"Get it like you Like it"

So a lot has happened. In a weird sort of spread out way.
I still have no job other than the waitressing sash hostessing, slash doing whatever my scatter-brained boss asks me to do. Which has turned into QUITE the interesting little adventure.

I still don't feel like I'm doing enough. I still feel like I sleep in late, lay around all day, and then work, only to come home, fumble around on my computer an go to bed. Maybe that's because, that's exactly what I do.

Well, some days we get up and hike. We've been exploring the backyard we have called the Flatirons as best we can, without getting completely lost, winded, or eaten by mountain lions. I feel like while hiking around back there I should have a giant blinking sign that says "stupid out of breath east coaster" for all the bears and lions to see. Two days ago when we went, one of the trails had a sign up that said "due to high activity of mountain lions in this area, it may be unsafe for you or your pet." Oh, no biggie. We'll just hike the trail that is about...20 feet to the left of that one, and hope that the mountain lions only feel rambunctious enough to be "highly active" to the right of us.
I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to expect out of these "mountain lion" and "bear" territories that we hike in. For now, they are highly traveled trails in the middle of the day, let me believe that means I'm safe.
I bought a "60 hikes within 60 miles" book from REI, which should be extremely helpful in attacking somegood stuff right around us. We're going to try one tomorrow morning before work. I love it, I found the perfect walking stick, and it feels good to be outside huffing and puffing. I've decided although I may have a west coast love for the outdoors, I most certainly still have east coast lungs.

On our hike the other day, we go near the top and came to a giant rock formation that juts out from the mountains which you can see from our place. I was all for scaling this thing to get a better view of what was below us. There were already people up there (that we had been neck and neck with the whole way up, haha) so we knew it was doable. We came to an opening that looked like the only way up. It was a cave-like hole that you had to lift yourself into, and then wiggle your way through, only to find yourself on the face of open rock overlooking the whole city of Boulder to the left and the Indian Peaks t the right. I loved it. It made me even more excited to learn how to rock cimb. I love the strategy of it all, where to put your feet and handsand how to move your body to make it work. Hopefully, I'll be scaling mountain sides soon.

On another note, Lindsay and I went to see Ben Harper at Red Rocks. On the way there, we realized, this was the first time either of us had ever gone to a concert with only one other person. We laughed, and tailgated by ourseleves. (Which by the way is about 100% more relaxed than the Meadows has ever been.)
Let me tell you how AMAZING the atmosphere of Red Rocks is. Walking into a red-lit, natural, giant, rock ampitheater, stuffed full of dancing, drinking, an singing people, with Denver all lit up in the background, and the stars "look like a backlit canopy with holes punched in it". It is an amazing feeling just being there. There are no seats, just open bench, and you just find a place to cram yourself in. We chose a spot where we ended up meeting two girls who drove from South Dakato just to see Ben play there. We danced allllll night, and he put on an amazing show. He played one of his songs off of his new album called "Get it like you like it", and Lindsay, mid-dance and cheek to cheek grin looks at me and goes, "Hey, get it like you like it, we do that. We get it like we like it, we're here!" And I just laughed. Because hey, she's right.

This little blog is turning into something much more massive than I intended on writing at 1230am. So I'm going to go to bed now. I have to dodge mountain lions tomorrow.

Miss you all out there. Really.
Home is where the heart is, and there is no doubt about that.

Bussing tables makes my head spin

So I'm at work tonight, and it gets unexpectantly busy. So to keep Lindsay and Todd's heads from falling off, I morph from helpless "pampered hostess" into your favorite bus girl. I actually enjoy it, because I'd rather be stumbling over empty water glasses and dirty plates than drooling bordem on myself at the front desk.

Anyway, so I'm bussing tables outside on the patio, and all of a sudden a thought comes barrelling through my mind. WHAT am I doing? Not at that moment, but in life. What is my LIFE right now? And I laughed, because I look up and see Boulder, and the Flatirons, and L'Absinthe, and I have mussel covered plates and empty martini glasses overflowing out of my arms. It's that moment where my mind finally catches up to me, and isnt wandering in the back alleys of 'what was' and 'what could be' and all of a sudden I'm there. I'm here. They don't always last, but when they do happen, it makes me laugh and feel at ease for a moment.

My night only got more rediculous from then on. The French trio sang us through the rest of the madness, and Victor the chef cooked Todd a delicious stake that he made the mistake of offering Lindsay and I. I wanted to make sure it was just as delicious in the center, as it was on the first bite. Oops. Ricardo offered me a job as a server, I'll start with lunches, and I'll be training next week...under Lindsay. Which also makes me laugh, US laugh. I already prepared Ricardo for the disaster I may be behind the title of "waitress".

