New Thing #82: Warning: Reader Discretion Advised

A week before graduation I won the hair lottery. While I thought I was getting my hair cut that Wednesday of my last final, my hairdresser asked me if I absolutely had to have it cut that day. Odd question I thought, but my only response was that I needed a trim so as not to look raggedy for the graduations, but yes I could wait. So he cleaned my hair up for free that day and left me with an invitation to return on May 31 at 6:00. That night several Aveda stylists from the area were coming together to do a hair expo of sorts. Cut, color, and style, all for free. Each person got to choose several hair models and I was going to be one!

I arrived Saturday night with the expectation that I would have a chin length bob and learn how to deal with my unmanageable frizzy hair. It was fun hanging out at the salon after hours, a jam session of sorts for stylists. As I was waiting the stylist that my hairdresser apprenticed under asked me if I would be his project...actually he said "do you want something fun?" I agreed and then said the infamous words that every hairstylist loves to hear...

"you can do whatever you want"

6.5 hours later, the finished product was shorter and blonder than I had imagined but I love it! I must admit to a panic attack Sunday morning wishing it was a dream and I could undo it. Since then, 99.9% of comments have been very positive and the consensus is that I can pull it off.

It is still taking some getting used to, meaning every time I look in the mirror I do a double-take, but I think it will be great for a New Orleans summer and fabulous for my Europe trip! 

So here are the pictures, not as many as I would like but can give you an idea:

before, obviously

post-cut with my friend sophia from school who also has a trendy new haircut!

the final "jazzy, sassy, new yorker" (some of the responses) hair cut

New Thing #81: Blueberry Goodbyes

Friday was a bittersweet day of being excited for friends with new opportunities. It marked the last night that Caitlin, Nick, Tom and I hung out. After being inseparable since October this was a sad occasion. We went to the Zephyr's game, markedly the most boring baseball game I have ever been to, and I LOVE baseball. Afterwards included Wendy's and St. Joe's bar for blueberry mojitoes. Our friend Grace, who was moving to DC this past weekend was having a goodbye shindig. So we all celebrated these fabulous people while being very sad that they are leaving New Orleans. The next morning we took Tom to the airport for one last goodbye before he flew to Boston to start residency in July. Followed by an IHOP breakfast to console ourselves, because in the words of Caitlin, "We lost a good friend today." 

caitlin and her man tyson

rocking the back seat

dear friend grace who is moving to dc

the four together one last time

New Thing #80: Stacy and Clinton--Kenner, LA

At the Tango party I realized that friends Emily and Kirsten shared my love for shopping. Emily decided that she needed a new "her age" wardrobe and Kirsten gladly excepted the role of Stacy from What Not to Wear. Well, Stacy is not Stacy without a Clinton so I accepted the position :). I love What Not Wear. When I say that I mean, I have seen all the episodes, including behind the scenes, and have taken the quizzes online, and made a 100% I might add. 

So Thursday night the cast and crew ventured out to Kenner, the first time I had been to the Esplanade mall in Kenner. The evening was complete with having Chick-Fil-A for the first time in New Orleans and spending hours in the Ann Taylor Loft dressing room and picking out outfits. I must say Emily is complete with a very stylish, age appropriate :) wardrobe. There will be more sessions with Stacy and Clinton, I mean Kirsten and Lauren I hope! 

New Thing #79: Sewing and an Outdoor Concert

As I was getting ready to leave for an Eric Lindell concert with friends the strap on the dress that I wanted to wear came off. So old Lauren would have put in a bag to take to my mom or Nana to fix, or thrown it away. New Lauren decided to take action and mend my dress. I rummaged around and found my aunts sewing kit and took on the task. The concert was one of our last outings as the fab four before Tom left so it was a good time in a fun dress!

New Thing #78: Tango and Rebirth

Tuesday included two fun new things. A guy at my church is from Honduras and occasionally hosts Tango parties. I love to dance but mostly ballet, interpretive, and crazy so I know nothing about such organized dances. So, new thing #1 tango party! It was really fun learning the moves and the art of the tango. A "relationship" between the guy and the girl. I must admit, and this is my mom's fault because when we danced in the kitchen when I was a child she let me lead, but I have trouble letting the guy lead. This may also be a life metaphor I need to work on.

