Category Archives: life

I’m a rockstar!

Well, not yet. But maybe in my next life I will be.

My musical tastes tend to run the same as a 15 year old boy and probably so too does my desire to be a rockstar.

Did you see the movie Rockstar with Mark Wahlberg? That was like my perfect fantasy movie. All of a sudden, I’m fronting my favorite rock band.

The part where he’s at his first gig and is standing at the top of the stage, looking down the stairs? Dude, that gave me goosebumps like no other.

And then he fell. Yep, right down those stairs. I was then sure he was me. 😉

The other night I watched the livestream of the Cheap Trick Live at Budokan 35th Anniversary Concert (click to watch video).

It. Was. SPECTACULAR!

Live at Budokan 35th Anniversary Concert

Again with the goosebumps. Through the entire concert that was one of the best I’ve seen even after all these years.

Bun E. Carlos was not with them on the drums. Rick Nielsen’s son, Daxx, was. And he’s fabulous. I sat here in my living room, with my goosebumps thinking, “If I had been Rick Nielsen’s child, that would be me drumming for them!’

Daxx

LOL! I have crazy thoughts like that.

I do know one thing, in my next life when I come back as a rock guitarist, I’m going to have all those cool guitars like Rick Nielsen has.

For now, I’ll just be a RottSTAR. 🙂

Color my world

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So we’ve been back in Bartlesville for about a month now and it looks like at least I will be here for a little bit longer. I decided I wanted to paint the doors. It was time! 🙂

I had seen a picture of a teal door in a magazine and I thought it would look great with the dark green trim and shingles on our white house.

Yesterday, we went to get some paint. I had teal in mind but was faced with this:

Oh pretty, pretty, pretty colors. Do I really want teal?

I love color and I’m also a Libra which makes me both very happy with a huge selection of colors and frustrated and my inability to pick just one.

I grabbed the teal but there was a most yummy blue called Turkish Tile.

Complete indecision. So I took the paint chips back to the where the shingle samples were and laid it all out.

Both colors look great with the dark green. ::sigh::

I have nothing blue except temporary navy curtains that are on all of our windows to keep the eyes of prying neighbors out of our house. One day, those will be replaced with something that makes more sense.

I started thinking that perhaps the blue would look garish if it were any bigger than the paint chip so in the end I went with the Lake Teal.

I like the way it turned out! 🙂

Punked…again

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By a box.

The first time was on April Fool’s Day. I was looking for dress shoes to wear to Lyndzee’s bachelorette activities. I knew exactly where my shoe boxes were because I remember feeling happy when we were unloading the truck and seeing boxes labeled “Lauri Shoes”.

When it came down to it, though I could just find the one box. And when I opened it up? There were no shoes inside it.

Well played April Fooler.

Today, I was looking for my second slow cooker to take for Lyndzee’s rehearsal dinner. I went into the box that said, “2nd Slow Cooker” on the side and, you’ve got it, there was no slow cooker in the box.

Punked…again.

There were indeed baking and kitchen items in that box. I found our third blender. Who in the heck needs three blenders? But no crock pot.

I was also looking for a red raincoat that I have. I knew I had seen it but couldn’t remember which box. I opened up a box and found my Death Row tshirt.

When Brandon was in high school he played at both tight end and defensive end. The boys on his O-line senior year called themselves the Death Row. And they were good. The team won the district championship that year. They also made me an honorary member of the Death Row. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling now just like the day Mike Crews gave the shirt to me. 🙂

Anyway, while I try and figure out what is in all of those boxes, I don’t believe a word of what’s written on the sides of them. And I’ll probably just leave them packed. Blender anyone? 😉

Secret for calmness while moving

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Yesterday, we had to stop by Wal-Mart and pick up box tape. We’re moving again. I know. Wheels on our feet.

Anyway, as we were walking to the front of the store, David asked if we needed anything else. I made a quick turn around and headed the other direction.

Me: “Yes, candy.”

David: “Candy?”

Me: “Yes, candy. It keeps everyone calm.”

So we picked up some gumdrops and some caramel creams.

I don’t know why it is when you start packing things up that tempers flare and people get snippy. At least that’s how it happens in this house. And all of the other ones we’ve moved out of. 😉 It’s really counterproductive and when I discovered the secret of applying candy to the moving/packing situation a couple of moves ago, I was amazed at the results.

Voices start to raise, “Oh get some candy”. Candy is eaten. Peace resumes. It works. Really.

I know the lady at the Walmart though I was joking around with her and she was laughing as we left. But I know it works. I just hope we don’t run out! 🙂

So how about you? Do you have a fabu secret to keep the peace during a move?

Carpe-ing the java DC style

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So, now that things have slowed down a bit, I really need to tell you about my amazing trip to Washington, DC as the guest of Eight O’Clock Coffee.

