tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134495872024-03-07T18:45:06.562-08:00Bethany in a BoxI've compartmentalized my life into several categories, and to encourage myself to break out of my box, I'll mock myself incessantly. Which Bethany do you get today? You'll have to figure that out yourself.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-639560269681923402014-09-02T21:06:00.019-07:002020-11-06T14:21:56.395-08:00just for me<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e5a83d53-7fff-b83a-4167-10a7ad299935"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.hawaii.com/member-dashboard/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.hawaii.com/member-dashboard/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.thebeat.us/contests.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.thebeat.us/contests.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/9 - </span><a href="https://thebeat.us/20201109.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://thebeat.us/20201109.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/24 - </span><a href="https://thebeat.us/20201124.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://thebeat.us/20201124.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/25 - </span><a href="https://www.hgtv.com/sweepstakes/hgtv-urban-oasis/sweepstakes" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.hgtv.com/sweepstakes/hgtv-urban-oasis/sweepstakes</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/25 - </span><a href="https://www.travelchannel.com/sweepstakes/hgtv-urban-oasis" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.travelchannel.com/sweepstakes/hgtv-urban-oasis</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/26 - </span><a href="https://entenmannsthanksgiving.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://entenmannsthanksgiving.com/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">11/30 - </span><a href="https://cloud.e.chdbrands.com/noplacelikehomeregistration" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://cloud.e.chdbrands.com/noplacelikehomeregistration</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">12/6 - </span><a href="https://www.hsn.com/content/sweepstakes/704" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.hsn.com/content/sweepstakes/704</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">12/15 - </span><a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/giveaway/christmas" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.daveramsey.com/giveaway/christmas</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">12/16 - </span><a href="https://www.travelchannel.com/sweepstakes/gift-of-travel" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.travelchannel.com/sweepstakes/gift-of-travel</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">12/27 - </span><a href="https://verymerrygiveaway.hallmarkchannel.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; 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Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-77955317642764909632009-03-03T09:48:00.000-08:002009-03-03T09:59:14.842-08:00Travel-weary Bethany<em><span style="font-size:85%;">In Which Bethany Recounts Her Eventful Travel Experiences From The Weekend.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">For those of you who follow me on Twitter (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/squaredonut">@squaredonut</a>) or are friends with me on Facebook, you'll know some of the drama of my Sunday and Monday at the airports and in between. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">But there were plenty who expressed confusion over what the HECK I'd gotten myself into and several who haven't heard the story, so come back later today as I try to piece together my attempts to get back to Houston this weekend.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Stay tuned! <em>(I'm not gonna lie - it might be this evening.</em>)</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">- Bethany</span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-187600719159291692009-02-25T06:58:00.000-08:002009-02-25T11:20:31.225-08:00Devastated Bethany<em>In Which Bethany Loses All The Data On Her Precious Mac And Has To Start From Scratch</em><br /><em></em><br />Yeah. I'm still in shock from the news I got last night at the Apple Store. My hard drive is gone. What makes this so hard to believe is that I'd just been using my computer <em>an hour before </em>- I was just being grumpy about it running SLOW. And if I hadn't tried to fix it myself (using Apple's support site, mind you - nothing even half-sketchy!), I probably could have saved everything.<br /><br />I know, I know - I should have had a backup. (Especially since witnessing @kristenrudd's data woes last year.) So... I've been <em>thinking </em>about the whole backup issue for a while, and the biggest problem I had with it was - <em>what if there's a fire and I lose my computer? It won't help anything if the hard drive's in the house too!</em> And online storage is so stinkin' expensive. But I'd been putting off a decision that I now realize should have been resolved a LONG time ago.<br /><br />The good news is that last spring, I dropped my PowerBook and smashed the screen. How is that good, you ask? On that computer, only the screen is broken. Thus, two partially broken machines = one pretty decent one. I've at least got everything through last April/May. And I found a <a href="http://www.download.com/iPod-Access/3000-18545_4-10182021.html?tag=mncol">good program</a> that should let me grab everything from my iPhone.<br /><br />But I've spent the last several months cleaning off my hard drive, deleting lots of files (i.e., photos I would never ever need/want) and cataloging them. I even got iLife '09 and had started using the facial recognition feature! All that work is now useless.<br /><br />The moral of this story, kids? BACK UP YOUR SHIT. Because you never know what can happen.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Update: Just to explain the fascination with all things Mac... </span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Yes, Macs crash on occasion. Yes, Macs get bugs (though supposedly they don't get viruses). Yes, once in a blue moon, Apple sends out an update that messes your computer up (the move to DRM-free music on iTunes messed up a lot of people's iPhones... including mine, of course).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The difference? You can walk in to the Apple Store, and 99% of the time they have an answer to your problem. And since they own both the hardware and the software, there's no one else to blame. Therefore, they can't be like PC manufacturers and send you to Microsoft, who sends you back to the manufacturer, who then sends you to another company... the cycle can go on for-ev-VER.