Afterwards I went with a friend to see Rebirth Brass Band play at Maple Leaf. This, like Mardi Gras, a crawfish boil, or Jazz Fest is a quintessential New Orleans experience. In fact you aren't a true New Orleanian until you have completed this task. I'm glad I went and it was so much fun! The hot Summer night, yes Summer officially starts in May here, was complete with music, dancing, drinks, and friends.

New Thing #77: Indy

Those of you who know me know that I like lists, tasks, and completion. This spills over into all areas of my life. This weekend I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie with my family. I then quickly realized that I had never seen the Indiana Jones trilogy in full. I know, what kind of 80's child am I. I had seen parts of all of them but never any of them all the way through.

So, in one day, I watched the entire Indiana Jones trilogy. Productive way to spend Memorial Day I know. It started at midnight watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark with some guys from church. Followed by The Last Crusade Monday afternoon with my Aunt, yes out of order, and then Monday night Temple of Doom. So now that list is complete, all 4 Indy's under my belt. I can officially be called a child of the 80's again.

i forgot how good looking this man was 

New Thing #76: Not Ready Yet

So I apologize to my readership, of three :), for blog neglect this past week. I have been distracted by a number of things but now I am back on. No worries, the new things have been continuing. 

Today I went with my family to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I wasn't sure what to expect, but in my opinion it lived up to the first Narnia movie. What I love most about the Narnia books is the subtle and not so subtle allegory.

My favorite quote from the movie is at the end when Aslan asks the Kings and Queens of Narnia to stand. Caspian looks up and says "I don't think I'm ready yet." Aslan responds with "For that reason, then, I know you are."

I feel empowered because in times of transition, like I am in now, I never feel ready, equipped, or prepared. But despite that, more and more I am realizing in life that not having it all together is the first step to full surrender. 

New Thing #75: ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a Kirsten!

I have been so amazed at the provision of good friends recently. Saturday night I had the pleasure of doing three new things. 1) Celebrating my friend Kirsten's birthday and 2) Eating at La Macarena Pupuseria 3) Dancing with strangers to a band on Frenchman. It was a delicious El Salvadorian restaurant with flautas, pupusas, frijoles, and margaritas. It was a fun time with new friends and delicious food! Afterwards we headed down to Frenchman to be surprised by a band playing in the street. I enjoyed being outside, dancing, watching others dance, and being with friends. We rang in Kirsten's new year at midnight at the Hookah Cafe. What a fabulous Louisiana Saturday night to celebrate. Happy Birthday Kirsten!

picture taken from by our waiter who was a little rattled due to the authentic el salvadorian la cucaracha crawling out of the wall

New Thing #74: Italiana

Believe it or not when I was home in Atlanta my Chick-Fil-A kids meal toy was a CD for learning conversational Italian. I am terrible at languages but in this new year of new things I need to step out of my intellectual comfort zone. So I started my first Italian lesson. I am going to use the CD and get a book so next year when I go on a trip including a week in Italy with three of the coolest people I know I will be able to get around. Start early I say, no help for this trip to France in June. That is why I have my two Frenchies accompanying me :)

New Thing #73: Russian Twist

So on Wednesday my new Health magazine came. Inside was this oblique exercise called the Russian Twist. It sounds like a drink including vodka or a dance move if you ask me, but actually it is an exercise proven to show results in 3 weeks. If I do 3 sets of 10-12 reps I should see results. We shall see. 

New Thing #72: Earning My Wings

If I could have a superpower it would be flying, and one of my dreams is to fly an airplane, I guess you could say flight fascinates me. Well, tonight thanks to wikiHow, I made a Delta wing paper airplane, which I thought appropriate since my mom works for Delta.  Let me just tell you this was the best paper airplane I have ever made. I played with it for quite sometime in my room while listening to Neil Diamond, not relevant but I would like to go to one of his concerts one day, maybe I will fly my own plane there. So even though this is a long cry from my pilot's license, it was fun and entertaining!

