The Power of Orange Knickers

back to basics?

2008-09-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it's September. I have been training for my marathon for 5 months. But I have only successfully ran more than 13 miles a handful of times. Like maybe three times. Maybe.

I have lots of exucuses as to why my running has been less than stellar:
it's been so hot
my knees hurt
my toes hurt
it's hot
5:30 is SO early
did I mention the heat?

I have not been getting my weekday runs in like I need to and I am concerned that I am not going to make the full marathon in December. I really want to do the full distance, but I don't want to be miserable while doing it. At this point, I am really considering scaling back and just work on completing the turkey day half then taking the full distance in the spring when things have (hopefully) settled down some.

For right now, though, the December race is still on and my primary goal is to start getting my weekday runs in! Begining this week!

My "first" half marathon!

2008-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I am running 13.1 miles! From this weekend on, I will be running at least a half marathon each week. WOOT!

Atlanta Half Marathon

2008-06-18T16:31:00.001-07:00

Today I registered for the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon.

I have kept up with my running pretty well despite random schedule issues, projectile dirrhea (Bella, NOT me!), vacations, and injuries. I am running about 4 times a week and this Saturday's long run will be 10 miles. I am wearing clothes that I haven't worn since before we got married in 06. And even some of those clothes are already too big. I feel great and look great and have run over 100 miles since the beginning of May.

My target marathon: Rocket City in Huntsville on 12/13/08

Buckhead

2008-05-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Last week during my run in Buckhead, I waved at guy being arrested.

Today on my way to Buckhead to run, I saw a man being arrested.

Wonder what next week will hold?

This is my first drop back week...did 4.2 miles today. will do 4 on Saturday. Am going to try to do at least two tomorrow and Thursday.

The next week's long run is 7 miles. woot!

so,um, yeah...

2008-04-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have decided to train for a half marathon. unofficially. The training group that I recently joined has me training for a WHOLE marathon. MY plan is to see where I stand come August and register for a race of the appropriate distance. Funny thing: 26.2 miles doesn't seem that impossible. And 13.1 is likely doable by June or July at the rate that I am going.

I have been a "runner" since about 2002-ish, you know off an on. But more off than on. After hearing through the grapevine that my dad had triple bypass surgery and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and given my own health issues, I knew it was time to do something. I found a local running group and figured that was what I needed to actually get my butt in gear.

I ran 4.5 miles last Saturday. I did walk alot, but I ran more than I have in about two years. And last night, I ran 5 miles. Really RAN, only stopping for traffic lights, etc. And it wasn't that hard!

So check back for updates about fun things I find on my run (like dead squirrels) and other randome musings of a slow ass, but nonetheless, runner!

should I or shouldn't I?

2008-04-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

short story: I am strugling with the decision to sign up for a marathon training group.

Good:
--(in theory) it will get me offa my butt
--I can say I ran a half and/or whole marathon!
--my health will improve. my dad evidently just had triple bypass surgery and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. he has been on high BP and cholesterol meds as long as I can remember. he has had TWO heart attacks, the first of which he was only about 35. surprisingly, while its been thought provoking, it hasnt given me the scare I think it should have. maybe it's because I really don't have a relationship with my dad?

not so good:
--it's kind of pricey. it's almost $200 for a years worth of support. when you crunch the numbers, its really not THAT bad (less than a gym membership) and you get other stuff too... but the immediate cost is high. at least to me, right now it is.

--what do I do if i back out? how do I keep myself from backing out? which I guess is my real fear. not running 13 or 26 miles, or logging all of those training miles. I am afraid I am going quit and waste all that money like i did with not one, but TWO gym memberships AND a boot camp, not to mention a master's degree.

--I don't really want to deal with matt poking fun at me about running a long race. he does it just to pester me, he would never doing something like that to be mean...but still. in my head, I know one of the best ways to be accountable is to tell everyone what I am doing that way they ask me about it. and I dont want to tell everyone that I bailed on my training...

these are just some of the thoughts going round in my little head...I kind of feel like im making a mountian out of what should be a mole hill, but running a half has been something that I have thought about doing for about the last year and a half. the major problem is that I lack the discipline to train alone and have found excuses to bail out of so many things, even things not related to my health and well being.

