1. Guess who signed a lease on The House With the Cutest Sink in the Entire World?

I move in right when I get back from my trip! And yes, I actually went and took a picture of it with the water on just so I could show you how gorgeous it is in action.

2. I took the job! I’ll be going full-time with the company I work (part-time) for now in a position that will include what I’ve been doing plus some new, challenging stuff, too. The best part of the job? It means I’ll be close enough to my college girls to stay a part of their lives!  While I don’t write about my job, I found out yesterday that I’m allowed to tell you that I work in higher education, something I love.  The position will let me still work directly with college students and yet be in an administrative role, too. It’s absolutely perfect for this season of my life!  As for my role on this particular trip, let’s just say I’m going to finally get to fulfill a certain childhood dream of mine. I purposely got my masters degree with the intention of teaching on the collegiate level one day so I’m VERY excited about the opportunity I’ve been given for the next three weeks!

3. I am going to blog while I’m on this trip!  I’m not sure how often it will be, but I’ll definitely be posting. I know that I will be struggling with homesickness while I’m gone (because that’s just how I am), so please stay around while I’m gone so that it’ll be almost like being at home when I read your comments from over there. Pretty please?

4. Since there will be certain parts of the trip where I won’t be able to write (I don’t think they have wireless on the N*le River……..), I asked a few of my friends to give us a peek into what their lives are like. You’ll be seeing their posts every few days, whenever I’m unable to post thanks to my friend Kelly who will be taking care of the blog while I’m gone. If you’d like to see more up-to-date moments from the trip, be my friend on Facebook so you can see my status updates!

5. If you write me an email, comment on the blog, etc. while I’m gone, please be careful to use discretion when it comes to religious or political comments so I can make sure I can actually access them.  Remember, this is not a missions trip or anything of that nature.  It’s purely academic.

6. We have a winner from the contest the other day!  Congratulations, Becca — you were the randomly drawn winner!  I loved everyone’s entries, but I’ve got to admit that one stood out above all the rest: Mr. Darcy, it is!  (I haven’t decided on a first and middle name for him quite yet.)

7. Finally, I leave you with a video Frank and I made for you where we discuss a little about my trip and a lot about his obsession with Cousin Cate.  He’s got it bad, y’all.

I happened to see it last night and, as I was reading through it, I realized that it’s a very good indication of one of the many things that are changing in my life. I haven’t written much about Starlite ending because I think I’m just trying to focus on everything that has to be done in the process, not really the emotions that come with it. That isn’t totally healthy though, so I’m going try to pay attention to them… starting with this post from almost two months ago.

Earlier today, my cell phone died. The store tech told me it couldn’t be fixed and that I should use a loaner, old-fashioned phone for the next three months until my contract allows me to get a new phone at a reasonable price. I agreed and mentioned that, at some point, I needed to change my monthly plan anyway so I might as well do it while I was there.

It’s just one task out of a long list of things that I have to take care of as Starlite ends.

– — –

I’ve had to have the unlimited plan for quite awhile now –

unlimited texts because that’s how my college girls communicated.

unlimited data because I had to have access to my Starlite email wherever I was.

and unlimited minutes because I always, always, always had to be reachable.

– — –

We took the data plan off first, an easy decision since my loaner phone doesn’t even support the feature anyway. With one click of her mouse, the ability for my email to be delivered to me anywhere was gone.

Next came the text message part of the plan. While I’ll stay in contact with my girls, we all know it won’t nearly be to the degree it has been. So I decreased the amount, trying to guess how many texts I’ll receive each day.

And then there was the question that took me off guard –

“Will you still be needing unlimited minutes?”

I was frozen, thinking about the thing the last boy I dated used to say when we’d hang up after another marathon phone call –

“Girl, I’m going to make it my goal to use up all your unlimited minutes.”

– — –

I stood there, trying to add up how many minutes of calls I’ll need in an average day now, trying somehow to figure out what my new reality will need. I can’t compare it to anything else because Starlite has been my reality for the last seven years.

More emails, texts, calls than I could ever want or need has been my reality.

The unlimited plan has been my reality.

But now, in this new future, I have no reason to need unlimited anything.

– — –

I think, for the most part, I’ve held up pretty well over the last week, at least given the circumstances. I haven’t told you the details of the week, mainly because I was too busy just trying to emotionally make it through the week. The past week has been about helping other people make it through it, too. We had ten programs worth of girls to break the news to in one week. Scores of volunteers to officially tell the news to, even though word had leaked out. General public, including the literal hundreds of volunteers from the last seven years.

And tonight I just lost it.

Seven years of my life. When you’re only 24, that’s an awfully big portion of your life, you know.

It takes me awhile to process through major life changes, especially when I don’t know where to start.

