Lauren Easom

I'd like to apologize in advance to anyone who is reading this hoping to find something entertaining or cool, I'm afraid all you're going to get is random thoughts. Continue at your own risk...

So what's new with me? Well, not much. I'm still loving San Francisco, but getting a little homesick. I am coming home June 30-July 6, and so excited to see everyone. I haven't decided how I will split that time between Missoula and Wallowa, we'll see. I would like to spend the 4th of July in Big Fork, MT but a lot of people have either gone home for summer or are going to school, so we'll see.

After that it's off to Phoenix to see my beloved Tara! I'm going for training but will finally get to see her and spend some time in Phoenix. I'll be there for my birthday, which should be fun. (Being there, that is.) Not so sure I have anything to be excited about my next birthday: 22. I am afraid that my 21st was the last birthday with a reason to be excited for.

Work is going great; I love my job so far and have met some great people. I work a lot more than I had expected; I'm a bit of a work-a-holic, but then I guess I always have been. The pay is great, and I get a lot of other benefits for working at KPMG. Not just the insurance and stuff, but fun things too. Last month the firm took us on a wine country tour in Sonoma, and in February we went skiing at Tahoe for a day. Can't really complain about that, right?

I have gotten to travel a little bit with my job; Ive been to Pittsburgh, Dallas, and all around California. Also I just got back from Chicago yesterday. Ill be going to Phoenix soon and probably back to Pittsburgh again later this summer. Business travel is not nearly as glamorous as Id imagined, but I enjoy getting to see different places I wouldnt usually go.

Last Sunday I received a marriage proposal...I guess that's pretty big news, right? Don't get too excited, I turned him down. His name was Matt and he was an Olympic tennis player. Special Olympics, that is. He told me he loved me the most and wanted to have babies with me. And could I please watch him while he showed me how Rocky does one-handed push ups? Haha, that was my Sunday - volunteering at the Northern California Special Olympics in Berkeley - it was a really great time. And if I never find Mr. Right at least Matt will be there for me as a backup option! He did look awfully handsome in his headband (it was the real one from the Karate Kid movie, his dad even said so).

Matt from Special Olympics is as close as I am to having a guy in my life right now. I've been out with a few guys since I've been here, but am not really looking for anything serious. We all know how f'ed up my last relationship ended, that's probably part of it. Plus, I barely have time for myself, let alone a guy right now. Hmmm...perhaps more to come on that topic, should I have anything to say about it later.

So anyway, this first blog of mine is getting to be kind of lengthy, thanks for sticking with it this long - you are to be commended on your perseverance, and I apologize for how boring this must be to read!

At this time, I'm feeling rather cranky about 2006.  Don't get me wrong, all in all it has been a good year.  But the last week has been terrible...

KPMG's Holiday party was last Saturday, 12/9. The event was amazing, held at the San Francisco Hilton with about 1000 people. I'd been looking forward to it for a few weeks, with a mix of feelings.  On one hand, I was excited to get dressed up and attend a formal party with my friends from work, on the other hand, I was going alone.  For the most part, going to a party alone is not completely horrible - but being Christmas, it gave the self-appointed match makers far too much motivation.  

The party was fantastic, to say the least.  There was a casino room set up in one room, and dancing in another.  The food was first class and there were mini-bars set up every few feet.  It was fun to see co-workers dressed in black-tie, and nice to meet their spouses/significant others.

Toward the end of the night, I left the party with a group bound for North Beach.  It started out a large group of friends.  During the process of trying to catch three cabs out of Union Square on a Saturday night, however, things got mixed up.  I still ended up with friends of friends, but don't really know any of the people I was with. When we got to the club, it was impossible to find eachother in the crowd, so folks started filtering out.

Perhaps the only place more difficult than Union Square to get a cab on Saturday night is North Beach.  So when I was ready to head home, I jumped in with a few others from our group, and some who were not.  We determined the best route to get everyone home, and I fell at the 3rd of 4 stops.  We spent the next several minutes driving around, dropping people off at various locations, shuffling in and out of the car.

Before we left stop #2, I realized I no longer had my purse.  I looked around the back seat, and it was nowhere to be found.  I requested the cab driver stop and let me look for it, but still it wasn't there.  Fast forward to me standing on the sidewalk in cocktail attire, sans purse. I had no money to get a cab, no cell phone to call a ride, and I was alone. I took off my shoes and started walking (and crying).

When I finally got home I was greeted by red and blue flashing lights and a kitchen full of police investigators. It seems my purse had been found - by the person who later broke in to the apartment.  My roommates were home at the time, and woke up to a man standing in their doorway.  He ran out when they screamed and thankfully no one was hurt.  Looking around it was pretty easy to see what had happened.  