I have about two weeks to decide...help me.

sucker

2008-02-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

I paid $68 for an oil change yesterday.

2008-01-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

I have made it thru my first two weeks as a highschool teacher. I haven't killed anyone or quit. I did, however give two detentions and write one student up.

We are officially living with Matt's parents again. Sigh.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow. For the second time this week. It snowed on Wednesday, but we still had school on Thursday. No one was more dissapointed than me.

The STi is up for sale. Know anyone who wants one?

What an interesting turn of events...

2008-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

It makes me a little sick to my stomach.

It's looking more and more like we are going to sell the house and move back in with Matt's parents. Soon. Like in the next couple of weeks. With my certification exam and trying desperately to get my thesis done, I really didn't have enough to be stressed about anyways, so this has perfect timing.

Oh yeah, my STi is going bye-bye too. Probably as soon as next week.

ugh.

2007-12-30T15:38:00.001-08:00

1. The dog is pissing me off. She needs to go to obedience school.
2. I am not a failure if I can't train my dog myself. I keep telling my self that.
3. I have another new job. I am (will be) a highschool teacher. God help us all.
4. Evidently, my new year's resolutions are the same as last year's. Nearly word for word.
5. Our fucking garbage disposal is broken. AGAIN. Perhaps it's a sign that we aren't supposed to have a garbage disposal.
6. I am going to buy a new computer. Soon, but not soon enough. I am thinking May or June. Maybe sooner if this Vista crap pisses me off bad enough. I'm gonna upgrade to a Mac.
7. I am rejoining the gym at the hospital that is on my way to the school. I am using my xmas money to pay for the first 4 months.
8. I REALLY want to train for the ING half marathon that is in March.
9. On that note, I will be buying a new pair of running shoes with the nike+ technology.
10. It's been requested that I keep a blog about my first year of teaching. Mostly for entertainment purposes. As in mine.
11. I am not a stalker for reading other people's blogs. They post that stuff for a reason. right?
12. I like posting like this. : )

.......

2007-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should post something. But I am at a loss as to what to write. There's lots of good things I can think of and lots of not so good things.

Maybe something will come to me later today.

Oh, and one more thing:

2007-10-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Fall is officially here. I know because I am wearning a sweatshirt and fleece pants.

And I got to use the seat heaters in my car this morning!

No Turning Back This Time

2007-10-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

I will be defending my masters thesis by the end of February. I'm setting it in stone. I want to get this done, so I am going to suck it up and bust butt for the next few months to finish my degree!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

2007-09-29T19:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, I came up with a new title.

And I updated some things, feel free to look around and make yourself at home.

Random Thoughts

2007-09-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

1. I hate my car right now. How many times does a car have to go back to the dealership before it's considered a lemon?

2. I wish I had a cooler title for my blog. I wonder if I can change it.

3. Since I type "important" stuff more often now, it's hard for me not to be lazy and not use puntcuation and capital letters where they are supposed to be.

4. My dog is hella stubborn.

5. Would a commute to Rome, Ga really be that much worse than the commute to downtown Atlanta?

That is all. For now, anyway.

so here i am.

2007-09-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

lots has been hapening. work is super busy. apparently sept and oct are THE months for environmental education outreach and this is one of the last free weekends i have untill late october.

we got a puppy. her name is bella and she is about 4 months old. we think she is a pointer/possibly dalmation mix. she is very spoiled already and very stubborn, so she fits in well. here is her picture:

i am running again. kind of. i was doing really well and running about 15 miles a week untill it got hot as all hell in august. then i stopped which is usually the way it goes for me. now that the weather is actually nice again, i am trying to get back on the running wagon. i wanted to train for the atlanta half marathon on thanksgiving, but thats not going to happen so i am setting my sights on a shorter distance. i am trying to train for a 10k (6.2 miles)that is also on thanksgiving. wish me luck with the training, im not so sure its going to go as well as i would like.

its been a while

2007-08-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

so, whats been going on with you?

