snl celebrity jeopardy rocks: the newlywed game
May 31, 2013 • love
This week, I made the mistake of trying to discuss the questions with Sean. When it came time to put the answers into the blog, I got short form answers. Sorry.
Hopefully next week will be the best ever since it is sadly the last. :(
1. Would your spouse rather be blind or deaf?
Bekah –Probably deaf. He’d be mad if he couldn’t drive or enjoy all his video games.
Sean – She’s already both, so I can’t tell.
2. Who wears the pants??
Bekah – Neither of us are terribly authoritative. We do what we do.
Sean – She does, because she organizes everything.
3. What do you think was your spouse's best subject in school?
Bekah – In high school, History and English probably…in college, beach-ology.
Sean – Dancing.
Bekah – I took dance classes in community college (ballet/ballroom), but not in regular school. I did enjoy them but I’m no dancer. Too late for me. :/
4. Is there any significance to your spouse's name? Were they named after anyone?
Bekah – Sean Connery! His mama may or may not have had a crush...
Sean – Not named after anyone, but Rebecca is biblical. Her mom wanted it spelled Rebekah which is of course what Bekah uses now.
5. What quality does your spouse have that you hope your future children will inherit?
Bekah – His smile and outgoing-ness.
Sean – Height and intelligence.
6. What musical artist do you listen to that your spouse hates?
Bekah – He hates most of what I listen to, but especially the few country artists I enjoy –Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, The Wreckers, etc.
Sean – It might be Jimi Hendrix.
Bekah – It’s usually not that I dislike an artist. He just plays a CD in the car until I can’t take it anymore, then he keeps going. The more appropriate answer would be all his NPR talk radio, but that isn’t a musical artist.
7. What do you both want to do when you retire?
Bekah – 3 years into marriage, we have minimal savings, no active retirement accounts, and what feels like no possibility of even getting a house. Maryland is so expensive! So honestly we haven’t even thought much of retirement. Now I’m depressed. Thanks.
Sean – Move to a warm location. (can't we just do that now? seriously!)
8. What is your favorite tradition that you share together? Or maybe one that you both started together when you got married?
Bekah – I assume he would say “the shirt” again, though that is more for him. The closest thing we have to a tradition together (up until this year) would be AT Days.
Sean – Trail Days and the shirt.
9. What is your spouse's favorite app on ther smart phone (if they have one)?
Bekah – Scramble with Friends.
Sean - iFunny.
10. Have you & your spouse dressed up for Halloween together? If so, what was your favorite costume?
Bekah – We’re too cheap to buy costumes so we work with what we have. One year we dressed up as Mormons together for a church Halloween party. It’s a Baptist church, so I thought we were quite clever.
Sean – Yep. Mormons.
Hopefully next week will be the best ever since it is sadly the last. :(
1. Would your spouse rather be blind or deaf?
Bekah –Probably deaf. He’d be mad if he couldn’t drive or enjoy all his video games.
Sean – She’s already both, so I can’t tell.
2. Who wears the pants??
Bekah – Neither of us are terribly authoritative. We do what we do.
Sean – She does, because she organizes everything.
3. What do you think was your spouse's best subject in school?
Bekah – In high school, History and English probably…in college, beach-ology.
Sean – Dancing.
Bekah – I took dance classes in community college (ballet/ballroom), but not in regular school. I did enjoy them but I’m no dancer. Too late for me. :/
4. Is there any significance to your spouse's name? Were they named after anyone?
Bekah – Sean Connery! His mama may or may not have had a crush...
Sean – Not named after anyone, but Rebecca is biblical. Her mom wanted it spelled Rebekah which is of course what Bekah uses now.
5. What quality does your spouse have that you hope your future children will inherit?
Bekah – His smile and outgoing-ness.
Sean – Height and intelligence.
6. What musical artist do you listen to that your spouse hates?
Bekah – He hates most of what I listen to, but especially the few country artists I enjoy –Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, The Wreckers, etc.
Sean – It might be Jimi Hendrix.
Bekah – It’s usually not that I dislike an artist. He just plays a CD in the car until I can’t take it anymore, then he keeps going. The more appropriate answer would be all his NPR talk radio, but that isn’t a musical artist.
7. What do you both want to do when you retire?
Bekah – 3 years into marriage, we have minimal savings, no active retirement accounts, and what feels like no possibility of even getting a house. Maryland is so expensive! So honestly we haven’t even thought much of retirement. Now I’m depressed. Thanks.
Sean – Move to a warm location. (can't we just do that now? seriously!)
 |
| Jamaica is calling our names. We can move any time... |
8. What is your favorite tradition that you share together? Or maybe one that you both started together when you got married?