Once the person had my purse, he also had three other important things: 1-My address, 2-My key, and 3-Knowledge that I wasn't home at the time.  He came in using the key, and went into my bedroom (the first next to the door).  He tossed everything from my shelves and went through my drawers and closet.  After that he went to the next bedroom and searched some more - less thoroughly this time.  He then headed toward the back of the house, and woke my roommates by opening their bedroom door.  They screamed, and he ran out of the house.

Total losses for me include:
1. Cell Phone
2. Digital Camera
3. Wallet
4. iPod
5. $200 Cash

There was nothing taken from the other rooms, and like I said no one was hurt. I would have thought my roommates at this point would be counting their blessings, happy that it worked out for the best (for them). Wrong.

I hope everyone reading this had a fun, safe, and relaxing Holiday season, and that the new year brings peace and happiness.

I had a great Christmas at home in Wallowa, visiting family. All in all, it was pretty low-key. Here's a picture of my sister Lindsay, my Mom, and me on Christmas Eve...


I got the chance to visit several old friends, and several old hang-outs.  I went to my best friend's wedding reception, spent a few evenings at the local bar, and even built a bonfire in a friend's back yard.

On New Year's Eve, I drove to Portland to see Jeff and Tom (friends from college) and my cousin Jordan.  I was a little late, so Jordan and I met Jeff and Tom down town where we celebrated in a bar with live music.  We had a great time, and I'd have to say it was the best New Year's Eve I have had in a long time.  Hopefully that is some indication of what 2007 will bring...

I'm so relieved - today I decided on my next place to live.  This time I'll be headed for Pacific Heights - a very nice neighborhood in San Francisco.  I'll be living in a nice three bedroom with two other women close to my age, Sara and Cooper.  I'm so excited! I'll be packing and moving this month, so I plan to be stressed out...but the change will be so nice.

Last night as my roommates and I were watching CNN, we were distracted by what we thought was the heaviest rain we'd ever heard. We realized it was in fact hail and gathered at the window to watch as Octavia Street turned into a waterfall. Okay maybe not a waterfall, but there was an awful lot of water flowing down the hill. This morning, I checked out the news and saw that a landslide displaced several North Beach residents. Fortunately, there have been no injuries reported.

My last few months in San Francisco have been a bit unlucky, so I'm surprised to have escaped this one! I mentioned in a previous blog entry about my purse being stolen and my house broken into. Earlier this month it was my car being broken into. Ugh. Pardon the clichè, but when it rains, it most certainly pours. Luckily my life has not yet included a major landslide catastrophe, but please excuse me while I go knock on some wood.

I'm happy to say that aside from these unfortunate events, things have been going great. My job is going well, and my new place is amazing. My roommates, Sara and Cooper, are wonderful. It is carrying over into the rest of my life quite a bit. I'm happy about going home in the evenings, so I haven't been working the 60-70 hour weeks that I was before I moved.

Moving further North has made my commute a little longer, but it is hardly noticeable. I bought a "Learn French in Your Car" CD set, which really helps the time pass. So far I have learned a few very important phrases:

• "Je voudrais une table près de la fenêtre." (I would like a table near the window.)
• "Où est la gare?" (Where is the train station?)
• "Je ne comprends pas." (I don't understand.)

I suppose rather than learning Français, I should be practicing Español...I'm getting so excited for my trip to Mazatlan next month. I think a week on the beach sipping fruity cocktails and enjoying a good book is exactly what I need :)

Au revoir...

My life is starting to seem like a bad joke. Seriously. If they made a movie about the last few months of my life, you would turn it off half way through because it is just too unrealistic. You'd say, "yeah, right. Like that many bad things could happen to the same person within such a short time frame." I realize that I'm whining so please stop reading if you don't want to hear it.

Today, I looked at my checking account balance online and realized that someone has been writing checks out of my account. "Natalia Carney" obtained a book of checks with my previous address that were in the backpack stolen out of the trunk of my car 2 weeks ago. This person wrote checks totaling hundreds of dollars to art supply stores, BevMo, Walgreens, and others. I will be reimbursed by my bank, but not before several administrative tasks and delays.

She printed her name above mine to make it look like a joint account, and the clerks have even written a driver's license number on the check. The fraud department representative at Washington Mutual doubts she uses her actual identity though. The art supplies may indicate she is buying equipment for additional forgeries. This is great for her because now she can go on ripping people off. They aren't actually going to investigate because the amount is not large enough. This person is going to continue getting away with fraud because she didn't steal enough for it to matter. Same case with the person who broke into my house in December.

This begs the question, how much is enough to matter? He didn't have a magic number, but said if the efforts would cost more than the loss they would not investigate. That makes sense, I guess. But what about potential loss? It is highly unlikely this is not the first time "Natalia" has done this, and she obviously has the equipment to do it again. She is using these checks for day-to-day expenses as opposed to a major fraud operation, so I wonder how many people have unknowingly been victims.

