I realized recently that I do not get super personal on my blog.
Wait!
That’s kind of a lie.
I will talk about former flames and certain traits that they probably don’t want discussed on an open forum, former solitary drinking habits, and dreams of running naked through the desert of Western Texas, but I do not talk about the day-to-day aspects of my life.
The only bits of info that you probably really know about me is that I’m in love with David Byrne, Jeff Goldblum, and Crispin Glover and that I like being photographed with mannequins.
Oh, and that I talk about Austin, TX a little too much.
Over the past six months, I’ve had so many wonderful and interesting new friends join my blog. I would like to share a little more about myself in hopes that you will in turn tell me your darkest secrets.
My son Skippy and I
Name: Lauren
Age: 26
Hometown: Lonelytown, NY (the best thing to do on a Saturday night was go to Denny’s….and that even shut down. Now it’s Wal-mart)
Current Town: Austin, TX (Heaven on Earth)
Former Town: Los Angeles, CA (Hell on Earth….but in a intoxicating, delicious way!)
Family:
Mom Brenda
Former owner of women’s apparel store/Grade A scrapbooker/Best Mom ever created
Dad Karl
Actor/Adventurer/My kindred sprit in daydreaming
Grandma Nan
Former owner of women’s apparel store/Mo-fo’ing classiest woman you’ll ever meet/83 and fab
Occupation: Perpetually trying to get out of the film industry. When I was 20, I was offered a job in Hollywood that was too good to pass up. I’ve now spent the past six years wondering what the hell I got myself into.
Relationship Status: fancy free?
Aspirations: When asked this question, I typically stare blankly at the questioner, get fidgety, and quickly change the subject. I’ve never been able to think beyond what I’m doing tomorrow, let alone years from now. However, as I’ve gotten older, I realize that there is life after 30 and that that sort of thinking is not gonna fly. So, for the first time ever, I will say that my aspirations are to be a full-time writer that can support herself and any sort of facade of looking like a brilliant, semi-crazy, drunk artist.
Oh, and to have a roundtable discussion with Danny Elfman, Anthony Bourdain, David Byrne, Amy Sedaris, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harpo Marx, Cary Grant, and Frank Zappa….in bed.
Traits: I obsessively check to make sure the stove is off- even if I haven’t used it. I still have my baby blanket which has a rainbow on it and is in awesome shape (rainbows are timeless, I tell myself). I’m told I talk way too much with my hands.
Movies: IN THIS VERY SPECIFIC ORDER: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Annie Hall, Young Frankenstein, The Jerk, Stop Making Sense, Ghostbusters, Secretary…oh shit, I can never remember 8-10. Let’s add all Marx Brothers pre-MGM.
Music: Talking Heads, Oingo Boingo, Frank Zappa, David Byrne, David Bowie, Hall & Oates, Peter Gabriel, Sly & The Family Stone, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, David Byrne, Talking Heads, David Byrne.
Books: Anything by Bret Easton Ellis and The Giving Tree. And Highlights Magazine. And backs of liquor labels.
Hobbies: Being a f’ing “NATIONAL” KARAOKE CHAMPION!!! (uh….that’s about it)
Highlights: Working for quite possibly the best actor in the world, feeling Jeff Goldblum’s boner (specifically in that picture below), maybe-sorta-had-the-chance to produce the next Pee-Wee movie (but not really), standing next to Lt. Dangle in his short shorts and not trying to stare at his junk, celebrating my 25th birthday with my divorced parents in a random city, moving from LA to Austin with only what I could fit in my car and feeling like a super bad ass driving down Route 10.
Anything else you wanna know?
29 Comments
Fantastic post! I love the pic of you with the baby mannequin, classic. Your grandma is rad, 80 and still kicking it like she is young.
I would say title it Peeling the Layers, but it's more than that… I love the photos too.
🙂
Anthony Bourdain …in bed. Yes, please.
so weird, i was listening to the talking heads when i read this! random!
austin IS heaven on earth!! so jealous you get to be there every day! I may be job hunting up there soon!
Haha Jeff Goldblume's penis.