Bekah – I assume he would say “the shirt” again, though that is more for him. The closest thing we have to a tradition together (up until this year) would be AT Days.
Sean – Trail Days and the shirt.
9. What is your spouse's favorite app on ther smart phone (if they have one)?
Bekah – Scramble with Friends.
Sean - iFunny.
10. Have you & your spouse dressed up for Halloween together? If so, what was your favorite costume?
Bekah – We’re too cheap to buy costumes so we work with what we have. One year we dressed up as Mormons together for a church Halloween party. It’s a Baptist church, so I thought we were quite clever.
Sean – Yep. Mormons.
i just wanted yoga + a PSA
May 29, 2013 • health and beauty, life
It should have been a simple enough day: shower, go to yoga, let my friend's doggies out, go to work, go home.
Except things got all derailed after shower.
I'm about to get dressed when I notice something out of the corner of my eye. I'm hoping I'm wrong, so I do a double take. No luck. There is a tick on me.
More specifically, there is a tick with its' head lodged into my rear end. And since I hadn't been out of the house yet, I likely sat and slept on the thing all through the night before. Ugh.
On one hand, I was quite proud of myself. Most of you know I work with dogs. The facility I work at with said dogs is on 16 wooded acres. So really, I went nearly two years without a tick incident. Not bad. Still, it's a nuisance.
And, despite being trained in how to handle this situation because of said job, all information flew out of my head cuz the tick was on ME.
I called my husband who couldn't pick up but happily texted back with some innuendo regarding the placement of the tick. Thanks.
I called my mother-in-law who is a nurse and lives a mile down the street. She'd just left for work. Dangit. Like me, she was trained in such things, but rarely actually uses them, so heck if she remembered specifics. She did some google research (thank you, internet) and gave me a quick coaching session.
During said coaching, it became clear the tick was so perfectly placed that I couldn't safely remove it on my own. I was gonna need help. Great. Who do you call in the middle of a workday to pull a tick off your bum?
I ended up calling the leader of my Arbonne team since she was likely to be home and I knew she wouldn't judge me. My mother-in-law was texting me all the way over with extra facts: don't put anything on the tick until its out, put it on tape after drowning it if you want to identify it...
Lovely friend removed all she could of the tick and we identified it as a Lone Star tick (first pic in post, the female with the lovely white dot on her back) via the wonderful internet. Yikes. Off to the minute clinic at CVS just to be safe. Showed another person my bum and got antibiotics.
Oh yeah, yoga started half an hour ago. Guess I'm not making that. Time to pick up said drugs and finish the rest of the day.
Thankfully, work ended up not needing me. It sucks to lose hours but at least I didn't feel rushed and got to work out, even if yoga wasn't involved.
Now, onto the PSA. I wasn't the first tick the Nurse Practitioner at Minute Clinic saw this season. She's also seen other nasties so far this season in patients including scabies. Ick! So, here are my courtesy tick tips in hopes that one won't interrupt your yoga plans:
Except things got all derailed after shower.
I'm about to get dressed when I notice something out of the corner of my eye. I'm hoping I'm wrong, so I do a double take. No luck. There is a tick on me.
More specifically, there is a tick with its' head lodged into my rear end. And since I hadn't been out of the house yet, I likely sat and slept on the thing all through the night before. Ugh.
On one hand, I was quite proud of myself. Most of you know I work with dogs. The facility I work at with said dogs is on 16 wooded acres. So really, I went nearly two years without a tick incident. Not bad. Still, it's a nuisance.
And, despite being trained in how to handle this situation because of said job, all information flew out of my head cuz the tick was on ME.
|
| via - this tick is linked to lots of fun including a red meat allergy. Good thing that's not an issue for me. |
I called my husband who couldn't pick up but happily texted back with some innuendo regarding the placement of the tick. Thanks.
I called my mother-in-law who is a nurse and lives a mile down the street. She'd just left for work. Dangit. Like me, she was trained in such things, but rarely actually uses them, so heck if she remembered specifics. She did some google research (thank you, internet) and gave me a quick coaching session.
During said coaching, it became clear the tick was so perfectly placed that I couldn't safely remove it on my own. I was gonna need help. Great. Who do you call in the middle of a workday to pull a tick off your bum?
I ended up calling the leader of my Arbonne team since she was likely to be home and I knew she wouldn't judge me. My mother-in-law was texting me all the way over with extra facts: don't put anything on the tick until its out, put it on tape after drowning it if you want to identify it...
 |
| Didn't have tape. Used a band aid. We're |
Lovely friend removed all she could of the tick and we identified it as a Lone Star tick (first pic in post, the female with the lovely white dot on her back) via the wonderful internet. Yikes. Off to the minute clinic at CVS just to be safe. Showed another person my bum and got antibiotics.
