Another Open Letter

Dear World At Large,

Um, how long have you been holding out on me, World At Large? You're telling me that they have brought back Jell-O Pudding Pops and no one alerted me to this? Where was the ticker-tape parade? Where was the Food Network Marathon?

It's not often that I am known to squeal in the frozen foods section of my local grocery store, but clearly this discovery merited a giddy little shriek.

Keep me posted if other major elements of my childhood come back into the mainstream. Oh wait, they already have.

Sigh.

Yours in 80's nostalgia,
Beth

Open Letter of Thanks

Open Letter to the Previous Driver of the Flexcar Which I Recently Used On Weekend Errands

Dear Sir/Madam,

In the one-in-a-billion chance that you actually should come across my blog, I wanted to take a moment and say thank you. While bopping around town in my Flexcar today, I noticed a CD hiding above the cup holder entitled, simply, "Car Mix." I popped it in. And it was SHEER BRILLIANCE.

Was it the opening remix of The Smiths' "How Soon is Now?" that made this such a fabulous, enjoyable CD? Was it the ABBA-infused Madonna song that I cannot get enough of? Was it that feel-good Natasha Bedingford song "These Words" that had me shouting "IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!" out loud while driving? It was the whole thing, my Flexcar amigo. Whether you left your mix in the car by accident, or whether you left in there to pop in the next time you needed to run some errands, this sampling of new songs and old favorites made a rather dull errand trip much more entertaining for this gal.

Come to think of it, the only way that they could make Flexcar any better is if all users, just like you did, started leaving little "gifts" behind for the next passenger to enjoy. Could be a refreshing bottle of water, a recipe for Scalloped Potatoes or a mix CD of your favorite songs. Just a thought. Thanks again for turning my temporary Honda Civic into a temporary dance hall/karaoke bar.

Yours in the spirit of Flexcar,
Beth

Reflections Upon My Kitchen Trash

This week while I was cleaning up my kitchen I accidentally dropped a coffee mug and broke it.
This bummed me out deeply.

For one, it was a damned nice mug on its own; but on a more sentimental note, it was a mug I had bought several years ago while staying up at Orcas Island on a 3-day getaway with my then-boyfriend, whom we'll just call Mr. Crazy. I picked it out at this fantastic pottery place that had its wares scattered all around a yard right along side the Sound, including inside of a raft that they had christened the "sale boat" (this dorky sense of humor appealed to me greatly). He bought a bowl there, I think. We went driving all around the island that day. We read. We listened to Van Morrison. We later argued because I burnt dinner to a charred crisp and there we were in the middle of (sort of) nowhere hungry and annoyed with each other. We made up. More Van Morrison was played.

So then, fast forwarding to five years later, I'm standing in my kitchen, looking down at the broken mug sitting in my trash, realizing it was one of the few tangible items I actually had from my time with Mr. Crazy and there it was...in the trash. Which made me very sad and sentimental about those years and that trip and that time in my life. I moped around for a while until common sense came back and Swiffered away the nostalgia and reminded me that Mr. Crazy was, well, crazy, and it was not a relationship that could have ever worked in the real world.

Still, I'll miss that mug.

Jennifah & the Baxter

I recently saw THE most adorable movie which I need to recommend to the World At Large, The Baxter. Great little indie flick by Michael Showalter of the comedy troup Stella and co-hort of Michael Ian Black, who is a snarky, slightly annoying/slightly humorous manchild. It's about a classically overly nice, well-intentioned guy (i.e., a "Baxter") and his adventures finding love.

Also featured in the film is my new favorite actress Michelle Williams of Dawson's Creek/Brokeback Mountain fame, and target of my Dawson's Creek drinking game involving taking a shot everytime Gram said "Jennifah!".

In other news, I recently found out that Michael Ian Black was the voice (and wrist) of the Pets.com sock puppet dog? Is it just me that was unaware of this, or have I been living in a cave since 1998?

Really? I mean, seriously?

Is it just coincidental that the same week that I suffer a four-pound setback in my fitness plan, we get Girl Scout cookies delivered to our office?

Are ya trying to KILL me here, people, by testing my already sensitive ability to restrain myself with Samoas?

FAQ on Girl Scout Cookies here. More questions out there than one would think about something as simple as cookies, but hey. I digress.

Back in the blogging saddle

After a spirited couple of days of chatting and researching and immersing myself into the world of peer media and blogging, I'm more motivated than ever to get back in the spirit of the blog. No more monthly postings! You hear that, world? Gear up for more frequent updates about Mrs. Puff, my impending travels and the various escapades of my relatively dull life.

I've also reopened the comments capabilities here at the World of Beth so CHIT CHAT away and let me know what you're thinking. We'll see how it goes -- thanks to one too many spam comments about hot tubs and winning lottery numbers, I got tired and discontinued them but evidently blogs are all about open dialogues and conversations and interaction and all...And here I thought you all just wanted to know what I was doing with my weekends.

Everybody Okay Here

From the crew that brought you Spitesgiving 2005, I'd like to wish my single readers a Happy "I"m-A-Okay-By-Myself-Tines Day."

Not because you're bitter. Not because you live alone with an obese cat. It's because you're A-OKAY by yourself. Yes you are. You are.

Have a good day with your A-Okay Single Selves, or with your Snuggly Wuggly Doodle Bears, whichever you prefer.

What's been up with Beth?

Evidently 2006 is not gearing up to be the year where Beth spends a great deal of time on her blog. Ah well. Here’s a quick update on my life and what adventures I’ve been up to. In the past month I’ve been:

Aging!
Another Beth-filled year on the planet. I rang it in with brie and olives and red wine and all was right with the world.

Organizing!
A while back, I found a picture of this bookstore in San Francisco that had rearranged all of its books by color and am pleased as punch to say that I have done the same with my home library. The idea started one day when I was sitting in bed reading, staring straight ahead at my bookshelves and wondering how I could make them a wee bit more visually appealing. Okay, so it’s only two bookshelves’ worth, but I’m mighty proud of my accomplishment. Pictures to come if I can figure out how to download from my digital camera.

Eating Organically!
In an attempt to eat better, I signed up for a grocery delivery service that brings fresh, local, seasonal organic produce every single week right to your doorstep. Love that! First box arrived today and I am a little thrown off by the leek hiding inside. Any good leek recipes out there? Anyone?

Armchair Traveling!
Must. Get. Out. Of. Seattle! Am thinking of Santa Fe, or someplace equally desert-y and hot where I can just bake in the sun and dry out from all of this damned rain. This place seems enticing. While I am intrigued by the idea of staying in a genuine Airstream trailer, but then am reminded that I already spend my days in a 500 square foot studio apartment, so why not get crazy and mix it up in, say, a real hotel room? Spa treatments and soaking pools…sign this girl up!

Losing things!
I lost my cell phone. Then I bought a new one to replace it. Then someone found my old cell phone on the street (of course). Then I couldn’t get in touch with them. Then they kept calling. And calling.

Drinking!
Equation for 2006 – Beth + Too Much Sofia Champagne = BAD TIMES. ‘Nuff said. But damn, that packaging is CUTE. How can one resist the power of the bendy straw?