maybe one day we'll be on the big screen together in a blockbuster film! Hehe.

I registered for my classes last night... it was a bit of a fiasco, but I got through it. Basically, they're accepting more of my credits than I thought they would, so now I'm eligible for Comp & Lit 2 instead of 1... but now I have to take the math placement test before I'm an official degree-seeking student. I'm registered as non-credit until I take the test. So I'm going to try to get a copy of the test to practice with.. maybe I can skip that remedial stuff altogether, that would be nice. Kurtis told me that he'd help me with the algebra, he says that he's good at it. If I need more help than he can offer, fortunately I work at an engineering company (first time I've said that, I bet!) and there are plenty of math whizzes here. At least you would hope so!

Well, that's it for now... I have to take the phones for the receptionist this afternoon.

Love,
Lauren

entry I wrote while waiting for advisor last night...
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Sports Junkies
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
I wrote this last night as I was waiting for a counselor at AACC... at the end of my rant, I'm filling in the rest. :)

The registration process has been a complete fiasco. I'm so freaking frustrated. So now I'm sitting here waiting to talk to an advisor. So far they've taken several people in front of me who have been waiting less than I have. I'm having a hell of a time. When I first decided to take classes, everything seemed to be going smoothly. The advisor I met (Mike Chase) with was so damn helpful and nice, that I should have known something would eventually go wrong. He told me during that meeting that 3 of my courses would transfer from Chesapeake; theatre, com101 and an intro to business class. I told him that I'd taken the placement tests and that I didn't pass the math; I'd have to take the basic algebra 1 & 2 before taking college algebra or that I'd have to retake the math test. He said to not worry about taking the tests or taking the math classes right away... he said that I could get used to being enrolled first and get back in the swing of things... he said I'd have to take English, it wouldn't transfer. So I have everything done; did my FAFSA, loan forms, everything. Decide that I'll take ENG 111 & PSY 111 fall semester. Have it all figured out as far as classes go. Go up to the registrationg window. Girl says: You haven't taken your placement tests. Me: Mike (advisor) told me that was fine, that I'm eligible for English and can take my math test whenever I'm ready - like in a semester or two. Girl: Well, I don't see any of that. Me: But you guys have my transcript and it's noted on there. Another girl takes over at this point, and she has a bit of an attitude. I ask her if she has any records. She goes in the bath and comes back. New girl: Well, you have credit for an English, so I don't know WHY you're signing up for ENG 111 in the first place. Me: What? They said it wasn't transferable!? Her: Well, I guess that it was! Now, you have to take the math placement or you can't be registered as a credit/degree-seeking student. We can register you now as non-credit, non-degree seeking and then you can change it after you take the math placement test.
I was so pissed. So I decided to go upstairs and talk to the advisor on duty. And I waited there for a freaking hour. And I had no reading material. I just sat there and stewed... only to be told pretty much the same story by the advisor as the girl downstairs told me.


Continuation that I'm finishing now. :)
Now meanwhile, I'd been looking through the catalog and had picked out a health that worked into my schedule nicely.
So since I'd had my schedule all nicely worked out, the advisor says, "Well, now you're eligible for ENG 112, so why don't you take that?" Ugh.... of course that didn't fit so nicely, but I figured that I probably should still take an english this semester. So now I'm going to hate Mondays more than usual... I'm taking English from 5:30-6:45, then Psychology from 7-9:45. I'll have English again on Wednesday... so I'll pretty much be home by 7 or 7:15 on Wednesdays. I guess that I should have gotten a class on Tuesday since that's when Kurtis has his guitar lesson, but it took me so long to get through advising and registration, that I just gave up. I can always change my classes when I go back to take the test.

Kurtis said that he'd help me with the math placement test... he said that he's pretty good at that, so I'm very grateful that he'll be able to help me. Maybe he can explain it to me better than everyone else... maybe I just have some kind of mental block against math, I don't know. I emailed the testing center and asked them if they had a practice test that I could take to familiarize myself with everything again. They haven't replied yet, but I'm hoping they do. It would be nice to pass it so that I don't have to take any remedial classes. I have to take it ASAP, though, because I have to change my registration to degree seeking so that I'm eligible for my loan... I don't think I'm eligible for it unless I'm a credit student. AHHHHHHH!

That's it for now. It's Friday! :)

thursday
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
Tonight I'm really going to register for classes. I was supposed to go last night, but we had a torrential downpour that messed up my plans.