as for me, ive been enjoying my latest job with the state. in june i started with the Ga DNR EPD WSPB outreach unit. lots of letter, i know. its the department of natural resources, environmental protection division, watershed protection branch. as the outreach unit, we go out an educate the public about water resources and how to keep our water ways healthy. i work primarily for ga adopt-a-stream but i also do stuff for rivers alive, project WET and river of words. technically, i am an intern, but everyone likes to call me a program assistant. one complicating factor is that i have 4, count em FOUR bosses. the other small comlication that i dont have to worry about for a few months is that my position is temporary. right now, i am only slated to be around for about 12 months. im am really hoping that i can find another position with the state (or national) government, cause all government jokes aside, i really like working for the state.

thurs, fri, and sat for work, i got to visit the jones ecological research center in newton, ga. thurs, we had a driving tour of south ga (tifton, albany, americus, albany, newton. we had a meeting on fri afternoon, then we socialized into the wee hours, drinking and playing cornhole. on sat, we canoed down the flint river and went swimming, snorkeling, and musseling. we found several threatned mussels, some not so threatened, and only a few invasive ones.

i have more to update, but i also have a dirty house that needs my attention. its funny how the evolution of web based communication happens. first was the blog, then myspace, and now facebook. as each was introduced (at least among my circle of friends), the latter fell by the wayside. i can say that i would like to make this a more regular thing, but then i will be distracted by myspace and facebook only to come back a after a few months...so, hopefully you will hear from me soon....

im moody.

2007-07-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

and feeling like an idot right now. !!girly stuff alert!!

some of you know that i got an IUD this past spring. well its been great untill recently. well, today actually.

for the past month or so, ive had serious acne on my face and neck. bad, worse than i had when i was a kid. and they arent just pimples, they are huge cysts. and im a picker, i cant help it. so ive got this lovely crater/pizza face look going and make up isnt helping.

well i just realized what the culprit is. its the freeking IUD. its a progesterone based one and any person who studied endocrinology for 6 freeking years would know that progesterone is a precursor for testosterone. and testosterone can over stimulate sebaceous glands and upregulated testosterone+over activated sebaceous glands=pimples!!!!!

im pissed. i was soooo excited and this thing was supposed to be great, but guess what, id rather take an extra pill every day than deal with having acne this bad.

and the sad part is that im even more hormonal now than i was before and when i figured out this whole testosterone/IUD connection, i started to cry.

i guess i will be making some doctor visits in the next few weeks. sigh.

Updates

2007-05-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

here are some recent pics, enjoy!

turning point

2007-05-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

things that tell me i really need to do something about my weight/health:

kids at school asking me if im pregnant
shopping at lane bryant
weighing as much as matts best friend who is a foot taller than me.
almost being pre-diabetic
having ridiculously high blood pressure

hopefully this time i will actually follow thru with my efforts to loose weight and improve my health.

yay for me!

2007-04-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

so i came home tonight, exhausted and totally not feeling like working out. i putzed around for more than 30 min before i sucked it up and laced up my running shoes. i headed out on the path with the intetions of doing the bear minimum of walking for about 20 min or so. well, once i got going i picked up a pretty good pace and even thru in 7 running bursts into my 3 mile walk. i felt really good when i came home, ate dinner, and now im ready for bed.

what a difference a week makes!!

2007-03-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

with my clothes and shoes i am nearly 5 pounds lighter than i was in the buff last week!

woohoo!!

after all these years

2007-03-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

friends is still hilarious. so much in fact that matt just spewed milk everywhere after chandler cracked a joke.

kitchen gadgets!

