12.31.15
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Adventure Time: Hampton Roads, VA Edition (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Weekend)

Image Credit: mffanrodders.wordpress.com

Image Credit: mffanrodders.wordpress.com

The weekend before Christmas, Al and I hosted our group of friends for the first time! We had so much fun.

The main reason we got together: Star Wars: The Force Awakens!!

Everyone was so excited!

On Friday afternoon, I was able to leave work early, around 3:30 p.m. I was making spaghetti for everyone for dinner. Drew was waiting for me outside the house since he was able to work an earlier shift. He brought all of his stuff inside as I finished the last-minute cleaning and prepping.

Al arrived home from work as I started warming up the noodles and sauce, and baking the garlic bread. He brought home the ingredients for Sunday breakfast, along with a bunch of assorted sodas. He and Drew chattered away about Marvel and Star Wars. The house smelled amazing!

Justin kept me updated on their travels via text, since Heaven was driving. The two of them and Katie arrived almost simultaneously. Dinner was ready, and it turned out great!

After dinner, we relaxed and enjoyed our first true Secret Santa gift exchange. My maid of honor, Melissa, took our six names and assigned three sets of pairs via Facebook messages after Thanksgiving. We were all brimming with anticipation!

Our pile of gifts!

Our pile of gifts!

Justin gave Al a Funko Pop! Star Wars First Order Snowtrooper!

Justin gave Al a Funko Pop! Star Wars: First Order Snowtrooper!

Drew gave Justin a Jack Skellington stocking cap!

Drew gave Justin a Jack Skellington stocking cap!

Heaven gave Laura Beth two things: A book about blogging and writing, and a journal!

Heaven gave Laura Beth two things: A book about blogging and writing, and a journal!

Katie gave Heaven two things: An owl necklace and earrings set, and a owl wall hanger with hooks!

Katie gave Heaven two things: An owl necklace and earrings set, and a owl wall hanger with hooks!

Then, unfortunately, both sets of my camera batteries died! So, Al took over the photos with his phone.

Laura Beth had a special Wolverine commission done for Drew! Check out "SavyArt" on Facebook for more information! Photo Credit: Al Vardaro

Laura Beth had a special Wolverine commission made for Drew! Check out SavyArt for more information! Savy happens to be my future sister-in-law, and she is epic!!
Photo Credit: Al Vardaro

Al bought Katie a Steelers stocking cap! Photo Credit: Al Vardaro

Al bought Katie a Steelers stocking cap!
Photo Credit: Al Vardaro

To end the night, we played Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre! Drew was the newbie, and it was awesome!!

On Saturday morning, Al left early to get O’doodle Doo’s donuts! Yum!!

We watched so many Player Piano videos! Sonya is amazing!!

After breakfast, for the first time, we split into guys and girls. The girls were on a mission: Going to LUSH in MacArthur Mall in Norfolk. It was amazing!

Heaven brought half of her makeup to the house, so she gave Katie and myself amazing makeovers!

Heaven doing LB's makeup :) Photo Credit: Justin Clatterbuck

Heaven doing LB’s makeup 🙂
Photo Credit: Justin Clatterbuck

The finished product at Gianna's! Katie went with an 80s look, and I went for a more natural look. Heaven, you're hired! Photo Credit: Justin Clatterbuck

The finished product at Gianna’s! Katie went with an ’80s look, and I went for a more natural look. Heaven, you’re hired!
Photo Credit: Justin Clatterbuck

We visited Gianna’s for lunch. I tried their subs for the first time – Delicious!

Then … It was time for STAR WARS!!!!!!

I took the pledge online to keep my social media accounts free of any spoilers for at least one week after the movie premiered.

Since it’s been approximately 13 days now, I feel it’s now safe to divulge my thoughts.

HOLY SHIT, THIS MOVIE WAS FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

I never saw any of the previous movies in theaters, not even the prequels. So this was my first time seeing a Star Wars movie on the big screen.

And holy moly, worth it, it was!

I love the direction they are going.

Rey is awesome.

Poe is kick-ass.

Finn is my favorite 🙂

BB-8 captured my heart from the first trailer well over a year ago.

I squealed when Han Solo, Chewie, and now-General Leia appeared on-screen.

A few observations:

  • Jakku is indeed a graveyard in hell. Most deserts are!
  • The visual effects are absolutely fucking stunning. So much eye candy!
  • The scenery is top-notch. I want to go to every single place where they filmed. I hope TFA gets nominated at the Oscars for visual effects and cinematography!
  • The humor was fantastic! One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie was where Poe and Finn escaping in the TIE Fighter!
  • I totally did not see Han Solo’s terrible demise coming! I teared up!
  • I was so excited when R2-D2 came out of low power mode!
  • I forgot how annoying C-3PO can be! Especially his voice, it grates my nerves a bit.
  • Initially, I didn’t like how they waited to feature Luke Skywalker at the very end, for the last couple of minutes, without any lines! However, now having seen the movie three times (Thursday the 17th, Saturday the 19th, and Tuesday the 22nd), I understand why they did it. It makes me so ready for Episode VIII. Memorial Day Weekend 2017!
  • All the theories about Rey being Luke’s daughter: I can picture that, but I’m not a 100 percent believer, just yet.

For dinner, we headed to JONES’ Restaurant in Portsmouth. Some of the best Southern food around! Justin and Heaven had never experienced it until now. The chicken is worth the 15-minute wait!!

