I love Hanna Elise!!

I just wanted to make sure she knew that!

Now...here are a bunch of pics of her and some other fine people I know!

can't you tell I'm getting SO much done on my day off?!

this is a little slide show of some of my pics from the summer...isn't it fun?!

wasn't it only yesterday?

Andre Agassi retired from professional tennis yesterday after losing in the third round of the US Open. He played professionally for 21 years. If you knew me very well when I was in high school, you'd know why I care. I became a little obsessed with Agassi while studying a unit on tennis in PE my sophomore year. Of course, he was not the sedate, 30-something you see here now...no, he had hair any 80's metal band guy would envy and an attitude to go with it! He was--in his day--the bad boy of tennis...and I loved to watch him play! I checked tv guide every week and recorded any televised match I could find. I am not normally given to extravagant expressions of affection, but I was willing to suffer a little embarrassment in my dedication to this particular athlete. I'm sure I still have dog-eared magazine pics floating around somewhere in my high school memorabilia. I never bought one of those crazy Nike tennis shirts that he wore at the time...but I definitely considered it! I was a dedicated fan, to say the least. I followed him religiously for a few years, and then kinda lost interest in the whole tennis scene, but Agassi has always had a place in my heart. Even now, when I ran across a Agassi v. somebody match, I'd pause to watch for a moment--sorta like checking in on an old friend. I felt it only right and proper that I acknowledge his retirement. He had a long and varied career and I suffered through it with him for a few short years. Funny, it doesn't seem all that long ago!

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine...nothing?!

Pluto's been DEMOTED! You can check it out here.

*tap, tap*..."is this thing working?"

Apparently, my powers of mind control are on the fritz these days! UGH!!! Why won't people do what I want them to do! I'm gonna leave that vague and cryptic. Maybe it's YOU I'm talking about! That's right, YOU!!! So why don't you just stop right now and think, "hmmmm...what might Beth be wanting me to do???" You just keep thinking until you come up with something--nice of course!--and then you DO IT! ;) In the meantime, I'll keep working on it on my end. Who knows, maybe it will happen?! That's all I got for tonight, folks! Peace y'all!

done with reality...tv, that is

WHAT is the deal with all of these America's "something" type shows that seemed to multiply like rabbits over the summer??? I don't watch tv for a couple of months and I come back to all of these performance shows: America's got Talent, Rockstar SuperNova, So you think you can dance?, America's Next Top Model, etc. Not to mention the shows coming out this fall ranging from Celebrity Duets to another installment in the endless run of American Idol I'm sure. And then we have shows like Amazing Race, Fear Factor, and Survivor. I'm sure I'm leaving plenty out. When will it ever end? Why are these shows so popular? I don't understand the fascination. Feel free to explain.

one can only hope...

As I drove through the booming metropolis of Lafayette this afternoon, I marveled at all of the new construction around town. It's amazing how much things can change in the matter of a few months. Apparently, we have people with lots of money (or debt--my theory) who are just aching to move into high-end apartments, condos, and planned communities as well as spend oodles of money in cutsy little boutiques and expensive restaurants. I even hear we're supposed to get some sort of organic/whole food's-esque market. With all of this development, a small hope began to grow--more of a dream, really. I dream of a day Lafayette is home to a Panera Bread restaurant!! I've had the opportunity to dine at Panera Bread on a few occasions, but I fell in love with and promptly became obsessed with the place while in South Carolina this summer. Sadly, I have perused the site and their is nary a PB in sight! The closest in Houston--and while I love it, four hours IS a little far for lunch! So, my hope is that some ambitious local entrepreneur finds the same delight and seeks to open his or her OWN Panera Bread! I don't have the money or desire to do it myself, but I would surely be a dedicated customer!!

Home

i am.

Home from camp.
Home from the family visit in Missouri.
Home.

it's nice to be still for a moment.


...oh yeah, teacher days start tomorrow! uuuggggghhhhh!!!!

the ways God speaks...

I had to run an errand this morning and as I was driving back, flipping through the amazing selection radio stations in the greater Greenville area, I came upon a song that reminded me of the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. I'm not sure if the song was a version of the hymn, or if it just shared a similar melody, but as I listened, I began to think about the words of that hymn. I think I often forget to just rest in His faithfulness. I'm so focused on what I am trying to do or what I want to happen...I forget to just trust...trust and obey, for there's no other way...;) well, i'll skip the "hymn sing" for now, but I thought I'd post the lyrics. I hope it can be just as great a reminder for you as it has been for me today.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

our BIG night out

At the end of our coodinator's visit, we always go out to a 'staff appreciation dinner.' This year, we went to The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It was AMAZING!! It's so fun to see us all so dressed up...although i'm still undecided as to whether we should actually be seen in public! A group of 35 people is always a spectacle, but make that 35 fuge staffers, and you've got a whole new level of ridiculousness!

me and my date! dave and I were sitting across from meredith cromer and brian and she told me that brian was her date, so since i was sitting between a wall and dave, dave was my date! i think my date was the cutest, but shhhhhh! don't tell any of the others! ;)

me with ashley and kim, aka "mindy and wendy" in our am show


stephanie, tuba, cromer, and brian

mike, me, andy, and meredith

chase, acting like he owns the place! ;)

a lil' dance party errupted in the lobby as we were gathering to leave. you just can't take these people out in public!! and NO, we were not drinking! we come by this fun the good, ole' fashioned way! we create it ourselves!!

i only put this picture in because i know deanna will see it eventually and will absolutely LOVE it! ;)

ok, i've tried to add more pictures, but blogger isn't letting me. so this will have to do it for now and i'll post some more soon!

