left no trace

012 • closer than smog to all of la ( which is quite a trick )

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:29:20 GMT

Holy crap I am a happy kid.

And I miss him.

But mostly, I'm just one big happy kid. ^_______________^

I know all you ladies have heard about how to pick up men at the supermarket based off of what they have in their cart. Well, I've got a list that's even more helpful: how to pick up a guy at Starbucks based off of what ( and how ) he orders. Make sure to run your ( potential ) boyfriend through this checklist the next time you get a caffeine fix.

First, AT THE REGISTER:

• If he waits until the barista has greeted him, his mother has taught him manners, and chances are he's very polite.

• Alternatively, if he just orders when the barista is in the middle of "Hello," he can be inconsiderate and impatient, and doesn't really listen.

• If his drink takes longer to order than it does to make, chances are he doesn't have time for you, and/or he's one of those "perfectionist" types. ( And by perfectionist, I actually mean, "My way or the highway, honey." )

• If he orders quick and then spends the next fifteen minutes at the register, this could be one of two things: he doesn't know drinks come up at the bar, OR he's staring at the girl behind the counter.

• If he tips, he tends to be at least a little more thoughtful and considerate -- and ( although no promises here ), he probably has his own job.

• If he takes a minute to actually find out what he's ordering ( I.E.: "So what exactly is a Cinnamon Dolce Latte?" ), you can bet that he likes to have all the info before he makes a choice, and considers his options before making the plunge. He might even be a bit of an intellectual, although again I make no promises.

• If he asks for three add shots of espresso, STAY AWAY. He probably won't be very fun in about an hour when the combined force of FIVE cups of coffee react in his bloodstream ( or else he's going to be REALLY fun ). Plus, he's probably only trying to show off.

• If he asks for the boldest coffee and THEN asks for three add shots, chances are he's also only trying to show off. Or else he's got a massive hangover. Either way, I'd steer clear.

Next, AT THE BAR:

• If he's ordered a Blended Strawberry Lemonade, a Blended Strawberries and Creme, or a Passion Ice Tea ( particularly with extra sweetener ), you might want to think twice. This is the same as a guy walking into the bar and ordering something ( omgZ!!!1!!!1!! ) pink and fruity. And guys, if you wouldn't be caught dead with a Mai Tai, you might want to think about ditching the pink Starbucks drinks for something less...girly.

• If he's ordered a caramel frappuccino, he probably hasn't matured past the age of twelve.

• If that caramel frappucino has extra ( "extra, extra, extra...ect" ) caramel, PLEASE GOD GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN.

• If it's a blended creme ( like Double Chocolate Chip, Strawberries and Creme, or Vanilla Bean ), the guy probably can't hold his coffee -- or, as has turned out in multiple cases, his liquor. Alternatively, he probably has a massive sweet tooth.

• If he's ordered something like an Iced Green Tea, an Iced Black Tea, an Americano, a Caramel Macchiato, a Mocha ( or White Mocha ), a Vanilla Latte, or a Chai Latte, including some variations thereof, you've probably got a pretty well-rounded guy.

• One add shot is good. Two is pushing it. Anything more than that, and it's dangerous. For you and for him.

• Any add shots in any frappuccino AT ALL is bad news (and ESPECIALLY in Creme-based frappuccinos ). Trust us. He probably hasn't paid enough attention to realize that espresso doesn't go in the frappuccinos in the first place, and this means he probably isn't always the most observant of people.

• If he's trying one of the new or promotional drinks, you know he's willing to change or adapt, and that he's adventurous.

• If he brings back his drink six times, you know he's unbending and unwilling to compromise.

• If he's got a cappuccino, this can mean a couple of things: he's got class and sophistication, he's trying to pretend he has class and sophistication ( you can tell when he takes the first sip and makes a face ), he had no idea what to order and it sounded classy and sophisticated, or else he was actually trying to order a frappucino and again, isn't very observant.

• If he says "Thank you" or makes small talk while the barista is fixing his drink, you've got a guy with decency and manners, or else he's just trying to get the barista's number ( but we'll let you be the judge ).

Finally, OTHER NOTES:

• Watch him while he's doctoring his coffee at the condiment bar. Has he spilled a half a pound of sugar? Did he grab twenty napkins and leave nineteen of them in a soggy pile? That's probably what his kitchen looks like ( unless he lives with mom ).

• If he takes a sharpie into the bathroom, call the cops.

• If he takes a magazine into the bathroom, move further away from the bathroom.

• If he's eyeballing those pink mugs, perhaps you should detour to the bathroom.