But maybe this is just where you start. Maybe right now, this very second. Maybe this is just where you start, one step forward, one step into the store to change your cell phone plan.

Maybe this is how my new life begins.

Try not to let your heart rate raise too high with excitement.

Here’s something interesting about our Old Wal-Mart (we got a new one a few years ago, so now they’re respectively known as either Old Wal-Mart or New Wal-Mart): whilst most Wal-Marts have had the common sense to stop selling live animals in their stores, ours is still kicking it old school with a row of fish tanks along the back wall of the store. We had only been in the store for a few minutes when Cate asked me if I wanted to go with her to count the dead fish floating at the top of the tanks.

I thought she was joking, but I should know better. Cate doesn’t joke around when it comes to things of an aquatic nature.

We then headed to the craft section because we like to pretend we know how to make adorable things. It was there that I discovered that THERE IS A LINE OF MARTHA STEWART PRODUCTS AT WAL-MART!!!

Now, here’s the thing: I’m not really a “Martha fan” necessarily, but I love the packaging for her products. Just love it. So, I was going on and on about the glitter while Cate completely ignored me and actually pretended like she didn’t know the fool who was gushing over THE BEAUTIFUL PACKAGING, HAVE YOU SEEN THE BEAUTIFUL PACKAGING?

And then she came over and saw the beautiful packaging of a glue stick and was hooked.

Oh, and Martha doesn’t just package glue sticks well — she also does a fantastic job on entire TUBES OF GLUE!

So, we’re looking at the beautiful packaging when Cate notices that Martha has come out with a line of crafts that include making farm animals from pom-poms. I begin making fun of it, actually saying “Who in the world would buy this?” when I look up to see that Cate has pulled one from the shelf in an apparent gesture of potential purchase.

Don’t worry; I stopped her before she made a decision she would later regret.  No one has ever made pom-pom farm animals and not felt acute embarrassment later on.  No one.

We then headed to the beauty section because I like to look at the hairspray and Cate needed some stuff of her own. Here’s what I love about Cate: she’s a grown woman, graduated from university and yet still waits until her mom isn’t looking to hide her stuff in her cart so she’ll buy her toothpaste for her.

Cate’s mom?  If you’re reading?  Just be thankful it wasn’t the pom-pom animals.

]]> http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/07/01/theres-no-telling-how-many-farm-animals-she-would-have-made-by-now-if-i-hadnt-been-there-to-stop-her/feed/ http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/07/01/pictures-that-might-have-been-tonights-daily-peek-if-i-could-find-my-camera-connector-cord-thing-y/ http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/07/01/pictures-that-might-have-been-tonights-daily-peek-if-i-could-find-my-camera-connector-cord-thing-y/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:01:27 +0000 Amy Beth http://ministrysofabulous.com/?p=3862 It’s missing, but no worries — it’s here somewhere.  It will surface before departure on Saturday.

With that said, here’s what could have been options for tonight’s Daily Peek:

Option 1: A picture of the bank, where I did a currency exchange.  The rate is particularly good right now!

Option 2: A picture of me running through the sprinklers in the yard across from Cate’s house.  Here’s how it happened: I was driving her home, saw the sprinklers, thought about how hot my (still) un-air-conditioned house was going to be when I got some, pulled the car into her driveway and took off in a dead run towards the sprinklers whilst Cate yelled “I SHOULD TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS FOR YOUR BLOG!”

Option 3: Two wee little puppies, currently laying tangled up like a pretzel on my lap as I write this.  It’s hard to tell where one puppy ends and the other begins, just the way it should be.

So.  If you were taking a picture of something from your day, what would it look like in words?

And remember… they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so feel free to use the 816 I didn’t need for this post.

P.S. - I do not regret the sprinkler action for even one moment.  Totally worth it.  In fact, you should try it.  (Side ponytail optional.)

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what it looks like when you’ve got twenty attendants in your wedding party.

I’m kind of hidden, but if you’ll click the picture below, you’ll see me circled in the hot pink. I was going to jump higher for the picture but then I realized that it might make my hair fall.

And I think we all know what a tragedy that would have been.

P.S. - Katie’s Facebook status from last night:

“Cooked dinner tonight for my husband for the first time (I know, it’s been two weeks) and didn’t burn down our home. That’s what I call success!”

]]> http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/06/30/i-knew-youd-want-to-see-this-the-moment-i-saw-it/feed/ http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/06/30/it-turns-out-that-a-lot-is-in-a-name-especially-the-chance-to-win-something/ http://ministrysofabulous.com/2009/06/30/it-turns-out-that-a-lot-is-in-a-name-especially-the-chance-to-win-something/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:39:43 +0000 Amy Beth http://ministrysofabulous.com/?p=3682 Right before I left for Katie’s wedding, I told you about receiving this darling thing as a gift:

I didn’t know it at the time, but that little piece of machinery was about to change my life. Anyone who has EVER ridden with me on ANY trip knows just how bad I am at directions. I’m awful. Truly, terrible. Worse than bad. ARE YOU GETTING THE IDEA HERE?