Oh yeah, yoga started half an hour ago. Guess I'm not making that. Time to pick up said drugs and finish the rest of the day.
Thankfully, work ended up not needing me. It sucks to lose hours but at least I didn't feel rushed and got to work out, even if yoga wasn't involved.
Now, onto the PSA. I wasn't the first tick the Nurse Practitioner at Minute Clinic saw this season. She's also seen other nasties so far this season in patients including scabies. Ick! So, here are my courtesy tick tips in hopes that one won't interrupt your yoga plans:
- Bug Repellent. If you spend any time on any wooded acreage, wearing some might be a good idea. I am a huge fan of the natural products made by Badger Balm, which include an insect repellent I think I will be purchasing soon!
- Check yourself (and your pet!). Imagine if I missed it! The Nurse Practitioner told me that after 36 hours, things aren't so pretty.
- Don't put anything on the tick. Really. Vaseline, alcohol, nail polish. There's all sorts of theories. Don't do any of them while the tick is on your person (or pet). It will get pissed off and release saliva into you that increases your chance of infection. On the same note, don't burn it, either.
- Pull straight up, and slowly. Don't twist it or squeeze the belly. You want to get the entire thing out. The head especially. It will hurt, but it's gotta be done.
 |
| via |
- Identify the tick, and if you are unsure of anything, see a doctor anyway. Something was left in my skin and since I knew what kind of tick I was dealing with, I sucked it up and paid a doctor. Better safe than sorry. Lyme's Disease and other tick-associated ailments are no fun and tend to stick around.
Here's hoping for a tick-free summer for the rest of you!
MD•TX•NC - Regional Cara Box!
May 27, 2013 • link up
For the third month in a row, I participated in Wifessionals' Cara Box exchange. It is essentially a care package version of pen pals with bloggers. It's also seriously addictive. The box each month has a theme, and I was almost as excited for this month's theme as I was for last month's. Almost.
For May, the boxes had a regional theme: find things your partner would enjoy that are from/manufactured in/reflect your state of residence. I was thrilled. I've only been in Maryland since 2008, but thanks to Sean's over the top Maryland pride, I felt more equipped to pack a Maryland themed box than I would have been to pack one from my native Virginia. Yikes.
I was paired up with Aleshea and Claire this month and absolutely loved them both!
Aleshea resides in Texas and shares my love for Jesus and a glass of sweet tea! My kind of girl.
You can see what I sent her here. Any Marylanders reading, I will ease your concern and assure you that Old Bay was, in fact, included in her box.
Claire lives in North Carolina and is very thorough and artistic. She has her own etsy shop, so I was excited to see what her creativity would produce. Here's what she came up with:
Another great month. Bloggers and non-bloggers are alike, so feel free to sign up to join in the fun for June!
For May, the boxes had a regional theme: find things your partner would enjoy that are from/manufactured in/reflect your state of residence. I was thrilled. I've only been in Maryland since 2008, but thanks to Sean's over the top Maryland pride, I felt more equipped to pack a Maryland themed box than I would have been to pack one from my native Virginia. Yikes.
I was paired up with Aleshea and Claire this month and absolutely loved them both!
Aleshea resides in Texas and shares my love for Jesus and a glass of sweet tea! My kind of girl.
You can see what I sent her here. Any Marylanders reading, I will ease your concern and assure you that Old Bay was, in fact, included in her box.
Claire lives in North Carolina and is very thorough and artistic. She has her own etsy shop, so I was excited to see what her creativity would produce. Here's what she came up with:
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| Everything was wrapped so cute in pretty colors with notes explaining each item. |
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| Gorgeous wildflowers grow down south, but since they wouldn't last, she made me pretty permanent ones...with cupcake wrappers! How cute! ignore the ugly junk in the background. |
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| Cookies! Half of them were gone day one! |
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| Turns out creativity is a family trait. Claire's sister, who also has an etsy shop, made this necklace. |
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| cute vintage postcards with impressions of the state |
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The Avett Brothers
are from NC. A little country, a little folksy...a nice long CD for relaxing on the road. |
Another great month. Bloggers and non-bloggers are alike, so feel free to sign up to join in the fun for June!
Take a look at my previous Cara Boxes:
my overactive imagination [the newlywed game]
May 24, 2013 • love
There are only two rounds left after this week. *sniff, sniff.* Kudos as always to Karla and Veronica for coordinating my favorite link-up!
1. If your spouse could have one thing in the world (besides millions of dollars) what would it be?.
Bekah – An over-the-top car collection.
