just laura

My cousin’s daughter is the new cover girl for the July issue of a North Carolina parenting magazine! You can see Jordyn on their website at wncparent.com.

Chris has developed quite a knack for photography over the past few years and we spent quite a bit of time today wandering town, seeing the sites, and photographing everything! Alyssa was pregnant and very patient with us. :) Tomorrow we’re heading to Rainier for some hiking (and more photography!).

WHAT: My roommate is moving to Los Angeles, which means I need a friendly, laid back replacement. It’s a great 2 bed – 2 bath apartment in Fremont. Available Aug 1st. Amenities include: living rm (couches, DVD, stereo, WiFi, etc), dining rm, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full size washer & dryer, fully stocked kitchen with dishwasher, disposal, pantry, and lots of pots, plates, appliances (kitchen aid mixer, food processor, waffle maker, blender, etc). Large balcony. Great for public transit or driving! Bus lines # 44, 358, and 5. Reserved parking spot under building, quick access to Aurora. Bike storage under building. No pets or smoking in building.

WHERE: One block off of Fremont Ave near the top of the hill. Lots of shops in 1-2 blocks walking distance: Marketime grocery store, Buckaroo Tavern, Video Isle, Aruba Café, Paseo, Fremont Classico, Persimmon Café, etc.

WHO: I’m looking for a friendly roommate who’s M or F, straight or gay, mid to late 20s, respectful, responsible with rent/bills, recycles, cleans up after themselves. No couples and no kids please. Email me (laurakoehn AT hotmail DOT com) or leave comment if you know someone who might be interested. Available August 1st.

I hung out with Chris and Alyssa at the EMP till early afternoon, then headed to Eastlake for a few parties all within six blocks of each other. Andrew had a few people over at his place for grilling dogs and yummy corn on the cob. Afterwards, we brought the party about three blocks north to the Eastlake Ho-Down, complete with giant slip and slide and a mechanical bull in the front yard. Got to love Eastlake! After those two parties, I headed about three more blocks north and ended the night at Samantha’s party. The crowd was full of friendly photo bloggers and we had great views of both the Elliot Bay fireworks and the Gasworks fireworks!

Apartment update: I posted an apt ad on Craigslist yesterday morning and already had about 20 replies (all women, oddly enough). Let’s hope some are promising options…

from their website: The AXIS OF EVE is a coalition of brazen women on a mission to EXPOSE and DEPOSE President Select George W. Bush and his deceitful
administration. Convinced that effective political action can be
irreverent and exciting, we have launched a titillating campaign of
TRUTH-FLASHING coordinated around our provocative line of protest
panties (the Presidential line for Eves and the Vice Presidential line of
boxers for Adams).

We Eves are gearing up for a shameless summer of panty-flashing to lay
bare the shameful tactics of the Bush administration and boldly
demand an
end to political cover-ups. Our campaign for naked democracy will
culminate at the Republican National Convention in NYC in September,
where
we will create a media spectacle b(e)aring messages of truth,
accountability, and peace.

Join the Eve-olution (and get yourself some protest panties)! www.axisofeve.org

Anyone else out there on Orkut? I know there are a million “social networking” websites like friendster.com, myspace.com, tribe.net, LinkedIn.com, etc. I guess orkut.com is the newest one… apparently developed by a Google employee. If you’re on and want to add me as a friend, let me know…

Reading: House on Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros)

Listening: Last Goodbye (Jeff Buckley)

Eating: Wasabi Peas (spicy!)

Last night I met and interviewed four potential roommates… three of whom were very cool and would make lovely house mates, one who was too anal, and one who would make a great travel partner (she’s been to India, Europe, Thailand, and Africa… cool!). Tonight I was supposed to interview another woman and Dieter and Andrew decided they would stop by to “borrow something” and see if she was hot or not. They’ve both got girlfriends, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t come in, make fools of themselves, and babble for awhile before eventually leaving when she got up to leave. Answer: yep, I think she was pretty good looking. And cool too. I don’t think she’ll take the place (she wants to leave closer to the Port of Seattle), but hopefully we’ll hang out again sometime soon.

Tomorrow evening I’m interviewing five more women for the apartment… and one guy who wants to go hiking. :) Let’s hear it for free ads on Craigslist!