Get THIS!

Josh Groban wants ME to add HIM on my MySpace friends list! I just got the email this morning. In case you're in doubt, here is the text of said mass-generated email:

Hi beth,Josh Groban would like to be added to your MySpace friends list.By accepting Josh Groban as your friend, you will be able to send Josh Groban personal messages, view Josh Groban's photos and journals, and you will be able to interact with each other's friends and network!

I just thought it was kinda funny! ;) Of course I'll add him (or whichever publicity intern is managing his MySpace account)!! I mean, why wouldn't I?! It's Josh! Oh, maybe I could get free tickets seeing that we're "friends" and all. Ha!!

In other news, I actually took some pictures recently and I'll be posting those as soon as I don't have a million other things to do. (or when I just need the break from the million other things!) And look for a new blog design coming soon, I hope! My suitemate and dear friend Amy Haywood is not only a fabulous videographer, but is also a html savvy web page designer as well and she's supposed to help me create a new template for my blog! :) Let's hope we just don't get too busy in the days ahead. ttfn! I'm off to save the world one excel spreadsheet at a time!!

My random thoughts on hammocks, husbands, and a trip to Lake Nelson

This was a great weekend! After camp on Saturday, most of our staff went to Mooresville, NC, to stay at the home of our own Christie Craig. Said home being conveniently located on lovely Lake Nelson in North Carolina (which I'm liking more and more every time I visit, folks!) It was beautiful and Christie's parents are most gracious hosts!! Within minutes of our arrival, people were relaxing with chilled drinks (Cokes, people...not THOSE drinks!!) , roaming the Craig's beautiful home, checking out the dock, and vying for the great hammock that was hanging gracefully between two trees. (I'll discuss the hammock in more detail in just a moment.) We were soon served hamburgers with all the fixins and had a grand ole' time just being together in a relaxed, home-y environment. During some casual tv viewing, it was discovered that I gave a decent back-rub (I'm being modest here folks, the praise was overflowing but I don't like to brag!! ;) and had many customers, but eventually it was time to hit the sack.

The next morning brought more incredible food, this time in the form of Panera bread bagels and freshly ground coffee, which was followed by more dock-lounging, card-playing, lake-boating, and general loafing. I really wish I'd brought a book! (I brought many books to camp and haven't cracked a one yet! I'm a little busy these days.) I left just before a very bountiful lunch was about to be served. Those Craigs...they know how to do it up right!

I wasn't able to stay for lunch because I needed to get over to Ridgecrest Conference Center to pick up my dear friend Emory. Emory went to camp at Ridgecrest last week with her church's senior high group and was supposed to return to Nashville on Saturday, but one of the middle-school chaperones backed out and she was needed to fill in. The middle school group is coming to North Greenville this week, so instead of driving home only to drive back again, she stayed at Ridgecrest and I brought her over to North Greenville. We had a wonderful late lunch at My Father's Pizza and coffee at the Dripolator in Black Mountain, NC, and then came back to North Greenville where we did a little laundry, had a little dinner, and spent a whole lot of time just catching up! We've both had pretty eventful summers, it seems--or maybe we're both just really long-winded--so there was indeed alot of talking, folks! But we're all caught up now and winding down for a long summer's nap...I don't know why but I'm feeling very narrative at the moment!

Anyway, that was my weekend. Full of fun and relaxation. Only three more weeks of camp left! It's winding down and that makes me a little sad...

As I leave you, I feel it necessary to talk just a moment on the subject of hammocks. I have always been a fan of the hammock. I don't know why, but they fascinate me. Perhaps it's the potential danger of sitting incorrectly and therefore causing acute embarrassment and potential bodily harm to one's self? Maybe it's all those slap-stick comedy routines involving unfortunate hammock incidents? I'm not sure, but I've always been fascinating by this lounging ensemble. Well, the fine folks who raised Christie to be such a wonderful woman also had the incredible foresight to invest in one said hammock! I must say that it was much appreciated by all who chose to swing in it's delicate embrace, myself being one such person. Alright, I'll quit with the Austenian dialogue. I loved the hammock! So much so, that I managed to take a lovely nap in it Saturday afternoon...well, lovely except for brief moments of fear when I opened my eyes to find Sarah Edwards standing over me with an evil glint in her eye and then later when she felt it necessary to take somewhat unflattering pictures of me sleeping in said contraption! I did get made fun of a little for monopolizing the hammock, but it didn't bother me one bit! It was a great nap!!

