How to Whittle Away an Hour at Work

10. Actual work. The most obvious way to whittle away an hour at work is to actually work. But there are days when the to-do list is waning or one is waiting for further information to proceed with the tasks at hand. So what do you do then?

9. Blog. Blogging has helped me make it through hours upon hours of work. Not in my current position, but definitely in the past. This is great when some asinine event occurs, and one is compelled to share it.

8. www.facebook.com... read the status updates and hit refresh. Wait 1 minute, and refresh. This is a far more tedious method of passing an hour, but in a pinch it will work.

7. Mundane quality of work health tasks. These include, but are not limited too... using the restroom, getting a drink of water, making coffee, reheating coffee, eating a snack, washing hands, flossing teeth, brushing teeth, turning on a heater, turning on a fan, turning off a heater, turning off a fan, filling a water bottle, washing dishes, blowing nose, stretching, quick phone calls...

6. Quick looks at funny websites (thechive, d-listed, cracked, funny or die, etc). These must be strategic and short lived, but the comedy relief and mental checkout that these moments provide, seem to make the slow moving hours bearable.

5. CNN.com - Few people can look upon you condescendingly when you are perusing this legitimate news source. It makes you look intelligent and in the know. You can also use the excuse, "I was looking up information about _____" or Did you know that (insert Bill Gates or Steve Jobs) is now doing ______." Between the two of them, one of them is always doing something, and whatever they are doing is always relevant to something going on in your work life.

4. Long drawn out conversations with co-workers about people or things that are mutually or collectively loathed. Ask an instigating question and the chatter will begin. A few well timed questions or comments can often make this method last upwards of 45 minutes or more! **Note, this method can only be used twice per week. Any more than that, and the topic gets beaten like a dead horse.

3. Bob and Sheri. No pair can make 4 hours seem like 2 quite like Bob and Sheri. Their podcasts are best paired with boring, mind numbing work. Beware of working on important emails while listening to Bob and Sheri lest you insert phrases like, "the cone of safety," or "first time caller".

2. Please refer back to 7 and 8. Number 2 is a combination of both.

1. The best way to whittle away an hour at work. Why talking to your Twinkie of course! A good IM conversation involving the previous evening's activities, recipe discussions, a little gossip, and of course a healthy dose of twin-doting can make an hour pass like 20 minutes.

A Labor (Day) of Love

I couldn't stop thinking about you and your situation last night. It is the ultimate form of irony and maybe also Godly affection, that you should have a situation so utterly familiar in your new family. Heading out on your family vacation, having a great time, then BAM! The sh*t hits the fan and it is like you are back at Folly Beach again.

However, the good news is that from what it sounds like, you handled yourself with an exceptional amount of decorum. Perhaps all those years at Folly Beach, taught you a different way to deal with that kind of conflict. And also, it feels a lot like God is indicating that our family is not so different, that there is an alpha in every family that causes problems when he doesn't get his way.

I am proud of you. And I can't wait to see you, squeeze you, and bask in the bliss of the twin glow that forms when we are together.

Labor Day Weekend - No sweat!

Hi baby,

I just got off the phone with you. Lutsen was wonderful and draining all at the same time, but I appreciate you letting me vent. I will keep you updated on the situation with Chad and Amy. Now that I have gotten the argument out of my system, I feel like I can look forward towards the best weekend this fall - LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!!

We are going to have so much fun! I can't wait to see you, hug you, and spend way too much time chatting with you.

I love you so much!

Lutsen - Time to fly

Ok, I think I will take a stab at telling this story. The one that, if picked, wins me a week at Caribou Highlands. Worth a shot, right? :P

The highlight for both Stephen and I after your Super Bowl visit was our upcoming ski trip to Lutsen. Being God only knows how many years since either of us had skied, Stephen and I were psyched at the opportunity to fly down the mountains; especially since both of our definitions of "flying" seemed to be so similar. Yeah, right. Friday afternoon as we crossed into Duluth, however, individual visions of us sloleming down the mountain remained the foder of our own daydreams.


We stopped at Betty's Pie's, a prominent pie shoppe that I had noticed on our previous trip to Lutsen. It did not disappoint. We induldged in a couple of their most unique burgers - one had cream cheese and olives. Sort of like pickles on a pizza, unexpected but really good. Seeing as we were at a pie place, we naturally had to get pie. I had a 5-layer chocolate cream pie. Ummmm, chocolate buzz much? More like a chocolate coma. Stephen enjoyed his berry pie while waiting for me to come out of my coma. :)


Right up the road from Betty's Pies are these amazing falls. Perfect place to start outdoor adventure weekend. We threw on our hiking boots and headed toward the frozen falls. So you know how they say something is in the water? Well, I think I know where that phrase developed. As we made our way past the visitor center, Stephen pointed out a very chatty squirrel at the top of a tree. He was chattering like crazy so we snapped a couple of photos. When we passed, we realized he was chattering at a second squirrel. As we reached the frozen and barren falls, something caught Stephen's eye. He squinted his eyes and recognition hit him. Almost fractically he cried, "Beth, give me the camera!"


