Author Archives: lauholder

Jul 24 2008
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perfect score

north carolinians everywhere might as well roll out the welcome mat to their newest resident; yours truly just got her license.

this is a big deal for 2 reasons… a) it’s symbolic of the fact that i’m putting down roots here (though i confess my heart is still mostly in maryland), and b) in order to get a NC license, you must first pass a driver’s test. the test is full of obscure questions like, “what percentage of driving accidents are due to drunk driving?” is it really necessary that i know the exact percentage to be a good driver? isn’t it enough to know not to drink and drive?

lucky for me, someone in my office mentioned that one could find a “study guide” (i refuse to call it a cheat sheet) online. thus, this little lady got a perfect score… booyah!

(really, what ever happened to people saying booyah?!?)

when i got back to my job, at the church, i was amazed to find kids moon-bouncing inside. yep, you can fit two moon-bouncers in our “multi purpose” space (which happens to be used for our contemporary services). who knew? and when can i bounce?

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Jul 23 2008
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google hearts walkers

i use google maps a lot… mostly because i’m new to town. i love how when getting directions, you can use your mouse to drag your route onto smaller (less trafficky) roads. great for bikers. but NOW there’s an additional option! when getting directions, you can click “by car” or “walking.” not only does it automatically move your route to roads less traveled, but it also estimates your walking time! i think this change denotes some serious behavior changes in the US. i’m so proud.

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Jul 23 2008
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car shopping

really, i ought to say virtual car shopping… as i’ve yet to test drive a single vehicle… but in my imagination, i’ve narrowed down my options to the perfect car. the 2007 nissan versa hatchback sl… with a sunroof. i’ve only found ONE with a sunroof so far, and it’s in dulles, which makes me think i should fly up to dc and visit lots of friends on the drive back south. sounds like a week of fun, right? and i’d need that week to learn how to drive stick, as the ONE versa sl with sunroof happens to be a manual. no worries. i actually think i’d be a great manual driver, given 2 or 3 days of roadtripping and couch surfing. sadly, i don’t have time for such ventures… not for another 2 weeks, at least… and by then my currently “perfect” car will likely be sold… eventually replaced by another potentially “perfect” set of wheels. i mean, i’ll be driving this car for the next 10 years, so it’s got to be just right. for now, though, the bus and bike are still fun. liberating, even. still, the possibility of purchasing a car in the near future looms large.

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Jul 21 2008
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recovery

it appears that for every day of hanging out/working/living with middle schoolers (that would be last sunday through wednesday), i need an equal portion of sloth and sleep (thursday through sunday). but finally, i have emerged from hibernation.

i did peek my head out the door a couple of times during the 4-day respite. i went to the cardiologist for an echocardiagram. those are fun! it’s like an ultra-sound, except that i watched my heart beating on a screen instead of a fetus. small difference.

i later biked to the ymca (2.5 hilly miles), tried one of their yoga classes (i was impressed) and then biked back home. it pretty much felt like 3 workouts in 1, but i’m sure that will improve as i get back to an exercise routine.

finally, i went out with some friends and met some new peeps on saturday. always fun to meet new people. then two of us split off to take on the salsa scene. i’m pretty sure that in flip-flops, i could out-dance any girl there. they could all kick my butt in heels, though. which is unfortunate, as no real salsa dancer wears flip-flops. (sigh).

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Jul 07 2008
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salsa hurts

i went salsa dancing last week… twice.

wednesday i went with a guy named ricardo. “lauren laughs” regulars will understand the humor in this small coincidence. anyway, ricardo took me to a place that starts with lessons before moving to just plain dancing. we did the first (beginner) lesson. easy… a tad boring. we asked one of the instructors if we could do the intermediate lesson too. she hesitated and said yes, but just to sit it out if we felt it was too advanced. psha. we rocked the intermediate class so well that the same instructor walked up to us later and asked us to audition for the advanced class that will be starting later this month: “just throw something together.” okay. maybe…

i danced with the other instructor at one point, a man in pointy white shoes (mandatory for all male salsa teachers). sadly, i stubbed my toe on his shoes, breaking my toenail and spewing blood everywhere. that was fun. i really need to invest in salsa shoes.

but you can’t let a broken toe nail keep you on the sidelines of life. no sir. thursday night i was back at it, with some new friends.  i just need to stop responding in french when spoken to in spanish!