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My friends, you actually get help the first time you ask with Apple. So if you're a PC know-it-all, Mac probably isn't the way for you. But for those of us who can't repair our own computers, Mac is the way to go, for sure. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Because even when I'm practically sobbing as I leave the store, I WAS<strong> </strong>given an answer and they DID fix the problem... they just didn't find my files.</span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-10894606503194933852009-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:002009-02-24T06:04:21.736-08:00Saluting-Her-Heritage Bethany<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">In Which The Bethany Who Takes Pride In Her German Heritage Steps To The Mic</span><br /><br />I get oodles of questions about the meaning behind my user name/blog address/email address, "square donut". People always think I'm so creative with that title, that I've picked something so incredibly random.<br /><br />I hate to burst your bubble, but I gotta tell on myself. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">I'm not that creative.</span><br /><br />"Square donut" is one of the translations of my last name. Rather, you can <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">buy</span> a pastry called a Fasnacht in Amish Country (maybe other places, too).<br /><br />I even tried to make them from scratch for a seventh-grade immigration project. (I mean, how <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">perfect</span> was it that my last name was actually relevant to the project! I knew I'd be the hit of the class. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Please don't mention how much of a geek I am; it only gets worse</span>.)<br /><br />However, the recipe (which I declare a translation from my family straight from Germany - I don't care if it's true or not) didn't work out very well, so I just ended up using a doughnut recipe and called them Fasnachts. No one knew the difference, and I'm sure I got a wonderful grade on the project, like always. :o)<br /><br />Back to Fasnachts. Since the Lenten season is drawing nigh, people all over the world are about to celebrate me. Or at least my last name. I just like to pretend I'm THAT cool. (But I've got an <a href="http://thehomesteadinghousewife.com/">older sister</a> who regularly bursts that bubble.)<br /><br />ANYway. Fasnacht - the day celebrated 'round the world. Never heard of it? That's just because you don't speak German. People get drunk, overindulge, flash their assets, etc. on this day. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">*sigh* shouldn't I be proud?</span><br /><br />Yep, my surname is the day of the year where everyone acts like the beasts we are in preparation for 40+ days of fasting/denial/self-flaggelation/whatever as a symbol for the 40 days Christ spent in the desert before he started his ministry.<br /><br />Just like the weekend before you start your crash diet, people all over the world stuff themselves full of everything's that bad for them (food AND otherwise, of course) before they give it all up in worship to God. (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">No comments here about how the best idea would be to just NOT DO THOSE THINGS in the first place, I promise.</span>)<br /><br />Fasnacht = Shrove Tuesday = Fat Tuesday. But I prefer NOT to use the "Fat Tuesday" title and will forevermore use the more friendly "Fluffy Tuesday" in its place.<br /><br />The coolest part of my name's history is that there are Fasnacht pastries because apparently lots of Germans like their doughnuts and would GORGE themselves on Fluffy Tuesday before they gave sweets up for Lent.<br /><br />Which all means I come by my self-indulgence genetically. I'm saluting my heritage without even trying! :o) I mean, how could I hold my head up high if I was a skinny, size zero model??? My last name would mean nothing!<br /><br />So people of the world unite! On this Tuesday, remember to raise your pudgy, doughnut-filled hand as a salute to me and my forefathers. Because we're one of the many reasons why we all could use a diet (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">or for the more holy among us, could use a little fasting</span>).<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-60441400510697735762009-02-22T19:46:00.001-08:002009-02-22T20:08:40.723-08:00I'M BACK!Hello, interwebs! I'm back! It's been forever since I've blogged, and I need a place to be creative, to be weird, to <del>mock my sister</del> do whatever I want.<br /><br />The new theme is "Bethany in a Box".<br /><br />I've recently come to the conclusion that I compartmentalize everything in my life.<br /><br />There's Work Bethany - she's pretty cheerful, a hard worker, vigilant about people doing the best work they can, and chock-full of adrenaline from all the last minute projects that come through her department.<br /><br />There's Home Bethany - she doesn't move once she gets in the house. If the grocery shopping doesn't get done on the way home, it's not getting done. She also needs a lot of space and is quite grumpy when she doesn't get it.<br /><br />There's Church Bethany - she's a great worker bee, but has gotten to the point where she can only focus on the production quality of the service, not the actual content. Which has to change, pronto! But this Bethany's pretty darn reliable, too.<br /><br />There's Friend Bethany - she can be loyal, but she's also flaky. She might not return your email or wall post for quite some time. It's not because she doesn't care... she even has several responses written in her head. They just never make it to you because Friend Bethany's not the greatest at follow-through.<br /><br />There's Family Bethany - this one can get mixed with Home Bethany too much. Family Bethany's best friends are her mom and her sister, but they're also really annoying at times. (A statement that her mother disagrees with, btw.) Family Bethany also gets frustrated that no one likes to make plans, and that the end game is very rarely what she had expected. She also tries to spend a night a week, getting fed by her sister and spending time with her nephews and neice.<br /><br />This is only a few of the Bethanys that might come out of the box on this blog. Feel free to mock - I fully intend to!<br /><br />And maybe down the road, the Bethany that comes out of the box to write on this blog might be an amalgamation of them all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coming soon:</span> Saluting-her-heritage Bethany - just in time for the holiday celebrating her family (if you know German, that is)Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-58424035913222663982007-02-01T23:36:00.000-08:002007-02-01T23:49:30.364-08:00life gets away from me...Hello all! It's been a long time since I've posted anything, and I am here to say it's not because nothing big has happened to me. And it seems that I never post because I don't know how to catch up. (And, as I've said in the past, I compose blogs in my head and never commit them to webpage.)