New Thing #71: Darius Goes West

My best friend Corinne goes to UGA and has mentioned this documentary to me several times. I didn't really know what it was about until recently, and so yesterday I came across someone else I knew who had seen the film so I decided to check it out. 

Darius is a 15 year old from Athens, GA and has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the number one killer of children with a genetic disease, and the disease that killed his older brother. The documentary, Darius Goes West, is the story of his trip across America with an ultimate goal of getting his wheelchair customized on MTV's Pimp My Ride. The documentary has won numerous film awards, but what touched me most about the story is that the film makers, along with Darius, have decided to donate all proceeds of DVD sales to go towards prevention and a cure for DMD. 

Just watching the trailer I was blessed and moved. So, today I helped fight DMD. I can't wait to watch the DVD and you should definitely check out the website www.dariusgoeswest.com 

I love this quote from the website: "With unflinching humor, the gift of gab, and unwavering determination, Darius leads his crew towards excitement, brotherhood, and the knowledge that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride."

New Thing #70: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See?

This new thing was a result of both a very convincing infomercial and the fact that another blog that I found of a person doing a new thing each day did this. I love animals of all sorts. I currently live with 3 cats, 1 adopted stray, 5 kittens, 3 outside cats, and a russian tortoise, and I love dogs more than anything else, shh don't tell my cats. 

So, Today I adopted an endangered species. The World Wildlife Fund uses the funds raised from animal adoptions to use towards conservation programs around the world. The commercial that tugged at my heart was about polar bears so I decided that was the animal I would adopt. When I got to the website I realized that there were around 80 animals "up for adoption." I was overwhelmed and wanted to choose the most deserving animal, yes I know I am ridiculous, but I went with my initial instincts and went for the polar bear. I was amazed that they have stuffed animals, even for the rarest of creatures! I will receive my adoption papers and a picture in the mail soon.

New Thing #69: Evil Incarnate

If you know me but at all, you will hear my opinion on two entities which I don't understand how their executives can sleep at night--health insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Their sole purpose of existence is to economically drain Americans while providing them with incomparable  services. The bottom line is money, you know it, I know it, and they know it. However, we can't do without either so we must buy into their game of monopolization and victimization. 

I purchased health insurance from Tulane University for two years. August 2006-August 2008. Paid in full, for 24 months. However, Aetna's policy is that a student's plan runs out when they graduate. So, even though I paid for 24 months of health insurance, I will only be receiving 21 months. Today I had to shop for health insurance, due to the fact that I will not begin working full time until August, I need something to cover me for the Summer, especially since I will be traveling abroad. It was a tedious and unproductive process. Due to pre-existing medical conditions, and not having a set income, I am going to have to set up an appointment with an insurance officer which could take two weeks! This is my own fault for not searching sooner, but I sure hope that I don't get injured or mauled by a lion escaping from the zoo. I will stop complaining because I know it is not fun to read, and I am well aware that my plight is ideal compared to many of the uninsured patients I will serve, so I should count my blessings.

New Thing #68: Mastah

Today I graduated with my Master's in Public Health from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Well, supposedly I did. I went through the ceremony, gave the student speech, however, my name was not listed in the paper with all the other 2,100 Tulane graduates. In addition, while my friends received their diplomas I received a piece of paper stating "participant not graduating." Definitely something I will be checking out on Monday. 

Not really graduating aside, it was a wonderful day! Anything in New Orleans is a celebration and Tulane knows how to have a graduation. Complete with a brass band, a second line recession, and a great time overall. My family and Caitlin had dinner at Palace Cafe and it was so nice! It was a fabulous graduation weekend!

New Thing #67: Exemplification

Today was the awards ceremony for the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I was surprised to find out earlier this week that I would be awarded the Elizabeth A. Bennett Award for Excellence in Maternal and Child Health. Dr. Bennett was a leader in Maternal and Child Health for many years at Tulane and the award is given to a student who best exemplifies her dedication to the health of mother's and children. I must say I was very humbled to receive this, and I hope that this facet of my work is only further developed in the future.

receiving the award

Dr. Dal Corso my advisor and person I aspire to be!