Our waitress, Diane, was the best! She saw all of us in our varying Star Wars shirts and walking up to our table, she says, “Are y’all coming from or going to?”

Drew brought his awesome s’mores maker again! Al and I bought the ingredients, including special s’mores-style marshmallows that were square! How cool is that?!

To cap off the night, we played a nice round of Munchkin 🙂

On Sunday morning, Al and I made breakfast. Okay … Al made most of it! Scrambled eggs, amazing Smithfield cherrywood bacon (!!), and we tested our new Keurig Carafe. I was in charge of the toast and overall distribution.

Lesson learned – Buy more bacon next time! Yummy!!

Before everyone headed home in the afternoon, we played a fantastic game of Cards Against Humanity! So much fun 🙂

As I finish this post, it’s the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Wow, 2015 has been one of the fastest years yet!

I want to say thank you to all of you, my readers. I started blogging (again) almost two years ago. Because of you, readers, I have grown in so many ways with this writing adventure and endeavor. Thank you!

I never imagined that this little blog of mine would be read across the country, much less around the world. Wow. I look at my WordPress Stats page often, and I’m so tickled when I see a reader from another country. Thank you!

I look forward to writing a lot more in 2016!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season so far.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.05.15
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Commentary #13: “20 Ways Being Left-Handed Impacts Your Health”

Image Credit: wefollowpics.com

Image Credit: wefollowpics.com

“There are so many artists that are dyslexic or learning disabled, it’s just phenomenal. There’s also an unbelievably high proportion of artists who are left-handed, and a high correlation between left-handedness and learning disabilities.” ~Chuck Close

In one of my more recent Commentary posts, I mentioned how I peruse CNN almost every day. Well, I stumbled upon another nugget for you!

I give you: 20 Ways Being Left-Handed Impacts Your Health

Some of you may not know that I’m left-handed. And I’m damn proud of it!

Here’s my take on the 20 things. Enjoy!

It’s not just genetics

For years, I thought it was genetic and/or hereditary. My dad is left-handed, and I have his eyes and his hair. A few other family members, on my dad’s side, are left-handed. So that’s where my thinking laid, for a long time. And apparently, left-handedness does tend to run in families!

It’s linked to stress in pregnancy

Oh dear. This is gonna be fun in a few years!

In all seriousness though, reading the summaries of the studies in the article was interesting, and a little frightening. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) earlier this year. I see a lot of yoga, coloring, reading, and writing when I get pregnant!

It’s more common in twins

This was interesting. I am not a twin, but my mom’s mom had twins that died at birth. When I first met Al, I quickly learned that twins are far more common in his family – His dad has an older brother and sister who are fraternal twins. In addition, there is a line of twins on his dad’s side, but there’s a twist: They historically skip every other generation. Since it occurred in his dad’s generation, and then skipped Al’s generation, it’s thought that I may have them one day. It was so weird to hear that though – I always had this notion of having twins, even as a young child. So strange! But, only time will tell 🙂

It doesn’t make you “right-brained”

Huh. This was a doozy. The study of the brain – The left brain and right brain – has fascinated me for several years. We all use the entirety of our brains, all for different functions, but seeing the percentages in the article raised my eyebrows.

It may cause you to think differently

I had to read this section twice, but I understood it. I tend to be drawn toward things on my left side. I’m not sure how “good” those things are. I think of it in a scientific sense: Since I am left-handed, it makes sense that I would naturally be drawn to or pay more attention to things on my left, rather than my right.

It can affect school performance

I knew it!! Just in a different way, haha. My biggest struggle throughout my schooling has been math. However, the inference to mild learning disabilities is spot-on, for me. I was born at 25 weeks. I had massive early intervention, with all sorts of therapy – Speech, physical, occupational. You name it, I was in it. Also, I was essentially held back for a year in elementary school, and it was exactly what my brain and body needed. I believe it contributed to my maturity and early connection with adults.

It’s linked to a risk of mental health problems

Interesting. As I mentioned earlier, I was recently diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I wish that this article had links to the cited studies. But, I agree with the links to ADHD and some mood disorders – Those fit my history.

It does offer an advantage in sports

For me, sports are unique. I throw with my left. But in terms of stances (batting, putting, etc.) or kicking, I stand to the right, or I use my right foot. But the article inferred something that makes perfect sense – When facing a left-hander, left-handers have an advantage, because it’s basically mirror imagery!

It may make for better fighters

Ha! Laura Beth, world champion boxer. Yeah, right! Although, I do like the idea of developing a strong left hook.

It doesn’t make you more creative

Interesting. I like the idea of “divergent thinking.” But, I also agree with examining the overall creative achievements of a person. Some people, no matter what hand they use, are just incredibly gifted and talented.

It doesn’t mean you’re artsy

Makes sense. Al is far more “artsier” that me, and he’s right-handed. And by “artsier,” I mean that he studied graphic design and animation. He’s a far better photographer and videographer. He has that eye for detail. He’s a whiz with Photoshop and InDesign.

On the other hand (no pun intended), we agree that I’m a stronger writer and editor. I grew up playing and performing music (piano, viola, and some voice), and I studied the visual arts in high school, enjoying pastels and a little bit of drawing.

It’s linked to a higher risk of breast cancer

Hmmmmm. According to the article, the highest risk is after menopause. Still – I’m gonna keep an eye on things.

It doesn’t affect your general health

With the exception of inflammatory bowel disease, of course. Yuck. Lucky for me, that hasn’t happened, so far!

