Leaves and Twigs and Amaryllis

When I was about to plant my Amaryllis kit, I realized that there wasn't a hole in the bottom of the pot to drain the plant water.

I asked my green-thumbed mother what to do. "Fill the bottom with gravel."

So I went out to the garden, scooped up some gravel, and brought it into the house. My mom looked at the handful of rocks and leaves and twigs and said, "You might want to pick out the leaves and twigs. And probably wash the gravel in case there's bacteria on it."

So I began picking out the leaves and twigs, slowly realizing that the process was going to take longer than I would have liked to complete.

Then Jillian chimed into my internal conflict. "I have an idea. Fill up the sink with water and pour the rocks in. All the leaves and twigs will float to the top. Then you can wash the gravel at the same time."

I blinked.

The process was completed a lot faster than I anticipated.

Amaryllis

At my work party a couple weeks ago, we had our waiter divvy out the gifts we brought to each of the shop workers.

I got an amaryllis kit. Including a pot, a bulb, and soil.

Just add water.

I planted it today. Even though the label said, "Plant ASAP or else your plant may die because you neglected it. Nature hater."

I'm not really the plant-seeds-and-bulbs-because-I-have-the-greenest-of-thumbs type of person, but today I was a little excited to have my very own plant in a cute little white pot. I don't know if it's the responsibility of caring for this little photosynthesis-reliant sprout or if it's the idea of something new that is appealing to me.

Either way, I have a plant. It's an amaryllis. I am adamant that it thrives.

Grand [December 18, 2011]

Today was a work party. It was at a really immaculate hotel downtown, and I was forewarned that the food would be ridiculously delicious. Including the sushi.

A few days ago, my boss said, "It's just going to be casual. Wear your pj's if you want."

So this morning I threw on some skinny jeans, my favorite striped shirt, and my purple ankle boots. I thought about wearing my seven-buck tennis shoes from Walmart, but decided on the boots instead. Also I had a lovely time searching for my pea coat-ish jacket until I was running significantly late. So I put on my Hollister fur-rimmed hood coat. [My one and only purchase from that store. It's nice to find a coat that fits nicely in the sleeves.]

We all met at the shop.

Apparently "casual" in my dictionary is different from the "casual" in my coworkers' dictionary. It's fine. So I looked like a Hollister beach bum. Also fine. At least I had decided against wearing the $7 Walmart tennies.

Also, I don't think I realized how elegant and extravagant the restaurant in the hotel would be. So basically I looked like a hobo in the midst of well-dressed rich people.

And I nearly had a panic attack until the waiter informed me that there was food other than seafood and sushi.

It was delicious. I ate tortellini, "hen", yum-cheesy potatoes, asparagus, pineapple, bread, crepes with whipped cream cheese & berries, topped with chocolate or maybe nutella... either way it was a crepe. Also, pumpkin cheesecake and a little fruity berry yum thing. And fresh squeezed orange juice. And seventeen glasses of water. No sushi. No seafood.

Also, Jane Seymour walked by a couple times. She was in town and was also enjoying a really pricey meal in the exquisite hotel. It was weird. Because Sully wasn't even with her.

Also, the hotel had a couple shops that were like childhood dreams. The candy/ice cream shop was like enchanting cotton candy memories and the toy store was like Willy Wonka minus the candy and plus the toys. Seriously. It was borderline insanity, borderline if-I-ever-try-to-spend-that-much-on-one-toy-for-my-children. And borderline magical.

The entire hotel was, really. Chandeliers, lovely interior design, fancy furniture.

And I was even able to catch the tail-end of church.

Which was nice. Because I was mildly bitter, thinking I was going to have to miss it for expensive delicacies and chandeliers.

Rely and Reliability

It all comes down to one thing.

"All", meaning my procrastination, my lack of punctuality, my stubborn epitome, my laziness. Sometimes my schedule, the voice in the back of my mind telling me to listen to just one more song, my excuses. My need to eat whenever I realize I have a deadline. 

I am the least dependable person. In the world.

Unreliable?


At least...
Never mind. I can't thing of an "at least".

Titles To Date

Bethany: Name given at birth

Bet: Nickname used through fourth and fifth grade

Frank: Spurred from Oliver and Company. After quoting the bulldog at a primary activity, a group of girls then began using the nickname
Franky: See "Frank"

Bethania: Used by a family friend when I was little.

Beth Ann: Used by my uncle today.

Bethers: Used by girls from church; Used today

BJ: Initials. Used today by only one or two people
BeJo: The first two letters from my first and last name. Never really used. Just spurted some other notable inspirations of names
Beej: Stretched from 'BeJo'. Minus the 'oh'. Frequently used today by close friends
Beejaloni: Rooted from Beej. Used today by close friends

Beejee the Squeegee: Rooted from Beej.
Beej the Squeeg
Squeeg: Used quite frequently by close friends and select others.

BenyQ: Pronounced "B'neek". Rooted from a time I jokingly spelled my name with a silent 'Q'. A roommate spontaneously wrote "BenyQ" on a flyer that was lounging in the apartment. Therefore creating the lovely nickname
Q: Shortened version of BenyQ. Used by roommate friends (along with all Q-rooted nicknames listed below. And any other Q-names I may have unintentionally forgotten). Ever so rarely do they call me by my first name
Queue
Q-Face
Q-bicle/Cubicle
Queb: Pronounced "Cube"
Quebeth: Pronounced "Que-bith"
Q-bee-doo

McBethany: Used today

Beth: Used by coworkers. I normally don't let people get in the habit of using this name for me, but sometimes it just subtly slips in. But really, to me, Beth ≠ Bethany.


But certainly Franky, Squeeg, Q, etcetera = Bethany.

I Forgot About Graphite

Post barefoot garbage-can-retrieving-in-the-snow state.

Post revival of paper/pencil production. Also, I'm not sure why I find entertainment in drawing face-on-fist style.

And, as you can probably tell, I couldn't care less at present about the quality/appearance of my drawings on the screen. Disregard.

I Draw At Night

My mood. Minus the book. And the long hair.

Too bad sketches can't be scanned to look normal.
Too bad I could probably make this look more normal.

Oh, well.

Sorry, Mother, for staying up late drawing.
I'll go to bed, I promise.

Soon.

Surmising

Shifts in speculated shoulds

Should be speculated

On either end of the spectrum.

Ante Meridiem

I cleaned my room yesterday. Maybe you don't find the event to be significant. But it's significant.

And redundant. Because I've mentioned the same news more than once on here. Oh, well. Old habits die hard in the category of not keeping one's room clean.

I washed my clothes. I washed my sheets. I dried my clothes. I dried my sheets. Except I dried my sheets right before I wanted to go to bed. So I lay on my bed, anyway, and just thought. And waited. And inevitably fell asleep.


I made my bed at just before six this morning. Paired with that's just about when I finished getting ready for bed.

So I basically went to bed at six a.m. today.

Normal.

Ctrl+Alt+Del

One may find much discord when they realize the backspace key only works on a screen.

Glaciers

It's weird how at one moment time can be at a perfectly glaciered standstill
And then at the next moment it's melting off a hot butter knife at, once again, a flurried pace.