What's In a Name?

Blog Challenge: Day Two
What is the meaning of your blog title?

Due to the incredibly transparent nature of my blog title (it's my name and my son's name...see how I did that?), I'll take a moment to wish Shakespeare a happy birthday!

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself."

-Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, II.ii.45-51.

A Year Isn't That Long, Is It?

Talk about a blog hiatus. In order to get myself back on the blog bandwagon, I'm going to try out a 30 day blog challenge I found on another blog. I don't believe I've ever blogged for 30 days straight, so this will, indeed, be a challenge. Here's what I will be blogging about for the next 30 days:

Day One: Introduction, a recent photo of yourself, and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

Day Two: The meaning behind your blog title.

Day Three: A picture of something you cannot live without.

Day Four: A habit you wish you didn't have.

Day Five: 15 songs that represent your life's soundtrack.

Day Six: A picture of somewhere you've been.

Day Seven: A hobby you have.

Day Eight: A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

Day Nine: Short term goals for this month and why.

Day Ten: Something/someone you're proud of.

Day Eleven: A story about a past relationship.

Day Twelve: A picture of something you dislike.

Day Thirteen: Share a secret.

Day Foruteen: Write a letter to someone telling them something you could never tell them.

Day Fifteen: A picture of something you ate and 10 confessions.

Day Sixteen: Put your iPod on shuffle and post the first 10 songs that play.

Day Seventeen: Something you could live without.

Day Eighteen: Someone you would want to switch lives with and why.

Day Nineteen: Plans/dreams/goals you have.

Day Twenty: Nicknames you have and how or why you have them.

Day Twenty-One: If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?

Day Twenty-Two: Share a picture from your day.

Day Twenty-Three: What makes you different from everybody else?

Day Twenty-Four: What is something you crave?

Day Twenty-Five: What would I find in your purse?

Day Twenty-Six: Places you want to visit before you die.

Day Twenty-Seven: Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?

Day Twenty-Eight: A picture of you last year and a picture of you now - how have you changed?Day Twenty-Nine: In the past month, what have you learned?

Day Thirty: A picture of you today and 20 goals you wish to accomplish.

Here we go:

Day One: Introduction, a recent photo of yourself, and 15 interesting facts.

If you need more introduction, you're in the wrong place. See above.

Also see above for a recent photo.

15 Interesting Facts (Well, interesting to me):

(1) I am on the downhill slide of my last year of law school, and by "downhill slide," I mean I had my LAST class yesterday. Graduation is May 21st. I can honestly say that going to law school was NEVER the direction that I thought my life would take, and yet, here I am -- a mere 29 days away from my J.D.

(2) Literature means more to me than I am really able to express. Someone once told me that there was no point in reading fiction because those things never happened. I couldn't believe it.

(3) I have a beautiful, hilarious, and brilliant 5 year old son, Beckett. Biased? Sure. But anyone who knows him knows that I am really not exaggerating that much :)

(4) Speaking of B, those of you that know me really well know that this past calendar year has been the hardest of my life. I'm not going to get into any details, but let's call it "Betsi's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year." That about sums it up.

(5) I have recently learned that I am the kind of person who is (relatively) quick to forgive. I like this about myself.

(6) That being said, there is a line you can cross and karma is a bitch.

(7) I can quote Shakespeare and Dumb and Dumber.

(8) Much like Ross on Friends, I will correct your grammar while we are having a conversation. I'm sorry. I know it's annoying, but I really can't stop.

(9) I am a daydreamer. A bad daydreamer. Well, maybe that's a good thing.

(10) Starting May 1st, I'd like to be more vigilant about my health.

(11) It has to be May 1st because we are living between two apartments right now and everything is a little chaotic.

(12) I'm moving!

(13) I believe that a good, I mean really good, dirty martini is sometimes all you need.

(14) I believe I will start writing letters again. Who doesn't love to get mail?

(15) I believe I will starting writing again in general. I have missed it so much.

If Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Marry Brunettes, Where Does That Leave a Redhead?

Well, it's been forever since my last post and there is really no way to give updates on everything we have been up to lately. So, I'll just give a quick recap. Beckett turned FOUR a month ago. This is beyond my comprehension. I was warned it would go fast, but I never imagined it would go this fast.

School is going well, but will be better when I get my rigorous finished and finals are OVER. One month to go. Then maybe I can start reading what I want to read again :0) Dusty gave me Gentlemen Prefer Blondes on Friday, and I started reading it last night.

Big news on the horizon, I'll keep you all informed!

Worst Blogger EVER.

Yeah, that's me. So much work right now. Eventually, you will all get caught up. I swear.

Life's Little Instruction Book

Recently, I found this book among the, um, we'll say DISASTER that is my room. I can remember having looked through it years ago, but couldn't remember anything it said. It's a book of "511 suggestions, observations, and reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life." It began as a gift for the author's son, who was leaving for his freshman year of college and I love what he has to say about parenting in the Introduction:

I read years ago that it was not the responsibility of parents to pave the road for their children, but to provide them with a road map. That's how I hoped he would use these mind and heart reflections.

I thought maybe I would post a few of them everyday. There are 511 and, as the author points out, there are many things that got left out and many that you might not agree with.

One: Compliment three people everyday -- This seems so easy, but I know I tend to get wrapped up in me a lot, so I'll have to work on this.

Two: Have a dog -- How about "Move out of parents house" first.

Three: Watch a sunrise at least once a year -- Personal addendum: More than once if you can.

Four: Remember other people's birthdays -- I'm actually scarily good at this. Seriously, I have really made some people question my sanity because I remembered when their birthday was. And Facebook as really made forgetting someone's birthday about the crapiest thing you can do (they only remind you for an entire week prior to the actual birthday).

Five: Overtip breakfast waitresses -- YES.

In other news, Beckett wakes up in the morning feeling life P. Diddy apparently. He is also awesome at Wii bowling and "hoop-a-looping" (hula hooping). He also thinks that "Dusty's friend" (Ben Preston) is the person in a one hundred dollar bill.

Conversation from Monday:

Background: I pick B up from school at 1:00. In an attempt to get him to go to sleep in the car and stay that way for his nap, I turn the radio to Public Radio, which plays classical music starting at 1:00 (It's like they know).

Beckett: (over classical music) Mom. Mom. MOM.

Me: Yes?

Beckett: Will you please turn that music off? It's girl music.

Me: (laughing hysterically and yet, slightly offended) Why is that?

Beckett: Because it's HORRIBLE.

Me: (now completely offended) WHAT? So all girl music is horrible and all horrible music is for girls?

Beckett: Yes. Now will you please turn it off?

Hoarders Episode # 68: The Betsi Edition

There is something about the start of a new year that just gets me super motivated to clear out, clean up, and generally trash everything I've accumulated over the preceding year. 9 days into the new year and what started as a cathartic cleansing of papers and other assorted items that have found themselves in various stacks and piles around my room has officially become a major overhaul. What should have been simple -- pick up paper, think is this vital to my existence? (If answer is yes, then stick in file folder and put folder in file cabinet. If answer is no, then throw away. NOW. Before you change your mind.) -- has become anything but simple. Cleansing has become rearranging and moving and changing. I have filled 3 trash bags and have barely scratched the surface. I get sidetracked, severely so. I want, no need, to go through every notebook, folder, stack, etc. Even ones whose contents I looked at a week ago. And I swear, if I had a house instead of just a room in which to keep things, A&E and Child Protective Services would be outside my house, ready to film Hoarders and take my child away because there was no room for him and all of my stuff, too.

And not only do I get sidetracked and delve in WAY too deep, but I procrastinate. So school starts Monday and you can barely walk through my room. I really need help. Most likely of the psychological nature.

Lady Gaga on Pandora does seem to help, though.

