WORK EXTREMELY BUSY - BLOGGING LIGHT
Work is extremely busy right now with several market need studies and applications for tax credit housing due at the end of the week. Needless to say, I haven't been able to get to the blog and update as I'd like. Here are a couple of brief updates..
TOM SEQUESTERED, TAKING BAR EXAM
Tom is taking the bar exam over the next couple of days and has been taken to a secure, undisclosed location. Yesterday, he reported he had quite an ecumenical group pulling for him: Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists/Presbyterians, Jews and a Muslim friend were all seeking blessings for his bar exam results.
Good luck, Tom and keep yourself cool and calm.
JOHN AND JUDY BACK IN OREGON
John and Judy flew into Oregon Monday night at 8:50pm after a week in San Antonio with family, particularly Art Wachdorf's retirement. They reported a good time was had and that Art's send-off was quite impressive. They didn't, however, enjoy the humid heat and were glad to be back to Oregon, currently in the middle of a 100-degree heatwave. Ain't that luck. They looked at more houses today after a doctor's appointment this morning.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Sunday, July 27, 2003
UPDATE: RELATIVES KILLED IN NEW LONDON SCHOOL EXPLOSION
My friday update included details of various odd and strange places that Dad can visit while he's in Rusk County, Texas. One of those places was a museum and tea shop commemorating the deaths of nearly 300 students and teachers in New Longon, Texas due to a natural gas explosion at a school there in 1937.
Well, it turns out distant relatives died in that explosion. My mother wrote with this information:
I mentioned to mom that you had noted the school gas explosion, and she did say that that was the school that her cousins were killed in. They were a set of twins, one girl, and one boy. Joe and Cathryn Gordon. They were the children of Harry and Bess Gordon. Harry was Grannie Hays' cousin. She lived with Harry's family after her mother died, and her dad sent her to live with her aunt. At the time, he was unable to raise her properly, he had to work to send Fannie (Harry's mother) money to support her and her siblings(two brothers: Harry and Homer). Harry was Earl's dad. Remember Cousin Earl?? Anyway, that is the lowdown on the cousins and their relation to Grannie and Me-Maw. I remember pictures of them, but don't know what happened to those pictures after mom and dad moved to Alaska.
Well, there you have it. They were Chambers, Gordons by marriage it appears. Earl Chambers, or Cousin Earl as he's referred to above, died a few years ago. But in the few years before he did pass away, he came up to Alaska to fish and had a great time... even at the ripe old age of 83(?). I don't know how he can be forgotten - an excitable man, he not only spoke some dialect of Cajun/East Texas English, but frequently studdered through it when his blood pressure was up (nearly always). He had only one lung due to cancer as a result of years of smoking and installing asbestos as an international journeyman construction worker and he wore glasses with lenses thicker than those on a lot of hobby telescopes. But none of that really stopped him. In fact, he took to fishing in Alaska pretty quickly and with impressive endurance, all things considered. But it did take him time to learn how to fish in Alaska because the Cook Inlet was too deep to either dynamite or telephone the fish...
We visited him in his home one time - Jasper? - where he had recently purchased the neighboring property. It didn't take him long to have the house bulldozed, just so he could guarantee that a family with children wouldn't move in next door. Could you really blame the old guy?
Oh, well. Rest in peace, Earl.
My friday update included details of various odd and strange places that Dad can visit while he's in Rusk County, Texas. One of those places was a museum and tea shop commemorating the deaths of nearly 300 students and teachers in New Longon, Texas due to a natural gas explosion at a school there in 1937.
Well, it turns out distant relatives died in that explosion. My mother wrote with this information:
I mentioned to mom that you had noted the school gas explosion, and she did say that that was the school that her cousins were killed in. They were a set of twins, one girl, and one boy. Joe and Cathryn Gordon. They were the children of Harry and Bess Gordon. Harry was Grannie Hays' cousin. She lived with Harry's family after her mother died, and her dad sent her to live with her aunt. At the time, he was unable to raise her properly, he had to work to send Fannie (Harry's mother) money to support her and her siblings(two brothers: Harry and Homer). Harry was Earl's dad. Remember Cousin Earl?? Anyway, that is the lowdown on the cousins and their relation to Grannie and Me-Maw. I remember pictures of them, but don't know what happened to those pictures after mom and dad moved to Alaska.
Well, there you have it. They were Chambers, Gordons by marriage it appears. Earl Chambers, or Cousin Earl as he's referred to above, died a few years ago. But in the few years before he did pass away, he came up to Alaska to fish and had a great time... even at the ripe old age of 83(?). I don't know how he can be forgotten - an excitable man, he not only spoke some dialect of Cajun/East Texas English, but frequently studdered through it when his blood pressure was up (nearly always). He had only one lung due to cancer as a result of years of smoking and installing asbestos as an international journeyman construction worker and he wore glasses with lenses thicker than those on a lot of hobby telescopes. But none of that really stopped him. In fact, he took to fishing in Alaska pretty quickly and with impressive endurance, all things considered. But it did take him time to learn how to fish in Alaska because the Cook Inlet was too deep to either dynamite or telephone the fish...
We visited him in his home one time - Jasper? - where he had recently purchased the neighboring property. It didn't take him long to have the house bulldozed, just so he could guarantee that a family with children wouldn't move in next door. Could you really blame the old guy?
Oh, well. Rest in peace, Earl.
Friday, July 25, 2003
I thought I'd try a new Blogger tool by posting a link to a Seabiscuit review with it.
Basically, my new toolbar item lets me blog any link that I find and read that moment, rather than keeping that window open AND having the blog edit web page open.
Quite a nifty tool. Plus, you get to read a review of Seabiscuit that seems to be a summary of all points made about the film in any other review I've read.
I still think I'll go see it, but it'll probably be at the Grand Lodge.
Basically, my new toolbar item lets me blog any link that I find and read that moment, rather than keeping that window open AND having the blog edit web page open.
Quite a nifty tool. Plus, you get to read a review of Seabiscuit that seems to be a summary of all points made about the film in any other review I've read.
I still think I'll go see it, but it'll probably be at the Grand Lodge.
BILL AND JILL'S BACK YARD INVADED, OCCUPIED
Last week, while watering plants, Jill's head was buzzed a few times by a daring Rufus hummingbird.
Jill remembered that we have some old feeders, so she made some nectar, filled the feeder and hung it on the branch of the apple tree closest to the back sliding glass door for views.
It took less than one day for our back yard to become Grand Central Station for several hummingbirds, at least three of which are in the backyard regularly. There's probably more if they'd slow down and let us count them. They fly all around the apple tree, sit on a branch, sit and guzzle nectar from the feeder, sit and rest on the tomato plant stakes, or generally fly all around in pretty much any possible direction playing and chasing each other. They're a lot of fun to watch.
But now it seems they've staked our back yard as theirs and they aren't shy about letting you know it. Anytime either of us go out in the back to start the grill, water plants or do whatever, they fly all around and twitter as if we've really put them out and don't belong in their yard. In fact, they have no qualms about buzzing not too far from your head rather bravely to let you know who's boss. They even buzz right up to the back screen door in front of the cats just to taunt them. You gotta love that.
Either way, it's been a fun addition to the back yard.. more mouths to feed, but rather cheaply!
JILL "RETRIEVES" STOLEN CAR
Yesterday, Jill had to walk around an older compact car, running with no one in it, parked right in front of our mailbox. Jill thought nothing of it at first, but then the neighbors noticed its rather peculiar circumstance. Jill called the cops and, indeed, the car was stolen and just dumped off on our street while still running.
Jill's journalism training kicked in and she started querying the policeman about the theft. It turns out the car was stolen fromBeavertron Beaverton and dumped off in our neighborhood unceremoniously and inexplicably. The cop then said that our neighborhood has a great reputation and that they were shocked something like this happened here.
So, not only did Jill do her civic duty, but she also confirmed what we knew all along: we have a very safe, nice neighborhood. If only Jill would learn to hotwire German cars.
DAD HEADED TO RUSK COUNTY, TEXAS
Dad called and reported that instead of working in Rock Springs, Wyoming, he's headed to Rusk County, Texas, not far from the Lousiana border, to drill some wells.
Why there's only 1,381 miles between the two places.. Nearly 23 hours behind the wheel of his Blazer. Mere Child's Play
So, I've enlisted the internet to assist him find things to do and attractions to visit while he's there in the way ONLY the internet can do it. FYI, Henderson is the County seat, but in true Texas fashion, the town named "Rusk" is NOT in Rusk County. The following information is courtesy of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce website previously linked.
-->There's the New London Museum & Team Room in New London. Read this charming description, and then look forward to a nice cup of Earl Gray after the tour:
On March 18, 1937, a massive explosion destroyed the New London Junior-Senior High School, instantly killing an estimated 296 students and teachers. The subsequent deaths of victims from injuries sustained that day brought the final death count to 311 . The explosion was blamed on a natural gas leak beneath the school building. Within weeks of the disaster, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring an odor to be added to natural gas, which previously was odorless, and therefore, undetectable. See the dedicated workers and volunteers searching for survivors. See a teacher’s grade book, a twisted desk, Red Cross records and worldwide newspaper headlines. Listen close as one of the survivors takes you on a tour and tells you an unforgettable story.
Yowza, how's that for quaint? Even Waco hasn't opened up a similar museum for the Branch Davidians carnage AND tea house. Now we know who to thank for the lovely formaldehyde aroma of natural gas: some nincompoop rough neck from New London. Cautionary tale for natural gas industry, or for the educational system in Texas? I report, you decide.
-->The Gaston Museum, described below:
The mission of the Gaston Museum is to preserve the history and heritage of the 90 square mile area of the East Texas Oil Field once known as the Gaston Independent School District (the largest rural school district in the world at the time). One of the richest school districts in the 1930’s, the majority of its students were children of the oil field workers. It is their lives that are chronicled at the Museum. The present restored and furnished facility, called the White Complex, contains White’s Snack Shop, a 1940’s Roadside Café and the White’s home, which is a 1930’s oilfield "tent house" converted into a permanent home.
When it comes to his profession, I don't get the impression Dad's going to feel like the Maytag repairman in the Henderson area. Plus, I'm betting that given this is Texas, the "White's" they refer to in that description isn't a family name, but an adjective.
-->Last, but certainly not least is the Arnold Outhouse (you do not need your eyes checked, you read it correctly):
In September of 1983, the chairman of Rusk County Historical Commission heard about an authentic outhouse built in 1908. Following her nose (emphasis added by me.. I definitely didn't want you to miss that) for adventure through the pages of history, she decided to investigate. As it turned out, she was able to purchase the three-holer which once belonged to John R. Arnold, a prominent turn of the century lawyer in Henderson.
The Victorian Outhouse is equipped with three holes to fit a variety of "behind" sizes. (Whew.. that's a relief to know. I was beginning to think Mr. Arnold had an unfortunate medical condition) A window above the sitting place provides light for reading and louvered shutters cover the adjacent windows to provide much needed ventilation. Like any fine toilet of today, this one has lids to fit each hole. The construction is an example of Arnold’s meticulous nature. Doubled walls keep the outhouse warm in the winter, while wainscoting, a type of paneling and trim, protects the wood as well as decorates the structure.
The Historical Marker on this outhouse is a true prize because it is the first to be awarded to an outhouse in Texas and may very well be the first prize in the nation.
There are so many more ways to riff on this that I'll just leave it be and let you have the pleasure.
Dad, if I hear you claim you're bored in Rusk County, I have no sympathy.
OLD FRIEND LIVING IN PORTLAND
Yesterday on my MAX ride into downtown, I bumped into an old friend of ours from Eugene. Turns out he's living in Northwest Portland and was on his way to work as well. When I asked how his wife was doing, he might as well have kicked me in the stomach, because he said they had gotten a divorce. When we lived in Eugene, before and after our wedding, they were a happy couple and we always enjoyed social occasions with both of them, including our wedding.
I'm still a bit in shock over it, as is Jill. We very much like both of them. The circumstances aren't entirely known by me and I won't go into what I do know. But it is quite unfortunate. We hope to have him over to the house for dinner before we go on vacation, but we'll see how scheduling works out. It'll be nice to catch up.
More updates later...
Last week, while watering plants, Jill's head was buzzed a few times by a daring Rufus hummingbird.