I fumbled to get the camera out of the case and turned on, meanwhile a large grin formed on Stephen's face. While handing him the camera, my eyes followed his line of sight and I start to crack up. This mother and daughter were both topless, posing for a picture on the far side of the falls on a teir below us. Stephen got a couple of shots but no great ones. We set out to explore the frozen falls and eventually ended up on a scenic ledge with a small natural bridge. As I instructed Stephen on where to pose for a picture, a family of a father and mother, their daughter and her husband offered to take a picture of us. :) It was the same two women we had snapped topless. Haha! I just grinned and grinned and grinned.


We were on our way out of the park, and as we passed the tree where the squirrel had been, we noticed he was still in the same spot chattering away. Except this time he had started humping the tree branch while continuing his rant! Women with their tops off in the winter, squirrels humping tree branches... Seems like there is a good arguement that Gooseberry falls having "something in the water".


We hit Lutsen around 4:30, checked into our room, and prepared to take a late afternoon walk around Grand Marais. Ofcourse, Stephen has a buddy of a buddy in Grand Marais, because really, does he not know someone everywhere? We end up finding this guy, Craig, and then spending about 45 minutes just hanging out chatting. Craig asks us if we would like to meet up for dinner at Caribou Highlands, and we are pumped to get to hang out with him and see who we meet. And meet people did we ever! Craig's golf partner ended up being are server/bartender at Moguls (in Caribou). Not only did we get to meet a bunch of people who work at the resort, but we ate some of the most amazing food I have ever had. We parted ways with Craig and then decided to keep the night going up at Papa Charleys.


So Papa Charley's by day is a sweet spot to grab lunch with some stunning views, good food, too. By night, Papa Charley's turns into a sausage factory. For every one female there are easily 6 dudes all looking for action. Mind you, not all the women who enter are single, so the ratio of horny males to available singles goes up to like 30 to 1, seriously. Stephen and I found our happy place in a nook upstairs playing Big Buck Hunter.


Saturday morning dawned earlier and fuzzier than I would have liked it to, but Stephen urged me out of bed and downstairs for some hearty breakfast. We filled our bellies, rented skis, and we slapping on our skis by 10:30 a.m. Time to fly.


Remember how I said Stephen and my visions of "flying" merged harmoniously? Well, it did for about the first 20 seconds we were on the hill. We had selected a blue trail and I contentedly, though a little wobbily, made my way down the mountain. I looked to my left and to my right for Stephen, and then up the hill, only to realize that my husband was the motionless pinpoint halfway down the mountain. No big deal, I'll get my ski legs.


Next ride up the lift we hop off and start searching out our next trail. Another exciting but slightly challenging blue trail? That was what I was looking for as Stephen lead me to the top of a very steep black diamond. "How about this one?" he asked. At that moment, my stomach made a running jump out of my throat, trying to escape the horror of plumeting down this trail.


"No, absoltuley not. Are you crazy?! This is only our second trip down the mountain, can't you give me a couple of passes at this to get my ski legs?" Begrudgingly Stephen agreed and lead us to a fun and safe looking blue trail. Making my way down this 6 ft. wide trail, I narrowly missed running into one of the hundreds of trees that line both sides. I began thinking about what a long day this could turn out to be. I wasn't going to go down without my best shot, but I was going to approach it my way.


First item on the agenda was to find a black diamond that looked managable. We made our way to the furthest mountain by way of ski lift and snow trail. There we found a fabulous learning ground for me. This hill was filled with a variety of blues that could have been black and black that could have been blue. It provided the perfect place for me to experiment with my techniques and to work through some challeneges, like my stammering heart at the top of even a slightly steep grade at the top of a hill. In no time I was feeling like a much improved skier and I was ready to take my chances on the challenging mountain on which we had started.


We made our way back to the top of the first mountain. Once at the top, Stephen lead us to the place we had been before, where I refused to consider going down the mountain. Again, I was nearly paralyzed by fear. I was convinced that the sign was pointing us towards two options - both DOUBLE black diamonds. Upon Stephen's relentless insistance that that direction would provide a less dramatic black diamond trip down the mountain, I made my way slowly toward him. And then he was off.


Before I knew it or wanted to know it, Stephen was again a motionless dot waiting for me to join him. With a deep breath and a little temporary insantity, I pushed off over the edge. Wind whipping past my ears accentuated the feeling of my heart soaring as my mind relinquished and let my body take control. I pulled up next to Stephen with a gigantic grin on my face - I could do this! I continued toward the trail that would continue my journey to the bottom of the mountain. As I looked around for Stephen, I again realized that he was not in my immediate vicinty. Crap. He was headed like a madman toward the sharp drop off of the double black diamond. Seriously?!?!