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Jul 03 2008
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progressive kitchen 1

i don’t so much have a “fully functional” kitchen yet. i’m reminded of this at odd moments… like when i bought a can of beats to eat on a salad, but then realized i had no can opener. nothing a pocket knife can’t fix. or when i decided i’d make brownies this weekend, but had to do so without measuring cups. the result: brownie goo the entire staff made fun of.

so i’m on a mission this week/weekend to set up my kitchen. i’ve got dad’s monster van parked in the driveway till sunday, so i might as well make use of it! so far, i’ve purchased a spice rack (including 20 spices), a liquid measuring cup and a strainer. odd mix, i know.

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Jul 01 2008
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musica

two awesome finds this week:

1. paste. the magazine. they send you a new cd every month with new releases! how cool is that? and it’s only 20 bucks for a year subscription. awesome.

2. wrnr online! in case you didn’t know, the very best radio station of all time happens to live in downtown annapolis. life without wrnr has been a sad void of sound, till carolyn told me to just plug-in online! it’s so much easier to get out of bed in the morning knowing “planet alex” is just a click away.

good stuff.

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Jun 30 2008
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fun with paint

i LOVE the vintage wallpaper that adorned my bathroom up until this weekend. it was so super cool, but it was peeling in the worst way… so it had to go. let me tell you, taking wallpaper down from the wall is no easy task. goodbye lovely little butterflies on yellowed background…
and then i painted, which was also a bit of a task… mostly because i had no step ladder so i did all kinds of acrobatics to get from one high corner to the next. painting has always been a social event for me, usually helping friends, but this time i was going it alone, and that was quite nice too. i kept thinking, ‘i’m doing this just for me.’ sounds silly, but it’s a rare occasion that i put that much effort into anything that’s only going to benefit me. i’m still debating if i like this blue, though…

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Jun 27 2008
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go cats!

sometimes my mom likes to remind me that i was a cheerleader by thrusting her finger up in the air and shouting, “go keeaaaatts!” because that’s how we used to say it in high school.

this is a different kind of cats. this is the city bus.

after my woe-is-me-i-have-no-social-life moment yesterday, i did indeed email some friends to see what was going on this weekend (the answer is EVERYone is leaving town), and someone tipped me off about an outdoor music venue downtown. so i pulled out my bus map and went downtown. easiest thing ever. even coming back in the dark and rain wasn’t a problem. i kept thinking, i’m on a reputable city bus with lots of people, and that’s got to be safer than riding on the back of a motorcycle with a stranger in benin, right? i am lovin’ me some public transportation.

not to mention… i met someone last night that likes both biodiesel AND salsa. i mean, what are the odds. thank you city bus, for expanding my social horizons.

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Jun 26 2008
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snails pace social life

well i never thought the day would come when i was bored on nights and weekends… but it has. i am meeting lots of people and i have at least one social activity a week, but i’m spending even more time alone here than i did in benin. part of me knows i ought to enjoy the respite. in two months’ time i’ll be longing for the days when i could come home and do nothing but read. but when it’s almost every day? it gets old. my eyes hurt from reading. last night i thought i’d give myself a break by watching a movie… but i only have one… love actually… yeah… great movie to watch when you’re already feeling a bit lonely. yesterday, in a moment of weakness, i even agreed to babysit on a saturday night. this is serious.

ok. i will stop whining at start being proactive. i’m going to email my new acquaintances and make plans. right. now.

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