Feel the Love

Last Friday, our HR rep sent out an email to everyone in the office telling us we will be celebrating employee birthdays that land in April. Her email was sent around 10:30am for a noon "party". On Fridays, employees usually go out for lunch so hardly anyone was in the office. When noon rolled around, the HR rep hung up the birthday sign, left some Costco warehouse cookies on the table of the break room, and then left for her own lunch.

I really felt sorry for anyone who had an April birthday because no one cares and the half-hearted attempt of trying to set up a "party" was really done in poor taste.

So, don't you just feel the love at my workplace?

- AV

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Soldier Was Submitted By Anna

Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt
Superintendent of the 22nd Wing Medical Group at McConnell Air Force Base


Have you heard of Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt? Maybe you have and maybe you haven't. CMSgt. Hebhardt gain some notoriety recently. Not for an action that he took on the battlefield, but rather for a picture(not shown because it is graphic) that was taken of him.

In 2006, CMSgt. John Gebhardt was photographed holding a little Iraqi girl that had been injured. Her family had been attacked by insurgents. Both of her parents were killed, along with many of her siblings, and she had been shot in the head and left for dead. But she was tougher than that. She was brought to Balad Air Base Hospital where she was operated on and ultimately saved. As you can imagine, it was an extremely hard time for this little girl. Her recovery was hellish. But when CMSgt. Gebhardt would hold her, she seemed to be comforted. He spent many nights sleeping in a chair with her in his arms. The picture wast taken by a fellow airman while CMSgt. Gebhardt and the little girl were napping. Said CMSgt. Gebhardt, "I'm sure that probably just gave her some inner peace that she could reach."

On a side note. This is why I started doing these Wednesday Hero posts. Because of people like Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt. It's soldiers like him that make me proud of our military.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Weekend symphony

As you can tell from the pictures, we spent Sunday at a pops concert, but unfortunately it was over 100 miles from home. We decided to bring our dog along on the long drive. He's a nosy dog so he loves looking out the window at the passing scenery. We dropped him off at a newly opened doggy daycare called Camp Bow Wow while we attended the concert. He loved the place and the owners were exceptionally friendly. Too bad we live so far away; otherwise, we would bring him back more often.

- AV

Feet washing

To me, the feet is not one of my favorite parts of the body to look at. A few days ago, I spotted a gym member washing her feet in the public sink. There were plenty of showers she could've used, but no, she would rather lift her leg 3 feet off the ground and stick it into the sink. What's up with that?

- AV

*Image above borrowed from http://www.okamotocorp.co.jp/english/okamoto_story/healthy/01.html

Happy Anniversary to Me

I don't usually toot my own horn, but it's my 11th wedding anniversary today. I totally forgot about it until my husband (yes, husband) reminded me this morning. It was on his PDA; otherwise, he would not have remembered either. Wow, time sure has flown!

I remember getting married at the San Diego city hall, but before I knew it, the ceremony was over and I immediately wondered to myself what have I done! No, not that I regretted marrying him, but I just did something that would affect the rest of my life. It was a BIG & SCARY step...at the time!

Was this considered "cold feet", but after the fact?!

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Solider Was Summited By Lt. Schneider

SSgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin
24 years old from Batavia, Ohio
Army Reserves 724th Transportation Company
MIA Since April 9, 2004



Strength, perseverance and determination is how you would describe the family of SSgt. Keith Maupin. Because even though their son has been missing now for almost three years, his parents still haven't given up hope that he's still alive. Said his father, Keith Maupin, "I'm saying it ain't over till the fat lady sings and when she sings, I'm going to choke her. That's what I say. They're going to find Matt." His mother, Carolyn, was quoted as saying, "We're to keep our hope up. And praying until they can prove to us 100 percent either way. And that's what I'm going to do. And I realize we only have a 50/50 chance here, but I'm not going the low road. I'm going the high road"

SSGt. Maupin, who was PFC. Maupin when he was capture and has since received two promotions, was reported MIA when his fuel convoy came under attack near the Baghdad International Airport. Along with Maupin was Sgt. Elmer Krause and seven employees of U.S. contractor Kellogg, Brown & Root. All of whom were either rescued or escaped. Seven days later, on April 16, Al-Jazeera aired a video tape of Maupin in which he was forced to admit that he was went to Iraq unwillingly. Then on June 28, 2004, Al-Jazerra reported that PFC. Maupin had been executed by a group calling themselves Persistent Power Against the Enemies of God and the Prophet. But no concrete proof has surfaced either way.