Jill remembered that we have some old feeders, so she made some nectar, filled the feeder and hung it on the branch of the apple tree closest to the back sliding glass door for views.
It took less than one day for our back yard to become Grand Central Station for several hummingbirds, at least three of which are in the backyard regularly. There's probably more if they'd slow down and let us count them. They fly all around the apple tree, sit on a branch, sit and guzzle nectar from the feeder, sit and rest on the tomato plant stakes, or generally fly all around in pretty much any possible direction playing and chasing each other. They're a lot of fun to watch.
But now it seems they've staked our back yard as theirs and they aren't shy about letting you know it. Anytime either of us go out in the back to start the grill, water plants or do whatever, they fly all around and twitter as if we've really put them out and don't belong in their yard. In fact, they have no qualms about buzzing not too far from your head rather bravely to let you know who's boss. They even buzz right up to the back screen door in front of the cats just to taunt them. You gotta love that.
Either way, it's been a fun addition to the back yard.. more mouths to feed, but rather cheaply!
JILL "RETRIEVES" STOLEN CAR
Yesterday, Jill had to walk around an older compact car, running with no one in it, parked right in front of our mailbox. Jill thought nothing of it at first, but then the neighbors noticed its rather peculiar circumstance. Jill called the cops and, indeed, the car was stolen and just dumped off on our street while still running.
Jill's journalism training kicked in and she started querying the policeman about the theft. It turns out the car was stolen from
So, not only did Jill do her civic duty, but she also confirmed what we knew all along: we have a very safe, nice neighborhood. If only Jill would learn to hotwire German cars.
DAD HEADED TO RUSK COUNTY, TEXAS
Dad called and reported that instead of working in Rock Springs, Wyoming, he's headed to Rusk County, Texas, not far from the Lousiana border, to drill some wells.
Why there's only 1,381 miles between the two places.. Nearly 23 hours behind the wheel of his Blazer. Mere Child's Play
So, I've enlisted the internet to assist him find things to do and attractions to visit while he's there in the way ONLY the internet can do it. FYI, Henderson is the County seat, but in true Texas fashion, the town named "Rusk" is NOT in Rusk County. The following information is courtesy of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce website previously linked.
-->There's the New London Museum & Team Room in New London. Read this charming description, and then look forward to a nice cup of Earl Gray after the tour:
On March 18, 1937, a massive explosion destroyed the New London Junior-Senior High School, instantly killing an estimated 296 students and teachers. The subsequent deaths of victims from injuries sustained that day brought the final death count to 311 . The explosion was blamed on a natural gas leak beneath the school building. Within weeks of the disaster, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring an odor to be added to natural gas, which previously was odorless, and therefore, undetectable. See the dedicated workers and volunteers searching for survivors. See a teacher’s grade book, a twisted desk, Red Cross records and worldwide newspaper headlines. Listen close as one of the survivors takes you on a tour and tells you an unforgettable story.
Yowza, how's that for quaint? Even Waco hasn't opened up a similar museum for the Branch Davidians carnage AND tea house. Now we know who to thank for the lovely formaldehyde aroma of natural gas: some nincompoop rough neck from New London. Cautionary tale for natural gas industry, or for the educational system in Texas? I report, you decide.
-->The Gaston Museum, described below:
The mission of the Gaston Museum is to preserve the history and heritage of the 90 square mile area of the East Texas Oil Field once known as the Gaston Independent School District (the largest rural school district in the world at the time). One of the richest school districts in the 1930’s, the majority of its students were children of the oil field workers. It is their lives that are chronicled at the Museum. The present restored and furnished facility, called the White Complex, contains White’s Snack Shop, a 1940’s Roadside Café and the White’s home, which is a 1930’s oilfield "tent house" converted into a permanent home.
When it comes to his profession, I don't get the impression Dad's going to feel like the Maytag repairman in the Henderson area. Plus, I'm betting that given this is Texas, the "White's" they refer to in that description isn't a family name, but an adjective.
-->Last, but certainly not least is the Arnold Outhouse (you do not need your eyes checked, you read it correctly):
In September of 1983, the chairman of Rusk County Historical Commission heard about an authentic outhouse built in 1908. Following her nose (emphasis added by me.. I definitely didn't want you to miss that) for adventure through the pages of history, she decided to investigate. As it turned out, she was able to purchase the three-holer which once belonged to John R. Arnold, a prominent turn of the century lawyer in Henderson.
The Victorian Outhouse is equipped with three holes to fit a variety of "behind" sizes. (Whew.. that's a relief to know. I was beginning to think Mr. Arnold had an unfortunate medical condition) A window above the sitting place provides light for reading and louvered shutters cover the adjacent windows to provide much needed ventilation. Like any fine toilet of today, this one has lids to fit each hole. The construction is an example of Arnold’s meticulous nature. Doubled walls keep the outhouse warm in the winter, while wainscoting, a type of paneling and trim, protects the wood as well as decorates the structure.
The Historical Marker on this outhouse is a true prize because it is the first to be awarded to an outhouse in Texas and may very well be the first prize in the nation.
There are so many more ways to riff on this that I'll just leave it be and let you have the pleasure.
Dad, if I hear you claim you're bored in Rusk County, I have no sympathy.
OLD FRIEND LIVING IN PORTLAND
Yesterday on my MAX ride into downtown, I bumped into an old friend of ours from Eugene. Turns out he's living in Northwest Portland and was on his way to work as well. When I asked how his wife was doing, he might as well have kicked me in the stomach, because he said they had gotten a divorce. When we lived in Eugene, before and after our wedding, they were a happy couple and we always enjoyed social occasions with both of them, including our wedding.
I'm still a bit in shock over it, as is Jill. We very much like both of them. The circumstances aren't entirely known by me and I won't go into what I do know. But it is quite unfortunate. We hope to have him over to the house for dinner before we go on vacation, but we'll see how scheduling works out. It'll be nice to catch up.
More updates later...
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
SUNDAYE INJURES KNEE
Saturday, Sundaye did something to her back right leg and was limping around the house on it pretty badly. After we took John and Judy to the airport, Jill got an appointment at the naturopathic vet clinic in Portland.
The vet determined that Sundaye's knee had somehow been slightly injured and prescribed a nutritional supplement to help Sundaye's recovery. As of today, Tuesday, Sundaye's barely showing any limp.
I think she was faking to get attention since there were four cats in the house at the time, but Jill strongly disagrees.
KATE MAKING A FORTUNE AS AN UNDER COVER SHOPPER
Tom reported on Monday that Kate has been making a killing lately as a secret shopper in Sacramento. Over one weekend, she apparently bankrolled at least $200 plus the food she gets to eat or the products she gets to keep and for which she is reimbursed.
Tom isn't sure which is better: the fact that Kate is having fun and getting paid to go shopping OR the fact that he has a little more time to study alone each day. Sounds like it's win-win for everyone involved - absence makes the heart grow fonder... and when did a woman ever turn down a shopping trip?
On another note, Kate's sister Krissie bought a house recently and we congratulate her. It's a great step. The hook to the story is the fact that she had to share a camper with some friends that weekend in order to stay in line and claim one of the houses. That is, as they said back in the day, insane. Either way, the road to equity is a good, if somewhat bumpy one.
TERI AND THE GIRLS IN LAS VEGAS
Mom reported on Monday that Teri and the girls were visiting for the week. My brief call was enough to make it clear some bargain with the devil had been struck Mom and Teri. Somehow, Mom talked Teri into sanding the floors to smooth the grout in the newly-laid tile. Meanwhile, Mom agreed to keep the girls entertained in the pool, with the TV, or however else. I don't know which was louder on the phone - the girls, the TV or the grout sander. Here's a brief snippet of our conversation:
Bill: So, how quickly have the berries gone?
Mom: Well, MeMa made a fresh pie.. just a sec, okay? (in the background BZZZZZZZZ)
...Toni turn the TV down...
Okay, the pie was very good... uh, just a sec..
...Toni turn the TV down!...
The marionberries are all gone now.. wait a sec..
...Toni turn the TV down!...
DEAD AIR
Bill: You there?
DEAD AIR
Mom: okay.. well, the marionberries are all gone now.. um, just a sec...
...TONI TURN THE TV DOWN!...
Bill: So do you have any marionberries left?
Or something like that. They were all having a good time, anyway, it sounded like.
Saturday, Sundaye did something to her back right leg and was limping around the house on it pretty badly. After we took John and Judy to the airport, Jill got an appointment at the naturopathic vet clinic in Portland.
The vet determined that Sundaye's knee had somehow been slightly injured and prescribed a nutritional supplement to help Sundaye's recovery. As of today, Tuesday, Sundaye's barely showing any limp.
I think she was faking to get attention since there were four cats in the house at the time, but Jill strongly disagrees.
KATE MAKING A FORTUNE AS AN UNDER COVER SHOPPER
Tom reported on Monday that Kate has been making a killing lately as a secret shopper in Sacramento. Over one weekend, she apparently bankrolled at least $200 plus the food she gets to eat or the products she gets to keep and for which she is reimbursed.
Tom isn't sure which is better: the fact that Kate is having fun and getting paid to go shopping OR the fact that he has a little more time to study alone each day. Sounds like it's win-win for everyone involved - absence makes the heart grow fonder... and when did a woman ever turn down a shopping trip?
On another note, Kate's sister Krissie bought a house recently and we congratulate her. It's a great step. The hook to the story is the fact that she had to share a camper with some friends that weekend in order to stay in line and claim one of the houses. That is, as they said back in the day, insane. Either way, the road to equity is a good, if somewhat bumpy one.
TERI AND THE GIRLS IN LAS VEGAS
Mom reported on Monday that Teri and the girls were visiting for the week. My brief call was enough to make it clear some bargain with the devil had been struck Mom and Teri. Somehow, Mom talked Teri into sanding the floors to smooth the grout in the newly-laid tile. Meanwhile, Mom agreed to keep the girls entertained in the pool, with the TV, or however else. I don't know which was louder on the phone - the girls, the TV or the grout sander. Here's a brief snippet of our conversation:
Bill: So, how quickly have the berries gone?
Mom: Well, MeMa made a fresh pie.. just a sec, okay? (in the background BZZZZZZZZ)
...Toni turn the TV down...
Okay, the pie was very good... uh, just a sec..
...Toni turn the TV down!...
The marionberries are all gone now.. wait a sec..
...Toni turn the TV down!...
DEAD AIR
Bill: You there?
DEAD AIR
Mom: okay.. well, the marionberries are all gone now.. um, just a sec...
...TONI TURN THE TV DOWN!...
Bill: So do you have any marionberries left?
Or something like that. They were all having a good time, anyway, it sounded like.
JOHN AND JUDY LOOK AT HOUSES IN HILLSBORO, LEAVE PROMPTLY
I realize this is old news, but I'll update anyway. Saturday, they left here and arrived in San Antonio for Art Wachdorf's retirement ceremony from Lackland Air Force Base Intelligence. He was the commander of the Warfare Intelligence unit, but good luck getting him to talk about anything. I do know that wherever he worked, he had to keep specially-constructed blinds closed all the time to prevent satellites from spying what he was working on.
Anyway, they're beating the heat and having a decent time so far. The ceremony is this coming weekend and then they return to Hillsboro for a day.
John and Judy did go looking at houses in Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove. Apparently, they had the good luck to find two houses they really liked. I think it took us a few weeks before that happened. As soon as I find the MLS number for each one, I'll post them for all to see!
Maybe we can have a vote on which house they should buy!
GRAYCIE SPIRITED AWAY ON SUNDAY
Well, it's unfortunate it didn't work out, but Graycie the cat is headed to New York and her new home. She's scared of other cats, so it just couldn't work out with Molly down in Medford at John and Judy's house. Jim Hardison and his sister Janet came over to the house to pick up Graycie. Jim lives in Portland with his wife Maria. Until recently he worked for Will Vinton Studios in Portland, the one and the same that made the California Raisins commercials, the PJ's and the current M&M's commercials.
I do believe Jim worked on the M&M commercials personally. I don't know what company he's at now, but it's in Portland also. You can read all about Janet over at Les Hardison.com. She conducts extensive family tree research for both the Wachdorf and Hardison families, among many other things. She'll be escorting Graycie, of whom I don't have a photo, to her new home in a carry-on cat bag. Peanuts or pretzels?
