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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Christmas Photos!

Christmas 2008 - 1

It was an excellent Christmas in Dallas, filled with family and lots of good times.

Christmas 2008 - 29

We must have all been very good, because Santa (and Mom and Dad and all the family) was very good to us!

Christmas 2008 - 24

Christmas 2008 - 17

Christmas 2008 - 8

The food was good, the company even better. To see all the photos from Christmas, click here.

And happy new year!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Snow Day!



The wind chill this morning is -17 and it's snowing. I have to admit, I'm kind of excited to have an excuse NOT to run all my errands today.

So, if anyone needs me, I'll be here on the sofa, wrapped up in blankets, enjoying my own personal snow day.

*snuggles in for a long winter's nap*

(The clip is from the movie "Elf" which is actually a really cute Christmas movie. I thought there was more to this cute little duet, but that's all they wrote!)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Geni.com Family Tree



I just started playing with the family tree tool at Geni.com and it's addictive and kind of fun! I think it would be so neat if a lot of us started contributing to it, uploading photos, adding events to the timeline, etc., to create a living picture of what's going on with our family.

I think I sent out invitations via the website for people to join me, but if you didn't get one don't be offended! It was something of a squirrely process! Just send me an email if you want to join or leave a comment here and I'll be sure you get on.

I'll start adding photos once I have access to them from home!

Friday, December 05, 2008

Las Cruces

I promised photos of Thanksgiving in Las Cruces and, more importantly, the bundle of adorableness that is my nephew!

Uncle and Nephew
Seth was immediately taken with his uncle Brandon. He shouted "UNCLE! UNCLE!" throughout the whole trip, wanting Brandon nearby, playing with him, or watching what he was doing at all times. It was pretty freaking adorable.

Seth
I was surprised at how well he did on the hike we took on Friday. He didn't complain much, and walked a lot of the way by himself. But he was a little too fascinated with rocks — of which there were MANY lining the path — and he really wasn't having any of the backpack/carrier his parents provided.

Lacy and Seth
He did, however, get pretty sleepy by the end, and he took a nap on my shoulder for a while until my arms gave out and I had to give him up to someone else to carry. He was pretty good at saying "Lacy" because his speech therapist's name was Lacy!


Overall, he is such a sweet, fun, happy boy! He's a joy to be around, and I know his parents and grandparents are so very, very proud.

Frost


Frost
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

We got 4 inches of snow yesterday in Broomfield, and I awoke this morning to the most intricate coating of frost over everything. Absolutely beautiful.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Blogging, Blogging Everywhere!

For those who are interested, here's a look at some of our designers' work on the Weaver Design Blog.

And, although we don't post much in the way of samples, you're welcome to check out the conversation at the Weaver Editorial Blog.

Monday, December 01, 2008

A Guide to Lacy on the Web

So, I'm on the web a lot. A LOT, a lot. More than I probably should be. But there are a lot of places to keep up with my various interests and what I'm doing, and I thought I should create a handy-dandy list for anyone who is interested.

First and foremost, this blog is best for you, my family and friends, who want to keep up with me. This is where I post personal stuff about my life, my travels, my work, my photos, etc. If you fall into the category of family and or friends, never fear! You are in the right place. This blog's for you!

If, however, you are interested in what else I'm doing, here's where to look:

  • Swurl – The Web According to Lacy – OK, so this is the mac daddy of them all. This nifty little service aggregates (almost) everything I do online. Not only will you be able to see blog posts, photos and links to interesting stuff, like you can here, you will also see what movies I'm watching from Netflix, what stuff I've added to my Amazon wish list, and all my mini updates from Twitter and Facebook. The only thing NOT aggregated on this page is my livejournal, because it's not supported yet. But as soon as it is, I'll add it. If you want a quick overview look at what else I'm doing online, this is the place for you!

  • The Spiral Notebook – This is what I like to think of as my "professional" blog. I write here about my trials and travails with writing and review books that I've read. When I become a rich and famous author, this will be my website. Unless I make a better one. ;)

  • Lux Aeterna – This is my livejournal and as such, is mostly about fannish things — TV shows and movies I watch, books I read, etc. It's mostly a good way for me to keep in touch with my online friends. Anyone is welcome to read, just beware the rabid fangirls.