His parents have created a website called Yellow Ribbon Support Center if you would like to check it out. And while most in the media have forgotten Keith Maupin, Wednesday Hero hasn't.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

New breakfast mascot

Have you seen this new Jack in the Box ad? It appears they are now selling breakfast all day long. I think this is a first for a fast food restaurant.

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, but by looking at their hideous mascot, I think I'll go elsewhere.

- AV

Visiting Google

I had the fortune of visiting the Google headquarters on Sunday after a friend invited me to take a short tour. I still think it would be a cool place to work if they ever hire me. I heard rumors that they only want to hire employees fresh out of college who are single, filled with enthusiasm, and willing to work hard. Although, I'm over 40 and not single, I'm still enthusiastic and a hardworker.

I heard a news report this morning that some Google employees are leaving after they made their fortune on company stock and others are just burnt out and not having fun. Working at Google and not having fun? Sounds like an oxymoron. I would love to get a chance to find out first hand. HeeHee!

I didn't know I would be going anywhere special when I left home so I apologize for the poor quality pictures through my camera phone. Although I think you can still see the plastic pink flamingos on the dinosaur sculpture, the foosball table, the volleyball court, ...etc. These employees must really enjoy their workplace to come in on a Sunday to play. I wished I had taken a picture of employees doing their laundry on site.

- AV

Daydreaming

Wikipedia says "daydreaming is a fantasy that a person has while awake, often about spontaneous and fanciful thoughts not connected to the person's immediate situation".

On your way to work, have you ever thought about purposely missing your exit off of the freeway or the entrance to your workplace parking lot and instead driving off somewhere to have fun or never return back to your job? I had these fantasies for years, but never really acted on them. Maybe because I'm too dutiful.

Well, as my job becomes more frustrating and the weather becomes warmer, these fantasies are surfacing again. Maybe some day I'll be writing about my adventures in this blog.

- AV

Incident at local museum

Since my friend moved to Oregon a few weeks ago, she asked me to help her pick up the unsold photographs she had on display at the local museum. I had been trying to get a hold of the museum's PR guy for the last 6 weeks to arrange a date and time to pick them up. He never returned any of my emails or voicemails. Luckily, when I dropped by this past Saturday the PR guy was present because the museum was holding a "Family Arts Day" to display artwork created by students at the local schools.

However, the PR guy had the nerves to blame me for NOT CONTACTING HIM FIRST BEFORE COMING OVER. I did tell him I tried to reach him unsuccessfully several times, but he still insisted that it was my fault. I was pissed, but there was no point in arguing with him any longer. I remained professional about it and just picked up my friend's stuff and left.

- AV

Tax Day Approaching Again

When you see this form, does it send chills down your spine or make you feel physically sick?

Every year I dread the day when I have to sit down and do my taxes. I usually become fidgety and restless while my husband plugs in the numbers onto Turbotax. It's my job to verify he's entering the numbers correctly. Yeah right, in my state of mind hundreds of miles away.

First of all, I hate math, paperwork, and paying more of my hard earned money towards taxes. Secondly, I rather be blogging or doing something constructive. :P

Well, after 5 hours of staring at the computer screen and pouring over all our old receipts, we finally finished our 2006 taxes, but who knows if it's correct. You can ask 10 accountants a tax question and they will give you 10 different answers.

I don't know why they make doing taxes so difficult or boring. My brother is a tax accountant and I don't know how he can stand doing other peoples' taxes for a living. My hats off to all the tax preparers during this tax season.

- AV

Cute dog gone wild

Here is my dog, doesn't he look cute? I guess this is subjective. As you can see, he's not a morning dog.
And in this photo, it's my precious dog's handy work of my couch this afternoon. He's got strong teeth for a little guy. You can see he's even pulled the heavy couch away from the wall.

- AV

Visiting new places

I meant to post this last week, but I just got too busy.

I brought my car in for its 60,000 miles maintenace at a shop 25 miles away from home. Why did I go so far? Well, my friend works there so I was able to get some discounts. :) Car maintenance ain't cheap!