My quick break is over, so I'm back to work now. More updates later...
I realize this is old news, but I'll update anyway. Saturday, they left here and arrived in San Antonio for Art Wachdorf's retirement ceremony from Lackland Air Force Base Intelligence. He was the commander of the Warfare Intelligence unit, but good luck getting him to talk about anything. I do know that wherever he worked, he had to keep specially-constructed blinds closed all the time to prevent satellites from spying what he was working on.
Anyway, they're beating the heat and having a decent time so far. The ceremony is this coming weekend and then they return to Hillsboro for a day.
John and Judy did go looking at houses in Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove. Apparently, they had the good luck to find two houses they really liked. I think it took us a few weeks before that happened. As soon as I find the MLS number for each one, I'll post them for all to see!
Maybe we can have a vote on which house they should buy!
GRAYCIE SPIRITED AWAY ON SUNDAY
Well, it's unfortunate it didn't work out, but Graycie the cat is headed to New York and her new home. She's scared of other cats, so it just couldn't work out with Molly down in Medford at John and Judy's house. Jim Hardison and his sister Janet came over to the house to pick up Graycie. Jim lives in Portland with his wife Maria. Until recently he worked for Will Vinton Studios in Portland, the one and the same that made the California Raisins commercials, the PJ's and the current M&M's commercials.
I do believe Jim worked on the M&M commercials personally. I don't know what company he's at now, but it's in Portland also. You can read all about Janet over at Les Hardison.com. She conducts extensive family tree research for both the Wachdorf and Hardison families, among many other things. She'll be escorting Graycie, of whom I don't have a photo, to her new home in a carry-on cat bag. Peanuts or pretzels?
My quick break is over, so I'm back to work now. More updates later...
Friday, July 18, 2003
GRAY DAVIS UPDATE
Justice Prevails! Tom sent along word that a judge threw out the lawsuit contending the signature-gathering for Davis' recall attempt was illegitimate. That means the ballot is still a go, however a serious "alternative" to Davis has yet to emerge.
I still don't believe Schwarzenegger is going to do it. He's still tight-lipped and nothing direct is being said. Or maybe that's simply his reaction to catching his wife sharpen her chin again..
So if he's the Terminator, does that make her the Predator?!
ROUSING SPEECH BY TONY BLAIR
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair made an outstanding, important speech yesterday to a Joint Session of Congress. There's plenty of commentary about it that you can read at Andrew Sullivan.com. But I'd encourage you to:
Read It or
Watch/Listen to It
The bottom line is that this man is probably more liberal than half of the Democrats in that chamber, but instead of perpetrating the shallow, bitter opposition to EVERYTHING Bush does like modern Democrats, he forcefully justifies military intervention in Iraq for liberal reasons and still differs with Bush on the environment, monetary and time commitment to nation building and several other issues. He bluntly, though appropriately, states his differences in this speech.
It's truly a shame he's British because he'd be one heck of a Democrat. Mind you, I wouldn't exactly want him to prevail in a national election, but his ability to articulate alternate vision and leadership is SORELY lacking in the modern Democrats and as a result, Republicans aren't being properly challenged for the betterment of national policy.
DOG POISONING PLOT THICKENS
A purely local interest story, but it's now getting more interesting. Portland's Laurelhurst Park has recently been the site of 16 dog poisonings. 8 have died, 8 are now sick and their prognosis isn't likely good. Until now, the story was just a bizarre case of some nutjob poisoning dogs out of spite or sheer cruelty. A sad enough story, but this report from Yahoo News makes it slightly more interesting...
It seems the poisonings are politically motivated supposedly in an effort by some cruel vigilante who wants to see Portland's dog leash laws be enforced. You see, Portland has been in the middle of a dog-leash controversy. The City has dog leash laws on its books, but they've been relaxed about enforcing them because, well, you know, it's cool to be casual about the law and everything else, in Portland. That means that any park you go to in Portland, you're liable to come across all sorts of dogs irresponsibly set free to roam around and do whatever, whereever on whatever.
Dog owners in Portland are the most self-centered, law-flaunting bunch of nitwits I've had the misfortune to encounter... wait a minute, that describes a lot of people around here in general.. It's bad enough that they let their dogs crap wherever without cleaning up. No, it goes further into pretty disgusting hypocrisy. Specifically, most of the morons letting their dogs run free are the ones that are loathe to allow one tree be harvested or one salmon be caught in the name of environmentalism and animal rights. But then they let their dogs run free and what impact does that have? Here are the first obvious three that come to mind...
They attack other dogs on (or off) leashes, violating the right of the leashed dog and its owner.
They threaten children or adults who may be frightened of dogs and are within their rights to demand safety in public parks.
They scare off, chase, or attack any wild animals left in the more wild public park spaces.
This is particularly true for Portland's Forest Park, which is the largest single park inside a city limits in the U.S. It's a big, undeveloped forest full of hiking and walking trails and that's it. But you know what? You can walk and hike and ride all you want through there and you'll NEVER find a squirrel or any other animal that a wandering dog would threaten. Nothing. Wandering dogs have taken the wild out of the park.
I in no way condone what that dog-poisoning sicko has done. It's cruel and tragic and he should have the book thrown at him (or her) when they catch the person. But if irresponsible dog owners and other hypocrites want the Portland Police to not strictly enforce the leash law, why should the Police be asked to enforce animal cruelty laws?
Maybe owners of dead or sick dogs who ran free flaunting the law, meant to protect pet AND human, should consider that question.
Justice Prevails! Tom sent along word that a judge threw out the lawsuit contending the signature-gathering for Davis' recall attempt was illegitimate. That means the ballot is still a go, however a serious "alternative" to Davis has yet to emerge.
I still don't believe Schwarzenegger is going to do it. He's still tight-lipped and nothing direct is being said. Or maybe that's simply his reaction to catching his wife sharpen her chin again..
So if he's the Terminator, does that make her the Predator?!
ROUSING SPEECH BY TONY BLAIR
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair made an outstanding, important speech yesterday to a Joint Session of Congress. There's plenty of commentary about it that you can read at Andrew Sullivan.com. But I'd encourage you to:
Read It or
Watch/Listen to It
The bottom line is that this man is probably more liberal than half of the Democrats in that chamber, but instead of perpetrating the shallow, bitter opposition to EVERYTHING Bush does like modern Democrats, he forcefully justifies military intervention in Iraq for liberal reasons and still differs with Bush on the environment, monetary and time commitment to nation building and several other issues. He bluntly, though appropriately, states his differences in this speech.
It's truly a shame he's British because he'd be one heck of a Democrat. Mind you, I wouldn't exactly want him to prevail in a national election, but his ability to articulate alternate vision and leadership is SORELY lacking in the modern Democrats and as a result, Republicans aren't being properly challenged for the betterment of national policy.
DOG POISONING PLOT THICKENS
A purely local interest story, but it's now getting more interesting. Portland's Laurelhurst Park has recently been the site of 16 dog poisonings. 8 have died, 8 are now sick and their prognosis isn't likely good. Until now, the story was just a bizarre case of some nutjob poisoning dogs out of spite or sheer cruelty. A sad enough story, but this report from Yahoo News makes it slightly more interesting...
It seems the poisonings are politically motivated supposedly in an effort by some cruel vigilante who wants to see Portland's dog leash laws be enforced. You see, Portland has been in the middle of a dog-leash controversy. The City has dog leash laws on its books, but they've been relaxed about enforcing them because, well, you know, it's cool to be casual about the law and everything else, in Portland. That means that any park you go to in Portland, you're liable to come across all sorts of dogs irresponsibly set free to roam around and do whatever, whereever on whatever.
Dog owners in Portland are the most self-centered, law-flaunting bunch of nitwits I've had the misfortune to encounter... wait a minute, that describes a lot of people around here in general.. It's bad enough that they let their dogs crap wherever without cleaning up. No, it goes further into pretty disgusting hypocrisy. Specifically, most of the morons letting their dogs run free are the ones that are loathe to allow one tree be harvested or one salmon be caught in the name of environmentalism and animal rights. But then they let their dogs run free and what impact does that have? Here are the first obvious three that come to mind...
They attack other dogs on (or off) leashes, violating the right of the leashed dog and its owner.
They threaten children or adults who may be frightened of dogs and are within their rights to demand safety in public parks.
They scare off, chase, or attack any wild animals left in the more wild public park spaces.
This is particularly true for Portland's Forest Park, which is the largest single park inside a city limits in the U.S. It's a big, undeveloped forest full of hiking and walking trails and that's it. But you know what? You can walk and hike and ride all you want through there and you'll NEVER find a squirrel or any other animal that a wandering dog would threaten. Nothing. Wandering dogs have taken the wild out of the park.
I in no way condone what that dog-poisoning sicko has done. It's cruel and tragic and he should have the book thrown at him (or her) when they catch the person. But if irresponsible dog owners and other hypocrites want the Portland Police to not strictly enforce the leash law, why should the Police be asked to enforce animal cruelty laws?
Maybe owners of dead or sick dogs who ran free flaunting the law, meant to protect pet AND human, should consider that question.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
CLEAN YOUR PLATE
Here it is.. the long-delayed look at the type of food Bill and Jill will be forced to eat on our flight to Asia. Stranded in a plane at 35,000 feet in the middle of the Pacific, where else are we going to go?
So here it is...
No, just kidding. Though, that's an actual food item in a Chinese hotel somewhere.
Actually, a review of the various meals experienced by Cathay Pacific passengers documented at airlinemeals.net was reassuring. The economy class meals actually got decent reviews, with photos. On a scale of 1 to 10, most airline meals were given a score of 7+ by passengers! For instance:
Sweet & Sour Peking-Style Pork Chop w/ Rice (followed by vanilla ice cream sandwich for dessert, not shown)
or this:
Fish & Rice, Fruit and a Roll
or this:
Braised Chicken with Steamed Rice and Pak Choy, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Chip topping, Pineapple Cake, Bread Roll
All these meals actually look good and got good reviews. I'm feeling pretty good now. But then I looked at Business Class and First Class meals and was shocked at the difference.
and
and
I don't know what half of that stuff is, but it SURE looks better than the economy class food and significantly so. Plus, actual plates, silverware, even ice cold Stoly. The funny thing is, those first class twits rated their food the same (7-8 on average) as did economy class. This is definitive proof that people in first class truly are an insufferable bunch.
But hey, after learning the truth behind first class privelage, I'd be MORE than happy to be insufferable!
MOM REPORTS FROM VEGAS
Well, in an email, Mom reported that she got in to Vegas safe and sound and has since gotten a bunch of tiling finished. Good for her.
She also mentioned the strangest phenomenon on her way down. It seems she made a rest stop in Canyonville, Oregon, which is one hour between Roseburg and Medford.
When she got back into her car, she reportedly discovered that her wallet had $20 more in it than when she stopped! How on earth do you suppose that could have happened?! When we make a pit stop there, our wallet is usually $20 lighter.
Anyway, we're glad she got in alright and had a great trip all the way around.
JOHN AND JUDY ARRIVE IN HILLSBORO
Feeling stronger for the trip, John and Judy arrived in Hillsboro today. I don't know what they have planned now, but I do hope we get to go out for dinner tonight. They brought Gracie up and we are going to deliver her to Janet Hardison, who is visiting Portland from Illinois, this weekend. Gracie just didn't get along with Molly no matter how hard Judy tried. Gracie will make a wonderful pet for someone that doesn't have any other cats.
Here it is.. the long-delayed look at the type of food Bill and Jill will be forced to eat on our flight to Asia. Stranded in a plane at 35,000 feet in the middle of the Pacific, where else are we going to go?
So here it is...
No, just kidding. Though, that's an actual food item in a Chinese hotel somewhere.