  • The Me Makeover – This blog started about a year ago as just a place for me to record my progress on my resolutions and goals, and it continues as such.

  • Photos on Flickr – This is my flickr page. All my flickr photos rotate in that cute little box on the right hand side of this page, and you can get there by clicking on any of them. But if you'd like to bookmark the main page, this is it.

  • Twitter – Twitter is a "micro-blogging" service, through which you can only make posts of 140 characters or fewer. Allison told me to get on Twitter, so I blame her for this, exclusively.

And that's it! OK, so it's a lot. And yes, I might have a problem. But I also have fun.

See you on the web!

So. Much. Snow.

So, the drive from Santa Fe to Denver that should have taken about six hours, maybe seven because we had a leisurely lunch? Took TWELVE HOURS. We got to Colorado Springs and everything just stopped. It usually takes about an hour to travel the 60 or so miles from Denver to Colorado Springs. Last night? It took four hours.

Seriously. Four hours. I wanted to kill somebody. Particularly CDOT, who had not plowed the roads. At all.

That's the end of my complaining, I swear. Photos to follow.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Election Day

"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."



Did you?

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Weaver Halloween


Weaver Halloween
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Happy Halloween! I've got some fun photos of Halloween shennanigans at work yesterday up on Flickr. We carved pumpkins, decorated cupcakes, and watched the Thriller video. Good times.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Miles of Pumpkins


Miles of Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Taken with my phone (so excuse the low quality), this is a view of the pumpkin patch near our house. That orange glow on the hills? All pumpkins.

Autumn Glory


Autumn Glory
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is the tree right outside our condo (as seen from our front porch). Autumn in Colorado ROCKS.

Photos from the State Fair of Texas!

My friend and coworker Hernan and I had so much fun at the State Fair! Petting zoo! Baby goats! Dog show! Ferris wheel! Fried bacon! :D


I think the fair was actually more fun than I remembered it. It wasn't nearly so hot!


Did you know that the Texas Star is the largest Ferris wheel in North America?
(And did you know that Ferris wheel was capitalized? It is.
This is what you learn writing travel guides.)


Chicken fried bacon! Seriously!



More photos soon. I took some with the old-fashioned film camera, and they still need to be developed.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Obama


Obama - 8
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Guess who I got to see speak today?

It was so awesome! Of course, the waiting for about four hours was less awesome, but still worth it. He spoke at Mountain View High School, less than five miles from our house. In total, there were probably around 2,000 people there — but still, what an incredible experience to see him speak in such a relatively small venue! We had pretty great seats, as you can see.

My favorite part was when he started to say, "If I become president..." and someone in the crowd shouted, "WHEN!" and the entire gym was on its feet, clapping and cheering. It was pretty astounding.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Oh Em Gee!!!!

Brandon got up at 6:30 this morning to stand in line and he got us tickets to see Obama tomorrow! I'm wicked excited!!!!

Monday, September 22, 2008

More Birthday Trip to Aspen


Birthday Trip to Aspen - 1
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Look at my handsome husband! A couple more photos added to the birthday set — I took actual film photos and had to get them developed!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Into in the Woods


Lacy in the Woods.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is maybe my new favorite picture of me. ;)

Brandon at the Cantina in Aspen


Brandon at the Cantina.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Yesterday, we took off and drove up to Aspen to see some fall color and celebrate Brandon's birthday. click here to see all the photos!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Me sorting books


Me sorting books
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

I promised more photos of the blue hair, and now there are a few on my flickr page! This one and several others are from my volunteer day this Wednesday. My company gives us a day off to go volunteer for the cause of our choice. My group chose education, so we went and sorted donated books in the morning, then changed clothes and headed to a local high school to talk about our careers in the afternoon.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Volunteering

Yesterday, some coworkers and I volunteered to talk to some high school kids at West High in Denver about our careers and how we got here.



More photos to follow!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Corporate Safari

If anybody's even remotely interested in what I do at my job, I just found out that there's this funny video we made a couple of years ago, starring my friend Johnny D. :D

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Hurricane Ike


Time to activate the circle of good vibrations, people.