<br /><br />- My sister's episode of Wife Swap aired! (I thought I'd put this at the top of the list, since it was the last thing I posted)<br />- I went to Ireland with a bunch of people...and I only knew two people when I got there! But I fell in love (totally platonically) with our Irish guide, made tons of friends, and have plenty of people to stay with when I visit Denver someday (and check out <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/squaredonut">my photos</a>!)<br />- My younger sister (adopted) was in a car accident and is on her VERY long road to recovery<br />- My company bought a much larger company and things are somewhat stressful as we face the changes (and I've volunteered to move <span style="font-style: italic;">temporarily</span> to Dayton, Ohio, to help with the transition - but that offer hasn't been accepted yet)<br />- a new friend! A chick named Laura Holt started working in my department at work, and we have totally clicked.<br />- So many little things that I can't count...<br /><br />I am just writing to say that I haven't forgotten about this little thing we like to call a blog...and I don't want this to be a biography on my life. Hopefully, I will talk about issues and things on my mind. But also a place where people can catch up with what I've been doing for the past days/months/weeks/years.<br /><br />So stay tuned for more in the days ahead!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1157404392162172202006-09-04T13:58:00.000-07:002006-09-04T14:17:20.093-07:00Real life vs. "reality" TVSo, as most of you know, I have a different view of the "reality TV" topic. A couple weeks ago, my sister left for a week at another woman's house as a part of the hit ABC show, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wife Swap</span>.<br /><br />OMG, right?<br /><br />Obviously, I can't say much about it right now because I don't want to jeopardize my sister's spot on the show, but I just have to say that I was naive. My thought was, "Well, it's obviously not ALL of what this person's about, but we're obviously seeing events that DO go on, right?"<br /><br />Riiiiiight...<br /><br />Let's just say that my family will no longer be watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Wife Swap</span> after Dana's episode airs. I remember being very critical of a woman on the show who said to the house-husband during the "rule change": "I think a man should be providing for his family by doing manual labor." I thought, how in the world can she think that??? Manual labor??? Plenty of men provide for their family with office jobs!<br /><br />What I think now is, I wonder who made that decision? I wonder what that woman really thought about this guy working outside the home? AND I wonder how much fun it was to send this very metro-sexual man out to dig ditches? :0) So...sorry for judging you, lady.<br /><br />Because, how will my sister be judged by America? And how will her family look on TV? Who the heck knows. Because they have 150 hours that have to be cut to 22 minutes...for the Clover family alone.<br /><br />All this to say, I'm very happy for my sister and this opportunity. And VERY happy that it's over! I promise to tell everyone when it airs, and hopefully to defend my sister's honor if anything bad seems to be happening.<br /><br />AND I am much closer to my niece, Brooke! She spent the night at my house a couple nights, and I got to take care of her for half of the week. She is absolutely adorable (which I knew beforehand), and I love to be with her. While my four pre-adolescent nephews are (jokingly) my "birth control", my time with Brooke makes me greatly anticipate that time in my life when I have children.<br /><br />Disclaimer: my nephews are great, too. It's just that hormones and arguments between the four of them can definitely take away from their attractive qualities. Again, let's see how they look on TV!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1146111698769360362006-04-26T21:19:00.000-07:002006-04-26T21:39:51.450-07:00Four ThingsI wasn't tagged per se...but it was implied that I should consider myself tagged.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Jobs I've Had: </span>(I could name 7 from last year alone!)<br /> * Technical Writer at Universal Computer Systems<br /> * Worship Assistant at Faithbridge UMC<br /> * Barista at Starbucks<br /> * Editorial Intern at HTexas Magazine (check out my work - google "Bethany Fasnacht" and click on any link to the HTexas website)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Movies I Can Watch Over And Over:</span><br /> * 50 First Dates<br /> * Friends (okay, it's not a movie, but I watch it on DVD, so it counts)<br /> * Vertical Limit (I'll watch just about any sports movie, but this is a good, intense one)<br /> * Under the Tuscan Sun<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Tv Shows I Watch:</span><br /> * Lost<br /> * CBS' Thursday night lineup - Survivor/CSI/Without a Trace<br /> * Top Chef<br /> * Gilmore Girls<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Places I've Been On Vacation:</span><br /> * London (for Thanksgiving...the AMERICAN holiday)<br /> * Akron/Cleveland, OH<br /> * Miami, FL (I would recommend this beautiful city to anyone!)<br /> * San Francisco and northern California<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Dishes I Never Get Sick Of:</span><br /> * Homemade chili (NORTHERN chili, that is - with sugar and just a pinch of chili powder)<br /> * Mac & cheese<br /> * Spaghetti<br /> * Taco Bell tacos<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Websites I Visit Daily:</span><br /> * Yahoo! Mail<br /> * Yahoo!/MSN Games<br /> * Blogger/Blogspot (Blogger's where you write, blogspot's where you read)<br /> * Wells Fargo<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:</span><br /> * In bed sleeping<br /> * in NC doing anything else (if you're wondering why, I'm hoping that NC will be my next home)<br /> * hanging out with my sister, nephews, niece, and various farm animals<br /> * chilling by a lake/river/creek/ocean/other body of water<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four People I Tag:</span><br /> * Katie<br /> * Missa<br /> * Sharon (who I never talk to, but stay up to date on her life via blogspot and KT)<br /> * ???Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1146023289858512572006-04-25T20:38:00.000-07:002006-04-25T20:48:09.860-07:00People are annoying, pt. 2Just a note to everyone out there: Not everyone enjoys the same topics you do. Have a heart and put a little variety in your conversations!