How do I love this season?

Let me count the ways...

1. Leaving the windows open in my car and my house.
2. Good hair days, everyday.
3. Baking...anything...for anyone.
4. Shopping for presents.
5. Cinnamon brooms in the produce section at Publix...just a whiff please.
6. Holiday scents including, but not limited to Apples and Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Christmas trees, hot cooked turkey and bourbon ham, fresh baked banana breads and cookies.
7. CHAMPAGNE...a toast anyone?!
8. Putting ornaments on the tree after going into the attic (which is cool enough to go into) to pull out all the decorations boxes.
9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
10. Parties.
11. Eating.
12. The TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Whether you like it or not, the holidays are upon us full force. Don't pay such close attention to the Stock Market, instead pay attention to the ones you love. Don't spend a lot of money, but spend a lot of time.

Six Flags Atlantis

A friend of mine sent me the 'Unofficial Website of Six Flags Atlantis and I just had to share it with you.
http://www.lucas-photo.com/atlantis/history.php
I was born and raised in South FL and I remember going to Atlantis every other Friday during Summer Camp at Sunnyland Summer Camp in Hollywood. This went on for a few years when I was in Elementary and Middle school. What a blast we had. We looked forward to it every time we went. Trying to shove all of my clothes into those tiny lockers, the wave pool, picking the everlasting wedgie out of my butt every time I went down the Thunderbolt, the tube slides and lugging that huge board thing up all those steps to go down that one ride near the far eastern end of the park (the name escapes me now). I remember walking through the candy store on our way out each time (under that really powerful fan) and buying those huge Jaw Breakers that I could barely fit into my mouth. I would also (at least once every summer) stub my big toe on the walkways so bad that it would peel all the skin off because I was running so fast to get the wave pool or the Thunderbolt.

PS) You can totally tell these shots are taken in the 1980's...check out the high fashion!

A jumbled mess of commentary

I have a bunch of things to say and they do not necessarily fit together neatly in any way, shape, or form, but if you know me at all this will not surprise you and as you read on you will slightly turn your head off to one side as you smile just a little bit and think to yourself...that's my Lauren.

• I am doing really WELL in my Chemistry class and the Lab. Really well!
• I went to a baby shower on Sunday and saw a lot of people I haven't seen in YEARS and it was a blast. I think I am still slightly in my sugar coma (but it was totally worth it).
• I am doing very poorly at my Marathon preparation...but when I think about running it in February, I always imagine myself crossing the finish line and mental imagery is 99% of it. It's true, I googled it.
• I watch entirely too much TV, like to the point that I need to cut hours of it out of my life. What's more important, watching actors getting paid exorbitantly to act out lives that real people do not have (except Amazing Race and Top Chef - new season starts tomorrow!) OR living my own life, no matter how mundane and/or lively it is?
• I can't wait to start REALLY redoing my mom's house. She has turned the corner and decided she wants to do it...now just what do we do first?!
• I hate hearing other people's cell phones ringing in the office...Seriously, you can't just put that thing on vibrate and lay it on your desk? Instead, everyone has to listen to the theme song for The Little Mermaid everytime the IT Manager's Verizon phone rings. Dude, I know that you're a Dad, but The Little Mermaid song???
• My goal is to reach the 200 song limit on this player I have set up on my blog so that I can listen to them every day, all day long while I work - for free.
• The holidays are here and I am SO excited. I am going to try to perfect some new homemade gift recipes this year. I love to bake for the ones I love!
• I am not ashamed to say that I didn't vote for Obama, because I didn't...besides, I love an underdog...but it is now time to get to the task of praying for him and Congress and the Senate to make godly decisions for this nation. We are still ONE NATION under GOD. Do you think once he knew he won the election that any point in time he said to himself..."Wow, I won...now what?"

Peace, love, and chicken and grease

New friends!

Jen has an intern this year and we found out that her parents and grandparents live in our community. We were invited to a 'Neighbor Party' on Saturday with 8 other people who also live within walking distance from our house - SWEET!

The best part was that we got along with EVERYONE. They all have really great senses of humor and there were no dead or weird silences throughout the night...just amazing fun. I laughed and laughed until my cheeks burned and my stomach hurt. I made the mistake of eating dinner before going over there (it's the traditional Saturday night steak dinner) and wasn't hungry to eat any of the fabulous stuff that everyone made, although I managed to get a few jalapeno poppers in before the end of the night. We played Scattergories and dominoes and ate cobbler at 10:30pm.

It was 5 1/2 hours full of fun and the next one is scheduled for December 6th. I can't hardly wait and I already know what I am bringing (does this surprise you in the least bit?) There are like 87 pictures of me in the album all with a smile on my face.

It became the goal to try to get me in a picture without a smile on my face. You know it's a fun night when your cell phone falls in the toilet (before you go of course)!

This is how nice these people are (Jackie, Willie, Cara, Joe, Eric, Ken, Libby and Karen)...they walked us home at 1:00am. We looked like the Gang of Scarborough walking through the middle of the street trying to keep our voices down - GOOD FUN!