In an effort to comfort me, the fraud department rep. offered that, "Things come in threes. You should start having good luck now." I certainly hope so, because I can barely take any more things like this happening. March better bring some damn good things, because if not I'm going to lose it. Not really. But maybe. If you see me pick up a pair of hair clippers à la Britney Spears, be worried.

Deep breath.

On the upside, I'm going to see my favorite band, Snow Patrol, tonight. I've never seen them live and am very excited. Along the lines of music, but far from the likes of Snow Patrol - there is a new country radio station in San Francisco. It just began this morning, so I was pleasantly surprised on my commute. I realize that by mentioning my guilty pleasure here I am inviting criticism on my taste in tunes...but I can't help it. Go easy on me, it's already been a long day :)

I got back from Mazatlan last Friday, and have barely had time to catch up from my vacation. I promised pictures, but am waiting for my parents to figure out how to e-mail them (Mom, if you're reading this please send them soon!). A lot has been going on since...

I caught a SF Giants game on Wednesday, it was the first night game of the year so there were fireworks afterward. I went with my friends Lindsay and Thomas, and despite the fact that our team is having a terrible season so far and we lost the game - we had a good time. My favorite player (duh, Noah Lowry) was not pitching, so I guess I'll have to plan to go to many more games during the season to enjoy the view :).

Thursday my Aunt Kris and cousin Emily visited on their way to Southern California. I booked their room at the Queen Anne Hotel, which is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Mary Lake. It is also the starting point of the San Francisco Ghost Hunt which you may remember from my prior post. I'm a little disappointed that they did not experience any paranormal activity, but will refer anyone there again. The hotel is in a beautiful neighborhood, clean, quiet, and surprisingly very affordable (less than $100/night!).

A good friend from college came into town on Saturday and we went to see The Killers at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. It is one of my favorite bands, and I saw them in October at the Warfield. The other venue was much better, and the acoustics were a little disappointing at Bill Graham. My co-worker Fabian also went, and had the same complaints. We had a great time - the energy from the crowd was amazing and of course the performance was awesome. We met up with more friends at the Bubble Lounge, then headed to Swig, and eventually ended up at Encore Karaoke. My friend Thomas does a mean rendition of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

My friend Lindsay had big plans for Easter Sunday, but we ended up losing motivation at the last minute. We were going to bake and dye Easter eggs, but realized that we didn't want cake and would have no use for dozens of colorful eggs so we settled for a nice brunch and a relaxed day. We went to Thomas's house to cook and hang out and relax, but our day was interrupted by a bizarre experience. As we were putting a DVD on, we heard loud banging from downstairs – Thomas figured it was his neighbor slamming the door. But after several loud crashes he went down to investigate while Lindsay and I watched from the window. We were surprised to find a guy (not the neighbor) staggering away from the building and up the street with his bike. He yelled, “you get the hell out of there you ****” and then told Thomas “there’s a guy in your back yard, he just ran through the neighbor’s house.” Thomas turned to look and realized the neighbor’s door had been kicked in. Lindsay and I panicked because the door opening to the shared back yard was wide open. We had no idea whether there was an intruder in the yard or even the house for that matter, and had no intention of going back there to find out. Thomas called the police and they responded quickly – they searched the back yard and found nothing (thankfully). Confused about what had happened, we determined that the guy with the bike was the intruder, and had been trying to distract us so he could get away. This was in a nice neighborhood, in broad daylight (it was about 1:00pm) on Easter. Sigh. City life can be a little bit overwhelming at times – I’m glad no one was hurt and nothing stolen. I know it can’t be easy for anyone, but I think it’s especially hard for a girl from a town where many people didn’t even have keys to their front doors because there was no reason to lock them. If we came outside and saw our car missing, we would assume someone had needed to borrow it and would return it soon. Not the case here.

Later in the evening Jeff and I went to see Zodiac. It was pretty creepy, but surprisingly not as scary as I'd anticipated. Considering it takes place here in San Francisco and has not been officially solved, I figured I'd be afraid to go to sleep afterward. Not the case, I'm ok with the ending and won't lose sleep over it.

Jeff will be in the area all week visiting friends, and there is no shortage of social events planned at work so I think it will be a busy couple of weeks coming up as well. I’ll try to post the pictures as soon as I get them, until then, adios.

Yours truly has signed up to audition for WHEEL OF FORTUNE! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. I've been on the list for years, and finally I get to go to an audition here in San Francisco...wish me luck! For those who don't know - this is my favorite game show of all time, and I'm actually pretty good at it :)

My wheel of fortune audition was 3 weeks ago - they said they'd let me know within 3 weeks if I made it on. No word. I guess it's time to face reality - I'm not going to be on the show. The audition went great, I made it into the final round and the judges kept coming back to me. But alas, I was not chosen. Pouting is a little bit challenging to convey through a typed blog entry, so please take a moment to imagine me pouting. I'm certainly disappointed and will probably never get over this tragic event. Poor, poor me.