Back in the summer when David was doing the project in Amarillo, I got a direct message on twitter from the Eight asking for my email address. I gave it to them and then wondered what they could want. I speculated while talking to David but really had absolutely no idea.

I’ve been drinking Eight O’Clock Coffee since I was 15. I remember going to the A&P grocery store when I was little and they had a bright red package and a grinding machine. I have loved the smell of fresh ground coffee my whole life as far as I can remember. 🙂 I was eagerly waiting to hear what Eight O’Clock Coffee wanted to talk to me about that took more than 140 characters.

Then came the email. They had selected me as a Super Fan and wanted to find out what date would work for me to come to DC for a visit to see their coffee operation.

OMG! I was beyond excited!

“I wonder if we’ll get to cup coffee?”, I asked David.

Several years ago, I was marketing director at a sensory lab and that was where I learned about cupping coffee. We analyzed all types of foods, beverages and personal care products but not coffee because that’s a whole different ball game.

So I gave Jaime my information and waited to find out when I was going and what we would do. When I got my itinerary, there it was, “Plant Tour/Cupping Session”. I was SO excited!

When I arrived in DC, they picked me up at the airport in a limo.

They drove me to the Embassy Row Hotel where I was given a goodie bag full of fun stuff and my room. We all met in the lobby for dinner.

I met my sister super fans, Holly and her husband Bill, Donna and her husband, Rudy, and Ronda. Also, I met Jaime and Lori from the S3 Agency who made sure we were where we were supposed to be.

The first night, we went to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. YUMMMMY! The only bad thing is that Ruth’s Chris doesn’t serve Eight O’Clock Coffee and I think the waiter was a little intimidated by us coffee achievers when we ordered coffee after dinner.

I was lucky to be seated across the table from Glenn for dinner. Not that everyone wasn’t fabulous. They were. But Glenn had been in the coffee business since he was 18 years old, working himself into his current position where he buys the beans, cups the coffee and makes incredible new flavors like the Chocolate Mint they rolled out around Christmas time and we were treated to the following day.

I transformed, groupie-style, into a Glenn monopolizer and I don’t think anyone else got a chance to talk to him at dinner.

The following morning we had breakfast at the hotel with Alisa, Director of Marketing. She basically held a focus group with us on things that could be done differently or better. I heard a lot of good ideas around that table!

We got fabulous red fleece jackets!

Then it was off to Maryland and the coffee roasting facility.

We were welcomed at the door. And again at lunch time.

We were then taken on a tour of the roasting facility. We had to remove all of our jewelry except for our wedding rings so that nothing would fall into the coffee.

Then we got another gorgeous outfit: white coats, goggles and a hairnet! 🙂

We got to see all phases of the coffee operation including the flavoring which smelled AMAZING. It was Hazelnut!

Then, finally, the moment I had been waiting for. We went to the cupping room and they taught us how to cup coffee. In the end, it really wasn’t too different than sensory testing of foods/beverages that I had already experienced. I was pretty good with a spit cup, having had previous experience. 😉

After that we went back to DC and dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill which was delicious! I can highly recommend the Peanut Butter Pie. 😉

Then back to our hotel to sleep and get ready for an early trip back to the airport.

And there you have it. My awesome Eight O’Clock Coffee trip to DC. It was so amazing, I can hardly believe it really happened. What I learned on my trip was that the people who make Eight O’Clock Coffee are as awesome as the coffee that they produce. As excited as we all were to be there, they were equally excited to have us there. It was so cool.

I tweet about Eight O’Clock Coffee and I’m so excited when I see my friends trying it and enjoying it like I do. Not because of a trip to DC but because the coffee is truly wonderful and it makes me happy to be the bearer of such great coffee information.

Thank you again, Eight O’Clock Coffee. I had the most incredible time and I will never forget your hospitality!

PS – At Christmas time, I got a box from the UPS man. What could it be?

Coffee!!! I thought, “Oh they love me! It’s my favorite French Roast!” 🙂

And then I wrote a book

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I was so excited when I woke up yesterday because I knew that the UPS man would be delivering my books. And I waited.

Doesn’t UPS deliver early here?

We have only gotten something from UPS once in the month we’ve been here so I wasn’t sure but I seem to remember it being early. And I waited.

Around 5:00 it wasn’t early anymore. I checked the email to see if my package was still on the truck and I found this:

What? When? I was here ALL day!

I called UPS while also getting connected with them on the chat. Both people arranged that I’d be able to pick my package up and I would receive a phone call within the hour letting me know it was okay. That didn’t happen. But I went down to UPS anyway. It’s 2 blocks away. 🙂

I got my package!

Swoon!

It’s SO pretty! 🙂

I got kind of choked up over the whole thing. David said, “Are you okay over there?” Oh, yes. Just trying to get a grip. I’ve never written a book before. 😉

I started writing this book back in the summer when we lived in Amarillo. I was nearly finished when my computer melted down. The great guys at Westgate Computers were able to save all of my data, thank goodness!