I whip a u-turn and head toward what will surely end in an ambulance ride. When I reached the point where the grade of the trail noticeab;y sharpened, I stopped. Standing there was like looking off of the edge of the world to me. Tears sprang into my eyes and I began to figure out how I would dope with failing to go down this trail. I just couldn't. I looked up the mountain and a girl zipping by me. She was headed straight for the double black diamond and was trying to gain speed. I thought, "Well, if she can do it, why can't I?" So I did.


Again, my mind gave way to motion, and each foot down the mountain carved confidence in me that I have never before known in myself. Stephen was waiting for me at the bottom of the double black with a huge grin on his face. "How was it?" he grinned.


That day, I challenged myself and conquered time and again. I found myself pondering the impact of my new found confidence on the other areas of my life. How many things had feared held me back from accomplishing?


We wrapped up skiing around 2:30, so that we could beat the hot tub rush. Between that, the sauna, and a couple of beers, we were pretty much done for. We grabbed a bite to eat, selected a movie, and headed to our room to watch it. Fifteen minutes later, both Stephen and I were fast asleep.


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There it is, my story. Any thoughts? Please feel free to help me proof this and make it more entertaining. Love you!


Bethie

Return of the Run

Mark it on your calendar - March 5th marks the return of running for me!

The elliptical has been a wonderful outlet for maintaining some sort of healthy activity, but I can bear it no more. I yearn for the sunshine, the fresh air, watching life as it happens! So this morning, when I finish this blog and this cup of coffee, I will don my winter running clothes, my under utilized running shoes, and my mp3 player and put my feet to the pavement. I was going to take advantage of Bob and Sheri podcasts but I can't figure out how to get them on to my mp3 player!

Life up north has gotten significantly more tolerable in the last month. I am starting to feel a routine enter my life, and that is very calming. Minnesota is such a gorgeous place to live. I can't begin to describe the drama played out in nature around this state. When I cross the Mississippi River and it is shrouded in fog, steam rising from the river, and rays of sun light adding deep hues of yellow and sparkle to the trees coated in ice, I can't breathe for a moment. The beauty I witness in that moment encourages me to seek out others, and they are all around. Work is better. It feels like a job and one that I can actually do. I don't love it and I don't hate it, so it rates pretty average in the jobs I have had. I am starting to feel more connected to the community and to the people I meet, and on March 17th, I start my pottery class! The worst part? I miss you. I miss the rest of the family a ton, too. But everyday makes me acutely aware of how much you are not only my twin but my best friend. Ironically enough, I think I miss our runs the most. When we started running together, I could never have imagined how much more close it would bring our relationship. I miss talking about everything from religion, to life, to the smell of the man running by us. I think that is part of the reason I stopped running this winter. Running alone would have exacerbated the loneliness I was feeling.

So maybe then today is the first day that I feel stronger than the ache of loneliness. For the first time, I feel like I can cope with it. I am not saying that the prospect of running alone isn't gloomy in this moment, but I think that when I finish, I will feel replinished in a way I haven't felt for a long time. I will let you know. :)

I am glad I wrote this blog. Amazing how writing sometimes leads you to places you never imagined going. Sort of like running, huh? :)

Early Morning Blog(s)

Hi Sweetie,

I read your blog yesterday evening and have been thinking about it ever since. This weekend was so hard on you emotionally, and I think I have some insight on why this may be.

Growing up in the Garrity household, life pretty much always felt like an episode of "Leave it to Beaver". We were fortunate enough to grow up without any major crises and out parents seemed to be 100% dedicated to us - taking us to the train station or park, making snow cream, enrolling us in activities, etc. I think that we both felt that our childhood was exceptional and that we want to give the same experience to our children and the children we impact. You and I have always been overacheivers and when we personally feel like we have not reached our potential we are very critical of ourselves.

But if you take a step back and think about it (or if you have a conversation with Mom and Dad), I bet you will find that they often felt like they were failing us. Remember how Mom would often work late? Or when they couldn't attend one of our events? What about the time Dad got overly mad at Jeannie and then later in life at you? I remember that there was at least one occassion where Mom forgot to pick one of us up. I have two points with this: 1. That all parents do things that they would personally deem failures. 2. As long as you engage your child and are engaged in their life, everything else sort of fades away.

The best gift you can give is love, and wen you have to "fake" enthusiasm, something is lost. The moments I remember aren't so much the big trips and super fun planned activities, they were the little moments, like Mom making blueberry muffins or teaching us how to make crepes. It was Dad laying on the floor building Lincoln Logs with us or singing "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder..." The next time you feel grossly inadequate as a parent, just give Redden a big hug or call him up to find out about his day. Hold true to who you are so that Redden gets the most authentic Mommy he can have. That Mommy is a wonderful, amazing person who may not be perfect in her eyes but his perfect in his; just like our Mommy and all of the other good Mommies in the who wide world.

