Author / Bethe

by Bethe

Guys who can’t commit

I’ve personally known some guys who were terrified of commitment, but this may be the worst example ever:

Runaway Groom Sets Wedding Venue on Fire

A Japanese Groom Set His Wedding Site on Fire, to Avoid Getting Married Again

By NORIKO NAMIKI

TOKYO, Oct. 27, 2008 —

A 39-year-old Japanese groom-to-be set his wedding site on fire in central Japan Saturday in an apparent attempt to sabotage his own wedding.

Japanese police arrested Tatsuhiko Kawata, an office worker, early Sunday morning after investigators said he confessed he was responsible for the hotel fire.

Police would not confirm a report by a Japanese newspaper that Kawata wanted to get out of the wedding because he was already secretly married to someone else.

According to the Yamanashi Prefectural Police, Kawata showed up at the Risonare, a hotel in Yamanashi Prefecture, 90 miles northwest of Tokyo, early Saturday morning — the day he was supposed to tie the knot.

A hotel employee who did not want to be identified told ABC News that the fire alarm and extinguisher were activated immediately.

He said the hotel is still assessing the damage, but it seems minimal. The employee also said the hotel evacuated about 150 guests, but they were all able to go back to their rooms that evening after the fire department confirmed the hotel was safe.

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shinbun, which reported that Kawata was already married, said the suspect told the police that he had “a reason not to go through the wedding” and that he believed setting the place on fire would help him avoid it.

Police said officers visited the suspect’s residence to interview him, and that was where the suspect admitted his wrongdoing.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6119323&page=1 

by Bethe

Mac kind of girl

I finally broke down and bought a new computer! No more PCs for me… I’m now a Mac girl! I’m not quite sure how to work everything, but fully expect to love it and never, ever, go back to a PC. Apple’s just so darn cool. 

When I turned it on for the first time, it played a ROCK VIDEO. Ahh, so so cool.
by Bethe

Retreat

I feel like most of my posts are about how tired, or busy,or stressed I am. All are true, because this has been the toughest year of my life. Working full time, having a part-time job, and going to graduate school has begun to take its toll on me physically. I have hit moments of exhaustion worse than I’ve ever experienced before. I keep telling myself that the worst is behind me, I have 13 more months and counting. Hopefully.

But today I’m enjoying a personal retreat. I’m far from civilization, sitting on my balcony overlooking a gorgeous lake, enjoying absolute quiet. This afternoon I got a massage, read a book, took a nap, and then went for a long run through the hills around the lake. Days like these are enough to recharge my batteries for a little while longer. After today, I can go back to the real world of homework, deadlines, and responsibilities.

But for a few more minutes I’m going to enjoy some peace.

by Bethe

Two Hundred

In honor of my two hundredth blog, I thought I would go a little “retro.” Here’s a throw-back to a past Chick-fil-a blunder.

Today I had another one–this time I was enjoying some chicken nuggets dipped in barbecue sauce on my way to class when I spilled an entire sauce packet all over my jeans. But this time, that brown, smelly, sticky mess didn’t ruin my day. Because I have finally learned my lesson and now carry a Tide stain stick in my purse! That magical wonder of a product almost completely erased all evidence of my clumsiness from my pants.

This may be the best invention since the internet.

by Bethe

Hodge Podge Blog(dge)

1. In a moment of true edginess, I decided to paint my toe nails purple. Deep, dark purple. Almost black. I feel like such a rebel. The pedicure lady was a bit worried I might not like it, but I have savored the unexpected pop of color peeking out of my peep-toe shoes ever since. Now I just need to find a motorcycle that I can hop on the back of and ride off into the sunset like the bad girl I am.

2. I love free stuff, and lately that has carried over into loving to get free shots. This summer I got a tetanus shot, just because it was free. I mean, you never know when you might step on a rusty nail, and then I will be thankful that I got my free tetanus shot at work. It’ll save me a trip to the ER (assuming I’m not bleeding profusely from whatever rusty nail wound I might encounter). This is all hypothetical, of course.

So yesterday you can only imagine my elation when I got my annual free flu shot. Not only will I be flu-free this winter, but I can apply that $15 I saved toward something a lot more useful, like a pedicure. Or some new earrings. I wonder what other shots I can get for free? Maybe I can score a pneumonia vaccine? I should call HR.

3. I just love this cold, fall weather. I’ve been sleeping with my windows open, which may be contributing to the head cold I’m trying to fight off, but it’s worth it to sleep with fresh air blowing on my face, curled under my covers for warmth. Maybe soon I can pull out the old electric blanket. It may be my favorite possession.

4. I taught three classes at TCU this week. Two classes on media buying, and one on employee/internal communication. I love teaching. The only thing I don’t love is the parking on campus. If I ever get hired as a full-time professor, I’ll have to hire a helicopter to drop me off by my building, because there’s only 5 parking spaces for 8,000 students at that school. Next week I’ve been asked to speak to an advertising class at UTA, and I hear their parking situation is even worse. So if you know of anybody with a helicopter, who won’t be busy Tuesday morning, please have them call me. It shouldn’t take long, they can just hover over my building while I teach. The class is only 90 minutes.

by Bethe

Engaged

I promise to post more details (and photos!) later, but I just wanted to spread the big news… my youngest sister Lindsay is engaged! Her longtime boyfriend Dallas popped the big question last night. It’s so exciting!