The night then carried us over to the bar, where we clocked out, pulled up some stools, and drank our usual glass of wine. Which lead to, another glass of wine. Which led to...Cointreau, straight up. To my left, sat Ricardo, who we learned speaks 7 languages, has 4 ex-wifes and connections in Aspen. (I told you, CHARACter this guy.) He tells us, "you let me know", and he will send us there with passes, free drinks and free food. To my right sat his friend who works for NASA and "sends rockets into the air" tells us he can get us on the VIP list at a club called Caribou, where there is a seperate door for celebrities. HA.

And I'm sitting there, smirking behind my Cointreau, at the characters that I have surrounded myself in and the life that's laying itself down in front of me. Lindsay and I walk to the car arm in arm spitting out giggles, not even words.



Before I go, I do have to share the namecalling I endured last night, because it was rather original. Linz and I went to a piano bar with some friends from work and were all sitting at a table talking, laughing, singing along to "Cecilia". Now, I can already tell, the vibe is changing quickly from summer Boulder, to CU (university of Colorado) Boulder. Not something I am too ecstatic about since the college scene has outplayed itself in my life, since about two years ago. Especially rediculous boys with their rediculous "pick up lines"and alterior motives. So I'm sitting here, and this boy at the tabe next to me taps me on the shoulder. I say "whats up", he asks "Is that guy bothering you?" I respond with "Excuse me? What guy?" He points to one of my friends that clearly I have been sitting at a table with for 2 hours now. He goes "Is that guy bothering you?" I say, "No, he's my friend, I came here with them. I'm fine." I wasn't aware that I was screaming for a beer-sodden, baseball-capped hero, but thanks. Two seconds later, I feel the tap again. I face him and he starts in with "So, I'm just gonna throw this out there, you can take it or leave-" I interupt what he thinks to be a smooth attempt with, "Ok Anchorman, I've never heard this one before...but go ahead." He fumbles a bit, awkwardly mumbles and sits back in his chair with his buddy. I then overhear him describe me as "like a Venus fly trap" as he claps his hands together in demonstration.

I was described as a Venus fly trap. Now that...is original. He should have just gone with his own work, who needs Ron Burghandy.

It's time for this angry, man-eating, flower to get to bed. Big day of...day tomorrow.

Learning

I've always said that experience is the only way to truly learn something. I love to read, I love to write, I love to talk things out until I'm blue in the face, but I believe I have never come to completely understand things until I myself have gone through them.

And this my friends, is one GIANT learning experience. It's been a month since I left home, and I feel like I've aged by at least two years. Which today, resulted in all three of us laying on the floor laughing hysterically at ourselves and the situations we've come across so far.

Let me tell you what I've learned. (All mostly things I have heard out of my parents mouths at one time or another - but like I said, experience is a must for me. A.k.a I'm stubborn.)

Number one, mechanics are cruel. I apologize to any of you who are close to one, it's a generalization I am sure I am wrong about...somewhere. They tell you whatever their little heart desires to get some more cash out of you, especially if you're a 5'4" 22 year-old blonde. They tell you you need a new battery, when you most likely do not. They tell you your breaks are fine, but then put them back on in an oblong fashion so that your car vibrates you out of your seat on your ride home. So you have to go back.

Comcast, doesn't care about you and your dire need for the internet. And Comcast workers do not appreciate wasps exploding into their face from where they are supposed to connect your internet. Also, routers are not the same things as...other boxes that look exactly like routers but are only for LAN systems. Luckily a nice old man decided taking advantage of two computer-retarded young girls was not a nice thing to do, and let us in on this secret. Then charged us 30 more dollars for the correct router.

Restaurants will not hire you as a waitress without experience. Neither will bars, or pubs, or cafes. Or Spas. (I really didn't want to work there anyway.) Job searching with a degree in communications is like trying to find, dare I say, a needle in a haystack? Only this needle is extra small, and the same color as the hay, and it hates you.

Ok, I'm a tiny bit bitter. I'll get over it.
I do think everyone might appreciate my latest email to a job posting:

"Here is my brief email.

I bet I want this job a lot. I think you should tell me about it. Maybe we can make things happen. That would be fantastic.

Sincerely,
Lauren Beaudoin"


I figured, the profesional attempt, is not so much working for me...why not try the creative route. The job posting was cheesey and creative, so I figured they might appreciate the same in return. If not, well, maybe someone got a laugh.