I have now decided that I need a hammock. I like them too much to allow this enjoyment to elude me. But in order to have a hammock, it is necessary to have two trees...and in order to have two trees with which to hang such a hammock, I need to NOT be living in an apartment...and to have two such trees would mean that I'd need to be living in a house with a yard...and having such a yard would mean one of two things: 1. I need a better job so that I could afford to hire someone to take care of said yard or, 2. I need a husband who can do the yard work (ok, I'd help!)...and bonus! HE could hang the hammock!!) So in summary, I have decided that I want a hammock and a husband to hang it...or a better-paying job! ;)

I managed to not charge my camera batteries, so I have no pics from the weekend but lots of other people took pics, so I'll try to nab those and play them off as my own a little later! ;)

Missin' my boys!

This was a picture of David and Grayson's first time to "meet" (well, not literally in that moment--but the first visit amongst cousins.) David saw Grayson within a few hours of his birth, but they were heading back to Missouri and didn't get to stick around for all the NICU fun back in December! Kyle, Katie and David came in early May for a visit and the boys hit it off just fine.

I believe I may get to go with Erica and Damon to visit our Missouri folk at the end of the summer and I must say I'm kinda excited about that...and just thinking about them makes me miss them all so much! This going to camp gig is much different now! Erica says Grayson has changed so much since I left and I believe it. He would change so much in a day or two when I was there...I can't imagine what almost 10 weeks will bring! He's sitting up now and I can hear all of the fun new sounds he's making when Erica and I talk. He has yet to make many of those sounds when Erica holds the phone up to his face! She says his eyes just get big and then he tries to eat the phone!

I'm also excited to visit with David! He's a fun kid...and I can't believe he's old enough to be a kid! He has quite a Thomas the Train collection now, and I'm looking forward to some introductions! [I've been giving him Thomas the Train trains since he was born and Katie says he has a different voice and personality for each of them.]

And of course I'm missing Kyle and Katie and Erica and Damon...but they don't change quite as much! I am having a great time in South Carolina but I must admit I'm missing the fam just a little!

In unrelated news, this past week was our Christmas week and we capped it all off with a tent camping trip and rafting on the Nantahala in North Carolina. It was my first tent camping experience and I will say that it was kinda fun! I can't imagine tent camping in South Louisiana would be quite as enjoyable, but in the mountains of North Carolina, it was a great experience. We were on the grounds of Ridgecrest conference center and spent a little of Saturday afternoon in Black Mountain which is such a cute town! And then the river was absolutely breath-taking! It was like canoeing on the Ouiska Chitto, but about a million times better! This whole area is just so beautiful! I'm thinking I could live over here. Just a thought...no plans as yet!

Alright, I'm rambling like a fool so I'll end this now. I know I've done a horrible job of posting this summer. I do actually work, ya know!! I took a few pictures this weekend and I know some of the others took rafting pics so I'll try to nab some of those for all of my avid readers! ...hmph, yeah all those avid readers that as yet have NOT taken my very subtle hints about care packages!!! Well, except you Patty Marx--I KNOW you love me!!! :) Thanks for the cookies and the letter, Patty! It was great to hear from you! And yes, I know that the care package jokes are getting old...it's just that I so love to make them! :) I'll stop now...would have stopped sooner had I actually gotten some, but oh well! ;)

howdy folks!

Well, week 4 is about to begin! I can't believe I've been here for over a month now! Time flies, but it also feels like I've known these people forever. It's so cliche to say, but it's true. I have really enjoyed getting to know my staff this summer--and it helps a whole lot NOT to be in charge!! My job this summer is very behind-the-scenes and I really don't get much of an opportunity to get to know many of the 800+ people who come through here each week, so the relationships that I have with our staff seem all the more significant this year. I have not been doing a very good job of taking pictures but this one is a shot of (from l to r) Amy, Zack, Christie, and Jason at Waffle House. For anyone who'd be interested to know, I think Jason's eyes kinda look like Daddy's-- feel free to chime in with your own opinions! ;)

I'm sorry I've not done a very good job of blogging. Camp is also kinda strange in that I have lots of neat experiences, but 98.2% of them are "guess you had to be there" kind of moments! This is Christmas week so we'll be having lots of fun after hours. I'll do a better job of taking pics so that you can see all sorts of pictures of people you don't know! ha!!

For those of you who might be curious as to how quickly you need to be mailing in those care packages (eh-hem!!), our last day here is July 31, so I should be home August 1...with one week to spare before the teacher days start at school! Well, we still have a little while, so lets all try to enjoy it!!

...and in case you were wondering, Zack does look like a normal guy when he's not making a funny face! ;)

Bitter

Yes, that's me. I'm bitter! Why, you might ask?! Well, not only have the care packages and visible expressions of love NOT been pouring in (except for my sister--who sent a few cute pictures of Grayson and my camera pouch that I left at Jerry's house before I left for the summer) but I am the one who checks the mail and gets to cart everyone else's huge, overflowing care packages back to the staff office when I check the mail--and on a staff of 36, there are alot of care packages!!! So where's the love people?!?! Alright, I'm just kidding. I would feel really really horrible if I started getting guilt care packages. It was just really funny because it took two trips to bring all of the boxes and mail back to the office. I was having a good ole' time composing this post in my head while I was carting the boxes over. I did get something...a dell printer cartridge! yip-ee!! ;)

Bring on the flowers!!!

My physical address:

Beth Hintze--Fuge Staff
North Greenville University
7801 N Tigerville Road
Tigerville, SC 29688

Well, since you asked for it...