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It is now 6:40 a.m. and I am sitting at my counter missing you, missing Mom and Dad, missing Jeannie and family. Transitions are difficult, and this morning I am feeling that weigh on me. I have been here for nearly 4 months already. Amazing. I can't wait until this life feels normal, because it still doesn't. It will come - one of these days. For now, I am just going to try to set my sights on the next thing I am looking forward to. Stephen and my ski trip to Lutsen! On Monday, I went to the Unique Thrift Store. WoW. What an experience that place is. On holidays (like President's Day) they run a special - 50% off everything. I have been waiting for this to get some snow paints at a bargain price. What I thought would be a quick in and out visit very quickly turned in to a 45 minute quest. The aisles were literally spilling over with all sorts of people vying for knick knacks, clothes, furniture, and more. Quickly I found a marginal amount of personal space acceptable. You aren't touching me, good enough. Manners were put on hold, because everyone else had done the same. You are trying on an entire cart of clothing in front of one of three mirrors in the store - fine, I will invade your personal space and try to make you share the mirror while I try on this one piece. Though emotionally battered and beaten, I was able to emerge victorious - snow pants for $3.47 after tax.

I am watching the minutes tick by knowing that I really need to go put on my workout clothes and get on the elliptical. Yuck, I am going to have to start this day one way or another. I wish, I wish, I wish I didn't have a job and could dedicate today to errand running, cleaning, working out, cooking, and reading. Sigh, oh well, what can you do. I hope yours is a wonderful day and I can't wait to talk to you again!

Valentine's Day

Seeing your beautiful face on Skype and subsequently reading your Valentine's Day blog, makes me don a big smile while alligator tears well up in my eyes. First, I need you to give Stephen a big hug and tell him that I say, 'Thank you' for taking care of you. Knowing that your other number 2 is taking care of you, makes me feel less stressed and more at ease with the idea that near-complete contentment will find you sooner rather than later. I am very impressed with the way that he has taken on guiding you into this new stage of life.

Second, I know that I have gone into deep writing mode for two reasons... #1 My phone is off. Whenever I am ready to write I turn off my phone. It helps me to stop thinking about the outside world. I don't spend time thinking about who or what might come through the cell tower. Communication is redirected through my fingers onto this backlit screen.

The other reason I know that I have gone into deep writing mode is another #1. I have turned on Augustana. It is funny (ironic funny, not haha funny) how my peace and mental focus is amplified by this group. If I die before you, please pick out any one (or five) of their songs to play at my funeral. Their music makes me feel like I know myself in a more mature way than I often think I do.

Ever since this year started I have felt different. I chock it up to maturation, but there is something else there. To speak frankly, part of my self feels definition and confidence, the other part feels insecurity and loneliness. There are days when I feel like I know exactly who I am and where my life is going. I love those days. I put on my big girl panties (a pair of thongs - really cute actually...), my hair seems to obey my mental commands, and I speak to people with a boldness that comes from my core. The fact that you are so far away feels completely manageable and I am utterly sure that I have at least a decent interpretation of God's path with my other relationships.

Then there are the days where I have not a clue where I am going or what I am doing. I feel like I am the court jester hiding behind the queen's mask. That at any point my guise is going to be discovered and the seemingly strong life that I have built will crumble around me.

Today I feel that. I am choking back a sob as I type this because I know you get it. I don't feel like enough for Brett. I feel like a failure because I am not the parent that he is. I feel completely exposed in my methods, mechanisms, and manners. It makes me question every aspect of myself and makes me feel like I am better off just being alone. I don't feel like I am the right person for anyone except for you, me and Redden. And Redden is only included in that short, short list because he is too young to know the difference. And oh man, is that the amazing grace of children, or what? Impossibly, he thinks that I am the greatest woman in the world... Talk about humbling.

It's this constant back-and-forth between feeling like someone amazing and someone who is royally lacking that generally keeps me in a state of WTF?!

I guess what I am getting at is that before you left, I never had to deal with myself in the same way that I do now. It's a tightrope walk. You think you are doing it right, but all you have to compare it to is everyone else; success or failure. With you here, it never felt so black and white.

I don't really know how to wrap this up except to say I love you. Thank you for constantly reminding me that I don't have to be this or that. Thank you for reminding me that being 'just me' is the person I should be; even when I don't believe it.

Valentine's Day

Here we are, February 14th. So much of this blog is consumed with our relationship, but today I am thinking about my marriage and I just have to tell you how loved I am by my husband.

We decided that Valentine's Day would be wrapped up into our ski trip two weeks from now. I was definitely okay with that but got him a card anyways, because how can you not take today to reflect. I had no expectations going into this weekend, especially since he reiterated that there would be no flowers this year - we needed to save money. On Friday evening, I got home slightly before Stephen with paint for our den painting project. He had stopped at Trader Joe's for me to get some $3 Charles Shaw wine. When he pulled in, I opened the garage door because I had to let him know that Tyra had escape-artisted her way out of the kennel (crazy, I know!). He handed me the wine and off I went to put the wine away. A minute later in walked Stephen with a dozen red roses, hummus, and chocolates. What a sweetheart. And wouldn't it be wonderful if that were the end of the story. But it's not.