Anyways, while waiting for my car, I discovered some neat places around town. There's a Pez Museum, interesting building architectures, and the town's historical society museum right next to the train station. At first glance, I thought there were some "people" waiting inside for the train so I tried the door handle only to discover it was locked. I looked through the window and was taken aback by these creepy mannequins standing around wearing vintage clothing. For an instance there, I thought it was something out of the Twilight Zone. Luckily, I wasn't there at night. :O

- AV

Have you cheated? Will you report other drivers?

How many of you have driven in the carpool lane during rush hour with no passengers?

I know I have and I think some of you have too. :P

There is now pending legislation in California to setup a 800 number hotline for drivers to report other drivers who use the carpool lane illegally. To read the news report, click San Jose Mercury News.

If there is a 800 number, would you report fellow motorists who misuse the carpool lane?

- AV

(Note: Cartoon is by Mark Parisi)

New USPS R2-D2 Mailboxes

Call me crazy, but I woke up in the middle of the night today to go see the installation of the new Postal Service R2-D2 mailbox in San Francisco at 6 AM. These mailboxes are popping up around the U.S. in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars movie. There is a rumor that on March 28th, the Postal Service will release a Star Wars stamp; thus, the new drop box promotion. After 3 weeks, these mailboxes will be removed, re-painted back to Postal Service Blue, and placed back into service as regular ho-hum drop boxes.

Let me know if you see one in your neighborhood.

- AV

Smelling stuffed animals

At a recent visit to the Boston Science Museum, I noticed a few of the nature exhibits included an option of smelling certain animals. I can't remember all of them, but I believe one was a fox display. If you press the button as seen in the picture and get close to the vents, you can get a whiff of how a fox smells in the wild.

This was the first time I have seen such a thing, but apparently, it's in quite a few museums. I wasn't curious enough to breathe in any aromatic smells of a taxidermied animal. I wonder if there is a skunk exhibit out there somewhere to wake up our senses.

- AV

I Hate Flying

After my recent trip, I have to say how much I hate flying. Unfortunately, there isn't another method to get anywhere "quickly". Too bad transporters are not available yet, but I'm not sure I want my molecules dematerialized and re-assembled at my destination.

Anyways, there's the "fair of being late" factor. I always like to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes beforehand while my husband likes to time it so he gets on the plane right at boarding. Every time we travel together, this gets me into a fit. Although, I have trained him somewhat to arrive 60 minutes ahead.

There's the hassle of waiting in line to take off my shoes, take out my laptop, ...etc. Fortunately for us travelers, the "Shoe Bomber" wasn't the "underwear bomber". I'm not sure how TSA would have handled that one.

Then, there's the passengers. Last year I was on a plane where a passenger freaked out when the door to the plane was closed. He kept repeating he had to get out and eventually the flight attendant let him off leaving all his friends on the plane dumbfounded.

And, on my return trip from Boston a few days ago, a passenger sat in my husband's assigned aisle seat and refused to leave. He said his girlfriend had a bad experience flying and had to be by her side. He insisted that my husband sit in his middle seat instead. No one wants to change from an aisle seat to a middle seat to travel across country. At that point, the flight attendant took over and "made" the guy go back to his original seat which caused the girlfriend to start crying. To make a long story short, the couple was moved to first class to keep them from causing a scene.

Furthermore, the airline misplaced our luggage. An United representative called at 8pm saying someone will leave the bag at our doorstep between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. without disturbing us. Of course, a little after midnight we get a call asking for our address. Apparently, someone misspelled our street name and he couldn't find where to drop it off.

Do you have any travel stories you would like to tell?

- AV

(Note: Image borrowed from http://www.nervouspassenger.co.uk/)

Boston Photo Report, Part 2

I thought I would bombard you with a few photos I took while in Boston. If the temperature wasn't so cold and if I had more time, I would have taken more. ;P

- AV

Boston Trip Report, Part 1

Just got back from Boston after a week there. It was freezing cold with temperatures dipping below zero if you take wind chill factor into account. This was the coldest weather I have ever experienced in my life, but fortunately, it didn't snow so it was still possible to go outsie.

The slide show has a picture of us taking off from our connecting flight from Chicago O'Hare, going over Lake Michigan, the dilapidated Boston subway station, and empty subway train during a late weeknight.