My sister and brother in law, as well as my aunt and uncle and cousins all live in Houston and are currently figuring out what to do and where to go for Ike. Current predictions are saying there will be a 14-foot storm surge or more with winds in excess of 120 mph. The fear is that the storm could come right up the Houston ship canal and flood the city.

My parents, in Dallas, are reporting that the news is saying THEY could get as much as a foot of rain and 65mph winds.

I believe in the power of positive thinking, so if it crosses your mind in the next few days, please think positive thoughts for my family and all the residents of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Gwen, Lacy, and Brandon


Gwen, Lacy, and Brandon
Originally uploaded by jaredwbrown.

Just a fun photo of us and friend/coworker Gwen at friend/coworker Hannah's wedding.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Ambient Awareness and Social Networking

This article in the New York Times Magazine is a fascinating look at a particular kind of social networking that provides realtime updates about the minutiae of our lives. Services like Facebook and Twitter provide an opportunity for users to update friends on their "status" at any time of day with brief one or two-line descriptions of what they're doing.
This is the paradox of ambient awareness. Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like “a type of E.S.P.,” as Haley described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life.
The article also dives into the question of whether following or "friending" people on these sorts of sites truly constitutes a social relationship. Can I be friends with someone I've never physically met?
As I interviewed some of the most aggressively social people online — people who follow hundreds or even thousands of others — it became clear that the picture was a little more complex than this question would suggest. Many maintained that their circle of true intimates, their very close friends and family, had not become bigger. […]
But where their sociality had truly exploded was in their “weak ties” — loose acquaintances, people they knew less well. It might be someone they met at a conference, or someone from high school who recently “friended” them on Facebook, or somebody from last year’s holiday party. In their pre-Internet lives, these sorts of acquaintances would have quickly faded from their attention. But when one of these far-flung people suddenly posts a personal note to your feed, it is essentially a reminder that they exist.
And, according to the author, this social network of "weak ties" is incredibly powerful. I have a friend online — who, incidentally, I have only met once in person — who calls this, "the wisdom of the internets." She has a blog with a large (3,000+) following of avid readers. If she has a problem or a question, her cadre of readers is usually the first place she turns for advice.

This may seem like a strange new world to some, but for others, it's just how life is. Think about a generation younger than us who have never lived in a world without Facebook! The article makes some interesting conclusions about that, from a socialogical prospective as well.

The status update is becoming a literary genre, an answer to the dictum to "know thyself." It can even be a sort of zen reflection on life.

"Indeed, the question that floats eternally at the top of Twitter’s Web site — “What are you doing?” — can come to seem existentially freighted. What are you doing?"

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Purple Cow


I never saw a Purple Cow; I never hope to See One; But I can Tell you, Anyhow, I'd rather See than Be One.


Well, Mr. Burgess, I have seen one. In my office. In the lobby. In fact, it scared the dickens out of me the first time I walked in and saw it. Apparently, our new tennants brought it. I have a feeling its one of those that they put on street corners and then auction off for charity.

But still. There's little more random that walking into work and staring down a purple cow.

Friday, August 29, 2008

I want to believe.

"Vote for him or do not; but take pride that this nation can produce men and speakers such as that." - Keith Olbermann 8/28/08

I have never been called to proselytize — on religion, or politics or much of anything. I firmly believe it is not my place to tell anyone else how to think or act or believe. So please consider this not an attempt to change anyone's mind or even to influence anyone's thinking, but rather, simply the act of recording the moment when I made up my own mind.

It is no small irony to me that Michelle Obama got in trouble for saying this very thing, but I am finally, truly, honestly feeling proud to be an American.

I have always loved parts of my country. I love its ideals, its ingenuity, its capacity for greatness, its propensity towards hope. But I will admit here and now that in my adult lifetime, I have never felt those good qualities embodied in a politician, a governing body or even much of a legislative act. The closest I have come was watching Rudy Giuliani leading people down the streets of New York — not because I think he is a great politician, but because in those few moments on that black day, I think he overcame the politician in him and was a leader. Too bad he had to go back and ruin that with politics.

I have never trusted a politician. I never knew a time when people were enamored of their leader. I'm too young to really remember much of Regan and not old enough to ever have experienced the passion Kennedy inspired. But I think I understand it now.