I want to know more about your experience in Hollywood. I've been a 6 month internship in LA that's ending in about 3 weeks. I totally get the "Hell on Earth….but in a intoxicating, delicious way!"
{christine~ peeling like layers…layers like an onion, or layers like parfait,cause everybody Loves Parfait!!
Hipster~ HIGHLIGHTS!! I knew I liked you for a reason!
Lauren:
I also count The Giving Tree as my favorite book. I still remember the first time I heard it, when Mrs Straton read it to us in Kindergarten. I am confused by your recent post. You work in the film industry? Based on a January post I thought you worked for a publication called Sin Magazine.
@Laurnie- Thanks! I need to do more mannequin pics. You should see the faces you get from people. It's priceless.
@Kiki- I like "Peeling the Layers" but you're ten times more eloquent than I am.
@Elle- YES PLEASE!
@Julie- What Talking Heads song???
@Apryl- Jeff Goldblum's penis is a mighty thing. It's on the cover of Star right now. They're claiming that he could be the father of John Edward's mistresses' kid.
@Mad Dame- I'll shoot you an email
@Kelly Ann- Mmm….parfait. Who doesn't love Highlights? If they don't, they should be beaten.
@Doug- Did we go to school together? (P.S. the Sin Magazine story was an experiment. It was mostly fictional)
Oh how embarrassing. I thought that was real. Sorry I’ll try to keep up better in the future. If we did go to school together apparently I was the one in the corner with the dunce cap on:)
Haha and PS you should come to Boston and karaoke with me, it's my life.
Sad sad as that is.
I have yet to be in a setting that has had decent karaoke. I feel as if I'm missing out.
@Doug- No no. I made it seem real on purpose! It was me. It is a story I'm working on, but didn't want people to know that. I wanted to get their feedback not knowing that it wasn't real. I had kindergartner teacher named Mrs. Stratton too!
…and your reply to Doug about Sin mag just peeled another layer from the onion.
Fiction without phoniness is as good as we can expect, maybe even better. What I mean is that it is honest.
I like this "about you" post better than the cheesy surveys I do 😀 It's much more real and I feel like I know you better already 😀 I used to love highlights mag. I remember i submitted a poem when I was about 8 and was crushed when I got the rejection letter lol.
I am all for self revelation on the blog, I mean, within reason and all. The way I see it, is if you talk about it and can make fun of yourself for it, well you take all the emphasis for it. So I will say that appreciate you welcoming everyone into your blogsophere with open… keyboards?
Yes. I want to know if you ever plan to sell your soul on e-bay. You would catch a very fetching price for it, my dear. 🙂
If nothing else, you sound like the kind of person that would be FASCINATING to talk to. Though your film choices are a little left of centre (aside from Annie Hall, everyone MUST love Annie Hall, right?) but I expected nothing different.
This was awesome, it's really fun to get to know more about the woman behind the curtain. Super cute photo with Jeff Goldblume!
Hey that was a good idea, telling us more about your life. If it’s not too personal, what do you do in the film industry? I worked in post production neg cutting and editing for over 10 years and loved it. Working in Covent Garden and Soho in London was fantastic and every time I go back to the city (like yesterday) I regret that it’s over.
Your Grandma is really 83???? Wow, she looks fantastic!
Lauren, I can honestly say, I like you even more now.
Lauren, Thanks for opening up and letting us have a peek at who you are. That takes courage, really. I also want to read more about your work in the film industry. I have a stepdaughter who works, usually as a set buyer and designer. She's currently between movies.
Oh I check stoves too…and at night I'll get up from my bed (minimum 2x) to check if I've locked up everything…Paranoid…:S
Nice post btw! 🙂
Hi, i just got my blog on blogger.com and i can't think of a name for it. I admire yours a lot and i was wondering if you had any suggestions?
@Taylor- Urban dictionary is always a good place to find fun lingo.!
My mom's name is also Brenda, and I also have always liked the movie "The Jerk" since I was very young. Also I am jealous of your Jeff Goldblum encounter. With anyone else, that would be creepy. How does he do it?! haha
Haha, thanks that is a good idea. I have this one that i'm using but i might change it now!
What a fantastic family! Kudos to you.