The North Wind

Last weekend, I was cavorting around in a tank top and running shorts, basking in the sun and devouring popsicles outside of AC after Ultimate frisbee.

Yesterday, we all recognized that fall was here - it was a chilly day, hardly making it above fifty degrees, though sunny and gorgeous outside. Some friends capitalized on the weather by having last cookout for the year. The north wind had started to blow, and we could feel the winter coming.

This morning, as I woke and dressed in the dark, I listened to the news and weather on the radio, and the low 30s ambient temperature combined with gusting winds up to almost 30mph pushed the windchill to 11 degrees.

Last weekend was summer, yesterday was fall. Today, it's winter.

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Aside from the weather, I'm performing at the Bethel Art Guild's Steel Salmon auction this weekend with my band. (We still need a name). There's four of us, and we're playing in 15 minute sets in between the segments of the live auction part of the evening. I'm excited, especially for our last song, as we bust out Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' bluegrass style.

Other than that, there's not too much to update everyone on. I'm still missing Newark pretty much every day - I'm really excited for what's happening in the Newark Public Schools with that money from Mark Zuckerburg, but honestly, it makes me really nervous that Chris Christie is ultimately in charge of it. It also does really seem to reek of media attention that Mark Zuckerburg is being so extremely philanthropic just as the movie "Social Network" that seems to portray him as, well, as a big dick to put it bluntly. Waaait, you say. So potentially to improve his image, Mark Zuckerburg, 35th richest person in America (at 26!) is giving $100 million to Newark schools?!?! Yup. And honestly, I couldn't care less if he's doing it to make himself look better. Newark schools need money. And having seen this first hand, I don't care if it's money designed to get Mr. Zuckerburg looking better in the media - take it and run, Newark!

I decorated my desk at work with some pictures from the last year - just to make it a little more 'me'. There's Newark City Hall on a beautiful day, me with some of the Bradley Court kids, a night out in New York City, me right after running the Broad Street Run in Philly - all amazing times, and it helps keep me motivated...especially the ones of my Bradley Court kids.

I've got to get better at updating this - with the colder weather, hopefully, I will get better at all this communication stuff...haha...one can only hope!

Love, Bethy

P.S. This morning, we had 12 hours and 3 minutes of light (sunrise to sunset) and since we're losing about 5 and a half minutes a day, tomorrow will officially be the first day of more dark than light. So goodnight world, see you again when I wake up in April!

B