2007-02-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

so, my latest obsession is kitchen gadgets. i already am ok at and enjoy baking but i want to improve my cooking skill. ive been trying lots of new recipes lately so i regeisterd for a bunch of stuff for the wedding. i didnt get much of what i wanted but i was able to return enough to get what i really wanted.

my most favorite item is by far my cookie scoop. its like a mini icecream scoop. its makes perfect size cookies everytime. and since they are the perfect size, they bake in the perfect amount of time and are fabulous!

today i just got a micro planer and a big food processor. ive been wanting a microplaner for a long time, lots of the recipes ive tried call for grated dinger or the zest of some fruit. the food processor is phenomenal! i got a small one for the wedding, but decided that i didnt like it so i exchanged it for the next size up. i just made a dough for a cobbler like thing that im making for dessert and it was sooo easy! and, it has a slicer attachment perfect for slicing apples. apple tart, here i come!

and i got an immersion hand blender for making soups and stuff. i call it my boat motor. im making a roasted tomato soup later this week. and it came with a whisk attachment so i can use it to make homemade whipped cream!

finally i got a whole new set of calphalon cookware. my faveorite part of the set is the wok. ive made some killer stirfry and my next challenge is fried rice.

beth 1-cookies 0

2007-01-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

HA! take that, you evil cookies!

so im making cookies for this pot luck thing for work tomorrow. now, normally, when i make cookies, i have to sample the dough several times as well as one or two cookies when they are done. well of the four dozen cookies ive made so far, i have only sampled ONE finished cookie!

ive been working out for two weeks, hard core this past week and ive already lost one pound. i would like to continue that trend so im fighting the urge to eat the dough and completed cookies. i also passed up homemade pizza at the inlaws house since i had already eaten dinner before they called.

look what i made!

2007-01-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

newsflash

2007-01-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

yes, folks, matt is indeed an asshole.

im playing that stupid weffridles thing. i dont know if hes done it or knows about it or what, but he answered the very first question in about 30 seconds. the same question that stumped me for days. now hes gloating about how he "knows everything". so yes, matt is an asshole.

kharma really is a bitch

2007-01-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

ive had quite a few run ins with kharma over the years, but recently, she has been in fine form. a few instances:

1. the whole sherri/steve episode. for those of you not aware, basically steve lied about having cancer to avoid sherri. then he had to avoid all of his friends/aquaintences because of the aftermath.

2. i did something stupid a few months ago at the zoo. i thought i had gotten away with it untill a few weeks ago. then i got a speeding ticket on the same day.

3. matt planned this huge new years party without even mentioning it to me. well, he got the flu and everyone who showed up left before 10:00.

real wedding pics

2006-11-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

heres the link to the professional pics of the wedding. they turned out fabulous!

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?storefront?b=1&c=05QW

(youll have to cut and paste the link, making it clickable didnt work....)

enjoy!

overdue

2006-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

so i suppose im over due from posting pics from the wedding. you can check out a few wedding pics and our disney pics here:http://www.bethstokes.shutterfly.com/action

i also got a new car! i am the proud new owner of an 07 Subaru WRX STi, limited edition. it rocks! i traded in the civic and financed the car all by myself! the interest rate is a tad ridiculous, but i still finaced it alone and for someone with no actual credit, its a big step.

my car is a 6 speed and it was quite interesting having to learn how to drive a stick within the span of a week, but im doing ok.

the countdown has begun!

2006-09-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

ACK!

days until the wedding:

$24.95

2006-09-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

for two weeks or so, i have been looking for something to wear to my wedding rehersal and dinner. shelby has a fabulous dress picked out and i want to look equally as geogeous as she will. so i have canvassed town center mall, lenox mall, and arbor place mall looking for a fabulous dress. at least 50 dresses later i find one i settle on. it looks good, but its more of a going out 'clubby' dress than the tastefull, classic look that i was going for. today i went out looking again, just about ready to give up. on my way out of the mall, i stop in charlotte russe (a wet seal-esque) store and find two dresses that fit the bill. since the mall was about to close i didnt even try them on.

at home i try on the first one. its a strappless creamy white with black lace around the waist that hangs just past my knees. it looks decent. not great cause you can see my underwear and such, but decent. it was $26.95. the next dress is also strapless, but solid black with a ribbon that ties around my waist, about the same length as the white dress. it looks great. even with no hair and no makeup and granny panties on, it looks great. it was $24.95.

how is it that of all the dresses that i tried on with prices ranging from $60 to $200, petites, juniors, and womens sizes, different colors, and styles that i cant find anything that looks classic and timeless enough to merit buying? then i find the "perfect" dress and its a bargain at 25 bucks. when i grabbed the two dresses tonight, i planned on returning them if (when) they didnt fit right. well they were both cheap enough that i think ill keep them both.

the silver lining?