I’m also so relieved… I’ve been bursting with this secret for a week. I think this proves once again that I CAN keep a good secret (much to the surprise of those who know me best), although I’ll admit that all I wanted to do for the past seven days was call everybody I know and tell them the good news.

So there. If I didn’t post this, I probably would have exploded. Congrats Lindsay and Dallas!

by Bethe

A bit about me

Surveys are like train wrecks. You know you shouldn’t look, but you just can’t help yourself.

Go ahead, you can look. I won’t tell. Besides, you know you want to turn around and fill it out yourself…

10 years ago:
I was 17 and a senior in high school. I was the school’s mascot (a tiger… it was such a fun gig!) and on a competitive cheerleading squad with girls from about 10 different high schools. I did 50 back flips almost every day, worked every afternoon as a secretary at a law firm, and hated my midnight curfew. I dated Bobby, Stephen, John (I think that was his name?), but none for more than a month or two. I bet they’re all in prison now.

Things on my to-do list today:
Today was an absolute treat. This morning I played in a golf tournament for our local fire fighter association (lot’s of cute fire fighters!). Afterward, I went to a reception for our school district superintendent who was recognized for winning a big award. Then tonight I taught my first advertising class over at TCU as part of my graduate assistantship. I think it went well… I bribed my students with lot’s of candy, so they were happy. Tomorrow I speak to another advertising class, this time as a “visiting professional” as a favor to one of my favorite professors. I feel momentarily academic… although I know that will quickly pass.

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
I would be soooo excited… and surprised! I’d give a bunch to my church, buy a pretty house on the lake somewhere and have a boat, give my family lot’s of money, quit my job and become the queen of volunteering. Or maybe I’d start my own charity and volunteer there. In my spare time I would travel the world with my friends and family. Gosh… being rich sounds kind of lonely, maybe it’s better that I’m not a billionaire. Plus I bet most billionaires are stressing a little more about this financial crisis than I am.

Actually, if money were no object, I would quit full-time working and teach part-time at a college somewhere (and have a million hobbies/projects on the side). But that won’t pay my mortgage and I’d have to finish this master’s degree first. Besides, I really do love my job and am super thankful to have it.

Three of my bad habits:
1. I drink strawberry milkshakes almost every night during the summer. In the winter, I eat freshly baked chocolate chip cookies almost every night. I’m weak, I admit it.
2. I drink way too much coffee—usually 2-3 cups a day, sometimes more. Sometimes much more. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby of my building, so I’m a bit spoiled.
3. I tend to get excited and over-commit to activities, and then wonder where all my free time went. But if I didn’t do that, I would be extremely bored.

Five jobs I have had:
1. Softball umpire (senior year of high school)
2. Cafeteria lady at my sisters’ school (for just 3 weeks in college… sexy, I know.)
3. Cheerleading camp instructor (three summers in college)
4. Gymnastics coach (senior year of college)
5. Mascot choreographer (all 4 years of college… high school kids would pay me to make up their mascot try-out routines… I never had a kid not make the squad!).

And now I have this advertising gig, which is pretty cool.

Five things people don’t know about me:
1. I used to know the N’Sync dances. I love to dance, I’m just really bad at it.
2. I am scared of diving off of a diving board, even though I used to do back flips on concrete and not even flinch.
3. I won a giant inflatable cow in a contest in elementary school. As an adult, I won a 36” TV. And $1,000. And some baseball memorabilia. I had a lucky streak in 2004!
4. I am terrified of flying. It doesn’t stop me, but I’m really scared during take-off and landing.
5. Cheesecake makes my stomach turn. I can barely stand to look at it.

by Bethe

Dumped.

I got dumped by my yard guy.

I thought things were going so well. We saw each other every Friday.

Apparently I just wasn’t cutting it.

When he told me, I felt like I was mowed over.

He said it wasn’t me. He gave me some lame excuse about not having time to mow ANY yards anymore.

But I think he left me for greener pastures.

That’s okay, I can totally do better. There will be other, better lawn boys.

You’re on my turf now, buddy.

Time to go make another break-up CD.

by Bethe

Big Plans

I have a blog post swimming around in my mind, but this is one of those that has to be just perfect, so you’ll have to wait another day or two until I can give it the attention (and editing) it deserves.

Tonight I’m going to see Michael Buble in concert with my sisters and my mom! They have been raving about how wonderful and dreamy he is ever since they saw him a few months ago (sans me, who didn’t want to fork over $75 to see him), and so this time mom insisted on buying tickets for all the girls in my family so we could enjoy his dreaminess together. I’ve been listening to his CD for weeks, and I must say he is rather good.

So now it’s time to go get properly gussied up so I can go enjoy my fun girls’ night out! I’m trying to perfect the “Texas Big Hair” look… which I must say looks rather fantastic at home in my bathroom, but once I set foot outside in the Texas humidity, evolves into a bit of a limp mess. I’m determined to conquer this hair challenge and have evoked a scientific approach, experimenting with different hair sprays, hair gels, root lifters, root stimulators, Elmer’s glue… whatever it takes. One day I will have big hair.

Better run, maybe tonight’s the night! It’s good to have goals in life, isn’t it?