I heard a fantastic rumor that is 99.9% true -- Captain Jackass is leaving!

Here are some weird news stories for today.. and those who were wondering, you can get the Oddly Enough News here from Reuters.

Talking Tombstones Bear a Message from the Grave
Thu Jul 8, 2004 11:21 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - The dead could soon be speaking from the grave if an American inventor's plan becomes reality.
Robert Barrows, of Burlingame, California has filed a patent application for a video-equipped tombstone that will display a video message from grave's occupant.

"If his patent is granted, Barrows hopes that when people make out their will, they also leave a parting video with their lawyer," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.

The hollow, talking tombstone will include a flat touch screen and will house a computer with a microchip memory or hard disc. It will be powered by electricity from the cemetery's lighting system.

The plan will not be the first electronically enhanced tombstone. An American company has a patent on a gravestone that will display photographs of the deceased and tributes from friends, according to the magazine.

But the Barrows plan will go one further by including contributions actually from the deceased.

"It's history from the horse's mouth," he said.



Warning Issued Over Aggressive 'Roos
Jul 7, 11:02 AM (ET)

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australians living in the nation's drought-ravaged capital were warned on Wednesday to keep their distance from aggressive kangaroos after the iconic marsupials attacked one woman and killed a pet dog.
Eastern Gray kangaroos, which can grow to more than 5 1/2 feet tall and weigh more than 150 pounds, have started moving out of the parched bush into inner Canberra suburbs during the day to look for grass and water, increasing their contact with people.

A senior wildlife ecologist with Environment ACT, Murray Evans, said the kangaroos could pose a threat to people and dogs, with one woman savaged by a large kangaroo as she was walking her small, pet dog in a paddock last week.

"Her dog went near the kangaroo and she followed and before she knew it the kangaroo lashed out, scratching her down the side of her body," Evans told Reuters.

Another woman told how a kangaroo drowned one of the four dogs she was walking with a friend, attacking it in a pond and holding it under the water with its hind legs while it hit out at one of the other dogs with its front legs.

"My friend started shouting: 'There's a kangaroo in the pond. It's got Summer'. It was surreal, like your worst nightmare," Christine Canham told the Canberra Times newspaper.

"She was screaming and screaming. The kangaroo just stared back at us. I will never forget that."

Evans said it was not unusual for kangaroos to flee into water if they felt under threat and, as a last defense, they would try to drown their predator with their powerful hind legs.

He said most of the behavioral change in the usually placid animals was due to the scarcity of feed after a run of dry years in Canberra, the inland bush capital, as Australia battles its worst drought in a century.

quick note
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
The receptionist is out today, so I haven't had much time today and I have no inet access at the front desk.

Going to AACC after work to register for classes... been meaning to do that for the past two weeks. Found part of my outfit for the film, it's very cheerleaderish...perfect for the role... I was in forever 21 and I felt so out of place. I can't be getting old already, can I?

Back to work, maybe I'll get to post tonight.

From the Odd news
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Toad the Wet Sprocket
Topic: News
Here are some of my favorites for the day...

Paper Gets Unfortunate Exclusive
Tue Jul 6, 2004 01:13 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Post trumpeted Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's choice of running mate as a front-page exclusive on Tuesday. Trouble is, it named the wrong man.
Before Tuesday's long-awaited announcement, the tabloid reported in an unbylined story that Kerry's pick was Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri. But around 9 a.m. (1300 GMT), hours after the late edition hit the streets, Kerry named Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

"KERRY'S CHOICE Dem picks Gephardt as VP candidate," blared the banner headline in the Post, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and is openly supportive of Republican President Bush.

The Post's fierce cross-town rival, the tabloid Daily News, could not resist poking fun.

Media sources said the News sent a case of champagne to Post editors and a note, "Congratulations on your front page. Have a nice day," with a smiley face. The barb refers to a Post advertisement near the Daily News building showing improved circulation figures, with the words "have a nice day" and smiley face.

The error recalls the infamous 1948 front-page headline in The Chicago Tribune that blared "Dewey Defeats Truman" -- when in fact Democrat Harry Truman won re-election to the White House against Republican Thomas Dewey in an upset.

Prof. David Rubin, a media expert at Syracuse University in upstate New York, said: "The mistake makes the New York Post look foolish and all it shows is that one should not trust the New York Post, a conservative Republican paper, on inside matters of the Democratic Party."

A spokesman for the Post declined immediate comment.

