Gimme A Break.

I have decided to give myself a break.

I set out on a goal of 101 items in 1,001 days. Since the start date, I have been sick with allergies possibly 800+ of those 1,001 days. I also have been in two car wrecks, and my time has been consumed with ancillary things beyond my control. So I am going to take the liberty to extend my window for the tasks.

Stay tuned for the new end date.

Happy Day, Earth!

Today is Earth Day.

I think whoever started it intentionally planned for it to be in the spring, when we're all so grateful to see green, and feel warmth, and be outside.

My sister reminded me of a very appropriate Scripture in her Facebook status:

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." I Corinthians 10:26 (New International Version)

 And my cousin makes a great statement via Twitter/Facebook:

"Real conservatives protect what God loves: babies, the poor, and the earth."

However you mark this day, be sure to enjoy God's handiwork! And consider how we might all respect it.

Being Erica.

I stumbled on "Being Erica" after months of seeing its blurb on Hulu.com and mentally clicking, "not interested."

Boy, was I ever wrong.

For me, "Being Erica" is a fabulous watch. As a non-cabler, I only catch it online, and IMO, it's well worth the time invested. I think it originally plays on Soap Net (so I guess that means that channel really exists).

I would say it's more of a girl-centric show -- I haven't polled anyone about this, including guys -- but since it's about a girl's world, and her life, and her past and present, I'm just guessin.'

One of the most fun parts for me is that Erica is a 30-something redhead who loves to write and edit, but is constantly getting things wrong. (In life, mainly, not in writing and editing.) Another equally fun fact is that one of my best friends' name is Erica, and especially since she's not much like the character, and I'm not a lot like my friend Erica, it cracks me up to think of MY being Erica. :-) (Which I do, you understand. With every star of every show or movie I connect with. But anyway.)

If you're female, and like the idea of a sort of  "Sex and the City" meets post-college "Felicity," maybe, you should give it a shot.

And if you're a guy, check it out it out if you want, and please also let me know what you think. But don't say I didn't warn you. :-)

A Rose By Any Other Name...

I have a lot of nicknames. Especially for a girl.

(I'm not trying to pull the "unique, just like a snowflake" card, but I really think I do.)

It first started with "Bekah Rell," my sweet sister's abbreviation of my first and middle names. Then came "Bekah," which has stuck with a lot of people (mainly family and close friends) for a very long time.

Then, or maybe before those, was "Bekah Boo." I have fond memories of my mom calling out to me in the yard or house or wherever -- "Bekah Boo, where are you?"

And somehow, a few select people in my life have picked up on that -- but not because they heard it. It's kind of uncanny. So I can count on one hand the number of people who have called me "Bekah Boo," but they totally stand out, because that was my mother's special name for me.

Then, true to form, a great friend and former coworker Kelly Shannon sensed that name but added her own "Boo" to the mix, creating "Bekah Boo Boo."

And in high school, there was "Bekah J.," which really stuck throughout college, too.

So, to tally (because I know you're keeping track), we have:

1. Bekah Rell
2. Bekah
3. Bekah Boo
4. Bekah J.
5. Bekah Boo Boo

Then, there came "Firechild," from a great friend and former coworker who unfortunately saw way too much of my redheaded temper not to tag me with that.

Growing up, my daddy referred to me as "Trouble." (No trace-back for that, I'm sure. Just random.)

As an adult, somewhere in my mid-20s, this guy I dated and another great guy friend started "RJ." I really don't know who came up with it first, but recently, another guy friend swears he started it. So I'm letting him win. (Congrats, Chuck.)

RJ has stuck for a while. I use it a lot myself. It's fun.

So also in adulthood, I've acquired Big Johnson, Phattie, Beak, Bookah, and ReJo. 

The grand total is:

1. Bekah Rell
2. Bekah
3. Bekah Boo
4. Bekah J.
5. Bekah Boo Boo
6. Firechild
7. Trouble
8. Polly (I forgot this one in the list -- thanks, Jenn) ;-)
9. Miss Priss (Also forgot this, from my childhood dentist)
10. RJ
11. Big Johnson
12. Phattie
13. Bookah
14. Beak
15. ReJo

I think that's it.

I really wish I could say I have nifty personas and costumes and wigs and poses for all these names. I don't think I do, though. I mean, yes, I've gotten older -- and sadly probably not much wiser -- but I'm a virtual flytrap for nicknames. I don't mind this. It's fun.

I also give them out very liberally, so watch out!

eBay.

I have a good friend who is constantly "winning" things on eBay. I've been picking on her for years about this -- reminding her that just because she calls it winning doesn't mean she's not having to pay for the items. :-)

I listed my first set of items on eBay this week: a plethora of books.

I have no idea what I'm doing, or if the prices I listed make any sense.

I just hope someone wins them all.

Gone Country.

I've been a lover of country music for a very long time. Like, since I can remember.

Tonight while listing some things to sell on eBay, though, and listening to iTunes, I realized that it's been a while since I've heard Alan Jackson's "Gone Country." Which makes me appreciate it more than ever.

::happy sigh::

Here's to liberating ourselves from opinions that do not matter, and listening to, singing, and laughing out loud at exactly what makes us smile!

5th Element.

Five things I'm thankful for today are:

1. Bosses who listen when you say you need help.

2. Modern medicine.

3. Hair that allows for variety. (Curly, straight, ponytail, down, up, pigtails, etc.)

4. Friends in ALL places.

5. Books.

Baton Rouge.

I always surmised I'd live in Jackson, Mississippi, for a couple of years. No more, no less.