Actually, a review of the various meals experienced by Cathay Pacific passengers documented at airlinemeals.net was reassuring. The economy class meals actually got decent reviews, with photos. On a scale of 1 to 10, most airline meals were given a score of 7+ by passengers! For instance:
Sweet & Sour Peking-Style Pork Chop w/ Rice (followed by vanilla ice cream sandwich for dessert, not shown)
or this:
Fish & Rice, Fruit and a Roll
or this:
Braised Chicken with Steamed Rice and Pak Choy, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Chip topping, Pineapple Cake, Bread Roll
All these meals actually look good and got good reviews. I'm feeling pretty good now. But then I looked at Business Class and First Class meals and was shocked at the difference.
and
and
I don't know what half of that stuff is, but it SURE looks better than the economy class food and significantly so. Plus, actual plates, silverware, even ice cold Stoly. The funny thing is, those first class twits rated their food the same (7-8 on average) as did economy class. This is definitive proof that people in first class truly are an insufferable bunch.
But hey, after learning the truth behind first class privelage, I'd be MORE than happy to be insufferable!
MOM REPORTS FROM VEGAS
Well, in an email, Mom reported that she got in to Vegas safe and sound and has since gotten a bunch of tiling finished. Good for her.
She also mentioned the strangest phenomenon on her way down. It seems she made a rest stop in Canyonville, Oregon, which is one hour between Roseburg and Medford.
When she got back into her car, she reportedly discovered that her wallet had $20 more in it than when she stopped! How on earth do you suppose that could have happened?! When we make a pit stop there, our wallet is usually $20 lighter.
Anyway, we're glad she got in alright and had a great trip all the way around.
JOHN AND JUDY ARRIVE IN HILLSBORO
Feeling stronger for the trip, John and Judy arrived in Hillsboro today. I don't know what they have planned now, but I do hope we get to go out for dinner tonight. They brought Gracie up and we are going to deliver her to Janet Hardison, who is visiting Portland from Illinois, this weekend. Gracie just didn't get along with Molly no matter how hard Judy tried. Gracie will make a wonderful pet for someone that doesn't have any other cats.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
A DARK DAY FOR GUATEMALA'S ORPHANS
We received an e-petition in the mail today from Les Hardison, Judy's uncle who lives in Illinois/Florida depending on the season and flying conditions. I'm not normally keen to read emails with petitions and pyramid schemes, but I can say that this e-petition is legitimate and addresses a very important issue.
UNICEF, the child welfare arm of the United Nations (yes, I know it's the U.N., but we don't just have to sit back and let more damage be done), has carried out a campaign to get as many nations to ratify the Hague Convention and Convention for the Rights of the Child. The effect has been elimination or severe cutbacks in the occurance of international adoptions of needy children from countries that ratify. Here is the body of the letter that Susan and Dan Black, Judy's cousins who recently adopted their son Jimmy from Guatemala, wrote to describe the effects of these Conventions on the adoption process of Guatemalan children:
One month before receiving Jimmy’s referral, the adoption process in Guatemala began to undergo radical and devastating changes largely due to pressure from UNICEF on Guatemala to ratify and implement the Hague Convention and the Convention for the Rights of the Child. These treaties basically take away the right of the birthmother to place a child for adoption internationally. The premise is that a child should never be deprived of their birth heritage and thus international adoption should be viewed as a last resort and only available after an exhaustive search has been made to prove that a child cannot be placed in country (a search which takes in practice longer than a year).
On July 1st, Guatemala announced new adoption procedures to conform to the Hague Convention. Adoptions have, de facto, been suspended as of March 5th of this year. The new procedures include a statement that only four orphanages are accredited to take children (up until this time children placed for adoption in Guatemala were largely in private foster care with a maximum of 2 children per home or in privately-funded children’s homes). So, under the auspices of acting in the best interest of the children, Guatemala is moving to a system wherein it appears that children will wait in under-funded, over-crowded orphanages if they are lucky enough to make it that far. Other alternatives available to birthmothers are infanticide, illegal abortion, raising the child alone (women who relinquish children for adoption to the US must be unmarried) in extreme poverty (45 children die every day in Guatemala of poverty-related causes) or anonymously abandoning the child. The current system in Guatemala conforms to Guatemalan law. The new system is unconstitutional. Unfortunately, Guatemala has violated their own constitution many times in the past so there is little hope that the constitutional challenges currently underway will have any effect. In addition, unfortunately, there is only one proposal before the Guatemalan Congress related to international adoption. This proposal includes a clause that says that any family that adopts a child internationally has to sign and notarize a statement indicating that they will never remove an organ from the child.
I don't intend to go into a very well-meaning dissertation about all of the history of problems for Guatemala, most self-inflicted, but some exacerbated by U.S. policy. But I will say that the accords being pushed by the U.N. do not appear to have any provision for a minimum standard of child welfare infrastructure that must be provided by a government that ratifies these Conventions. In effect, no matter how poor, corrupt and destitute Guatemala is, if it ratifies these Conventions, welfare of Guatemalan orphans will in every circumstance be worsened. I can attest to these facts personally given our first-hand observations both times we have visited the country.
What the Blacks do not either understand or get into, is that in many countries, poor mothers give up their children, who are then in turn likely to be forced into child labor elsewhere. Indeed, the welfare of these children is advanced by some provisions of these Conventions. However, the majority of children that these measures affect would benefit significantly by the ability to be adopted by parents from the U.S. or many other countries who have loving homes welcoming them.
Oddly enough, in the case of Guatemala, awful rumors get repeated and perpetuated in the rural areas to the effect that white people (gringos) and other non-Guatemalans adopt Guatemalan children to harvest their organs for medical purposes. There is no substantiating this rumor, it is not clear where it started, but it has cast a very real shadow of fear over many villages in rural Guatemala where many of the children needing adoption come from. It sounds odd to us, and I don't know for sure the origin, bit I strongly believe it has been one of the disinformation campaigns spread during Guatemala's 30-year Civil War that ended in December of 1996, right after Jill's and my first visit.
The barbarism of the government-sponsored death squads in rural Guatemala got so bad that the only way to find any safety as a common Guatemalan peasant was to be lucky enough to have a gringo in your village for whatever reason. That did not guarantee your safety, nor the safety of the white person, but by the early 80s, thousands of murders were committed by the government making very little news, but any time a white person was murdered by accident or whatever, it made big news. Thus, the government avoided gringos if at all possible. Peace organizations like Witness for Peace and other religious organizations caught on and sent volunteers to live with villages and document incidents as well as be somewhat visible so that the village wouldn't be attacked.
It's not too difficult to see that the credibility of the white person must then be destroyed if they cannot be outright murdered due to the publicity. So, in all likelihood, the rumor of child organ harvesting was born and has appeared to have damaged the level of comfort some rural villages have with perfectly well-meaning non-Guatemalans. As recently as 2000, a Japanese tourist was trapped in his tour van and burned alive inside simply for trying to photograph a Guatemalan child in Todos Santos, a village Jill and I visited later that year. That link gives more information about other attacks related to fears over abduction of Guatemalan children, but with more of a satanic cult angle on the explanation. I won't even get into Guatemalan superstitions...
Anyway, here is a link to the e-petition that if you care to sign, won't take but a minute or two. I don't know what good it will do, but it really is an important issue.
Petition to Unicef
Thanks a bunch; a lot of distraught adoptive parents-to-be would thank you, as would thousands of Guatemalan children, some of whom I've seen firsthand, thank you also. In a way, Jill and I thank you because, though we hadn't formally planned it, we have often discussed that we'd like to adopt a Guatemalan baby as a second or third child depending on our ability to have our own.
RUMOR HAS IT MOM HAS GOTTEN BACK HOME
Although I haven't heard verification personally, rumor has it Mom has indeed returned to Las Vegas. She arrived in Sacramento at 8:15 pm (bonus points for being within 15 minutes of my guess?) on Sunday. Tom reported that on Monday, she visited the nut farmers (Diamond?) to get various flavored almonds, but was distraught when she learned that they were out of cashews. I would be, too. She left by 12:15pm Monday and apparently got back into Vegas later that day via Reno. You'd think the telephone hadn't been invented yet, wouldn't you?
FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR DOING OKAY
Jill and I have a friendly, elderly neighbor lady that walks her yellow lab twice a day, or did regularly until a month or two ago. That's when we saw an ambulance out in front of her house for an extended period, and then we just didn't see her. Yesterday, on the way to dropping me off at the MAX Station on my way to work, we saw her and stopped to talk. We learned the sad news that her husband, who had been physically disabled for some time, had passed away when we saw the ambulance and had been with family since (I think she said that..). She's now trying to return to a normal schedule and seems healthy and brave about it. We were sorry for her loss, but she's a strong lady and we look forward to chatting with her again regularly while we're out digging our holes.
UPDATE: MORE BAD NEWS FOR TOM'S GRAY DAVIS RECALL CAMPAIGN
It was just a few days ago that I posted a link to a lawyer who correctly predicted the success of those gathering signatures for the Gray Davis recall bid. On her website, she then predicted that some group, with whom Davis would swear no affiliation, would file a lawsuit to challenge the process. That prediction has come to pass as this article attests in the New York Times. You might have to enter a free log-in name and password to read things at that website if you don't regularly.
Sorry, Tom. Your only hope now is that some Democrat with a spine will challenge Davis because I think the said prediction that Arnold wouldn't join the race is a prudent forecast. But then again, I'm an economist and I'm used to being wrong!
MORE UPDATES SOON.. things should be a little less busy for me, so hopefully I can finally get around to the oft promised airline food update as well as some surprising information about Bill and Jill out there on the internet...
We received an e-petition in the mail today from Les Hardison, Judy's uncle who lives in Illinois/Florida depending on the season and flying conditions. I'm not normally keen to read emails with petitions and pyramid schemes, but I can say that this e-petition is legitimate and addresses a very important issue.
UNICEF, the child welfare arm of the United Nations (yes, I know it's the U.N., but we don't just have to sit back and let more damage be done), has carried out a campaign to get as many nations to ratify the Hague Convention and Convention for the Rights of the Child. The effect has been elimination or severe cutbacks in the occurance of international adoptions of needy children from countries that ratify. Here is the body of the letter that Susan and Dan Black, Judy's cousins who recently adopted their son Jimmy from Guatemala, wrote to describe the effects of these Conventions on the adoption process of Guatemalan children:
One month before receiving Jimmy’s referral, the adoption process in Guatemala began to undergo radical and devastating changes largely due to pressure from UNICEF on Guatemala to ratify and implement the Hague Convention and the Convention for the Rights of the Child. These treaties basically take away the right of the birthmother to place a child for adoption internationally. The premise is that a child should never be deprived of their birth heritage and thus international adoption should be viewed as a last resort and only available after an exhaustive search has been made to prove that a child cannot be placed in country (a search which takes in practice longer than a year).
On July 1st, Guatemala announced new adoption procedures to conform to the Hague Convention. Adoptions have, de facto, been suspended as of March 5th of this year. The new procedures include a statement that only four orphanages are accredited to take children (up until this time children placed for adoption in Guatemala were largely in private foster care with a maximum of 2 children per home or in privately-funded children’s homes). So, under the auspices of acting in the best interest of the children, Guatemala is moving to a system wherein it appears that children will wait in under-funded, over-crowded orphanages if they are lucky enough to make it that far. Other alternatives available to birthmothers are infanticide, illegal abortion, raising the child alone (women who relinquish children for adoption to the US must be unmarried) in extreme poverty (45 children die every day in Guatemala of poverty-related causes) or anonymously abandoning the child. The current system in Guatemala conforms to Guatemalan law. The new system is unconstitutional. Unfortunately, Guatemala has violated their own constitution many times in the past so there is little hope that the constitutional challenges currently underway will have any effect. In addition, unfortunately, there is only one proposal before the Guatemalan Congress related to international adoption. This proposal includes a clause that says that any family that adopts a child internationally has to sign and notarize a statement indicating that they will never remove an organ from the child.
I don't intend to go into a very well-meaning dissertation about all of the history of problems for Guatemala, most self-inflicted, but some exacerbated by U.S. policy. But I will say that the accords being pushed by the U.N. do not appear to have any provision for a minimum standard of child welfare infrastructure that must be provided by a government that ratifies these Conventions. In effect, no matter how poor, corrupt and destitute Guatemala is, if it ratifies these Conventions, welfare of Guatemalan orphans will in every circumstance be worsened. I can attest to these facts personally given our first-hand observations both times we have visited the country.