Famed Cannibal Inspires Feature Film
Tue Jul 6, 2004 11:16 AM ET

BERLIN (Reuters) - Armin Meiwes, the German cannibal who gained global notoriety for eating a willing victim, is being immortalized in a movie by a gay filmmaker, and hardly surprisingly, the project is already running into controversy.

The film, whose working title is "Your Heart in My Brain," has received 20,000 euros ($24,580) in public funding from a regional film foundation in North Rhine-Westphalia, the western state ruled by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats.

Meiwes was sentenced in January to eight and a half years in jail for manslaughter after a trial whose gory details riveted Germany.

He admitted killing a Berlin computer specialist he met via the Internet, but was spared a murder verdict as the victim had asked to be eaten in a startling case of sexual fetishism.

Meiwes recorded the deed on video tape and shocked the court with his matter-of-fact account of how he severed the man's penis at the latter's request, and how they both tried to eat it, first raw and then fried in a saucepan.

Billed as a mix of "grotesqueness, thriller and documentary," the film by critically acclaimed filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, a man, is stirring up political arguments even before its completion, set for December.

"Even the title of the project could scarcely be more tasteless," said Axel Wintermeyer, legal affairs spokesman for the conservative Christian Democrats in the state of Hesse.

"This is creating a monument to a perverted criminal," said Wintermeyer, adding he was appalled that it was being part-funded by taxpayers' money.

BLACK HUMOUR

Von Praunheim, a 61-year-old gay activist who has made over 50 films including an erotic comedy entitled "Can I Be Your Bratwurst, Please?," said the case intrigued him as he had been studying cannibalism for the last 20 years.

"What interests me is the gay aspect, and that it's also about sadomasochistic experiences," said von Praunheim, who teaches directing at the Film and Television Academy at Babelsberg in Potsdam near Berlin. Continued ...


"I don't know if it will shock people. People tend to react with disgust on the one hand and curiosity on the other. We always say I love you so much I could eat you," said von Praunheim, adding the movie would be laced with black humor.
The film is not strictly biographical and has fictional elements because Latvian-born von Praunheim, whose real name is Holger Mischwitzky, has not acquired the rights to the cannibal's story.

Meiwes' lawyer Harald Ermel could not be reached for comment. After the trial, which attracted worldwide media interest, Ermel said Meiwes had received several inquiries from film companies interested in his story.

In von Praunheim's film, Meiwes is confronted in jail by his victim's head, which encourages him to be proud of what he has done and to carry on killing, according to the film foundation, which also helped fund Wolfgang Becker's much-awarded "Goodbye, Lenin."

"I think it's arguable whether a film like this will glorify him, it all depends how it's done," said Reinhard Boeckh, spokesman for the North Rhine-Westphalia government.



Tuna-Loving Fat Cat to Slim for New Owner
Fri Jul 2, 2004 11:11 AM ET

BERLIN (Reuters) - A Berlin animal shelter is trying to wean a 31-pound cat off its daily diet of oily tuna fish, hoping the obese animal's health will improve enough to find it a new home.
Peter, the second grossly overweight cat the shelter has received in recent months, has trouble moving and cleaning himself because of his swollen body, spokeswoman Claudia Pfister said.

"Peter doesn't like the taste of the diet food and will only eat tuna fish," she said, adding the cat was at least 20 pounds overweight.

She said his elderly owner, who died recently, spoiled him with large daily helpings of tuna. "We're giving him his tuna fish now, but only diet-sized portions and without the oil."

In April, another overweight cat, named Mikesch, was brought to the shelter. He went on a diet and shed lost about 30 pounds before he was handed over to a new owner.

"For some strange reason people love fat cats," Pfister said. "They think it's cute and spoil their cats with the best food they can afford."

And I thought that James was big!

From the Guinness book of world records:
OLDEST WOMAN CELEBRATES YET ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!
When it comes to happy returns, this woman's had a lot more than most... indeed, as the world's oldest person, she's had more birthdays than anyone alive today! Hendrikje Van Andel-Schipper - aka Aunt Hennie - was born this week back in 1890, one month before the death of Vincent van Gogh! On June 29, she turned the ripe old age of 114, making her the first Dutch person to hold the record in 40 years. Although partially deaf and blind, Aunt Hennie is in good spirits, so wish her continuing good health for the coming year!

Oldest Living Cat
The oldest living cat in the world is 'Kataleena Lady', a Burmese born on March 11, 1977. Owned by Mrs V. Hayward of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the mature moggy was 25 years old in April 2002.

