Spring Arrives in the Swamp

We are all thrilled that June has emerged from hiatus along with Betty to file the following pre-spring report (well, pre-spring for those of us in New England since we had snow overnight.)

Hey Everyone,

Sorry it’s been so long but not a heck of a lot going on. Still lookin for a job! Doing some part time stuff for a head hunter but it’s not steady & you have to wait so long to get paid.

When I moved into my house, there was a bird that came once a day & he would tap on the living room window.

Persistent little bugger

He did this for 3-4 months then he vanished. Apparently he went further south for winter cause He’s Baaaaaaaaack.

Finally, NASCAR season has started! Disappointed that I didn’t get to go to 500 but my seat was pretty good.

Oh yeah, for those baseball fans out there the Washington Senators spring training is here. I went to a game a couple weeks ago. Had no idea what was going on but our seats were right above the visitors dugout so I tried to flirt with the players.

This one almost looked at me a couple times.

No takers. Guess their eyesight was better than mine & could see that I could have been their G G G G Grandmother. Damn, that sounds OLD.

Not sure what these boys were doing but I thought it was funny pic.

This gal was my fav at the game. I’m bettin she was looking for the team bus after the game. Oooops, what you can’t see are her biker boots. Made the outfit.

Here’s my latest yard art so you’ll know where to find me if you’re drivin by.

Part Deux to follow

A Perfect Example of When Facebook is a Good Thing

Let’s face it. Everyone’s got their own idea of Facebook’s place in the world. There are those who sign on minimally – the anonymous avatar,  birth date and year just slightly off , only a list of  the last few “Betty is now friends with Hippie Cahier,” type posts. Others jump in a little bit deeper, adding a photo, venturing back a few decades to high school and remaining current with some friends made along the professional way. Some of these folks simply lurk, others dabble with comments across a wide range of friends.

Then there’s the set of Facebook friends we all dread: the all-out friend whore multi-level assault.

Of course, there are different levels of assault. Most annoying is the “friend” who reaches out to every person they can call to memory (and often some they can’t), then communicate as if they were best friends back in the 70s or 80s (even if they rolled in different circles), and post TMI status updates.

Today, however, I’m writing about the joy that diverse friend bases can bring.  Unlike many who enjoy the quantity friendship Facebook can provide, my “friend” list is fluid. I would say I’m active on the site at least once a week and take a few moments every Friday to “thin the herd. “

Those who remain are a group appreciated for the variety of things they add to my life. Just a few minutes ago, I signed onto Facebook and viewed the home page listing the most recent news from my friends. It warmed my heart to see the following two updates side-by-side (one is an “actual” friend, the other is a “fan friend” for a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series):

<name deleted to protect the innocent> werd up these new babymomma stollers look like escalades…me and my brother were zip tied and ducked taped to my uncles old unicycle with a leash…. · Comment · Like

XXXX driver Just got home from qualifying to a house full of Krissie’s family for another baby shower. It’s amazing how someone so small will require so much stuff! · Comment · Like

How beautiful is that?

210 Boxes

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. You see, my partner-in-crime here in the Bubble, June B. Stewart, has moved south. Yes, I’ve known it was coming but I refused to acknowledge it until the very end. I’ve finally stopped blubbering like a 12 year old. Even though technology will help, it’s hard to lose someone who I’ve seen almost every day of my life for nearly a decade.

He's moving south with her.

(For the NASCAR-impaired, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s nickname is June Bug and her other favorite driver is Tony Stewart.)

This blog was, in fact, partially inspired by June. Over the last eight years as we walked our dogs, June would entertain me with stories about the characters here in our neighborhood – from Witness Protection Frank to Bucky & Blinky, The COB (Crusty Old Bitch) to Not-Brian, there was rarely a dull moment in the Bubble. Emergency vehicles entering the condo complex? We’d leash up the dogs and go investigate. June would often joke that we could write a book, or at least a soap opera, about this place.

June and her dogs left the Bubble yesterday and should be rolling into their new hometown in about a half hour. She will immediately begin scouring her new neighborhood for the new cast of characters. We’ve discussed the possibility of introducing June’s Corner as a semi-regular feature here on Betty’s Bubble. All in favor?

You’re probably wondering about the “210 boxes.” While June sold and/or donated virtually every piece of furniture from her condo here, she still hired movers for the rest of her belongings. I watched as she disassembled her home over the last several weeks. The amount of “stuff” that came out of every nook and cranny was astonishing. There was a period of about three full weeks where even though boxes were being filled and taped, the amount of stuff occupying every square inch of floor, counter and table top space never decreased.

We organized a going away party for June that was held ten days ago at her place (we were going to have it elsewhere, but she volunteered the venue.) When I entered her place two days before the party to do a site inspection and pre-event planning, I panicked thinking that there was no possible way we’d accommodate 30+ people in there. I asked her if she regretted making the venue offer or if the upcoming party was providing motivation. The answer was a little of both.

In the end, June pulled it together for the party and, eventually, the moving van – 210 boxes worth. That’s 210 boxes of stuff from a two bedroom, two and a half bath (approximately 1500 square foot) condo. That’s approximately 35 boxes of stuff from each room. How is that possible? I didn’t think these places had enough storage to accommodate that much stuff.

I’ll be visiting her new home in November. I’m guessing she’ll still be unpacking then. In the meantime, I wish my dear friend the best of luck…and now I’ve got to go grab the box of tissues again. It’s going to be three days before I can get my contact lenses back in my eyes.