A while ago the Clark Chronicle contacted me and interviewed me about the death of my friend Rashad.
Here's the finished article:
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/schoolid/2702/articleid/485803/newspaperid/2726/Clark_alum_commits_suicide.aspx
If anyone's interested, this was my full "official statement" to the press:
From what I knew of Rashad, even in his high school days, he was an extremely sensitive young man. He was like Atlas--but instead of carrying the world, he tried to carry the weight of the world's problems. He cared about you. Yes, YOU! Even if he didn't know you, he cared about you. Even more than he cared for himself.
Rashad's moods varied greatly. When he was happy, he was really happy; when he was sad, it consumed him. He struggled with his dark days, but did not believe in medication or even therapy. Personally, I think that, if you need help, there's no shame in asking for it. But Rashad never wanted to help himself. He was all about helping others--and trying to make them laugh.
Rashad wanted to be famous--for anything. Comedy was just one of many attempts at a spot in the limelight. I truly wish that he had been successful. He had so much potential for greatness. But, he chose to jump off Suicide Bridge in Pasadena for a very specific reason: It was his last attempt to be famous. And I think we need to respect that and not try to brush it aside or, worse, cover it up. I realize it's a difficult issue to deal with--especially for the loved ones he left behind--but if we ignore it, then we disrespect him, his memory, and what he was trying to tell us.
For me, and many of the mutual friends who knew him, Rashad's death told a tale of wasted potential. His life was cut short too soon. Our dreams might not always come true right away, but that's no reason to stop dreaming. And, if you need help, it's never too late to ask for it.
***
I thought it was nice that the Clark Chronicle chose to write a tribute to Rashad... Our class graduated over 8 years ago now. No one going to that school remembers him or even knows who he was. But he was a Clarkie. And they wrote about him. That's kinda sweet.
Sure hope 2012 is better than 2011 was.
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanksgiving Weekend 2011
Hey, Everyone!
This is my 140th post on this Blog. :)
First up, I'd like to mention that Ramiro premiered the first few pages of his new comic today. You can read it here (NSFW). And, don't worry, he's got it all finished and ready to go! He's updating on a schedule, but you will be seeing the whole thing (it's done). Enjoy!!
Thanksgiving went well. It was a work day, but Ramiro and I still celebrated it the best we could. It was our first Thanksgiving where we didn't go anywhere (it was just us) and we kept it simple. We cooked a whole chicken in the oven, boiled a butternut squash, and had potato salad on the side. For dessert we had sugar-free pumpkin tarts and sugar-free cherry pie from the Slender Sweet Shoppe in Montrose. Here are some pics:
Yesterday, Ramiro and I saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part One) in theaters. We've seen every Twilight movie thus far and always look forward to them. They're absolutely terrible...but unlike a lot of bad movies out there (and we've seen a LOT of bad movies--more than our fair share, I'd say), they're also terribly entertaining. This one was especially bad (to the point that Ramiro has been referring to it as Twilight: Breaking Wind because it "stank" so bad), but was also especially fun. Seeing it with an audience and hearing their reactions, is what really "made" the movie for me. I wouldn't watch these movies at home, but in the theater they're an extra special treat/experience.
I liked that the opening scene of the movie was Jacob ripping off his shirt. It's like they just gave up and said "Well, here you are, Ladies. We know what you're really here for."
The movie was very, very faithful to the book; but much easier to sit through. I've read all of the books (and I've read segments of them aloud to Ramiro) and that last book was a chore to get through. Especially in its second half. I will say this though: They did NOT wuss out on the birthing scene. Edward [SPOILER] eats the baby out of her just like he does in the book [END SPOILER] and they did a great job on Bella's make-up/effects to make her look gross and horrifying. And they did an equally good job with making her look ultra gorgeous for the makeover sequence at the end.
Other than that, not much has been happening other than "the usual" (writing, health problems, more writing) in real life.
