I wasn't tagged per se...but it was implied that I should consider myself tagged.
Four Jobs I've Had: (I could name 7 from last year alone!)
* Technical Writer at Universal Computer Systems
* Worship Assistant at Faithbridge UMC
* Barista at Starbucks
* Editorial Intern at HTexas Magazine (check out my work - google "Bethany Fasnacht" and click on any link to the HTexas website)
Four Movies I Can Watch Over And Over:
* 50 First Dates
* Friends (okay, it's not a movie, but I watch it on DVD, so it counts)
* Vertical Limit (I'll watch just about any sports movie, but this is a good, intense one)
* Under the Tuscan Sun
Four Tv Shows I Watch:
* Lost
* CBS' Thursday night lineup - Survivor/CSI/Without a Trace
* Top Chef
* Gilmore Girls
Four Places I've Been On Vacation:
* London (for Thanksgiving...the AMERICAN holiday)
* Akron/Cleveland, OH
* Miami, FL (I would recommend this beautiful city to anyone!)
* San Francisco and northern California
Four Dishes I Never Get Sick Of:
* Homemade chili (NORTHERN chili, that is - with sugar and just a pinch of chili powder)
* Mac & cheese
* Spaghetti
* Taco Bell tacos
Four Websites I Visit Daily:
* Yahoo! Mail
* Yahoo!/MSN Games
* Blogger/Blogspot (Blogger's where you write, blogspot's where you read)
* Wells Fargo
Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
* In bed sleeping
* in NC doing anything else (if you're wondering why, I'm hoping that NC will be my next home)
* hanging out with my sister, nephews, niece, and various farm animals
* chilling by a lake/river/creek/ocean/other body of water
Four People I Tag:
* Katie
* Missa
* Sharon (who I never talk to, but stay up to date on her life via blogspot and KT)
* ???
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
People are annoying, pt. 2
Just 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!
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.
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. People like others to be interested in what they're talking about. And why would you want to tell a story if no one seems interested?
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 exact same story 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...
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.
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?
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.
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. People like others to be interested in what they're talking about. And why would you want to tell a story if no one seems interested?
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 exact same story 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...
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.
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?
Monday, April 17, 2006
Pollyanna
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems but will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
- Herm Albright
Now, that's my kind of thinking!
- Herm Albright
Now, that's my kind of thinking!
Friday, April 07, 2006
Who am I?
Bethany -- [noun]: A human transformer (Robot in disguise) 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
my trials and tribulations
Since 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.
MY GRANDMOTHER!!!
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!
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.
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!"
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.
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...
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 my 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 life outside this house, outside my family, and outside her realm of existence. (You can tell I'm angry - I'm getting verbose.)
When I try to rebel and not give in to the manipulation and insinuations, my relationship with her is on even rockier grounds. I hate 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.
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.
Thanks for letting me vent...happy thoughts to come...
MY GRANDMOTHER!!!
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!
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.
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!"
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.
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...
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 my 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 life outside this house, outside my family, and outside her realm of existence. (You can tell I'm angry - I'm getting verbose.)
When I try to rebel and not give in to the manipulation and insinuations, my relationship with her is on even rockier grounds. I hate 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.
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.
Thanks for letting me vent...happy thoughts to come...
Monday, April 03, 2006
Family is the greatest
Isn'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.
And because I was incredibly burnt from working crazy hours and my commitments at church, I had backed away from everything, 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 life.
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!
(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.
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.
And because I was incredibly burnt from working crazy hours and my commitments at church, I had backed away from everything, 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 life.
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!
(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.
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.
Friday, March 31, 2006
My tribute
Taking after my best buds, Katie and Rachel, today's blog is a tribute.
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!
He was a wonderful brother - he was 14 years older than me, and he was my favorite playmate when I was 4.
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.
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.
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.
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 my Dan. (My family would have to vouch for the truth in this memory, but this is how I remember the evening happening.)
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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!
He was a wonderful brother - he was 14 years older than me, and he was my favorite playmate when I was 4.
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.
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.
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.
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 my Dan. (My family would have to vouch for the truth in this memory, but this is how I remember the evening happening.)
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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