COMPASSION IS THE BIGGEST FLEX By: Lauren Anderson I found myself a little lost the other day in the U of M campus. Between the construction and the one-ways, and all the co-ed summer students getting from A to B, it's amazing that I ever made it out alive. I was stuck on one of those streets. You know, the ones by the old brick buildings that no...
A NEANDERTHAL'S CRAVING By: Lauren Anderson So, the other day I go to make myself a morning egg scramble. It's been a while since I've properly cooked a breakfast like this, summer being as busy as it has been. But I found myself with a few hours to spare, and I thought I would treat myself to something hearty, that I could take a long time to eat,...
BREAK IT DOWN TO BUILD IT BETTER By: Lauren Anderson All summer long, I haven't been feeling very well physically. Not sick really, but not at peak Anderson to be sure. To tell you the truth, I can't quite place it. Some days I feel bloated, and some I feel hollow. But there is a general “weakness” element that I can't put my finger on. It feels weird...
BICEPS AND BEER By: Lauren Anderson I struggled with celebrating the 4th of July last week like many Americans did. How do you celebrate a country that keeps children locked in cages, away from their families, in terrible conditions? We've been taught that America stands for the home of the free-- but our own government has imprisoned these youths unjustly. How do you celebrate a country that gets so...
IF IT SERVES YOU, NOT IF IT'S SERVED By: Lauren Anderson Last night I performed at a fundraising event for the Twin Cities Horror Festival. There was a spooky show taking on the seven deadly sins, a silent auction featuring any number of witchy and wonderful art pieces, and interactive events like getting your very own monster name, and your runes read. I had a wonderful time taking on...
HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD A THOUGHT By: Lauren Anderson The other day I'm sitting in my dressing room at work, chatting with some friends before a show. (I am an actor, so think of it as my “office” except there are a lot of mirrors, and it's perfectly acceptable to take your clothes off... and put new ones back on.) I'm doing my best version of a Degrassi High teen,...
MY PROBLEM WITH 'NO PROBLEM' By: Lauren Anderson I do it. You do it. We all do it. We all use the phrase “No problem” all the time. And recently it's started to bug me a little. But why? WHY?!?!? Let me explain... I was getting my groceries at a fancy grocery store. I know I over pay there, but I stop anyway because it's close and they're open late. You know...
RAGE CLEANING By: Lauren Anderson Yeah. Okay. I'll admit it. Sometimes I get mad. Okay okay- you got me. It's not sometimes. It's a lot. I actually might have a bonafide “temper”. Like when something upsets me, the first place I go is anger. Once I wade through the anger, I can usually get to the heart of why I'm mad.... but it still takes a while. I don't necessarily...
WALK AND TALK O'CLOCK By: Lauren Anderson One of the things I'm learning, and I keep learning, is the that there are many avenues into loving your body. That there is no one “right” workout program, or way to eat, or even one correct path to forgive ourselves or our bodies. Because what feels good on one day, can feel like crap the next. What works for one,...
AN EMBARRASSMENT OF GREEN By: Lauren Anderson Do you know the phrase “An embarrassment of riches”? I've always liked that saying, because it implies you have so much abundance it could potentially be embarrassing. What a thought! With scarcity a constant threat to our mindsets, it's almost unheard of to think of yourself as so rich that you should be embarrassed. Especially in our current society that puts so...
THE HORSE AND THE PLASTIC CHAIR. By: Lauren Anderson I used to be a manager at a Toy Store. I think I've talked about it before. (I think I told the story about the play vacuum? Anyways...) I was a good manager, if I do say so myself, and I LOVE TOYS. As far as retail goes, it was a fun job. And I believe in the power...
THE DIAPHANEITY OF LIGHT By: Lauren Anderson Hey hey! It's that time of year again when I can't sleep! WOOHOO!!! I'm being sarcastic, of course. (I think you could probably glean that... but I know that sarcasm rarely translates to the written page, so here we are.) Ahem...ANYWAYS. I hate it when this happens to me. I'm not much of a sleep-seeker in my normal moments, but the insomnia that...
A CROSSFIT-SIZED CAPER By: Lauren Anderson Last week I went to the zoo with my buddy Matt and his two kids. It was a great time, and the moose was out in all her glory. And I don't know why I feel this way, but I always think when the moose is out, that's good luck. She likes to hide... We rode the carousel which is also a zoo...
PASS THE JOINT...HEALTH By:Lauren Anderson I was over at my Mom's house for dinner on Sunday. After dinner and dishes were done, we went outside to take her two dachshunds, Paco and Rosa, out for their nightly walk. They do their business, (like they do), and my mom starts talking to the dogs, in that VERY SPECIFIC excited way that adult humans who love their dogs talk to...
ATOMS OR ORDER By: Lauren Anderson So... yesterday I was walking downtown in the morning and there was construction by the building where I work. And not just regular construction--- I'm talking Warner Brothers cartoon-style jackhammering in the street. Men in hard hats shouting things and clacking pipes. That kinda noise. The typical sound of downtown Minneapolis mid-morning was replaced with a cacophony of bewailing concrete and clanging...