What the Blacks do not either understand or get into, is that in many countries, poor mothers give up their children, who are then in turn likely to be forced into child labor elsewhere. Indeed, the welfare of these children is advanced by some provisions of these Conventions. However, the majority of children that these measures affect would benefit significantly by the ability to be adopted by parents from the U.S. or many other countries who have loving homes welcoming them.
Oddly enough, in the case of Guatemala, awful rumors get repeated and perpetuated in the rural areas to the effect that white people (gringos) and other non-Guatemalans adopt Guatemalan children to harvest their organs for medical purposes. There is no substantiating this rumor, it is not clear where it started, but it has cast a very real shadow of fear over many villages in rural Guatemala where many of the children needing adoption come from. It sounds odd to us, and I don't know for sure the origin, bit I strongly believe it has been one of the disinformation campaigns spread during Guatemala's 30-year Civil War that ended in December of 1996, right after Jill's and my first visit.
The barbarism of the government-sponsored death squads in rural Guatemala got so bad that the only way to find any safety as a common Guatemalan peasant was to be lucky enough to have a gringo in your village for whatever reason. That did not guarantee your safety, nor the safety of the white person, but by the early 80s, thousands of murders were committed by the government making very little news, but any time a white person was murdered by accident or whatever, it made big news. Thus, the government avoided gringos if at all possible. Peace organizations like Witness for Peace and other religious organizations caught on and sent volunteers to live with villages and document incidents as well as be somewhat visible so that the village wouldn't be attacked.
It's not too difficult to see that the credibility of the white person must then be destroyed if they cannot be outright murdered due to the publicity. So, in all likelihood, the rumor of child organ harvesting was born and has appeared to have damaged the level of comfort some rural villages have with perfectly well-meaning non-Guatemalans. As recently as 2000, a Japanese tourist was trapped in his tour van and burned alive inside simply for trying to photograph a Guatemalan child in Todos Santos, a village Jill and I visited later that year. That link gives more information about other attacks related to fears over abduction of Guatemalan children, but with more of a satanic cult angle on the explanation. I won't even get into Guatemalan superstitions...
Anyway, here is a link to the e-petition that if you care to sign, won't take but a minute or two. I don't know what good it will do, but it really is an important issue.
Petition to Unicef
Thanks a bunch; a lot of distraught adoptive parents-to-be would thank you, as would thousands of Guatemalan children, some of whom I've seen firsthand, thank you also. In a way, Jill and I thank you because, though we hadn't formally planned it, we have often discussed that we'd like to adopt a Guatemalan baby as a second or third child depending on our ability to have our own.
RUMOR HAS IT MOM HAS GOTTEN BACK HOME
Although I haven't heard verification personally, rumor has it Mom has indeed returned to Las Vegas. She arrived in Sacramento at 8:15 pm (bonus points for being within 15 minutes of my guess?) on Sunday. Tom reported that on Monday, she visited the nut farmers (Diamond?) to get various flavored almonds, but was distraught when she learned that they were out of cashews. I would be, too. She left by 12:15pm Monday and apparently got back into Vegas later that day via Reno. You'd think the telephone hadn't been invented yet, wouldn't you?
FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR DOING OKAY
Jill and I have a friendly, elderly neighbor lady that walks her yellow lab twice a day, or did regularly until a month or two ago. That's when we saw an ambulance out in front of her house for an extended period, and then we just didn't see her. Yesterday, on the way to dropping me off at the MAX Station on my way to work, we saw her and stopped to talk. We learned the sad news that her husband, who had been physically disabled for some time, had passed away when we saw the ambulance and had been with family since (I think she said that..). She's now trying to return to a normal schedule and seems healthy and brave about it. We were sorry for her loss, but she's a strong lady and we look forward to chatting with her again regularly while we're out digging our holes.
UPDATE: MORE BAD NEWS FOR TOM'S GRAY DAVIS RECALL CAMPAIGN
It was just a few days ago that I posted a link to a lawyer who correctly predicted the success of those gathering signatures for the Gray Davis recall bid. On her website, she then predicted that some group, with whom Davis would swear no affiliation, would file a lawsuit to challenge the process. That prediction has come to pass as this article attests in the New York Times. You might have to enter a free log-in name and password to read things at that website if you don't regularly.
Sorry, Tom. Your only hope now is that some Democrat with a spine will challenge Davis because I think the said prediction that Arnold wouldn't join the race is a prudent forecast. But then again, I'm an economist and I'm used to being wrong!
MORE UPDATES SOON.. things should be a little less busy for me, so hopefully I can finally get around to the oft promised airline food update as well as some surprising information about Bill and Jill out there on the internet...
PROPOSAL NOT YET OUT THE DOOR
I'm sitting at my desk waiting for Office Depot to spiral bind the seven copies of the proposal we just wrote. I have to walk it up to UPS after that. I hope to have some info later this evening, but who knows the way this day has gone so far!
JOHN AND JUDY'S TRIP DELAYED
I am able to report that John and Judy will not be arriving today like previously noted, but rather tomorrow. It seems John wasn't feeling well and a four-and-one-half hour drive is definitely not a good idea when that happens, particularly in the heat they'd encounter on their way up here.
We look forward to their arrival tomorrow.
I'm sitting at my desk waiting for Office Depot to spiral bind the seven copies of the proposal we just wrote. I have to walk it up to UPS after that. I hope to have some info later this evening, but who knows the way this day has gone so far!
JOHN AND JUDY'S TRIP DELAYED
I am able to report that John and Judy will not be arriving today like previously noted, but rather tomorrow. It seems John wasn't feeling well and a four-and-one-half hour drive is definitely not a good idea when that happens, particularly in the heat they'd encounter on their way up here.
We look forward to their arrival tomorrow.
Sunday, July 13, 2003
CHEVY MALIBU FULL OF BERRY JAM LAST SEEN ON I-5 SOUTH
Mom picked up her rental car this morning at the Hillsboro airport, loaded up and headed south to Sacramento on the first leg of her return home. With a 10am departure time, she should have arrived in Sacramento at 8pm for a drive time of 10 hours. But who knows how lead-footed she ended up being due to the heat in the valley after Redding.
Jill and I had a great time having her here for the week. Mom got to do a lot and get a lot done while she was here as the trunk of her car can attest. We had fantastic berry picking, hit the Compass Room theater at McMenamins Grand Lodge for Holes, ate some great food and after all the work was done this week, we headed over to Sisters and Bend to check out the area. I think she had a fun time; I know we did.
Maybe we didn't scare her out of visiting again in September/October when the apples are ready. We can also check out Oliphant Orchards in Sherwood - they have the best variety of apples we've found.
FIRE NOT A THREAT ON BEND TRIP
Our trip to Central Oregon was a success yesterday, although we didn't get to see quite as much as expected because the Sisters quilt show was so much bigger and better than expected.
We drove to Sisters via I-5 and then Highway 22 from Salem. Along the way, we drove by and photographed Detroit Lake, though not as well as the following:
That's Mt. Jefferson in the backdrop - funny, I don't remember that view from the side-of-the-road pullout. We did see one fellow catch a tiny fish from the dam and Mom was impressed with a family of ducks that swam nearby. As we approached Sisters, we did see smoke from the Link Fire to the south. It was quite a dramatic view as the smoke billowed up with Three Fingered Jack and the Three Sisters in the background. Hopefully the photo I snapped on Mom's digital camera will come out.
Just imagine a big plume of smoke on the left side of the photo.. courtesy of U of Oregon.
Sisters proved to have a fantastic quilt show. The town has only a few thousand residents, but true to my boss's warning, the town was congested due to all the people looking at the impressive quilts.
We took plenty of photos, but I was unable to load them onto my computer. Hands down, the best quilt of the day in my opinion was from Colorado. The front had a mosaic of various fabrics with fly-fishing patterns on them. However, when the quilt is flipped over, the backing is fabric with 1940s-style pin-up girls, scantily clad, fishing, knealing on a bear rug, etc. Jill dubbed it "The Pornographic Quilt."I report, you decide. Photos will be up as soon as possible!
Later, we drove south to Bend and looked around at the community and various residential areas. This link goes to Northwest Crossing, a large master-planned community that we drove through and liked. Prices weren't cheap, however. The area actually looks a lot like Flagstaff, Arizona, though not as cold and with more amenities like golf, resorts and fishing. The topography allows many great views of the area including Black Butte. Although here's my favorite Black Butte.
All in all, it was a good day-trip, though Mom and Dad really need to visit the area in a few different seasons to see what it's like year round...
PASSING OF LONG-TIME WACHDORF FAMILY FRIEND
When we returned from Bend last night we got a message from Judy that Ruth Kelly of Lawndale, CA had passed away yesterday. I had never met her, but she was a long-time neighbor and friend of the Wachdorfs, particularly Larry who has lived in the Wachdorf Lawndale residence the longest. Anytime her name was mentioned, she was fondly regarded. We express our sorrow for the loss.
JOHN AND JUDY HEADED TO HILLSBORO
John and Judy will be driving to Hillsboro on Wednesday to visit us for a few days, then they will be flying to San Antonio to witness Judy's brother Colonel Art Wachdorf retire from the Air Force. He's involved in Air Force intelligence (insert your own joke - I don't have the strength).
I don't understand the technicalities, but you can Google him and learn all sorts of things. Hopefully none classified or he might have to hunt you down and kill you. We won't be able to attend, but we hear it's quite a spectacle to see. Not only that, but Art's had a distinguished career serving his country admirably. We wish him happiness and every success as a newly-minted civilian.
ENCOURAGING NEWS FROM HONG KONG
With our vacation quickly approaching, we've been tracking news of the demonstrations in Hong Kong with keen interest. I reported in a past update that the Hong Kong government was considering a mainland China-style crackdown on dissidents. Well, the residents took to the streets and protested. After a considerable series of protests, according to this report the local government appears to have shelved the hardline-style approach to political dissent.
Here's hoping areas on the mainland follow similarly...
Mom picked up her rental car this morning at the Hillsboro airport, loaded up and headed south to Sacramento on the first leg of her return home. With a 10am departure time, she should have arrived in Sacramento at 8pm for a drive time of 10 hours. But who knows how lead-footed she ended up being due to the heat in the valley after Redding.
Jill and I had a great time having her here for the week. Mom got to do a lot and get a lot done while she was here as the trunk of her car can attest. We had fantastic berry picking, hit the Compass Room theater at McMenamins Grand Lodge for Holes, ate some great food and after all the work was done this week, we headed over to Sisters and Bend to check out the area. I think she had a fun time; I know we did.
Maybe we didn't scare her out of visiting again in September/October when the apples are ready. We can also check out Oliphant Orchards in Sherwood - they have the best variety of apples we've found.
FIRE NOT A THREAT ON BEND TRIP
Our trip to Central Oregon was a success yesterday, although we didn't get to see quite as much as expected because the Sisters quilt show was so much bigger and better than expected.
We drove to Sisters via I-5 and then Highway 22 from Salem. Along the way, we drove by and photographed Detroit Lake, though not as well as the following:
That's Mt. Jefferson in the backdrop - funny, I don't remember that view from the side-of-the-road pullout. We did see one fellow catch a tiny fish from the dam and Mom was impressed with a family of ducks that swam nearby. As we approached Sisters, we did see smoke from the Link Fire to the south. It was quite a dramatic view as the smoke billowed up with Three Fingered Jack and the Three Sisters in the background. Hopefully the photo I snapped on Mom's digital camera will come out.
Just imagine a big plume of smoke on the left side of the photo.. courtesy of U of Oregon.
Sisters proved to have a fantastic quilt show. The town has only a few thousand residents, but true to my boss's warning, the town was congested due to all the people looking at the impressive quilts.
We took plenty of photos, but I was unable to load them onto my computer. Hands down, the best quilt of the day in my opinion was from Colorado. The front had a mosaic of various fabrics with fly-fishing patterns on them. However, when the quilt is flipped over, the backing is fabric with 1940s-style pin-up girls, scantily clad, fishing, knealing on a bear rug, etc. Jill dubbed it "The Pornographic Quilt."I report, you decide. Photos will be up as soon as possible!
Later, we drove south to Bend and looked around at the community and various residential areas. This link goes to Northwest Crossing, a large master-planned community that we drove through and liked. Prices weren't cheap, however. The area actually looks a lot like Flagstaff, Arizona, though not as cold and with more amenities like golf, resorts and fishing. The topography allows many great views of the area including Black Butte. Although here's my favorite Black Butte.