It’s linked to some sleep problems

So, kicking my mom when I had a bad dream and slept in her bed wasn’t on purpose! It’s scientifically proven, Mom!

It doesn’t impact longevity

“Zero effect on lifespan,” says the author. Whew!

It may up the risk of PTSD

Interesting. I’m definitely not a horror movie fan, at all. I can’t watch certain shows anymore, like ones that I used to love years ago (CSI, Criminal Minds, etc.) I’m a visual person, so I’m easily scared if I can picture a graphic image. Even hearing someone recount a scene from a movie or TV show can make me jump or shiver. It’s strange, but true.

It doesn’t make you a bigger drinker

Left-handedness has nothing to do with alcohol consumption. I’m not a big drinker, by any means. I enjoy a Corona with lime on occasion and there are days where I need a glass of wine (or two), but I’m not going nuts every single night or hitting up the bars or clubs every weekend. Not me!

It might mean you earn less money

I was initially taken aback by this observation, but after re-reading it, it’s interesting to ponder. The research cited shows a significant difference in the gap between left-handed and right-handed women workers. Hmmmmm.

Overall, handedness doesn’t really matter

I agree with the statement that ” … the differences between righties and lefties are really rather subtle, and of much greater scientific interest than any kind of practical use …” Reading all these summaries of research and studies has certainly peaked my curiosity. I was also curious to see that research is planned for more right-handers and their brains, since so much focus has been placed on lefties and those who are mixed-handed or ambidextrous.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

11.07.15
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Getting Personal #17: The Final Countdown

Image Credit: samirpatro.wordpress.com

Image Credit: samirpatro.wordpress.com

Here we are, the last week before we tie the knot!

I can hardly believe it. It’s been a little over 10 months since we got engaged. And this time next week, we’ll be Mr. and Mrs., realizing that we are finally experiencing post-wedding and pre-honeymoon.

A ton of emotions washed over me today. I got my hair trimmed at the salon, my last “single” haircut. I signed a couple of credit card receipts, knowing that this is one of the last Saturdays that I will sign anything as “Stricker.”

I told Al that I was a little nervous, but more excited more than anything. He told me not to be nervous. It won’t be perfect, but at the end of the day, we will be married. I even shed some happy tears earlier tonight.

Everything is falling into place. Our guest book/canvas/work of art was dropped off today (It is absolutely gorgeous!), I have a ton of thank-you notes to write this week because so many amazing packages have been arriving, I finished the first draft of our wedding program this afternoon, and Al is completing the final touches on our movie couples seating arrangements for the reception 🙂

I’m trying to treat this upcoming week as normally as possible, but it will certainly be interesting. Most of my relatives will be flying in at the beginning of the week and spending time with us at the house. I get to enjoy dinner with Katie and Brian on Thursday night while Al is taken out for his bachelor festivities. Mom and I have our own self-imposed deadline of Wednesday for everything on our plates to be done. I need to clean up my room, and pack!

So much to do in these last few days, but my excitement is brimming.

As the title says, I’ll leave you with this. Enjoy your weekend!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.24.15
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Commentary #12: The Woman Who Was Desperate To Become Blind (Body Integrity Identity Disorder)

I saw this story on one of my local TV stations’ websites on a Thursday afternoon. My eyes went wide; I couldn’t believe the headline:

Woman desperate to be blind had drain cleaner poured in her eyes, now happier than ever

Desperate to be blind?

Having drain cleaner poured in her eyes?

Happier than ever?!

I read the brief article, and then I immediately wanted to search for more. I wanted to try to make sense of this disorder that this woman had: Body integrity identity disorder, or BIID, for short.

These are the links I found when I Googled her name and BIID:

Her name is Jewel, and she’s 30-years-old. She wanted to be blind since she was six-years-old. She “felt comfortable” thinking about being blind.

According to Jewel, a psychologist helped her become blind – This person administered numbing eye drops first, then a couple of drops of drain cleaner in each eye.

It took about 18 months for the full effect. She has no contact with her mother and sister; she lied to them initially about how she went blind.

Despite some of her immediately family cutting all ties with her, Jewel says she has no regrets, and she wants to help others who are blind to live independent lives.

After reading these articles, I sat in my chair, stunned. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. Jewel insisted in her interview that she doesn’t think she’s crazy – She has a disorder. In addition, she says went public with her story to raise awareness of BIID and encourage those with BIID or suspecting that they have BIID, to seek professional help.

I immediately wanted to learn more about BIID. Thank God for the Internet!

I shared this strange topic with my friend Justin. He searched it as well and came up with this case:

David was desperate to remove his leg. He tried every method to amputate it himself. Finally, feeling helpless and feeling like there was nowhere else to turn, he called his best friend. His best friend was empathetic, telling David, ‘” … there was something in my eyes the whole time I was growing up … it looked like I had pain in my eyes, like there was something I wasn’t telling him.'”

According to this article, the first modern account of BIID came to light in 1977. A paper was published on “apotemnophilia,” or the desire to be an amputee.

And more stories and articles have been published since then. The following list contains a mix of scholarly articles, feature pieces, and resources.

Even though BIID is a relatively new condition, a lot of literature is out there. Many people have told their story. It is bizarre and strange, don’t get me wrong, but I have started to have a better understanding of this condition and this disorder. I have learned a lot by researching this topic for this post.

In first reading about Jewel, the North Carolina woman who wanted to be blind for over 20 years, she encouraged those suffering to seek professional help. That I definitely agree with.