Sean – A puppy or 50.
2. Is your spouse an early bird or a night owl?
Bekah – He is both, but a night owl by choice.
Sean – She’s a definite night owl. I’ve never met anyone more spiteful of mornings.
Bekah – If by spiteful you mean yelling at him to turn his alarm off because it’s way too early and he hits snooze often, yes. It’s better than when I smacked him in the morning to turn it off. Realistically I’m in bed by 10 usually so I'm not really a night owl either. I’m just a sleep whore.
3. Does your spouse do anything weird or silly when they are nervous? If so, what?
Bekah – I think he’s just quieter.
Sean – She overthinks and worries horribly. Like the possible effects from surgery she was absolutely convinced she would have amnesia. So I wore my “The Shirt” (see question 8) she had just given to me the day before. I saw her right after surgery and despite severely overheating and a rude nurse she said, “Nice shirt!”
Bekah – I mean, the people from the hospital called me pre-surgery to ask if I had a living will! I was horrified after that!
4. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done as a couple?
Bekah – I have no idea. I think we’re mostly spontaneous over all. We aren’t usually big planners; we tend to just go with it.
Sean – Maybe Ocean City, MD at New Year’s.
5. What makes your spouse different/special from any other person you know?
Bekah – Everyone loves him! He’s nice to everyone and polite…and not afraid to smile. He’s not one of those guys trying to look tough in pics or give the idea he’s someone that he’s not.
Sean – She loves me, and unconditionally. Yeah yeah, cliché but it’s amazing the amount of crap and quirks of mine she puts up with.
6. In the summertime, does your spouse most resemble a white snowman, a red lobster, or a very tan Pauly D?!
Bekah – Oh my. He tans pretty well but definitely not to the Jersey Shore category.
Sean – She’s very fair; until we’re doing an outdoor activity, I’ll ask if she put on sun tan lotion, and she says “I want to tan” (she usually only wears 8spf). She’s the cooked lobster the next day.
7. What is one thing that people may not know about your spouse?
Bekah – His momma named him after Sean Connery.
Sean – Her real name is Rebecca, not sure if she wanted that shared on her blog. If she edits that she said sternly that she wanted an engagement (after 5 years of dating) before I would go to another volleyball nationals tournament.
Bekah – No sense in editing it. I like saving that info for when I have to tell secrets. Then I can mischievously say “my name isn’t really Bekah!”
8. What is your spouse’s favorite holiday?
Bekah – St. Patrick’s Day!
Sean – July 4th. Its summer and it’s the day before my birthday so she gets to give me my annual birthday gift, the Notre Dame “The Shirt”. Ok, it’s one of my favorite holidays with the fireworks included. I honestly don’t know which may be her favorite.
Bekah – Except I give most gifts ON his actual birthday. Last year was the exception as he mentioned above. I wanted him to have them in case I died in surgery on his birthday (overactive imagination much?)
9. There is a table full of food. Salad, meat, bread, desserts. Which dish does your spouse devour first?
Bekah – He would go for meat/bread (he’s a sandwich a holic) and dessert!
Sean – If there were no rules and she could pick whatever she wanted it would be the dessert. We do love our sweets.
10. I am so thankful that my spouse is ______________ because I am definitely not!
Bekah – a man!
Sean – Organized (one of the many quirks that goes back to question 5).
1. If your spouse could have one thing in the world (besides millions of dollars) what would it be?.
Bekah – An over-the-top car collection.
Sean – A puppy or 50.
 |
| I hate puppies. Clearly. |
2. Is your spouse an early bird or a night owl?
Bekah – He is both, but a night owl by choice.
Sean – She’s a definite night owl. I’ve never met anyone more spiteful of mornings.
Bekah – If by spiteful you mean yelling at him to turn his alarm off because it’s way too early and he hits snooze often, yes. It’s better than when I smacked him in the morning to turn it off. Realistically I’m in bed by 10 usually so I'm not really a night owl either. I’m just a sleep whore.
3. Does your spouse do anything weird or silly when they are nervous? If so, what?
Bekah – I think he’s just quieter.
Sean – She overthinks and worries horribly. Like the possible effects from surgery she was absolutely convinced she would have amnesia. So I wore my “The Shirt” (see question 8) she had just given to me the day before. I saw her right after surgery and despite severely overheating and a rude nurse she said, “Nice shirt!”
Bekah – I mean, the people from the hospital called me pre-surgery to ask if I had a living will! I was horrified after that!
4. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done as a couple?
Bekah – I have no idea. I think we’re mostly spontaneous over all. We aren’t usually big planners; we tend to just go with it.
Sean – Maybe Ocean City, MD at New Year’s.