- AV

Wondercon

Been extremely busy and I finally have a moment to post something new. Above are pictures of what I did over the weekend. Every year, there is a big sci-fi/comic book/fantasy convention in San Francisco which I attend annually for the past 5 years with friends. Because of the beautiful weather, I'm sure the convention surpassed last year's attendance of 18,000 people.

These conventions are usually all day walking around taking pictures, talking to people, looking at merchandise, ...etc. It's a lot of fun, but always more tiring than working an 8 hour day.

- AV

Local school bans homework

Click on the image to see the news video

A few days ago, the news reported a local elementary school has banned homework and other schools in the area are following suite. If only that happened when I was in school!

Proponents say homework causes students undo stress leading to cheating and substance abuse plus it takes away from family time and fun. Others say homework instills responsibility and promotes what students learned in the classroom.

What do you think? Will students get into trouble for having extra time on their hands or is this the right thing to do?

- AV

(Note: Image borrowed from Ealing School Library in Canada)

Cingular's Semantics Rip-Off

[Begin Rant]

I am so mad that I just have to get this off of my chest!!!

I purchased a Samsung Blackjack phone in December and was offered a "PDA" data plan by the Cingular salesperson for $39.99 a month. Now that I have done some investigation of my own and talked to other Blackjack owners, I found out I could instead be on the "MediaMax 200" Smartphone plan for only $19.99 a month which does EXACTLY* the same thing as the $39.99 plan PLUS it gives me 200 free text messages. Everyone calls the Blackjack a Smartphone except for Cingular who wants owners to pay $20 extra per month. They figure only business people would buy the Blackjack so let's just gouge them.

Over the weekend, I called Cingular customer service to change my plan to the "MediaMax 200" Smartphone plan. Today I read that Cingular is cracking down on this migration. I hurriedly called Cingular to change my husband's PDA plan to the MediaMax 200 plan. At first, I was connected to the Cingular Business customer service and he refused to change the plan and said his system would not allow him to do so. I hung up on him and called back to make sure I was not connected to Cingular Business and I was able to change it without any problems.

Unfortunately, I heard Cingular is going through their system and forcing all their Blackjack owners into the PDA plan. This sounds illegal to me and think a class action lawsuit might just be on the horizon.

Just as a point of reference, of all the things I read...

• A smartphone uses Microsoft Mobile software and is a phone with PDA capabilities.

• A PDA uses PocketPC technology and is essentially a PDA with phone capabilities which uses a touchscreen or stylus. The Blackjack does not have touchscreen nor stylus capabilities.

The Blackjack uses the Microsoft Mobile software and even Microsoft calls this device a smartphone!

[End Rant]

- AV

*One difference that I'm aware of is the PDA plan allows a laptop to connect to the Blackjack as a modem.

Bidding Adieu

My good friend Gina and her boyfriend, John, threw a going away party this past weekend. She and John purchased a 3 bedroom/2 bath house with 1 acre of land in Crooked River Ranch*, Oregon a few months ago. The picture above is what I bought for her going-away/new home present.

1st panel reads: "Home is where your story begins"

2nd panel reads: "May your wall know joys; may every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibilities."

I met Gina at the camera club back in 2004 and she and several other members were really friendly which got me to join the club. Now she is moving 9 hours north of here; however, has extended an offer for us to come up to visit her whenever we want to after they're settled in. Her house has a beautiful view of a golf course and the Cascade Mountains. She will have lots of opportunities to take scenic photos, but I don't know if I can live in a small town with only 4000 people and far away from any stores. I guess I'm just a city gal.

- AV

*Photo by Thomas O'Keefe

Oh Yum!

Sorry to spoil your meal, but check out this eatery in New York City! It looks like these little chubby critters have been hanging out there for awhile. Do they taste like chicken?

For the full video using Windows Media Player, go to HERE.

Have a good weekend!

What's up with this?

I saw this car the other day while I was on the freeway and I just had to take a picture of it with my cell phone. What was this guy thinking graffiting his own car? Would you drive this car?

What would you invent if it was possible?

Aside from world peace, poverty/starvation/disease/crime elimination, if only it was possible, here's my wishlist of inventions... (this is what happens when I have too much time on my hands at work).

Do you have any to add or improve on to "my inventions"?

• Automatic Dinner Maker - it decides what I should eat each night from a list of pre-selected menu items and cooks the meals up to a family of 6.

• Self Cleaning Bathroom - shut the bathroom door, press a button to automatically scrub, clean, and dry the shower, tub, toilet, sink, floor simultaneously.