Today I woke up with the worst UTI I have ever had. It was so bad that my bladder felt like it was in a perma-cramp. Of course the typical burn was also there. Stephen was so worried about me, he kept asking what he could do to help. I realized I could get the urinary track numbing stuff at Walmart adn we were on our way. It is such a little thing but the fact he cares so much makes me feel so loved.

These examples are small but I just had to blog to remember how great my relationship is. I hope that years from now I get to look back on this and think these experiences are small potatoes compared to his and my relationship at that time.

By the way, I really think that you and Brett will be getting engaged within the next 1.5 years. You two are great about taking it slow but everything I see between you, points toward a life long relationship. He is a wonderful guy, and ESPECIALLY becuase he takes such good care of you. Love you so much, my Kentucky twinkie.

Top Ten Favorite Moments of This Weekend

In celebration of a fabulous weekend, I felt it important to give you one more Top Ten list - and the very best one of them, I think. This one is a recap of the most memorable happenings this weekend.

10. The dreaded flat tire. Full bellies, full car, full trunk - hey! let's whip some shitties... and promptly get a flat tire. This one makes the list for the sheer inconvenience and randomness of it. And that we were in Big Lake and got it resolved with out too much hassle helps.

9. Shopping successes and folies. I was soooooo excited to go shopping. Monday was honestly the day that I anticipated for the most reasons. Time alone with you, new clothes, MAC make-up... Okay folly number 1. The FRIGGIN SNOW!!!! I mean WTF, 2 hours to get to the airport, really? Success 1. IKEA. I mean, when is Ikea not a success? But I think we all felt like we won in Ikea, even Stephen, which means I really won, because we WILL be back. Success 2. MAC Make-up, and bonus, I underspent and got everything I wanted! Folly 2. Don Pablos. Hi, welcome to Don Pablos, now please leave. Atleast the Ranch was good. :) Folly 3. Van Maur, what a let down - acrylic clothes that made me look like a stylish whale. Success 3. Express! At least we found a few good pieces!

8. Mega snow fallage. It wouldn't be Minnesota without it, and really, having as much as we did gave you a first hand look at what life here is like. The challenges of wet pantcuffs, icky roads leading to long commutes, but once you are safe and snuggly at home, a winter wonderland.

7. Watching you and Brett snowmobile. Watching you suit up, seeing the giddiness in your eyes, it was like watching a video of me the first time I suited up. Then watching you find your snowmobile groove and gain confidence, I felt like a proud twinkie!

6. The Saints Super Bowl win. Ok, so as far as Super Bowl parties go, it was neither rowdy nor raucous, but the comeback the Saints pulled off made this Super Bowl one of the best ever.

5. Winning $100 playing pull tabs. What's better than a night out at the bar? A FREE night out at the bar!!! We spent $80 but who cares! We came home with $20 extra in our pocket!

4. Playing Skipbo, drinking beers, and hanging out. Let's face it, life is about the little things and that first night was pure bliss. I had my twin, her boyfriend, and my husband and the whole weekend lay in front of us. Sigh.

Okay, so really the next two are equal in my mind, therefore we have no number 3 and two number 2s. First I gravitated towards the funny and then toward the sentimental, and I realized they both perfectly express why number 1 is number 1. You'll have to wait a few more seconds until you find that out.

2. Monday night, sitting in front of the fire. When is life really any better than when I have you all to myself and my husband is contently hanging out by himself? Monday night could only have been made better if it had not been your last night here and we could have stayed up way later. Truly, it was a moment of peace for me - when all my emotions quiet except for the happiness that gushes from every pore. I love going deep with you Katie, because we do it so fluidly and without restraint. Our depth can ebb and flow like the sea, one minute light and shallow and the next like a tidal wave. I feel safe when I am with you and I truly am me when I am around you.

2. As the Evening Turns - the Big Lake Soap Opera. Enough of the tear jerker stuff. Tootsie's was awesome. And you truly made it awesome-ER by catching the entire saga in pictures. Just so we always have it... Two chicks meet up at the bar, and oh my the second looks rough and a little wasted. The other is yound and attractive and the connection between them seems a little funny. The older blonde is obviously on the prowl, and to work up here sex appeal, she quickly downs a couple drinks. Ah, one man has caught her eye (and clearly, she must be drunk). Oh wait, and he must be also. The young girl looks on with passive concern. But the evening turns quickly at Tootsie and before anyone could have guessed it, our eye-crossed lovers are bumping and grinding - literally - against the bar. The lesbian bartenders step in. Only two chicks makeout against this bar. The blonde woman puts her tits away, at least until the bartenders walk away. Soon the drunken couple is back at it, and now the friend looks very concerned. Our lovers head for the dance floor and begin copulating vertically. Then it hits us, the older blonde and the younger brunette look remarkably similar... mother and daughter. And then the friend's concern suddenly makes sense. At this point the evening starts to get a little fuzzy for me, but I remember someone coping a feel on the daughter and her having a friend come stand with her. Then the lesbian looking fiance of the male lover shows up but is also hooking up with someone else. Damn, this shit is just wierd. Can you fill me in on the rest?