In my FAKE life on my Nintendo 3DS, I ended up getting married in Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns. Man, I love that game.
Here's a pic from my wedding:
I'm playing as a boy. My name is Lame. I always name nameable characters Lame. (It's a long story going back to Pirates Gold! on the Sega Genesis). I married Reina, the botanist chick.
Then, on the last day before I had to get back to work, I busted out Sarahe's copy of The Sims 2 again and made Sims of Ramiro, Ray, and myself. The rest of this entry is just going to be pictures from that. Look if you're interested, if not, I'll say goodbye to you here.
Here we are as Sims:
The way I "play" The Sims 2 is a bit unusual, I guess. I mostly just like to build the houses and then, other than encouraging them to learn how to cook (so they don't set themselves on fire!), I just sit back and watch what they do. *shrugs* They usually get up to interesting shenanigans.
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
This is my 140th post on this Blog. :)
First up, I'd like to mention that Ramiro premiered the first few pages of his new comic today. You can read it here (NSFW). And, don't worry, he's got it all finished and ready to go! He's updating on a schedule, but you will be seeing the whole thing (it's done). Enjoy!!
Thanksgiving went well. It was a work day, but Ramiro and I still celebrated it the best we could. It was our first Thanksgiving where we didn't go anywhere (it was just us) and we kept it simple. We cooked a whole chicken in the oven, boiled a butternut squash, and had potato salad on the side. For dessert we had sugar-free pumpkin tarts and sugar-free cherry pie from the Slender Sweet Shoppe in Montrose. Here are some pics:
One of the least creative posters we've ever seen...
I liked that the opening scene of the movie was Jacob ripping off his shirt. It's like they just gave up and said "Well, here you are, Ladies. We know what you're really here for."
This happened literally 10 seconds in.
The movie was very, very faithful to the book; but much easier to sit through. I've read all of the books (and I've read segments of them aloud to Ramiro) and that last book was a chore to get through. Especially in its second half. I will say this though: They did NOT wuss out on the birthing scene. Edward [SPOILER] eats the baby out of her just like he does in the book [END SPOILER] and they did a great job on Bella's make-up/effects to make her look gross and horrifying. And they did an equally good job with making her look ultra gorgeous for the makeover sequence at the end.
I was also amused that our ticket stubs were pink (they're usually gray).
Other than that, not much has been happening other than "the usual" (writing, health problems, more writing) in real life.
In my FAKE life on my Nintendo 3DS, I ended up getting married in Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns. Man, I love that game.
Here's a pic from my wedding:
After you get married, your spouse asks you what you'd like to be called as a pet name. I picked "Sir" as a joke and now feel horrible every time she says it. *sheepish laugh*
Then, on the last day before I had to get back to work, I busted out Sarahe's copy of The Sims 2 again and made Sims of Ramiro, Ray, and myself. The rest of this entry is just going to be pictures from that. Look if you're interested, if not, I'll say goodbye to you here.
Here we are as Sims:
I chose the "fat" body type for my Sim and she was still thinner than I am in real life! How depressing...
Ramiro as a Sim
Ramiro and me discussing a poster we mutually enjoy.
Sharing our interests apparently ignited our passion... Actually, I mainly took this picture because I just noticed during this scene that the mirrors in The Sims 2 actually work! I know that that's "old" technology now, but it still amazes me.
Then Ray came by. He seemed to be having trouble with his genie lamp. Ramiro looked concerned...
Nope. Guess not. Ramiro called "BS" on Ray and they had a minor tiff, but then...
...It was all good. They started playing video games while my Sim wrote in her journal. (JUST LIKE REAL LIFE!)
They got really into it. Not sure why they're sitting so far apart though.
I guess they won? (That's my Sim making sandwiches for everyone in the kitchen)
I left off when we all sat down to eat lunch.
The way I "play" The Sims 2 is a bit unusual, I guess. I mostly just like to build the houses and then, other than encouraging them to learn how to cook (so they don't set themselves on fire!), I just sit back and watch what they do. *shrugs* They usually get up to interesting shenanigans.