Hey! This is the staff picture that I was looking for the other night...aren't we precious?! And since I know so many of you are DYING to send letters and care packages and large bouquets of flowers (not you Jonathan! ;) , here is my camp address:

Beth Hintze--Fuge Staff

North Greenville University

PO Box 1892

Tigerville, SC 29688

Bring on the packages!! (And I am afraid I have alot of competition around here! These people are always getting stuff in the mail!)

Here we are!

Well folks, here we are! These are the neat people I'll be working with for 9 1/2 weeks. They're a great bunch of people and we're all rather photogenic if I do say so myself! :) This isn't the picture I wanted to post, though...there was another one that I liked more, but I apparently saved the wrong one. Sorry! I would give names, but there are just too many of them this year! If you are curious about anyone, lemme know and I'll be sure to spill the beans! Oh yeah, and this is the Ya-hoo who's serving as our camp pastor for the next two weeks! ;) I'd tell ya more about him, but apparently he reads this every once in a while, so I should probably behave! ha! Just kidding. It's been good to visit with James and I'm looking forward to hearing him in worship.

We've had a great time so far. Busy beyond belief, but having a good time while we're at it! Camp starts tomorrow! YIKES!!! The first week is always a little scary, but we're looking forward to it. We have so many neat people and I'm excited to see how God will use them this summer. Well, it's late, I'm tired, and I have a ton of things to do tomorrow, so I'll make this short and sweet!

Falling...

I fell today. The fall was from a 4-foot ledge and I fell straight back. Fortunately for me, there were several people waiting below the ledge in a zigzag formation to catch me when I fell! :)

I know I haven't blogged in a little while but I'm at camp now and we're about half-way through training week. Part of the regular camp schedule is recreation so we've been training on all of the rec games as a part of training week. Tonight was when we had the trust sequence. This may not sound like a big deal but you need to know that this is my sixth year of camp and we've had the trust sequence in our rec rotation twice since I've been working and I've NEVER fallen! I can do the starter moves: see-sawing back and forth and "wind in the willow" but I have never been able to do the trust fall. It's not that I don't trust my staff. I just absolutely hate the sensation of falling. It's miserable and awful and I try to avoid it when at all possible. Heights don't bother me but I completely freeze up when I feel like I'm falling. And according to my mom, I've been that way since I was an infant.

Anyway, back to the story. I think it's also important to note that I've been dreading these trust falls since I decided that I would work again back in September! I knew it was coming and I was nervous all day. When we finally made it over to the ledge for the actual falling, I was sick to my stomach. I was hoping that people just wouldn't notice that I hadn't fallen and I could get out of it...but I'd already run my big mouth too much about how I was dreading it, so of course my group was very encouraging. Pushy is more like it! They wouldn't let me back out!! just kidding--they were very kind and truly encouraging and had it not been for all of their encouragement, I probably would have chickened out again. But they didn't let me give into my fears. They supported me and made me as comfortable as I could be and I knew that if I fell they would catch me...but all of that didn't matter because ultimately, I would have to be the one to let go. And I did! It was horribly wonderful! I will never like falling but I was able to push through my fears and in doing so, conquer them.

Trust falls are a beautiful expression of faith and trust and a wonderful metaphor for salvation...and I've always recognized the power of the lesson, but until tonight, I'd never experienced it. So many students will be coming here this summer with questions and issues that I can't begin to understand. Some may have been raised in Christian homes and have gone to church all of their lives and will know how to play the game to a tee--they will know all of the right answers, but until one experiences the love of Christ, all the head knowledge in the world will not do.

I've had several friends who've engaged in quite interesting conversations with non-believers in the past couple of months on their blogs and such and the interchange has been quite interesting. In those conversations, such interesting questions and responses have been posed and have erupted into some beautiful verbal fireworks. But intellectual discussions have as much to do with recognizing the need for salvation about as much as adding oil to a car that's out of gas. Yes, the oil is needed (and so is the biblical knowledge that's discussed) but gas is what gets the car moving. We do such a great job of distracting ourselves--believer and non-believer alike--from the essentials. I believe it's the power of the Holy Spirit to convict, but it's our responsibility as Christians to live a lifestyle that honors and points to our relationship with our Lord. And in doing so, exhibit the love of the One who died, taking our sins upon himself and then rising three days later, having conquered death.

Well, it's late and I don't quite know where I'm going with this. I really just wanted to say that after five years, I've finally managed to fall! It was scary but there is power in overcoming fear...and in letting go. I've definitely learned a lesson that I shall carry with me for a long time to come.

Way to go Louisiana! We've done it again!!

Well, it looks like we're in national news again! According to ABC News:

The FBI's raid on the office of Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) was the first such raid on Capitol Hill in history...

At least we're making history while we're at it!! They found $90,000.00 in the freezer at his house! Oh brother...it ain't lookin' good!

And in other news, guess who's the Mayor of New Orleans again??? We Louisianians sure know how to pick 'em, don't we?! I find small comfort in knowing that neither distinguished gentleman was elected in my voting district.

And, if all of that isn't enough, NOAA is predicting an "above normal" hurricane season this year...which is exactly what they said last year! Hmmmm...so perhaps moving wouldn't be such a bad thing?!