2006-08-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

so today i decided that the only good thing about being chubby is that your boobs get bigger too.

ok, so im making up for lost time

2006-08-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

by posting for the THIRD time today but i also wanted to share that i finally got a job a the aquarium!!

i started about 3 weeks ago and i am an exhibit interpreter. so, basically i get paid to talk. how great is that! i did have to leave zoo camp early and that was a bummer, cause the people that i was working with were awesome but camp was only temporary and my position at the aquarium is permanent. a big plus for someone who is a "real" adult now with a house and bills and such.

anyway, i really like the new gig and everyone at the aquarium is sooo nice! and the pay rocks! i got my first paycheck on friday and man, was i happy!

just for fun...

2006-08-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

here are a few recent pics. enjoy!

this is what i hope to look like in 69 days. minus the hideous flowers

here are shelby and i at her new place watching gator basketball.

this is me being artsy and playing with the black and white option on my camera.

here are matt and i at hollycrest hall where the wedding will be. i think i look a little bit like kristen davis.

69 days

2006-08-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

till the wedding.

im a little panicy. one bridesmaid has not acknowledged that her dress has arrived and another isnt really sure how shes going to pay for it. at least the maid of honor has hers and has her alterations under control.

last week i took care of the cake, the flowers, and the photographer. today matt and i took care of the tuxes. invitations should arrive this week. hopefully i can get those addressed and in the mail by next week.

at the top of my list now are underthings for my gown and getting alterations situated. and finding jewlrey. i found a fabulous necklace that i want but its ridulously expensive and im not really sure that i can justify the cost.

oh yeah and im joing shelbys race to loose 10lbs before the wedding. wish me luck.

summer safari, 1 week down, 9 to go

2006-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

im teaching summer safari (day camp) at the zoo this year. here is my class from week one. only 8 weeks and three days to go!!

so much for that

2006-05-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

well, i was planning on posting some new pictures but i seem to have lost the cable for my camera. which sucks. i have no idea where it might be and i have some great pics that i really want to share. crap.

drat

2006-03-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

so i lost my ipod for about 8 hours. ive been looking for an excuse to buy a fancy new one, but really couldnt rationalize plunking down the cash for a new one. i had planned on going to the gym this afternoon and couldnt find my ipod when i left the house. it wasnt anywhere i usually kept it nor could i find it in the very quick search i did of the gym bag itself.

on my arrival home, without the trip to the gym, i emtpied out my gym bag to find my ipod burried in my clothes. alright, so i guess i dont have to do anymore froogle searchs for ipods....

kay, off to do some cardio kickboxing with jillian michaels in the comfort of my living room.

its been a while...

2006-03-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

yeah. not much has been going on.

ive been working at the zoo more. which is nice cause im not sitting around much anymore. i still havent started working on my thesis. although i have brought my stuff home from the lab in preparation of working on it. but im meeting with my labs 'stats guru' tomorrow. he read my paper and said i needed to completely redo my stats. so hopefully once that is done, i wont have to spend a tone of time finsihing things up.

i got that urge to be a teacher again last night. i was at the zoo and there was this group of 7th graders there. they were all really cool (for middle schoolers) and the teacher was just as excited as the kids. i dont know why but i always assumed that teaching meant teaching high school kids. not that i wouldnt be able to do middle school or had never thought about it. but i think i might want to try it after all. cause this whole no job thing really sucks. so does the no purpose feeling that ive had for the last three months. but i think i might actually enjoy it. and i guess ill never know till i try.

additional thoughts for the evening...

2006-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

what is the function of baking soda? what is the reaction that, when baking, requires baking soda to be present? and what happens (or doesnt happen) when the baking soda isnt present?

i made cookies tonight and forgot the baking soda. they arent normal. but they also arent bad enough for me not to eat. whats that say about me?

MS or PhD?

