lauren laughs

i kept forgetting to bring my camera to work to upload pics (hence the recent lull in posts and dearth of graphics), but now i’ll bring you up to speed. last weekend i visited bob in chicago, where he is working for the month. we spent some time with his uncle and fam and their bird and salamander (also named bob) up in libertyville… which happens to be the home of the helanders, so i saw willard too. i think the highlight of the weekend was chatting with bob atop the john hancock building, 95 floors up.

work this week was fairly uneventful considering o’malley was inaugurated wednesday as the new governor of maryland. haven’t seen any pink slips yet. we did have a “slumber party” themed birthday celebration, which was really an excuse for me to wear slippers and bring lj (my teddy bear) to work… yes, the theme was my idea. note that crissy is wearing pj’s over her work clothes. we’re not that casual.

this weekend was packed with parties (christina’s birthday on friday, anna’s going away party on saturday, birthday party for adam, brian and nicole on saturday) but i only have this one pic to post. brian, me and adam looking oh so regal. but stay tuned for an upcoming **first ever** guest blogger on laurenlaughs. it’s history in the making.

chicago the musical has been in baltimore this past week. mom and anna and i caught the show saturday night. this was actually the first time i’d seen the show… i feel like most people have at least seen the movie. it was fabulous. mom and anna knew all the music (as did erin, though she was sitting closer to the front with brian). it’s probably a good thing i didn’t know the songs, else those around me would surely be annoyed. i can’t help but sing music i know. i think “mr. cellophane” and “he had it coming” were my favorite numbers.

mom and anna are both moving at the end of the month, so i’m about to lose two of my best girlfriends. not really lose… but they’ll at least be less accessible. bleh.

apple has this fun program on their new computers called photo booth. if you go to their stores you can try it out. there are lots of effects to choose from, including one that looks like fun house mirrors. oooooohhhhh….

 this was my first christmas without both parents present. i wasn’t sure what to expect and i worried it wouldn’t feel much like christmas at all, but with the help of my “extended” family this christmas was actually very special. christmas eve was spent mostly at mom’s house with pierce and bob. the four of us went to midnight mass where we met up with farhan and roohi. after singing all my favorite christmas hymns (including all the harmonies… i was that girl…) i left church feeling very christmas-y indeed. christmas morning i made an apple tart with over-the-phone tutelage from dad, and i also talked to my brother stephen who was skiing out west… rather, i sang our favorite raffi christmas song to him 🙂 mom made an amazing christmas lunch and we were joined by farhan, roohi and bob. farhan and roohi brought a delicious pakistani dessert that was like creamy sweet spaghetti with dates. mmm.

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

i hope this doesn’t offend mike…

my team at work decided to do secret santa, emphasis on secret. the object was to give someone a gift WITHOUT being detected. apparently mike drew my name out of the santa hat. he went through great lengths to hide his identity. he posted clues in public places leading me to the gift (which was in the mail room) so as not to get caught putting it in my office. smart. but he gave me something that he and i actually bought together at an after christmas sale last year. not smart if you’re trying to be secretive. nice try, santa boy.

maybe you’ve heard about the bionic arm. basically, this prosthetic arm is able to send and receive messages to/from your brain and thus move and grip, etc. much like a real arm would. part human, part robot, all awesome. here is a pic of the most technologically advanced prosthetic arm in the universe that my friend bob is working on. he may actually be leading up the project, or else his work friends tell me that to impress me. what’s important to note is the object the hand is gripping. that is one beautiful baseball. genuine italian leather. perhaps purchased from hamilton robbins, your one stop shop (in lexington at least) for distinctive gifts and design scruples?

every year for as long as i can remember, the cousins on my mom’s side of the family have drawn names to see which cousin they will get a christmas gift for. it’s fun because we’re actually a pretty close knit group, even now that we’re spread out across the states. this year i drew erin (the ballerina on the right) and i’m having fun remembering what gifts thrilled me the most at her age. suggestions? i remember liking really crafty things. i could get a set of 30 markers and my imagination would run wild. i never got too excited about the apple and orange santa would put in my stocking. filler.