• WashDryer - place all your dirty close in the washer and when its done, it dries the clothes in the same machine.

• Telemarketer Bonker - when a telemarketer calls, their phone automatically hits them over the head.

• Slowsky Mover - slow moving drivers are automatically beamed to the side of the road until competent drivers pass them.

• Lincoln Log Evaporator - droppings from pets evaporate immediately before they hit the ground.

• Spam Mail Responder - every spam mail ever sent from a spammer is returned back to them on a daily basis.

• Clock Stopper - make time stand still if you're late to work or to an appointment and return it back to normal after you have reached your destination. Or, another use is to have the alarm ring when you're ready to get up.

• Gym Slim - buy a membership to a gym and you automatically slim down to your appropriate weight, look buff, and stay healthy without having to work out.

• Hair Perfect Gel - a little dab and your hair stays perfect even in a category 5 hurricane.

• Nutritious Junk Food - potato chips, cookies, pies, cakes, fries, chocolate, ice cream, ...etc. created to taste like they should, but have the same nutrients as low cal fruits and vegetables.

• Rid-A-Cold Pill - medicine that will prevent colds for life.

• Garbage-to-Fuel Converter - machine that will transform all your household garbage to gas for your automobile. Any extra gas you have can be sold to the oil companies at a premium.

• I-Robot - a twin replacement of yourself you can send to the office when you don't feel like going to work.

• Excretion System Transplant - replace the human excretion system with those similar to dogs (without the tail) so there is no need to use toilet paper.

• All Temp Bodysuit - an invisible neck to toe suit with a controllable temperature gauge that can be worn under a swimsuit to winter overcoat. Only you will know you're wearing one.

This is all I can come up with at the moment.

- AV

Presidents' Day

As a child, I remember Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays as 2 separate holidays. Those were the days. Now I have to work during the Presidents' Day combo. I guess the last 2 companies I worked for didn't consider this a major holiday. It just feels so unpatriotic and un-American.

Has anyone gotten the new George Washington $1 coin yet? It was just released last week with John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison coming out later this year. I believe the coins are the size as the Sacagawea Dollar, but with edge lettering. The Presidential Dollars will be issued at the rate of four per year until all of the U.S. Presidents have been featured, currently expected to be the year 2016. Presidents who had more than one consecutive term will only get one coin, but the one President who served two non-consecutive terms, Grover Cleveland, will be featured twice. Living Presidents will not be coined; Presidents must be deceased for two years before they are eligible.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

- AV

Igor, Welcome to America

My friend who doesn't like kids has been touting about her new nephew her brother & sister-in-law are adopting from Kazakhstan. It took the family several days to get to the city of Arkalyk where the orphanage is located. As you can see from the photo, they will be adopting 4-year old Igor. Isn't he precious? Since he will be living in the Atlanta area, his family has renamed him Corey.

- AV

Valentine's Day Stories, Anyone?

Did anyone celebrate Valentine's Day? Sorry, but it's always hilarious to me to see so many men hovering around the card section of a store around Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day was just another day to me. Why do I say this? Because you and your spouse/significant other are suppose to be good to each other 365 days a year and not just 1 day a year. Just my opinion.

Anyways, I ended up watching "Departed" which just came out on DVD. The movie was violent and so-so, but it is nominated for Academy Awards in "Best Picture", "Best Director", and "Best Supporting Actor" categories.

Here's a trailer snagged from "Moviefone"...




- AV

At the studio

Clare Mullins hosts her own show on the local community KMTV television channel. I met her last week during my first video club meeting when she asked for volunteers to help her prepare for her show this past weekend. I was the only one who signed up from the club. I didn't know what to expect, but here's what I got to do... I helped her buy snacks, moved lots of stuff from her car into the studio in the pouring rain, helped copy photos onto a CD, arrange the studio layout, take photos, network with other volunteers, ...etc. 2-1/2 hours were spent preparing for the 1/2 hr. show, but it went by quickly and I had great fun.

