Wheelchair Ramps: This is NOT Okay.

This Tuesday I’m not writing about tea. I am going to tell you about something more important; wheelchair ramps.

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This Tuesday I’m going to talk about the importance of wheelchair ramps, and what they are actually for…considering the fact that a very large portion of the population does not seem to know, or even care that they are in fact misusing wheelchair ramps.

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If you happen to be friends with me on Facebook, you have probably already heard (err read) my rant about this earlier today…but then I remembered I have a blog with a disability niche, so I need to be writing about it here as well. Plus, the more I speak up about it people might actually start to listen and be more careful to not misuse wheelchair ramps.

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This afternoon I needed to take out my trash, I had already been putting it off for too long and some old broccoli was starting to smell up the apartment. Someone parked their U-Haul directly on the wheelchair ramp…making me unable to go down the sidewalk to get to the dumpster. I’ll put the original rant below:

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I can’t believe it’s 2020 and people still don’t understand the simple concept of the way wheelchair ramps are supposed to be used. Wheelchair ramps are just that…for people in wheelchairs. Not for you people who have perfectly good legs, but are just lazy. People have been in wheelchairs for decades and yet things like this are still an issue.

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Feel free to share this post, so it can reach even more people; it is way past time for the world to realize that #wheelchairlivesmatter.

-laurenmikael

PS: Are you following my blog on Twitter yet? If not, get to it by clicking here.

…or maybe Twitter isn’t your thing, don’t worry…Life as Lauren Mikael is on Facebook too right here.

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PS: A little while later when I went out to see if the U-Haul had moved yet, a nice neighbor noticed me with my trash bags and was kind enough to take them to the dumpster for me. Still though, people need to pay attention and think of others who may actually need the ramps.

POF Stories: Teeth

Since I haven’t written in a while, I thought it would be a good idea to end my accidental two week break with another round of POF stories. This time I am going to tell you about a guy I met… let’s call him Teeth (not to his face of course.)

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This all happened about 3 years ago.

Teeth was a super nice guy, I liked him because he actually believed in real phone conversations instead of texting. You know how I feel about that if you have been a reader of mine for a while.

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We talked on the phone for about a week, after I felt comfortable that he wasn’t going to turn out to be a murder or something…he came over to hang out with me. He insisted that he come early in the morning (I’m guessing because he lived a few hours away and wanted to spend as much time as he could with me before heading back home.) I am not…have never been, and will never be a morning person. I was impressed though that he was willing to drive a few hours to meet me. Most guys I’ve tried to talk to complain about driving to meet me if it will take them more than just a few minutes, so I tried my best to be a morning person that day.

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His profile picture was great, long blonde Fabio type hair and crystal blue eyes. He could actually make real conversation on the the phone, and didn’t ever try to turn it into anything dirty. I really thought I was going to like him.

Teeth knocked on my door, when I opened it he was wearing a baseball cap; beautiful Fabio hair had been cut off, he was wearing some gross dingy clothes. If it wasn’t for his eyes; I 100 percent would have thought I had gotten catfished.

Then he smiled at me. Now I knew why in all of his pictures his mouth was closed. I kid you not his teeth were bigger than Bugs Bunny’s. I’m dead serious. I literally didn’t know people could have teeth that big. I’m still wondering how he can even keep his mouth fully closed to hide them.

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We talked for a while and made coffee together in my French Press, because I had been telling him over the phone about my obsession with Oakland Coffee , plus like I said it was really in the morning. I needed all the coffee I could get.

He kept trying to kiss me throughout the day, which is when I learned that he apparently doesn’t brush his teeth; this guy’s breath smelled like his teeth were rotting. I can’t stress this enough…brushing your teeth is so important; especially when you have huge teeth. I had to change the subject somehow each time he would lean in to try and get kisses. No, thank you rotting teeth are not my thing.

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It was sometime during the hottest part of Summer that he came over. After coffee and more talking he took me to Wendy’s to have lunch, then we went to Wal-Mart to kill time. Teeth is a storm chaser, like honestly that was his job. So anytime we were outside that day he would talk about the weather and say things to me like: “Look, it’s a (insert name of certain type of cloud here) cloud!” …all the while trying to teach me all about weather and what not. Okay, Todd Yakoubian…relax! (Todd Yakoubian is a Weatherman in Arkansas, in case you aren’t from here and that joke was totally lost on you.).

I never have cared about the weather, so that was and always will be the last thing I would ever want to talk about. Most people in my life let the weather control their plans. It rains a little and all of a sudden we can’t go to the mall or whatever. Lame. I like rain. I don’t want rain to stop me from living my life.

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While we were at Wal-Mart, he bought me stuff just because I mentioned I need to get this, or that soon. I was not and would never beg someone to buy me things; I think he just thought the more stuff he bought for me…the more I’d like him. Sorry, but that’s a no from me Teeth. Now that I think of it, I missed an opportunity to have him buy a toothbrush and toothpaste, well darn!

He ended up buying me a tool bag full of tools, because he noticed I still had a lot of pictures that needed to be hung up back at my apartment. I still use that tool bag to fix stuff all the time. In fact I used it today to fix something on my electric wheelchair, so thank you Teeth!