Fun with languages!

That's my name! Well, at least that's what this nifty Japanese translator I found online said that it was! :) It even tells you how your name would be pronounced in Japanese! In my case, Elizabeth would be pronounced: "ERIZABESU". (Consonants are pronounced more or less the same way as in English. "A" sounds like a in father, but shorter. "I" sounds like ee in meet, but shorter. "U" sounds like oo in hook, but with less rounding of the lips. "E" sounds like e in met.) Just in case our relationship has reached a more informal level, you can just call me "BESU" and write my name as:

Beth, the gardener

Hahahahahahahaha! :)

Do we have something on Thursday?

I'm finding that there are simply not enough hours in the day!!! I am leaving for camp in less than two weeks and I am at a point where I wonder if I will actually get it all done before it's time to go. Maybe if I give up sleep? Hmmmm...

I've not really talked about it much on here, but I am doing that whole camp thing again! This will be my sixth straight year of camp. I will be serving on the North Greenville University team. It's a combo camp so we'll have both Centrifuge and M-fuge going on simultaneously. Actually, it'll be Centrifuge programming but during the day half of the students will be leaving campus to work at ministry sites. While I completely enjoyed every part of directing last year(please note the sarcasm!), I have decided to go back to being an AD--Administrative Director. I will be handling the paperwork and the business of camp. This year will be much different because I'm finally back at on a stationary team (please note the relief!) and we will have a total of 38 on staff!! That's as many as my last three teams combined! It will be a kick to work with so many people again. I was a little worried that I'd be the old lady on staff, but I'm finding that while there are many young 'uns, there are also quite a few that are near my age and maybe even a couple that are older than me!!

But all of that doesn't happen for a couple more weeks. Right now I am neck-deep in preparing finals! Yeah, we all hate to take them but a lucky few of us (again, the sarcasm) have the exciting opportunity to 1.) prepare them, and 2.) grade them!!! Bleh! It's taken me about 5-6 hours to prepare my Church History final...but it's done! So one down, three to go!!! [And here's a happy little thought for ya...It probably took me longer to prepare the final than most of my students will actually spend studying for it!]

Once the finals are finished, there are still a hundred other tasks on the ole' "to do" list! And I think I have something going on every night until I leave...which brings me back to my original question. Does anyone know what I committed to do on Thursday night? I know I told someone I would do something, but for the life of me I can't remember who I was talking to! Oh well...I guess I'll figure it out eventually! Until then, there are finals to prepare and clothes to wash and things to pack and places to go and people to see and ring ceremonies to attend and classrooms to pack up and...the list goes on!

I like to call this one...

The Contemplative Daisy

(I thought it was funny)

HELLO!!!! Did you SEE The Office finale?!?!

Well folks, it finally happened tonight!!! :D (And yes I do realize how sad it is that I'm living vicariously...shut up!) My favorite relationship on The Office has always been that of Pam and Jim--my second is that of Jim and Dwight, but I digress. Ah, the angst of hidden affection!!! It's painful to watch, but it's a rather sweet pain. I cannot believe that Jim finally told Pam that he loved her!!! I know I sound really cheesy and girly (and it IS just a tv show) but it was definitely a season finale with some punch...well, the rest of the show wasn't particularly gripping, but the last few minutes definitely were!! I absolutely love Jim Krasinski and Jenna Fischer is one of my Myspace 'friends' so of course you can see why I feel like I have the place to comment on their relationship?!

Ah, but as always the pain of the season finale is setting in...we don't get to know the rest of the story until the fall! And of course it never plays out as you imagine it should. Reality...boo! But I'm so glad Erica and Damon have a DVR because I think I need to see this one again. :)

update: I did watch it again and I must say that the rest of the show was much more interesting than I'd first realized. I recognized it even as it was happening, but the first time I watched it, I was looking for the Pam/Jim storyline. But OMG(osh)--the rest of the show was GREAT! I love this show!!!

ah, the people I know ...

I'm gonna brag for a moment. I need you to know that I know a couple of celebrities! Well, to be completely honest, I should say I know the parents of a couple of celebrities. Together they shared maybe three whole seconds of screen time in a major motion picture! Their names are Sam and Will Cole and they play Reba Cash's infant son in Walk The Line. I'm just excited that I personally know people who are listed in the Internet Movie Data Base (one of my all-time favorite websites! ;) Just thought I'd share! ha!

Another interesting one...

I was looking for the Gatorade Big Head Commercial to post on here (btw, it doesn't seem to be working but I'm gonna leave it just in case it starts...that's happened to me before), and I ran across this ESPN article for the Michael Jordan commercial and it was really interesting. I'm not a big basketball fan, but I thought both the play on history and the technology involved were really neat. Good job Gatorade! :)

I just think this is funny

Get this video and more at MySpace.com
The Gatorade Big Head Commercial

Stark Raving Mad

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you feel like half of the people in your life have gone absolutely and completely insane?! well, let's just say it's been one of those weeks for me. I can't go into any detail about any of it because this is actually one of those times that I don't want to spill my guts onto cyberspace. I know this is my space, so to speak, but I am very aware that my words and actions can hurt those that could possibly read them, so I shall refrain. But to those of you who could be hurt by my words, yeah, I know...and you need to know that I'm hurt right now...and very discouraged. It's really hard when you don't like the people you love sometimes.

