On a dark and stormy night

Oh man, we are having thunder storms right now here in Reidsville. 

I am hiding in my apartment, wrapped up in my pajamas and a blanket. 

Slowly embracing the fact that I have gone round the bend. 

Please, please..do NOT let me read anymore fan fiction.

And while you are at it, will you please take away my phone?

I am swamped in addiction here, people. 

You know, I thought I was paying you to be my therapist/deal with my problems/cook dinner for me?

I don't mean to criticize, but seriously,  I may have to take my business elsewhere :) 

Lori Ann

I don't like seagrams ginger ale, so why do I keep drinking it??

I knew all my hours on YouTube would pay off!

 I just found an awesome INDIE cover of Single Ladies.

I know..sounds bizarre, right? 

You're Welcome!!

Lori Ann

Post Secret is like crack to me.

I love PostSecret.

It's so interesting and addictive.

I haven't sent in a post card, but it is my life goal to do so.

Once I have a really good secret. 

In the mean time, here are some less scandalous Lolee secrets.

 It really took a lot of mental energy for me to NOT make all my secrets about how much I love Darren Criss. 

Lori Ann

For everything I just couldn't do

"It’s a psychological fact that we treat ourselves the way we were treated as children."

Every once in a while, I read or hear something that shifts the way I view myself, my family, the work that I do, and even the world. 

Today was one of those days.

I don't know if any of you have ever felt like you are trapped in a certain space.

 Limited to a certain role.

I feel that way often with my family.

I had always thought it was THEM keeping me here. 

Today, I realized that; more than any other person, it's ME keeping me here. 

Amazing. 

Thanks for being my therapist, Eri. 

Lori Ann

(the Victim)

It tastes like pink! It tastes like pink!!!

Wednesday Night. 

Ginger Ale and Glee reruns on the computer. 

I wish that today had been all fun and festive.

It was actually one of the hardest days of my life.

But it was amazing in that I realized- AGAIN- how awesome my family is.

Thanks for all the listening, the advice, and the  comfort. 

You people rock.

the family baby

Lori Ann Peanut Butter- Jelly!

I wake up every morning, feeling like P.Diddy..

SOME POSTS REQUIRE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT. THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE POSTS. PRESS PLAY AND GO TO AROUND THE 25 SECOND MARK!!

I went to my intern's house tonight for a Glee party tonight.

Because I like to keep things professional and everything.

It was me, my intern, and her cat.

Wow.

We were lucky the cops weren't called, because with that kind of combo, it was inevitable that this party was going to be off the chain. 

Anyway..

Can I just say that her house was AMAZING!!!

She has a sleigh bed, a spare bedroom, a giant walk in closet, leather furniture, a giant tub, and SO MUCH MORE!!

And here I remain, in my small, decidedly shady 1 bedroom.

When I move I am so upgrading.

Because I am moving, people.

I am leaving North Carolina on June 5th.

Moving back home to Pennsylvania.

Sweet home Pennsylvania.

Lori Ann

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time

Was it just me, or did tonight's episode of Glee leave you feeling apathetic and unsatisfied?

It might be time to fixate on a new show.

Any suggestions?

Anyway, welcome to the first of this week's blog features

THIS WEEK IN MISSION HISTORY

Today, we turn our attention to the day before Valentines Day, about a year and a week into my mission.

Wow..after being a missionary for so long, I bet my journal was full of uplifting thoughts and personal revelation and concern for my investigators...let's find out...

For those of you who don't speak Spanish, "La voy a Matar" means "I am going to kill her"

(I made it a point to write my meanest thoughts in Spanish, in case my mother/future generations ever read it)

I think the best word's to describe myself as a missionary are: Spiritual, Mature, and Bi-Polar Completely Emotionally Stable. 

Hermana Hinsdale 

You know where that is, Poppin' Fresh? It's on the wrong side of the tracks.

BEST.VALENTINES.DAY.EVER.

Exhibit A: A surprise from my "secret admirer" aka the coolest girl at my work

Exhibit B: My candlelit dinner

 (consisting of steak, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake,strawberries,sparkling cider..and some Tracey Chapman on my iPhone)

Exhibit C: 

70 degree weather. 