These days, the stigma of “seeing a shrink” or seeing a therapist, etc., is slowly going away. I myself see a counselor on a regular basis. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) earlier this year. I wasn’t ashamed – In reality, I was relieved. I knew that I had been suffering, and I knew it was more than stress. Yes, I have a “label,” but I’m happy that I know what is wrong and how I can help myself. I’m also learning more about myself – My triggers, how to disconnect to calm myself down, how to make my “episodes” shorter and shorter, and so on. I’m very grateful that I’m not on medication to treat GAD, but I realize there are people who depend on medication every day to treat their conditions and disorders, and that’s definitely okay too. I’ve found myself to be a researcher and a reader on GAD, educating myself.

Back to Jewel – I’m happy that she wants to work with other blind people. She’s using her disorder to reach out to others and help them. I think that’s a wonderful thing. Her story is certainly strange, but I want to see her reach that goal. I hope the media does some sort of follow-up story in the future – I want to see her make good on her encouragement.

On the other hand, Jewel has received criticism as well. Those who advocate for the disabled and the blind have spoken out, saying that Jewel’s desire to become blind is like a slap in the face to those who were born blind or became blind from accidents or illnesses.

I understand that. I can understand that those who have desired to become amputees have also likely received criticism from people who work with amputees, and those who have lost limbs at or before birth, in accidents, from illnesses, from war, and so on.

What do you think? Did you know about BIID before reading this post?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.20.15
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Adventure Time: Richmond, VA Edition (Round 5)

Image Credit: Pinterest

Image Credit: Pinterest

We had a spectacular weekend in Richmond!

A decision was made to come up with a solid plan and make it happen.

We wanted to get together in October, and this get-together started with a conversation about the concept of Escape Rooms.

After some research, Laser Quest came into the picture. Then, thanks to Justin, we found out about the Key Quest Escape Room. Turns out, Laser Quest and the Key Quest Escape Room are in the same building!

We knew we wanted to go to Mama J’s for one meal, and then Bottoms Up came into the conversation.

In planning the weekend, I offered to call the places and make any reservations that I could. Mama J’s doesn’t take any reservations, so it was decided that we would arrive right as they opened for the day.

That weekend, Laser Quest was offering a Triple Play event, where we could play three games, back-to-back, for $20 per person.

And then the Key Quest Escape Room was only $15 per person. Not too shabby!

I was able to make the Laser Quest and Key Quest Escape Room reservations on the same day, and in the same phone call! Score!!

Al and I arrived at Drew’s around 9:30 on Saturday morning, October 10th. Drew, Justin, and Heaven greeted us. Katie arrived shortly thereafter. We split up into my car and Drew’s mom car, and we were off to Mama J’s.

Clockwise, from far left: Drew, Justin, Heaven, Laura Beth, Al, and Katie. Image Credit: Drew Brink

Waiting for awesome Mama J’s food! Clockwise, from far left: Drew, Justin, Heaven, Laura Beth, Al, and Katie.
Image Credit: Drew Brink

We had a Halloween theme for Saturday. Drew wore his shirt with all of the classic horror movie characters. Justin wore a shirt that had the character Gasai Yuno on it from the anime “Mirai Nikki (Future Diary in English).” Heaven won the day: She had on her reversible Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie, plus some awesome barrettes and bows in her hair. I wore my Longwood Oktoberfest 2010 shirt. Katie wore her Steelers jacket, but underneath she had the Baltimore Ravens shirt that Justin bought for her for our Kings Dominion adventure.

At Mama J’s, we stuffed ourselves silly with amazing soul food: Fried chicken, pork chops that were smothered and covered, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and some of the most amazing cake!

After lunch, we headed over to Laser Quest. We were early, so we hung out and waited for our first start time. Shortly after we arrived, one of the employees saw us sitting and asked if we were the party of six 🙂

For Triple Play, we had signed up for three games, back-to-back. It was awesome!

The first game was the best – It had the least amount of people. You can have up to 32 people play a round. The first game had maybe 10 people total!

The second game was a little bigger. The third game almost filled the arena – There were birthday parties cycling in and out all afternoon.

Having bets or agreements between members of this group is becoming tradition. With football season in full swing, there was a NFL bet on the line. Justin, Katie, and I had our team shirts and our rival shirts packed. It was a battle for first place.

I ended up wearing my Denver shirt on Sunday. Justin bested me by almost 1,000 points! It was still fun though. Running around, shooting your friends with lasers? Awesome!

We then headed to downtown Richmond for dinner at Bottoms Up. We parked across from the canal. Walking in, we saw the silver line – The silver line of paint marking six feet, two inches. This was the height of the floodwaters that Hurricane Gaston blew into the restaurant! Fortunately, they rebuilt and reopened to serve some of the best pizza!

Everyone got something a little different, but all equally delicious. My “slice” was technically a quarter of a whole pizza! I tried to eat it all, but couldn’t. The leftovers were just as good on Sunday night though!

We had some time to kill before going back to LQ for the Escape Room experience. It was chilly, but the canal was right there, so we explored a little bit!

Al and Laura Beth :) Image Credit: Drew Brink

Al and Laura Beth 🙂
Image Credit: Drew Brink

Katie and Drew :) Image Credit: Drew Brink

Katie and Drew 🙂
Image Credit: Drew Brink

Justin and Heaven :) Image Credit: Drew Brink

Justin and Heaven 🙂
Image Credit: Drew Brink

It was interesting to see the history markers and walk a different part of Richmond. We discovered that there are boat tours, so that was added to the list for next time!