Up until last night, when asked, I was hard pressed to come up with a reason why I liked Obama so much. It was just a gut feeling. I wasn't ready to get involved, because I couldn't really speak to his position on the issues; the news reports I watched and the pundits I listened to made it seem as though, in reality, he wasn't that far off from Hillary Clinton or even John McCain on the details. It seemed silly to tell people he just felt right somehow, though I know in my heart that is how many of us decide who to vote for. I was careful when speaking about him to most people. I said I liked him because he was different, because he is a great speaker, because he represents a departure from the same old same old if only in the sound of his name and the color of his skin. Secretly, I just wanted to believe.

But now I can tell you why I think he is the right man for the job. Listening to him last night, I agreed with nearly everything he said. I agree with his energy policy. I agree that we need to talk to those who disagree with us, rather than simply bullying the world into doing what we want, but that we also need to be able to protect ourselves and our allies. I agree that taking care of those who cannot care for themselves is a government's function.

But more than any of those things, the part of his speech that had me on the edge of my seat was the part about personal responsibility. I actually shouted out loud when he started saying those things. I can't remember ever hearing a major national politician have the guts to say, yes, government is here to help you but you also have to help each other and yourselves.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves – protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America – the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now.

[…]

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility – that's the essence of America's promise.


THAT is what I agree with. I believe what he said. He has articulated for me the platform about our country I have been searching for. Individual and mutual responsibility is the ideal I have been trying to articulate, trying to find in my own life. It speaks to so many things that interest me from energy conservation to eating locally to participating in a community. For the first time in my life, I found myself wondering how I could get involved in this campaign, and further, how I could use my own gifts and serve.

That is why I am going to vote for Barack Obama. He makes me not only hope for a better America, he makes me want to be a better American.


Read or watch his full speech here.


Friday, August 15, 2008

Family Visit to Colorado


Emily and Elk
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

We had so much fun when Mom and Emily came to visit at the end of July! Finally got some photos uploaded. Don't miss the video of the elk and the marmot!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Best. Video. Ever.

Full disclosure: this nearly made me cry, so have the tissues handy.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

WTF, CSF?!?

Oh my god, my college is so pretentious!

I just got an email about homecoming, and this is what it says:

“What is 4D? Well, in art-school parlance, 4D is time-based creation: video, sound, performance, telenetics — 4D art does not keep still. What does this have to do with Homecoming @ CSF? Well, there are four distinct groups involved: alumni, students, family and founders. And 4D is the space-time continuum — moving into the future without leaving the past behind. 4D transcends the individual. 4D is about all of us.”

Then? THEN? There’s a list of events, which includes Quadstock featuring Devotchka (an Eastern European band, which couldn’t be more painfully indie if they tried).

And then they talk about a fun run with the P-Dogs. That’s right. They shortened our already terrible mascot, the Prairie Dogs, to the even more terrible P-Dogs.

I think I just died a little bit of horror.

(What the heck is telenetics, anyway?)

Monday, July 21, 2008

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

OMG yay! This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I will totally go see this movie.

My Favorite Fanboy Fruitcake

I really enjoyed this article about the influences of Hamlet on Dr. Who (and vice versa, considering David Tennant is set to open as Hamlet this week).

Unlike any actor who has preceded him in the role of the Doctor or the Prince of Denmark, David Tennant is both an accomplished Shakespearean (he has often turned out for the RSC) and a complete and utter Doctor Who fanboy fruitcake.

[…]

The Stratford production's swift sell-out suggests that the audience is anticipating a rare kind of cultural twofer: Shakespeare's most celebrated hero, performed by the actor who now gives life to television's most celebrated hero. And in the case of both parts, it's hard to be unaware that you are watching only the latest of a long line of interpreters. New Doctors must overwhelm or accommodate the shades of William Hartnell and Tom Baker just as new Hamlets must compete with the ghosts of Olivier, Gielgud and David Warner. Tennant has already performed one successful act of exorcism. He seems destined to complete a second.


If anyone were interested in procuring me a ticket to Stratford on Avon and a ticket to the show, I think it might very well cause me to expire from joy. But don't let that stop you. ;)

Like a 1950s Stereotype

Sunday morning, as I sat reading the newspaper and drinking my coffee, I heard a crash from the second bedroom/office. I looked up and saw the cat come barreling around the corner into the living room like she was chasing something.

