"Bell hard or die."

This quote serves a few purposes. The first, and most important, is the introduction of my gorgeous girlfriend's darkest secret. The second, and most amusing, her complete inability to be anything less than forthcoming. And third, it's just one more example of how Meg does everything to her fullest potential and with the greatest concern...no matter how truly, truly embarassing it is.

You ready?

My girlfriend is a handbell ringer.

Ok, so the more mature of you may be questioning "so what? what is so wrong with being a ringer? Who are you to judge her!?!".

Calm down.

The major catalyst for the good-natured (and constant) ribbing is her complete mortification and (see previous blog) total meltdown into a tear-streaked puddle of laughter. It's her fault, really. And no, it's not just another attempt to pass the buck and blame her instead of owning up to my addiction to sarcasm and toture. It really is her fault. Here's why:

"Okay, so I'm having a guilty moment...and I feel like I need to fess up and tell you that, technically, I'm not actually working tonight before the concert. I am, in fact, ringing the handbells in the lobby before the show. You're a bright girl and perhaps you have figured this out already...perhaps it occurred to you that the "concert" that we're ringing before on Saturday is actually a little show called Yuletide. And we might just be doing the same tonight. Ugh. So yeah, I broke down and told Jen about it last night...but threatened her life if she told you. I told her that if I knew you were watching it would make me SO nervous...so she and Jess could come, but I didn't want you to know. So now I am feeling selfish and guilty...and am letting you know that even though it will make me freakishly nervous....you are welcome to come watch IF you want to see me in the geekiest light possible. Geesh. And I'm sorry for trying to deceive you...that's not normally my style, and I'm not proud of it. The doors open at 6:30 and we start playing right away...and will play all the way up until 7:30.

So there you have it."

So there you have it indeed. Meg started this culture of shame. Instead of, like she has since, explaining that she grew up in the church and ringing in the handbell choir her mother directed she decided to throw out the geek grenade and blow up any chance I had of nodding respectfully and doing wiki searches to learn more about her lifelong curricular.

No, she left me with little recourse than to tease and poke and prod until she collapses into a fit of giggles and hides her head in her hands. How much cuter is that than this?

Ok, I admit that that's pretty cute (and stop looking for Meg, she's not there!!), but when compared to this:

What can a girl do?