Life in Beta

Though it’s incredibly hard to believe, this year marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Amy Heckerling’s generation-defining  Clueless. (Which, incidentally, will always be one of my very favorite movies.)

I’ll never forget being at my high school freshman orientation, listening to all the girls quoting lines from the movie and “WhatEVER”-ing at each other. Growing up in a rural town, our lives were nothing like Cher and Dionne’s, but that didn’t stop any of us from emulating them.

For me, it was all about the clothes. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to a few super-short plaid, pleated skirts didn’t make their way into my wardrobe in those years. (Oh the shame… haha.)

I remember a phase of wanting a white Jeep like the main character, Cher, drove, so that I could ride around with the tops and doors off it. (“Did I show you the loqued-out Jeep Daddy got me? It’s got four wheel drive, dual side airbags and monster sound system. I don’t have a licence yet, but I need something to learn on.”)

OH how things have changed in just one generation! Cher had all the best things that kids of my generation desired. If we’re to believe what’s depicted in MTV’s My Super Sweet 16, apparently all the rich-kids today want BMWs, Mercedes, Bentleys, and all sorts of super-luxury cars. They’d laugh at Cher and her Jeep. What a difference just a few years makes! (Yikes.)

And speaking of what can happen in just a few years…

Oh Brittnany, how sad … we lost you far too soon. I’ll always remember you as Tai. (And “Molly” in Uptown Girls = love.)

God, I miss the 90s.

It’s hot and humid. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t complain, because the upper-80s is nothing compared to the 100-105 degree days two summers ago in Nashville. I feel lucky that we have air conditioning at home … but unlike the south where almost everywhere has a/c, there are quite a few homes here that don’t. So hot ‘n sticky it is … and I’d forgotten just how sticky the humidity on Lake Erie gets. Whew!

Life has been exciting recently, in stressful sorts of ways. (I’d much prefer blissfully mundane and take “boring” over this crap, any  day.) It seems nearly every aspect of my life is in an upheaval. I’m coping, but very exhausted. I’ll be glad when things calm down again.

My car got hit last week … that was fun. The woman drove off, but thanks to some witnesses who stuck around to talk to me, we got her license plate and tracked her down.

It’s not horrible but I would have been really mad had I just walked out to my car and found gouges in the bumper without knowing who did it. So now she’s buying me a new bumper cover. (Grrr.)

People, seriously … don’t hit someones car and just drive off. It’s a mega-asshole thing to do. Especially don’t do it if you have an easy-to-remember vanity plate — witnesses are BOUND to see you and turn you in. DUH.