.jpg) |
| oh so young...and skinny |
5. What makes your spouse different/special from any other person you know?
Bekah – Everyone loves him! He’s nice to everyone and polite…and not afraid to smile. He’s not one of those guys trying to look tough in pics or give the idea he’s someone that he’s not.
Sean – She loves me, and unconditionally. Yeah yeah, cliché but it’s amazing the amount of crap and quirks of mine she puts up with.
6. In the summertime, does your spouse most resemble a white snowman, a red lobster, or a very tan Pauly D?!
Bekah – Oh my. He tans pretty well but definitely not to the Jersey Shore category.
Sean – She’s very fair; until we’re doing an outdoor activity, I’ll ask if she put on sun tan lotion, and she says “I want to tan” (she usually only wears 8spf). She’s the cooked lobster the next day.
7. What is one thing that people may not know about your spouse?
Bekah – His momma named him after Sean Connery.
Sean – Her real name is Rebecca, not sure if she wanted that shared on her blog. If she edits that she said sternly that she wanted an engagement (after 5 years of dating) before I would go to another volleyball nationals tournament.
Bekah – No sense in editing it. I like saving that info for when I have to tell secrets. Then I can mischievously say “my name isn’t really Bekah!”
8. What is your spouse’s favorite holiday?
Bekah – St. Patrick’s Day!
Sean – July 4th. Its summer and it’s the day before my birthday so she gets to give me my annual birthday gift, the Notre Dame “The Shirt”. Ok, it’s one of my favorite holidays with the fireworks included. I honestly don’t know which may be her favorite.
Bekah – Except I give most gifts ON his actual birthday. Last year was the exception as he mentioned above. I wanted him to have them in case I died in surgery on his birthday (overactive imagination much?)
9. There is a table full of food. Salad, meat, bread, desserts. Which dish does your spouse devour first?
Bekah – He would go for meat/bread (he’s a sandwich a holic) and dessert!
Sean – If there were no rules and she could pick whatever she wanted it would be the dessert. We do love our sweets.
10. I am so thankful that my spouse is ______________ because I am definitely not!
Bekah – a man!
Sean – Organized (one of the many quirks that goes back to question 5).
re•view: elevation burger
May 23, 2013 • food, review
Note: Food was provided to me by Elevation Burger, but all opinions presented are my own.
I was leaving lunch with a friend one day when I saw this:
I was irked and I'm sure I don't need to tell you why. There is a lot of new construction where I live, and I was hoping that it would bring more options for my crunchy, veggie-loving self. I wasn't a big fan of burgers even when I DID eat meat (you have no idea how sick I would get if I tried to eat at Five Guys), so yet another burger joint was not high on my list of establishments I wanted to see on our arrival list.
However, I'd never heard of the place, so I decided to do some quick research when I got home. I discovered this fact which calmed me down:
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| one of many signs in the restaurant |
The restaurant gives a nice impression upon entrance: there is plenty of natural light, simple furnishings made from "renewable, non-polluting materials," (took that info right from the recycled paper that lined my food tray), eye-appealing signs, and most importantly, it's clean!
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| the view when first entering. |
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| this won't switch me to meat-eating anytime soon, but I'm glad to know they use organic! |
Once we got past that, he placed my order and I grabbed my drink and sat down to wait (the format is that of most fast casual establishments where you order at the counter then your name is called when your food is ready.) The menu boards are clean and easy to read, and also provide calorie information. Similar to Five Guys, you choose your burger then your toppings and fries are a la carte. For consistency, I ordered both of my burgers with Elevation Burger's "original toppings:" lettuce, tomato, pickle, and "elevation sauce," a tomato-based condiment.
In the fridge, they offer Wild Bill's soda which is a fun, unique touch, as well as other usual suspects including water, milk, and juce. Of course, they also offer tea (small complaint here: They offer a flavored tea only. I tend to enjoy these, but it would be great to have regular brewed tea as well!) and soft drinks: they have followed the current trend of that magnificent Coke fountain that lets you customize your drink flavor!
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| I love unfamiliar brands! |
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| I try hard to avoid soda, but I can't resist a lime coke when I see one of these fountains! |
In line with their values of sustainability, the food was presented on a recyclable aluminum tray and lined with an informational sheet printed on recycled paper. They also cover your fries which is a nice thought.
Onto the good stuff: the food! As you noticed before, they offer TWO different veggie burgers, creatively named Veggie Burger #1 and Veggie Burger #2. The second is actually vegan which is REALLY impressive in the industry to me. Most places would call their side salad vegan and tell you to stop whining. I like that they have done this, and hopefully more establishments will follow suit.