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Monday, November 21, 2011
Dani Sketch
Hey, Everyone!
Nothing to report really. Here's a sneak peak at the illustration that's going to go with tomorrow's Blog entry:
That's right, tomorrow's Blog entry. I'm updating my pro Blog a day early to coincide with a guest post I wrote that's going live over at The Clear Copywriter tomorrow.
So be sure to head on over to http://littlezotz.com/blog in the afternoon tomorrow so you can see that sketch all coloured in and super pretty :)
Night!
--Lauren*
Nothing to report really. Here's a sneak peak at the illustration that's going to go with tomorrow's Blog entry:
Danielle, The Clear Copywriter.
That's right, tomorrow's Blog entry. I'm updating my pro Blog a day early to coincide with a guest post I wrote that's going live over at The Clear Copywriter tomorrow.
So be sure to head on over to http://littlezotz.com/blog in the afternoon tomorrow so you can see that sketch all coloured in and super pretty :)
Night!
--Lauren*
Monday, November 14, 2011
Money + ClipArt
Hey, Everyone!
Ramiro suggested that I write today's post about what we've been going through lately with our money. And to keep it fun, I'm going to use ClipArt (remember that thing??) images to accompany my writing. Delightful, no? Let's go!
Last month, on October 12th, Ramiro and I left Bank of America for a local Credit Union. That's right, we did this well before your fancy "Bank Transfer Day" on November 5th! Anyway, while we're glad we left Bank of America (just because they got rid of that one new fee doesn't mean they're getting rid of all of their ridiculous fees), we've been met with some unexpected challenges since transferring... Namely, we haven't been able to touch our money since we deposited it!
It's not that I haven't been working, or that I haven't been getting paid. Here's the deal: My biggest client pays me "every two weeks" (which is really 2.5 weeks because they send it on the 2 week mark and it gets here in the middle of the 3rd week). And then, since we're new customers, our Credit Union puts a 2 week hold on each paycheck I deposit. And that's 2 weeks of "business" days (M-F). So say you deposited a check today (Monday the 14th)...You wouldn't get to TOUCH that money until Friday, December 2nd (they don't count the day you made the deposit). So, the money we deposited when we opened the account...? That's right. We didn't get to use it until around the 5th. And if you count the 2.5 weeks I had to wait to get the paycheck in the first place, well, we went for over a month with no money.
It's enough to make you want to give up banks all together and just use the ol' mattress-stuffing method!
But then how would you buy things online...?
Anyway, that last paycheck had to go entirely to bills--which, as you would imagine, had stacked up considerably in that month with no money!
I got my next paycheck, but, again, since it was within the one month time limit of being a "new" customer, our money was put on a 2 week hold. So again...2.5 weeks to get the paycheck, and another 2 weeks before our bank lets us use the money (and of course there was a holiday on top of that). So we're going another month with no money.
So now you know why my Blog entries have been so gosh-darned boring lately. It's hard to do anything fun with no money!
In the past couple weeks, we've been sent money from our wonderful family & friends so that we don't starve while waiting to get access to our funds. Thanks, Guys! (You know who you are). We love you and you WILL be paid back soon.
It's SUPER frustrating to actually HAVE money, but not be able to use it!
On the bright side, we finally have a savings account (one of the requirements for opening up a checking account). Longtime readers will remember that that's been a goal of mine for a long time now. Hooray!
And, of course, there's no fees whatsoever and we've really enjoyed the "personal touch" of our new bank. It's been really nice to actually go into a bank (a NICE bank!) and speak to a human being.
So what can you take away from this? Well, I don't normally like to talk about money publicly, but Ramiro and I thought it would be a good idea to share our experience with you--since so many people are transferring their money to local credit unions--so that you would be prepared for any ridiculous holds they might throw at you. Don't put it ALL into the bank like we did...take out some CASH from your old bank and stash it away. If your new bank is anything like ours, you're going to need it!
