oh, HELLLLL no

its leah's bday today. she is my neighbor, friend and coworker. she is laid back, smart, cool, a hard worker, she makes good decisions according to ross and is truly genuine.  she is always the life of the party (note the picture above... her being in the middle of the dance floor is a regular occurrence.)  i am so glad ive met this short little hawaiian girl! tonight we get to celebrate her starting at the skating rink then ending the night at kefi to listen to organix.

happy birthday leah. here is to you & 70's skate night. i am sure it will be OUT OF CONTROL.

days off.

i feel like i have been slacking on my blog post. i thought it was because i don't have a camera and many of the post i have wanted to do would best be described with a picture. but then last night i had my first night off in more then a week from school, running and work and realized those are the reasons why i have not been consistent with my blog posting. i do not want to bore my friends (and by friends i mean my 2 sisters bc they are the only ones who read this) with tower 7 nonsense or how each mile felt while running. & bc both of those 2 subjects always end with the same consensus...work= pissed off & running=over it.

with the trip to nicaragua coming up (9 more days) i have been trying to work as much as possible. the other day i was just thinking that i haven't really hung out with just the girls in so long. which is weird for us bc we atleast try and get together for a little while once a week. then i realized that we are all going on this vacation together and are trying to schedule ourselves at work as much as possible and limit how much we go out. and with spring break coming up, for those of us in school, spring break equals midterms. i am so ready for vacation.

yesterday off from everything was amazing. i ran errands, went to the beach with kalhua, worked out in the gym and actually went out to a restaurant sat down and got waited on! 

tonight i am off of work again. school and my run have been completed. i plan to spend the rest of my day wandering around barnes & noble then maybe going to hot yoga. i love days off :)

HELP!!!!!

i am so tired of my run playlist. i have my last & longest 20 mile run this weekend & really need some help with my playlist. any suggestions on what to download to keep me entertained. please HELP! (lauren no books on tape to are allowed to be listed)

recap.

*went downtown with the girls to watch the michael jackson coverband, whos bad.

*ended the night downtown with dancing at odessa & pizza at ny pizza.

*12 mile run the morning after going downtown, not a bright idea.

*went to 22n for the first time in atleast 2 years. and had a blast. weird.

*caught up with my old roommates who were in town, brooke and paris. it was good to see these girls. and even better to see them happy.

*had a fun little oscar party at leah's house. where we ate vietnamese sweet potato & shrimp pancakes, shumia, yummy breads &  ended the feast with pound cake and icecream. then we relaxed, drank wine and gossiped about all of the celebrities on the red carpet & on stage. 

sorry, not a lot on my mind this morning. thought i would recap the weekend to put pleasant thoughts in my head bc this week is going to be a long one.

NICARAGUA: 12 DAYS!

all worth it.

i had another rough night at tower last night as server/manager. the thought of quitting frequently went through my mind last night, a few tears were even shed. the waves were good yesterday and the weather was even better. we were busy and way understaffed. i have only managed one other night and had no idea what the procedures were for closing as a manager. and on top of all my closing duties as a server on such a busy night was too much. this morning when i woke up taylor told me she had brownies and pb&j's waiting for me when i come into work today bc she wants me to have a good day. i love the girls i work with. we have all formed a really tight bond inside and outside of work. they make all the bullshit worth it.

note to taylor: thank you so much for all your help. you're the best :) i'm going to buy you lots (and by lots i mean 2 bc apparently thats all it takes for us) of shots at who's bad tonight. sorry ross its happening!

the countdown begins

NICARAGUA: 15 DAYS

last week i got my first sun burn of the season. i didn't even think about putting sunscreen on because why would you need it in the beginning of february? the beautiful weather those 2 days in wilmington were just a tease. now its back to being cold and rainy and my sunburn has started to peel. yesterday was especially cold and rainy. i was only at work for an hour bc the beach is a ghost town when the sun isn't out. i spent the whole day snuggled up with kahlua on the couch watching season 3 of weeds. this weather has made me officially start my countdown to nicaragua. where i will be on the beach in the sun with a drink in my hand alongside my wonderful friends.

25 things.

this has been circulating around facebook. thought i would just post it on my blog instead. this is a little lighter then my last post!