All in all, it was a good day-trip, though Mom and Dad really need to visit the area in a few different seasons to see what it's like year round...
PASSING OF LONG-TIME WACHDORF FAMILY FRIEND
When we returned from Bend last night we got a message from Judy that Ruth Kelly of Lawndale, CA had passed away yesterday. I had never met her, but she was a long-time neighbor and friend of the Wachdorfs, particularly Larry who has lived in the Wachdorf Lawndale residence the longest. Anytime her name was mentioned, she was fondly regarded. We express our sorrow for the loss.
JOHN AND JUDY HEADED TO HILLSBORO
John and Judy will be driving to Hillsboro on Wednesday to visit us for a few days, then they will be flying to San Antonio to witness Judy's brother Colonel Art Wachdorf retire from the Air Force. He's involved in Air Force intelligence (insert your own joke - I don't have the strength).
I don't understand the technicalities, but you can Google him and learn all sorts of things. Hopefully none classified or he might have to hunt you down and kill you. We won't be able to attend, but we hear it's quite a spectacle to see. Not only that, but Art's had a distinguished career serving his country admirably. We wish him happiness and every success as a newly-minted civilian.
ENCOURAGING NEWS FROM HONG KONG
With our vacation quickly approaching, we've been tracking news of the demonstrations in Hong Kong with keen interest. I reported in a past update that the Hong Kong government was considering a mainland China-style crackdown on dissidents. Well, the residents took to the streets and protested. After a considerable series of protests, according to this report the local government appears to have shelved the hardline-style approach to political dissent.
Here's hoping areas on the mainland follow similarly...
Friday, July 11, 2003
BERRY HARVEST BERRY GOOD
After picking raspberries yesterday, the grand total for berry picking has exceeded 135 pounds. Mom now has four boxes of jams, jellies and all sorts of stuff canned and ready to go to Vegas.
Because of the significant risk of damage in flight and the quantity of what she's canned, she'll be renting a car one-way to begin the drive back home on Sunday morning. Tom & Kate - be expecting a visitor Sunday evening; when she gets there, offer to take her out for a razzleberry pie and snap a photo of her reaction.
SHOCKING RATING FOR PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Has anyone actually checked to see what the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie was rated?
It's rated Aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr...
BEND TRIP UP IN FLAMES?
No, but Sisters might be a little smokey when we visit tomorrow.
It seems the Link Fire, a bit out of town but not far from Highway 20, is threatening to shut down the popular luxury golf resort Black Butte Ranch. Their website has an unfortunate, and it appears unintentional, web special advertisement scrolling on the page stating "Hot Dates! Hot Deals!".. classic.
The Sisters Chamber of Commerce link above states that the Outdoor Quilt Show tomorrow is still a go, though my boss informed me that the crowds at the event can sometimes be overwhelming. Here's hoping the fire and smoke scares away tourists like so many mosquitos. Actually, my boss may have to change his vacation destination to the coast - he and his family had planned on a week at Black Butte Ranch.
I don't know what all else we'll visit tomorrow, but we'll likely see the quilt show, Sisters, Redmond, Bend, maybe Sunriver or Mt. Bachelor
and hopefully Smith Rock.
After picking raspberries yesterday, the grand total for berry picking has exceeded 135 pounds. Mom now has four boxes of jams, jellies and all sorts of stuff canned and ready to go to Vegas.
Because of the significant risk of damage in flight and the quantity of what she's canned, she'll be renting a car one-way to begin the drive back home on Sunday morning. Tom & Kate - be expecting a visitor Sunday evening; when she gets there, offer to take her out for a razzleberry pie and snap a photo of her reaction.
SHOCKING RATING FOR PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Has anyone actually checked to see what the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie was rated?
It's rated Aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr...
BEND TRIP UP IN FLAMES?
No, but Sisters might be a little smokey when we visit tomorrow.
It seems the Link Fire, a bit out of town but not far from Highway 20, is threatening to shut down the popular luxury golf resort Black Butte Ranch. Their website has an unfortunate, and it appears unintentional, web special advertisement scrolling on the page stating "Hot Dates! Hot Deals!".. classic.
The Sisters Chamber of Commerce link above states that the Outdoor Quilt Show tomorrow is still a go, though my boss informed me that the crowds at the event can sometimes be overwhelming. Here's hoping the fire and smoke scares away tourists like so many mosquitos. Actually, my boss may have to change his vacation destination to the coast - he and his family had planned on a week at Black Butte Ranch.
I don't know what all else we'll visit tomorrow, but we'll likely see the quilt show, Sisters, Redmond, Bend, maybe Sunriver or Mt. Bachelor
and hopefully Smith Rock.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
VERY BUSY DAY - SO NOT MUCH POSTING
I've been busy pretty much non-stop since walking in the door, so I haven't taken a minute or two to do some surfing and updating accordingly. I'll get to that this evening, likely.
In the meantime, we invite folks to send in any news or items of interest that they'd like our 5 regular readers to see and learn. Considering that two weeks ago, we had only one reader, that's pretty good growth - 230% weekly.
Check back later for more...
I've been busy pretty much non-stop since walking in the door, so I haven't taken a minute or two to do some surfing and updating accordingly. I'll get to that this evening, likely.
In the meantime, we invite folks to send in any news or items of interest that they'd like our 5 regular readers to see and learn. Considering that two weeks ago, we had only one reader, that's pretty good growth - 230% weekly.
Check back later for more...
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
UPDATE: CHICOS INVESTMENT SUCCESS
Upon reading my post yesterday about my $400 gain from Chicos stock (CHS), Jill correctly pointed out that $400 is pretty small potatoes. Relatively speaking in the world of high finance, she's right. Since what I invest is chump change relative to people older and wealthier than me, I'll restate my earnings.
To wit, I've had a 100% gain, including a stock split, in less than a year from my Chicos stocks. There.. that sounds better, doesn't it?
SCHOOL KIDS PICKING ALL THE OREGON RASPBERRIES
Mom and Jill went berry picking again yesterday after spending Monday in the kitchen putting up Sunday's marionberry haul. Raspberries were scarce Sunday and it appears that the same was true yesterday at West Union Gardens in Hillsboro. Apparently, many stay-at-home parents, desperate to keep their children entertained, have taken to the berry farms. Raspberries have been the hardest hit, so Mom and Jill still haven't picked many raspberries.
They did manage to accumulate two flats of Tulameen raspberries (link goes to Raintree nursery if you'd like to order a plant or two).
These things can be nearly as big as many varieties of cherry tomato and their flavor is very good. Their size, however, makes them very fragile and difficult to ship commercially so you have to find them in local markets or order plants and grow them at home.
Overall, 50 pounds of berries were picked yesterday for a grand total of 100 pounds. Yesterday's harvest also included boysenberries and tayberries.
Their flavor is less sweet and a little more "spicy" I guess is the best way to put it. I suppose you'll have to wait for the jam, jelly, syrup, pie filling and everything else Mom's making as I type this.
I believe they're planning a trip to Sauvie Island for berry picking tomorrow, so they're likely to pick raspberries AND blueberries out there.
MOM MEETS DUCHESS
We had a late-night visit to the barn in Damascus last night. Mom finally got to meet Duchess, who in turn showed off her nearly-complete summer coat. She also displayed her incredibly good behavior, minding her instructions and not being pushy when treats were offered. Unsurprisingly, we couldn't say the same for Duchess - sorry.. I couldn't help myself.
Mom's camera ran low on battery power, so we'll stop in again on the way to/from Bend and get some photos that Mom can take home with her.
DISAPPOINTING NEWS FOR TOM
Tom has been my northern California correspondent, reporting news of the growing effort to recall governor Gray Davis - link goes to a very critical view of Davis.. Tom is sure to enjoy it. I'd be going nuts if he was the governor of Oregon - like Ted "Kingpin" Kulongoski - but he's done wonders for economic development in Southern Oregon; California businesses are beginning to pack up in droves heading for Jackson County/Medford. "California leads the nation in small business creation under Gray Davis - all you have to do is start out with a big business..."
I have to apologize as Tom did send some interesting information about the recall campaign, but I received it at home and I didn't get to posting the info from there last night due to the trip to the barn. I'll post the info soon enough. Following, however, is a link to a California legal blogger who correctly predicted the campaign to recall Gray Davis. She made several new, related predictions yesterday and you can read them here. I'd say her conclusions are shockingly unsurprising and that most pundits have put the cart in front of the horse regarding Schwarzenegger's intentions. Every pundit claims Terminator 3 has effectively been the most expensive California governor campaign commercial for Ahnuld's Sacramento bid.
Unfortunately, I believe, they have it the other way around. I'd personally say that the Governor's race speculation game (has Arnold said anything concrete about it? - NO) has been the CHEAPEST movie promotion campaign in the history of Hollywood. Ahnuld makes movies and money, though in his case, the two haven't correlated in at least ten years. But he's definitely not an idiot and I'd say that when the next big blockbuster hits the screen and T3 fades into pay-per-view, Mr. Schwarzenegger will have profited handsomely from one of the lowest-overhead movie productions ever - spending but a sliver of the usual marketing budget. I further support this assertion with the fact that I haven't seen one Terminator 3 commercial on network television - we don't have cable - unlike pretty much every other summer movie out there.
Perhaps Ahnuld's business acumen is a compelling reason to elect him governor. Or perhaps he just needs to personally thank Gray Davis for being such a complete (sorry.. this is a G-rated site).
Upon reading my post yesterday about my $400 gain from Chicos stock (CHS), Jill correctly pointed out that $400 is pretty small potatoes. Relatively speaking in the world of high finance, she's right. Since what I invest is chump change relative to people older and wealthier than me, I'll restate my earnings.
To wit, I've had a 100% gain, including a stock split, in less than a year from my Chicos stocks. There.. that sounds better, doesn't it?
SCHOOL KIDS PICKING ALL THE OREGON RASPBERRIES
Mom and Jill went berry picking again yesterday after spending Monday in the kitchen putting up Sunday's marionberry haul. Raspberries were scarce Sunday and it appears that the same was true yesterday at West Union Gardens in Hillsboro. Apparently, many stay-at-home parents, desperate to keep their children entertained, have taken to the berry farms. Raspberries have been the hardest hit, so Mom and Jill still haven't picked many raspberries.
They did manage to accumulate two flats of Tulameen raspberries (link goes to Raintree nursery if you'd like to order a plant or two).
These things can be nearly as big as many varieties of cherry tomato and their flavor is very good. Their size, however, makes them very fragile and difficult to ship commercially so you have to find them in local markets or order plants and grow them at home.
Overall, 50 pounds of berries were picked yesterday for a grand total of 100 pounds. Yesterday's harvest also included boysenberries and tayberries.
Their flavor is less sweet and a little more "spicy" I guess is the best way to put it. I suppose you'll have to wait for the jam, jelly, syrup, pie filling and everything else Mom's making as I type this.
I believe they're planning a trip to Sauvie Island for berry picking tomorrow, so they're likely to pick raspberries AND blueberries out there.
MOM MEETS DUCHESS
We had a late-night visit to the barn in Damascus last night. Mom finally got to meet Duchess, who in turn showed off her nearly-complete summer coat. She also displayed her incredibly good behavior, minding her instructions and not being pushy when treats were offered. Unsurprisingly, we couldn't say the same for Duchess - sorry.. I couldn't help myself.
Mom's camera ran low on battery power, so we'll stop in again on the way to/from Bend and get some photos that Mom can take home with her.
DISAPPOINTING NEWS FOR TOM
Tom has been my northern California correspondent, reporting news of the growing effort to recall governor Gray Davis - link goes to a very critical view of Davis.. Tom is sure to enjoy it. I'd be going nuts if he was the governor of Oregon - like Ted "Kingpin" Kulongoski - but he's done wonders for economic development in Southern Oregon; California businesses are beginning to pack up in droves heading for Jackson County/Medford. "California leads the nation in small business creation under Gray Davis - all you have to do is start out with a big business..."