I've been half-joking with some of my students all spring about how listening to them has made me realize that I don't want to have children. I was only kidding at one point, but it's becoming more serious by the day, it seems.

What makes someone want to self-destruct? And do they even realize all the people they bring down with them in the fall?

Perhaps there's a desk job somewhere with my name on it??? hmmmmm...

(I realize that I haven't posted NYC pics yet...I've not been home much and I'm just not in the mood at the moment. I'll post some soon though.)

To those of you who have no clue, sorry to be such a downer. It's just been that sort of week.

Wish you were here!

early mornings
late nights
lots of walking
being "Chief" is harder than it looks!
the newfound joy of hailing cabs :)
more shopping than I've ever wanted to do
NYC prom dresses
Guggenheim in 15 minutes
Is a completely black canvas really art???
late-night voyeurs
attempting to look intelligent on national news shows
did I mention the walking?

One more full day!

ps, in case you happened to have been watching Day Break on Fox News earlier today and saw someone that looked kinda like me...it was me! I meant to blog about it yesterday and didn't have the time (my computer is VERY popular on this trip!) And three of 'us' even spoke up on the show! Becca and Grace asked great questions and Mrs. Alleman made a good comment as well...and I just did my best not to look like a complete idiot! :) Being on national television is a little nerve-racking!!

In case you missed it, you'll have another opportunity to see us on national television. We will be on Good Morning America in the studio audience tomorrow (Thursday)...and I write that realizing that most everyone will read this after the show has broadcast! Sorry...it's been busy!

I haven't had time to look at my pics, so I'll post some next week! We're having lots of fun!

On the road again...

Well, I'm leaving in a few minutes to chaperone this class trip to New York City with these lame-o juniors who are absolutely obnoxious... ;) j/k! Well, about the lame-o, obnoxious part! We ARE leaving in just a few minutes and how ready am I??? VERY...and not nearly enough!! I'm packed, but I just KNOW I've forgotten something or not packed appropriately or something!! So what am I doing now? Everything else I can think of just so that I can distract myself until the absolute last minute!

For all of those suffering through the break in absolute boredom and slothfulness, have fun! Maybe I'll bring ya back something fun if I like ya! Oh, and Corey, I'll be bringing YOU a receipt for the snowglobe I have to buy to replace the one you BROKE!! bring your wallet monday! ;) Happy Break!Beth (...er, Ms. Hintze for those to whom it applies! ;)

...and my plan is to post pictures (if I can) in the evenings, so check back to see what our days are like!

funny!

a question

...so, when did Moses affect a British accent?

temporary amputation

Isn't it sad how quickly we get attached to things...and how we forget how to function normally without them?! I had a temporary amputation occur on Friday and I felt off-balance all weekend. Fortunately, everything is back to normal--and working better than ever--today. Sadly, this amputation, while somewhat painful, was really quite petty. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, my computer seems to have been possessed by Satan. We've recently set up a wireless system in our building at school and Anita and I have been working diligently to get my computer to pick up the signal. It was doing all sorts of bizarre things on Friday, so Anita's computer whiz husband took it home over the weekend to clean it up and perform a routine exorcism.

It's so strange to think that a mere 15 months ago, I didn't have internet access at home...and now I feel so trapped when I don't have access for three days! Rather sad, I know. Ah, how easily we become addicted to the convenience!

The Office PSA's

funny stuff! Click on the picture to check it out!!!

New York City, take 2

I'm gearing up for my second trip to NYC! It's a school trip this time and there are twelve of us going which should be lots of fun. I've been reacquainting myself with the subway routes and popular attractions in an effort to get some sort of itinerary set. Going with a bunch of 16-year-old girls will definitely mean this will be a very different experience! Shopping is a high priority!! I just hope we can squeeze in a few culturally significant experiences in between! ;)

I was thinking about Daddy today. He and a co-worker went on a long business trip in the early 80's--New York City, London, Amsterdam, and Bombay--and I thought about him alot on my first trip. It's neat to see the places he went. I wish I could have had the chance to see it with him. I've posted a few of his pictures from the little bit of touristy stuff they did on the NYC leg. He has lots of neat pictures from Bombay. Maybe I'll post them some time.

Dad on the observation deck of the Empire State Building--World Trade Center in the background

Another shot of Dad at the Empire State Building

Dad at the World Trade Center, looking North

At the World Trade Center, looking South with the Statue of Liberty in the background

Check it out!

Those crazy folks at Google seem to be at it again! :) Click on the picture for more info...be sure to Take the Tour and maybe you can even upload your own profile! This is internet dating on a whole new level!

Working after hours found to be potentially hazardous to one's health and well-being

No, there's no new study out. This one comes from personal experience! First, a little background. I'm sick--ugh! I've had this weird cold/allergy thing going for a couple of weeks now (nothing new--seems like everyone is suffering with seasonal allergies these days) but it got worse this weekend. Fever, general ickiness, etc. I would have called in sick today and spent the day trying to rest, but I didn't have a recent sub list at home and I didn't have the energy to come up with the plans for the sub. So I drug myself out of bed and on down to school...such a lovely day! bleh! Early on I decided not to try and repeat today's wonderful experience.