"What have you got?" says I, standing up to get a better look. "Have you got a bug?"

It was not a bug.

It was a mouse. A real, live mouse.

I promptly shrieked for Brandon and hopped up on the kitchen counter. My shrieking awoke him from a sound sleep and he came barreling out of the bedroom, thinking the house was on fire, just as Cleo chased the mouse under the sofa.

I had no idea I was such a big girl about mice, but apparently, I really really am. Bugs don't particularly bother me; I mean, I'm not a huge fan, but when you grow up where the roaches are the size of your hand, you learn to deal.

Anyway, the chase ensued. Brandon got out a bunch of towels and blocked off doorways and under bookshelves and stuff, hoping to chase it out the patio door. I did my part by holding the squirming, flailing cat under one arm and the mag-light in the other. We moved the sofa and got it pinned under one of the bookshelves. Brandon tried to scare it out with a broom, but it wasn't having any. So we decided to let the cat try to flush it out. I let her go, and the mouse came RIGHT AT ME.

I shrieked again.

The mouse went around the corner towards the laundry room and tried to hide in some towels Brandon had used to block the door. Brandon saw it and slammed a large bowl down on the towels to try to catch the mouse.

By a quirk of aim, the mouse was no more.

I told Brandon that he had definitely earned his keep as a husband that day, and we made a pact that he would deal with rodents and I could deal with reptiles.

He checked and it was a male mouse, so hopefully we do not have baby mice living somewhere. Also, Allison confirmed my suspicion that if we hadn't seen any evidence of him before yesterday (which we hadn't) he probably hadn't been there for very long.

Of course, when we moved the sofa, we found all of Cleo's missing toys, and now, whenever she comes tearing through the house chasing after something, I have to quell the urge to jump up on the counter and scream.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Drumroll Please

Today, my company entered the new Dallas magazine in the Folio awards for Best Redesigned Magazine.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Dr. Horrible!

What happens when Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly) gets bored during the writers strike? Why Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, of course!

Neil Patrick Harris plays a mildly inept super villain named Dr. Horrible.

The first bit is funny, but as soon as Nathan Fillion showed up, I CRACKED THE HELL UP.

Oh Joss. You so crazy.

:D :D :D

Counting to Four

I love it when musicians go on Sesame Street to do versions of their songs! YAY!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Rocket-Mom!

From Mom:

After 40 years, playground equipment at Heights Park in Richardson to be removed



Thought you might be interested in the article from DMN…Our HOA went to bat for the Rocket ship and such to be sure they were turned into sculpture and remain in the park. I have this vivid memory, Lacy, of your being in the TOP of the Rocket ship, unwilling to come down alone and me about 8 months pregnant with Emily…Climbing up to the first stage was ok, but the second and part and the third were absurd…Small openings where I had to literally heave my middle, soon to be delivered Miss Emily, through the opening before the rest of me sort of. NIGHTMARE! At dusk when there was NO ONE there of a normal size to assist. On the other hand, I am thankful there was no YouTube then or cell phone cameras…… - Mom


I actually joined a group on Facebook called "Save the Heights Rocketship!" I'd like to think I did my small part. ;)

This is my favorite part of the article: "Much of the equipment presents serious dangers, including head entrapment, impalement and entanglement hazards. In addition, the equipment doesn't meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements."

Hahahaha! Head entrapment!

Whatever. Kids today — with their non-death-trap playgrounds. Pshhh. :P

Friday, July 04, 2008

Born on the Fourth of July

Two clips for this Independance day!









These are both from one of my favorite movies of all time, Yankee Doodle Dandy, the story of George M. Cohen, known as the father of the musical comedy, and writer of "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (among many others).

I love old movies like this. I have to admit, I've never experienced this kind of patriotism in real life, but these clips absolutely give me goosebumps. It's the best sort of Hollywood veneer, showing us what might be. :)

Thursday, July 03, 2008

What Am I Up To on the Web

So, I'm trying a new service called swurl which aggregates my online activity into one place. If you click the link, you can see the blogs I've posted, photos I've uploaded to flicker, things I've added to my Amazon wishlist, and more.

It's kind of a nifty little thingy, and I especially like the calendar function! You can see what I was doing every day for several years back (because I've been keeping this blog for a LONG time!).

