Chi Re-alignment, Day 1

While on vacation, I picked up a book on how to have more energy and stop feeling so exhausted all the time. It seemed like a good purchase since most nights when I come home from work it's all I can do to microwave some food and avoid falling asleep on the couch at 9 o'clock. Not so cool.

I like that all of the recommendations in the book are logical (eat better food, get some sunshine and physical activity each day, etc.) and easy - given that the target audience is exhausted people, I figure you've got to start small. So today I took the action item of "eliminating clutter" in my home, which consisted of rearranging my furniture, cleaning out my closets and trying to create more energy in my surroundings.

I used to have a few grocery bags of old mail and bills stuffed under my bed and finally got around to shredding them. It sounds new agey, but getting rid of the paperwork under my bed really did make a difference in how I felt. It's like, the energy started to flow, man. Going through these old bank statements and credit card offers and water bills and employment contracts from long-ago jobs seemed very liberating and the idea that all of these things were under my bed made it seem very obvious as to why I wasn't sleeping better. Bad energy, man. No one can sleep when Bank of America is hiding out under them all night, right?

What a feeling! It's still like living in a cramped, noisy shoebox, but it somehow feels like a slightly roomier and more nurturing shoebox.

Pop Quiz: Denver Edition, V. 2

Pop Quiz, Hot Shots! (Yes, again.)

Question: During a recent trip to Denver, which of the following activities did Beth NOT do?

A.) Had a hot guy that looked an awful lot like Ryan Reynolds sit next to her in a SmartCar while being given a demo of the car's features?

B.) Finally watched "Flight of the Concords" and started to understand what all the fuss is about?

C.) Drove to the Tattered Cover and bored her mom senseless while surveying the bargain books section for almost an hour?

D.) Learned about glitter tattoos and substituted merlot for the more popular grape Kool-Aid at a barbeque for her dad's birthday?

ANSWER: Well it's ANOTHER trick question, naturally! I did all of those things during my visit. And I'm seriously not lying about the guy that looked like Ryan Reynolds. That SmartCar is a Guy Magnet, I have got to pick one up. I'm also not lying about the glitter tattoos, though I'm not so sure I need to pick one of those up anytime soon.

Pop Quiz: Denver Edition, V.1

Pop Quiz Hot Shots!
QUESTION: During a recent trip to Denver, how did Beth and her mom spend their first day together?

a.) Eating "Chinese" food at a Chinese buffet that used to be Furr's Cafeteria, followed up by a trip to a new 85,000-square foot liquor store named Tipsy's;
b.) Eating "Italian" food at The Olive Garden, followed up by a trip to Target;
c.) Eating "seafood" at Red Lobster, followed up by a trip to Kohl's;
d.) Eating "food" at Appleby's, followed up by a viewing of Mamma Mia at the local movieplex

ANSWER: Well it's a trick question, naturally. The answer is A since the question was about the first day spent in Denver, but truth be told, we did every single one of these activities during my visit. And Tipsy's really is an amazing sight to behold, complete with weird manniquins located throughout its aisles and a fireplace big enough to keep all of Southwest Denver toasty. Mamma Mia was overwhelming and hilarious and silly and really quite embarrassing to see Meryl Streep wearing denim overalls, but to look over and see my mom actually lip synching and tapping her feet to "Take a Chance on Me" made it all worth it.

Ah, the homestead.

Let's all take a lesson from Olive, shall we?

Having recently found my way back to the blogosphere, I was saddened to read about the passing of Olive Riley, the world's oldest blogger, who died this week at the age of 108. 108, people. Truly, if this woman can post from her nursing home in (no joke) Woy Woy, Australia, than surely I can do a better job at updating the World of Beth on my lame cat lady adventures.

For a nice mental health break, check out her blog, which features some terrific pictures of Olive as well as some very grandmotherly floral design action. There's even pics of her doing the Can Can on her 108th's birthday next to some showgirls. I love this woman!

More than 2 months later, Beth returns to the Blogosphere!

Well World at Large, it's been way too long. Pull up a chair and pour yourself a giant goblet of vino - we've got a lot to catch up on!

So I realize it's been a couple of months since last I've blogged and many of you have been (ahem) not-so gently following up with me to see what's been cookin'. A quick recap might be in order:

1.) Campin'. Yes. It's true. Pigs have flown. Hell has frozen over. Beth has camped! Okay, so it was for one night after a good friend's wedding and I was within 100 feet or so from plumbing and indoor shelter, but I think anytime Beth beds down in a tent with an air mattress in the out of doors it counts as camping. I found it helpful to down a few bottles of Prosecco beforehand to cushion the blow and put one's camping-phobic mind into a comfortably numb place. I have survived the wilderness!

2.) Spayin'. This one's a little more delicate. Seems that when Beth adopted her little white kitten from the SPCA and they SAID she was spayed they weren't so much telling the truth. Sigh. After taking her back in for surgery and making SURE that she was spayed, I can say I've got a whole new kitten at home. Gone are the days of screaming out the window! Gone are the nights of running restlessly through the apartment all night long! I may not have to throw her dirty little behind out the window after all.

3.) Travelin'. Okay, so not quite an international tour of the world. But I went to Seattle for a wedding and am headed to Denver next week to see the parentals and some old friends. It all counts as time off from work and a chance to get a new perspective, right?

4.) Refocusin'. July 4th marked my one year anniversary in San Francisco and with that has come a lot of thinking about priorities and lessons learned. For the past year I've been living as though this has been one seemingly endless business trip -- afraid to connect with people, afraid to let myself relax and enjoy my time here because I was so focused on "getting back home" and putting this tough year behind me. The reality is that while I might not want to live in San Francisco forever, I'm here for at least another year for now it seems, so I need to start thinking about how to enjoy and participate in life here rather than just hiding and passing the time. Still trying to figure out how that will translate into actions, but the mentality is starting to change and that feels remarkable. Stay tuned on this one.

Okay, so not quite Earth-shaking events, but that's part of the reason for not blogging more often. Keep checking back for more frequent posts, I pinkie swear.