In the meantime, I'm going to keep working and earning money...that we'll get to use...eventually.
See you next week!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Ramiro suggested that I write today's post about what we've been going through lately with our money. And to keep it fun, I'm going to use ClipArt (remember that thing??) images to accompany my writing. Delightful, no? Let's go!
This is what money looks like.
Last month, on October 12th, Ramiro and I left Bank of America for a local Credit Union. That's right, we did this well before your fancy "Bank Transfer Day" on November 5th! Anyway, while we're glad we left Bank of America (just because they got rid of that one new fee doesn't mean they're getting rid of all of their ridiculous fees), we've been met with some unexpected challenges since transferring... Namely, we haven't been able to touch our money since we deposited it!
Imagine trying to do all the things you normally do...with no money.
It's not that I haven't been working, or that I haven't been getting paid. Here's the deal: My biggest client pays me "every two weeks" (which is really 2.5 weeks because they send it on the 2 week mark and it gets here in the middle of the 3rd week). And then, since we're new customers, our Credit Union puts a 2 week hold on each paycheck I deposit. And that's 2 weeks of "business" days (M-F). So say you deposited a check today (Monday the 14th)...You wouldn't get to TOUCH that money until Friday, December 2nd (they don't count the day you made the deposit). So, the money we deposited when we opened the account...? That's right. We didn't get to use it until around the 5th. And if you count the 2.5 weeks I had to wait to get the paycheck in the first place, well, we went for over a month with no money.
It's enough to make you want to give up banks all together and just use the ol' mattress-stuffing method!
I can't believe ClipArt had a graphic for that.
Anyway, that last paycheck had to go entirely to bills--which, as you would imagine, had stacked up considerably in that month with no money!
I got my next paycheck, but, again, since it was within the one month time limit of being a "new" customer, our money was put on a 2 week hold. So again...2.5 weeks to get the paycheck, and another 2 weeks before our bank lets us use the money (and of course there was a holiday on top of that). So we're going another month with no money.
Are you thinking about money? This guy is.
So now you know why my Blog entries have been so gosh-darned boring lately. It's hard to do anything fun with no money!
In the past couple weeks, we've been sent money from our wonderful family & friends so that we don't starve while waiting to get access to our funds. Thanks, Guys! (You know who you are). We love you and you WILL be paid back soon.
This image represents the best thing to get in the mail ever.
It's SUPER frustrating to actually HAVE money, but not be able to use it!
On the bright side, we finally have a savings account (one of the requirements for opening up a checking account). Longtime readers will remember that that's been a goal of mine for a long time now. Hooray!
ClipArt's image for "saving money."
And, of course, there's no fees whatsoever and we've really enjoyed the "personal touch" of our new bank. It's been really nice to actually go into a bank (a NICE bank!) and speak to a human being.
So what can you take away from this? Well, I don't normally like to talk about money publicly, but Ramiro and I thought it would be a good idea to share our experience with you--since so many people are transferring their money to local credit unions--so that you would be prepared for any ridiculous holds they might throw at you. Don't put it ALL into the bank like we did...take out some CASH from your old bank and stash it away. If your new bank is anything like ours, you're going to need it!
In the meantime, I'm going to keep working and earning money...that we'll get to use...eventually.
See you next week!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Monday, November 7, 2011
Goodbye, October!
Hey, Everyone!
I was going to make a long post musing over the last month's events, but...nah.
Last month was a very tough month. I'd almost go so far to say that it was excruciating to get through!
I'm glad it's over.
I have high hopes for November! :)
Also, there's not going to be an update on my "pro" Blog over at my website this Wednesday. But there's still going to be updates on Tues/Thurs as usual over at ReviewHat.
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
I was going to make a long post musing over the last month's events, but...nah.
Last month was a very tough month. I'd almost go so far to say that it was excruciating to get through!
I'm glad it's over.