From the moment I plugged him in, I knew that Mr. GPS and I were soul mates. I’ve thought I’ve loved other boys before, but I assure you that I did not know what true love was until I met my little directional device.

Now, I know what you’re thinking — how can I be so sure he’s a boy? Well, I’ll tell you how I know for certain that he’s a boy:

1. He never wants to stop and ask for directions.

2. He has excellent manners; when I make a wrong turn, he gently asks me to “please make a u-turn.”

3. When I profess my true love to him on a daily basis upon entering my automobile and seeing him there waiting for me, he doesn’t say much back. Strong, silent type, you know?

Here’s the only problem we’ve run into so far: he needs a name. Now, I’ve got his “voice” set to British English Male, which the company nicknamed Daniel. I’m not necessarily against the name Daniel, but I think y’all can do better than that.

And so, I implore you: whatever shall I name my new boyfriend? Remember, he needs something that sounds British and masculine and strong yet sensitive. It needs to be something that goes well with both “I love you” and “ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE SENDING ME THE RIGHT WAY?”

To thank you for your help, I’ll be randomly selecting one commenter to win THIS:

It’s the new CD from Above Only, a Christian hard rock back that I happen to have a little inside connection with. All you have to do to be entered is leave your suggestion for a name for Mr. GPS in the comments below by midnight on Wednesday, July 1. I’ll randomly select a winner from all entries received, though the name I pick for Mr. GPS may be different than the entry I pull out of a hat. Only one entry per person please!

Also due to the fact that there was a little showdown in the lobby of my rental agency on Saturday morning when they wouldn’t give me an estimated time of when it would be fixed.

Now, I’m a pretty nice girl. My friends would tell you that I’m fairly pleasant, I like to joke around, etc. But after several days of living in a house that was reaching 96 degrees each afternoon WITH PUPPIES TRYING TO LIVE IN IT, I had had enough.

Mess with me all you want, BUT YOU DO NOT TOUCH THE PUPPIES.

I’ll spare you the details other than to say that, after the receptionist told me I would not be able to speak with my rental agent (even after I offered to wait as long as it would take), I may or may not have whipped out a couple of Bon Qui Qui statements right there in that lobby as well as reached up to take my earrings off (Cate once taught me that, if you’re serious about something, you take off your earrings because it’s the international symbol of I’M ABOUT TO GO CRAZY ON YOU).

I unfortunately didn’t have any earrings on, which may have explained why the receptionist didn’t seem too fazed by my reaching for my naked earlobes.

It was an ugly two hours that included my going to print off a copy of the Tennessee Residential Landlord Act and, upon returning with it, informing the receptionist that I was just going to “chill” in their lobby until someone could take the time to talk to me. Shockingly, no one came to talk to me because, hey, I’m only one of their customers, you know. No big deal at all.

And then the receptionist started talking smack to me.

So, I did the very thing that I least wanted to do because I kind of like being independent and all: I picked up my cellular device, looked up “Mom Cell” and proceeded to call my Hot Shot of a Realtor mother to see if she’d mind going to bat for me. She tried speaking to the lady as a mother, first, but then that lady started talking smack over the phone to my mama and I could hear it from where I was sitting in the lobby and I wanted to hold up a sign for the receptionist that said YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, MA’AM. YOU DO NOT KNOW.

And lo, my Hot Shot of a Realtor mother didn’t really like being spoken to in that manner. By this time I could actually hear my mother’s voice coming through the phone line and realized that, with one sentence, she was about to do the Realtor version of taking her earrings off over the phone:

“My name is —– ——-, my Realtor ID badge number is ———- and what is yours?”

I had a repairman to my house within an hour.

(But it’s broken again as of last night.)

(I don’t want to talk about it.)

Oh, and ’cause I keep getting this question, I get these surveys from ones that I’m tagged in on Facebook.  I don’t do each one I’m tagged for, but sometimes they’re fun.

A

Available: This is a very tricky question right now. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Age: 24… but not for much longer.

Annoyance: People smacking their gum.

Animals? Snuggles y Cuddles, obvs.

B

Best feeling in the world: Being in love.

Best weather: Not sure, but I feel confident in saying it probably won’t be the weather I find myself in about this time next week when my plane lands.

Been in love: Yes, but I think I’m just now getting an education in what it means to really love somebody.

Been on stage: Many times for Starlite, most notably the time I fell off a chair whilst sitting on it.