Oh yea, and driving on the west coast, is very different from driving on the east coast. People believe in the speed limit here, and in giving themselves enough time to get to places, therefore not swerving lanes and making unexpected U-turns and cutting each other off. Needless to say, we haven't mastered the art of colorado patience, it still makes our east coast blood boil a little bit. It also makes me laugh, because we're rediculous.

While at a Beer and Bluegrass Festival up on Keystone Mountain, I learned that dancing barefoot in the rain with a beer in one hand and a giant turkey leg in the other to bluegrass music, does NOT make you a classy lady. A kind man waking past decided to share that with us, in a nice way of course. After he took the rest of Jennas turkey.

I learned that the east coast does have an image portrayed across the country. When talking with my friend Woody the bartender, he asked where I was from. I told him. He's from California. His response to CT was, "Oh so the east coast, I've never been over that far. Isn't it really hardcore and fast paced over there?" And now I've come to learn through comparison, yes, it is. I've been told numerous times it's quite obvious I am from that side due to my sarcasm and intensity. Oops. We'll see if Colorado smooths me over. (I doubt it.)

The job searching continues...the learning continues...and the coming to conclusions about me and my big crazy ideas continues. Stay tuned if you feel as though I might entertain you.

"Working"

So I have a job. Sort of. And it's rediculous. And for all of you that know me well, you will laugh.

Picture this girl as a hostess in a fine dining French restaurant called L'Absinthe, one of the most expensive in Boulder. HA. Sounds simple, and it is. But me in a fine dining, ritzy environment for long periods of time, is amusing even to myself. I have to remember not to talk to the guests using my usual phrases like "Hey guys how are ya" and "hey you, rock out tonight." I'm learning. I'm fine toning my "proper" side.

My boss' name is Ricardo, the same man who was bowing the "hand-rolled cigarettes" (which I later found out are cigars, which I've been helping him quit) in my face during the interview. He is QUITE the character. I struggle to take him seriously, because he gets so tempered and fidgety and angry but...really means none of it. I made a mistake on the computer because I was bored and trying to get all technical, and it really was no big deal at all seeing that I'm the only one that looks at the computer, but he comes over and asks me what happens, and then blubbers in his French accent "You, you mess things up already! Just leave it, forget it." Luckily I had my back to him so I could at least let a smile escape. I can't take a man like him with an accent like that to heart. All the other staff feels the same, we just grin at each other from the across the restaurant.

My first night ended with two glasses of wine and a plate of Lobster ravioli. Not bad, right? Each night we get a "shift drink" at the bar. Friday night there was a French trio that came in to perform, which after everyone had a couple glasses of wine turned into, Ricardo jamming some blues keys on the piano, Pascal (from the trio) improvising on the saxophone, and a random guy at the bar jumping in on his harmonica. (He says he was a famous harmonicist - I made up that word - who played with Lynard Skynard) It was AWEsome. In the meantime I got into a deep conversation with Woody the bartender about how improvising is one of the most incredible things in life, whether its on instruments or on the basketball court (he played), everyone is on the same page without having to say anything.

As for the rest of my life over here, I am still trying to piece it together. I have an interview tomorrow for an administrative position with Eco-Products. We'll see how that goes. I'm itching for a little routine in my life.

Settling In

I am officially in Boulder, as you all know by now. We have settled in to our apartment, furnished it, and made a slight attempt at decorating it. We still feel a bit adrift when it comes to making this home.

We've been on the mad hunt for jobs, staking it out in internet cafes applying online, roaming the streets with resumes in hand, and filling out any application that people are willing to hand us. As of right now, Lindsay landed a job at a restaurant called L'Absinthe, and then scored me a position there too with her good looks and charisma. :-D

I just interviewed tonight (if you want to call it that...more like sat outside with a crazy old french man who blew hand rolled cigarette smoke in my face and sipped what looked to be straight up espresso.) BUT, I got a job, sort of. I'll be hostessing there on Friday and Saturday nights for now, seeing that it's the slow season through August, until the students come back. He knows I need a full time job (which Im still working on via CareerBuilder and Monster) and said that if i can't find anything else, he will find something for me. So, it's a start. And I figure I can keep it even when I do land a full time job.

We've made some friends in the area, which is always exciting when you're staring at each other on your living room floor realizing, wow, we know nothing huh?
We met Kris' friend Dan who came down to visit and showed us around the mountains in our backyard, literally. It's pretty exciting to know I can bike down the road and be ready to hike in the foothills of the Rockies.
He took us to Denver to his friends place where we met Ed, Scott, Fred and Claire. All very nice and down to earth people. Ed works in Boulder and took us out the other day into another part of the foothills where Lindsay and I almost died on a 2 mintes hike uphill. It's the altitude, I swear.