25 random things about me: (im sure you are thrilled to read them all)

1. i am training for a marathon. & am really hoping to qualify for boston my first try.
2. i always have gum. when i do my long runs i chew at least 3 pieces.
3. i am terrified of wrist. i will curl up in a ball & go numb if someone touches my wrist or shows me their wrist. this has been a fear of mine ever since i was little.
   
4. when i was younger i used to want to be on snl. my best friend and i would memorize all the skits and perform them for anyone who would watch.
   
5. i have been to africa and have seen one of the seven natural wonders of the world, victoria falls.
   
6. i wake up every morning before 7:30 am without an alarm & for no reason. (this morning 6:58)
   
7. i love ncstate football. probably love tailgating for them with jessica even more.
8. i hate bras. i try to never wear them.
9. i love the feeling of muscle soreness the day after lifting. and love even more to make other people feel that way (sorry nicole!)
10. i want to live somewhere other than the states. but dont know if i will ever be brave enough to move.
    
11. my dad graduated from the citadel & was pretty strict. my sisters and i weren't allowed to wear makeup until 9th grade. we weren't allowed to wear bikinis we had to wear one-piece speedos to the beach & the pool. our ears weren't allowed to be pierced until we turned 16. couldn't go on dates until we were 16 either...etc.
    
12. i was a lifeguard for 6 years
    
13. i can't start the morning without coffee
    
14. normally, i won't wear anything unless it consist of these basic colors (grey,white,black,navy,brown)
    
15. i used to only answer if you called me by my middle name, faith.
    
16. i used to want to marry a youth pastor. which now creeps me out bc my brother-in-law was/is one.
    
17. my favorite food growing up, fried okra.
    
18. i used to be 25 pounds heavier then i am now. and i am scared to end up back at that weight...which is why fried okra USED to be my favorite food.
    
19. my middle toenail on my left foot has fallen off more then 5 times.
    
20. i was suspended in high school bc my best friend turned my name in.
    
21. i can see the ocean from my porch and the waterway from my living room window.
    
22. i graduated with a communication studies degree & have no desire to use it.
    
23. i have a tattoo. want another one. i have a feeling this will be an endless cycle.
    
24. i love to be by myself.
    
25. my older sisters used to love making me eat dog biscuits, try to make me laugh so hard i would drool (which i did all the time), grab my wrist/show me their wrist, and throw strings on me and make me freak out. i wonder why i love them?
    

morning brew.

as i am sitting here in panara bread waiting for my coffee to kick in so i can begin studying, i am eavesdropping on the conversation of the group sitting behind me. i have overheard phrases such as; "gods will,"  "called to do," "sharing the love of jesus." all of these phrases put a funny feeling in my stomach.

i am not sure how i feel about christianity. i was brought up in a pretty strict religious family. i thought you were going to hell if you said a cuss word or heaven forbid kissed a boy/girl before you were married. i was pretty ridiculous. i signed  a "contract" that my sister made up saying that i would never have sex, even when i was married (luckily, she has lost it.) & one time i asked my swim coach if she regretted kissing boys before she was married (i was being dead serious.)i attended a church camp one time and they told me secular cds were terrible to listen to. so when i got home i threw all of my secular cds away, even my favorite brandy cd! i got mad at my sister at her bachelorette party for wanting a glass of wine. i could go on & on with examples of how i used to behave.

***i would like to take time out of my blog post to apologize to everyone in my past for acting that way***

looking back at our church it feels more like i was in a cult (which is why i get a funny feeling hearing those phrases.) i loved it growing up. our church was fun to go to. the services were not stiff, there was praise and worship, clapping, dancing everything to keep me entertained. but when i got older and went to college i found out so much that my church had not taught me and kind of felt betrayed for teaching me such one-sided views and completely giving them my trust. 

then when my parents and my bestfriend, tawni's parents got divorced (all around the same time) it was crazy to see how the people in the church treated our parents and all the drama that ensued with these people who should have no input on this particular situation. most (not all) were very judgmental and hurtful to our parents. my uncle and dad were pretty good friends while my dad was married to my mom. but now my uncle avoids family gatherings or anytime that he might have to interact with my dad bc he does not believe in divorce (im sure i don't know the whole story but my uncle has never taken the time to explain to me why he has chosen to act this way.)

