Saved Text Messages

There are a few messages I can’t bring myself to delete off my phone. They might make no sense to you, but each of them makes me smile. (all typos are theirs, not mine…)

• Sharp and shrimpy. Sup wichew?
• I work 1500 2 0300 if you’re back in area call me to see ifwe can meet u
• Hi Beth I like you! Not in a sketchy way.
• I had to pray for you right now. May god show you his majesty today through those you love. You are a princess to the king. I miss you
• Just so u know, i’m at a trumpet conference right now. About to hear some trumpets.
• Not as much fun as you getting me sloshed next week.
• Well…that removes all doubt in my mind. Hey – bet you never thought you’d textmessage the word ‘gigolo’. I hope yer Mom saw you do it.
• Um, no. I will let YOU know the full story the next morning by showing you video footage. Yes.
• Excellent choice. Abandonment. Say, you’d make a great baby-daddy.
• And thanks.
• BOOTH DIES!!!!?!?!?! why would i even keep watching
• Ok, so that was premature
• I’m in Vancouver!!!!! (like u didn’t know this already?) lov ur
• Village. Um want me to bring a diagram?
• bummer! but really, i woulda just stared at his biceps the whole time…and that mighta been a tad awkward for all of us. miss you!
• That i am an example of the unrighteous? And do you want to do something tomorrow might?
• When he said “spur” I totally thought he said “sperm”
• (moo)

Bonus Round!

I was thinking of how many of my recently shared facts have backstories or caveats or further thoughts attached to them. So I thought I’d share a few.

1. I have studied 5 different languages: French, German, Russian, Spanish & Old English.
I also speak a handful of Mandarin (can you speak a handful of something?) and soon Arabic. Language and linguistics fascinate me. My most fond class memory from university is of an hour-long lecture devoted to Taboo Words and Their Role in Society or something like that.

2. I can’t play baseball. Not at all. I can’t throw, I can’t catch, and I don’t know how to connect the bat to the ball.
My favourite sports are soccer and ultimate frisbee. I love them both. Except for when they result in my getting dirty. I don’t handle dirt well, especially when combined with being either cold or wet.

3. I was instrumental in the breaking of my little brother’s arm.
I am not a violent person – we were standing on stairs, and I stepped on the towel he was dragging…he tugged on it, and when I lifted my foot, he pulled & fell backwards onto a cement floor.

4. I have kept a journal of some sort since I was 16. That adds up to a lot of books. They are all in my closet, and I rarely look at them, but when I do…it makes me happy.
I am not always super-honest in my journals. I’m honest – but I don’t always write down the stuff I am ashamed of. Ironically, my memory is good enough that I can usually fill in the blanks, eight years later.

5. In grade 8, I won the Music Award for my amazing baritone skills.

I have also, at one time or another, played the piano, trumpet, penny whistle, and guitar. I desperately want to learn to play the harmonica too.

6. I love going to new places and different cultures. Once I go to Asia and Australia, I’ll have been to all the major continents. I am going to Africa this spring, and am uber-excited.
I had a dream about going to Africa last night.

9. I am still a little bit afraid of the dark.
Irrational, I know. I am also afraid of the woods during the day. I blame it on the fact that I was once chased by a moose, which is a whole other story.

17. I would rather be blind than deaf, because I can’t imagine my life without music or eavesdropping.
I don’t know if this is entirely true. I really like seeing and reading. But everyone picks deaf over blind, and I am legitimately torn, so I side with blind.

19. I am too impatient to be really good at most things.
Like all the musical instruments I’ve learned, or sports, or computer-related things.

20. I want to publish a book or stories or poetry someday. Preferably soon.
I am not sure if self-publishing is a good thing, because I really could publish anytime I want, or a bad thing, because the quality would be that much worse. And no circulation. What’s the point of publishing if it doesn’t make me famous!?

21. I get a little bit giggly over Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, even though they are both old enough to be my father.
I generally giggle about boys. I am sometimes annoyed with this trait, but it seems deeply ingrained.

23. The exceptions to #22 are ultimate frisbee, photography, creative writing, and babies.
I really like babies. A lot. I like them more than I like older children. Older children are annoying – this dismissive attitude is probably proof that I am not ready to be a mom.