I met a girl named Tracie when I overheard her in the internet cafe talking about a homeless shelter. I walked over, introduced myself, aplogoized for being nosey but told her that I was very interested in what they were discussing. She got very excited, told me all about it, and now I am on the fundraising committee for Carriage House. It's a shelter that allows homesless people to come in, provides them with food, professional counseling, computer access, help with resumes, job searching and housing. Their numbers are very successful and I am excited to be a part of it all. I am meeting with her tomorrow to get a tour and meet some of the staff and clients. She is more than willing to help me get my feet on the ground in the area of social work, she is very motivated and energetic about it all. I'm hoping it will only rub off on me. And I am looking forward to gaining some experience that will hopefully get my foot in the door for a job down the road. She is also aware that I am looking for a full time position and has been doing her buest to point me in the right direction. She has a Masters in Social Work, something I am very strongly considering at this point for somewhere in the very near future.

As for now, I am still adjusting to the shock of throwing myself into something completely new and unkown and working from the ground up. It was slightly more jolting than I expeted, but I'm working it out and telling myself, that's what happens when you dive head first into giant, life changing situations, haha.

I miss all of you at home, and can't wait to see everyone over Christmas break. I hope that some of you get out HERE before that. I am working on nailing down all the hot spots that I will be dragging you to in order to get the best taste of Boulder! So...BOOK A TICKET!

I'm off for now, like I said, I love hearing from home, or wherever in the country (or the world) you crazy cats may be! So don't hesitate.

Road Trip

As for the road trip. Wow. One of the most amazing and challenging experiences in my life, by far. Mentally, physically and emotionally. If there is ever an experience that will test your will and patience, it is being crammed in a car with three other people for 18 days with no plan, no real destination, and NO idea what you're doing. But let me tell you, it couldn't have gone more amazingly than it did. The girls I was with (Jenna, Lindsay and Kris) made it everything it was and more. We worked off each other perfectly, and as you can probably assume, got to know every in and out and up and down of each other. And...we made it, and we love each other even more! I think that was the biggest sense of accomplishment out of the whole trip. Even through our spats and many differences that we had, it usually ended in laughing or talking it out until an understanding or comprimise was reached.

The next huge accomplishment? Making it across the entire country with only an atlas and a couple destinations in mind. Some of you will be surpised to know that, I was basically given the responsiblity of running the map and our direction. Crazy, right mom? haha. I mastered the art of the picking random roads that looked like they might lead to where we might want to be going...maybe. haha. The first and only time I actually fell asleep (in San fran) in the car, i was quickly awaken to "LAUREN, where's the DAMN atlas...where ARE we?!" haha. Kris' attempt to hand them the atlas had resulted in a half asleep, very confused handing over of People magazine...which doesn't get you very far.

We had some amazing and redICUlous times along the way. Some highlites (although its almost impossible to pick favorites) would be...

Our first night in Ohio...we met a random local in a gas station, who told us there were some bars and a campground down the road that we should check out. And so, we did. We then met a man who owned the bar, and the cop he was talking with, who then guided us to our campground, Kris and Lindsay schmoozed the little old man at the gate and we got a site for half the price since it was so late. We then made our way back to the bars, which appeared to be a local hot spot on a lake, where a ZZTop cover band was rocking out. We danced, and laughed at how rediculous this already was.

Kansas was painful. PAINful. We drove straight through it, and all I have to say is there is a LLOOTT of Kansas in kansas. We were completely delirious and basically screaming out our windows at how much we hated it, and laughing at ourselves until we were in tears. 12 hours on the road messes with your head, in a very amusing way.

I fell in LOVE with Utah. It is one of the most BEAUTiful states I have ever seen. I was baffled by how different the landscape was from one hour to the next. From long flat stretches of road and sky, to deep colorful canyons, to tall red mesas...so much of it was breathtaking. You could watch rain in the distance, and drive right through it in no more than 30 seconds. We got to one scenic overview, pulled over to dance to "One more time" in a canyon, and the people who pulled in next to us were from CT! Smallllll world.