But then I was kind of stuck. I didn’t have any motivation to finish the book even though my ~~annoying~~ loving friends kept ~~bothering~~ asking me about it.

After we moved here last month, I decided I really should finish the book. One of my big goals as an adult has been to finish what I started and this was kinda of big.

I made up my mind to do it and gave myself a deadline of two weeks out. I knew I was close to being finished. When I finally put my mind to it, it was sort of embarrassing how quickly I finished it. Try two days not two weeks!

Then it was such a nerve wracking experience getting the ISBN number and placing the order for the book itself. Both websites are loaded with DANGER DANGER Warnings.

If you make a mistake this will cost you a whole lot more of your hard earned dollars!

Tilt!

Ha ha. Not really. But that’s how it looked to me. 🙂

I finally got that business all taken care of and I waited. Until yesterday when it was finally there at the UPS counter for me to pick up.

So…I love it. Did I mention how pretty it is? 🙂

I have lots of people to thank. My beautiful and wonderful friends Chickee and Suzy. If not for you two, I might not have finished. Thank you for your loving support and encouragement. Suzy, thank you SO much for the amazing foreword you wrote. My first thought upon reading it was “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy”.

Many thanks to Lyndzee and Sherri for the cover photo. I told them what I wanted and just liked they grabbed the image out of my head and put it on the paper, there it was! I love it so much. 🙂

Thanks to Bryan from b|creative tulsa for my fabu headshot. It’s on the outside AND the inside of the book. 🙂

Without Scott Townsend teaching me how to tweet, I sincerely doubt this book would have ever been written. Twitter has opened so many doors to me it’s really hard to believe. Thank you, Scott!

And of course, last but not least, David. He’s really a good guy, you know? I’m sort of a handful and I know I’m noisy but he always believes in me and I appreciate his love and encouragement so much.

The website for the book is http://www.pageantsavvy.com and I’m super excited to begin adding photos of savvy pageant gals to it. Stop by if you’d like a book. It’s really pretty. 😉

Pie!

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Since the first time we visited the 18 Wheeler Diner, I’ve been fiending a piece of their pie.

Look at that BIG pie!

We hadn’t moved to Sallisaw when we first saw this pie case. And when we found a place to move, it turned out to be less than a mile away from the pie case.

I told David that we could walk to the diner, have pie, and walk home and it would sort of negate the effect of eating the pie. But we decided that we would only eat pie if someone came to visit us.

So I told everyone. On twitter, on facebook, in real life. Come visit and we’ll eat pie!

And we hadn’t had any pie at the 18 Wheeler Diner until yesterday.

I got a surprise message on facebook from my friend Laura. “We’re coming through Sallisaw, can I buy you a slice of pie?”

Woo hoo! We were finally going to have pie!

So, like we said we’d do, we walked over to the diner to meet Laura and her husband, Scott.

Then it was a BIG decision, because well, it’s BIG pie!

I ended up with Strawberry Cream.

David got Chocolate.

Laura got Peanut Butter Chocolate.

And Scott got Fried Cherry Pie, something I wasn’t even aware they had since I couldn’t get away from the visual of the pie case. 🙂

The pie was delicious! The company was fabu!

So who’s next? Who’s coming for pie?

Many thanks to Laura and Scott for treating us to pie. xoxoxo

National Girl Scout Cookie Day!

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Today is National Girl Scout Cookie Day! I love Girl Scout Cookies and I know you do, too.

I was a Girl Scout back in the day. But I wasn’t a real Girl Scout. I was a troop hopper and was known for having the shortest Girl Scout uniform in school. But today’s Girl Scouts are quite an impressive group.

Back in 2009 when I was kicking off BartlesvilleLive.com (now defunct) for KJRH, I covered the end of year awards program for the Bartlesville Girl Scouts. I was SO impressed with how Girl Scouting had changed since I was young.

Girl Scouts today are taught about financial responsibility and managing money. That is what the cookie sales are really all about even though I’m fairly sure the Samoa was made just for me. 😉

This year, the Girl Scouts have made it easy for you to find their cookies if they don’t find you. They have a cookie finder app for iPhone!

This app is worth it just for the cute video at the beginning. It got me all choked up. And please tell me that the skills these girls are talking about are not important to the girls of today. Even the girls of yesterday.

So download the app, locate yourself some cookies and celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Day with me.

These will go into the freezer.

Have you ever eaten them frozen? 🙂

Lauri Rottmayer

Catch the Rottitude!

Category Archives: life

I’m a rockstar!

Color my world

Punked…again

Secret for calmness while moving

Carpe-ing the java DC style

Pie!

National Girl Scout Cookie Day!

Best. Quote. Ever.

If you make a mistake this will cost you a whole lot more of your hard earned dollars!

Tilt!