tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168267492024-03-08T02:56:23.569-05:00Up the Down Staircaselaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-7801119041117158032011-05-31T22:57:00.002-04:002011-05-31T22:57:57.180-04:00also...there are way too many details involved in planning a wedding. right now the current concerns are florist, organist, suits, hotel rooms. i'm seriously starting to reconsider my decision not to go to vegas and get married by elvis.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-55067452561804990852011-05-31T22:56:00.000-04:002011-05-31T22:56:00.568-04:00new cityi love living at the beach.<br />
<br />
that is all.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-89572756756403112672011-04-15T22:07:00.001-04:002011-04-15T22:07:51.207-04:00gopher sexwhat happens when you mix four 20-something women and four bottles of cheap wine?<br />
<br />
discussions about gopher sex.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-23563634149995043002011-04-11T17:25:00.000-04:002011-04-11T17:25:37.830-04:00schizophrenic weatherthis is one of the few things i dislike about living in virginia. march and april weather. i hate how it can be 40 degrees one day and then 80 degrees the next. it might rain, it might not, who knows? i tried to store some winter clothes and ended up having to drag them all back out because it had gotten cold again. on saturday we'd planned a trip to play putt-putt and froze the whole time.<br />
<br />
but today is one of the 80 degree days, so there's not too much to complain about for the time being.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-27139658255006262372011-04-06T22:39:00.000-04:002011-04-06T22:39:39.000-04:00i particularly like the part about how "the dog started it"<div style="font-size: 14px;">MASON, Ohio -- Police say an Ohio man accused of barking at a police dog has been charged with a misdemeanor.</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px;">A Mason police report says 25-year-old Ryan James Stephens, of Mason, was charged with teasing a police dog in the Cincinnati suburb.</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px;">Officer Bradley Walker wrote that he heard the dog barking uncontrollably while Walker was investigating a car crash at a pub early Sunday morning. The report says Stephens was making barking noises and hissing at the K9 dog that was inside the police car.</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"> Walker reported that Stephens said "the dog started it" when asked why he was harassing the animal. The officer said Stephens appeared highly intoxicated.</div>laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-17138622044171043582011-03-28T02:48:00.000-04:002011-03-28T02:48:41.113-04:00back in the land of the livingi survived ocs. it's taken me a good two weeks to begin to feel like a normal human being again. i got 7 weeks of working in a recruiting office before my next school, then it's off to the beach for more training. it's really going to be quite the hardship, this whole having to live at the beach from memorial day to labor day. such a hard life...laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-83307138078888685392010-12-25T21:02:00.000-05:002010-12-25T21:02:37.969-05:00luke 2:8-14<i>And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." </i><br />
<br />
Merry Christmas.<i> </i>laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-40422137395843080632010-12-24T16:50:00.003-05:002010-12-25T20:59:46.437-05:00favorite christmas book"and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them..."<br />
"shazaaammmm!"<br />
"what?"<br />
"with a vengeance in darkness, the mighty marvel!"<br />
"gladys, i don't know what you're talking about."<br />
"the mighty marvel in wonder comics."<br />
"no, this is the angel of the Lord."<br />
"out of nowhere, right? in the black night, right?"<br />
"well, yes, in a way."<br />
"shazaaammmm!"<br />
<br />
<i>[the best christmas pageant ever]</i>laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-78513468400456250402010-12-23T20:49:00.000-05:002010-12-25T20:50:19.131-05:00thoughts on OCSofficer candidate school so far can be best summed up in the words of the immortal clark w. griswold:<br />
<br />
"hallelujah, holy shit. where's the tylenol?"laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-31182369100824502832010-11-30T20:50:00.002-05:002010-11-30T20:50:37.085-05:00the final countdowni leave for military training in exactly 2 1/2 days.<br />
<br />
hoo boy.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-10689082904578614402010-11-02T12:31:00.001-04:002010-11-02T12:31:19.960-04:00happy election daymy dad spent the morning giving his employees their year-to-date tax totals as an election day incentive to vote against liberals. awesome.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-3107421243097507902010-10-31T13:26:00.001-04:002010-11-02T12:28:53.300-04:00double double, toil and troublewent to a rock concert last night. saw james bond, a lumberjack, superman, and a giant chicken singing along to queen.<br />
<br />
i love halloween.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-34792516965248525412010-10-05T16:07:00.000-04:002010-10-05T16:07:16.886-04:00and we wonder why he's still a bachelor?danny: "isn't being a groomsman kind of like being a pall bearer?"laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-68695974923811508282010-09-15T12:29:00.000-04:002010-11-02T12:30:34.992-04:00new jobi'm working for my dad again. i think this will be good preparation for the navy. i work with all men, i'm surrounded by machinery, everything is covered in a layer of dirt and grease, and belching is a prolific occurrence.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-15823377437952786162010-08-17T12:35:00.001-04:002010-08-26T20:07:45.354-04:00the perfect mani've figured out who he is.<br />
<br />
the looks of henry cavill, the voice of josh turner, the brain of winston churchill, the politics of ronald reagan, and the personality of jim halpert.<br />
<br />
now the trick is to find this elusive creature...laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-2307312038401221282010-08-04T17:13:00.001-04:002010-08-04T23:24:14.934-04:00i have a problemme: "i have 90 history books from grad school and college...i need an intervention."<br />
john: "you don't need an intervention. you need a card catalog."laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-37520751341839151172010-07-13T13:11:00.000-04:002010-07-13T13:11:08.835-04:00i have seen my future and it is freezingme: "how cold does it get in newport in the winter?"<br />
dad: "pretty cold. and you'll be stationed out on the Point."<br />
mary: "oooooh. that sounds cold AND windy." <br />
<br />
