"Ruff" Easter

Pardon the lame play on words for the title, but I have just gotten word that there will be approximately SIX canines attending this year's Easter feast at my aunt's house. In case you don't know, I don't like dogs. It used to be a very strong fear, and I used to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the car to avoid 2 dogs when I was younger. Then my parents tortured me by getting a dog, and after he died, another. Even though I am not as deathly afraid as I used to be (I will tolerate some dogs now) it is a little extreme to be around six dogs and a bit overwhelming to say the least. There will be 39 people and 6 dogs attending Easter, which means that there is a dog for every 6.5 people (if my math is correct). I don't like that ratio.
I also don't like when people say, "Oh, it will just jump on you and lick you to death...that's all." Ok, I don't want it to touch me. Not with its paws, its tongue, or any other part of its body. And here's a drastic but mostly true statement that I will be bold enough to make on my blog- I don't even think puppies are cute. Dogs make me extremely uptight and tense; therefore, I won't be able to enjoy being with family and eating dinner and socializing in peace. This almost makes me want to boycott the Easter gathering this year and go to Corey's grandmom's.

End of dog rant.

Trip to Charm City!

Since it is Corey's spring break (thank goodness!) he came to visit me for the weekend. We have been keeping busy, but still getting to relax, too. Friday night I made a homemade chicken taco pizza. I even rolled out the dough and stuffed the crust with cheese. Then we went to rent Wall-E, which I didn't understand because I'm a movie idiot. Saturday we enjoyed a walk outside (the return of the flip flop!) and had a pinecone race in the stream at the park. Apparently, it was something Corey used to do when he was in second grade...see whose pine cone made it to the end of the stream first. I think that it should remain a second grade activity because it was quite lame. The best part was how excited Corey got when he dropped in our pinecones and some little boy came and picked one of them right out of the water! I thought Corey was going to have a fit, but I just couldn't stop laughing. Saturday afternoon we also got Rita's to celebrate the opening weekend and then we went to the mall to visit my favorite American Eagle worker and best friend, Katie D. We sat watching her fold underwear and tag pajamas for about 20 minutes. I then spent more money than I should have on a cute dress. Saturday night we went to church at LCBC and then came home and watched Fireproof (for the 2nd time) and I cried (for the 2nd time).

So, Sunday we were both feeling adventurous and decided to head to Baltimore. We got a really late start (2 ish) and I wondered what we were thinking, since I had to work this morning and still had to plan lessons. We went anyway. We enjoyed walking around inner harbor and looking at all the sites that we wanted to go in but were too expensive or about to close or already closed and then climbed up Federal Hill and watched cute couples picnick with their dogs.
For dinner we went to little Italy in Fells Point. Not as good as the real little Italy in the Bronx, but still delicious. We ate at Caesar's Den and our waiter was so nice and he gave me lots of free diet Coke! We both had three course meals which I didn't really need and made up for not spending any money on attractions. Most of the attractions were closed for the winter season still. The only one I saw in the tourist guide book was Menopause, the musical, and Corey said he wouldn't find that enjoyable. Anyway, at Caesar's Den, my tiramisu had so much liquor in it. I have never had tiramisu that practically got me drunk before. After that we found it amusing to ride the elevators in Barnes and Noble and toured the Whole Foods Market...only Beth goes to Baltimore and wants to look at fresh produce and cheese. THEN, to top off our adventurous evening in Baltimore, we navigated our way through the city to try to find Duff at Charm City Cakes. I love Ace of Cakes on TV, so I was very impressed when we found our way there. Not so impressed when I saw the place. I knew it would be closed on a Sunday at like 8:00, but the place is practically boarded up. In the windows so no one can look in, they put up garbage bag looking sheets, and on the front of the door it says entrance by appointment only. Obviously Duff is too cool to let people see in his shop. :( One day maybe I will have an appointment there.

We didn't get back too late, I didn't freak out too much in the car, and we had a great time! :)
Here are a couple more pictures:

On the top of Federal Hill

Dead Flowers on the sidewalk that Corey tried to give me

Little Italy- Fells Point


Ace of Cakes!