<br /><br />I try pretty hard (I don't know how successfully - people don't tell me) to not give too much information about the things that I do. I figure that I should give them the basics, and they can ask questions if they would like to know more. That way, I'm not boring people with endless stories about myself. I think I've gotten pretty good at this, though again, I've never gotten confirmation.<br /><br />I also do my best to be interested in what other people are talking about. I ask them questions when they're telling a story, and I bring it up later if there was something going on. <span style="font-style: italic;">People like others to be interested in what they're talking about</span>. And why would you want to tell a story if no one seems interested?<br /><br />I have a friend at work who really doesn't understand that concept. And it's getting on my nerves. He talks about one topic every day, and I'm really not interested. Especially when I hear him telling the <span style="font-style: italic;">exact same story</span> to at least three other people in the department! OMG! Too much information! He has no concept of how to make a story short, and it drives me nuts. He's constantly pulling me away from my work, and he cannot come over, make a comment, and leave again. It would be okay if he says something and leaves - I do that to him all the time. No, he comes over and stays a while. EVERY TIME, EVERY HOUR...<br /><br />It's just like talking on the phone - if every conversation you have with someone is really long, what are the chances you'll pick up the phone if you don't have 2 hours to spend talking? (Okay, did I just reveal too much about my tactics?) The same with this friend from work. I dread him coming over because it's never short. I think he's funny and I like hanging out with him. But it's always long, and I've got deadlines.<br /><br />Quote from SNL to end this rant: "The FDA approved a new transdermal patch to treat depression. Just remove the backing, and place it over your mother's mouth." Or grandmother. Or other relative. Or friend. Or stranger...Could I get a package of 100?Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1145330542905049282006-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:002009-02-24T06:08:21.484-08:00Pollyanna<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">A positive attitude may not solve all your problems but will annoy enough </span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">people to make it worth the effort. </span><br />- Herm Albright<br /><br />Now, that's my kind of thinking!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1144473142124854982006-04-07T22:11:00.000-07:002006-04-07T22:12:22.136-07:00Who am I?<center><table background="#FFFFFF" border="0" style="border: 1px solid black;"width="450"><td align="center"><br /><b><font size="+1">Bethany --</font></b><br /><br /><font size="+1">[noun]:</font><br /><br />A human transformer (Robot in disguise)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: #FF0000;" href="http://www.quizgalaxy.com/quiz.php?id=83">'How will you be defined in the dictionary?'</a> at <a href="http://www.quizgalaxy.com" style="color: #FF0000;">QuizGalaxy.com</a></td></table></center>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1144469740907503662006-04-07T20:49:00.000-07:002006-04-07T21:15:40.930-07:00my trials and tribulationsSince no one in my family is either awake or around for me to complain to, you have the opportunity to hear it first-hand. It's nothing huge, and if you know me, it's nothing new.<br /><br />MY GRANDMOTHER!!!<br /><br />Sometimes she makes me so frustrated, I want to cry. Of course, I slightly dramatic, so I'm probably over-reacting. But that doesn't change the fact that she's crazy!<br /><br />The latest thing, which isn't big, but just another example of what I'm dealing with here: when my grandmother died, I got her round, glass-topped table, which went into storage because I was away at school. Then I think it hung out at someone's house for a while, and then Grandma wanted it. She said her table (which is slightly like mine, but larger, octagon, and with gold legs) was too big for their small apartment, and they started using mine.<br /><br />Well, when I started talking about moving out, it came up that I was going to need the table back. And wouldn't you know it, her only response is, "Well, that table is too big for my place, and I gave it to your mother!"<br /><br />SO FREAKIN' WHAT?!?! That doesn't change the fact that you are using MY table! A table that I liked so much that I asked for it when Grandma Perkins died. A table that I paid good money to store for over a year so I could use it when I got my own place. A table that's stinkin' hard to move, but I've done so several times, just so I could keep it! Not to mention the fact that I can't stand her table - it's got a crack in it, and I HATE gold.<br /><br />Yeah, yeah...I'm not moving out right now, but it came up again tonight. I reminded her of our division of property here at the house, because she was flabbergasted that my mother wanted a new dining room set. "But what is she going to do with that table?" Yes, because you gave it to her, Grandma, she should want to treasure it the rest of her long life! Because you conveniently forgot that the table you are currently using is NOT YOURS, you will be able to keep it...<br /><br />I am so tired of having to put up with her logic - if it's not her world, it's not worth talking about. Since her life revolves around <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> dog, her cat, her health, and cleaning her small apartment, she cannot fathom why I want to sit around on Saturdays when I could be doing something to organize, clean, or otherwise engage myself. And don't bother telling her that you have stressful things in your life, just like her - I feel like she doesn't understand that I have a <span style="font-style: italic;">life</span> outside this house, outside my family, and outside her realm of existence. (You can tell I'm angry - I'm getting verbose.)<br /><br />When I try to rebel and not give in to the manipulation and insinuations, my relationship with her is on even rockier grounds. I <span style="font-style: italic;">hate</span> how manipulative she is, and I hate how I respond. I've said to her before that we say things to each other, just to get on the other person's nerves, and it's true! I'm trying to annoy her enough so she changing how she acts, and she's acting like normal, waiting for me to give up and give in.<br /><br />I am sick and tired of manipulation. I feel like everyone uses it, including me. I'm tired of responding to it, and I'm tired of using it - whether or not it gets me what I want.<br /><br />Thanks for letting me vent...happy thoughts to come...Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1144127408006436632006-04-03T21:54:00.000-07:002006-04-03T22:10:08.026-07:00Family is the greatestIsn't it funny how quickly time can get away from you? When my sister and her family came over this weekend, I realized I hadn't seen her in over a month, and I hardly ever talk to her on the phone because of our different schedules.