Group photo

Pregnant Alyssa

Excited Steph

Photography Chris

Hairy Marmot

Saturday 7/3/04 we hiked the Reflection Lakes trail, passed Narada Falls, and hiked up the Pinnacle Peak trail. It was probably about 6 miles and was a lovely time with good company! :)

Last April Caroline, Fester, and I made a journey in search of the fallen houses. We’ve been told about huge storms that caused erosion that in turn caused houses to fall off of the cliffs into the bay. Lo and behold… online sites confirmed the stories and Fester was actually able to take us there. Pictures now posted.

The day was full of exploration and excitement. It was also kind of sad though… knowing these folks lost their entire homes… and here we were, strangers wandering around in the wreckage. We tried to be respectful though… acting more as documentarians and not as scavengers.

Well, actually, one nurse called to tell me I needed to “set up an appointment to discuss the results in person.” Another nurse called and told me I was “fine.” Another nurse called and told me they’re “not at liberty” to give out my blood test results. Unfortunately, my doctor is out of town this week so I’m not sure if I’ll be getting a clear answer anytime soon.

Update: I got yet another call this afternoon from another nurse. This one also said I’m fine. This means 2 out of 4 nurses think I’m fine… I suppose I can be content with a 50% chance of being okay. :) Three cheers for me not being sick forever!

Some of you already know this, but here’s the announcement for the rest of you: I found out last weekend that five of my prints were accepted for a gallery show! I think the exhibit opening is supposed to be late August and they’ll be up until mid-October. A friend offered to help find gallery space if a few us of put in prints for the portfolio. Turns out someone liked the idea and they’ll be on display at the White Dove Gallery for two months. I don’t actually expect to sell anything, but think it’ll be fun to have the experience… writing an artist’s bio, framing some prints, and going to the opening. :)

It’s been a while since I’ve spent any time in Austin and I think the Austin City Limits Music Festival would be a great excuse to head home for a weekend to see friends and family, eat some good food, see my parents new house, and enjoy some good music. So, I’ve booked my plane ticket and will be heading home Sept 17-20. There will be 130 great bands on 8 different stages over 3 days. Anyone else planning to be there?

This weekend I went for hikes on both Saturday (5 miles with Nitza and Rheta) and Sunday (14 miles with Tyson and Jenni). I figured I should be taking advantage of hiking season while the snow is gone and hiking is still an option. Saturday was pouring down rain on us the whole five miles, and Sunday was blue skies, warm, and sunny. I’m still showing my apt in all of my free time (despite my sick roommate sleeping on the couch) and continue to meet really nice people overall (no freaks, married folks, people with kids, odd hours, etc). Everyone (except one guy) said they’re definitely interested, so at some point soon I’ll need to make some decisions. Jane’s back from Italy. Dieter’s up in Whistler. Erin’s really sick. In general, work is good, life is okay, and I’m otherwise just tired and rather down. Hope y’all are well…

I’ve wanted to see the San Juan Islands for as long as I’ve been in Seattle and I’ve finally made plans to go. Caroline, Fester, and I are going to go in August and I’m stoked. :)

“The San Juan Islands are the tops of glacier-carved mountains that were flooded at the end of the last Ice Age, and depending on whom you listen to there are between 175 and 786 islands in the San Juans. The lower number constitutes those islands large enough to have been named, while the larger number represents all the islands, rocks, and reefs that poke above the water on the lowest possible tide.”

We’re also going to go kayaking and attempt whale watching while we’re there. So many new experiences all in one weekend… quite excited!

“When it’s time to spot some whales, you have two choices. You can take a whale-watching cruise or head over to Lime Kiln State Park, where a short trail leads down to a rocky coastline from which orca whales, minke whales, Dall’s porpoises, and sea lions can sometimes be seen. The best months to see orcas are June to September, but it’s possible to see them year-round.”

There are a few others places I’d like to hit in the NW for long weekends. If you’re interested in hitting one of the national parks, let me know and we’ll play with schedules. I brought a National Parks Pass, so entrance would be free.

Hoh Rain Forest (Olympic National Park), Washington (only rain forest in the country). We could camp overnight and then hit Sol Duc hot springs in the same park the next day. :)

Crater Lake, Oregon (deepest lake in the country)

Glacier National Park, Montana (just plain nice)