• If he asks you if you've ever tried to order a Venti in a Grande cup, don't humor him.

• If he's got a lot of Starbucks cards, he's either a school teacher or a player.

• If he is ON THE PHONE at the register, there's a good chance he's either a procrastinator or has very little consideration for the people around him, including the baristas who are attempting to help him. No good.

• If he grabs the tip jar and runs, call the cops. And trash his number. Doesn't have to be in that order.

• If he offers to buy your drink when you're next in line and can't find that five dollar bill, he's a winner.

That's your helpful guide from a veteran barista. Please use this checklist wisely, as you never know when Mr. Right ( or Hugely WRONG ) is standing in front of you at Starbucks.

Gentlemen, this was slightly exaggerated and meant as a joke. Ladies, if they grinned and bared it, you've got a good guy. Alternatively, if they ranted and raved because they LOVE extra extra extra extra caramel frapps, I'm so very sincerely sorry.

Feel free to pass this around to your girl friends ( or girlfriends, unless you're one of the aforementioned caramel frap drinkers ), and have a great one!

-- Lauren

011 • the ? republic

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:29:53 GMT

I was wrong, and perhaps Andrew does think of me as more than just a buddy, even though he made me promise that we were just good friends. But I have hope, I have a lot of hope, and that's awesome.

Anna, how am I going to survive that game without you? And I want your layout.

010 • hand on heart

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:28:19 GMT

Growth group yesterday was a lot of fun, maybe because it was a smaller group and we didn't spend too much time staring at each other, trying to be spiritual. I like talking about my faith, don't get me wrong, but it's intimidating surrounded by people, especially when you haven't grown up immersed in a faith. The other thing that went better than expected was that having Andrew in my house wasn't nearly as awkward as it could have been. My parents skipped out before they could meet him ( but he went to the wrong house, so he was a bit late ), so I was saved from that ordeal. And he was as friendly as ever, although he clearly wants little to do with me outside of the group. But maybe that's not fair. He did drop by work and sit with me outside while I took a lunch break. ( And he left early, but at least he sat down and chatted for a while. After everything that's happened, even a few minutes of one-on-one time seemed unlikely. )

Anyway, I keep feeling like I'm losing ground on the Andrew front as fast as I'm making it. I keep telling myself I'm in the power seat, and that I should be ( well-past ) starting to get over him. But honestly, I still look for his car and I still kind of want him to pop up at Starbucks, which makes it hard to get over him. It's all mental, I understand that, and I suppose that means I have no mental discipline. Oh well.

I've been writing so much. I'm still trying to wrap the second part of Being Blind, not to mention I've started the second part of 55th & 3rd and now I'm working on a crime saga of my own. dr_zhivago and I have spent an obsessive amount of time creating our own little Homicide-Unit world, and I've devoted some time to actually collecting it all into a solid piece that makes cohesive sense. It's a slow process, as with writing CSI:NY, there's a formula. This has to come entirely from scratch. But I know Dr Z will help me.

Right now I'm waiting for my Bio Lab class to start, which is something like Chinese water torture, because I'm sick and don't want to go, and as soon as class is done, I have to go home and get ready for work.

Also, my DVR says the NY episode playing this week is Trapped, but I think it's posted on CBS and Futon Critic that the episode should be All Access. I'm not sure if I could handle watching Stella get brutalized again -- I've already seen the episode twice, and really, I only needed to see it once. At the same time, Melina is amazing and I loved the interaction between her and Flack. But I also loved Trapped, and I always kind of wanted there to be a scene with Mac eating shrimp from a shrimp cocktail at the end. Okay, so it's not realistic for the show, but if Danny can bring bug soup to the lab so everyone can dig in, I think Mac can feast on shrimp. Added plus to Trapped: Adam is in it.

Oh well, I suppose I should go do something productive, but my brain is fried after the in-depth look at cell organelles I just sat through for three hours. I think some food is what the doctor would order.

♥ LoPo

009 • sharing is caring

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:11:30 GMT

At long last, here are some icon bases from Obsession. Enjoy them!

TEASERS:

001. 002. 003.

009 • nothing

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:04:47 GMT

My brother left yesterday and never came back. My mum only knows that he's with his girlfriend. We don't know where he is, and we're pretty sure he's not coming back unless he's forced.

And I'm sitting here, feeling helpless because there's nothing I can do.

008 • an error in judgement?