So check it out, bookmark it, and start up a conversation with me, if you're so inclined. :)

Monday, June 23, 2008

I {heart} Hedghogs!

cat
more cat pictures

New Feature

You may notice a new little feature in the right hand column! I've provided a list of links to my friends' blogs — and the cool thing is that Blogger tells you what their latest post is and when it was posted!

So you can feel free to visit their blogs as well. (Be sure to check out Charlie's Baby Tuesdays at Pull It Together for your weekly dose of adorable.)

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Vacation Photos!


L&B at Fairy Caves.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Finally got most of the vacation photos uploaded! You can view a slideshow or pick and choose which ones to look at!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

10 Things

Some random things:

1. Vacation was good. Colorado is a beautiful state. Husband was violently ill second night out. Husband also melted shoes on sand dunes. Good times.

2. Photos to follow (see below!).

3. Survived the second trip to the dentist. Tuesday was cleaning. I HATE the picky thing with a vengeance. It gives me the willies. So I listened to Dr. Who on my ipod and tried not to bite the hygienist because my jaw was clenched so tightly.

4. Next week is fillings. One new, replacing one old. Joy. (Although, that's pretty effing good for not having been in EIGHT YEARS. (And the old filling is well older than that.))

5. I have been a bottomless pit of hungry since getting back from vacation. (My theory is that I ate too much whilst on said vacation and stretched my stomach.) But I have been very good and "on plan" so far. I'm about to go wolf down a big bowl of popcorn, though, because it is very low points. And filling.

6. Some friends want us to go to a concert Sunday night of some blokey I've never heard of. He's playing at a Unitarian church, which worries me. According to friend, he has a gorgeous voice and is "very funny and very liberal." I'm not at all sure what to expect.

7. They're showing Shaun of the Dead at Red Rocks in two weeks and I totally want to go.

8. On vacation, we ate french fries drizzled with truffle oil and fresh grated Parmesan. Never has a more perfect dish been conceived, nor eaten.

9. One of my dad's idols died. RIP Stan Winston.

10. And now it's time to go watch disk three of season one of SGA. This show is highly cracktastical, in that sometimes it's a smidge incoherent, but mostly, it's just freaking addictive.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Fat Tire

Brandon and I went to the New Belgium brewery in Ft. Collins yesterday to unofficially start our vacation and we had a blast! For the price of the answer to a silly question, you can taste four of their beers, and then you can take a tour of the brewery (and taste MORE beer!).

New Belgium.JPG

Brandon at New Belgium.JPG

Lacy at New Belgium.JPG

Thursday, June 05, 2008

The Benefit of $7 Gas?

The only reliable way to cut oil use — to reduce the flow of money to Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia, to reduce the odds that the planet just keeps getting hotter — is to make oil more expensive.

This, of course, is precisely the specter that has been raised by opponents of new carbon rules. Gas costs way too much already! Yet that argument gets cause and effect almost perfectly backward.

Oil has become so expensive mainly because the world is using so much of it. Yes, making it more expensive — about 40 cents a gallon more expensive by 2030, according to two analyses of the current bill — will bring some medium-term economic pain. But the pain can be greatly reduced through broad-based tax cuts, financed with the revenue raised by a good cap-and-trade system (or, as many economists prefer, a carbon tax).

More important, raising the cost of energy could bring enormous long-term benefits. It could make the country more secure, strategically and economically.

“The real concern,” said Nathaniel Keohane, the head of economic policy and analysis at the Environmental Defense Fund, “should be our vulnerability to $7-a-gallon gasoline that is a function of global demand and stagnant supply.” Goldman Sachs recently suggested that $7-a-gallon gas was conceivable.

Ha!

kitten
more cat pictures

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

For the Win!

Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment — this was the time — when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Social Revolution

This is a really interesting article about television, the internet, the ways we interact with media, and the next social revolution.

…the critical technology, for the early phase of the industrial revolution, was gin.

The transformation from rural to urban life was so sudden, and so wrenching, that the only thing society could do to manage was to drink itself into a stupor for a generation. The stories from that era are amazing-- there were gin pushcarts working their way through the streets of London.