A sick day. ahhhh, I never take sick days. Those of you who are teachers know why teachers hate taking sick days but for those of you who don't share in our lovely profession, I'll explain. One sick day = twice as much work. First, you have to prepare lessons that the kids can do independently...while you're feeling awful. And then after that blessed yet brief respite--when you're still weak and lacking in patience--you get to come back. Showered with multitudes of questions along with alot of whining about how awful the sub was, you return to your desk--now covered with all of the busy work you created to keep them busy before you left! And even if the busy work is legitimate, it still takes the rest of the quarter to wade through it all. Boo, sick days...but I digress.

So I decided that tomorrow was definitely a sick day. Amazingly enough, I found a sub who was excited to sub! She's a soon-to-graduate education major who just interviewed with our principal that morning at UL's teacher job fair. She seemed friendly and competent which made me feel better about leaving (hopefully the whining won't be too bad when I come back...and they all knew why I would be missing if I weren't there tomorrow. I made it abundantly clear that I was NOT feeling well and would not be putting up with their crap! They were actually somewhat subdued.) So, now that the sub was in place, I had to write up my lesson plans. A test for Church History (gee, I hope it make sense! I was a little loopy when I was working!), a unit review for English, and a few other assignments that of course took twice as long as they normally would because I couldn't think straight! I'd hoped to have finished up by around 6pm...but nearly two hours and a near death experience with our copier later (That copier was about to meet his maker!!), I was done.

Ok, this is where life gets interesting. Our building is a fair walk away from the parking lot--maybe 25 or 30 yards. It was dark and my car was the only one in the (rather poorly lit) parking lot. I was about 1/4 of the way to my car when I see a man running full-steam across the parking lot...and he was heading in MY direction! Several thoughts ran through my mind when the image finally registered. Is this a joke? Is he trying to freak me out? What is he gonna do when he gets over here? Well, about the time that last thought was registering another thought quickly came--I don't want to know!!! So I ran back to the building, fought with the dag-gum stiff lock, and finally got inside the door. When I looked back from behind the protection of that lovely locked door, he'd made it up to the sidewalk about 10 yards away from the building, but he had slowed to a kinda strut before he turned off and started walking toward one of the other buildings. I didn't stay at the door to watch him!

I went back to my classroom to calm down and after having the dumb thought that I'd just wait a few minutes for him to leave, I had the much brighter idea that I should call the sheriff's office and ask them to escort me to my car! So that's what I did. And here I am now, a couple of hours later, heartily promising to NEVER stay at school after dark again!! Watch it folks! Staying late at work could potentially be hazardous to your health!

me = over Kelly Clarkson

Now, don't get me wrong. I like Kelly Clarkson just fine. I guess it's that whole journey from obscurity to the first American Idol bit that has endeared her to many of her fans, but she seems like a nice, normal person. And I own this CD--it's a great angry CD. My problem is with those blessed radio stations that seem to think that the world's not right if there's not a Kelly Clarkson song playing somewhere at any given moment! Seriously, I flip through stations a lot and I probably heard a Kelly Clarkson song at least four times in my 45 minute commute! With the threat... er, promise of more to come in a teaser as I was driving into the parking lot of my apartment! Seriously, I don't get radio programming these days...


And on a separate but related note, I must say that I really like the Garden State Soundtrack. It's mellow and cool...just like me! ha!! ok, just kidding, but I do like it. I'm not knowledgeable enough about current music trends and styles to discuss it with any intelligence here, but listening to it makes me calm and happy...so it works for me!! The Shins have two songs on it and I believe they're sort of 'trendy indie' at the moment. And I do love Such Great Heights by Iron and Wine. You may know it best as the song on the kaleidoscope m&m's commercial. All-in-all, a great CD.

And those are my picks and pans of the week! haha!!

Now that I know how to post videos! :)

So how much IS $9,000,000,000,000?

Can you even fathom this?! Congress sets new Federal Debt limit: $9 trillion dollars. And if you're wondering how much the current Federal Debt is, here is the US National Debt Clock. All I gotta say is WOW!

My new most favorite commercial(s)

Please tell me you've seen Volkswagen's hilarious new ''Un-Pimp My Ride'' commercials. (If not, you can watch the ads here, here, and here. The one shown above is my favorite!) I think they're freakin' hilarious! If you've zoomed past them on your TiVo, you're missing out!! I wish I knew how to post the actual video on my blog...Aunt Debbie, any help?! :)

update: Thanks Aunt Debbie...I guess it helps to scroll down the page, huh?! ha! I appreciate the help!!

Strange Associations

It's funny how we unconsciously carry some of our childish understandings well into adulthood. I think it was about 3rd or 4th grade when my PE class had a health lesson on drugs and that was probably the first time I heard of steroids. I guess that maybe Nurse Lawson was telling us about how steroids made muscles get bigger and I assumed that a steroid was something that looked kinda like a muscle. Since then, for some strange reason, when I hear the word steroids, I get a mental image of something that looks kinda like cracklins or pieces of beef jerky. I'm sure I'd taken medicine by that point and I don't associate other drugs in pill form with any type of food but even now, when I hear the word steroid, I picture cracklins or beef jerky! Strange, I know...