Hey, look at the camera, quick! Image Credit: Drew Brink

Hey, look at the camera, quick!
Image Credit: Drew Brink

We got back in the cars and headed back to Laser Quest for the big event of the weekend: Key Quest Escape Room.

We knew the basics – The six of us would be locked in a room together for up to an hour, and we had to solve a series of clues and puzzles to escape. If we solved everything before time was up, we would be winners!

The theme for us was “The Basement.”

It was disorienting at first – We were blindfolded and led into the room in a line, holding on to each other’s shoulders. Then, we had to listen to a recording for our first instructions and clues. After that, we took off our blindfolds and realized that the room was very dimly lit, making it difficult to see things and solve the clues and puzzles.

Those 45 minutes we had – It flew by! There was a timer running, and when it beeped, we knew were done.

We had a walkie-talkie where we could call a team member for one clue.

It was a tough challenge – Tougher than most of us thought.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to “escape” before time was up. But, it was a good experience overall. We were dissecting it in the cars on the way home, later that night, the next day, and even a couple of days afterward!

When we got back to Drew’s, we put on Dracula Untold. I hadn’t seen it. Unfortunately, I missed most of it too – I kept falling asleep. We were planning to play some games, but after the movie ended, we decided to call it a night and play the games in the morning.

On Sunday morning, five of the six of us were up early. Drew’s mom made us an amazing breakfast – Cinnamon rolls, biscuits, sausage, bacon. Yum!!

After Drew got up and ate, we settled in for a lively game of Munchkin. We easily killed several hours. It was full of monsters, fights, a little bit of backstabbing, and twists and turns. Heaven was the winner!

Once we cleaned up Munchkin, Drew and Katie were talking (actually, raving) about The Cookie Monster Cafe, a local place about 15 minutes from Drew’s house. We headed there for lunch. It was an excellent decision. I had the best grilled cheese sandwich and house-made onion rings! And they had Nantucket Nectars, an amazing line of juices! We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the hometown feel.

After lunch, we said our goodbyes as Al and I headed home. Justin and Heaven headed back to Drew’s.  The original plan was for them to watch the Broncos (Justin’s team) play the Raiders, but since we’re in Virginia, the Patriots game was aired instead (Boooooooo!)

So, instead of football, they watched Criminal Minds, a show that many of us have watched over the years. It’s hard to believe that it’s been on the air for 10 years now! I also heard that Cards Against Humanity was played, at some point, after Heaven headed home.

Katie also texted me a photo of Justin – He was wearing his Steelers shirt, Packers shorts, Broncos necklace, and drinking from his Ravens tumbler with the purple crazy straw.

It was a fantastic weekend. My question: Where has 2015 gone?

We look forward to more adventures – Our wedding in a few weeks, then getting together for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, and then ringing in 2016 with a new Secret Santa gift exchange!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

10.16.15
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Commentary #11: “Keys, Cash, Passports: Nine Everyday Objects That Are About To Disappear”

Image Credit: cnn.com

Karmid Rashid, author of the CNN Style article. Image Credit: cnn.com

“I love the fact that very often the most everyday objects take on another level of importance.” ~Nick Veasey

While perusing CNN.com around the end of September (It’s part of my daily routine), this article caught my eye:

Keys, Cash, Passports: Nine Everyday Objects That Are About To Disappear

I was so intrigued by this article. I first saw it at lunchtime on a Wednesday, and I sat at my desk and read it straight through. Then, I went back and read it again.

I kept going back to it, and for me, that’s a pretty good sign I should write about something.

Here’s my take on Karmid’s list. Enjoy, and let me know what you think! I love reading your comments.

Keys and money

I find the whole fingerprint identification thing very interesting. I’ve seen it on the new smartphones, in place of typing a numerical password. That, I agree with!

However, I don’t think keys will become obsolete, at least not in the near future. I personally very much appreciate having deadbolts to lock at home and work; that makes me feel safe.

Money – Now that’s another story. I’ve watched cash, in particular, become obsolete with my own generation. For me, however, I still carry cash. I give myself a small cash allowance after every paycheck. Plus, I always get extra cash before I travel, for emergencies.

I have a ceramic bank, shaped like a frog, that I painted at a local paint-your-own-pottery place several years ago, and I enjoy filling Froggy up with coins. It’s interesting to see how much I save. Over the last few years, I’ve rolled and wrapped around $120 in change almost every year. I haven’t filled Froggy to the brim in 2015 just yet, but I think it’s gonna happen soon.

Verdict:

Keys – Not going obsolete

Money – Going obsolete, for some

Bottled water

I carry Tervis Tumblers with me wherever I go. I very rarely drink bottled water, anymore. I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought a bottle of water! We use the Brita filters at work, and there’s a pitcher in Mom and Dad’s fridge.

Verdict: Going obsolete

Passports and eyeglasses

This post is reminding me to update my passport (It’s probably been 10 years, or more, since the last update), although I’ll probably wait until I officially change my last name in about a month and a half. It’ll be easier that way.

This also reminds me of how people are going paperless with every single fucking thing, particularly travel documents. When Al and I were going through the airports back and forth to Florida in January, I was amazed at how many people used their phones to pull up their boarding passes. For me, I’ve always used paper, and I always will use paper. Seeing both the passengers and the airport security people struggle to scan the boarding passes on the phones was enough proof for me!

