Happy Little Trees will be at camp next week (see picture). The daytime temperature is listed at 70 degrees; the nighttime temp is 45. This Houston girl is ready to chill! Literally!
We will return with lots of stories next week.
-Ulovebeth



I'll be on a bus this weekend for about 24 hours. I keep trying to figure the best way I can sleep in a bus seat. I tried practicing in my chair at work. I hope I can sleep several hours straight, although my body will be physically crooked. It's weird that our bodies really like being horizontal for sleep.


An original rap of self-expression by Ulovebeth hoping that this situation is wrapped up soon.

My tire went splat.
And there I sat.
Called my friend's dad.
Then it wasn't so bad.

The next day passed.
Had a full tank of gas.
My spare is yellow.
It be screaming, "HELLO!"

The price is high.
I don't know why.
Somebody got my type?
These tires are all hype!

Spare wheel still yellow.
Still saying, "HELLO!"
Tomorrow betta' be the day.
When it rolls my way.


I had a flat tire on Wednesday. Through a series of miracles, I got a spare put on for me and made it home safely.

Sometimes life is kind of weird in the drama department. I don't even have reality cameras following me around, but sometimes a great story is weaved for us even without a director's script. There might have been elements that I would have added or deleted, but it wasn't a bad episode of events.

I met with some high school friends and my area director for Young Life last night. We had a good time chilling and eating Freebirds.

One of the girls, A, had a job interview at a fastfood place on the "Nawf" side of town. On the way there, the sky decided to drop huge buckets of rain making it hard to see. After dropping off A, I had to get gas since I was going to drive her further north to her house afterwards.

I pulled into an Exxon, and while I was getting gas, I heard a loud, "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..." I thought it might be the gas pump next to me. Then I noticed my tire looked a bit low. Then I noticed it looked really low. Then, it was a pancake.


How was I going to get A home? And how was I going to get me home?

I started twittering like a hummingbird so it would connect to internet world and find maybe find some friends nearby. I also called, Ann, who lives on that side of town, and she called her dad, and before you knew it, the day was saved!

A got a ride from her mom. And I got a sweet new yellow wheel and spare tire.


I felt very blessed to have been taken care of by my great Houston network. God has given me a wonderful friends-who-are-like-family plan here.

Ann said, "You're taking pictures?" She doesn't get what it's like to be your own paparrazi. I make my own news.



Do you know the way to San Jose?

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Where have all the cowboys gone?

Sometimes, my mind is filled with these burning questions sending me into melodic madness.



I'm on a *bucks high right now. Ride the coffee wave!!

Somehow, the barista twisted my arm and had me buy something from the pastry selection. She said something convincing like, "Would you like to buy a pastry?".

I selected a marshmallow square totally expecting to be disappointing. Usually, they are kind of stale and taste a bit preservative-y. But I still wanted it. I thought I could rationalize that more than the brownie.

When I took my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised! It tasted very much like the ones that are homemade from the box! This could be a very bad thing for my life. People might start saying behind my back, "Remember when Beth used to workout all the time?"

But for now, thumbs up to *bucks for redoing their recipes! I thought the new campaign in the stores was just that: a new campaign. But by golly, this team means action!


I've lived in Texas for several years now. I heard a transplant like me say the other day that it takes ten years to become a Texan. I thought there might really be an offical rule like that, but he was just making it up.

I don't know if I'll be in Texas until I die. Or if I'll retire in the hills of Kentucky. I guess a lot of that depends on my invisible husband and nonexistent children. We'll see what the future holds.

A few weeks ago the two events pictured below took place. One giving me such a peace about being in Texas and feeling like I live in vacation land. The other, scared me silly and I do not want to ever have to repeat the incident again.

Reason to live in Texas 'til you die:
Reasons to live above the Mason-Dixon Large Roach Line:



Somebody at the drivethru loves you. It looks like the person might have changed his mind, and then changed it back. It could be that it's a before/after Starbucks love. Hopefully things will get more consistent.



My friend, Dovie, is doing a run/walk program to train for a marathon. I'm hoping it will help me be able to increase my distance capabilities for running.

But truthfully, I really just like running a mile. I want to run a mile and run it well. Why waste all that time and effort running such long distances when your body is screaming, "HELLO! I think you are hurting me!"

Maybe one day, I'll be able to run the mile in the Senior Citizen Olympics. Maybe one day I can start the Senior Citizen Olympics.



I have a knack for making friends at airports and on planes. It doesn't happen everytime, but it happens quite often. I am often left with their business cards, and years later randomly find them in an old purse and wonder who in the world that person is and why I have their business cards.

Here are some of my adventures:

1) I met a lady that was visiting the US for the first time for a business trip. She was from Japan. I got to tell her that there were no monkeys in the US. She couldn't believe it. She thought monkeys lived everywhere.

2) During an extensive airport layover at Heathrow, I went to check on our boarding time for the group I was with. I didn't return to the group for over 45 minutes, because a Scottish lady grabbed my ear. It took her 20 minutes to realize I was an American, because she never heard me speak. She told me the story of her life, including something that she said she had never told anyone ever before. She hugged and kissed me after the share time. I can't remember her name, but she was a sweet lady.

3) In the Houston airport, I bumped into an older lady who needed directions in the airport. She was from Puerto Rico and managed a hotel. She hugged me and told me that I was welcomed to come stay with her anytime. I wonder if she really would remember me if I took her up on that offer...

4) Over Memorial Day, I met a guy that worked for TiVo. His business card actually lists his favorite TV programs as a kid and as an adult. He was visiting Kentucky for the first time so I tried to give him some pointers.

5) Over Mardi Gras, I took a trip home to Kentucky and met a Jewish lady named Ginger that had questions about Easter and what the traditions mean. I had my bible all ready to go to start spouting scriptures, but the two ladies that were Mardi Gras attenders surprised me did a better job than I could have of detailing the story. We had a great time on that plane ride and all bonded really quickly. We were all ladies from completely different places in life, but immediately had a connection. I gave Ginger my bible at the end of the exchange, because I felt like I needed to contribute something. The whole experience taught me not to tell a book by its cover, unless it's the bible, of course.

6) My favorite meeting was a few years ago when I had an airplance romance. Somehow, I got lucky enough to sit by an attractive guy around my age. He was in the Airforce, so he explained to me the reasoning for our flight take-off and landing pattern. We shared stories about our lives. We played games on each other's phones, and he added his number into my phone and then got my number. In baggage claim, he met my mom, and then he gave me a hug. I guess he was flighty because that must've been our break up in baggage claim, because I never heard from him. It was the fastest relationship I've ever had.



Tomorrow's the big day. I'm meeting Shamu.

I saw a documentary on killer whales once, and quickly realized why the word "killer" preceded the word "whale."

When I think of whales, I think of baby belugas swimming the deep blue sea, wild and free. I think of mammals living in the sea that are kind and gentle giants.

As a kid, I really wanted to see a picture of a blue whale. The best I could get was a drawing. Pictures are finally available now, but there are no blue whales in captivity. If there were, it would have to be captive in Lake Michigan or something because they are so huge.

I don't known how a predator like the killer whale got the reputation of being a friend of children with a huge smile. Now I know why there aren't shows using baby seals and killer whales. These animals don't just eat krill. When I saw that documentary, I was horrified.

But even with all my disconcerted views on killer whales, I still want to see Shamu. Or Shamu IV or whatever Shamu we're up to now.

I'm really excited about it. Hopefully Shamu will be excited to see me, too. And hopefully he's been well fed that day.