Here is another one: For a long time I thought that if you blew your nose and flushed it down the toilet, it would mess up the plumbing. I know where I got this one. When we lived in Crowley, we lived out of town so we had a septic tank. I remembered dad had to 'dig out' the septic tank a few times--certainly not one of his favorite activities--so after one of those times, he gave us firm instructions to be careful about how much we flush down the toilet. He gave the example that, if you blow your nose, throw the tissue in the trash can instead of flushing it. I realize that it was because he didn't want extra stuff in the tank but at the time I made a connection between snot and plumbing problems. It wasn't until college that I put two-and-two together...I didn't go around telling people that snot clogged the pipes, but I realized that that I subconsciously held that belief (more specifically, that the bacteria in the plumbing would maybe feed on the snot and somehow make some kind of mess that would clog the pipes--that was actually the whole belief that I held on the subject!) Yeah, I guess I had a bit of an imagination! ;) Did anyone else do this?

My Deep and Ponderous Thoughts on...Toddler Toiletries

Perhaps it's been all of the daytime TV I've been watching this week, but my interest was recently piqued by the number of commercials featuring products for children that were just not around when I was a kid. The most intriguing have been the 'toddler toiletries' lines that seem to be popping out all over the place! (It's amazing how all these companies have their great ideas all at the same time!) Johnson & Johnson has Johnson's Buddies and Kimberly-Clarke has Huggies Clean Team.

In a recent release (I'm guessing more for stock holders because it was very much about the bottom line, if you know what I mean), ole Kimberly-Clarke had this to say:

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) announces it is extending its successful baby toiletries into the underserved toddler market with the launch of Huggies Cleanteam bath and body products. The new product line, which features trademarked, letter-shaped characters called Alphamals, helps moms teach toddlers how to keep clean, while having fun at bath time, meal time, potty time, or on-the-go.

"With the launch of Huggies Cleanteam toiletries, we believe we will further drive category growth with exciting, innovative solutions that help moms teach their kids the importance of being clean, while having fun in the process."

You can read the rest of the article here.

The article for Johnson's Buddies is more of a press-release introducing the mass market to the wonders of their new product line. They use statistics to prove the necessity of this product line: "Bath time for toddlers is often thought of as a fun time for parents and kids alike, but in a new national survey, a surprising 54% of toddler parents do not view bath time as 'quality bonding time with my child' and nearly half cite styling a child's hair as most often 'difficult.'"

Johnson & Johnson had this to say: "Our customers have told us that JOHNSON'S BUDDIES products feel a real need for them... Our research shows, for example, that when babies become toddlers, parents put away baby shampoos and use shampoos that are formulated for adults, which can be inappropriate for young children. JOHNSON'S BUDDIES products give toddlers a line of bath and grooming products that are just right for them--and that's just right for parents."

Now I don't have kids, so maybe the claims of both companies are valid. Maybe kids need to learn how to have fun while keeping clean and that bath time has been lacking in those opportunities for parent/child bonding...but I have a few questions/concerns. And as this is MY blog, I guess I can voice my thoughts! :) So here we go:

1. I never realized that 'bath time' is a rough time! I thought little kids liked baths? I realize that some are scared to put their heads in the water (and my mom had a pretty good way of solving THAT little problem, right Erica?!) but I've done my fair share of babysitting and I have three nieces and two nephews...and bath time has always been a joyous time! The anguish typically came when it was time for the bath to end! Throw in some old plastic Mardi Gras cups and a little Mr. Bubble and we're in for hours of bathing fun!

2. Didn't they already have 'no tear' shampoos and 'no more tangle' spray? I know mom bought plenty of that stuff when I was growing up (I had rather long hair and I do remember a tangle or two in my childhood). Why is it now necessary to have foaming hand soap and 'bath mitts' (and FYI, the kid in the commercial with the bath mitt is a LITTLE cheeky for me--I'm all for gaining independence, but HE is a little mouthy!) When I was growing up, we used Dial soap--the GOLD kind--and a regular ole' washcloth...and we LIKED it!!

Now I may be a little paranoid about current marketing techniques, but doesn't this all seem like a grand scheme to eke even MORE money out of those well-meaning parents who think that good parenting means giving their child everything that these companies say they need to have to be happy and healthy?! Feel free to leave your own thoughts on the subject! I'm curious as to what others think of these amazing new products. ;)

Awwwwhhhhhh, Cher les petit Chiens!

Yeah, I'm not sure why I'm trying to speak French...but there are lots of free online translation pages if you're ever interested! They have come in handy from time to time!! :) Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of cute pics of the puppies.


This is Buster! He belongs to our friend Brian. He's a feisty little sucker, alright!


This is Erica trying to convince Damon of how fun it would be to have a new puppy! She's holding Rosie, the sweetest one of the bunch. Rosie is probably going to Glenn's Aunt Ruth, so I guess Erica missed her chance!

Alright,I have several more pictures, but I know that not everyone is gonna want to see them, so I started a flickr page. You can get to it by clicking on the underlined words or by scrolling down the sidebar until you see that block that has all the little pictures in it. Click on that and there are bunches of pictures of the little cuties!!