Wonder if she's still alive? That cat's older than me!

Longest Cat
If Frieda Ireland's pet cat Leo were a human being he would weigh about 100 kg (220 lb) and stretch over 2.5 m (8 feet) tall. As it is, the mammoth moggie is as long as an 8-year-old child and has paws so big they can fit into a size 2 child's shoe!

Verismo's Leonetti Reserve Red - otherwise known as Leo - is a Maine Coon cat owned by Frieda Ireland and Carroll Damron of Chicago. Normally a large breed, Maine Coons often weigh as much as 10 kg (22 lb), but Leo weighs in at a mog-nificent 15.8 kg (35 lb) and measures a record-breaking 121.9 cm (48 in) from nose to tail.

"We have to keep our eye on him when we're cooking," says owner Frieda, "because he can stand up and put his paws on the kitchen counter." But Leo's not trying to steal food. "He enjoys sweeping things off the counter, not eating them! He's not a fan of home-cooked food - he prefers dry cat food, green vegetables, basil, parsley and, of all things, blue cheese!"

"He's not overweight," stresses Leo's veterinarian Scott Rovner, DVM. And Kim Lacey, who adjudicates all Guinness World Records animal claims, is quick to point out that it's Leo's length - and not weight - that makes him a record breaker. "We don't want to be encouraging people to fatten up their pets just to become record breakers," she said.


Pretty incredible!

must be monday
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: joe bonamassa
As I was packaging one of my auctions for shipment (off ebay), the bottle slipped out of my hand and broke on the floor. Talk about a pain in the ass. Not to mention a mess! That was one of my higher-priced auctions, too --$7 :-P~

Just figures. Argh. I ordered a new check card... it's only going to cost $3, but it's going to take 7-10 days to get here. :-/

Frustrated.

i've become one of THOSE people...
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: firecrackers
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
Damn kids are setting off firecrackers and such in the front community area... there's a 13 year old kid that I'm sure is primarily responsible. I should be empathetic, because his dad doesn't really pay attention to him and the people on our little "island" give him all of his parenting.. anyway, it's 10 friggin pm and I'm getting ready for bed... it's a Monday night!! I know the little bastards are out of school, but that doesn't mean us grown-ups don't have things to do. argh. Not to mention he'll probably burn down the whole community. Everytime I start to relax it's "Pop-pop-pop-pop-POP!!!" Sounds a bit like popcorn in an atomic microwave or something. (there it goes again)

Once I'm actually going to lay down, I'll go outside and politely ask them to stop -- or I'll give them a new place to put their fireworks. :-P~

Found out today that I don't have to go to the filming Friday night, they'll try to do all of my scenes on Saturday & Sunday... they seem to be pretty understanding about the hellacious drive. So I'm hoping that they'll let me go early Saturday night, too... otherwise I'll be getting home at 1:30 a.m. ugh! (there they go again, argh)

well, I'm about to get my lovely mask off my face and teach some kiddies a lesson. Watch it be one of the neighbors. Wouldn't surprise me.

happy 4th!!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Artistic endeavors
Not going anywhere for fireworks, just going to watch them on tv. Been incredibly lazy today, like the average American -- watching TV. I did read through the whole script for the film, though. I think it's going to be pretty funny...

The guy that's doing the film emailed me, they're going to be shooting 5pm-midnight on Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday. Those will be some exhausting days. Hopefully I won't have to go on Friday... if I do go, I'll be there from 7 or 8 til the end, since I'm not leaving work early. I haven't told Kurt yet about the filming schedule, I have a feeling that he's not going to like it. :-P~ Oh well! Getting done at midnight is going to be tough, but I know they have to do part of it at night, because the 'party' started during the day and is going into the night.

Well, that's it...... don't blow any fingers off playing with fireworks, kiddies!! I'm surprised my neighbors still have all of theirs, they've been setting them off for the past few weeks.

just a quick note
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Weekend happenings
Just about to get in a nice bubble bath...