3 A.M. GRATITUDE By: Lauren Anderson It was my birthday last Sunday. People that know me, know that I love birthdays. I love yours, mine, the next door neighbor's kid, the guy at the gas station. I love em. I'm EXACTLY that annoying kid that tries their hardest to make it a “birthday month”. (I'm sorry if that makes me the worst, but it's true.) And yes, I know...
THE EMPTY CLAY POT By: Lauren Anderson I've never worked out so hard that it made me throw up. I mean, I've worked out so hard that I got a little dizzy. And a few times I did feel pretty nauseous. But here's the deal gang-- once I felt nauseous--I STOPPED. Don't get me wrong. I think sometimes it happens. You accidentally go over your limit, and BLUMP. Barf...
THE SMALL MAGIC OF DOING LITTLE THINGS By: Lauren Anderson A few years ago after my brother Kevin died, the family decided to dedicate a bench to him at the Minnesota Zoo. He loved animals, and they loved him. He just had a way with them. I come from a deeply animal-loving family. The zoo was something we did together and still do, even though we're all adults...
THE GREAT LIQUIDATION By: Lauren Anderson Spring is my favorite time of year. Seriously. Say what you will about the delight of living in a place with a warm and predictable climate-- I don't begrudge anyone their joy. Especially those people out there who hate hate hate being cold. But that's not me. If given the choice, I want four seasons. Give me the abundance of summer, the nostalgia...
“BE NOT AFRAID OF GOING SLOWLY...” By: Lauren Anderson I woke up groggy this morning. Not sure why, but I was. As I lumbered out of bed into upright standing position, I stood there for a sec, wiping my face and not moving. Then the voice in my head started. “C'mon Anderson, let's go.” I've written about the voice in my head many times before, and thankfully this morning...
GRABBING MY BUTT IN THE PARKING LOT By: Lauren Anderson Have I got your attention? Good. Except now that you're here I have to tell you... this isn't some story about a creep in a parking lot who grabbed my butt. Thank God. I am so grateful that's not the scenario today. Yes yes. No creep to be found. Because in the case of this parking-lot butt-grab? THE CREEP IS...
HABITS AND CARPET LUMPS By: Lauren Anderson A few months ago I got a new mattress. My sister and her girlfriend were champions and helped me move it into my apartment--because they're heroes like that. And just as we were snapping the blankets into military precision, (My sister was in the Air Force and I swear, the way she makes a bed is a thing of beauty.)...
ALLEGORICAL GRAPEFRUIT By: Lauren Anderson When I first started working out at Solcana, I did a food challenge to reset the inflammation in my body. If you've been following this blog from the jump, you probably remember a pretty steep learning curve. I learned so much about food, and nutrition, and even how to cook! I learned the great effect sugars had on my body. I don't think...
FORBIDDEN LOVE (A Love Letter To My Body) By: Lauren Anderson Dearest Body, I know it's been a while since we've spoken like this my love, but what better time to rekindle the flame than on St. Valentine's Day? Alas, life has kept me from spending more time with you than I wish. But fear not ma cherie, for my affection for you is stronger than ever. It...
A CHANGE IN DENSITY By: Lauren Anderson About a week ago, it occurred to me that it had been 3 months since I'd seen one of my closest friends. Months! How does that happen? Well I s'pose, life, school, work, being and adult, etc etc. All that boring stuff that gets in the way of having fun... sigh. After a few texts and some calendar checks, we managed...
TAKING THE TIME IT TAKES By: Lauren Anderson When my grandpa and grandma passed away, I inherited all their watches. My grandparents were dapper to be sure, but also modest. These watches effectively had no value, but to me, they were priceless. Shortly after I acquired these treasures, I decided to have a fashion moment and wear them all on one wrist on one day. The effect was...
IT'S THE CLIMB By: Lauren Anderson For the past few days, I keep catching myself humming an old Miley Cyrus song from 2009. I know! I'm as surprised as you are. Cause honestly, I didn't even know that I had those lyrics rattling around in my head. I've never bought an album. But some stars are just ubiquitous I s'pose. I won't keep you guessing either--there's no big song...
SOFT POTATO OR A HARD EGG By: Lauren Anderson The summer between 3rd and 4th grade I signed up to do a weeklong dance camp with the Parkettes. The Parkettes were the high school dance team and I thought they were EVERYTHING. I was so excited. Not only would I get to learn real life dance moves from real life dancers, but I would also get a tee...
COME AS YOU ARE By: Lauren Anderson When I was getting dressed on New Year's Eve night, I had some things to consider. I had a show to do that night, so I knew I had to be able to do improv in whatever I chose to wear. And then later on that night I would be going to a house party with a small (albeit wonderful) group...
“ACTION IS THE ANTIDOTE TO DESPAIR” By: Lauren Anderson I was recently helping a dear friend move out of their house. The reason for the move was because of a divorce which resulted in a series of huge life changes. Luckily my friend had enlisted quite a few other friends to help, so we able to adopt the very efficient “BUCKET BRIGADE” system! It was genius, because everyone was...