I have high hopes for November! :)
Also, there's not going to be an update on my "pro" Blog over at my website this Wednesday. But there's still going to be updates on Tues/Thurs as usual over at ReviewHat.
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
R.I.P. Rashad Varma
The first thing I ever said to Rashad was "goodbye."
I had gone to watch the premiere of my friend James' student film at a funny little coffee shop (one of those places that had great atmosphere, but terrible coffee). Rashad was there too.
Once the event was over, we ended up standing around together in the parking lot, waiting for our parents to pick us up. Rashad was staring at me. I stared back. He finally spoke:
"You're a strange, quiet girl," he said. "I've never heard you say anything! Not ONE word!"
With the impeccably perfect timing that doesn't happen enough in life, my parents arrived at that very moment.
"Goodbye," I said, and climbed into the back of my parents' car.
Rashad roared with laughter. I had said my one word.
It was a laugh that I would hear many times to come.
It's only appropriate that our friendship would end the way it began: Goodbye, Rashad.
Rest in Peace.
--Lauren*
I had gone to watch the premiere of my friend James' student film at a funny little coffee shop (one of those places that had great atmosphere, but terrible coffee). Rashad was there too.
Once the event was over, we ended up standing around together in the parking lot, waiting for our parents to pick us up. Rashad was staring at me. I stared back. He finally spoke:
"You're a strange, quiet girl," he said. "I've never heard you say anything! Not ONE word!"
With the impeccably perfect timing that doesn't happen enough in life, my parents arrived at that very moment.
"Goodbye," I said, and climbed into the back of my parents' car.
Rashad roared with laughter. I had said my one word.
It was a laugh that I would hear many times to come.
It's only appropriate that our friendship would end the way it began: Goodbye, Rashad.
Rest in Peace.
--Lauren*
Monday, October 31, 2011
Halloween 2011
Hey, Everyone!
Happy Halloween!
Last week was more or less of a constant nightmare. So I'm not going to talk about it. Instead, I'm going to talk about the one good day we had, which was yesterday. We carved pumpkins:
I was really happy with the way everyone's pumpkins turned out this year! We all really stepped up our games and gave it our all. Check 'em out!
Dad's:
Mom's:
Mine (2):
Ramiro's (2):
And, as promised, here they all are with the lights out:
You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them for a better look.
As for what I did today...?
Come on, Guys! It's Monday. I worked. You know I'm no fun on weekdays.
Happy Halloween!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Happy Halloween!
Last week was more or less of a constant nightmare. So I'm not going to talk about it. Instead, I'm going to talk about the one good day we had, which was yesterday. We carved pumpkins:
Your reward for getting to the end of this post is seeing these babies in the dark!
I was really happy with the way everyone's pumpkins turned out this year! We all really stepped up our games and gave it our all. Check 'em out!
Dad's:
Mom's:
Mine (2):
Ramiro's (2):
And, as promised, here they all are with the lights out:
As for what I did today...?
Come on, Guys! It's Monday. I worked. You know I'm no fun on weekdays.
Happy Halloween!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
All for One...
Hey, Everyone!
Still not much to report other than "the usual." Have you been reading my "pro" Blog (updates Wednesdays) and ReviewHat (updates Tues/Thurs)? Other than that, I've just been doing my every day work for WebTalk Radio and writing articles for various clients.
I did, however, hang out with my parents on Saturday. We went out to eat and then saw this movie:
It was about what you'd expect from a Three Musketeers movie (but with perhaps more explosions than usual).
Some things I really liked: They used an actual teenager to play D'Artagnan! I also thought that the King & Queen were simply adorable, and I liked how everyone looked very at home in their froo-froo costumes (probably because most of the cast seems to have been typecast for these types of movies--I swear, I've never seen Orlando Bloom in street clothes!). I was able to believe that, yes, those are the Three Musketeers, not actors playing awkward dress-up (a problem I had with the 1993 Disney version).