sigh...laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-52058129888168278952010-07-12T16:52:00.001-04:002010-07-12T16:52:09.567-04:00did i miss the four horsemen?this morning i signed my mother up for facebook.<br />
<br />
the world as i know it has ceased to exist.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-38717551937267222892010-07-11T01:04:00.003-04:002010-07-11T03:06:06.659-04:00beautiful things<i>the world is full of beautiful things</i><br />
<i>butterfly wings, fairy tale kings</i><br />
<i>and each new day undoubtedly brings</i><br />
<i>still more beautiful things</i><br />
<br />
<i>the world abounds with many delights</i><br />
<i>magical sights, fanciful flights</i><br />
<i>and those who dream on beautiful nights</i><br />
<i>dream of beautiful things...</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
i've always found this song to be very haunting, yet at the same time it manages to ignite my imagination in ways few things do. <br />
<br />
listening to it makes me see starry skies, hear wind, and feel magic.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-61458046941530158902010-07-09T02:29:00.001-04:002010-07-09T02:31:34.071-04:00take me out to the ball gametonight i went to the ballpark and had chicken tenders, french fries, beer, and funnel cake.<br />
<br />
lots and lots of funnel cake.<br />
<br />
i love baseball. any sport that centers this much around food has got to be good.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
tonight was my second nationals game of the season, and it was stunningly less impressive than the first (which happened to be last night...yes, i went to see two major league baseball games in as many days...i love baseball). last night dunn hit three home runs, one of which was a triple, and they won 7 to 6 against the padres. awesome game and extremely entertaining. especially since my group included two british guys, one of whom was visiting from england and hadn't ever seen baseball before. he was fascinated with how laid back everything was. i guess compared to european premier league soccer, it is pretty chill. so the game was great. tonight however...they lost something like 7 to 1. sadly, the fluke winning streak (2 games) seems to be over and we're back to the nats that we all know and love.<br />
<br />
one of these days this town is going to get a team that doesn't suck overall (redskins, nats, wizards) and doesn't choke in the playoffs (caps...blame it on the russians).laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-61888152545136061932010-07-05T09:21:00.001-04:002010-07-05T09:21:39.351-04:00words fail meThe Associated Press<br />
Sunday, July 4, 2010; 1:08 AM<br />
<br />
ISLIP TERRACE, N.Y. -- Police say a man lighting fireworks has blown off his arm at a party on New York's Long Island.<br />
<br />
Suffolk County police say 36-year-old Eric Smith was using a 3-foot long metal tube to shoot mortars from the street near his Islip (EYE'-slip) Terrace home around 5:45 p.m. Saturday.<br />
<br />
Police believe he leaned over the device to ignite it and didn't get out of the way before an explosive shot out of the launcher. His left arm was severed at the shoulder.<br />
<br />
Smith was taken to Southside Hospital in serious condition while friends packed the lost limb in ice to try to save it. Police believe doctors will try to reattach his arm.<br />
<br />
A hospital spokesman didn't immediately return a call.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-67333401148359799762010-07-04T09:43:00.001-04:002010-07-04T09:45:09.202-04:00In Congress, July 4, 1776<i>The <span style="font-size: small;"><b>unanimous</b></span> Declaration of the thirteen united States of America: </i><br />
<br />
<i>We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states...<br />
<br />
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. </i>laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-41677223841466739932010-07-02T00:44:00.003-04:002010-07-02T00:45:29.621-04:00147 years<span style="font-size: small;"><i>the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. it is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[a. lincoln. 19 november 1863]</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">people today have no concept of all the sacrifice that has gone into keeping liberty the core value of this country. it's so sad to see it all just slipping away...</div>laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-63268159073934482072010-06-30T13:10:00.004-04:002010-06-30T13:11:44.847-04:00been dealing with the system a long timeme: "last time i wasn't on the base access list, so today i'm not only bringing printed copies of the entire email chain between my recruiter and the access control officer AND my printed patient appointment log, but i have highlighted them both to emphasize the important information showing that they need to let me through that gate this morning."<br />
<br />
meredith: "you are a bureaucratic rock star."laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16826749.post-22451405645745598572010-06-29T13:08:00.000-04:002010-06-29T13:08:29.255-04:00success20 full push-ups!<br />
<br />
what's been amazing about this isn't this particular accomplishment. it's the fact that the second you (if you're a girl) mentions that you're trying to do push-ups, every male in your life will have advice on the best way to do them, train for them, do more of them, etc. they will come out of the woodwork to tell you how to do them better. it doesn't matter if they are a person who looks like the last time he did a push-up was for the presidential fitness test in the 5th grade. he's immediately a world expert. i'm getting emails, advice at bbq's, discussing it on hiking trips. my students are even sending me facebook messages about it, all with helpful hints.<br />
<br />
don't get me wrong. i'm certainly not complaining. i just find it amusing (and, i'll admit it, pretty cute too). and some of the advice has been really helpful. the ironic thing is that the best advice has come from my father, who didn't attempt to fix my form, training methods, or exercise plan. he told me about the tricks that surface nukes (aka. the navy's geek brigade) use to survive push-up day. in his words, "i am an expert at passing physical fitness tests, without actually being physically fit." apparently you need to do as many as possible before you have to breathe. this method does wonders. and if you do them fast enough, they'll never notice (or care) that you're not actually going as far down as you're supposed to.<br />
<br />
my father is a genius.<br />
<br />
on an slightly related side note, tomorrow i get to spend the whole day at bethesda, trying to convince a whole group of navy doctors that my various genetic and childhood medical issues aren't going to keep me from being able to make power points.laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00544138999918130275noreply@blogger.com0