Veggie Burger #1 contains cheese but actually has 20 calories less than #2:
The toppings are fresh and definitely what I noticed first. On it's own, the pattie on Veggie Burger #1 tastes like a broccoli and cheese rice ball sans the broccoli.
Veggie burger #2 contains...can you believe this? Veggies! Shocking more places don't catch on to this:
I mentioned fries are a la carte (you can also choose sides like salad or mandarin oranges), but the people at Elevation Burger were good to me and supplied those as well. During my "research," the biggest negative comment I had seen was that the fries (hand cut and fried in olive oil!) were too greasy. I was concerned but had no need to be. I LOVED these! I could tell they were cut fresh, the texture was as I like it, and the amount of salt added was appropriate. Even though fried is fried, I appreciate the effort to be healthier by using olive oil.
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| mmmmm..... |
I had never heard of Elevation Burger before they arrived here, but clearly they are growing. Check out their website to see if there is one near you or on its way! They are definitely worth a try.
find me at..
May 22, 2013 • guest post, review
Today I am guest blogging over at Sarah M. Schultz! Head on over to find out what re•solve's top 5 posts of all time are and what all but one have in common!
Then, be sure to come back tomorrow for a new restaurant review!
how to do graduations right
May 20, 2013 • life, travel
First off, congrats to my sister! Yep, both of my siblings graduated this year, one right after the other. Sean and I were down in VA yesterday watching my big sister get her Associate Degree!
I am happy for her and also happy to be done with graduation ceremonies for the near future. Good riddance. Ceremonies are nice things that get real old, real fast.
Since I sat through two back to back ceremonies the last two weeks, I have resorted to my favorite pastime of people watching once my sister's name was called and I had to wait on the other 70% of grads to walk. Eesh.
Welp, it got me to thinking a lot of things that my smart alecky self would love to share with you all. A lot of people (from the people running the show to the ones watching it) are doing graduations wrong. Oh, so wrong. Let's laugh at their expense while we discuss:
How to do Graduations Right:
- It's not about you: I get that graduation classes are getting huge. And the more graduates, the longer the ceremony. So yes, I appreciate whatever measures can be taken to ensure we aren't sitting there longer than we would sit in line to renew our drivers' licenses. However, NOVA, you messed this one up big time: Having the graduates already seated, then having everyone stand for just the faculty procession? NO. it's about the grads. Get over yourselves. You've had your own (several) graduations and as academic faculty, you walk in these things every friggen year. Let these kids have their moment.
- You don't have to always be PC: Yes, the graduating class in this area is uber diverse. We know. It's very nice of you to try to use accents to properly pronounce the names of said diverse. But, you won't always get it right - don't try to say the name five times when you mess it up the first time. Move on. Oh, and we people with boring white names are fine with you saying them the boring white way. We know our names have no exotic connotation whatsoever.
- Let's define hat etiquette: Oh, the confusion that ensued among the graduates when time for the national anthem came. It clearly had not been discussed beforehand. I grew up with the rule that gentlemen removed their hats while ladies kept their heads covered. I don't know why, though my guess would be it's an old school custom going back to the scriptures of women covering their heads. Regardless, protocol for this clearly befuddled the female graduates. While it was announced "gentlemen, remove your hats, and ladies, place your hands over your hearts," many ladies removed their caps while some removed them only to hear the directions and put them back on, and the rest never bothered removing them. There seemed to be no consistency in who made what choice (I thought perhaps the older women would be the ones keeping their hats, but no, no common factor among anyone making any choice here). I don't care what the rule is, just pick one and be consistent.
- This is a ceremony, not the club: When did graduations become the place to meet your next casual hookup? That red ruffly number that barely covers your rump or other lady bits? At a 2 p.m. ceremony? You're a classy one. Leave it at home and cover up. On the other hand...
- This is a ceremony, not a trailer park: That lacy dress with the open back? It's cute and covers enough to be appropriate...but wait, is that your bra cutting right through that open back? Bras are not accessories and things just went from cute to trashy. I'd say I'd rather you have not dressed up, but your friend who went that route is wearing a very flimsy white shirt with a neon orange bra underneath, just waiting to steal the show! Hmmm...maybe bras are accessories...but let's not bring this trend here.
- There is strength in numbers: As class sizes grow and we move from an abc order lineup to slapping your name on a card and walking, I got to thinking...I could totally don my old cap and gown and walk at these ceremonies whenever I want, under a fake alias. How fun would that be? I'm thinking Elle Woods!
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| via |
Oh, but you kiddos are already many steps ahead of me! So many fake names including Bob Hope and Malaria. Way to go, thrill seekers!