1. The very first moment I saw you, and every other moment I looked at you too. All of these moments, but especially my two Top 2, explain why this has to be the number 1 moment for me. I look forward to every moment I get to spend with you because something wonderful always ensues. Thank you for being the VERY best twin in the whole wide world. I love you soooooooo much!

Top 10 Reasons the Next 24 Hours is going to Rock!!

10. The cleaning is already done.
9. It is Thursday evening and I am going into the office tomorrow - no more sales calls this week!
8. Sex, yeah I said it.
7. Tomorrow is casual Friday at the office.
6. I don't have to work out tomorrow.
5. I get to turn in an order at work. Yay, Money!
4. I get paid tomorrow. Again, yay Money!
3. I get presents tomorrow!
2. I get to see Brett!
And of course, I mean who didn't know this one.
1. I GET TO HUG YOU IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS!!!!

The 10 Frivolous Items I Am Bringing

Okay, this could be hard because I am REALLY trying to not pack frivolously... let's see how I do.

10. Too many clothes. This one is a given because although I will arrive to a fully outfitted wardrobe, I don't feel right unless I bring options. I am justifying it by telling myself that the clothes are for you too.

9. My laptop. I know that it is heavy and unnecessary, but it is my adult security blanket and I just want it with me. Oh you cute little macbook... momma wuvs her wittle macbook

8. Pressies! (Presents) Need I say more?

7. My ipod. It is so little and unobtrusive and will power my walks through SDF, CLT, and MSP.

6. More makeup than I need or wear. Again - security blanket type issue here. What if I need it or just want it? Actually I think I just like to give the TSA agents fits over whether or not my multiple lip glosses are indeed under 3 ounces.

5. All the extra crap in my backpack. This one is just because I am too lazy to empty it out.

4. An extra mp3 player. This one coincides with number 5. I will be too lazy to take it out of my backpack so it too will travel with me.

3. A camera. This could be considered as essential were it not that we will be together the whole time and thus have your camera as well. But as every phot-og knows, whats 6 of a similar shot when you can have 12?!

2. Heeled boots. Somehow anything with pointy heels strikes me as hazardous in Minnesota, yet I can't go anywhere without heels. I opted to forego the strappy and toeless heels in favor of the more hearty, calf boots. Aren't I practical?

1. A bottle of wine. Actually Brett is bringing it... And not that you don't have enough three buck chuck to get us miserably hungover for days... I just couldn't resist sharing this bottle with you, Stephen, and Brett. Okay... maybe you and I will just share it - I can see the guys snubbing their noses at it...

Apparently, I am more frivolous than I first thought. I cannot wait to see you sweet girl. Just think, in 1 day Brett and I will be there!

Ten People I Can Not Wait for you to Meet at BLI

This list is a mix of the appealing and appalling people I have met in Minnesota and what makes them who they are. I can't wait for you to see/meet them so you know exactly what I am talking about.

10. Joe Jervis - He's 81, in sales at Budget Ligthing and likely won't quit until he keels over with the phone in his hand. Every day I can expect Joe to shuffle around the corner to my cube and say something along the lines of, "There's Beth. Did you sell anything today?" And then stand there for a minute too long and finally shuffle off.
9. Scott Coykendall - With his totally silly laugh, all you can do is find yourself wanting to break out in a grin and laugh with him. He is hell bent on finding his bestfriend and office mate, Paul, a girlfriend, and until I told him Brett was coming, he was certain you would make agreat match.
8. Dave Mitchell - Hyper skinny, slightly used car salesmanish and totally dry, Dave is one of my favorite people at BLI. He is my trainer, biggest cheerleader, and the person whose humor I relate to best.
7. Heidi - A happy shiny ball of sunshine, Heidi never lets on when there is a problem in life. Heidi welcomed me first and made me feel like a party of BLI, with training help, encouragement, and an invitation to join in socially.
6. Kathy - Perfectly fit the MO of why we cross our eyes. She is loud, self important, really good at what she does and totally knows it. She also is totally inept in fashion and self maintenance, but ultimately she is tolerable.
5. Dick Olsen - Ummmm, the only way to decribe him is COMBOVER!!!! Seriously, if he combed out his combover, it would make Herr Krueger look utterly bland and standard. Perhaps 8 to 10"???
4. Julieann - The worn out partygirl girlfriend of number one, Julieann is like a 50 year-old cheerleader willing to fiercely defend her quarterback boyfriend. She's one of those gals you see in the bar after having 5 drinks and think she is very attractive. The next day you take your beer goggles off and - oh my. She also dresses like it's party time, all the time. And when we had our post Christmas party, Christmas party, she looked like the trailerpark prom queen. :)
3. Mike Litman - Mike Litman is BLI's Milton. Nonsensical stories and akwardness abound when it comes to Litman. All you have to do to understand what I mean is to listen to him make a one sales call. "No, listen to me, this is what you need to do. Oh wait, my cell phone is ringing, hang on a sec." Dialtone. And he wonders why.... Litman is my rolly polly cube neighbor.
2. Linda Donovan - LINDA! I love Linda soooo much. She says it like it is and doesn't hold back. She has treated me like a friend and has allowed me to tag along and learn from her. I am soooo comfortable around her.
1. Mike Hetherington - And number one, my fearless, couthless leader: MH. Never have my eyes burned so much as when I caught a glimpse of his gold chain tangled in his golden grey chest hair, peeking out the top of his unbuttoned shirt... UNTIL I saw his gold chain resting proudly against his freshly waxed chest, which was ofcourse on proud display at the top of his unbuttoned shirt. The quintessential skeezy used car sales manager, MH is brash, cocky, and very very proud of himself, both in the looks category and in his sales ability ~ despite the fact that he apparently is the sales manager because he owes BLI lots and lots of money.