Thought that I broke the garbage disposal today... I was pissed off, rushing around... bunch of silverware and other crap in the sink... for some reason, I can't stand dishes in the sink, it drives me crazy... anyway, I was trying to rinse out the pan that I was making my crab mixture in, so I turned on the garbage disposal and a few pieces of silverware fell in... boy did that make a great noise. So finally I got the thing turned off, got one piece out, and then I thought that a knife or something was stuck down in the blades. Turns out later that I must have just been feeling one of the blades itself... so the disposal is working fine, so I freaked out over something small. I was in a bad mood pretty much the whole day......

my dish was tasty, though... that's the pastry wrapped baked brie with truffled crabmeat filling........ of course kurt doesn't like brie, so i'm going to try a variation of the dish. It was fun playing with the puff pastry, I cut little leaves out and put them on top of the dough... it turned out really nice for the most part. I'm going to start playing with that pastry some more, I bet I can make some cool stuff. Guess I'm an okay cook after all. haha.

well, it's time for my bath...... i told kurtis to go to the other party without me... i didn't want to be bitchy with anyone else... i figure since i'm miserable there's no reason i should make everyone else miserable. :-P~

well, sorry for the lowercase and crappy grammar, i'm tired and it's been a looooooooooong day.

g'night!

happy birthday, mom!

I actually composed this yesterday...
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Junkies
Topic: Introspection
I never got a chance to post this, but I'll copy & paste it up here. Today is Friday --woohoo! Bought my crabmeat last night for the pastry-wrapped baked brie with truffled crabmeat filling. :) $11.20 for a pound of backfin meat at Arundel Seafood -- not bad! It's from North Carolina, but that's still better than the overseas crap Phillips has been importing. I read somewhere that crab season has been going pretty well this year.. hopefully prices will drop some. I cut a chunk out of my thumb last night opening a tube of toothpaste... really! It bled a bit, too.

Well, onto the post I composed yesterday:

I was in a meeting this afternoon with Fuzz and two delightful people representing the United Way... one was the regional campaign director and the other was a politician, can't remember his name of course. Anyway, it was just so nice to be in a meeting with such nice, friendly, normal people. It further solidified my desire to get my degree so that someday I can stop working at Harms. I know that I'll be here for probably the next 3, 4... maybe even 5 years, but at least I won't be an admin forever. Don't get me wrong, there have definitely been good things about working here, primarily meeting Kurtis, and I have made some friends. I also make okay money... nothing to boast about, but definitely more than what I made at McDonald's, haha.



The people at Harms (for the most part) just aren't warm and fuzzy... in most cases, when they want to talk, it's just to gossip (fine in some cases, but it can get old when I keep hearing the same things every day), or brag about their sexual conquests. Half of the men here make my skin crawl (or just uneasy), and I can probably count the number of women I genuinely like on one hand. It would just be so nice to interact with some genuinely friendly, happy, outgoing people. Being around grouchy, irritable assholes just makes me grouchy and irritable. It rubs off. Maybe it makes me an asshole, too - I don't know. Or would that be bitch? I know I can be a bitch at times, but really in most cases it's when I'm at work or I have PMS, lol. I guess why people act the way they do at work is just a reflection of the people around them... they could probably do something to improve morale, I'm sure. But they won't, of course.



Well, that's enough of that! I'll try being more positive. Really, I will. I need to exercise more, that's one thing that's a definite. Kurtis is trying to convince me to get up early and walk... I really should. Maybe I can somehow become a morning person? Not likely. But it would help me wake up in the morning... now I just take 15 minute showers to wake up and then end up late to work because I move so damn slow. I guess that I'll start tomorrow! No, really... I will! :-P~



Went to Annapolis for lunch today, met up with Kurtis and we went to Macaroni Grill for a little treat. After lunch I went to Trader Joe's, because I've been looking for truffle oil. Apparently Emeril uses it in his recipes a lot - I did a search on Foodnetwork.com for truffle oil, and his show came up in about 70 recipes. I've looked in a couple stores for it with no success. So I found some at Trader Joe's, but it's called "Black Truffle Oil" and it has olive oil in it... I'm hoping it's the right stuff. I just did a search on the net and found both white and black truffle oil. I thought that my bottle was pretty pricey, but the stuff on the net seems like its less oil with a higher price. Why do I need this truffle oil you ask yourself? "SELF!" I am making a pastry-wrapped baked brie stuffed with truffled crabmeat! I saw it on Emeril a few weeks ago and thought it would be tasty - hey, anything with crabmeat and cheese has got to be good! I'm just hoping that the truffle oil doesn't taste so strongly that it kills the other tastiness that is going on in the dish. After all, crab and brie ain't all that cheap! I'll probably try Arundel Seafood and Kent Island crab company this evening... see who's cheaper. Arundel Seafood was having a sale last week, but I don't know if it's still on sale.



That's it for now!