<br /><br />And because I was incredibly burnt from working crazy hours and my commitments at church, I had backed away from <span style="font-weight: bold;">everything</span>, even my family. I was loving that I have had no evening commitments, but I decided that had to change for me to have a <span style="font-style: italic;">life</span>.<br /><br />So now, every Monday night, I make the trek to my sister's house so I can have dinner with her and her family. (1) I love my nephews and niece. (see "My Wonderful Nephew" blog for a pic of them all.) Having time with them is great. (2) My sister is a great cook. I don't know why I didn't get the same creative genes she has, but I'm sure glad that I get to benefit sometimes!<br /><br />(3) It's much easier to make a commitment on Monday night than to commit to going out on Saturday or Sunday. Weekends are break time, so it's hard to get in the car and travel to her house - when there's projects looming over my head at the house and too much sleeping in to accomplish. On Mondays, I'm not at home, so I can just continue on from work. Also, on the weekends, there's no telling how long I'll be at Dana's. I'm not saying that's a bad thing (not in the least!), but it makes it hard to get other things done. On Mondays, the kids go to bed at 8:30, and I have to work the next day, so I can't stay too incredibly long.<br /><br />It's a win/win/win situation. I get to develop my relationships with my nephews and niece, I get to hang with my sister, I get to eat her good cookin', and I can spend more time with my family than just the occasional weekend.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1143868747673106882006-03-31T21:01:00.000-08:002006-04-01T20:06:15.013-08:00My tributeTaking after my best buds, <a href="http://latortugadelanoche.blogspot.com">Katie</a> and <a href="http://www.xanga.com/broadwayag">Rachel</a>, today's blog is a tribute.<br /><br />My brother Dan would be 38 today. It's hard to believe that he would be so old - I have a brother who's almost 40!<br /><br />He was a wonderful brother - he was 14 years older than me, and he was my favorite playmate when I was 4.<br /><br />When he was a senior in high school, he went out for a late-night run and got struck by a car when he was crossing the street. This was by far the hardest thing that has ever happened to my family, and I don't feel that we've recovered, even after 20 years without him.<br /><br />He was a salty, salty Christian, and his two goals were to show his friends that trusting Jesus Christ was the most important decision anyone could make and to become a doctor. We lived in Durham, NC, so of course he wanted to go to Duke. Which meant that throughout most of my childhood and adolescence, that's where I wanted to go, too. (Far cry from UH, huh?) I think good memories of our life in NC is one reason that I would love to move back there.<br /><br />A week before he died, in a conversation with Mom, he told her that he was ready for Heaven, which was sort of a strange comment for a 17-year-old to make. And the night he got hit by a car, his last words to us were, "I'll see you later...or maybe I won't." Everyone was joking around when he went out the door for his run, but his words are still incredibly ironic.<br /><br />One of my most painful memories of the night he died (January 14, 1986) was our next-door neighbor knocking on our door, bringing the news that Dan had been hit by a car. I was completely confused - whose Dan was it? Her son, who we called Danny K, was my sister's best friend, and I didn't want to believe that anything could happen to <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> Dan. (My family would have to vouch for the truth in this memory, but this is how I remember the evening happening.)<br /><br />20 years after he left us and started dancing with the angels, his absence in our family is still felt. I can feel how proud he would be at me graduating college and getting a good job. I can see him tenderly holding my nephews and niece after they were born and loving them even in their most annoying moments. I can hear him talking patiently with Grandma, where all I have is exasperation. And I can see him beating up my Mom's stupid ex-husband - a job that Dana and I were able to accomplish somewhat, but Dan would have done it better.<br /><br />And I know Dan was at Heaven's gates to welcome in my step-dad, Joe - thanking him for making us happy, but admonishing him that he shouldn't have left us so soon (a little more care on Joe's part would have saved us the grief of his accidental death). And he's partying with my brother, Ryan, who died in infancy because he was missing the left ventricle of his heart - Ryan can finally run, jump, laugh, and play like he never was able to here on earth. And he's hanging out with Grandpa, who in Mom's words, didn't want to leave Grandma, but was eager to get to Heaven and be with Dan. (Today's Grandpa's birthday as well, so they were super close - first child, same birthday, etc.)<br /><br />But most of all, Dan's living it up in Heaven, praising our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He's the one who's got it good - he has a closer relationship with Him that comes from living/praising/worshipping/walking with Him 24/7, and he's living beyond all the sin and pain of earth.<br /><br />So, happy birthday, Dan. We remember you each day, but it seemed extra special today when the family got together. Thank you for being in our lives, and we can't wait to see you again soon.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1143609630615275362006-03-28T20:51:00.000-08:002006-03-28T21:20:30.643-08:00Hello there!So...it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. It's hard to get back in the swing of things once you stop. I didn't want to leave something that wasn't "blog-worthy" if it was my first entry in a long time.<br /><br />Do I have a revelation tonight? No, not really. But the hiatus is over!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Things that I am loving right now:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(1)</span> My new church building! I don't have a good picture right now, but trust me, it's great. We had our last Sunday in the nearby middle school and it's on to permanent facilities! We shall see how crazy this weekend is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(2)</span> My friends! <span style="font-style: italic;">Make new friends, but keep the old...</span> I've been planning trips lately, and I love being able to keep in contact with my friends that have left the Houston area. And I've been feeling very nostalgic - I want to get in touch with my roommate from my years at John Brown, and I want to get in touch with a couple friends from high school. I remember that my friend Sarah's grandmother runs the general store in Round Top, so next time I go to our friend's ranch in Brenham, I'm hoping to talk to her grandmother and get her number.