Best TV

Have I mentioned how much I love LOVE The Bachelorette? It's fantastic TV!

It's like a total ethnographic study on dating. Kind of like studying rats in a maze. It's pure enjoyment.

New York and a small bag

I'm going to New York tomorrow to see a Yankee game! Hooray! I'm so unbelievably excited!

Of course, not excited enough to have started packing yet. And with school tonight until 9:00, and then a 2-hour special of The Bachelorette to watch on my Tivo after that, I need to get started on that packing NOW. Since we're only going for a few days, sister Sarah and I aren't going to check any bags so we can save our $15 surcharge for checked luggage. The only problem is, I pack more than any human being on earth EVERY time I go ANYWHERE. I'm a regular pack-mule, only cuter and sweeter. I could live for a week with what I bring in my bag every day to work, much less packing for an actual overnight trip. So this will be a nice challenge. Luckily, it's summertime, and shorts and tank tops don't take up much space. So we'll see if I can do it!

Drowned Rat

I think the Concert in the Gardens is cursed. At least, it's cursed for me.

The first time I tried to go (on a date), it was rained out. But that's cool, because that guy is long gone.

The second time I tried to go (another date), it didn't rain. But it ended up being my last date with a different guy.

So this time, I decided to go with friends. No dates. Just friends. And you know what?

It poured on us. We got soaked. And cold. We had to run back to the bus, dragging our elaborate picnic (which I had made for everybody) through the mud. We didn't see a concert. Didn't see any fireworks. Although we did see plenty of lightening.

So I give up. No more Concerts in the gardens for me. I'll go see the symphony like a normal person. Indoors.

But, the night wasn't a total loss. I ended up having a fabulous "Bethe night" on my couch, curled up with a book, listening to classical music with the rain providing a soothing backdrop.

I need to do that again.

There's a dilemma inside my head

I have an internal battle raging about my blog. Part of me wants to purposely keep it light-hearted and surface level. And silly. Because who really wants to read deep thoughts from some silly blonde girl who's constantly trying to reinvent herself? I know you have much better things to do. So do I.

Besides, I don't want to air out my business for all of the strangers of the blogworld to see. It's weird to think that some lady name Sally in Seattle might know my latest drama. Or that one of my friends might recognize themselves and (gasp) be weirded out. So I purposely don't write about other people, except for silly stuff.

I especially don't write about boys, although if I did, I think my blog would be a lot more interesting. Because let's face it, dating is quite entertaining. And awkward. And dramatic. And funny. But I can't document it for the world to see, because then the next boy would get to see my postings about past boys, and that would be weird. So I leave guy stuff out. (But trust me, there's some great stories in there.)

So what's left is random postings about life that don't involve boys, or particular friends, or anything important. And if you strip all of that away, my life is pretty darn boring. And who wants to read about that?

So I'll just say this. Life is interesting. I find it so entertaining to watch my life twist and turn like a mountain road, bringing unexpected adventures at every turn. Sometimes I feel like I'm about to drive off a cliff, sometimes I feel like I'm about to make it to the summit. And along the way, I'm really enjoying the view.

Friday Ketchup

Last night my poor softball team lost yet again. During one of our innings, they scored 8 runs (the run rule) before we ever got a SINGLE out! The final score was 15-5, but it seemed like 100-2. I consider it a victory, though, since nobody asked me if I was a boy this time. Baby steps.

I also played tennis the other night with friends. It was fantastic! Way better than going to the gym, and an excuse for me to wear a cute tennis skirt! I think we're going to make it a standing "thing" each week... there I go again overcommitting! But this one will combine socializing and exercise--my favorite!

Life is good. I've got the next nine days off from work--a regular "vacation-sandwich"... with the meat being a quick trip to New York, and the buns being time at home lounging by the pool, reading books and sleeping late. Yea!

Dog lovers rejoice

Today I found the owner of the stray dog. Turns out the dog's name is Levi and he lives one neighborhood away. I was able to track his owner down thanks to my neighborhood's online message board (yea for modern technology!) and Levi was reunited with his family before lunch. So Harley the Wonder Schnoodle continues to be an only child, and I am still a long way from being the crazy dog lady.