I have to apologize as Tom did send some interesting information about the recall campaign, but I received it at home and I didn't get to posting the info from there last night due to the trip to the barn. I'll post the info soon enough. Following, however, is a link to a California legal blogger who correctly predicted the campaign to recall Gray Davis. She made several new, related predictions yesterday and you can read them here. I'd say her conclusions are shockingly unsurprising and that most pundits have put the cart in front of the horse regarding Schwarzenegger's intentions. Every pundit claims Terminator 3 has effectively been the most expensive California governor campaign commercial for Ahnuld's Sacramento bid.
Unfortunately, I believe, they have it the other way around. I'd personally say that the Governor's race speculation game (has Arnold said anything concrete about it? - NO) has been the CHEAPEST movie promotion campaign in the history of Hollywood. Ahnuld makes movies and money, though in his case, the two haven't correlated in at least ten years. But he's definitely not an idiot and I'd say that when the next big blockbuster hits the screen and T3 fades into pay-per-view, Mr. Schwarzenegger will have profited handsomely from one of the lowest-overhead movie productions ever - spending but a sliver of the usual marketing budget. I further support this assertion with the fact that I haven't seen one Terminator 3 commercial on network television - we don't have cable - unlike pretty much every other summer movie out there.
Perhaps Ahnuld's business acumen is a compelling reason to elect him governor. Or perhaps he just needs to personally thank Gray Davis for being such a complete (sorry.. this is a G-rated site).
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
JOHN AND JUDY MEDICAL UPDATES
In a phone conversation with Jill's mother Judy, we learned that John continues to have encouraging progress following his eye surgery. I do not understand the technicalities, but some disorder with arteries in John's eyes were deteriorating his sight. He had surgery not long ago and his recovery has so far been encouraging. We continue to keep his eyesight and recovery in our prayers.
Judy is still working on scheduling foot surgery to prevent severe arthritis from setting in. We do know that she will not be having her surgery in the Portland metro area. She may have it done soon, but it appears that her specialist has grown very busy of late so things are presently uncertain. If she has her surgery sooner, Jill would go to Medford (editorial note - the Medford visitors bureau website sure is underwhelming.. surf around anyway; it's a lovely town) and help out for a while with shopping, cooking and miscellaneous chores while both continue to recover.
A MOVIE ABOUT BILL AND JILL WEEKEND CHORES
Mom, Jill and I went over to the Compass Room at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove yesterday evening to see the movie Holes. This is one of the movie theaters where you eat your dinner and/or drink beer while it's showing. I had chicken wings, Jill had the hummus plate and Mom had... a reuben sandwich. The movie, based on the popular 1998 book of the same name, is about people who spend all their time digging large holes for, seemingly, no apparent reason besides character-building. Life does imitate art!
Fact is, the movie is about a wrongly-accused young man who gets sent to a work camp in the desert to dig holes with other delinquents. Every day they must dig 5'x5' holes in scorching heat and if they find something "interesting" they get the rest of the day off. Never mind having to dodge the mean work boss Mr. Sir, the Warden, the camp counselor Mother, and the poisonous, 11-spotted yellow lizards. Along the way, we learn all sorts of history about the curse on our hero's family, the history of Camp Greenlake and gradually we learn of the real reason for all the digging. Our hero even escapes and eatsfifty hard boiled eggs pounds of onions during his journey to clear his name and reveal the truth about Camp Greenlake.
I was actually expecting a mind-numbingly stupid film aimed at adolescent boys, filled with fart jokes and other gross-out humor. In truth, the movie was a pretty intelligent film aimed at adolescent boys with only minor incidences of stinky feet, armpit and fart jokes (remember the onions?) with a remarkably intricate plot. I was pleasantly surprised. The weaving of historical subplots was quite astonishing, on par with what Seinfeld managed to accomplish in its season leading up to the "Jerry" pilot. The topic of racism in the 1800s, surprisingly integral to the story, was treated intelligently and reasonably honestly, though its setting in Texas made some of the interactions somewhat implausible for that era.
If anything, Jon Voight's Mr. Sir, possibly his Midnight Cowboy character after 30 years of letting himself go, is worth the price of admission. Bonus - no You sure do got a pretty mouth, boy or Squeal like a pig!
Let me tell you a story about a place where it never rains... The End!
Check it out when you get a chance.
TOM TRACKS DEAR, LONG-LOST, CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
It appears Tom has managed to find updates on his old childhood buddies, Brent and Chad (Curtis). Tom emailed me yesterday with links to their reasonably current whereabouts:
Brent: Brent used to play basketball with Tom in Boys Club and Hanshew Jr. High teams - take the link and note the world's ugliest mosquito sculpture still on Hanshew's front lawn. Brent went on to have a pretty respectable college career. Apparently, in December of 2002, Brent's wife (I thought he was divorced.. Tom?) Jennifer found a wallet on the ground full of money, credit cards and identification. It turns out it was a sting operation by a local paper to (dis)prove the honesty of Anchorage residents. Their family did the right thing and reported the wallet unscathed that day. I suppose the fact that Brent's father is a police officer would have been a tad bit embarrassing had the wallet not turned up quickly.
Chad: We don't have elaborate information about what exactly Chad is doing, but apparently he works for a nursery/greenhouse/garden center or something similar. He is/was a State of Alaska certified pesticide applicator.
Tom, what about the Champs, Ian, Ryan "Monster Truck" Coulson or the Bennetts?!
LADIES, KEEP BUYING THOSE TACKY HIPPY CLOTHES
Thanks to the growing throngs of Baby Boomer ex-hippie women who fashion themselves swank, Jill and Bill's retirement has inched even closer. I opened my stock portfolio this morning and, lo and behold, my Chico's FAS stock had gone up nearly $3 per share today. I've nearly made $400 off of that stock! Here's a link to the store website for those interested in what I describe as hippie-menopausal-chic women's clothing.
Maybe I'll post some stock-picking tips on here sometime. My boss invests in my picks that I pass up and later tells me he's rolled a bundle for a good chuckle. If only I was more liquid!
In a phone conversation with Jill's mother Judy, we learned that John continues to have encouraging progress following his eye surgery. I do not understand the technicalities, but some disorder with arteries in John's eyes were deteriorating his sight. He had surgery not long ago and his recovery has so far been encouraging. We continue to keep his eyesight and recovery in our prayers.
Judy is still working on scheduling foot surgery to prevent severe arthritis from setting in. We do know that she will not be having her surgery in the Portland metro area. She may have it done soon, but it appears that her specialist has grown very busy of late so things are presently uncertain. If she has her surgery sooner, Jill would go to Medford (editorial note - the Medford visitors bureau website sure is underwhelming.. surf around anyway; it's a lovely town) and help out for a while with shopping, cooking and miscellaneous chores while both continue to recover.
A MOVIE ABOUT BILL AND JILL WEEKEND CHORES
Mom, Jill and I went over to the Compass Room at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove yesterday evening to see the movie Holes. This is one of the movie theaters where you eat your dinner and/or drink beer while it's showing. I had chicken wings, Jill had the hummus plate and Mom had... a reuben sandwich. The movie, based on the popular 1998 book of the same name, is about people who spend all their time digging large holes for, seemingly, no apparent reason besides character-building. Life does imitate art!
Fact is, the movie is about a wrongly-accused young man who gets sent to a work camp in the desert to dig holes with other delinquents. Every day they must dig 5'x5' holes in scorching heat and if they find something "interesting" they get the rest of the day off. Never mind having to dodge the mean work boss Mr. Sir, the Warden, the camp counselor Mother, and the poisonous, 11-spotted yellow lizards. Along the way, we learn all sorts of history about the curse on our hero's family, the history of Camp Greenlake and gradually we learn of the real reason for all the digging. Our hero even escapes and eats
I was actually expecting a mind-numbingly stupid film aimed at adolescent boys, filled with fart jokes and other gross-out humor. In truth, the movie was a pretty intelligent film aimed at adolescent boys with only minor incidences of stinky feet, armpit and fart jokes (remember the onions?) with a remarkably intricate plot. I was pleasantly surprised. The weaving of historical subplots was quite astonishing, on par with what Seinfeld managed to accomplish in its season leading up to the "Jerry" pilot. The topic of racism in the 1800s, surprisingly integral to the story, was treated intelligently and reasonably honestly, though its setting in Texas made some of the interactions somewhat implausible for that era.
If anything, Jon Voight's Mr. Sir, possibly his Midnight Cowboy character after 30 years of letting himself go, is worth the price of admission. Bonus - no You sure do got a pretty mouth, boy or Squeal like a pig!
Let me tell you a story about a place where it never rains... The End!
Check it out when you get a chance.
TOM TRACKS DEAR, LONG-LOST, CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
It appears Tom has managed to find updates on his old childhood buddies, Brent and Chad (Curtis). Tom emailed me yesterday with links to their reasonably current whereabouts:
Brent: Brent used to play basketball with Tom in Boys Club and Hanshew Jr. High teams - take the link and note the world's ugliest mosquito sculpture still on Hanshew's front lawn. Brent went on to have a pretty respectable college career. Apparently, in December of 2002, Brent's wife (I thought he was divorced.. Tom?) Jennifer found a wallet on the ground full of money, credit cards and identification. It turns out it was a sting operation by a local paper to (dis)prove the honesty of Anchorage residents. Their family did the right thing and reported the wallet unscathed that day. I suppose the fact that Brent's father is a police officer would have been a tad bit embarrassing had the wallet not turned up quickly.
Chad: We don't have elaborate information about what exactly Chad is doing, but apparently he works for a nursery/greenhouse/garden center or something similar. He is/was a State of Alaska certified pesticide applicator.
Tom, what about the Champs, Ian, Ryan "Monster Truck" Coulson or the Bennetts?!
LADIES, KEEP BUYING THOSE TACKY HIPPY CLOTHES
Thanks to the growing throngs of Baby Boomer ex-hippie women who fashion themselves swank, Jill and Bill's retirement has inched even closer. I opened my stock portfolio this morning and, lo and behold, my Chico's FAS stock had gone up nearly $3 per share today. I've nearly made $400 off of that stock! Here's a link to the store website for those interested in what I describe as hippie-menopausal-chic women's clothing.
Maybe I'll post some stock-picking tips on here sometime. My boss invests in my picks that I pass up and later tells me he's rolled a bundle for a good chuckle. If only I was more liquid!
Sunday, July 06, 2003
PICK IT AND EAT IT
Mom, Jill and I spent a few hours of this lovely day picking (and eating) marion blackberries, or marionberries, at Smith Berry Barn in Scholls, Oregon. It's a pleasant little burg of farms about twenty minutes south of Hillsboro. We not only enjoyed perfect weather and slight sunburns, but we ended up picking and keeping 50 pounds of berries. Only the Good Lord knows how much we actually picked if you add eating... Today was the best picking of marionberries we ever experienced.
Marionberries, for those who have never heard of them, are a larger-than-typical blackberry that has a tangier flavor.
Image from the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission - I'm sure they won't mind the free publicity... just follow the links in this post to their website
Marionberries are unequaled by other berries, except perhaps by Willamette raspberries, for cooking in my book. Everyone has their favorites, of course.
Mom's next step is to make jelly, jam, syrup, pie filling, and everything else imagineable, all good. For the rest of the week, Mom and Jill will be tackling raspberries, tayberries, loganberries, and blueberries. She's taking pictures as she goes along, so we'll put some up when the photo cache gets created.
BILL AND JILL SWITCH DIRT
While Mom sat bored in the house yesterday playing puzzles on her computer, we took advantage of the U-Haul rental pickup we were finally able to reserve and shoveled/loaded and hauled several tons of fill dirt with gravel, cedar bark mulch, and compost. We took four truckloads of dirt and gravel to the Hillsboro landfill in four hours and then picked up the other loads at the local landscape supply store.
Although Jill was famished after it was all done, she fell asleep on the couch before dinner was ready. Me, well, as long as I sit up or stand up straight, the pain isn't excruciating. But progress is progress.
Attention Married Fellows: Put your foot down when your wife wants a 70' french drain
INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVITIES
A great evening of festivities was had by all here in Hillsboro. Jill grilled chicken with herbs tucked under the skin.. mint, sage, lemon verbena and a few others.. very yummy. We packed it all up in a picnic basket, along with our lawn chairs and Sangria and headed to the Brookwood Elementary school field around the corner. From there we were able to see the big City fireworks show, as well as some surprisingly impressive neighborhood and church shows. At least the Sangria made them look impressive.