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:27:39 GMT

With the exception of Flack and Hawkes, I was completely bored with the episode of CSI: NY last night. Which means I'm only looking forward to Some Buried Bones even more, because hopefully it will be more interesting. But I suppose my frustration is simply because, once again, Danny and Lindsay and their "chemistry" was supposed to be the main content or emotional hook of the episode, and I'm thoroughly bored with that. I've never been a fan of the pairing, I've never noticed any special chemistry between the two in their scenes, and so for it to be brought to my attention over and over... it gets annoying, to say the least.

Anyway, against my own better judgement, I have started a long CSI: NY fic. Which, since I'm trying to keep it tied so closely to the actual show and the events in the show so far, features a bit of Danny/Lindsay ( but this is just one of several pairings, including Flack/Stella feat. Mac, and Hawkes/Angell ). I'm not gonna lie: it's already a challenge for me to write since I have little faith in the pairing. However, it's such a prominant issue on the show, especially at the moment, that I ran with it for the fic. And, for the most part, it will be set during the time Lindsay is away in Montana. And I'm thinking of adding an original character or two, but that's always a difficult thing to do -- at least to do well.

Which actually brings me to my next point: any good CSI: NY fanfic communities I can join? I don't want to run around willy-nilly, I want some good active ones where I can share my fics and read other good ones. I trust you guys to let me know!

As for Andrew, I was spared his company this morning, which after yesterday is probably a blessing. But damn it all, I felt a little disappointed that I didn't see him. Talk about chasing my own tail. Yeesh. I'm a wreck when it comes to this stuff.

Anyway, I'm only half-way through my day of Bio, and it was so hard to stay awake through lecture that I almost died. But the lab might prove more interesting, and ( geek that I am ), I always feel cool in the lab -- like I'm doing something that our adorkable tech might do, or else playing with stuff I've seen on the show.

Yup. I need help.

Anyway, I found some caps so look for icons within the week, and hopefully I'll have either the second part of Being Blind up, or the first part of this new saga I'm writing for you.

♥ LoPo

007 • the name is bond

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:31:00 GMT

...I think Growth Group is gonna be at my house from now on. Which means that Andrew's going to be in my house.

But Stephen's mom has a new job and he can't host anymore, and no one else seemed to be offering. My mum said it would be cool if we hosted and, well...Ugh.

I know I've just complicated things for myself. And I'm beating myself up for it. But the good news is, whenever I can get my hands on some quality caps from Obsession, I'll have new icons. And I started working on the second part of what was supposed to be my one shot. Hopefully that will be done in a few days. I'm even thinking of making it a short trilogy -- we'll see how ambitious I'm feeling once I start wrapping up part two...

In other news, I'm sitting at home, alone, trying to find something to do. I tried calling dr_zhivago, but I kind of expected her to be busy. So now it's to the cable, to see if anything even remotely interesting is on. Maybe the History Channel will save me from myself, who knows?

EDIT: It also sucks that I think now Andrew thinks I'm playing hard to get because all of a sudden, I have text messages.

006 • winter comes quick...

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:52:14 GMT

I can already tell you it's going to be an awkward semester. I headed out of my door at 8:30 to begin the trek to school ( which is a good half hour drive, even the way I drive ), and as I was heading to my car, I looked up and there he was, climbing into his own car. Andrew.

You know, I was proud of myself for not letting my feelings get the best of me until I was home alone last night after seeing him again at Growth Group. Then I cried for a couple hours in the dark because not only was the situation awkward and upsetting, but because I had no one to call. So I had some wine and cheese and had a good cry, and then I went up to bed, when finally dr_zhivago called me back about forty minutes after I'd curled up in a ball in bed. Don't lie to me -- you were drunk, Z.

Well, at any rate, it was nice to get it out. A good two months of mourning had built up in me and seeing him just tipped me over the edge. But then, this morning, he and I were driving and he kept doing that stuff -- changing lanes with me, or pulling up beside my car and just hanging out there. Finally I pulled off into my Starbucks' parking lot and he kept going, but man...seeing him every Monday night and Tuesday morning is going to cause me serious frustration. And heartache.

Now I'm about to go to Biology, but my concentration is completely shot. I took about 5lbs of aspirin with me because I have a feeling he's going to dominate my thoughts all morning, and that seriously sucks.

But in other news, I have come up with a few twists for that Adam story, which might help soothe my nerves. I really wanted it to be a stand-alone piece, but I can't seem to let myself leave it alone.

I think I might go watch AJ shiver his way through crime scene photography again on my iPod before class starts, or else finish up my Sherlock Holmes story. And maybe then I won't be freaking out.

Sometimes I hate boys. And I always hate what they can do to us girls.

005 • someday i'll know your name ♪

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:32:30 GMT

It's that time again...ICON BASES!

