I am a clumsy person. Just ask anyone who has ever met me in real life. I fall while walking, drop everything on myself (today a bucket of rubber bands)… and once almost poked out my eye with an x-acto blade because I had an itch in my hair and forgot I was holding it the sharpest of all blades.
Today I was quite happy to wear this really cute retro style polka dot dress (polka dots are my thing!) And in my I’m a hot mess lifestyle, I actually thought I was looking rather dorky chic. I went to the bathroom adjusted the top, and then it happened I realized that my full circle dress, perfect for spinning around in was actually stuck in my underpants. IN THE UNDERPANTS!
This has never happened before, and what can only make it better is that my coworker caught me correcting the problem. I felt like saying “Happy Monday everyone, my underpants are pink hearts today!” But instead I turned red, and sat as low in my seat as possible.
I caught my dress being stuck the next 2 times it happened in the remaining 4 hours of the day…. before I showed my coworkers my underpants. Tomorrow I wear pants with pants on top of that.
I have been growing up a little more lately. I still want to be a goof, but I realized to “get along” with a broader spectrum of people I have to pretend to be a “professional”.
I know, I know that is a total blurgh in the face. Especially when your initial thought of a great day is show up to work and tell your coworkers that it is time to Wang Chung tonight, and hand everyone a bag of chiclets! And when you know in reality, they just want you to greet them with a “Hello. Business is splendid.”
I think that because of recent events in my life, I have been seeing the world more clearly now… work is not supposed to be a place where you have fun, because most people aren’t satisfied with what they do, they just do it because that is what they think they should be doing. (I like what I do though, it’s beyond rad to draw for a living!) And this has further led me down a path of understanding what I am expected to do in certain situations, and understanding what I want to do. And guess what? In true Lauren fashion, they are very different things.
And lately to get through the days at work I have turned to television to help a girl out. And what is a better learning example about working in an office, than “The Office”? I’ve been taking advice from sassy Pam Beesly of season 3. I want to be more honest and gutsy, I want to have an art show, I want to tell Jim that he should be my friend. And I want to stress like Pam did, Jim isn’t the important part of being a shiny new Beesly… being happy with yourself is the answer for that. You can hear her say this in the link below:
Here’s an important part of her speech for you non link clickers:
Anyways, I’m done with the woolly eyes. I want to see the truth, and I want people to respect that. I want people to know that I like me, and I can do anything, and not because I have to… Because I want to. And maybe sometimes I will be too helpful and emotional… but that is how I am, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that!
I am currently fighting the funky fog that rolled into my noggin.
To combat the funk, I have been trying to absorb fun and happiness, like a plant in Norway struggling with photosynthesis in the dark Norwegian winter. Lately, since most things have not been working, I have been listening to some of my favorite songs (on repeat, Sorry Dab)… one of my absolute favorite songs is “Natural Woman” from Aretha Franklin. I used to run around as a child singing every where, much to the chagrin of my Grandmother and parents, and casual strangers. Once there were some old ladies at the market that told my grandmother it was not an appropriate song for a 4 year old to be singing, and she told them I was a child who had “soul”.
For some reason when I hear that song, I feel like I can do anything… and I want to run around in a pink power suit with a beehive as tall as nature will let me, and sing this song in every key except the appropriate one:
Shout out to my homie/ 1960s dream fashion twin- diva category:
Now usually, all my problems can be quickly resolved by ignoring the world and watching girly movies. But as of late, it isn’t working as well as I had hoped. So I switched from just “watching” and decided it’s time to “work” on myself. Basically, if my life were one of those girly movies, right now I would be in the cool montage scene. I’m learning about life, taking great advice from my friends in the areas of their expertise. And I won’t say I haven’t had a few setbacks, but everything is coming up roses for me lately. I have been studying hard, and trying to better my standings in the world and my work place, and being fashionable while doing these things! Hello there, Architectural license tests I’m coming for you! And when I find the right Matt Flamhaff (in the right timeline) I will be well on my way to being 30, flirty and thriving!
I really wanted to find the Clueless-Cher-Soul-Changing montage but, I couldn’t find it… And since I feel very akin to Jenna Rink, she is always a great example for how I feel. Anyways, I would like to thank my friends for being really great, and giving me wonderful advice that I will treasure forever. I will be out of my fog soon, I can just feel it! I just want to say all of my great friends out there, and “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin have made me realize:
But, I would be nothing, without all the great people in my life… you give me soul.