Exhibit D:

 One super hot foot soaking with my new peppermint foot scrub.

 My feet feel so smooth and they smell like Christmas!

Exhibit E: New pics of Darren Criss. Oh. My.Gosh.

It's been a great Valentine's Day.

 I hope all of yours were thrilling and romantic and everything of which you've ever dreamed!

Lori Ann

It's Valentines Eve, People...do you know where your chocolates are?

It feels like another Random Thoughts Night!

Let's do this thing! 

I got "Tiny Dancer" for free on itunes

. For FREE, people! 

I've been lost in "I just got an iPhone" world for a few days.

 I am back now.

I made chicken pot pie tonight.

 It was so-so. 

What should I make myself for Valentines Dinner tomorrow night?

 Ohhh..maybe I'll have a candle lit dinner!

I make it a point to do stuff for myself, even though I'm single.

 I got tired of waiting for some man to do it for me so..

I buy myself flowers.

I make myself fancy dinners.

and this year..

I'm buying myself some diamonds. 

It's kind of an awesome year to be in relationship with myself!

Erin has given me permission to obsess about Glee.

 It's my new Dawsons Creek.

It feels like spring here.

 Thank you, South, for living up to all of my dreams of a breezy, almost snow free winter.

 i <3 you!

Lori Ann

Hey, this is Phil. Leave me a message, or don't, but do me a favor: don't text me, it's gay.

Today was the day. 

I traded in my blackberry for my brand new sweet sweet iPhone. 

Unfortunately, I had to sign away my soul to the devil (Verizon) for another two years. 

A small price to pay to be able to YouTube my favorite 'suprised kitty' videos while standing in line at the grocery store. 

Oh snap.

Lori Ann

Random Thoughts: the Wednesday Night (hoping for snow) Edition

Today I got a fortune cookie with no fortune. 

This would fuel my anti-China sentiment to new heights..if I had any anti-China sentiment.

Which I don't. 

So, and as usual, I blame YOU, Canada.

I could not stop talking about how hot Darren Criss is today. 

I talked about it with my intern. 

I talked about it with my co-workers
(male and female).

And...shamefully...I talked about it with my clients.

I am getting an iPhone tomorrow

. At 7 am.

Oh Snap!

Unless it snows. 

Lori Ann

I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany

Oh my gosh, people.

I have sunk to a new low.

As many of you do not know, I don't have cable. 

Trust me, this is for the best. 

I already spend about 11 hours a day on the Internet and staring out into space mindlessly.

Cable would be the ruin of me.

However, I am DYING.

Yes, probably literally dying, because I cannot watch Glee. 

I know its on Hulu the next day, but that is not soon enough for me.

Which brings us to the new low I haven sunken to.

I just spent the last hour reading people's twitter feeds to determine what was happening in the episode.

Oh the shame.

How has it come to this? 

And talk about an exercise in frustration!

Remember when TVs were older and you sometimes got channels, but they were fuzzy, so you smacked the TV to get them to come in better?

That is what it feels like to "watch" a TV episode via Twitter.

 You think you know what's happening, but you can't be absolutely sure.

So, to all my favorite Glee peeps, I am excited/sad/angry/happy/confused about what happened on tonight's show! 

And I guess I'll be watching it on Hulu tomorrow:)

Lori Ann

p.s.- I made pork chops for the first time in my life tonight!

 Oh Snap!
 (that's my new phrase. A lot of people were using it on their twitter feeds..oh snap!)

The Post a Decade in the Making!

Exactly one decade ago today, I entered the MTC.

This is what I wrote in my journal that night.

(you have to click on it)

I had no idea what was in store for me.

 The craziest, longest, shortest, funniest, most tedious, back breaking, testimony building, painful, joyful, terrible, wonderful 18 months of my life. 

Which brings me to YET another new feature on my blog:

 THIS WEEK IN MISSION HISTORY. 

Every once in a while- between antiquing, obsessing about Glee, and plots for world domination, I will be posting passages from my mission journal. 

Because, y'all..it does not get more dramatic than this journal. 

 The mission brings out your crazy.

 And this journal is a tribute to that. 

