Author / Bethe

by Bethe

20th Grade

Today was my first day of school. I figured out I’m in 20th grade.

One year of kindergarten.
Five years of elementary school.
Three years of junior high.
Four years of high school.
Four years of college.
Three years (and counting) of graduate school.

That’s a lot of first days. A couple didn’t go as planned.

On my first day of sixth grade, I knocked out my front tooth on my locker and had to have emergency dental surgery. Because my dentist is a rockstar, I was back at school in time for lunch. Not that I could eat it!

My first day of my junior year of college, I was in such a rush that I wore two different shoes to class. I didn’t notice it until I was sitting in my first class, and happened to glance down at my feet. In horror, I realized that not only were my shoes different, but they didn’t even LOOK similar. One brown high-heeled boot, one black low-heeled boot.

Another first day in college, I sat through almost an entire class before realizing that I wasn’t supposed to be there. I had come an hour early.

And then there’s my recurring nightmare where I show up to my first day of school wearing only my birthday suit.

Tonight was less eventful. No major injuries, no major embarrassments. And I was fully clothed.

by Bethe

I should do this

I love blogs, because somehow I can hop-scotch from one to another, first hopping on one foot, then two, meandering my way down a path of people and their stories, until suddenly I’m lost, and I don’t know how I got there. And then I discover the thoughts of a stranger who seems remarkably similar to me.

It’s like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I’m terrible at that game, though, because I’m way behind on my movie watching, and I’m bad with names.

But I digress…

Check out this post, from some kid in Austin. He’s only 20. I think I may copy him. I made a list back in college of things I want from a husband. They’re funny to look at now, because they were written while I had a serious boyfriend, but I was probably mad at him at the time, so some of it describes him, and some of it is the EXACT OPPOSITE of him. I was probably trying to make a point. Ha… sometimes I like to do that.

Since then, I’ve revised my list, checked it several times, and thought about ripping it up and starting over. I have learned a lot about what I want on that list. It’s fun to look back at the original, when I was so young and idealistic, back at age 20.

Back then, I assumed I’d be an old maid if I wasn’t married by 25.

Ahh, the ignorance of youth.

by Bethe

Fruit pizza disaster

I’m trying my darndest to make a fruit pizza for a dinner party tonight, but in this battle of the wills, it looks like the fruit pizza may win! Is it bad if I just stop at the convenience store and bring a couple of boxes of Milk Duds instead of a home-made dessert?

I feel so defeated… time to go back to battle.

by Bethe

The Recap

Thanks to all of my dear friends who have been leaving me comments. It seems so silly, but it makes me really happy to open up my email and see that someone has commented on a post! So, if you want to make me happy, and I’m sure you do, please continue to leave comments! I’ll do my best to return the favor.

Now for the fun part… here’s some photos from last night’s Bingo Gala!


We had a fantastic time! Nobody at our table won anything, although I was one away from a Bingo on two different occasions. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be this year. It was fun to get dressed up and enjoy a night out on the town. I have a lot more of these events on the calendar for the fall… it’s event season once again! I guess this means I need to do some more shopping…

by Bethe

Good bloggers

Good bloggers post lot’s of pictures. I want to be a good blogger, so here goes:

Here’s the famous quilt I’ve been laboring over. I’m making a VERY basic one because I’m on the remedial quilting plan. But hey, it’s better than not trying at all!

And this week, I was a “big winner” at a Chamber luncheon. I go to hundreds of these a year (okay, maybe dozens, but definitely feels like hundreds, if not thousands, or maybe millions!) so occasionally I win things in raffles. In my 5-year career, I have won a TV, a DVD player, a deck chair (still in a box in my garage), a CD of swing music, a couple of gift certificates… and now this!

(Not the dog… the Barbara K Roadside Safety Kit). I think this may come in handy during my long runs at the park…

I’m not sure who this Barbara K chick is, but I think we’re kindred spirits. The box says, “This kit includes a unique set of high-quality roadside accessories, packaged specifically for you in a bag so stylish it’s a shame to hide it in your trunk!” I know that if I happen to be stranded on the side of the road, I would be just devastated if someone came to rescue me and I was carrying an ugly roadside safety kit! (gasp)

by Bethe

Better

I tackled the 7-mile run again today, and this time, I conquered! No asthma attacks, no getting lost, and no wanting to die. It actually felt good! I rewarded myself with a breakfast burrito and a latte from my favorite coffee shop, then splurged on a pedicure. These little toes of mine have taken a beating, but now they’re newly polished once again!

I want to welcome two of my friends to the blogosphere. Check out Mike’s blog and Joel’s blog. For kicks, go on Joel’s blog and vote on the origin of global warming… it’ll drive him crazy if you vote for “man-made.” I’m thinking about voting 100 times just to see what kind of reaction I can get out of my Republican friend.