Newsboys!! and lots of rambling...

Last night Corey came to Lancaster to pick me up for the Newsboys concert with Bread of Stone and VOTA. I bought the tickets as an "anniversary" present for us (and an excuse to get him out of Temple to come visit me). Before we could enjoy the concert, there were a few obstacles, of course. Corey texted me while I was teaching 7th period (at this point it is like 3:00 and he should be at my place to eat dinner early). Instead, he informs me that he is still in Philadelphia with a flat tire waiting for AAA.
It took AAA an hour to get there, and then he told me he had to go to a tire shack in North Philadelphia to replace his donut, at which point I cried because I thought we would miss the concert. I realize how frustrating this must have been for him, but I wonder why he chose to LEAVE Philly when he was supposed to BE at my place. This is where I blame the male species for never thinking ahead.
At home I had a roast cooking, which we didn't have time to even eat together. I made him a plate and he chomped it down when we were supposed to be leaving. BUT, all ended well, and once we got to the concert we were able to enjoy each other's company and the great music. All three groups were good, and Newsboys put on a great concert. They sang Something Beautiful, which is my favorite song in the world. Also, they put their drummer on a platform, raised it up, and then tilted it and spun it around. It was awesome.
To make the evening more "memorable" I sprang for buying us BOTH T-shirts (don't worry- they don't match) which was 50.00. I still can't believe I spent this much money on T shirts. I think "Pay Day" went to my head for a moment. Honestly, I never splurge so that's ok. Then we packed up his car and headed for my parents. We got in at about midnight and then I had to START baking for the Cancer Society Bake Sale. I made 4 different desserts and went to bed at 3 am. I woke up early today for the bake sale, which was only somewhat successful. I am going to try to sell the rest at church tomorrow.

So Corey just stayed less than 24 hours. He left tonight. Which brings me to my next issue. This entry will go from positive to negative really fast. I am so tired of saying goodbye- waiting 3 weeks to see each other ...or 4 or 5 then seeing each other for 24 hours. I am ready to just be with him all the time. He is my best friend and it is ALWAYS better when we're together. I tried to get him to stay by bribing him with Chinese food, Taco Bell, a game of Monopoly, and hot wings...and Indy 500 tickets. All of which were turned down.
I hate law school.
Good night.

New Little One

Corey's sister, Jamie, had her first child on February 8, 2009. Meet little Chloe Madison. She was 9 lbs. 4 oz. at birth, but here she is smaller. I got to hold her for the first time on Valentine's Day- when she was just 6 days old. These are a few pictures from our visit. She is so precious!!!! Of course, Corey's other niece, Taylor, is used to getting all of the attention so she was not so happy with Aunt Jamie's baby. Taylor (3 years old) told me when Corey was holding Chloe that she didn't love Uncle Corey anymore because he loved Chloe!!!

I can't wait to watch little Chloe grow up...and I can't wait to be "Aunt Beth." ;-)

TLC

Today as I was watching TLC (or "The Bored Housewife Channel" as Corey calls it) I was moved by the commercial for Pampers. For every package of Pampers you buy, Unicef donates 1 Tetanus Vaccine to a newborn born into a family that could not afford it otherwise. In the commercial there is this woman singing Happy Birthday in a dreamy, husky voice as they show black and white pictures of newborns from third world countries. I cried. It made me want to go out and buy a few packages of Pampers.

Commercials really can make me cry.

Strange Happenings

This place can be weird. So can living alone. Yesterday when I was trying to take a nap to get rid of a terrible headache around 5:00 pm, cars on the main road would constantly go by and beep. Not like the mean beeeeeeeeeep, but the friendly short beepbeepbeepbeep! Then immediately following each horn session (which occurred every 3 minutes or less) their would be a "WOOOO!" scream that sounded in unison. I'm not sure if the nice weather got to people's heads yesterday and there were half naked cheerleaders doing a car wash down the road from me or what...but it carried on for about 90 minutes. I tried looking out my window, but saw nothing.