Some things I didn't like: The movie was under 2 hours long, but felt like it was much, much longer. I also hated the 3D--It served no purpose other than to give me a headache. Up until the last scene (where the Musketeers point their swords at the camera and do their "One for all..." catchphrase), I didn't even notice the 3D. It would have been just as good (better!!) if it had been in 2D.
Like that review? You should head on over to ReviewHat to read some of my reviews of everyday items! ;)
That's all for now. Time to start my work day!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Still not much to report other than "the usual." Have you been reading my "pro" Blog (updates Wednesdays) and ReviewHat (updates Tues/Thurs)? Other than that, I've just been doing my every day work for WebTalk Radio and writing articles for various clients.
I did, however, hang out with my parents on Saturday. We went out to eat and then saw this movie:
Click pic to enlarge
It was about what you'd expect from a Three Musketeers movie (but with perhaps more explosions than usual).
Some things I really liked: They used an actual teenager to play D'Artagnan! I also thought that the King & Queen were simply adorable, and I liked how everyone looked very at home in their froo-froo costumes (probably because most of the cast seems to have been typecast for these types of movies--I swear, I've never seen Orlando Bloom in street clothes!). I was able to believe that, yes, those are the Three Musketeers, not actors playing awkward dress-up (a problem I had with the 1993 Disney version).
Some things I didn't like: The movie was under 2 hours long, but felt like it was much, much longer. I also hated the 3D--It served no purpose other than to give me a headache. Up until the last scene (where the Musketeers point their swords at the camera and do their "One for all..." catchphrase), I didn't even notice the 3D. It would have been just as good (better!!) if it had been in 2D.
Like that review? You should head on over to ReviewHat to read some of my reviews of everyday items! ;)
That's all for now. Time to start my work day!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Monday, October 17, 2011
Terrible Gifts and a Healthier Future
Hey, Everyone!
Not much to report on this end. I was ill for most of the week's end.
A few of you know that I've been having some complications with my health recently that have resulted in massive migraines, vomiting, dizzy spells, and on-going fatigue over the past few months. Fortunately, I'm finally starting a medication to "fix" these problems as of tomorrow. To which I say "Hooray!--if it works..." Hopefully there won't be any weird side-effects.
Also, you remember Robert and Ringo, right? Of course you do. Who wouldn't remember these guys:
They tried to make me feel better by bringing me gifts!
Unfortunately those gifts were a grotesquely mangled mouse (thanks, Ringo...) and a live wasp (thanks, Robert...).
Since Christmas is coming, I'll take this time to mention that I consider dead mice and live wasps terrible gifts. Please do not get me any. ~_~
That's about it! Everything else I've done consisted of "the usual" (writing for clients, working on my professional Blog, tinkering with ReviewHat, and so on).
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Not much to report on this end. I was ill for most of the week's end.
A few of you know that I've been having some complications with my health recently that have resulted in massive migraines, vomiting, dizzy spells, and on-going fatigue over the past few months. Fortunately, I'm finally starting a medication to "fix" these problems as of tomorrow. To which I say "Hooray!--if it works..." Hopefully there won't be any weird side-effects.
Also, you remember Robert and Ringo, right? Of course you do. Who wouldn't remember these guys:
"Oh, yeah... Those guys..."
They tried to make me feel better by bringing me gifts!
Unfortunately those gifts were a grotesquely mangled mouse (thanks, Ringo...) and a live wasp (thanks, Robert...).
Since Christmas is coming, I'll take this time to mention that I consider dead mice and live wasps terrible gifts. Please do not get me any. ~_~
That's about it! Everything else I've done consisted of "the usual" (writing for clients, working on my professional Blog, tinkering with ReviewHat, and so on).
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
They rolled over at the exact same time. I lol'd hard.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Next Week for Sure!
Hey, Everyone!
I'm too busy to make a proper Blog post this week!
But be sure to check out my professional Blog on Wednesday for a new update titled "That's Not My Job... Is it?" I think you'll like it!
