speaking of epic...

It's the final countdown...before my big girl life/job start. While I'm uber excited, I'm bummed because I'm not at the cabin anymore and that was one of the best times I've had in a very long while. Poopers. Now I am all tanned full of food for the next two months or so, I think I should start working on some self-improvement. I want to start doing some yoga (as inspired by the cabin trip) and I have decided to adopt some changes in my eating habits....but anyway, I hope this new lifestyle sticks around. Oh, and I swear I'm going to start running sometime soon. I'm also bummed because my future living arrangement plans are no longer in effect. My roomie needs another year or so to financially prepare. I'm totally cool with that; we have all the time in the world pretty much. So thus begins the working and the hunt for a 1-bedroom, cat-friendly, hardwood floored, off-street parking apartment. With character.

vacation on a vacation

I really think the weather people hype up thunderstorms wayyyy too much. Yesterday was a very productive day in my opinion; I found album art for most of the albums on my iTunes and reloaded my iPod complete with some photos and GARDEN STATE. Yes, I can now watch my favorite movie any time I want, as if I don't watch it enough (I don't think I do). Also yesterday, Katie and I started apartment searching. Many of the places we looked for were busts and we got extremely depressed/felt really dumb at one point because we were looking at the wrong address. However, we made our way around the Minneap and came across some places around 26th and Fremont. Hopefully they'll be adequately priced and offer a two bedroom because then we found out rather stupidly that we were a block away from Hennepin and within a two block radius of Uncommon Grounds AND Plan B....pretty neato discovery.

Today I am off to WINONA for KATE and TASHA's BIRTHDAYS. Then Saturday begins a vacation within a vacation as I trek it up to northwestern Whisk-HON-son for some cabin time with the birthday girls. I'm way super excited for some outdoorsy stuff. Haven't really done that all summer! However, if I do not return in one piece or at all, one should just assume that I either got devoured by a Muskie or a Muskie scared the living shit out of me and I died of a heart attack.

Speaking of heart attacks, I really should start running again.....

meet me in outer space

I have finished my copper tube candelabra. It's pretty rad if I do say so myself.

I also have an observation that I did not state in the previous entry. I observed on my walk to Primo Cafe earlier this week that neighborhood cul-de-sacs strongly resemble brain aneurysms. Really, they do. They stick out like raw arteries, ready to burst and give the whole neighborhood a stroke.

Lastly, I've decided that I want a Nintendo DS, so I think that is what I shall be purchasing when I receive my final Mayo paycheck. With this new endeavor, I'll also be wanting Sudoku, Tetris, and GUITAR HERO ON TOUR. Incredibly pumped for that! Maybe I can find a sweet deal somewhere.

That is all. Here we end week one of Lara's three-week freedom/vacation.

may lara's special vaca commence!!

Well, as of two days ago my three weeks of planned vacation have commenced. I haven't felt this free since high school summer vacations! The past week and a half or so have been eventful to say the least. I was down in Winona celebrating the 140th anniversary of the first dog show in Newcastle, England (and my new RN-ness and Becca's birthday) when Barry, Tim and I drunkenly decided that we wanted to see O.A.R. at Summerfest. This is one of the few drunken plans that have actually followed through for me, I'm glad to say. So, last Tuesday Barry and I trekked it across the great plains of Wisconsin. 5 1/2 loooooong hours later we were in Waukesha and exhausted. My confession for this little road trip is this: My perception of where Madison is in Wisconsin has been completely SKEWED for my entire life until our drive across the state. For some reason, I have had the delusion that Madison is in the very middle of the state, but noooo it's definitely in the SOUTH. Because of this misguided delusion of mine, the drive to Waukesha was painstakingly long. Nevertheless, good times were had in southeastern Wisconsin, O.A.R. was awesome, and the drive back didn't feel quite as long as the drive to. This past weekend was my last weekend as a PCA at Mayo. That being said it was very bittersweet and I almost got misty once or twice, just because I LOVE that floor. Never thought I would like Neurology, but I LOVE neurology and I'm going to miss everyone on 8 Mary Brigh.

Cut to today, Wednesday, day three of my vacation. I'm currently obsessed with searching for new music and whether I'm on top of the latest songs or not it makes no difference to me. My three faves right now are as follows:
1) Camper Van Beethoven "That Gum You Like is Back in Style"
2) Yeasayer "2080"
3) Iron & Wine "Boy with a Coin"

Today I woke up "early"--9:45... and I took a walk to the independent coffee shop at the edge of my neighborhood to finish re-reading Ishmael. If that book isn't amazing and awe-inspiring the first time around it surely is that and more the second time. It's not even enough for me to say that everyone in the world should be informed of the ideas in this book. I'm now excited that I have the time to read The Story of B and My Ishmael. I also have every intention on reading the follow-up to Dharma Punx (highly recommended) called Against the Stream and eventually on to The Tao of Pooh, because I hear it's neato. Woo!