25. If I were to summarize my life in seven words (as JFarq once asked of me), they would be: Jesus makes my life worth living.
I can count, really. It’s actually six words. Even more succinct

Questions I Am Often Asked

• How are you?  (two words is never enough)
• Do you want to come? (can I decide later?)
• So what do you do, exactly? (it’s kind of hard to explain)
• You’re how old? (I think this one might end soon)
• Beth or Bev? (thhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
• Why don’t you date him? (because)
• You don’t like sushi? (seaweed makes me gag)

Musical Indecision

I have $20.02 in iTunes credit, and too many artists to choose from. Should I get whole albums, or just samplings? Who do I choose!?

• Beija Flor
• The Fray
• Woodpidgeon
• Kings of Leon
• Coldplay
• Mother Mother
• Beast
• Arkells
• MGMT
• The Midway State
• Major Makers
• Cuff the Duke
• Marc Broussard
• Augustana
• Greg Laswell
• Anberlin
• Peirson Ross
• Great Lake Swimmers

I am tempted to ask for more recommendations, but that might be just too much!

Facebook Phenomenon

I have no idea how this has spread so quickly. I usually buck the trends, especially the overexposing ones. But I’ve really been enjoying reading my friends thoughts and facts. So I’m caving.

25 Facts About Myself:

1. I have studied 5 different languages: French, German, Russian, Spanish & Old English.
2. I can’t play baseball. Not at all. I can’t throw, I can’t catch, and I don’t know how to connect the bat to the ball.
3. I was instrumental in the breaking of my little brother’s arm.
4. I have kept a journal of some sort since I was 16. That adds up to a lot of books. They are all in my closet, and I rarely look at them, but when I do…it makes me happy.
5. In grade 8, I won the Music Award for my amazing baritone skills.
6. I love going to new places and different cultures. Once I go to Asia and Australia, I’ll have been to all the major continents. I am going to Africa this spring, and am uber-excited.
7. I don’t particularly like flying, although I love roadtrips and traveling on trains and boats.  I sometimes get carsick. Especially if I read in transit. I always get sick on the landing of a flight. That is why God created Gravol. I find driving in a car very soothing, which is great when you’re a passenger, not so much when you’re driving. However, I have great trouble actually sleeping in a car (or any upright position).
8. My favourite number is 4. It has been ever since I discovered that 4 x 4 is 16, my previous favourite number.
9. I am still a little bit afraid of the dark.
10. If I could choose an alternative career, I would be a massage therapist.
11. I would rather eat a square of dark chocolate everyday than have a cup of tea or coffee.
12. I don’t drink coffee. Or beer. I prefer girly drinks and a good Earl Grey tea.
13. I want to be a vegetarian. Specifically one who eats locally & organically. But I am too lazy & poor.
14. My default food at a restaurant is a quesadilla. I am rarely off-put by a quesadilla.
15. I don’t always use recipes when I bake. This sometimes gets me in trouble.
16. I have never been drunk. Sometimes I think it would be an interesting experiment, just to see what sort of drunk I am. But I don’t actually want to do it.
17. I would rather be blind than deaf, because I can’t imagine my life without music or eavesdropping.
18. I have dreamt things before they’ve happened.
19. I am too impatient to be really good at most things.
20. I want to publish a book or stories or poetry someday. Preferably soon.
21. I get a little bit giggly over Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, even though they are both old enough to be my father.
22. I’m not actually cool. I just hang out with a lot of cool people and absorb the coolness. By which I mean, there are few things that I actively seek out – most of my knowledge/experience/interests have come by way of others, and I wouldn’t have sought them out on my own.
23. The exceptions to #22 are ultimate frisbee, photography, creative writing, and babies.
24. Speaking of babies, there are a handful of names that I would really like to name my children someday. I won’t tell you, lest you steal them.
25. If I were to summarize my life in seven words (as JFarq once asked of me), they would be: Jesus makes my life worth living.

(bonus fact: I love the sky. Especially the night sky, replete with stars. But sunrise, sunsets, big fluffy clouds or strungout strands on bright blue…I love ‘em.)