<br /> My friend Katie came to visit me last weekend, and we had a GREAT weekend together! It was just us girls (not that I don't love Josh, but the two of us had fun just the same) and we talked, watched TV, talked, went shopping at the Galleria, goofed off, talked, ate at Katz's Deli (one of the best Houston eateries), and talked! We have decided that we're not great phone buddies, so we had lots of catching up to do when she came down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(3) </span>my dogs! I love the way they think they're lapdogs when they're really >50-pound boxers!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(4) </span>my new DVR! It's not as good as Tivo, but I'm waiting until they add dual tuners to their boxes. Right now, I'm using Time Warner's service. All I gotta say is, get Tivo if you can! My favorite shows: any episode of CSI, Lost, Survivor, Gilmore Girls, and Without a Trace. And of course Friends, but I don't Tivo that since I have the DVDs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(5)</span> my new hairdo! I got all my hair chopped off on Saturday, and I'm loving how it always looks good when I look in the mirror. <span style="font-weight: bold;">And</span> all the compliments I've gotten. I haven't had short hair for something like 5 years (I haven't even had bangs until recently!), but it was definitely time.<br /><br />TTFN!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1137995027755846142006-01-22T21:41:00.000-08:002006-01-22T21:43:47.776-08:00my wonderful nephew, continuedThere's another auction! <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5659230200&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBI%3AIT&rd=1">Check it out.</a><br /><br />If the link doesn't work, you can probably get there the same way I mentioned in my last blog. Just go there soon, because it's only on for the next 6 days!<br /><br />I put it 5 bids myself, but I'm planning on just giving each of the kids a choice. I don't think I'm creative enoughto come up with a great name myself.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1137902799065257902006-01-21T19:50:00.000-08:002006-01-21T20:06:39.123-08:00my wonderful nephew<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3168/1182/1600/Kidspic.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3168/1182/320/Kidspic.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>See the one at the bottom? The one who's having trouble smiling because his brothers are quite heavy and his little sister is swaying back and forth to make them all fall over? </p><p>That's Craig. He's the oldest of them all. This week, he decided to help his mom get the cow she's been wanting forever (stop your snickering...I know she's a little bit country...And stop singing the song!) </p><p>ANYWAY...he decided to sell some of <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Help-my-Mom-Have-a-COW-Look_W0QQitemZ5658566556QQcategoryZ1467QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">his stuff</a> on eBay. If the link doesn't work, just go to <a href="http://www.ebay.com">eBay.com</a> and write "my mom have a cow" in the search. Craig's auction will be the first one that pops up.</p><p>People just keep coming to this site! And supposedly (or is it supposably?) someone has notified our local news and the both late show hosts (David Letterman & Jay Leno) to try and get more publicity for this. Who knows what will happen with that, but I just think it's great what Craig's doing.</p><p>He and his friends were talking about some girl who made a lot of money for Katrina, and they started thinking of what they could try to raise money for. And he wrote all this himself! I'm so proud of him.</p><p>Take a look, click on the "Watch this item" link, or make a bid even! No pressure, of course!</p>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1136678305412869472006-01-07T15:55:00.000-08:002006-01-07T15:58:25.426-08:00Praise the LordHallelujah! My car insurance bill has dropped <strong><em>$100</em></strong> a month! My 2 car wrecks - a month apart - FINALLY came off my record! How incredibly fantastic is that?!?!Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1136601606919469812006-01-06T18:30:00.000-08:002006-01-06T18:47:01.096-08:00look what I found<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3168/1182/1600/main.gif"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3168/1182/320/main.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>If you know me from high school, you'll know that one of my favorite bands was Five Iron Frenzy. In fact, at one of their concerts, Reese (the lead vocalist) stuck the mic in my face and I got to sing some of their lyrics! They have some great songs, some political and some just fun. </p><p>Anyway, a friend let me borrow her brave Saint Saturn CD, and I couldn't figure out why...until I put it in my radio...IT WAS REESE! I was so glad to hear his voice again.</p><p>When I went to <a href="http://fiveironfrenzy.com">fiveironfrenzy.com</a>, I found out that the members of FIF have actually started several bands since their days together. I'm excited! They've moved away from ska music (thank the Lord), but it sounds like they're still policial, still fun, and very contemplative, yet upbeat.</p><p>Check 'em out!</p>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1135827461979283762005-12-28T19:19:00.000-08:002005-12-28T19:37:42.080-08:00quote of today<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Much to Dustin's delight and surprise, the very next day I agreed to go with him and his youth group to a revival he'd been pestering me about for weeks. There were sermons, and giant video screens showing people witnessing and weeping, and a Christian rock star who wailed over some electric guitars about his love for Jesus while everyone swayed and clapped. There were hymns, and frequent altar calls, in which people made their way down the aisles to the stage and let the minister lay his hands on their heads and whisper something mysterious in their ears. They'd nod, their eyes closed, their faces suffused with joy. Through all this, I could feel Dustin watching me from his seat beside my own. "What did you think of that?" he'd ask, during every break after a sermon or a witnessing or a song. He'd search my face, hoping for a sign the songs and the video were working. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">"It was okay." I'd shrug, even though my traitorous heart swelled and yearned when three hundred voices sang, "Nearer, My God, to Thee," and Dustin's face would collapse with disappointment. During the last altar call, I could feel his hope and excitement overwhelming him. He took my hand and squeezed it hard, and though I could feel his eyes trained on my face I wouldn't look at him. He wanted so badly for me to kneel in front of the stage. He wanted me to cry. </span><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">- <em>The Myth of You and Me</em>, Leah Stewart</span></div><br />Does this sound like anyone else's youth? I was definitely Dustin. I would take friends to youth rallies, hoping that the speaker would be able to tell them what I was too scared to. It was SO melodramatic, too. It was life-and-death if I couldn't get my friend to accept Christ THAT night. I would watch them, looking for a sign that they were ready to repent of their sins, to "turn or burn."<br /><br />While I still believe that a choice to believe in Christ is a life-or-death decision, I also know that these things happen in their own time - God's time - and that I need to be <em>praying</em> for these friends of mine, not just taking them to youth rallies where they can hear a toned-down version of a hellfire and brimstone sermon.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1135745419935806152005-12-27T20:36:00.000-08:002005-12-27T20:50:19.946-08:00upgrades and downloadsSo, my Christmas was wonderful...Lots of time with family, lounging about, great presents...though I probably didn't spend enough time celebrating the REAL reason for Christmas. It's hard to do when the materialistic spirit of Christmas starts floating through the air.<br /><br />ANYWAY...the irony of my presents: my new 30GB video iPod can't hold very much because my PC only has a 15GB hard drive! It's a <span style="font-style: italic;">little</span> hard to put more music on my iPod when my computer says that I have reached my limit. I think I have something like 100MB left.<br /><br />So, new dilemma...<br /><ul> <li>Rebuild my existing PC with Pentium 4 processor, larger hard drive, and a DVD burner.<br /> <br /> </li> <li>Buy a new PC with all of the above, at <span style="font-weight: bold;">least</span>.<br /> <br /> </li> <li>Buy a new laptop because they're great...and portable.<br /> <br /> </li> <li>Buy a Mac. Because it's a cult and they're drawing me in. (I am <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> not kidding here.)</li> </ul><br />All of my Mac friends are quietly chanting "Buy a Mac. Buy a Mac. Buy a Mac." Yes, I understand that you *heart* your Mac. That nothing, save burning at the stake (and, for some, not even then), would make you change back to a PC. But is it the right choice for me???<br /><br />Yes, I edit pictures. (My biggest feat so far? Taking Brooklyn out of a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge.) Yes, I do other multimedia-type stuff. Yes, I already own an iPod. Yes, I LOVE iTunes!<br /><br />BUT...Even Mac owners will admit that word-processing is better on a PC. And I am a writer/editor! Unless I become interested in newspaper & magazine layout, all the best programs are PC-based.<br /><br />And I already know how to get around a PC pretty darn well. I mean, I've been on a PC since I was around eight years old. I taught myself DOS when my stepdad would bring home a state-of-the-art Compaq "portable computer". I'm a big fan on keyboard shortcuts, which I don't know on Macs.<br /><br />BUT Apple.com has the list of 10 reasons why you should own a Mac. #1 is that they don't crash. Amen to that. Another reason is because they are totally compatible with PCs. Reason #7 is "Join the Party." (or should we say cult?)<br /><br />What to do, what to do...that's too heavy a question for this late at night.Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1133931759963072372005-12-06T21:01:00.000-08:002005-12-06T21:04:27.686-08:00very interestingI think this is because the best quote ever is: "If you really wanted to screw me up, you should have gotten to me earlier!" If you haven't seen this John Cusack movie, go out and rent it (no - <span style="font-weight: bold;">buy it</span>) today!<br /><br /><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="350"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bg style="color:#eee9e9;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14pt;font-family:Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;" ><b>Your Life is Like</b></span></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#fffafa"><center><img src="http://images.yournewromance.com/whatjohncusackmovieareyouquiz/high-fidelity.jpg" height="100" width="100" /></center><span style="color:#000000;"><br />High Fidelity</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><a href="http://ynr.blogthings.com/whatjohncusackmovieareyouquiz/">What John Cusack movie are you?</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div> </div>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1133930820962103302005-12-06T20:12:00.000-08:002005-12-06T20:47:01.036-08:00where have I been???Yeah, it's been a while. I got busy, trying to get ready to go to London for Thanksgiving, then I stayed busy when I got back...and now I'm busy, getting ready for my next trip - to see Rachel in Indy! I'm excited because it's been reunion-central for me. First, I went to see Katie & Josh in Dallas; 2 weeks later, I saw Missa & Joel in London (and Missa's great parents, too); and now I'm off to see Rachel!!! Now I just need to go to Ohio and see my dad & sister, and I'll be pretty much set. At least for now. :o)<br /><br />Before I procrastinate any more, here's the blog I've been writing in my head all week:<br /><br />Anyone who's close to me probably already knows that I struggle with depression, and that there are lots of times that I don't win that struggle. I look back over the past couple years, and there is so much I would have done differently if I hadn't been sunk so deeply into my depression. When I finally realized that I wasn't a "loner" at heart and that I didn't have to use the excuse that "this is how I am", I surprised myself by finding Bethany again. Who would've guessed it would take me so long - I mean, my mom's a psychiatric nurse practitioner, for goodness' sake!<br /><br />Anyway...this past year or so, I've bounced in and out of depression several times. Each time is a little shorter on the down-side; I figure out faster and faster that I AM depressed and that something needs to change. The things <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span></span> think are behind my depression: my headaches (chronic pain does not make anyone happy); chemical stuff (I don't know much, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> know that medicine has its place); life (the ups and downs of life create the ups and downs of my mood).<br /><br />Stop there for a second. I think adrenaline--or lack of, really--is behind a lot of my depression. I get depressed after big things happen: after I started my wonderful new job, when I graduated last December, during/after that incredibly stressful job with NYLF last summer. And I could feel it coming on again after my trip to London. It didn't help that my jaunt to the Continent ended with such a bang as I made mad dashed through the London and Newark airports to catch planes. (I missed my direct flight from London to Houston on that Sunday, and I spent the rest of the day frantically trying to get home. Doesn't that sound like a Bethany moment?)