In terms of eyeglasses, I wear them. I also have contact lenses, but with my job requiring a computer all day long, I can only wear the contacts on the weekends. Several people I know have had LASIK surgery, and my own eye doctor thought I would be a good candidate. However, I don’t mind having my glasses and contacts. As long as I have my vision, I’m good.

In general, though, I think eyeglasses will eventually be replaced. However, given that I know so many people who use them, I don’t think it will be anytime soon.

Verdict:

Passports – Not going obsolete

Eyeglasses – Going obsolete, eventually

Parking meters

I observed this while in Richmond with Al and our friends last weekend. Instead of the traditional feed the meter with loose change, I had the option of swiping my credit card or inserting cash into this kiosk. Once I paid my $5.00, the machine spit out a receipt that I put on my dashboard that was good until 1:20 a.m.

Personally, thank goodness. I have a film canister with loose change in my car in case I run into the traditional meter, but honestly, where I live, there are far more parking garages and lots that charge more than a handful of change. We watched our wedding photographer, unfortunately, get a ticket from one of the traditional meters after our engagement photo session, but that’s the only instance that I can think of that’s happened with a traditional coin meter in recent memory.

Verdict: Going obsolete, definitely

Buttons and pockets

I agree with Karmid, in a way – I like my clothes to have a little stretch, be minimal, and be super comfortable. I see his reasoning that if keys, passports, and cash go obsolete, then there’s little need for pockets.

However, I bring in the cargo pants debate here. In the last few months, the media kind of exploded with the thought that men should ditch the cargo pants and shorts once and for all …

Not me! All of the shorts that Al owns have cargo pockets, and damn, they are the best things EVER! It’s perfect when I don’t want to bring my purse somewhere (Not often, but hey), and he holds my keys or phone that way. The perfect scenario is amusement parks! If I drive, I can give my keys, phone, and essential things from my wallet to him, and they’re safe and protected in those pockets!

And then for the ladies, it’s been nice to discover some dresses that have built-in pockets, too!

For buttons, there are days where I wish they weren’t around. I’ve had to re-sew many in my time (So fucking annoying!) There’s gotta be a better way. Zippers and those little slide doohickeys work for me; that’s why I’ve kept my black dress pants around for so long!

Verdict:

Pockets – Not going obsolete

Buttons – Not going obsolete

Furniture

Karmid’s brief explanation about this sounded completely off-the-wall, straight out of a sci-fi script.

There’s too much money in furniture for it to go obsolete, period.

Besides, furniture has been considered art for, well, forever. It can do so much for a space.

There is such a thing as too much, but it’s definitely not going away.

Personally, I’m excited to get our own house to find the perfect furniture for it!

Verdict: Not going obsolete

In response, here’s a few everyday objects that I think are going obsolete:

  1. Nail polish – I love the Jamberry nail wraps! Sure, it’s a bit more time-consuming, but they’re so pretty with the seemingly endless designs, and they last so much longer than regular mani-pedis! And, did I mention they’re cheaper?
  2. Regular soap – Good gracious. I feel like everything is anti-bacterial now. There’s so much hand sanitizer. I carry it with me, but I try to have a balance. I don’t want to kill the good germs!
  3. Printed photos – I personally love filling frames with printed photos. Nowadays, there are less cameras, and mostly phones. Most photos are stored on Facebook. I love photo canvases, but having a variety of frames is fun too.
  4. DVDs – Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube. I rest my case.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.25.15
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Hot Topic #11: Big Pharma – A Look Into Martin Shkreli, The Gobs Of Money, And More

Disclaimer: This post contains strong language.

Earlier this week, the Internet basically blew up because of this guy:

Image Credit: NBC News via Paul Taggart / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Image Credit: NBC News via Paul Taggart / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

The media was all over it. Outrage was almost instantaneous. Martin Shkreli has been called almost every name in the book: “Public Enemy No. 1,” “the most hated man in America,” “a spoiled brat” by none other than Donald Trump, and more. The Daily Beast blatantly called him an asshole in their main headline, which was my exact impression of this shitty scumbag and fucking bottom feeder when the news first broke.

Shkreli’s decision to raise the price of Daraprim, used to treat an infection caused by a parasite, from a sensible $13.50 per pill to over $750 per dose, was jaw-dropping, among other things.

He soon back-pedaled, but the damage was already done:

It’s bad enough when your one decision sparks worldwide outrage, but I think it’s worse when your supposed colleagues in your own industry and supporting industries turn their backs on you. However, this piece of shitty scum totally deserves it. I’m applauding those in the bio tech industry and PhRMA for standing up and saying, “Whoa, hang on a second, this is not acceptable.” Read more from The Washington Post.

With that said, however, my applause is limited and short-lived. These industries are fucking money hoarders!

In The Daily Beast article, a reporter confronted Shkreli about the low cost of producing Daraprim – Roughly one dollar per pill.

Shkreli’s response to her?

” … Shkreli claimed that the price hike was necessary for Turing Pharmaceuticals to increase revenue, and that some of the profits would be funneled into research and development costs for a Daraprim alternative …”

That?

That’s PURE FUCKING GREED.

However, as The Washington Post article said, Shkreli is certainly not the first drug company executive, or drug company, to drastically raise prices.

Shkreli’s been in the news before – When he was the CEO of Retrophin, the company acquired Thiola, a drug used to treat an incurable kidney disease, with plans to raise its price over 20 times. The Retrophin board fired Shkreli and sued him for $65 million, accusing him of misusing company funds.