I have been a little out of sorts lately. I think it’s because I need to watch cheesy romantic comedies, and eat ice cream (hello, weekend). I need to embrace the things that make me, the giggly Lauren I am. Instead of avoiding them like I have been doing for the last few weeks. I like being silly and this doodle just illustrates the point (that was a pun):
Have a snazzy weekend! I know I’m going to!
♫Lauren
There have been some new crazes happening all over this office. Amber and I have new eyeglass prescriptions! I’ve become addicted to grilled shrimp salads at the restaurant next door to us! And Dab and the Professional have become obsessed with paintball!
They talk about it, buy fancy equipment, make secret handshakes about it, and go to special meetings.. maybe I exaggerated on the last two parts… but, then again maybe I didn’t…
Anyways Eric being the true professional he is is trying to combine his new hobby with his current echelon of professionalism. Basically he wants to be the James bond of the paintball world. He wants to be a Professional with a license to… paint? Or a paintballer with a clear future in the professional arts? I’m not sure, but here he is living the dream:
Also I hope our next renderings involve him creating drawings with different colors of paintball paint… I have a new dream happening in my noggin now.
Today I felt inspired by a coworker to get down with my inner Weird Al. I was going to take a song from popular culture and craft it to fill the void in this simple office environment.
I feel now like I’m in front of a crowd of fans on a smoky stage. I am crafting words into a precise moment. Capturing it and sharing it with the good people of the world. Now let me break it down to you those lyrics are to the Joe Cocker song “You are so Beautiful”. And that coworker… is the most professional one out there.
I’m sure he’d tell me not to post this because it will get him in trouble with other professionals out there, or some ladies or something. But, I cannot oblige in this must be shared because you Eric… are so Professional to me.
I can’t even make it to the end of the song without crying on my binder clips.
♫ He’s so proficient…. To me
He completed all his deadlines…. he even had TIIIIMMEEE to PROOFREEEEEAD”♫
I have a feeling that Eric will not be amused by this, in fact when he sees this post I’m pretty sure this is going to be his reaction:
He may not be amused. But *tear tear* he’s so Professional (*tear) to meeeeeee
♫Lauren
The title of this post is kind of verging on Evil Steve Urkel territory. But don’t worry there is none of that Stefan Urquelle stuff happening here. I just woke up this morning brimming with confidence and purpose. I even blasted through getting ready this morning because the world was just waiting for…. ME!!!!!!!!!! (That was my best Elle Wood’s scream, btw.)
But by the time I got to work after encountering every red light, (and some extra lights I think the city stuck into the roads today…) I had lost that spark, and for about .002 seconds I was totally lost. And then a new desire now coursed through my veins:
Today’s doodle is a part of the great things I have written down series. So the following may be a little weird:
Sometimes I let my mind wander… and it comes up with slightly off stories that make complete sense to me. Like, “unexpected meatloaf”. You could just imagine it… walking into a church and it’s pews being made of meatloaf, or winning a brand new car and finding out its really just car shaped meatloaf, or going to the County Fair and seeing the “Tunnel of Loaf”.
I think you get the idea.
Here is the doodle that sprung from this thought:
But really we shouldn’t stop there…Since this meatloaf was unexpected… what would have been my original intentions to go to a well. What would I need that water for? What if I was getting that water to make a refreshing drink and all I got was meatloaf?
When life hands you meatloaf:
And then my mind wandered to who would drink this concoction? Who do I know that likes both meatloaf and lemonade mixed drinks this much? Oh yes the only person who would drink meatloaf lemonade, the Professional:
And that is my brain thought for today, and also this is a really clear explanation of why my note taking for future doodles doesn’t always make sense.
I’ve been feeling a little scattered lately. My thoughts are racing, and I cannot even keep up with the ideas that I have swirling around in my noggin. So I keep telling myself, just write down your ideas in a clear manner and you can make the doodles later…
Then I look at my paper and it’s riddled with these half thought mysteries like: “Lobster show” or “that weird thingy” or “Snuffleupagus” and I have no idea what I was supposed to draw that was at the time so very awesome.
So I have learned that when I want to draw something I should stop everything I’m doing and draw. Just. Stop. Everything. This is great for doodles, but it may affect my work/life quality:
I hope I never want to draw something when I’m driving.
Viciously Sweet 