<br /><br />BUT adrenaline isn't all. My relationship with God is an <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">enormous</span></span> part of whether or not I'm depressed. And I have to confess that my relationship with God is pretty up-and-down, just like my mood. It's so easy to get out of the habit of having a "quiet time", and it <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">always </span>coincides with my descent into depression. But, like I said earlier, I'm getting faster and faster at catching myself. Praise the Lord, after a VERY brief detour downwards, I am on the right track again!<br /><br />On Sunday, I made it all the way to the church parking lot, but I sat there, thinking that I really didn't want to go in. And if I felt so strongly that I shouldn't go, why force myself? So I came back home, curled up on the swing in the backyard, and read my Bible. I needed the alone time with Him. Instead of going through the motions of church, like I probably would have done, I just opened my Bible and let Him speak to me.<br /><br />And let me tell you, He did! I have never felt more clearly that God was speaking to me through the Word. Ephesians talks all about God's grace, and how our salvation isn't based on us at all, but on God's mercy and His love. Listen to Ephesians 4:16-20 in the Message:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, to the fullness of God.<br />God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."<br /><br /></span>The key for me right now is to live fully, like the passage is saying. To experience Christ's love - how wide, long, deep and high it is! My strength isn't mine; instead, I need to get my strength from God, even if I have to ask for that strength every minute of the day. And God will do things I couldn't even imagine!<br /><br />And here's my challenge in Ephesians 4:1-3:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"I want you to get out there and walk--better yet, run!-on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. </span><span style="font-style: italic;" id="en-MSG-29196" class="sup"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">And mark that you do this with humility and discipline--</span>not in fits and starts, but steadily<span style="font-style: italic;">, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, </span><span style="font-style: italic;" id="en-MSG-29197" class="sup"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences."</span> (emphasis mine)<br /><br />That's the challenge God has given me: to walk with Him steadily, not in fits and starts like I have been. I pray that I can pour myself out, be alert to notice differences, and quick to mend my fences.<br /><br />Thanks for reading and letting me share my heart.<br />Bethany<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1132026193171403212005-11-14T19:32:00.000-08:002005-11-14T19:48:10.640-08:00quote for the day<span style="font-size:85%;">"This anecdotal training in the understanding of women, gleaned from experience, books, advice, and mostly hurt feelings being hurled at him, fits in no previous compartment of his experience, and he has created a new memory bank just for housing it all. This memory bank is in a jumble. It is not coherent. Occassionally his more rational mind will venture in and try to arrange it, like a boy cleaning his room. But just when everything is in its place, the metaphor holds and two days later the room is a mess [...] He is like a child learning what is too hot to touch, and he hopes all this experience will coalesce into a philosophy of life, or at least a philosophy of relationships, that will transform itself into instinct. <font>This fact-finding mission, in the guise of philandering</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><font>, is necessary because as a youth he failed to observe women properly."<br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font>Steve Martin, <span style="font-style: italic;">Shopgirl</span><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align:left;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>What a great line: "This fact-finding mission, in the guise of philandering..." Oh, is <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> the reason???<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13449587.post-1131856778132654672005-11-12T20:07:00.000-08:002005-11-12T20:39:38.173-08:00Everybody's doin' it...It's the new blog game!<br /><br />Try this: go to Google and type "[your name] needs" ...quotes and all. (So I typed in "bethany needs") and then take the first ten sentences that make sense. They're pretty funny. Here's mine:<br /><br />(1) Bethany needs to read this. (She got her wish, didn't she?)<br /><br />(2) Bethany needs a school bus. (Well, it's not exactly a <span style="font-style: italic;">need...)</span><br /><br />(3) Bethany needs to go get new jeans. (No, I need some good black pants!)<br /><br />(4) Bethany needs to work on her fashion sense. (I've offered to go on <span style="font-style: italic;">what not to wear</span> but the point of the show is that you're surpised...my fashion sense isn't <span style="font-weight: bold;">that</span> bad)<br /><br />(5) Bethany needs a parent or parents who will love her unconditionally and who are able to set limits and appropriate bou<span style="font-family: georgia;">ndaries. (does this have something to do with the fact that I was spoiled as a child???)<br /><br />(6) Bethany needs somebody who can spare just 1/2 day a week putting shop items onto the online auction site, eBay. (actually...I wouldn't mind something like this - I have items that I could sell if I would take the time to put them online)<br /><br />(7) Janice thinks that Bethany needs to hack her hair and lost a little more weight. (ouch, harsh...though it's probably true)<br /></span><br />(8) Bethany needs to kick her overbearing mother out of her apartment. (again, <span style="font-style: italic;">harsh</span>...and in my case it's a grandmother who swears I resent her because she lives in the garage apartment that "that's all I've ever wanted." whatever.)<br /><br />(9) Bethany needs a win in Sunday's championship game to advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, next week. (nice! I didn't know I was that close!)<br /><br />(10) Bethany needs prayer for many areas. (hey, sure, I'll take 'em!)<br /><br />And one extra:<br /><span style="font-size:-1;">Bethany needs to buy valentines for her 26 classmates.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:-1;"> </span><span style="font-size:-1;"> </span>Bethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629439763527112833noreply@blogger.com7