Here’s a few examples of those costs:

And, as I learned from researching for this post, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) apparently can’t do a damn thing about drug prices. They have no “legal authority to investigate or control the prices charged for marketed drugs,” according to a response on the FDA’s frequently asked questions section of their website.

Reading that statement basically knocked me over, initially.

According to an article from The Atlantic, Americans were reminded this week that the U.S. is the only fucking country in the FUCKING WORLD “where drug companies set their own prices for life-saving medications.”

Cue eye roll, heavy sigh, and head-shaking.

But, wait, hold on to your hats folks, there’s actually SOME GOOD NEWS!

Before this, and now even more so because of the spotlight on and scrutiny of Shkreli, people are actually paying attention, and giving a fuck!

All right, so maybe that first set of sentences were slightly sarcastic …

For me, I’ll believe all of this when I see it.

Meaning, I’ll believe it when Congress takes action.

Right now, the only thing that all of this proves to me is Big Pharma is king, and no one can reach his throne to take away his crown.

As someone who has typically chosen Democrat in the nine years that I have been able to vote, I’m genuinely intrigued at how Hillary and Bernie Sanders have responded to this debacle. However, I’m not entirely convinced. We are preparing for an election, after all.

There’s also the topic of generic drugs versus the brand names. I have personally struggled with this battle. I am fortunate to have a great work-sponsored health insurance plan and pharmacy coverage. However, my pharmacy coverage is extremely limited – It covers mainly generic drugs and prescriptions; almost nothing brand-name is listed in their database.

I struggle with this because the best birth control formula that I have found that works for me and my body does not have a generic form, at least not yet. At one point, I was paying nearly $100 per month for this particular formula. It finally got to the point where I couldn’t afford it, and I was forced to switch to a generic to save that money. Although switching to the generic reduced the cost from $100 to FREE because of my coverage, it was a sacrifice because it was a different formula, and my body reacted adversely, along with my emotional state every month. After struggling for a year or so, I asked my doctor for help. I’m so grateful for her – We have a plan in place for now and for the near future as I prepare for marriage and starting a family eventually, until the makers of the best formula release a generic version of their product, and hopefully that future generic version is covered under my insurance.

My predicament is most certainly small potatoes to those who deal with chronic and life-threatening conditions on a daily basis – Diabetes, cancer, mental illness, and more – and I definitely don’t want to minimize those struggles in any way. However, I wanted to share that small story of mine to help illustrate a point – I have dealt with Big Pharma and their drugs and their exorbitant costs, and almost everyone I know have dealt with it all, some much more often than others.

I could go on and on and on, but I think this is enough, for now.

I’ll leave you with John Oliver’s take on this – A double dose (no pun intended).

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.23.15
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Adventure Time: Scottsburg, VA Edition (Round 3)

Image Credit: www.tumblr.com

Image Credit: http://www.tumblr.com

This past weekend, we traveled to Scottsburg to see Al’s parents and the farm. It’s becoming a nice weekend getaway. In the last year, we’ve been there three times.

Here are recaps of the other visits:

Every year in September, Al’s mom side of the family has a reunion in Keysville, Virginia. Now that they have the farm, it’s a much shorter drive!

This round was really special because Nick, Savy, and Mia drove up as well!

Al drove the two of us in the Mustang, and Nick drove Savy’s SUV. Al and I stopped for dinner, calling Mom every hour to check in. We pulled up to the house around 11:00, just minutes after Nick, Savy, and Mia arrived.

It was definitely a full house! Seven people split among two bedrooms and the living room. We made it work though! Air mattresses are awesome.

On Saturday morning, Mom had breakfast ready – Cheesy eggs, maple sausage, donuts. Delicious!

It was really foggy in the morning:

Standing in the front yard.

Standing in the front yard.

The garage. Dad has made so much progress since we last saw it in June!

The garage. Dad has made so much progress since we last saw it in June!

We got to meet Scooter, the horse that Mom and Dad have on the property, early. He gets an apple every morning and grain at night. Mom and Dad have an arrangement with 16-year-0ld Caleb, who lives down the road. Mom and Dad host Scooter on the property, and Caleb does the rest.

He has plenty of grass.

He has plenty of grass.

We headed out to Keysville around 11:00. Dad stayed behind – A crew had arrived earlier to do the roof of the garage that he’s been building, and they needed more shingles. He was able to make the reunion though!

There was so much food at the church – Fried chicken, meatballs, vegetables, potatoes, pasta salad, bread … Yum! And the desserts – Holy moly!

We stayed for a couple of hours, enjoying each other’s company. We talked about the wedding a bit, along with people’s recent vacations and travels. I hung out with Nick, Savy, and Mia for a while on the church playground, while Al went for a spin in Uncle Joe’s Dodge Charger.

We missed the Moore clan though!

After we got back from the reunion, we traipsed around the farm. Eight acres is a lot to begin with, and we didn’t cover it all!

Al was nerding out all last week – He bought a new quadcopter, the Phantom 3 by DJI. He couldn’t wait to test it out! The highest he flew it was around 200 feet! Amazing 🙂

Al getting ready to fly it on Saturday afternoon.

Al getting ready to fly it on Saturday afternoon.

The awesome thing about this drone is that the camera is built in, and it’s much steadier. Also, Al was able to download an app to his phone, and the controller has a space for the phone to sit. You can watch what the camera is filming in real time!

For dinner, Mom and Dad got the biggest pizza that I have ever seen. I wish I had taken a picture of it! I kid you not – This was a 24-INCH pizza. Wow! The slices were so big, you had to fold the bottom over to fit it on the plates!