I dedicate this post to the people of the Illinois, Chicago mission.

Thank you for converting me. 

Hermana Hinsdale

To Elizabeth Mae, on the Occasion of her 5th Birthday

It's a day early, but since she announced to me that she is "ALREADY 5" I doubt that my niece Elly will mind her blog tribute being a little early.

I have never met anyone like Elly

. And that is after about 10 years working with dementia, schizophrenia, and every Axis 1 mental health diagnosis known to man.

No, Elly is a whole different kind of crazy.

She loves animals and bossing her siblings.

She says the funniest things but demands that we take her seriously.

 She thinks she is a princess, but is the first to jump into the mud.

She dresses half princess, half grandma.

 She believes in aliens and makes crazy wishes

 She bakes for the people she loves.

She is a miracle and I can't imagine my life without her.

Check out 69 seconds of the Elly magic for yourself! 

(aka see the video below)

Aunt Lori

On Wednesdays we wear pink

 So, click play and read on!*

 How to have a GLAMOROUS night on the Town!

STEP ONE: Wake up from your afternoon nap, slugs!

STEP TWO: Get all of your friends together

STEP THREE: Hit all the local hot spots!

STEP FOUR: Eat dinner at a quiet yet trendy local spot. Somewhere classy and romantic.

STEP FIVE: If your significant other or friends who are boys aren't available, make it a GNO- Girls Night Out (sweater ponchos are optional) (nudity is frowned upon)

Well, I hope we can all leave this blog post a little classier, a little more informed, and; more than anything else, a little more jealous of my glamorous life. 

Lori Ann

It's eating my yarn

This blog has been interrupted by the arrival of four wild and crazy babies!! 

(this is the one that scares me the most!)

Lori Ann

I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind. It's inspiring in a way.

My new blog feature has been put on hold so that we can stop and recognize the 13th most important holiday in my life. 

Groundhogs Day.

I wanted to put up a cute pic of a ground hog and maybe a funny Groundhogs Day movie quote, but my friend Laura (aka Intern # 2) wrote some stream of conscious poetry and DEMANDED that I put it on my blog. 

Let's do this thing!!

Ground Hog, Ground Hog

Running so sweetly

Oh how I would love to

Utilize your

No...Ground Hog! Don't run away-run to me

Don't die on me

Heal, Help, Hallelujah

Oh, you're dead

Go to heaven, Ground Hog

So moving.
 I feel as though you have encapsulated all that the groundhog was, is,and will be.

 It's breath taking.

 Thank you, Laura.

 (for your poetry, your attendance at various midnight Catholic celebrations, your willingness to sacrifice a family pet, etc)

And now..tomorrow..we are going to talk about THIS

It cost me 3 dollars to make.

 And may be the crappiest wreath known to man.

 Brace yourself, we are diving head first into some dollar store crafting tomorrow!

Lori Ann

Walk Like an Egyptian: Random Thoughts Wednesday

I can never seem to do my random thoughts on Thursday..sorry, Allison!!

Ok, let's do this thing.

I am super excited to start my new blog feature.

THE POOR GIRL'S FANCY

 I chose that name because it kind of annoys me. And one of my commandments this year is to "embrace my annoyances"

Go Egypt!

 Its a sad commentary on my knowledge of global politics that I had no idea what was going on over there.

I know I need to be better informed about our world, but I have no idea where to start.

I have a new life ambition to get into Mensa.
 (I hear you laughing!)

Now I can't get that "Fancy, don't let me down" song out of my mind!

This is why I didn't want that name!

My new favorite song lyrics for this week are "There are many things I would like to say to you, but I don't know how" from Oasis and "I won't give up, if you don't give up" by Train.

I choose new lyrics every week to obsess over.

Ok, I won't name names, but a certain beloved LDS blogger put a new picture of herself on her blog this week and it was unsettling.

 Her hair was curled and feathered back.

 Can someone please tell me when the eighties came back? 

If the eighties really are back, this makes my mother the most fashionable person I know

 And; according to my calculations, that means the END IS NEAR, PEOPLE! 

Off to finish rereading Half Blood Prince (skipping over Dumbledore's death, as usual) and then off to bed.

Lori Ann