obama the iguana

Again, I know this is not meant to be a study on the animals around me and my reactions to them, but come on. I sat down two feet from a giant iguana today. I've named him to Obama in an effort to make him seem like a friend to all. I also saw a small, worm-sized SNAKE that is apparently blind. Can't make this shit up. I think this was told to me in an effort to make it seem less scary. I don't think this is a plus for me though. It just means it could accidentally come near me. Can you imagine. Of course I threw both myself and my bag up on the table which was a totally appropriate reaction in the middle of the music school courtyard... obviously.

In other news, M&M's has come out with two new products; pretzel filled and coconut filled M&M's. I had both of these in my arms to try, for purely scientific purposes of course, but I looked down and I was also holding oreos, chips ahoy, and wine.... so it seemed like I needed to edit. However, next time I need a chocolate fix, i.e. tomorrow, I'll let you know how these are!

Navigating Canada

Quiz: Is this a good idea?

1. Is it a good idea to let Laura borrow your car to drive in another country?

2. Is it a good idea to send Ian as her navigation partner?

3. Is it a good idea to take bets on how late she will be getting back?

Answer key: 1. no (2 points), 2. no (2 points) 3. absolutely no (give yourself negative 6000 points if you answered yes to this one!) It's not funny!

Day one at University of Miami... an odyssey as told through bugs... again

Ok I did not intend for the Miami adventure to be mostly about bugs, and that is also not my intention here, but come on. Have you seen the size of these things down here. I went to use the restroom today and saw a cockroach that could only be described as a cantaloupe sized bringer of heart attacks. It seems most fitting to start by tying Miami into Houston through none other than ICE CREAM! Now, since last time I wrote, I became lactose intolerant (gasp). This means I went like 3 months with no dairy whatsoever while I sorted out how to deal with this. However, THEY HAVE BLUEBELL ICE CREAM DOWN HERE!!!!!!! So, obviously the strike is over! I was so excited, I bought a gallon of the great divide (half chocolate, half vanilla) scooped a bowl, and danced around my kitchen to hotel California while eating it. I then got sick... but that's not the point! I don't know what the point is... but it was fun! So anyway, I will try and post every week or so in an effort to document this DMA but you and I both know this will end up being almost exclusively about bugs. And mark my words, the day I see a snake I am moving straight back up to Michigan... or possibly Indiana where I can bum off of a wonderful Geiser and Tarta.

Miami here we come

I'm leaving for my final audition in Miami, Florida in a few days. I'm ready for this to all be over! I tend to come up with brilliant life plans for myself every week or so on average... so it's weird for me that the idea of a doctoral degree and opera direction has stuck for as long as it has. I figure if I don't get back into school, I'll move somewhere fabulous like St. Lucia and stand on the beach singing for food. There is, of course, also the back up plan of selling fresh bagels out of a van, or the lifelong dream of hosting an infomercial, but it's important to be realistic in one's dreams and perhaps the infomercial idea creeps slightly beyond that. No matter what happens, I would just like to state now, in writing, that I will be at least successful enough to have an entire brand of chocolate named after me at some point... is that so much to ask? Unwrap a Laura!

I should rename the blog, but the lack of resulting confusion would be no fun

Well, I thought there was a strong possibility that I would end up back in Houston after a nice break living back in Michigan. That seems to no be in the cards anymore though, and as the great saying goes, when one door closes, don't pinch your fingers. So onward with the adventures of Laura in where ever she finds herself. This week, that means a road trip with Merry Beth to Maryland! I'm extremely excited to get the doctoral auditions underway, but also equally excited to spend some quality time singing loudly in the car with MB. Don't worry, she's in charge of navigation. You know you've been friends a long time when you don't even have to tell her she's in charge of navigation. To put Laura in charge of navigation would be such a hysterical joke, no one would even consider it a possibility. I was momentarily navigating on the 24 hour drive down to Houston, only to miss the ONE turn in the first 18 hours of the trip due to an enthralling game of 20 questions with Kal. Go ahead, ask him about it. He remembers! So anyway, wish me luck!!!!