Dr. Magnus--department chair, professor, and boss

New Thing #66: Good Reads

My friend Erin introduced me to Good Reads, an online community where you and your friends can keep track of books you have read, are currently reading, and would like to read. You can also write reviews of each book. I usually resist all of these new online networks but I really like this one. Now I just have to remember all the books I have read!

Totally unrelated to Good Reads, but could positively, absolutely not be left off this blog is that as I am writing this I am drinking Pepto Bismol out of a straw. Today, I had a goodbye lunch with my friend Rebecca who is leaving for the Summer at Camellia Grill. This lunch was complete with a tuna melt, fries, and a chocolate-cherry freeze. It was delicious, not nutritious, and I have been paying for it all afternoon. I am such a light-weight when it comes to fried food! 

New Thing #65: Doodle 4 Google

Doodle 4 Google is a competition where Google invited K-12 students to reinvent Google's homepage logo. 16,000 entries were submitted and were narrowed down to 12 finalist for each grade and region. Google patrons were asked to vote. So I voted in the Doodle 4 Google contest. 

I love art and especially artwork done by children. I think that it is so perceptive and so neat to see their perspective on life and the world. You could vote in each category and I hope my choices win! I think they will be posted later this month. 

New Thing #64: BEE-FENSE

Thanks to my friend James who waited at the computer to get playoff tickets, several of my friends went to Game 5 of the NBA Southwest Division Playoffs. It was such a fun experience! Everyone in the New Orleans Arena, I mean "the hive" received bright gold t-shirts to "Fan Up." I was introduced to a whole new sports culture! The Hornets were awesome and the atmosphere was so electric! As I type this Game 6 isn't going so well, but hopefully they will pull it out with game 7! 

New Thing #63: Do It Yourself

This is a story of another "If you give a mouse a cookie..." incident in the life of Lauren Futrell.

One of my dad's speakers went out in his car. He commutes almost an hour one way for his job, so my mom decided that for an early Father's Day present we would replace it. So I went to Best Buy thinking I would just leave the car there and they could install it. Well, the cute sales person, we will call him Speaker (the name of my imaginary friend as a child) tells me that he thinks I can do it myself. While flirting, Speaker assures me that this is an easy task and that this will save me $50.

Thinking this would take about an hour, four hours later my brother and I installed a car speaker. I learned all about taking off a door panel, cutting/stripping/crimping wires, bolting the speaker in, and putting the door panel back on which was not an easy task. My brother and I completed this task together and I could not have done it without him! Definitely one of my more interesting "new things!" My only regret is that there are no photos to document the occurrence of this event.

In other news, today I also received the same graduation present that I received for Christmas. Yes, I have a new road bike, identical to the old one. I didn't plan it that way but that is how it turned out. Some of the parts are different so it is not completely irreverent of poor Blue Bird, may she rest in one piece. My mom says this new bike is a boy, his name is Blue, after Greg Blue the UGA football player. Yes, I name inanimate objects :). 

New Thing #62: PostSecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project in which people mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. 

It is interesting to me that people all over will write their deepest, darkest secrets on a postcard, send it into a person who manages this blog, and have them displayed on the internet for strangers to read. The website is very intriguing and you should check it out here. Postcards sent in are both telling and moving. All are extremely creative and every once in a while you will find one to empathize with.

My question is if people can actually figure out if they know people who sent them in. Well, here is your chance. I sent a postcard into PostSecret, and you can try and figure out which one is mine :) 

New Thing #61: The Graduate

This weekend my brother turned 22 and also graduated from college. So Saturday, I attended the graduation of my brother from Georgia State University in the Georgia Dome. It was a fun time complete with the graduate's names on the big screen and fireworks and confetti at the end; and oh yeah, the degrees awarded in the middle :)

I will take just a moment to brag on my brother. He is an amazing young man whom I have had the privilege of watching grow up these past two years. Last year he spent a year living in England which changed his life and it has been exciting to see where his journey is taking him! He is a fun loving, kind and generous person who I not only call brother, but friend. He is such a blessing to my life and I couldn't imagine a better brother! After graduation this Summer he received an internship with Senator Isakson in Washington D.C., and I know he has great things ahead.  To him I say CONGRATS!