And it wasn't until society woke up from that collective bender that we actually started to get the institutional structures that we associate with the industrial revolution today…

If I had to pick the critical technology for the 20th century, the bit of social lubricant without which the wheels would've come off the whole enterprise, I'd say it was the sitcom. […] And it's only now, as we're waking up from that collective bender, that we're starting to see the cognitive surplus [time spent watching TV instead of thinking or working] as an asset rather than as a crisis. We're seeing things being designed to take advantage of that surplus, to deploy it in ways more engaging than just having a TV in everybody's basement.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Red rover, red rover, let Lacy sit on the sidelines and watch.*

We just played Red Rover out in the courtyard at work.

My boss got clotheslined and broke the finger of the girl who clotheslined her.

I'm pretty sure most of you cannot say that you saw that today at work.



*I decided to watch because I think a broken wrist would hamper my ability to do my job. And it would hurt a lot.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Carpool Lane

Tomorrow starts my first week of carpool with some ladies from work. There are three of us, and we're going to rotate driving by weeks.

Even if I only end up riding in someone else's car two weeks out of the month, it will save me a considerable amount of money.

My commute is almost exactly 20 miles each way. I figured out, using the IRS' standard mileage deduction, that it's costing me more than $100 a week to commute to and from work. That's insane! Now, that's supposed to include the entire cost of operating the vehicle. If I just figure out fuel, I'm still spending nearly $25 a week just driving to and from work.

Even if I only ride two weeks out of the month, that will save us $50 in gas!

I'm quite excited about the whole thing.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Booklust

When I was a kid — I guess we'd call me a "tween" nowadays — I read voraciously, addictively. I would lock myself in a quiet place for hours and hours on end. I distinctly remember my mom chiding me one time, telling me to come out of my room and "be a person" for a while.

Probably there aren't TOO many moms who have that problem with their teenagers. ;) At least, not addicted to books.

I've been rediscovering my addiction passion lately. I've been reading the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield, and I CANNOT. STOP. READING.

I spent three hours yesterday finishing "Specials," the third in the series, and I went to the library today to get the fourth.

I read sixty pages when I got home, and then put it aside. I need to be a person for a while.

But it's still sitting in there.

Waiting.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Explaining to someone why I blog:

"I narrate my life. Have since I was 3. And if I don't narrate it to someone else, it starts to get a little strange..."

Friday, May 23, 2008

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Millennials

I thought this was an interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times that explains a bit about WHY people of my generation — "Millennials" as we're being called — are voting more democrat and in particular, more for Obama as a demographic group.

This is a generation that is in danger of being left out of the American dream — the first American generation to do less well economically than their parents. And that economic uncertainty appears to have played a big role in shaping their views of government and politics.

A number of studies, including new ones by the Center for American Progress in Washington and by Demos, a progressive think tank in New York, have shown that Americans in this age group are faced with a variety of challenges that are tougher than those faced by young adults over the past few decades. Among the challenges are worsening job prospects, lower rates of health insurance coverage and higher levels of debt.

[…]

The upshot of all this is ominous for conservatives. The number of young people in the millennial generation (loosely defined as those born in the 1980s and 90s) is somewhere between 80 million and 95 million. That represents a ton of potential votes — in this election and years to come. And the American Progress study shows that those young people do not feel that they have been treated kindly by conservative policies or principles.

According to the study: “Millennials mostly reject the conservative viewpoint that government is the problem, and that free markets always produce the best results for society. Indeed, Millennials’ views are more progressive than those of other age groups today, and are more progressive than previous generations when they were younger.”

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

This made me laugh and laugh.

humorous pictures
more cat pictures

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Brandon at home


Brandon at home
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

The trees around our house have started blooming! I have no idea what these pretty white trees are, but they always bloom first at our house.

Crabapple Tree


Crabapple Tree
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is our pretty crabapple tree (at least, I think that's what it is) right at the foot of our stairs.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Apparently, I equate spring with food...

Oh lordy lordy, it feels like spring!

It's an amazing day (although it's supposed to snow tonight) and we spent the day running errands with the windows rolled down. We bought some seedlings: tomatoes, lettuce, basil and sage and rosemary and strawberries!