What fun commencement debacles have you witnessed this graduation season?
countdown to the finale [newlywed game]
May 17, 2013 • love
Sean and I don't have tv service. We do, however have hulu plus which we use to keep up on The Office together (and I keep up with Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast cuz I'm a geek like that). I've been in tears at the last few episodes realizing the end is in sight.
As I looked up spoilers for tomorrow's Office finale, (horrible, I know!), I realized the same fate is quickly approaching for my beloved Newlywed Game. Whatever will I do with my Fridays when this is gone? Thanks again to Karla and Veronica for this awesome and fun soon-to-be pastime and to Halie this week for coming up with the questions!
1. Which one of you (you or your spouse) can go without a mirror the longest?
Bekah – Sean. I could never be secure dating a metrosexual/prettier-than-me guy.
Sean – I don’t wear makeup, I’m able to comb my hair without using a mirror, and I only trim my facial hair every 5 days or so.
2. Do you have a picture of your spouse in a unique place (for example.. in the car, in the wallet, in your purse, in the bathroom?) and if so, where?
Bekah – hahahaha! I am so going to put one in the bathroom and see if he notices. The only thing I can think of is I made a photo collage as a gift when we were dating. It is hanging now in our walk in closet cuz our apartment is tiny!
Sean – Same answer, the one in the closet that includes us at her first Notre Dame-Navy game at Ravens stadium.
3. Complete the sentence. "My spouse has more _________ than anyone else I know!"
Bekah – sexiness!
Sean – Stop it, lies. She has more needs for back pops/adjustments and “tummy rubs”.
4. Think back to your very first kiss with your spouse. How do you think your spouse would describe that kiss in one word?
Bekah – quick?
Sean – She might say rushed. I was nervous.
Bekah - awww. didn't know that.
5. Which one of these would your spouse say they are "ruled" by: Their heart, their mind, or their stomach?
Bekah – heart and tummy!
Sean – Heart first with mind a super close second.
6. What will your spouse say attracts the most attention toward you when you are in a large crowd?
Bekah – My boobs or my height probably. Or maybe my hair. I’ve been known to get recognized (by people who know me) from long distances.
Sean – She would likely say height or smile. I would say belching gets her some attention!
7. Without looking it up or asking....what is your spouse's zodiac sign?
Bekah – Cancer
Sean – I thought it was the ram thing but she said wrong. Then I remembered Virgo.
8. What is the last food item that you both shared in bed?
Bekah – ummmm…no. we have glasses of water by the bedside and MAYBE a piece of candy, but we don’t eat in bed.
Sean – Water.
9. What would your spouse say is the first thing that you did on a date that showed them what you were REALLY like?
Bekah – I have no idea. He asked me to burp in front of him to demonstrate I was comfortable around him (oh yeah, I can out belch his guy friends. He can’t shut me up now) but I don’t generally do that on dates.
Sean – Probably when she came to a family party at my Aunt Kim’s.
10. What did your spouse say they wanted to do more than anything before you were married? Anything?
Bekah – Afford to live as a married couple? Idk.
Sean – I’m taking the question as what she wanted as a personal accomplishment for her. I would say graduate and have a full time job. She graduated with a very high GPA and honors, but that didn’t garner her a job in her field unfortunately.
As I looked up spoilers for tomorrow's Office finale, (horrible, I know!), I realized the same fate is quickly approaching for my beloved Newlywed Game. Whatever will I do with my Fridays when this is gone? Thanks again to Karla and Veronica for this awesome and fun soon-to-be pastime and to Halie this week for coming up with the questions!
1. Which one of you (you or your spouse) can go without a mirror the longest?
Bekah – Sean. I could never be secure dating a metrosexual/prettier-than-me guy.
Sean – I don’t wear makeup, I’m able to comb my hair without using a mirror, and I only trim my facial hair every 5 days or so.
2. Do you have a picture of your spouse in a unique place (for example.. in the car, in the wallet, in your purse, in the bathroom?) and if so, where?
Bekah – hahahaha! I am so going to put one in the bathroom and see if he notices. The only thing I can think of is I made a photo collage as a gift when we were dating. It is hanging now in our walk in closet cuz our apartment is tiny!
Sean – Same answer, the one in the closet that includes us at her first Notre Dame-Navy game at Ravens stadium.
 |
| Took the picture as is. Yep, all crooked and forgotten in the back corner... |
3. Complete the sentence. "My spouse has more _________ than anyone else I know!"
Bekah – sexiness!
Sean – Stop it, lies. She has more needs for back pops/adjustments and “tummy rubs”.
4. Think back to your very first kiss with your spouse. How do you think your spouse would describe that kiss in one word?
Bekah – quick?