New Thing #60: Susie Homemaker

I resist domestication. I don't cook very well, I don't know how to sew, I'm not good at ironing, I have no eye for decoration. The only thing I am remotely good at is cleaning and that happens less frequently than it should. One of my rules in this "new thing" journey is that I can't say no, well can't say no to most things. My mom said that before I went away to college I would learn to sew on a button. I didn't. Then it was before you move to do your Dietetic Internship. I didn't. Try three, before I moved for graduate school. I didn't.

Thursday morning as I was leaving to go to the airport and decided to go say goodbye to the kittens. In true Lauren fashion I clumsily fell over a box, which resulted in buttons popping off the front of the skirt I was wearing and me lying on the floor being climbed on by kittens.

So today, I sucked it up and allowed my mom to teach me how to sew on a button. I should consider this her Mother's Day present she has been trying to teach me this for so long. Yes, I know this is ridiculous that I have never done this before, but this is what this year is all about. She made me complete the task by myself and I did a good job if I do say so :). Now, I'm not saying this will occur on a regular basis, but I feel like I am one step closer to semi-domestication. As my mom says, I have another "life skill."

proof

New Thing #59: Two Stars

Thursday I flew home to Atlanta. I was very excited about making the most of my little time here, but my immune system had other ideas. A cold settled in and so my sweet friend Erin agreed to go to a movie instead of going downtown Atlanta like we had planned. We went to see Baby Mama, which I had been told was really funny by friends. If you want to see it don't read on but here is my take on it. 1) They showed all the funny parts in the commercial, so when they happened in the movie it was anticlimactic. 2) Although there were some good lines and Tina Fey is great, the dialogue was sub-par. 3) It tried to be like one of those Judd Apatow movies combining humor with sentiment, but both were lacking so it didn't really work. Erin and I agreed we left expecting something more. Whenever my Aunt and I go to movies we rate them, I give it 2 stars, wasn't terrible, but don't plan on seeing it again. Apparently my new thing for Thursday was being a movie critic. 

New Thing #58: Don't Try This at Home

Set the stage. Last final of graduate school. Taking the test at a University 30 minutes from my house. Sit down at 9:51 am to take a final at 10:00 am. It is a physics final. Let me translate, practically a math final. I realize I don't have my calculator. Panic sets in.

I approach my "transed" teacher (ask me about that if you are interested) who informs me that he has lent out his calculator and apparently has NO idea where to find one in the whole Science building at UNO. Yes, this is my life. I ask if I can use my cell phone and he says, "will it make noise?" Seriously? So, that was my only option. I crunched the numbers as best I could, calculated square roots and exponents in my head. Set up all of the problems but wasn't able to calculate all of them, due to the fact that my cell phone only allows you to enter 13 digits. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I took my Physics final with my cell phone calculator. 

I must have been entranced because I walked out of the final with all confidence. I think this is my coping mechanism, denial. It is a catastrophe I had no control over and all I can hope is that the cosmic forces align that my absent minded professor gives me grade mercy.

That aside the finale of grad school was celebrated with a lovely lunch at Cafe Rani with Grace and Caitlin, winning the hair lottery (more to come later), Wednesday at the Square, and just relaxing with friends.

3 cheers for completing graduate studies!

New Thing #57: Deep Breath

Tuesday was my last chance for procrastination for a while and I took full advantage of this opportunity. Aside from the fact that I was sick, I squandered my time away while I should have been studying for my last final. At approximately 8:30 pm I started to have a panic attack and I decided what I needed was a few deep breaths. So, I decided to practice pranayama breathing. Breathing most commonly associated with yoga, these techniques teach you how to use your lungs full capacity, which most of us don't do apparently. I did deep breathing and the breathing dragon. I must say I should do this more being someone who suffers from asthma and other respiratory problems. Needless to say I didn't really focus on studying, but at least I attempted right?

New Thing #56: Cinco de Mayo

Today, on this fifth day in May, I decided to celebrate the commemoration of an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Despite the common misconception, this day is not Mexico's Independence day, that is September 16. Apparently even though the Mexican army was victorious over the French that day, the French occupied Mexico one year later. This holiday has been celebrated in the United States since 1863 but is virtually ignored in Mexico, celebrated only regionally in Puebla, of course. There is your history lesson for the day.