Also, the last two nights (and it sounds like tonight is no exception) my neighbor has begun to play an instrument that sounds an awful lot like a ukulele. We share a wall, and I'm pretty sure he leans up against his wall and practices. It is most easily heard from my bedroom when I am trying to fall asleep around 10:45, but tonight I am lucky enough to hear it in the living room over top of the gusty ridiculous winds here. He may be practicing because he works at the Renaissance Fair in the fall. But seriously who the heck plays that. I'm also pretty sure he plays the same 4 notes over and over again. It could be the most annoying noise ever....EVER. My mom visited last night and she was ready to lose it laughing at my sad fate of living next door to ukulele man.

The strangeness/misfortune continued last night when I was baking individual strawberry heart shaped cakes for my students for a VDay treat and I dropped the pot holder into the oven. It landed on a coil and immediately burst into flames. Why does this happen to me?
I freaked out and realized that the longer I left it in there while looking for something to snuff it out, the more it would burn. So I just reached in there and grabbed the flaming pot holder. What was I thinking? Then I smacked it on the counter and sparks flew everywhere. Aside from throwing out my nice yellow pot holder, the wretched stank from it all, and terrible smoke, all went smoothly and I survived.

Lastly, the door in my living room that leads up to the shady attack is scary. The wind is really blowing tonight, so that may have something to do with it...but randomly...about every 10 minutes it bangs two times against the post (this door is supposed to be latched with one of those old old slider latches). It sounds like someone is knocking twice. EVERYTIME I jump. EVERY SINGLE TIME because it sounds like a troll is trying to force its way out of the attic into the living room.

get me out of here!

It's A Girl! (23 years ago!)

Sometimes I don't think..at all. This morning when I went to clean off my car for the 4th time in 24 hours, I figured I would start the car first. So I did, but left my door open so I wouldn't lock the keys in it. Then I decided that I would just put the windshield wipers on to clear away the snow since it was light and powdery stuff. The next thing I know my entire seat is covered in snow, my coat is covered, and there is about 3 inches of snow in my car...on my wheel, the side of the car door (where the lock/window controls are) and all over the floor. It is also in my high heel. Don't put the wipers on when you have snow all over and your door is open. It makes for a freezing ride into work (even though my commute is short, I was numb and drenched AND late).

The good thing was that we did have a 2 hour delay today! However, I failed to sleep peacefully through those 2 hours because of a snow machine and phone calls. Anyway, after a chilly, frustrating start to my day (this gets more positive...I promise) I was at work and my phone rings during 4th period-whoops! Since when did I get service in my closet classroom at the middle school? After my students all OOOOOOed me and told me I would get detention, I realize that my dad was calling. He asked what I was going to do now..and I said go eat lunch. He said that he would take me! I was very confused. Turns out he took OFF from work, drove TWO hours in crap weather just to take me out to Quiznos on my lunch break! I have the best dad in the world.

So...I turned 23 today. Weird because I feel like I'm not 23. I feel way younger than that. One of my students guessed that I was 30. Another guessed 18.

My birthday evening was less than desirable- spent at parent teacher conferences at the middle school. Dinner was eating 1/2 a can of leftover cold vegetable soup and Goldfish crackers out of the bag in the "B" hallway at school. Then I went to the gym. For the 4th night in a row. I am so sore. It's way beyond the "good feeling" of sore now. I am feeling little muscles that I never knew existed. My butt feels like bowling balls were thrown against it, my inner-knees hurt (yes, that is a part on your body), my triceps hate me, my neck is stiff, and my abs are confused. So that is how I spent my birthday evening. I tried to Skype with Corey but his sound was broken and my camera wasn't working so I was talking to a mute, and he was talking to an invisible person. We gave up because it was pathetic.

I am looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow I am going to my parents and there I am hoping to adequately celebrate my birthday with cake, singing, visiting with my family minus Julie who deems that a soccer tournament for high school boys in north carolina is more important than family, and seeing my boyfriend for the first time in about 3 weeks.