Don't worry, though; I was there NINE years. NINE. That, as my wise, 6-year-old nephew would say, is a LONG time.

Nine years, however, taught me how to appreciate the familiar, and the comfortable, and the unfamiliar, and the newness that comes with a new place.

I was more than ready for the Red Stick when I moved here. I love it. Its flavor, sites, and sounds feel like home, and the people and personalities seem to fit the coast of Mississippi so well, so I constantly feel relaxed. That's nice.

Tonight, at a community/benefit outing, I realized something new: I know people. I recognized peeps across the room, and never felt alone, and never felt new, even though it was my first time at that venue. That was nice, too.

I like being "new" (ish). I like having things to discover and explore. But I also like the familiar and the recognizable.

So I might just be in the perfect stage in the Red Stick. There's tons here to discover that I haven't touched yet, but still enough that I'm familiar with to be comfortable.

:: happy sigh ::

Maybe there are some gypsies in my geneaology?

5 Things I'm Thankful For + Some Thoughts on Easter

Today is Easter Sunday, and that is a huge part of the five things I'm thankful for these days. Sure, I like the chocolate and seeing kids' running around all dressed up, but mainly, I'm grateful for the reminder that God has made all things new for us, and that He has given us a hope and a future in the resurrection of His Son.

So, this Easter, five things I'm grateful for are:

1. A Savior who is risen and who lives.

2. A place to go home to when I need respite, and a family who loves me like crazy -- even though I'm mainly unlovable, and they have seen that side of me many times.

3. Friends -- specifically Jane -- who never stop loving me, caring about my world, and asking how things make me feel.

4. Spring. God bless this warmer, kinder, gentler weather. It's good for the soul.

5. The symbolism of this day, and this time of year, and songs like the one below that serve as reminders that the old is gone and the past is over, and that we can look forward to newness and the future and all the great things in store for us:



Happy Easter, and much love.

Energy.

In my humble opinion (or, IMHO, to those of you acronym-savvy readers), energy is a very strange thing.

For instance, it is currently 2:25am, and I am buzzing with it. Ok, so I had a fun day. I was productive at work, got to mix business with pleasure (went to New Orleans for a vendor meeting and got to hear my favorite band and hang out with a best friend), and feel good about life. But for real. 2:25am. No medical assistance, just me, as flittery as a butterfly, hopping around and getting things done. (I know. You're jealous you're not my neighbor. Anyway...)

Also, there's the tiny (pun intended) subject of calories. Much to my surprise as an adult whose metabolism has clearly slowed (and a former student who clearly has zero memory rentention), calories are supposed to equal energy (?).

For me, calories generally equal fat rolls. So what's up with that? I mean, sure, if I consume less, I guess I feel more energetic since there's less of me to move. But if I consume more, I feel the overwhelming urge to crawl into the fetal position and nap on the couch for 7 straight hours. Which really makes zero sense. More energy = more energy, right? Wrong.

And then we move onto the "youth is wasted on the young" theory. If I watch my nephew for an hour, I am sort of jazzed, but if I watch him for 3 hours, I am wiped out.

The nephew is 6. The aunt is 33 1/2.

He wakes up ready to go, does not understand the concept of caffeine, and has not, to my knowledge, developed a taste for coffee. Two of his first words were "Go!" and "Play!," and that's pretty much the gist of what we still talk about.

"Hey Bekah. When you gonna come to Alabama so we can play again? I have some Wii games that you'll have to work really hard at. You'll love 'em!"

"Happy birthday, Aunt Bekah. Did you get any fun toys?  Oh... You got some cards and phone calls and a picture? Well....that's nice. At least people called you because they love you. Happy birthday." 

"Aunt Bekah, this big bouncy ball that I play with every time I come here.... What do you do with it? I mean, when I'm not here? EXERCISE? Oh. You don't ever roll it down your stairs for fun when I'm not here? Oh..." 

"You know, if you take a nap, we won't get to play as long. Really. I have all KINDS of cool army men to play with. You don't wanna miss this." 

"My teacher? Um, well, yeah, she's nice and all. But kindergarten is a LOT of hard work. The best part is play time. Huh? Yeah, we do math. But better than math is P.E. And recess. We can PLAY then. Yep, I did good on that test, but guess what else I'm best at? Climbing that jungle gym you saw in the playground. And the TALLEST POLE out there. I slide down it. I'm not scared at ALL."

And exercise, speaking of. It's supposed to give you energy, yes? Well, I can occasionally get the oft-rumored runner's high, but not always. (Why not always?) And if I exercise in the morning (like is constantly insinuated all responsible adults should do), I'm zapped the heck out by 3pm. No lie. If I exercise after work -- 6pm-ish -- I'm good till 10 or 11, and can go to bed at normal time, like a normal person. But if I exercise later -- 9pm or so -- game over. I'm up all night. Sometimes.

So you can see how energy is a conundrum for me.

I'm not really blogging about this to get any answers, though if you have them, feel free to share. I'm sort of typing all this out because I feel I'm jittery at now nearly 3am for no reason at all, and I might as well do something semi-productive with my time.

So, in summary, here are my thoughts:

• Calories are not defined correctly.
• Calories are mean.
• I will never get the calorie = energy thing.
• Youth IS wasted on the young.
• ....Except it's super-fun watching my nephew enjoy his youth.
• ....Unless he's waking me up with it.
• Exercise is clearly out to get me.
• Those who exercise early in the morning have issues.
• I do not.
• I could go on forever but must make myself stop.
• ....Because NO ONE else is awake right now.

Hmmpfh. So. I just yawned. How 'bout that.