Unfortunately, these aren't from 3.13 Obsession ( those are on the way ), but an older batch from a couple of season 2 and 3 episodes. Hope you enjoy them!

Teasers:
oo1. oo2.
oo3.

Like I said, more are on the way, this time of everybody and from the latest episode. Keep your eyes peeled!

004 • obsessive?

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:49:25 GMT

So I've re-watched CSI: NY episode 3.13, Obession, and in a nutshell, my thoughts are this: the first half of the episode was far better than the last half. Now, I know my love of Adam might bias me, but I also just thought the second half was a lot less fun for all the characters. Anyway, because I can:

I thought the football playing children were a great way to start the episode, but I thought it took them quite a long while to actually hike the ball. Still, when the one kid announced to his friend that he thought he'd killed someone, I laughed out loud. And the guy in the shopping cart was pretty comical, too.

Have I mentioned I love Sheldon? He picks the oddest moments to be goofy, and then while everyone else is looking at each other like, "What the hell?!" he gets serious and asks the on-topic questions. It's amazing. I was sad that the intro was the only place we saw Det. Angell. I was hoping for more of her. Still, I did like her ( very brief ) exchange with Danny: "You wanna go shopping?" & his reply of, "Race you to the finish line," were very fun and flirty. Their chemistry seems so much more natural than the chemistry between Danny and Lindsay. But I could be biased here, too, and what I was really hoping for was a moment between Hawkes and Angell...but I suppose I'll just keep waiting.

Was it just me, or was Adam FAR more mellow and snarky in this epsiode than he's been at any other point this season? AND I LOVED IT. For one, I loved Danny calling him out ( "Quit shivering like a girl, Adam!" ), and I like how he shot back the line about being from Phoenix. I can empathize with you there, Adam! I guess our boy isn't from Queens after all -- perhaps he just lives there now. At any rate, I was seriously jazzed to see him outside of the labs and in the feild again...does anyone else smell a jump from tech to full-fledged CSI in the cards for our tech? Boy I do -- because having him photograph the prints, ect., isn't really a tech's job. I hope they keep throwing Adam out and using AJ to his full potential, and I really like how calm and ( ohmigod ) sexy he was -- particularly back at the lab, sans labcoat, explaining to Mac and Stella that there wasn't a second kidnapper, just a previous break in.

Mac and Stella had some nice moments, more silent and physical than out loud. I really liked the way that Mac kept touching bases and not hovering over her work. I've said it before: I love the level of absolute trust between this pair, and I hope that at some point, Stella confronts Mac about his troubles with Peyton. It seems to me that these two are too close for him to feel uncomfortable going to Stella -- she was the one encouraging him to have a life back in seasons 1 & 2. Besides, it would be interesting to see how Stella handles it, I think.

I like that Danny always interviews the ladies in the skanky outfits, don't you? But I called the bum right away, and dr_zhivago said that our "kidnapped" lady was gonna be a little freaky, too. But basically, after the scene where Mac interviews the so-called kidnapped victim and then concludes with Stella that she's lying, the show ( for me ) really slowed down. Not that I lost interest, it just seemed to change pace. The inevitable wind-down, if you will. However, I did truly love that their original theories were thrown out of the window. I like when Mac and Stella theorize and then are forced to re-think those theories as more evidence is uncovered.

Among my favorite scenes was the one where Hammerback shows Hawkes and Danny that the cause of death was a blow to the head from a woman's right foot. I liked Hammerback's physical comedy -- some of his shining moments were just in his expressions as he reacted to Hawkes and Danny in that scene. I love him in autopsy, but I love him more when he's kidding with the guys. Another truly amazing scene was when Flack and Stella shook down the parolee, and then Flack arrested him anyway. The look on Stella's face as she slides on her sunglasses and follows Flack and the collared suspect is priceless. It's obvious that she enjoys Flack's snarky, spiteful little counters as much as we, the audience, do. And I just love when Flack snaps cuffs on people. He could bring those cuffs my way...I certainly wouldn't complain.

Another cute moment was Adam saying that the victim and a horse were in the trunk of the car, and the way he laughed when Mac pointed out the car wasn't that big. I like the way they sometimes sneak in the technical stuff, like how Adam analyzed the manure to get the meds that the horse was on, and how the could zero in on the stables from the car's milage.