The visit to the BLI office should prove to provide much blog fodder for months to come!

I Want To Play! - The Top 10 Things I Am Looking Forward Too

Alright, I am a sucker for a good list. I have to play this game!

10. Hugging you!

9. Seeing you and Brett side by side, waiting for me - BLISS!!

8. Shopping the occasional sales with you and Sue.

7. Bloody Marys with a beer shooter - yes, Minnesotans perfected the consumption of vodka and tomato yumminess. How to make the delicious concoction better? Just add a side of beer!

6. Cheering on the Cats with you!

5. Hearing Stephen talk to the doggies in a baby voice. That cracks me up!

4. Participating in some sort of uniquely northern winter sport - snowmobiling, driving on a frozen lake, snowshoeing, etc.

3. Spending Monday shopping, running, and cooking with you.

2. Getting to spend an entire weekend relaxing and having fun with my twin sister, her husband, and my amazing boyfriend. I can't imagine anything better - I really can't. Oh except for the feeling I will get when I am...

1. Hugging you!!

This week is going by quickly, but I am not going to lie - the waiting is brutal. I can feel parts of my brain subsequently shutting down into twincation mode. (twin vacation) I hate that it is all going to go by too quickly. I know exactly how you felt when you were getting ready to come here. You know that it is going to be all that you expected and more, but that it is going to be a whirlwind that rips your heart out of you when it is over. But still, I would rather have the time with you and feel that miserable feeling than not be able to experience it at all. It is time to stock up on the lithium batteries and get your camera ready, because we are going to document, document, document. I want to be able to relive this trip through pictures for months to come. I <>

The Top Ten New Things You Will Try When You are Here

10. Snowbiling (hopefully!)
9. Eat pickles on a pizza
8. Drive on a lake.
7. Spend the night at my new house!
6. Get driven to and from a bar by the bar.
5. Visit Von Maur (or however it is spelled)
4. Visit the Midtown Exchange
3. To figure out how the hell you get around this town.
2. The OCCASSIONAL SALES!!!
1. To figure out a way to miss your flight (hey, it's a liberal interpretation of what you will be trying)

I can't wait until Friday!

Ten Ways I Pass the Time Until Friday

In honor of your visit, I will be blogging every day this week with my Top Tens related to your visit. Here's the first one:
10. Straightening the comforter on the guest room, and picking lint out of the carpet, and in general fussing over every aspect of your room.
9. Planning Friday's schedule down to the minute, including the precise second I will turn on my car to head to the airport.
8. Blogging my Top Ten daily, but you knew that, so probably playing Farm Frenzy a few times just to pass the time.
7. Working out hardcore to burn the extra calories I will undoubtedly be consuming this weekend.
6. Planning out my frigid weather running ensemble.
5. Practicing my hug tackle on Stephen and Mojo.
4. Stocking up on snacks, beer, and bloody mary components for this weekend.
3. Working - oh yeah, there is that.
2. Making sure the house looks perfect - not because you require that, but because I want it to look perfect the first time you see it!
1. Playing every hypothetical wonderful moment we will spend over and over in my head, as if it were running on loop (because basically it is).
Love you!

The Big Blue Nation

Wildcat fans, they're moving everywhere. Thank God. :)

On Thursday night I got home from an extremely long day of work, 12 hours to be exact, but that is not the focus of today's blog. The first thing I often do when I get home is give in to the magnetic pull of the laptop and my e-mail. I mean, you never know what could be in there: an e-mail from Katie, a job update, funny pictures compliments of Teresa, or perhaps a Facebook comment. Thursday night's e-mail goldmine, however far exceeded many of the wonderul things I have come to find waiting for me.

Okay what do we have here I thought as I saw the short list of unread items: Cooking.com - junk; Facebook event invitation from Joe Sonka of the deomcratic party - junk; UK Alumni Association - juh. Wait. UK Twin Cities Alumni Association - what is this morsel? Click. Gamewatch Party invitation in Minneapolis? WHAT?! OH MY GOD, there is a TWINCITIES UK alumni club? JACKPOT, BABY! Other people who love the Wildcats, went to UK, and knows as much as I do about Lexington. Truly, these are my people. I am signing up.