Sean – She might say rushed. I was nervous.
Bekah - awww. didn't know that.
 |
| Enter obligatory kissy photo that is definitely not our first kiss (engagement pic) |
5. Which one of these would your spouse say they are "ruled" by: Their heart, their mind, or their stomach?
Bekah – heart and tummy!
Sean – Heart first with mind a super close second.
6. What will your spouse say attracts the most attention toward you when you are in a large crowd?
Bekah – My boobs or my height probably. Or maybe my hair. I’ve been known to get recognized (by people who know me) from long distances.
Sean – She would likely say height or smile. I would say belching gets her some attention!
7. Without looking it up or asking....what is your spouse's zodiac sign?
Bekah – Cancer
Sean – I thought it was the ram thing but she said wrong. Then I remembered Virgo.
8. What is the last food item that you both shared in bed?
Bekah – ummmm…no. we have glasses of water by the bedside and MAYBE a piece of candy, but we don’t eat in bed.
Sean – Water.
 |
| Excuse the ugly furniture. There's my beloved Ariel cup again! |
9. What would your spouse say is the first thing that you did on a date that showed them what you were REALLY like?
Bekah – I have no idea. He asked me to burp in front of him to demonstrate I was comfortable around him (oh yeah, I can out belch his guy friends. He can’t shut me up now) but I don’t generally do that on dates.
Sean – Probably when she came to a family party at my Aunt Kim’s.
 |
| What we're really like is plain ol' crazy...Disney circa 2007. Of course we aren't threatening family with fake Norwegian weapons... |
10. What did your spouse say they wanted to do more than anything before you were married? Anything?
Bekah – Afford to live as a married couple? Idk.
Sean – I’m taking the question as what she wanted as a personal accomplishment for her. I would say graduate and have a full time job. She graduated with a very high GPA and honors, but that didn’t garner her a job in her field unfortunately.
 |
| Yep. All those cords for nothin'. Sigh. |
he did it!
May 14, 2013 • life, travel
I rarely post about my weekends because I rarely have one to enjoy. This weekend, my baby brother graduated college, which of course was non-negotiable! I took the weekend off and Sean and I headed down to VA for a (mostly) relaxing weekend!
We get very little quality time together with our work schedules, and I feel like we are already rushing. My brother had a Saturday morning graduation, so it was nice to slow down and take our time with traveling.
We started off with some quick errands and eating qdoba burritos in the car while we had an oil change. We were on the road about two hours later than originally planned, but oh well.
The downside to living near major cities is the highways affiliated with them. After driving on the beltway and a very backed-up 66, I jumped at the chance when we stopped for gas and realized the exit we'd taken was the one for Skyline Drive. This is yet another thing I have never experienced despite growing up in the area. We paid our $15 and enjoyed 60 miles of beautiful awesomeness! (The whole thing is 125 miles, but we were staying with family and thought it would be rude to arrive too late!)
Saturday called for storms which thankfully held off. We had a pretty nice graduation day. Then it was back on the road...where the storms found Sean and I in the last 2 hours of our (not as pretty as Friday!) drive. Oh, well. All arrived home safely.
We get very little quality time together with our work schedules, and I feel like we are already rushing. My brother had a Saturday morning graduation, so it was nice to slow down and take our time with traveling.
We started off with some quick errands and eating qdoba burritos in the car while we had an oil change. We were on the road about two hours later than originally planned, but oh well.
The downside to living near major cities is the highways affiliated with them. After driving on the beltway and a very backed-up 66, I jumped at the chance when we stopped for gas and realized the exit we'd taken was the one for Skyline Drive. This is yet another thing I have never experienced despite growing up in the area. We paid our $15 and enjoyed 60 miles of beautiful awesomeness! (The whole thing is 125 miles, but we were staying with family and thought it would be rude to arrive too late!)
We ended up arriving in Roanoke around 7 where we stayed the night with Sean's dad and family. We were in bed after a nice Jamaican dinner and too much sports on TV (darn men!).
The next morning it was back on the road for a much shorter (1 hr) drive to Lynchburg where my baby brother graduated from Liberty!
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| Crowded much? |
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| Before ever finding my parents during all this, I found my youth pastor and then brother! |
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| Instead of calling names during the formal ceremony, they just did all the formalities and broke off into smaller ceremonies by program throughout the day. |
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| We found this beauty hiding in the stairwell of his dorm. One last pic after packing him up! |
Saturday called for storms which thankfully held off. We had a pretty nice graduation day. Then it was back on the road...where the storms found Sean and I in the last 2 hours of our (not as pretty as Friday!) drive. Oh, well. All arrived home safely.
Congrats, brother!
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