I hate Nevada. It's creepy and dark and...creeeeepy. We drove Rt. 50, "the lonliest road in America", and it has rightfuly earned that name. I honestly, was legitamately scared while we drove through there at night. Nothing for hours, and "something" equalled small mountain towns that still had Saloons and you would drive through in under a minute, no cell phone service, and boy...it's dark out there. We killed a bird in Nevada...it managed to wedge itself into our headlight...where it stayed for 2 days, because we certainly were not touching it. When we got out to look at it, we realized the road was COVERED in giant, GIANT black bugs, that may or may not have been locusts or ginormous crickets. They coated the road for miles...disgusting and inexplainable. But hilarious.

I saw tumble weed cross the road in western Nevada, and I laughed hysterically every time. Something about it seemed completely rediculous.

We got a tour of the Lehman caves in Nevada, which was very cool...and somewhat frightening for the clastraphobic side of me. But I'm glad I did it, it was like nothing I've ever seen.

We got to Lake Tahoe, I fell in love again, we rented ATV's and went off-roading around the peaks of the mountains surrounding the lake alllll day. It was may favorite day. We were COVERED in dirt, head to toe. I have plentyyyy of pictures that I will post soon. Then we used to baby wipes to "clean" ourselves off and drive to San Fran. We're disgusting, I loved it. haha.

San Fran, eh. I liked it, but not somewhere that stole my heart.

We drove to Big Sur, California. Now there a piece of my heart will STAY. It was berathtakingly beautiful and...rediculous. We had nowhere to sleep, the campgrounds were full. So we said, whatever, we'll figure it out over drinks at Nepenthe, a throwback to the 60's bar recommended by my roommates parents. We drank Margarita's, befriended our waitress, and she took us to a party in the mountains. She said we could just camp out there, and that we did. It was the most REDICULOUS party I've ever been too, on the cliff of a moiuntain over the ocean, live band, fire dancers, glowing hula hoops, bonfire and lots and lots of dancing. Everyone was great, we had a complete blast, and slept in sleeping bags under the most stars I've ever seen. We left in the morning in the same clothes laughing hysterically about how random and rediculous that was.

LA... Personally, not my style, although we got to stay with Jennas best friend Katrina who treated us like royalty. It was very refreshing, and we actually got some sleep and a chance to feel clean again.

San Diego...I loved it as much as I expeted I would. It puts out an amazing and relaxed vibe, with bongos by the beach, gorgeous beach at that, and it's young and hip and I loved it. We stayed with our friend Jaye who we met in Australia and lives out there now, in a beautiful place in pacific Beach. We had a blast, I surfed with Jaye and Kris and actually got up and rode em in! We went out and it felt good to all be reuinted in such an amazing place.

Then we headed back, and where do we get stuck?? NEVADA. Not only Nevada, but Vegas. Creepiest night by far, when at 12:30 a.m. the interstate we are on is randomly shut down due to a gas station that blew up. With no detour and no direction at all, we chase down a cop and he sends on a wild goose chase to get back on the only highway through there. Now it's thundering, lightening, and pouring harder than necessary at this hour...and we're on one road, alone, and almost 1 am. We pull off at the first sign that says lodging, and come to a "motel" with a sign that says "newly remodled with color tv!". And there is a big, long white-haird man standing outside smoking a cigarette. We debate for a moment in fear of what we're getting oursleves into, discuss what our moms might say, and went for it. It was actually a very nice place once we were inside...thank god.

Then we drove to Utah again, where another friend we met in Australia, James is loving and working. He and his roommates took us to Bryce Canyon, which proved to me even more how amazing Utah is. You'll have to see the pictures. We hiked and then camped there for the night at about 9,ooo feet, in our sleeping bags under another set of beautifully clustered stars. Again, love.

We then made a straight shot back to Boulder, Colorado where we immediately collapsed on the floor. The empty, empty floor.

Like I said, a rather insane, enlightening, learning experience to say the LEAST. I learned I have been blessed with some amazing people in my life...from those who dealt with 18 days of me in a car, to those who dealt with me from 3000 miles away and made it possible to be the person I am and do this at all. I learned that as freeing and exciting as no plans and "winging it" is, it can also get very heavy and stressful, and very, very exhausting. I learned that even in your lowest lows of being worn down and strung out on delirium, you still have to suck it up and consider everyone and everything around you in order to make reasonable decisions. And the key to keeping relationships alive in very stressful situations, is honesty.

And I learned that I love all of this craziness and freedom and adventure. But that I also love my feet on the ground and a comfortable routine to settle into. Which is what I am flailing about to set up now. I'll keep you all posted on how that works itself out!

Feel free to respond to me on here or in email (laurkb@yahoo.com) I love hearing from you all, it keeps me going strong out here!

For now, hope all is well!


(p.s. pictures will be up soon.)