2006-01-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

so im on this email list for a regional herp group and i get daily emails about various topics. the lastest one is some kid (ha, i say kid like im some old fart) anyhoo, this person is about to graduate with some sort of undergraduate degree in something so freeking broad that his undergraduate career might quite possibly be longer than mine was. i digress. ok, so this person is graduating and he posts on the list server thing a question: should i go for a master of science or a PhD in science. i really havent read the whole post or any of the replies because i am very disgruntled about this topic.

lets use me as an example: here i am with a bachelors degree in biology, with a concentration in neurobio and behavior. trust me it sounds way more impressive than it really is. what that extra line on my diploma says is that i took one neuro course, two endocrinology courses, a vertebrate bio course, and took some undergrad research hours. big whoop. so as graduation drew near in 04, i sent out about 60 resumes, to which i got one response: sorry we are no longer hiring for that position. i must admit that i did get one job offer, at the 4H center at tybee island. i really didnt think that spending the next nine months 6 hours from home would be good for me and matt, nor did i want to live on an island for 9 months. so i decided that getting a MS would be the solution to my job problems.

how freeking wrong i was! fast forward two years. here i am with a nearly complete degree. all i have left is physically defending my thesis, which i have no desire or motivation to do. why dont i have any motivation, you ask? well, its because a masters degree makes no difference when looking for a job, at least not in the science field. as of this minute, my options are: stay at the zoo in my "seasonal", part time postion or teach. but in order for me to teach, i have to be offered a job before i can enroll in the program to get my teaching certification. thats pretty much it. i have been sending out resume after resume and im not getting any responses! which brings me to my point (sorry, i know i went on a bit of a rant).

it doesnt matter what kind of degree this kid gets, unless he is going to teach at the university level, he is going to have a bitch of a time trying to find a job. here i am, having spent all this time and money on my education and i am qualified for absoutley NOTHING! i am feeling so screwed that if i dont find something after my spring stint is done at the zoo, im enrolling in an allied health school and getting certifed to be a pharmacy tech or something along those lines so maybe , just maybe i can have a better chance of finding a job.

sorry for the vent, thanks for reading.

i got a new phone!

2006-01-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

a magenta motorola razor. : )

btw, the number is the same, if anyone was wondering.

my new haircut

2006-01-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

so i got my hair cut today. i already had a bit of the "swoopy bangs" going on, but i thought i wanted more bang and less "swoop" heres the result.

first, this isnt really that great of a picture.
second, i evidently have a bit of an squinty eye thing going on. why didnt anyone ever say something?
third, i *think* i like the hair. it needs some getting used to, but i think i like it.

new years eve 2006

2006-01-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

all i can say is WOW. i dont think we will ever be able to top the pary we had this year.

it all began around 5:30 when sara, shelby, and i cracked open the first giant bottle of wine with dinner. then the saki came out around 8:30 with the arrival of chris (aka the pool boy). lots of dancing, falling, and LOTS more drinking later we rang in the new year with a bunch of our friends. 30 minutes and 9 bottles of champagne later, things were out of control. then we all passed out around 6am.

the aftermath included 12+ used shot glasses, 100+ plastic cups, and a missing trashcan lid. but fun was had by all and thats what matters!

just how much mucus can one human produce

2005-12-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

one might ask themselves.

well, let me tell you: A LOT!

i have a cold and im SO over this runny nose thing. i have gone thru at least two boxes of tissues in the last three days and have the raw nose to prove it. im also amazed at how easy it is to be congested and runny at the same time.

hopefully ill be better by the time the sara and shelby show rolls into town.

lookie here...

2005-12-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.bethstokes.shutterfly.com

for pics that i have accumulated. you can see the house from start to finish as well as the rest of my aquarium pics, those from my trip to flagstaff in august and some of my fish brains.

enjoy!

so, this is christmas

2005-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

well another one has come and gone.

and they get stranger and stranger each year. familys are wierd. but what can you do though?

at least i had some excellent food today. so much in fact that i think i might puke. seriously. im slightly nausous sitting here. and yet i had to force myself NOT to eat anymore.

thats ok, i snagged some leftovers for later. ok, for tomorrow. : )

happiness is....

