bethoffreshair

Balderdash.

It was chilly enough in Dunedin, FL to have a fire in our outdoor fireplace. My roommate had never even HEARD of Jiffy Pop so we ignored the “do not pop over an open fire” warning and put on an oven mitt and enjoyed the show and the finished product. We often sit in silence,Continue reading “Balderdash.”

Fire Marshal Assistant.

My roommate got me this adorable leather purse backpack and it fits everything I need and a few things I might never need. The backpack straps sometimes fall through the loop and I’ve started tying one of Pal’s old bandanas to it to stop this from happening and to make me smile or cry dependingContinue reading “Fire Marshal Assistant.”

One purple bandana.

I remember losing it in the grocery store, salty tears in the bacon aisle. It was months after we lost Grandma. The grief hit me like it had just happened. Pal passed away six weeks ago, on the same day Grandma passed three years ago. This didn’t feel like a coincidence, not that I knowContinue reading “One purple bandana.”

Used to.

I used to wonder what the non-dog beach was like– I imagined the water was an even brighter turquoise, the sand was softer, there were no bugs and certainly no dog poop left by irresponsible humans.…today I learned it’s not so great. It’s rocky and of course the water is the same and it’s fullContinue reading “Used to.”

Zig-zag.

When you have a dog, you usually know the other dog owners in your neighborhood. You often see them every morning and evening, you know which dogs you should avoid (Ziggy. Always zigzag from Zizzy), and you start to wonder and worry when don’t see them. I knew my neighbors would be wondering about PalContinue reading “Zig-zag.”

One more splash.

There are new fangled devices to preserve a bottle of wine if you don’t finish it. Do you know how easy it is to finish a bottle of wine in a night? Really deliciously easy. So I think about the money I’m saving on these preservation devices and am proud of myself. My mom andContinue reading “One more splash.”

Santa down!

Tonight I took Pal on a walk as per usual. As per unusual, I walked past a gay couple holding two chihuahuas standing in front of a cardboard Santa smiling at a camera on a timer in their driveway. They couldn’t stop laughing and I couldn’t stop smiling so they waved at me as PalContinue reading “Santa down!”

norah jones.

Facebook memories can really knock you off kilter sometimes, you know what I mean? One minute you’re scrolling through and seeing your friend’s plate full of blueberry pancakes and then you get the memory notification and you are knocked in the face with the past. The day Ryan Cauble passed away. The Idaho aspens thatContinue reading “norah jones.”

rush hour.

You know that kind of traffic where you can tell everyone around you is seconds away from changing into the rage lane without their blinker on? I was driving home on one of the busiest roads in the Tampa Bay area at 5:05pm and by 5:06, I was merging into raaaggeee. The concrete jungle wasContinue reading “rush hour.”

treasure.

Moving to a new place where you know nobody or much of anything about it feels a bit like a treasure hunt. You’re grasping for whatever looks graspable and every little thing is a clue that will hopefully lead you to your next open door. Some clues are big and obvious—like meeting the only personContinue reading “treasure.”