Boys: I like ‘em, but not as much as Cate does.

C

Candy: I don’t really like candy that much, but I have worn a candy necklace or two in my day.

Chinese / Mexican food: I’ve never had Chinese food; I’m not a big fan of Mexican food.

Cake or pie: Cake, chocolate.  I’ve never had pie.  I think.  Or did I try it sometime?

Continent to visit: Well, I’m heading to Africa this time next week…

D

Dancing in the rain: Yes, please.

Drop things: Most often?  Cuddles.  He’s a wiggly little thing.

Dog: Mr. Snuggles and Sir Cuddles, thank you very much.

Diamonds: I don’t know; I’ve never had one.  But I think they’re gorgeous.

E

Eyes: They change colors with my emotions.  It fascinated one of my boyfriends to no end.

Everyone’s got: A need.

F

First thought when you wake up: “Good morning, God.”  (I say it when I wake up each morning, so I can make sure to tell Him hi first thing.)

Food: I really love strawberries and bananas together in the summertime.

G

Greatest fear: Being alone for the rest of my life / being abandoned / something happening to the puppies.

Gum: Not a fan.

H

Hair color: Natural, now.

Happy: Sometimes.  It’s an emotion and I have a lot of different emotions.

Holiday: Thanksgiving, I think.

I

Ice cream: Could live without it, easily.

Instrument: I’ve tried to play the piano but……………..

J

Jewelry: I really want to buy myself a promise ring sometime soon.

Job: Excited to be coming out of vocational ministry for a bit.

K

Keep a journal?  Five: this blog; personal online one that’s hidden; handwritten personal one; handwritten one for future husband and prayer journal for a friend who is in a rough season right now.

Kissing: I like to think of it as my personal love language.  KIDDING.

L

Laughed so hard you cried: Cate, describing titles we could give to this season of her life.  You don’t get even half of how funny she is from the videos on the blog.  Not even half of it.

Last time slept: Not well.  I’ve been talking and crying a lot in my sleep lately and it wakes me up.

M

Movies: I’ve been loving Penelope lately.

Motion sickness: In cars or on boats, sometimes.  Can’t wait for that several day cruise down the N*le River in a couple of weeks!

N

Not ready for: Being away from the puppies for so long.

Name: I really love Ella, Ava, Grace, etc.

O

One wish: To take the puppies with me next week.  Are you noticing a theme here?  Mama is feeling really sad about it right now.

P

Perfect pizza: Just cheese, please.

Pets: STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME CRY, SURVEY.

Q

Quote you’re loving: “Do you want me to tell you something really subversive?  Love is everything it’s cracked up to be.  That’s why people are so cynical about it.  It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for.  And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” - Erica Jong

R

Reality TV: I don’t even have my TV plugged in… haven’t watched TV in a very long time.

S

Song of the moment: She is Love by Parachute.  Constant repeat.

Salad Dressing: No thank you!

Strawberries: LOVE THEM!

T

Thunderstorms: Love them at night especially.

Trust: Still not sure if it’s a pre-requisite for love or a by-product of it.

U

Unpredictable: Me, sometimes.

V

Vacation spot: Quiet beach at night.

W

Weakness: Snuggles y Cuddles, especially when they know they’re in trouble.

Worst feeling: Realizing someone is about to stop loving you.

X

X-rays: I like the little vest they make you wear.  I pretend like I’m one of the Jetsons.

Y

Yellow: A very happy color, of course!

Z

Zoo animal: Do they have whales at zoos?

1. Are you one of the people who tried sending an email to the info AT starliteministries DOT org or amybeth AT starliteministries DOT org addresses and had it bounce back to you? Have you sent an email and not received a reply? If so, leave me a comment here or email me at ministrysofab AT yahoo DOT com ’cause we’re having MAJOR email trouble again and I know a lot of you have been emailing us lately. Just so you know, we never just ignore an email or delete it without replying, so if you haven’t received a reply, there’s a problem. And it’s most definitely not your fault.

2. Did you order a Starlite sweatshirt and not receive it from the company yet? I know that some orders have shipped, but I’ve heard that a couple of people didn’t get theirs. Let me know so I can follow-up on that with the company who makes them.

3. Are you waiting for a reply to a blog email, Facebook message, etc. from me? You’ll get it this weekend. Promise. (P.S. - Don’t ever let my delay in responding to emails make you think I don’t love them; emails, messages, etc. from blog readers are actually one of the things that make me happiest in life. Like, really.)

4. Lastly, and most importantly: have you made plans to wear your hair in a side ponytail at least once this weekend to properly celebrate The Summer of the Side Ponytail? If not, you still have a few hours before the weekend begins to get your hair priorities in order.

Love, kisses and ponytail holders,

amy beth