2005-12-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

happiness is alot of things, but today its my new kate spade purse!

its the same shape as my black and white one (kind of squareish, but longer than it is tall), white leather, with a double braded cord strap that is a teal color.

it was originally $400
marke downs were as follows:
206.50
147.50
88.50

and then i had a coupon for another 20% off!!!! that was about another $18!!!

ah, i love shopping. but i love it even more when i get a great bargain like this one!

take two!

2005-12-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

here are some pics from the aquarium. enjoy!

ive jumped on the bandwagon

2005-12-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

the myspace bandwagon, that is.

i dont know why, really. most liekly cause im bored and have nothing to do, well nothing that i want to do. but thats a whole nother entry....

i found a few people from high school that i might want to talk to, but havent contacted. they probably dont remember me and i dont want to seem stalkerish. one guy that i knew is/was friends with matt. apparently hes married now and still lives in the same city as matt and i. i was suprised to find out that one guy i knew is gay. but then when i think about it, it doesnt seem that suprising after all.

its not very exciting, but if youre interested, www.myspace.com/bethstokes

as a side note, and it really bothers me that this tom guy, whoever he is, is automatically labeled as one of my friends. i dont know him.

our visit to the aquaruim

2005-11-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

matt thought it was awesome. i was a little disapointed. well, not disapointed, but i think my expectations were too high. dont get me wrong, it was very cool, and we will go back, but, it wasnt quite what i had expected, not that i knew what to expect. i think the fact that there were people everywhere made it less enjoyable for me as well.

you walk into this huge central area and there are 5 (well, really 4, the 5th is more of a kiddie area) "galleries", the food place and the gift shops. i like that you could go to any area you wanted to. we did the big one first with the whale sharks. i was honestly more impressed with the giant grouper than the whale sharks.

the other galeries were cool, the cold water one was probably my favorite. this is where the beluga whales are. and there are penguins (matt was happy) two kinds of otters, and sea lions. my absolute favorite exhibit was the kelp forest one (which was also in the cold water gallery. why, im not sure...) anyway this is where all the cool startfish, urchins, garibaldi, sea bass, and bluebanded gobies hung out. it was just like being at catalina again! i was so exicited that i actually pushed some little kids out of the way so i could get on the floor and look for the gobies. my second favorite exhibit was the one that had the ginat crabs and the ratfish (chimera) in it.

there was also a tropical water gallery where they had a living reef with this curved glass front that you could see "waves" crashing over your head. there was a cool sea dragon exhibit here too.

i think my favorite thing about the aquarium was getting to go aroung like the science geek that i am and name and see all the animal species that i have learned about and teach about at school.

so im having some issues uploading pics. if youre dying to see them, you can email me if you want... and after writting this i think i want to go back already and see if i can get some more good pics.

Go Fish!

2005-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

today matt and i are going to the new ga aquarium. we have annual passes and pass holders get to go before it opens to the public tomarrow. its kind of sad, actually, with ALL the people i know who are involved with the aquarium in some shape or form, that i cant even get free tix, let alone a job at this place.

oh well, maybe in a few months, i can try again with the job thing...

i will post some pics, but we wont have internet at our place til the 29th, so im not sure when they will go up...

FINALLY!

2005-11-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

we are in the new house!!!!

we got our certificate of occupancy last thursday and started moving stuff on sat. we are mostly in, i have all of my stuff from his parents house and matt only has his clothes really. we still have a ton of stuff in the storage place, but its all stuff we dont need. which also means that most of it can be trashed. especially since its all been there for over a year now.

the house is much nicer than i expected and its great to be able to do what i want when i want. and its SO quiet! no vacuums, no mother in law asking tons of stupid questions, no little brother slamming doors. I LOVE IT!

here are some pics. the pic of the front of the house is the least recent (obviously) i will add more once we get internet.

im not sure if i can physically take anymore

2005-11-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

matts mom is driving me INSNANE. not just a little, a lot. when shes home, i can litterally feel my blood presure go up. i know she means well, but she just needs to leave us alone!