Tonight I went out to celebrate (almost) the end of semester #5 with my classmates and my professor. As much as this class has worn me out, I have really enjoyed the other girls in the class, and my professor is fantastic. We went to a neat hole-in-the-wall for dinner, margaritas (them) and Diet Coke (me). We had so much fun that we've decided to do it again in July, just so we can stay in touch. Having cool people in my class makes all the late evenings and homework a lot more bearable. And, I talked to my professor about a possible PAID assistantship! If I can get my class paid for, that means I can spend that other money on stuff for my house or trips to Europe! Yipee! We'll see if it works out... One class costs me $2700, which would buy an AWESOME two weeks abroad! Or, a new dining room set!

Maybe I should get a new dog

There's this sad little stray dog living next door. He has no collar, but he was obviously well-loved and cared for, we just don't know where he belongs. He hung around the house all day. He's a little mutt, maybe 25 pounds. In fact, he looks kind of like Harley the Wonder Schnoodle, only with shorter hair. I'm tempted to adopt him, but I know that having two dogs is a bit excessive. One is manageable. One is easy to love. Two is a burden. Besides, if I ever marry a man with a dog, then I would have THREE dogs and suddenly I would be the dog lady with the smelly house. I just can't have that.

But those sad eyes...

Yea for Swag!

I complain a lot about grad school because it takes all my time, costs a lot of money, and makes me work hard on stuff that doesn't necessarily always (ever) interest me.

But tonight, that first $15,000 worth of school paid off! Because...

I got swag! There's a gal in my class who works for Pier 1, and she brought us each a bag of Pier 1 goodies! Yea! I got some candles, soap, Christmas decorations, and a beach mat, all for FREE! They're moving offices and she had to clean out some stuff from storage, and we all got to benefit!

It was definitely the highlight of my whole semester. Maybe my whole graduate career to this point. I can't wait to use my new lemonade-flavored soap tonight! See, all this hard work is worth it...

Totally Over It

By the way... normally I'm a total overachiever when it comes to school. But not tonight. It's 9:45 on a Sunday evening, I have a ton of reading to do for class tomorrow, and I'm just not in the mood. I wonder if I can just wing it?

I think instead I'll pop two Benedryl and call it a night. I need my sleep. After all, I had an exhausting day of laying by the pool, working on my tan.

Shakespeare in the Park

Last night I had another Shakespeare encounter with my good friend Hailey. I have a long-lasting love affair with old William S. I think he's absolutely dreamy, and his writing makes my heart melt. Hailey has a special appreciation for my beau Will as well, so occasionally we try to catch a show together. Last night she ended up with last-minute tickets to Shakespeare in the Park, and it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

Hailey's aunt and uncle are also fanatics (and a really fun couple!), and they had FRONT ROW SEATS to the opening night of All's Well That Ends Well, which I had never seen before. Not only did I sit close enough to the stage to get spit on by the actors, but her aunt packed us a picnic dinner filled with special hors d'oeuvres and fancy-schmancy spreads. It was the perfect way to spend an unusually cool summer evening. Plus, it was the best way to see Shakespeare, the way it was meant to be seen--live and outdoors. Thanks Hailey!

I'm a bad blogger... but you still like me, right?

I've been neglecting my blog. Mostly because I've been so busy I barely have time to eat and sleep, much less think any original thoughts. But my crazy-intense summer school course is almost through, and then I'll have time to ponder the meaning of life, or at least come up with some funny stories.

Until then...

Check out this video of my favorite team having fun. It almost makes me want to be a fan again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_nG9-2SC84

Oh, and my other favorite team (my church softball team) finally won our first game tonight! After two VERY bad losses, tonight we won 16-10. Of course, we recruited two college ball players and a semi-professional to play with us tonight, which might have helped us a little. But we're happy just the same!

At tonight's game, for the first time EVER in my whole life, the pitcher looked at me and asked if I was a boy or a girl. Now granted, I was wearing a helmet, but I have a LOOONG pony tail, and very girlish legs. I am not sure how he could be so confused. It was somewhat disturbing, and somewhat funny. I think next week I'll try playing in a skirt, just so there's no question.