Now, I'm marinating a chicken (local, free-range, organic) with lemons (organic), onions (local and organic), rosemary and olive oil that I'm going to serve with roasted new potatoes and a strawberry and spinach salad with balsamic dressing. And I've just finished slicing a fresh pineapple for dessert. Mmmmm.

Life is pretty dang good.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Four-Eyes

Oh my god. My new glasses are making me illllllll.

How do people cope? I have a headache and I'm so nauseous.

I can't decide which is worse: being blind, or being able to see but being sick about it.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Things that have been ODD about this week:

  1. We had 3 inches of snow yesterday. APRIL 10th. Not on.
  2. Two of our designers gave their notice this week at work. (And then one was asked to leave before her last day because she wasn't doing any work. EEK!) Thankfully, neither was on my markets, but it's still a blow to the department.
  3. I have been working all week (on and off) on my annual performance review worksheet. Rating and commenting on my performance is awkward. I feel a tad full of myself marking just about everything "Highly Effective." (In my defense, that isn't the highest rating; I didn't give myself an "Exceptional" in anything.)
  4. I have been practicing saying NO to drama in my life. It has been happening with varying degrees of success.
  5. I feel like I've gone two weeks without a weekend because I was so busy last weekend (SCBWI conference and then friend Kris was in town. And we partied.)
  6. I had a Doctor Who dream last night, though David Tennant did not make an appearance. Instead, I had a son who was a time lord, and I got to meet him when he was all grown up and I was still this age. His name was Tom. It was a nice dream, if a bit random!
  7. I realized that I don't really want to be a part of the video thing the people at work are doing — at about the same time they realized that, hey! Lacy has experience with this stuff! She can help us draw up a budget! And do storyboards! And write a script! And edit! :P


Thank god it's Friday.

Monday, March 24, 2008

I think I'm off my nut.

Ahahahahaha.

Ha.

I just got asked if I wanted to participate in a film project some people at work are doing. The guy who asked me said that several people (who presumably know that I have a film degree) mentioned my name and he wants me involved. He wants to go to film school.

He doesn't have a story idea, let alone a script.

But he wants to direct, by god, and act.

And I said, "Sure. Why not."

Hahahahahahaha.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes?

On Thursday of this week, we got home and found a note from our landlady, saying that she hoped we'd gotten her voice message (we hadn't) saying that she was coming by to show our condo to a prospective buyer.

This was not good for two reasons: first, just last weekend we decided that we probably need another year to save up for a house and so we decided to see if they would let us go month-to-month or sign another year lease for this condo in June; and second, the house was not tidy. I was embarrassed.

Cue unhappy speculation.

Brandon called the landlady back on Friday (giving her our new cell phone numbers and reminding her that we DO have a home phone) and found out that the owner just doesn't want to keep the condo any more. The landlady assured us that they would not kick us out before our lease is up in June, even if they find a buyer. She also said that she would check with the owner to see if he'd like to let us sign another year lease, but warned that if we do, we can't break the lease mid-way through the year unless we pay the FULL amount for the entire year. Ouch.

So. We are again in a kind of limbo. Hopefully we will hear back from the landlady next week about whether or not the owner wants to sign another year lease. If yes, we are probably STUCK here for at least another 15 months, regardless of what the housing market does. On the other hand, if he really does just want to sell, we have less than three months to find a new place to live, and we are not keen on apartment living.

As I said to friend Hannah last night, I just don't feel NEARLY adult enough to be taking on these kinds of conundrums.

Srsly.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

New Hair Cut

Actually, I got my hairs cut last week, but I am only now just getting around to posting photos:

Here is a before shot, for comparison:



That was taken at my last haircut.  HERE!  Is the new cut:



Yay!  Short and sassy! 


Wednesday, February 27, 2008

What is he gonna do? Bite your ankle?

Oh my GOD. The SHAME!

This is the new mascot for my college.




I just. God. I knew prairie dogs would be bad, but...

From the press release, it's "a design that demonstrates just the right mix of ferocity and humor — something our coaches, student athletes, campus and entire Santa Fe community will be able to get behind."

Excuse me while I go mourn the conversion of my funky little school into a "big" university wannabe.

Friday, January 25, 2008

New Office!


view from my desk2.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42
We moved into our new office today! I SIT BY THE WINDOWS! Check out some more photos at my flickr page!