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As I mentioned earlier, this was all during the hottest part of Summer…going outside for half a second would make you feel all sweaty and nasty. If I am remembering correctly his air condition in his car was broken, which made things much worse. Once we got back to my apartment I tried to bring up as casually and politely as I could that he was welcome to go take a shower. He said no, he was okay. No you aren’t…there is a reason I brought it up; I thought to myself.

Here’s a tip: If you are at someone else’s place and they offer you a shower… they are always trying to tell you something. Whether it’s that you stink, or that they want to do something naughty with you in there…there is always a reason. In this case obviously the reason was the first one.

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After he denied the shower, he hung up the photos and decor that needed it, which was very sweet of him and in that moment I realized I should have been a lot nicer to him than I had been being.

…but then things started getting weird.

…like he told me he loved me and wanted me to have his children type of weird.

First off, you just met me; not even 24 hours ago. Secondly, I don’t want kids.

That’s pretty crazy! Get out of my apartment, go to the dentist…boy bye.

-laurenmikael

PS: After I explained to him that we should just be friends, he kept texting me way over the top lovey dovey stuff each morning. He even called me one night and said he was booking a trip to see Green Day out of state with backstage passes…a year in advance. Stop trying to bribe me into liking you with my favorite band ever. Gross! I didn’t like you then, what on Earth makes you think I want to go a road trip with you a year later? Insane! I blocked him after that.

PPS: Have you “Liked” Life as Lauren Mikael on Facebook yet? You can here .

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The Actor’s Life by Jenna Fischer: Book Review

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It has been a while since I have done a Tuesday Starts with Tea, to be honest I had to take a break from reading…quarantine was making me burned out on it, but I’m back now and today we are talking about The Actor’s Life by Jenna Fischer.

Yes, I know it is Sunday. I meant to schedule this post for this upcoming Tuesday… but instead I accidentally hit publish. Which means you get to have this post early! Whoops.

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Recently I have been reading The Actor’s Life by: Jenna Fischer. She plays Pam Beasley/Halpert on The Office.

Jenna Fischer who stars in The Office sitting in a chair waiting for an audition The Actor's Life
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The Actor’s Life is a book written for people who are wanting to have an acting career, but might not know how to get started. I don’t want to be an actor, but I love Jenna Fischer so I figured I would read it anyway. I really enjoyed reading this book actually.

Not only does Jenna give you basically a step by step guide on how to make your dream of acting into a reality, but she gives you a look into her life as she was working to become an actor as well. She talks about her time on The Office, jobs she had as she was just starting out; how to get an agent and manager. Jenna also shows you how to pick a great head shot.

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She even included a section of interviews, where she interviewed a few other actors, to find out more about their personal journey of getting in and staying in the acting world. One of those interviews was with Sean Gunn (He plays Kirk on Gilmore Girls.) As you probably already know if you have been reading my blog for a while…I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan. My favorite show…ever, so I was really excited to find out she talked to him for her book.

If you are interested in reading this book you can get a copy here: https://amzn.to/3hzo4Hd

Or if you prefer reading on a Kindle you can start a 30 day free trial here: https://amzn.to/3fmD1dC

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Now on to the tea I have been drinking lately.

I have been on a green tea kick, a few days ago I tried a sample of Japanese Sencha from Harney and Sons that they gave me when I placed an order with them a few weeks ago.

It is a more mature green tea than I am used to drinking if that makes sense, but I really enjoyed it. I plan on buying some soon. If you want to try it you get some for yourself here: https://amzn.to/37uV52o

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I have also been drinking Green Tea with Coconut from Harney and Son’s as well. As you can see from the photo above. This is probably my favorite green tea from them that I have tried so far. It has notes of ginger, vanilla and lemongrass that all pair very nicely with the coconut. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy green tea. You can get some here: https://amzn.to/2AA9WfZ

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Also, can we stop and talk about how cute my newest teacup and saucer set is? It’s called Honey Bunny by Royal Albert. I love it so much, most teacup sets look real old time-y grandma with hideous floral patterns on them, but Royal Albert has some fun and vibrant collections. You can get it here: https://amzn.to/2MZGmmM

-laurenmikael

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Love Like Fiction: Fangirl Friday

*This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you make a purchase from  the links provided. At no additional cost to you.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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It’s been a while since I posted a Fangirl Friday, wasn’t intentional; life just gets busy sometimes, you know? Letโ€™s get back at it. This week I want to tell you about an Arizona based Pop-Punk band, Love Like Fiction.

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Remember how I was telling you not long ago about one of my favorite YouTubers, well Leesha is married to the Bassist of Love Like Fiction; thatโ€™s how I found out about them.

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I love their music. Sometimes they add a little bit of Screamo in too…which if you know me well, you know that is right up my alley.

The first song I ever heard of theirs was “Bilingual? Baby, I’m Bipolar” Title gives off kind of a Fall Boy, or Panic! At The Disco vibe. You can give it a listen below:

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See? They are awesome, right? Told you so!