So Thursday I became a member of the UK Twin Cities Alumni Club and perhaps on Tuesday I will be going to my first event! :D Happiness!

<3 u

I miss you too. A lot. Is everything okay? I thought about you all night last night but didn't want to disturb your time with Stephen. I love you. Call me anytime.

Ugh...

I miss you. :(

Stress Relief

Time to go to my place of Zen. Breath Katie. Well it is clear that the bossman is inflicting stress on everyone in this office. Yesterday he told Claire that she was going to have to write her own grant. If she doesn't, her contract will not be renewed in July. And oh yeah... she is pregnant and due in June. No pressure. None. I feel so bad for her! And while I write this, I am breaking out into hives for the second time today. This time on my lower back. Ridiculous.

So in light of my newfound disfunction, I have decided to come up with a list of things to do to relieve my stress this evening.

- I could light candles all over my house and sit in the lotus position while chanting "Om" on the counter top in my living room. The problem with this is that the countertop is cold and hard and frankly, I prepare food on that. I don't think I could ever make something from scratch again without thinking, My ass has been on that.

- I could go to the store and buy copious amounts of chocolate and gorge myself while watching lifetime television. There is something about the random dysfunctions of Tiffany Amber Thiessan and Tory Spelling to make a girl feel better, even if they are fictional. At least I can say that my Dad's best friend who is my twin's former lover is not trying to murder me because he thinks I am her. I can also say, at least my Dad's best friend was never my twin sister's former lover. (No offense intended). But in the end, the milk in the chocolate plus the stress would cause me a righteous case of GI distress and the dysfunction situations of my own past would surface and I would be stuck on the toilet with a trash can between my legs expelling all my lactose and historical demons.

- I could turn on loud music and dance around the house, but inevitably I would stub my toe on one of the various pieces of kitchen furniture scattered around my house and likely manage to inexplicably break another pipe. I would end up cold, wet, and in pain and when I think it could get no worse - Dave Matthews Band would be the next song to blare from the radio.

Clearly, I need to be careful on how I relieve my stress tonight. I am thinking that polishing off the rest of the chinese food in my fridge while watching some Grade A crap TV and finishing the evening with 'One and the Same' is my best bet for the evening. I would like to watch the Cats but between the late start time and my luck as of late, it is probably best that I call it an early night. Hope you have a great one!

Hark! A blog!

Happy Monday Morning, Twinkie!


What better way (other than sex) to start out a Monday morning, than a blog from your Bethie! And what is the topic of this blog, oh how about a weekend update?

This weekend was fantastic; it was one of those weekend where you have low expectations and they are blown out of the water. Let's start with Friday. On Friday, we had our all day sales meeting which was about as boring as you would expect. However, it was during that meeting that I realized how accepted I am as part of the group. Linda, one of the other outside sales reps, and I sat together and lamented on the obnoxious little girls (er, middle aged white men, easily confused with all the whining they were doing). Dave, my fabulous trainer (lol), started texting me during the meeting (he was also running the meeting) with joking texts. It was so cool, because I don't feel like an outsider with this group. The feeling continued as the meeting wrapped up and Stephen and I headed to Heidi's house for the "pre-Christmas party" party.

The party was comprised of many of my favorite BLI peeps as well as several of the vendors who come for the tradeshow, which took place on Saturday. This phenomenon of vendors coming to the party was a total surprise to me, but I soon realized why they were invited. These people come year after year and are like part of the family. There are two brothers who look and act like twins, even though they are not. They always have the biggest smiles and are laughing and having fun. It gave me visions of Garrity twins selling lighting far and wide as a tag team, lol. :D Ah, the novelty factor, hehehehe. Another notable person - Kelli. She is the HR person for budget and is about to turn 30. I had made small talk with her at the office, but at the party we totally hit it off. I have high hopes about her being a "girl" friend.

So we got home around 10pm on Friday, loved on the doggies and hit the hay in anticipation of a long Saturday. Saturday comprised of a tradeshow from 11 to 3:15 followed by the awards ceremony/dinner at 6pm. Okay, the cool part is that they pay for your room if you go to the tradeshow. Stephen and I were looking forward to getting spiffed up and hanging out with everyone, but the tradeshow? Yawn. Awards ceremony? Yawn. Wrong!

The tradeshow, while a little dry, was very helpful. I learned a lot about the products I can offer to customers, which is helpful. We wrapped up at 3:15, checked into our room and then headed to, where else? the bar. :P There we hung with several vendors and BLI peeps (the vendors stay for the party, too.) and watched the Bengals play. Fast forward to the party, we had a total blast. Lots of dancing to 90s hits, i.e. "Shoop", alcohol flowing, and nothing but good times. I hit the hay at midnight and Stephen has no clue when he came to bed, lol.

Yesterday, we took it easy. Watched football and ate Chinese food. :D This was a pretty boring blog, but a a boring blog beats no blog any day of the week! I love you soooo much and can not wait to Skype tonight!