So today for the first time I celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a margarita, chips, salsa, and guacamole at Juan's Flying Burrito here in New Orleans. For whatever reason I have never celebrated this holiday, aside from Spanish class in 8th grade, so today all that was missing was a sombrero. I will save that for September 16. 

The Battle of Puebla

New Thing #55: Finals Fatigue

So I haven't been sleeping very well or very much recently with papers, finals, and just the sheer anxiety that comes with being Lauren Futrell during a transition time. Today it was so beautiful outside and I wanted to enjoy the weather but I was exhausted. So I went outside just to sit on our front porch. I love porches and swings, and have some of my fondest memories are of talks I have had with my mom on our porch. Back to the point, I went outside and decided to lay down for a minute on our porch swing, just to rest my eyes. I usually can't fall asleep anywhere except my bed, I can't even sleep on planes, but this instance was a different matter. Me "resting my eyes" turned into a 1.5 hour nap on my front porch accidentally. My family thought I was gone on a walk and when they called me for dinner I didn't respond. I was asleep, on the porch, having a nice nap. Apparently none of the neighbors or passerbys were concerned :) It was nice and refreshing despite the lack of work that was accomplished today. 

New Thing #54: Cats and Dogs

A few weeks ago around our Cat Compound we had an incident. Bravo and Wednesday got out and Bravo was gone for three days, returning 4 hours after we plastered the neighborhood with 50 "LOST FAMILY CAT" posters. This escape warranted a trip to the vet to get shots. Now I have been to the vet many times with our dogs, and let me tell you I had no idea the distinct difference between cats and dogs. 

This morning I helped my Aunt take our three cats to the vet. Bravo, our most loving cat, turned into a vicious, angry animal making noises I have never heard before. The processed involved catching him in a net, sedation, micro-chipping, and sedation reversal. Boots and Wednesday were gold star patients and didn't make a sound. Their older brother, however I think will go down in the books for bad behavior at that vet. I have grown to love these cats as my own, and felt like an embarrassed mother who had a child that lashed out irrationally. All in all, no one was traumatized permanently, and I had a lesson on cat vs. dog fundamentals. 

bravo

boots

wednesday

New Thing #53: For Once In My Life

Today I went with new friends Jeanne and Susan to Jazz Fest. I have been before, but definitely had some great new New Orleans music experiences including:

-Richard Thompson

-The New Orleans Jazz Vipers with Miss Sophie Lee

-Pinettes Brass Band, an all female brass band which was great!

-Greater Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church Music Ministry who sang "No One" by Alicia Keys

...and last but not least...drumroll please...

STEVIE WONDER!

It was one of my top New Orleans, and musical experiences so far. Rain poured intermittently but the crowd didn't mind. People were laughing and dancing in the rain to Stevie Wonder, what a site of enjoyment!

Greater Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church second line

crowd celebrating a break in the rain and a "Ribbon in the Sky"

Stevie Wonder himself...not my picture but taken by a friend

New Thing #52: 7 Dresses

While vegging out after my test today, I watched 27 Dresses with my Aunt. Every time someone mentions that movie, they tell me I sound just like it and I am that movie. Well, no I'm not Katherine Hiegl, and thank goodness I don't have a sister like that, but more often than not I sat there listening to quotes that I have said or heard, or personality aspects that mirror my life...

-I probably have 7 dresses, not 27 

-Every wedding I have been in the bride says: 

"What's so great about this dress is you can wear it again"

-I have helped many a bride go to the bathroom in her dress

-I have a complete inability to say no to people

-My favorite part of weddings is looking at the groom's face as the bride walks down the aisle

-I often spend time looking at other people's happiness and memories instead of making my own!

Don't get me wrong, I love all my friends, their weddings, and it was an honor to be in them, but I also love empathizing with film and literary characters :) Cheesy romantic comedy yes, but at the heart of it truth. Here's to enjoying my friends, but making my own memories! 

      

Some of the dresses from the pictures I had on this computer. As you can see my friends have been much nicer in their choices than in the movie!