hey, guys - thinks for the replies - this was a good one to do, for sure.
rbranster - until you get a garden going, you might see about getting some beets from a local farmer's market, or check your grocery store - this is certainly the time of year for root crops such as this!
africanmeat - the simple answer to your question is: i was VERY careful, and went through a lot of paper towels!
al - i like pickled beets well enough, but my wife loves them. this might be an opportunity for you to score a few points with her! :)