Tonight is the annual Bingo Gala! I’m most excited because I get to wear my beautiful new dress… I just love playing dress-up!

Please cross your fingers that I win the grand prize, $1,000 cash! I was the big winner back in 2004, and it would be a lot of fun to repeat. Just think of how many pedicures I could buy with $1,000! Anyway, I go to this fundraiser every year. Here’s a photo of my sisters and me at last year’s event…

Most movie stars prepare for formal events by starving themselves for weeks, getting a spray tan, and wrapping their bodies in saran wrap to rid themselves of cellulite. To prepare for my big night out, I ate two hotdogs and took a nap. I’m hoping the results are the same.

by Bethe

Running alone

Tonight I went running in the park. All by myself. Like the big girl that I am. Normally I run with my friend, the super runner. He can run further and faster than I’ll ever be able to run, but he’s nice enough to go with me so that I don’t have to do the long runs by myself.

Because let’s face it, I’m a running disaster waiting to happen.

Let’s see. Tonight I ran about 5.5 miles. I had an asthma attack. I got lost. And toward the end, my stomach cramped so bad that I couldn’t walk. And all of that happened several miles from my car. Plus I got lazy and walked a lot more than normal.

I think there’s a strong possibility that if I continue to run alone, somebody will find me wandering the streets of Fort Worth, looking for my car. Or I’ll be passed out on the sidewalk, and runners will have to step over my limp but well-dressed body as they go by. Either way, it won’t be pretty.

So I’m either going to have to call my running friend again, or I’m going to start running with my inhaler, my cell phone, and a whistle. And maybe some flares. And a pistol. And an atlas. Looks like I’m going to need a backpack that matches my running shoes.

by Bethe

No more Olympics

Tonight I had to turn off the Olympics. The addiction has proved too strong, and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in almost two weeks. All of the good “stuff” happens after 10:30, and I just can’t pull myself away. Last night, I lay in bed watching Shawn Johnson win her gold medal and found myself CRYING. I don’t know this girl, but seeing her look so thrilled, and watching her parents cry out of pride for their daughter was just too much for me.

I have become such a sap. Someone please make it stop.

by Bethe

Random hilarity in my head

1. Good old Tiffany saved the day yet again. She got my sewing machine to work, and thanks to her help and encouragement, I have successfully pieced together my first quilt! It helps to have friends who are talented, occasionally it rubs off on me. It also helps to have a hobby that involves an excuse for a girls’ night. Not that anybody ever needs an excuse for girls’ night! This means I’m well on my way to becoming a quilting phenom… maybe I’ll be the female Michael Phelps of quilting. I’ll post photos as soon as I can find where I put my digital camera…

2. I ran seven miles tonight at the park. It was ugly. On Saturday, when I did six, I felt fantastic. Tonight, I just wanted someone to shoot me. Funny how that happens sometimes.

3. I think I have a ripping problem. Or a “moving too fast” problem. Today, I bent down to grab something off the bottom shelf of my storage cabinet, and stood up too fast. Riiiiip. My high heel got caught on my cute black skirt and ripped a hole right through it! It wouldn’t be so bad if this wasn’t the millionth time I have ripped my clothes at work. I had to go home and change. I loved that skirt, but alas, now it’s just a distant memory.

4. I’m now a girl with two jobs! As if I didn’t have enough things going on right now, I have taken the job as a graduate assistant to a professor up at school. In exchange for working on projects for them from home, I’m getting free tuition PLUS a stipend! Hooray! The only challenge will be fitting in that work between my full-time job, my homework from grad school, my half-marathon training, my tennis game, my new quilting hobby, my Sunday School teaching, and my social life. Yeah, I think I can do it! (In reality, I’m super thankful to have this new job, because private school tuition is EXPENSIVE, so this is a huge blessing!)

5. A few months ago I blogged about running into a guy from high school whom I hadn’t seen in nine years. When we finally ran into each other, I was getting my hair done and had a head full of goop, wearing a shower cap, sitting under a hair dryer (hey, having hair this naturally blonde requires a lot of work). I looked awful. Well, guess who I saw AGAIN after I ran my six miles on Saturday in the heat of the day. Yep, same guy. Only this time instead of a head full of goop, I was sweating PROFUSELY, my face purple, huffing and puffing. Boy do I know how to impress a guy! Groan.

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Sorry, my head was just swimming with information. I’m probably still a bit delusional from lack of oxygen to my brain after all that running. I’m off to go soak my poor muscles and slip into bed early. Thanks to everyone who has been leaving me comments, it makes me so happy to see them!