After dinner, Al filmed some more. Dad set up a bonfire in the yard next to the pond. Mom and Mia fished for a while, using a lighted bobber! Nick brought his guitar, so we spent a good while around the fire, attempting to sing classic songs. And, of course, s’mores!

Bonfire!

Bonfire!

Mom and Mia fishing.

Mom and Mia fishing.

Selfie :)

Selfie 🙂

Nick strumming along.

Nick strumming along.

We capped off Saturday with the Doctor Who premiere!

It was an awesome weekend. It was tiring though! There’s always something new to do. The garage is getting closer and closer to completion!

Staunton River State Park is only three miles away. Al and I left around 10:00 on Sunday morning. When we called Mom to check in later on, the crew had gone to the park to walk the trails and let Mia explore the gigantic playground!

I look forward to the next visit.

Until then, here’s the video, titled Above The Farm, that Al put together! His new quadcopter is AWESOME! Al also brought his Canon camera, and set up a nice time-lapse of the bonfire.

Check it out – Let us know what you think!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.21.15
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Getting Personal #16: Building A Capsule Wardrobe

Image Credit: theproject333.com

Image Credit: theproject333.com

As some of you may know, I love my friend Megan’s blog, Freckled Italian.

She has a series called “What I Wore” that I love. Her style is amazing!

Back in July, she published an awesome post! Check it out: What I Wore 51: Restyling Old Clothes

In this post, Megan talked about the concept of a “capsule wardrobe.”

I’ve been curious about this for a while. So, I Googled it. So many links, and photos!

All of these links were super interesting, but they center around one concept:

Less is definitely more.

Right now, I struggle immensely with the sheer amount of clothes and shoes that I have. Like Megan has expressed in her posts and comments, I do like getting rid of things to reduce clutter, but I always find myself debating whether or not I will ever use that particular item ever again. It’s tough!

Thanks to Megan, I bought a book titled The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I’m so glad I bought this book at this point in my life. I’m starting to read it now, and as I read, I will be applying it to getting ready to combine my life with Al’s, and then when we combine our lives when we marry, and then apply it again when we get our own house!

Watch for a book review on that one!

Anyway, back to this capsule wardrobe concept.

I like the idea of setting a number of items that you have. It forces you to look really hard at what you have, and make some hard decisions.

Thinking of my closet right now, it’s organized, but it feels like it’s busting at the seams, particularly with shoes!

On top of my closet, I have NINE dresser drawers that are full, containing everything from T-shirts to jeans to workout clothes, and everything in between.

On top of all that, I have a huge 66-quart storage bin in my parents’ storeroom that has most of my fall/winter clothes!

Whew! I’m exhausted already!

As I read through The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I am going to evaluate every piece of clothing and every pair of shoes that I own. I am also going to do the same thing with jewelry.

I have a bunch of bags and boxes ready to donate to various local charities, with a particular focus on Blankets For The Homeless, and I hope this journey will only add to that. I want to help as many people as possible.

Everything else that doesn’t directly benefit the local homeless, that’s all going to Goodwill.

Look for a follow-up post soon!

I look forward to this journey – I feel lighter just thinking about it.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.07.15
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Adventure Time: Hampton Roads Edition (Bridal Shower #2 And Being A Big Sister)

Image Credit: sororitysugar.tumblr.com

Image Credit: sororitysugar.tumblr.com

During the weekend of August 22nd, I was honored as a bride. I was also honored to be a supportive Big sister.

My parents are in our church’s handbell choir. One of the members, Linda, offered to host a bridal shower. Sue, the director, was such a gracious co-hostess! That Saturday was a gorgeous day. I felt so loved!

The amazing table! Linda and Sue are beautiful decorators.

The amazing table! Linda and Sue are beautiful decorators. And the food! It was delicious!

Our future guest room has a travel / passport theme. Val, who is British, thought it was appropriate to gift the Union Jack pillow!

Our future guest room has a travel / passport theme. Val, who is British, thought it was appropriate to gift the Union Jack pillow!

L to R: Linda, Dea, Suzie, Janie, Michaela Leigh, Cindy, LB, Karen, Lucy, and Val. Sue took the photo.

L to R: Linda, Debbie, Dea, Suzie, Janie, Michaela Leigh, Cindy, LB, Karen, Lucy, and Val. Sue took the photo!

It was such a wonderful shower. We received so many amazing cards, gifts, and especially recipes! I am even more ready for my own house so Al and I can make so much delicious food together.

Thank you to everyone!

Remember earlier, how I said I was honored to be a Big sister? I’m talking about being a big sister to my amazing Little, Lane.

L to R: Al, LB, and Lane.

L to R: Al, LB, and Lane.

She’s an amazing woman. There are so many things that I can say about her. I’ve loved her since we met at Longwood, and I’ve loved her even more since we became Big and Little Sister because of Alpha Sigma Tau.

Lane is leaving tomorrow, to embark on a new journey. She’ll be in boot camp for the next several months. She is such a courageous woman. Enlisting in the Navy is a huge commitment, and I am full of pride and joy. You are awesome!

We celebrated at Red Robin, among amazing friends. It was such a wonderful time! I’m so glad you loved the Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 mixtape necklace – I loved your reaction!

Little, I am so proud of you!! I miss you already. I can’t wait to write to you!

As I write this, I feel so full of love and warmth. I’m so happy to be in the company of so many amazing people. Words can’t accurately describe how blessed I feel. I am so grateful.

Thank you to all!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