Are You There 2010? It's me, Betsi.

Brace yourselves, faithful followers -- This one's going to be long. Since I seem to be the only blogger that has yet to mention the new year, the new decade, or my resolutions, allow me to address these things here. A dear friend told me over the weekend that she was tired of hearing people reminisce and discuss how the new year was a "time to start over." I must confess, I am one of those people.

First, the reminiscing:

Ten years ago, it was 1999-2000. I was 16 years old and halfway through my sophomore year at St. James School in Montgomery, AL. And I know it's cliched to say so, but it really does seem like yesterday. That little girl. If only she'd known what I know now.

So, I thought back on the years. Here are the highlights:

First love and first heartbreak. Mrs. Etheridge, Mrs. Sells, Dr. Browning. Freida Warren & "Double Digit Day." Prom. Homecoming Queen. Senior Spring Break. Graduation. Camp War Eagle. Figuring out that the Haley Center was not that complicated. First AU football game as a student. Sleeping on the couch at RBD during finals. Tiger Transit. Studying at AU baseball games in the Spring. Pitchers at Mama G's. Standard Club. Getting a tattoo with Hillary. Ryan's visit from Vandy. What does 5 fingers say to the face? Mine and Betsy's dorm room. Being the queens of a double wide trailer. Phebe McLeod. Brick Oven. Poker night on the patio & "shift beers." The night I became "Barfin' Betsi." 86: ODB. Carport parties at Phebe and David's. 80s Dance Party. The night David took Phebe's shoe. Buffalo's. Ashley Case's laugh/cry. Late nights in the back bar. The PourHouse. Strutting Duck. Wings 2 Go. Justin & Melissa's wedding. New Jersey. New York. Jersey Shore. Biloxi. Hurricane party. July 24, 2005 (the day I found out I was pregnant). October 17, 2005 (the day I moved in with Anna). November 4, 2005 (the day I found out it was a BOY!). Having a O'Doul's-kind-of-NYE. March 14, 2006 at 4:08 a.m. (James Beckett Nelson. 6lbs. 9oz. 21 1/2"). First day at AUM. Ava Cantrell Dean (July 2006). Dean's List first semester back. Meeting Brillo. Beckett's 1st birthday. First word. First steps. Rex & Betsy's wedding. Undergrad Graduation. LSAT. Dees Communications and margarita nights with the girls. 1L starts. Andrew & Hillary's wedding (B was the ring bearer). Martha Elizabeth Story (December 2008). Trey & Elizabeth's wedding. Jack Aubrey McLeod (May 2009). Finishing the first year of law school. Summer classes. 2L. And now, 2010.

In between all of this there has been laughter and tears, enduring friendships and sworn enemies. Its funny that when you try to write out what 10 years of your life has meant, you can only offer someone anecdotes.Trying to recreate the experiences of 10 years, trying to explain the days and nights and people and places that have shaped you, that have brought you to this place at this time for this moment -- it can't be done. So all I have to offer is this small list of happenings, occurrences, bad and brilliant decisions. Here's hoping the next 10 years are this much fun to recall.

Onward to the resolutions:

(1) As per usual, lose weight. It just wouldn't be the new year if this wasn't on the list, so it may as well be at the top. But I really just mean exercise more, eat healthier.

(2) Be more patient. If you know me, you get this one.

(3) Read more. Read more. Read more.

(4) Have a direction figured out for my life. I'm don't mean specifics, but something more than just "lawyer."

(5) To realize that some things just have to be let go. This one is big for me, too, because it deals with lots of aspects of my life.

What you've all been waiting for -- Beckett updates. You know the Sonic commercial -- "It's not good. It's Sonic good." Beckett has adapted this and now uses it as his personal motto. "It's not good. It's Beckett good." I. AM. NOT. KIDDING.

In other news, 3-year-old + drums = INSANITY. And the constant headache that only reminds one of a hangover. It's down right delightful.