The show is called "Colorful Journeys of Success" where Clare's 2 guests were Sydell and Valentina. She never mentioned their last names. They must be the Chers and Madonnas of the decorating world. :P

Sydell's paintings are painted in such a way that they can be arranged vertically, horizontally, or diagonally on a wall. And, Valentina is an interior designer, not decorator. There is a big difference between the two jobs which I realized after she explained it in detail. Valentina has such a colorful past. As she explained on the show, her strict Italian father forbade her to enter into the arts when she was growing up because one really couldn't make any money so she was forced to study the sciences (I forgot whether it was biology or chemistry.) In any case, soon after her father passed away, she began to study fashion design and spent many years in that industry before her clients urged her to re-decorate their homes as well. At that point, she began to study interior design. This is where she sketches a new layout of your house and/or room and hires contractors to do the physical labor.

Anyways, I found out by talking to the camera crew that I, too, could operate the cameras whenever I want if I take a short course at the studio. Of course, there wouldn't be any pay because it's a non-profit station, but it would be great fun and experience. Hmmm, I might have to take them up on their offer. Just what I need, to be involved in yet another project.

- AV

Look who I met last night

The Ampex video tape recorder team from 1956 (l to r: Fred Pfost, Shelby Henderson,Ray Dolby, Alex Maxey, Charles Ginsburg & Charles E. Anderson)

I went to my first video camcorder club meeting last night and joined. One of the members and speakers, Fred Pfost, was a television pioneer who invented the video tape machine back in the 1950's at Ampex Corporation. Before this invention, there was only live television. For example, if they broadcasted an evening news program in the east coast, it wasn't realistic for the station to show the same live program in the west coast during the middle of the day; thus, the invention of the video tape machine to repeat the same show later in the day. Yes, they were huge and they weighed over 1000lbs.

Fred told the story with tears in his eyes as he reminised about television's early days. He used to travel around the U.S. demoing the recorder to different broadcast stations. As Fred described it, when the audience realized they were watching a taped program for the first time, they literally jumped for joy from their chairs like little children. CBS went on the air with the first videotape delayed broadcast on the "Douglas Edwards and The News" show on November 30, 1956 from Los Angeles.

I regretted not having my camera with me last night as Fred showed off the Emmy he won in 2005 during the National Television Academy's "Lifetime Achievement in Technology & Engineering".

- AV

Beantown here I come

Hubby is going to Boston next month for a conference and I'll be tagging along since I have never been before. I originally had reservations because it's still winter and it's freakin' freezing over there, but this is a good opportunity.

I spent the morning checking out their subway system, where to go, and what to do. I have 3 full days so I'm planning on a 1-day trip taking the Old Town Trolley which gives a narrated 2 hour tour and on-off privileges at 17 sites. The other days will be roaming around at the Faneuil Marketplace, New England Aquarium, and Harvard University campus.

As long as it doesn't snow, I think I might be able to live with the below 30 degree weather. :O I'll be the bundled up roly-poly on the tour bus. Who is crazy enough to be on vacation in such harsh weather?

Although I do remember volunteering to visit our Toronto office during the dead of winter while I worked at Sun Microsystems. I had a chance drive in a snow blizzard for the first time and visit the partially frozen Niagara Falls.

- AV

Follow-Up

I just purchased these Iris' for Jackie's memorial service on Saturday. What do you think? Whenever I purchase flowers for such an occasion, they always seem inadequate.

- AV

Remembering Jackie

When I started this blog, I intended it to be something else than what it is turning out to be. I guess life is just funny that way.

I'm slowly getting over my cold and actually went to sleep right after an early dinner last night. Unfortunately, my spirits aren't very high due to this nagging cough. In any case, when I opened my email box this morning, BAM...it hit me like a ton a bricks...

Someone had sent me a blog about my former neighbor's 5 month struggle with brain tumor, a battle which she lost just last night. She leaves behind a young son and fortunately in the hands of caring family members who will take care of him.

Jackie was a quiet and unassuming single mom who lived about a block away from us. Because we lived in a homeowner's association, we along with 318 other homes in the area were all connected to the same community. Even back then when she was healthy, she always seemed frail as if she would break. Her pride and joy was her son. They both adored each other. During our community get-together's, she would always offer to donate her beautiful soy candles and scrapbook making items to be used as raffle prizes.

I think the last time we spoke was through email over 18 months ago. We both applied for employment to the same company and we wished each other luck. I never followed up with her to see what was the outcome. After that, I moved away and never stayed in touch, but I will always remember her generosity when we were neighbors.

If anyone is interested, here is the blog written by Jackie's brother about her ordeal.

Jackie's Journey

- AV