Also, ReviewHat is updating every Tuesday and Thursday now. Two updates a week!
So, as you can see, I may not have anything on my personal Blog this week, but I'm far from leaving you with nothing to read! :)
And, of course, here's a brand new cat pic for ya:
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
I'm too busy to make a proper Blog post this week!
But be sure to check out my professional Blog on Wednesday for a new update titled "That's Not My Job... Is it?" I think you'll like it!
Also, ReviewHat is updating every Tuesday and Thursday now. Two updates a week!
So, as you can see, I may not have anything on my personal Blog this week, but I'm far from leaving you with nothing to read! :)
And, of course, here's a brand new cat pic for ya:
At least someone gets to relax this week! ;)
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com
Monday, October 3, 2011
!!!REVIEW HAT!!!...and the Oktoberfest
Hello, Everyone!
The time has finally come for me to announce the "secret" project I've been working on! Check THIS out:
http://reviewhat.com
Please click on either of those two links (or the picture itself) to be magically transported to ReviewHat--a site for reviews. It's a joint project between Ramiro, our friend Ray, and myself. You can read more about it in the site's "About" section. I hope you find our reviews useful (and maybe a little funny).
So that's my big announcement that you've waited two weeks to hear!
In other news, I was in the hospital on Friday. (What a way to end September!). I passed another kidney stone. I won't go into details... Unless you want me to. If you ask me, I will regale you with all the bloody (literally) details and you will cringe in horror and awe.
On the bright side, I got to see a rainbow on our way to the hospital...
The next morning, Ramiro, Ray, and I got in the car and headed a few towns over to the Montrose Oktoberfest. I'd promised 2 months in advance that I would be there to help film my dojo's demonstration. Plus, I love the martial arts demo! I wouldn't miss it just because I was in pain and on anti-biotics! So I suited up in long-sleeves, pants, a hat, and plenty of sunscreen (I wasn't supposed to go out in the sun thanks to the anti-biotics the doc gave me) in 90+ degree heat and filmed the demo!
Everyone performed really well! While I was filming the action with a video camera, Ray was behind me taking still pictures with my digital camera. Here's a couple:
The time has finally come for me to announce the "secret" project I've been working on! Check THIS out:
Please click on either of those two links (or the picture itself) to be magically transported to ReviewHat--a site for reviews. It's a joint project between Ramiro, our friend Ray, and myself. You can read more about it in the site's "About" section. I hope you find our reviews useful (and maybe a little funny).
So that's my big announcement that you've waited two weeks to hear!
In other news, I was in the hospital on Friday. (What a way to end September!). I passed another kidney stone. I won't go into details... Unless you want me to. If you ask me, I will regale you with all the bloody (literally) details and you will cringe in horror and awe.
On the bright side, I got to see a rainbow on our way to the hospital...
Everyone performed really well! While I was filming the action with a video camera, Ray was behind me taking still pictures with my digital camera. Here's a couple:
About to begin. That's Master Armen Heroian in the red jacket.
Ryan up in the air with his bo-staff!
I taught most of those kids! I'm so proud. :3
Master Dannon doing his thing.
Look out! Those kicks are coming right at you!
Everyone lined up to take a bow.
It was a great demonstration. I wished I could have been up there with them. I used to really enjoy being a part of the Oktoberfest demos. :)
Despite my precautions, I was feeling pretty woozy by the end of the demo so the guys and I went home immediately after it was over.
I spent Sunday resting and putting the final touches on ReviewHat.
And, today, I'm back to work! One day of recovery is more than enough for a tough gal like I am! (I hope...)
Oh, and be sure to tune into my pro Blog on Wednesday for another thrilling "People I Know" interview! It's slightly Halloween-themed, so you know it's gonna be good! ;)
See you next Monday!
--Lauren*
PS: If any of you Glendale Villari people want more pics from the Oktoberfest demo, feel free to e-mail me at littlezotz@gmail.com Ray took about 40 pics!
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