They have a music video for another song of theirs “Summer Daze”:

A few weeks ago they came out with a new single “Misery Maintenance”:

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Love Like Fiction has quite a few singles, and an EP out titled “Sounds of City Streets” which can be found wherever you like to stream music.

You can keep up with them on Facebook: here.

Honestly, I really don’t think I could pick a favorite song of theirs if I tried…so far I have loved them all!

Speaking of streaming services have you tried Amazon Prime music? Ad free music with all of the added benefits of Amazon Prime. Click the banner below to listen to Love Like Fiction and all of your favorite artists.

-laurenmikael

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Amazon Favorites

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

*This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you make a purchase from the links provided. At no additional cost to you.

*All opinions are my own, I only write about products and brands that I actually use and truly believe in.

I have updated my links to work in the UK and Canada as well as the US.

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Since I am in a wheelchair it is easier for me to do all of my shopping online, especially because I quit having a caregiver earlier this year so that I could be more independent. You probably wouldnโ€™t want to be 30 years old and feel like you had a babysitter either, right?

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One of the sites that I shop on most is Amazon. I figured for today’s blog post I would share with you some of my (and Dookie’s) favorite products.

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My favorite coffee: Atomic Garden by Oakland Coffee I’m going to be switching to decaf soon…too much caffeine makes me hyper, and I bet cutting down on caffeine will help ease anxiety. Haven’t tried their decaf version yet…but judging by everything else I have tried from them, I bet it is going to be amazing!

My favorite hair, skin and nails vitamins: These taste so good, and they work pretty fast.

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My favorite Multivitamin, Smarty Pants; these are gummies too. They taste really good and are made with organic ingredients.

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Alo Comfort Aloe Vera Juice Drink. The aloe vera in these drinks have a lot of benefits, aside from being very hydrating, it also keeps your skin looking clear and healthy; reduces heartburn… and is also very helpful in keeping your colon running smoothly.

Watermelon Peach is my favorite, but the Exposed, Honey flavor is good too.

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Dookie loves this food: I and Love and You Nude Superfood Dry Dog Food – It is grain free kibble with Prebiotics & Probiotics. Right now he is eating the Simply Seafood recipe. I like feeding him this because it is made with simple ingredients; I don’t have to worry about him eating some filler product that turns out to be unhealthy that I can’t pronounce.

They have beef, and chicken recipes too.

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Dookie tends to have a lot of anxiety and sometimes seizures due to his past. (To find out more about that, read the post I linked to his name earlier in this post.)

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Tell help keep him calm and seizure free I buy him Hemp Oil on Amazon and put it in his food everyday. The brand that seems to work best for him is Best Friends RX. It is Pharmacy Grade and all natural. It helps with stress, hip and joint pain as well. This oil has truly been a life changer for my sweet boy.

Dookie loves snacks, I have to buy them in bulk since he goes through them so fast. One of his favorites are Steak Grillers by Nudges (another brand that uses simple, healthy ingredients.)

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I trim Dookie’s nails myself. I got him this trimmer by Casfuy. It is pretty quiet; which is great considering how anxious he can be. It is basically a little grinder that files his nails down. It is rechargeable, and the battery lasts for a really long time.

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That is all I have been buying off of Amazon lately. I plan on doing more posts like these to give you guys a peek inside my shopping cart. Maybe once a month or every few months…we’ll see how it goes.

-laurenmikael

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POF Conversations: Johnathan

It’s been a while since I have shared one of my POF conversations with you, so I figured why not today…

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This is a guy I met on POF; we messaged each other for a little while, but we never really hit it off, we didn’t meet in person and we never talk on the phone.

I’m not a good texter, I would much rather hang out in person and talk via phone calls. For some reason it is a lot easier for me to carry on a conversation in person or on a phone call. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have been ghosted so many times. It’s a lot easier to ignore a text message than it is to not respond to someone you are in the middle of a call with, you know?

Too bad most guys don’t seem to believe in calls anymore; at least in my experience.

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Text messages are so cold and pretty emotionless. I like hearing the other person’s voice. Plus, anytime a guy is willing to be on the phone with me instead of just texting our relationship (friendship or otherwise) always seems to be stronger and work out better.

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Hmm…well that turned out to be a longer rant than I meant for it to…but phone calls definitely need to make a comeback. Anyway back to Johnathan, my whole point in this texting spill was to let you know that I am bad at it. As I am sure you can tell from the screenshot below: I basically just say “Haha! Smiley face :)” the whole conversation.

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In real life I have a really quick wit and basically have a sarcastic remark for everything. Which is probably why talking with this guy in March of 2017 never really went anywhere; if he and all of the other guys that turned into failed potential relationships through online dating would have hung out with me in person maybe things would be different for me right now.

This autocorrect mistake had me laughing for a while. His phone seems to think I like sleeping around (which is definitely not the case.)

I’m pretty sure this is the last of my POF conversations that I actually saved…but don’t worry I still have some POF stories to tell you.

-laurenmikael

PS: Have you ‘Liked’ Life As Lauren Mikael on Facebook yet so that you never miss a new post? You can here.

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