Over all, this was one of the better episodes of the season, and despite a predictable wind-down, it had cute moments. Perhaps a little pun-heavy, but I like when the characters laugh with us, and we still haven't reached Horatio's level of absurdity when it comes to cheesy puns. I was glad for a lack of serious drama in this episode -- no Danny getting into trouble, no Lindsay breaking into tears or Internal Affairs dropping in. It was nice to a more lighthearted episode in leiu of everything else going on in the characters' lives, and it made this episode not only fun to watch, but more relatable for those of us who aren't affiliated with the mob, haven't been arrested, and certainly haven't survived any mass-murders.

So there's my CSI: NY review of the week. And I'm so stoked at all the Adam-time I can't even describe it! It's fueled some fics, that's for sure, but it totally wrecked another, longer fic I was already starting to dive into... oh well, I'll just have to re-think that one.

I'm sure I'll have more to say later, but I've got to get ready for my Bio class. I'll check in afterward and maybe get some more of those NY bases up for everyone's enjoyment.

003 • and girls just lie! ♪

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:18:05 GMT

Have I mentioned I'm on an Anberlin kick? And also, people really need to check out the Classic Crime -- a favorite of me and dr_zhivago.

I promised a blog, and here it is -- well, for better or worse. This is also going to have pictures...I know, I know. I'm going crazy!

So. Other than the fact that Starbucks is sucking the life out of my body slowly and with ( unfortunately ) great success, life is...boring? I've had better weeks. Months. Something like that. At the moment? I've got an eyeball that's redder than AJ's hair and it's slightly annoying, as I've scratched the cornea. Sounds more painful than it is, although it does feel like I've constantly got an eyelash in my eye. This, as you can imagine, has not improved my recent mood.

But, BARACK OBAMA has finally made his bid for presidential candidacy (!!!) and I'm a happy girl. I don't normally vote Democratic ( but DO NOT blame me for Bush ), but I most definitely would put my support behind Mr. Obama. He's clever, energetic, and he hasn't had enough time to be completely corrupted by big-time politics. After all, it's only in this last decade that he's been involved in politics -- before that, he was a university professor.

AJ fics are in the works! I've got a couple ideas, including a Danny/Adam fic that has to do with the deep, dark past dr_zhivago and I have been working on for Adam.

It's been posted before, but...to the right is...

AJ on TVGuide.com

He's got a hot voice. Seriously hot.

Okay, enough AJ!love. For now, at least. The other really exciting thing is, if I can just make it through Spanish II, I can go home, relax, and get ready for another exciting installment of CSI: New York -- because 3.13 is FINALLY on! Which means, Zhiggy, that I will be calling you at exactly 9:59pm to SPAZ OUT with you...well, actually, I'll probably be calling you before that to find out what's up with this awful day of yours.

...And now it's picture time!

sometimes, just sometimes, my hair is cooperative.

MORNING GLORY.

Dr.Z!love while she packs to go back to school...

The MINI!eddie that I drew on the whiteboard in her kitchen.

A doodle from a break at work.

December 24th at the Irvine Spectrum

Another shot. It's my favorite holiday destination, although it's a cool mall any ol' time. There's an ice rink there, too.

A fountain at the iSpec -- Dr.Z was dancing around it but I didn't get her in the pic...

The top of my Starbucks cup, thanks to coworker Tamara

HOCKEY NIGHT! Me and Dr.Z at the Calgary/Ducks game in Orange County. SO MUCH FUN.

Me and Tamara at the game

Tamara = HAM

The ice, all lit up.

THE END, FOOLS!

Okay, so I'm going to put up some more goodies soon, and find more CSI: New York groups to join. Also, look for those Adam fics within the next few days. And... icons, especially from the pics that faylinn_drake posted over on adam_ross. Keep rockin'!

♥ LOPO

002 • based off of...?

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:42:18 GMT

episode ( 3.06 ) open & shut
aj buckley // adam ross

eddie cahill // det. don flack jr.

carmine giovinazzo // danny messer

I promised something of a preview. I've got other icons to post, but I hate messing with grids, even simple ones. Tomorrow I'll get around to posting a real blog. For now, I'm off to find that Adam Ross community that a friend mentioned...AJ Buckley is a very awesome actor. If you don't know him, you should. For now, I gotta go. Starbucks requires me at 4am and since that was an unexpected twist of fate, I have to go finish my Bio homework now.

But, a post-script note: CSI: NEW YORK EPISODE 3.13 OBSESSION is on tomorrow! That will be an excellent post-Spanish treat.

001 • stationary stationary ( you know you never write )

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:09:03 GMT

semi • FRIENDS ONLY

check the profile.
this is not a friends-only journal,
however some things will be friends-locked.
if you want full access to my graphics, fanfiction, CSI stuff and music,
you should add me as a friend!