Humor

  • In the Cards

    Reaching back into the dusty archives of my brain, I realize there’s still maybe a story or two that I haven’t written down (and a quick search on the Mess reveals I’m not too far off on the actual count).  I know, I know, if I just went outside and interacted with people instead of…

  • Toast Masters: Recap

    Ok, so I lied to you. I promised a recap on Thursday and I didn’t deliver. Those of you who know me well enough probably weren’t actually looking. You are well trained! Let me start by saying I didn’t actually join on Wednesday. I discovered a loophole – a loophole that allowed me to attend…

  • Toastmasters

    I’m not a public speaker, which comes as no surprise to my friends and family. I prefer to be that anonymous non-speaking blob in meetings praying we don’t have to perform any icebreakers or group skits and repeating my name in my head so that I won’t forget it if I’m called on. A few…

  • BBM: The Christmas Edition or How I’ll Miss My Aunt Philis

    Well, the most notable thing to happen this holiday season is I had to disown my aunt. I feel really sad about it since she’s the last of my grandmother’s children, the last solid connection to my Mom, but it had to be done. I’m going to miss her. She’s a great aunt – one…

  • Friendship

    Lately, as I spend more and more time interacting with people online, I’ve been thinking about the nature of friendship. What makes a friend a friend versus an acquaintance? When does an acquaintance make that transition to become a friend? I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I think I can identify a criteria that…

  • The Listener

    I had lunch with “the guys” earlier this week – former co-workers that helped make one of my many stupid jobs bearable. These are “the guys” who call me by my first name (and get away with it, because there’s no point fighting it and if I whine, they’ll only post the whine on their…

  • Friendship vs. The Big Blue Mess

    There’s nothing more devastating to friends and family than announcing you’ve just placed more trust in the words of a stranger than in them. No, not just for candy or a safe ride home, but for important things like “does this make my hair look short?” – the advice, the ego strokes – the things…

  • FAQ

    Over the years I’ve had the more curious friends, family and co-workers inquire about various things I’ve done in my life. Since they tend to ask the same questions, I thought I’d throw together a little Beth FAQ. 1. Beth, your minor was in English, can you edit my [insert anything from documents to stories]…

  • Feedback: Top 5 Lists

    I received some very touching feedback from my friends regarding my previous entry: INTJ or What I Learned About Myself on Facebook. It seems that I may have been a little too critical of myself and that my adorable friends would actually include me on more than just their Top 5 Tattlers I Know list.…

  • TV vs. East Texas

    I have a lot of great reasons I haven’t been writing, most of them boil down to: hangnails, barometric pressure too low, lint on the chair, you understand, but let’s face it – one of the big reasons is that we own a TV. Why am I not outside, milling about, having adventures I could…