i was such a judgmental person in every aspect of my life bc i thought that there was only one way to do things, gods way. i am very bitter towards organized religion and christianity. i know not all christians act in such a way. i have met so many christians that are loving no matter who you are, what you do or what you have done in your past. i think my brother in law, my sister and tawni are great examples of what a christianity is about. because of them i have not given up on the idea that there is a god. i love them with all of my heart and see them live the life that the bible teaches us to live. i dont want to sit hear and pass judgement on christianity bc of my dealings with it (then i would be a hypocrite.) but i am confused, angry & sometimes fed up with it.

this post is way too deep. i could write on this topic forever. i think the coffee has already had time to kick in and fade out. time for another cup and some serious study action.

smile.

today i went to breakfast with aaron and his family. aaron's mom had a valentines card for him and his brother, nick from their grandmother. i thought i heard aaron's mom say, " i'm going to need that back." but i just brushed it off as a misunderstanding bc why would she need his greeting card back? after aaron opened his valentines day card from his grandmother he showed me the card.  every year she recycles the same two greeting cards to both aaron and nick. instead of buying a new card she just writes the date and a new little note on the same card year after year.

old people make me smile.

v.day

every hugh grant movie ever made is on tv right now, it must mean its valentines day.

happy valentines day

peanut butter jelly time.

ever since i have started training for my marathon my appetite has sky rocketed.i have formed an especially close bond with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. i crave them all the time. i think about them when i wake up in the morning and i usually have one (ok really 2) as my late night snack before heading off to bed. i seriously have an addiction. i will go through one jar of jam a day. yesterday, i realized that my diet that day included a bowl of cereal, 4 cookies, a bowl of pasta & 3 pb&j's. ( i don't think i am supposed to be eating this much even w. the marathon.)

although, my love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches has developed and flourished into an amazing thing, it is going to have to end when my marathon is finished. its going to be a tough break up between me and my new found love, but definitely a necessary one.

keeyah

the other day taylor and i went to watch her little brother, andrew test for his yellow strip in taekwondo. it was really cool to see all different age groups test with black belts in hopes to go to the next level. andrew did a really good job. they had to practice combinations, self defense, spar and my favorite break wood boards. and in the end he achieved his stripe! :)

both of my roommates (dave...shown above... & adam) work at a mixed martial arts gym here on wrightsville beach called, evolution. every once in awhile i will take a cardio-kickboxing class at that gym. when i take that class there usually is a class in the next room where i have been able to watch a few guys roll in their gi. i have only seen video of my roommates rolling, but am fascinated by what they do. 

as i was sitting there watching the taekwondo i asked taylor how much it cost to join that program. i love the principles of all mixed martial arts programs & i think its an amazing work out. i don't think i am strong enough or disciplined enough to ever even dabble in mma but i really love to watch it and want to learn more & more about the practice. 

i mean really.

i know i just recently talked about the situation with michael phelps. but you can't blame me for posting about him again. i live with two boys and in our house sports center is on 24/7 so i am constantly reminded of it. i saw this snl skit and thought the end of it was pretty funny. hopefully, with this whole a-rod steroid situation everyone will forget about michael phelps smoking a little weed.

positive affirmation.

while getting ready for work tonight i told myself over and over that i was going to go into dollar taco/pbr night with a positive attitude have a good night and leave happy. lately, i have hated every minute that i am working and people can see it on my face. which sucks because i love the people i work with and i don't want to treat my customers with such an attitude (even though 9 times out of 10 they deserve to be treated that way.)

when i walked into work tonight i was happy (this was at 4pm.) i had a great day of waking up getting my workout in then spending the day with aaron, kaluha, nicole and bodhi on the beach. taylor was working when i came in and i even got a minute to catch up with her (it had been a whole 24 hours since i had gotten to talk to her!) i had no reason in the world to be in a foul mood.i even had a post about my camera that i wanted to blog about but after being stuck in tower 7 all night i have no happy thoughts!

i did really well even after multiple tables pissed me off...i kept telling myself you are going to have a good night and you are going to be happy. for awhile the positive affirmation worked i was just letting things roll off my shoulder until about 9 pm. it was when i saw a .98 cent and an .86 cent tip that i got after running in circles for that certain table and then running out of pbrs (and every other mexican beer due to the insanely busy weekend) that that idea went right out the window. mondays are so annoying. customers are needy and drunk and there are way too many of them. hopefully, once i get the taco stench off of me, i will be able to blog about something positive.