some for examples:
last weekend she decided that the basement needed to be cleaned. you know cause everyone who comes in this house gets a tour of the basement . anyway she tells me that she "found" some of my stuff in the basement that i already knew was there, but whatever. little did i know that "found" meant "i ripped open the three boxes you had neatly packed, sealed, and labeled and dug through them". then she offered to give the stuff away if i didnt want it.

tonight, she comes home and sees my room. it looks like a war zone with crap everywhere and she asks what im doing. suppressing the urge to say "moving IN" i tell her im trying to get my stuff packed so we can move it this weekend. she repeately offers her help, or what about going to the house and doing something there? what about matthews room? do i need to pack stuff for him? what about these clothes? are they clean? whats all this? trash?

all these questions in about 3 mintues. it makes my head spin.

help.me. sigh.

SUCCESS!

2005-11-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

HA! i FINALLY figured out how to add links to my friends blogs!

you should check out my friends, they are pretty cool! : )

how refreshing

2005-11-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

i skipped class and went drinking with a friend and some people from the geology department today. i dont usually have a that great of a time with people that i just met, but it was a blast. it was the first time i really had fun in a while.

rock people rock! : )

well, matt finally got his toyota supra yesterday. this was after going back and forth between the supra, a vette, or a viper for two days. fortunatley the viper financing was OUTRAGEOUS and the vette was in NJ, so he "settled" for the supra. its a 97 i think, alpine silver, black interior...its got some other stuff done to it, but its really not too moded out, so matt can do all the stuff to it he wants.

in other news:
i dont want to jinx it, but i think we might get to start moving into the house this weekend. woo freaking hoo!! i.cannont.wait.

ive decided to postpone my thesis defense untill the spring. besides all the other maddness that is going on right now, im just not ready. as much as i want to get it over with, i dont want to look like an idiot in front of my friends and teachers. so i figure ill shoot for march, around spring break. that gives me 4 months to work on writting (blech!) and running some different statistical analyses. and maybe shelby will be able to come home and offer moral support!

i have my interview at the zoo tomarrow morning then im heading to IKEA to get some stuff for the house! im mostly looking for stuff for the guest bathroom, but i might get some knicknack-y stuff, we'll see....

t-minus 9 days

2005-10-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

untill my defense. my papers still not done and i havent started on my talk yet. my adsvisor has been more and more un helpful as this process has gone on. i know its MY thesis, but come on, i need some serious guidance. just for a few more days. then im done.

i applied for a comissary (animal kitchen) job at the zoo. its my best shot at actually getting a job in the near future. i bypassed HR and sent my resume directly to the commissary supervisor. hopefully ill hear something in the next week.

we may have made some progress on wedding planning. matt likes the fox. its more than we wanted to spend, but not as expensive as other places ive looked.

im still on my shopping high, i bought some cool stuff for our house today. : )

and its official, we are hosting appetizers at our place for the family xmas dinner so all of matts dads family can see our house for the first time.

alright, enough procrastinating. i need to work on studying for this stupid tox class. i need to ace this test since i botched the first one.

GRRR

2005-10-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

what the fuck? why am i so freaking computer illiterate? all i want to do is post my picture and add some links to the sidebar thing. hell, it took me 20 min to figure out how to make a new post. im really not sure that ill even remenber the next time that i come back.

sure there are help pages and such, but its like reading freaking german!

so now i have a blog, but it sucks cause i cant figure out how to edit it. and i dont want to pass the info on to my friends without having a pretty blog like them.

ok, i sort of figured out the picture thing. on to the link thing.

if everyone else is doing it...

2005-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

ive decided to start my own blog. several of my friends are doing it, so why not me too?

a little about me:
>i dont like (read: im too lazy) to use punctuation when i type unless its for something important.
>i like animals, herps (reptiles and amphibians) are my favorites.
>i work at zoo atlanta as an education instructor.
>as of dec 7 i will be done with school. forevah!
>i probably wont post regualarly. untill schools over then depneding on the job status, i may post alot.
>i think i complain alot. this might be a good space to vent.
>i have been with my fiance, matt, for 8 years.
>i know more about cars and bikes than other girls (i think)

well, thats all for now... depending on how much i procrastinate next week and when my internet at home comes back on, i will post again soon