parenting.

i don't want kids. my sisters have produced three beautiful children to satisfy my parents need to be grandparents. so the pressure is off of me. if my views of having children change this is the type of parent i think i would be:

Hwy to hell?

i never drive on this hwy. if i leave wilmington i go on three hwys/interstates (17, 40, 74/76.) these hwy's are my comfort zone. yesterday i drove up to virginia beach to see my new nephew. i drove in the daylight and the drive went great. tonight as i drove back nothing looked familiar to me bc it was dark and now buildings were lit up due to electricity not the sun!

i consider myself good with directions and rarely ever get lost. i constantly am getting mad at my best friend jessica bc she can get us lost going from her house to the front of her neighborhood. we have been on trips together where she has told me the wrong way to go and i would get so mad at her that we would not be able to talk until i was ready to speak to her again!

so as i was driving tonight i started to get the feeling that i was wasn't on interstate 95. as i looked around i noticed that 95 had turned into 264 (later was told that i had to get off an exit for that to happen...but i swear i didn't get off an exit.) at that same time a huge sign was also welcoming me to the east carolina university. although i was infuriated with myself for getting myself so off course, sometimes you have to make lemonade out of lemons right?

so i ended up calling emily who is attending ecu's pa program, crossing my fingers that she would answer. after her laughter stopped she gave me the directions to her house.

my trip back to wilmington has been extended until tomorrow.

 i am going to go grab a beer (or 6) with a friend.

***i still however would like not to be judged by this situation and would still like to pride myself with being good at/with directions!

little man

going up to virginia today to meet my nephew! :)

sounds of music

every tuesday i have about two hours to kill between my lecture and lab. i usually bring my imac and search the web or stalk everyone out on facebook while sitting on a comfy couch in the fisher center at uncw. today as i am sitting here waiting for the time to pass someone somewhere is playing the piano. its crazy what music can do to/for you. 

when i am running i have to listen to music that on a regular basis i would never choose to listen to. & there have been many occasions when someone has gotten a hold of my ipod & i am embarrassed & have to explain why certain songs are on my playlist. but when i want to quit running nothing keeps me going like "big shit poppin'" by TI (unfortunately this is not a joke!) right now as a am sitting here listening to the sounds of the chords of the piano spill out into the hallways of the fisher center there is such a sense of peace that has overtaken me. i feel like i could sit here and listen to the music for forever.

i have always been envious of people who can sit down at the piano and just begin to read music and play. my mom has a baby grand piano. both her and my sisters can play...although they might be a little rusty. my favorite piece they play is beethoven's "moonlight sonate." everytime i hear it i think of them. when i was younger i took lessons but never committed to it. this might be due to the fact my piano teacher had ridiculously long nose hairs, so i never liked to look at him bc most of the time there was something hanging off of them.

for christmas my brother-in-law got a teach yourself guide to playing the piano (so any coldplay song you want to hear he is your go-to-guy!) this inspired me to make my new years resolution to learn how to play the piano...well re-learn. my friend taylor told me her mom who just moved from new york to wilmington would teach me how to play for really cheap. and my roommate jessica has a keyboard for me to practice on.  so now all i need to do is go through with it. maybe putting it in writing will help me commit. well the music has stopped and i have become less inspired to continue with this blog....oh the power of music.

i knew it was love.

i have been in love with michael phelps for 8 years now. and i think i fell in love with him even more the other day. there is a huge controversy over michael phelps being caught in the act of smoking pot (although i see no smoke in the glass piece). there are many reasons why i think marijuana should be legalized. you can check out 10 reasons here. 

i do understand why people are saying this was a lack of judgement. to be a public figure at a house party smoking weed with some people you do not know might not be the brightest idea. however, i do not understand why this would damage his image, present a lack of respect for his fans, or a lack of respect for his sponsors. he trained hard for the olympics and achieved what he wanted to for the 2008 olympics. It is his down time and he is 23 years old, i think we should give him a break. i think he has earned that bong rip. welcome to my blog.