DAVE REID GETS ROLLBAR FOR HIS BLAZER
Dad reported by cell phone that Steve was driving his Blazer as they headed back to Wyoming from Groundhog. By logical extension, Dad must have had the vehicle reinforced in some manner. He also reported that Gramma went to Groundhog for the day and night and then headed back withGus George and Casey to Farmington the next day.
A good time was apparently had by all. Dad did report, however, that he only caught one fish. Apparently, having a crowd of witnesses makes a significant difference on his haul.
AN OLD BAYLOR FRIEND IN THE PACIFIC NW
Inga Chow, now Inga Chow-Monreal since happy marriage to Richard Monreal, drove from Alaska down the AlCan through Seattle/Bellevue, and then on to Boise. As she was unable to pass through Portland, she gave me a call to say hello. It was very good to hear from her. She had emailed along the way to ask advice about destinations in Alaska during her stay. She clearly had a good time and strongly urged me to open a Johnson Gardner office in Vancouver BC. How can I disagree with that kind of logic?
Inga and Richard live in Waco, Texas. She teaches at one of the local high schools and coaches girls' sports while he works for some department of the State of Texas, as I recall. Either way, it was good to hear the voice of a dear old friend.
Mom, Jill and I spent a few hours of this lovely day picking (and eating) marion blackberries, or marionberries, at Smith Berry Barn in Scholls, Oregon. It's a pleasant little burg of farms about twenty minutes south of Hillsboro. We not only enjoyed perfect weather and slight sunburns, but we ended up picking and keeping 50 pounds of berries. Only the Good Lord knows how much we actually picked if you add eating... Today was the best picking of marionberries we ever experienced.
Marionberries, for those who have never heard of them, are a larger-than-typical blackberry that has a tangier flavor.
Image from the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission - I'm sure they won't mind the free publicity... just follow the links in this post to their website
Marionberries are unequaled by other berries, except perhaps by Willamette raspberries, for cooking in my book. Everyone has their favorites, of course.
Mom's next step is to make jelly, jam, syrup, pie filling, and everything else imagineable, all good. For the rest of the week, Mom and Jill will be tackling raspberries, tayberries, loganberries, and blueberries. She's taking pictures as she goes along, so we'll put some up when the photo cache gets created.
BILL AND JILL SWITCH DIRT
While Mom sat bored in the house yesterday playing puzzles on her computer, we took advantage of the U-Haul rental pickup we were finally able to reserve and shoveled/loaded and hauled several tons of fill dirt with gravel, cedar bark mulch, and compost. We took four truckloads of dirt and gravel to the Hillsboro landfill in four hours and then picked up the other loads at the local landscape supply store.
Although Jill was famished after it was all done, she fell asleep on the couch before dinner was ready. Me, well, as long as I sit up or stand up straight, the pain isn't excruciating. But progress is progress.
Attention Married Fellows: Put your foot down when your wife wants a 70' french drain
INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVITIES
A great evening of festivities was had by all here in Hillsboro. Jill grilled chicken with herbs tucked under the skin.. mint, sage, lemon verbena and a few others.. very yummy. We packed it all up in a picnic basket, along with our lawn chairs and Sangria and headed to the Brookwood Elementary school field around the corner. From there we were able to see the big City fireworks show, as well as some surprisingly impressive neighborhood and church shows. At least the Sangria made them look impressive.
DAVE REID GETS ROLLBAR FOR HIS BLAZER
Dad reported by cell phone that Steve was driving his Blazer as they headed back to Wyoming from Groundhog. By logical extension, Dad must have had the vehicle reinforced in some manner. He also reported that Gramma went to Groundhog for the day and night and then headed back with
A good time was apparently had by all. Dad did report, however, that he only caught one fish. Apparently, having a crowd of witnesses makes a significant difference on his haul.
AN OLD BAYLOR FRIEND IN THE PACIFIC NW
Inga Chow, now Inga Chow-Monreal since happy marriage to Richard Monreal, drove from Alaska down the AlCan through Seattle/Bellevue, and then on to Boise. As she was unable to pass through Portland, she gave me a call to say hello. It was very good to hear from her. She had emailed along the way to ask advice about destinations in Alaska during her stay. She clearly had a good time and strongly urged me to open a Johnson Gardner office in Vancouver BC. How can I disagree with that kind of logic?
Inga and Richard live in Waco, Texas. She teaches at one of the local high schools and coaches girls' sports while he works for some department of the State of Texas, as I recall. Either way, it was good to hear the voice of a dear old friend.
Friday, July 04, 2003
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
I trust everyone is enjoying this Independence Day today. Grills are either just starting up or a fine meal has already been had and cold watermelon is just being sliced with that tell-tale wet crack and crunch sound. We had a late lunch, so we'll be eating a bit later.
Every Independence Day - I don't refer to it as the 4th of July.. everyone has a 4th of July but only we have an Independence Day today - I take the time to read the Declaration of Independence. Here is a link to the text of the document in case you have a few minutes. I strongly urge you to read it. Very few things have been written in American English with such superb style, much less having such serious dire consequence. As beautiful as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is, it's delivery and publication did not literally put a price on his head as it did for those individuals who signed the Declaration.
Which brings me to John Adams.
Today is the 177th anniversary of the death of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Both died fifty years to the day after July 4, 1776 and within hours of each other. Much has been made of this most amazing and peculiar of American coincidences, so I will not pile on.
I will also not go on forever about John Adams, but will outline a few of the reasons why I believe he's been given short shrift in the American consciousness.
- He was the most forceful voice for independence of the American states. While many other delegates from the other colonies were wary of robust language in the declaration demanding full independence, Adams fought hardest for full autonomy for the new country. If he wasn't there, Canada's southernmost City on the Pacific Coast might have been San Diego.
-He selected Thomas Jefferson and sponsored him as the author of the Declaration of Independence.
-His ideas and theories of federal government, particularly checks and balances, form the basis of the Constitution, which in turn is largely based on the Massachussetts Constitution which he authored personally.
-His presence in France leading up to the Treaty of Paris forced a strongly skeptical view of France to be permanently etched into our foreign policy.
-He was the first U.S. diplomat to The Netherlands, securing many loans to help finance George Washington's military.
-He was the first U.S. diplomat to Great Britain and his foresight allowed him to begin to mend our relationship with the then most powerful country on the planet before, during and after his presidency.
-All his life he was one of the lone, forceful voices against the dangers of slavery for the new republic. He was among one of the few who never owned slaves and in fact treated former slaves with the dignity they deserved.
I suppose that's enough. I strongly recommend John Adams by David McCullough for a wonderful view of his life and his often forgotten contributions to our independence. Washington and Jefferson's higher-profile fame have cast a shadow for far too long.
I trust everyone is enjoying this Independence Day today. Grills are either just starting up or a fine meal has already been had and cold watermelon is just being sliced with that tell-tale wet crack and crunch sound. We had a late lunch, so we'll be eating a bit later.
Every Independence Day - I don't refer to it as the 4th of July.. everyone has a 4th of July but only we have an Independence Day today - I take the time to read the Declaration of Independence. Here is a link to the text of the document in case you have a few minutes. I strongly urge you to read it. Very few things have been written in American English with such superb style, much less having such serious dire consequence. As beautiful as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is, it's delivery and publication did not literally put a price on his head as it did for those individuals who signed the Declaration.
Which brings me to John Adams.
Today is the 177th anniversary of the death of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Both died fifty years to the day after July 4, 1776 and within hours of each other. Much has been made of this most amazing and peculiar of American coincidences, so I will not pile on.
I will also not go on forever about John Adams, but will outline a few of the reasons why I believe he's been given short shrift in the American consciousness.
- He was the most forceful voice for independence of the American states. While many other delegates from the other colonies were wary of robust language in the declaration demanding full independence, Adams fought hardest for full autonomy for the new country. If he wasn't there, Canada's southernmost City on the Pacific Coast might have been San Diego.
-He selected Thomas Jefferson and sponsored him as the author of the Declaration of Independence.
-His ideas and theories of federal government, particularly checks and balances, form the basis of the Constitution, which in turn is largely based on the Massachussetts Constitution which he authored personally.
-His presence in France leading up to the Treaty of Paris forced a strongly skeptical view of France to be permanently etched into our foreign policy.
-He was the first U.S. diplomat to The Netherlands, securing many loans to help finance George Washington's military.
-He was the first U.S. diplomat to Great Britain and his foresight allowed him to begin to mend our relationship with the then most powerful country on the planet before, during and after his presidency.
-All his life he was one of the lone, forceful voices against the dangers of slavery for the new republic. He was among one of the few who never owned slaves and in fact treated former slaves with the dignity they deserved.
I suppose that's enough. I strongly recommend John Adams by David McCullough for a wonderful view of his life and his often forgotten contributions to our independence. Washington and Jefferson's higher-profile fame have cast a shadow for far too long.
UPDATE: PORTLAND TRIP ORDEAL
We woke this morning at a little after 6am to a phone call. It was Mom, calling to say she accidentally sliced her arm and was headed to the hospital for stitches. A few hours and five stitches later, she called again to say she missed both Portland-bound airplanes leaving McCarran Airport! Apparently, some goofball forced her to park in the distant parking lot and her delay prevented her from boarding by five minutes.
After facing the choice of an overbooked 12pm flight or a slightly later flight with a two hour layover in Sacramento, she's now on Alaska Airlines and will arrive around 2:40pm. We're glad to hear things are back on track and the injury is not too serious.
What some people will do to get out of work...
IN MEMORY OF SANDY DOG
We learned the terrible news last night that Sandy's quality of life was rapidly declining due to cancer and had to be put to sleep. All who knew her are sad at her passing. True to her breed as a yellow lab, she was a very sweet and loving pet. Bless her heart, sometimes a little too loving, particularly when her paws were muddy. She lived 13 years, and remarkably, until cancer had affected her, she showed very few signs of age. Always excitable and frequently hyper, she could always be counted on for a good walk or game of fetch.
Jill and I walked her many times together, particularly when we lived in Medford right after we were married. Every time we walked by a short divider pole along the bike path, we'd slip her leash handle around the pole, halting her while we walked on. Sandy always fell for the joke because she was always pulling us along, keeping the leash taut. And as soon as she was freed, back to pulling us along she went.
We think Nino will also miss her; they were actually buddies. As skittish a cat as he is, Nino would go outside and sit right down next to Sandy, back to back as happy as can be. An odd and surprising, but endearing friendship.
Sandy Dog will be missed.
We woke this morning at a little after 6am to a phone call. It was Mom, calling to say she accidentally sliced her arm and was headed to the hospital for stitches. A few hours and five stitches later, she called again to say she missed both Portland-bound airplanes leaving McCarran Airport! Apparently, some goofball forced her to park in the distant parking lot and her delay prevented her from boarding by five minutes.
After facing the choice of an overbooked 12pm flight or a slightly later flight with a two hour layover in Sacramento, she's now on Alaska Airlines and will arrive around 2:40pm. We're glad to hear things are back on track and the injury is not too serious.
What some people will do to get out of work...
IN MEMORY OF SANDY DOG
We learned the terrible news last night that Sandy's quality of life was rapidly declining due to cancer and had to be put to sleep. All who knew her are sad at her passing. True to her breed as a yellow lab, she was a very sweet and loving pet. Bless her heart, sometimes a little too loving, particularly when her paws were muddy. She lived 13 years, and remarkably, until cancer had affected her, she showed very few signs of age. Always excitable and frequently hyper, she could always be counted on for a good walk or game of fetch.
Jill and I walked her many times together, particularly when we lived in Medford right after we were married. Every time we walked by a short divider pole along the bike path, we'd slip her leash handle around the pole, halting her while we walked on. Sandy always fell for the joke because she was always pulling us along, keeping the leash taut. And as soon as she was freed, back to pulling us along she went.
We think Nino will also miss her; they were actually buddies. As skittish a cat as he is, Nino would go outside and sit right down next to Sandy, back to back as happy as can be. An odd and surprising, but endearing friendship.
Sandy Dog will be missed.
Thursday, July 03, 2003
TOM & KATE'S 1ST 4TH OF JULY
Tom reported today that he and Kate will be spending their first married 4th of July at the home of Kate's aunt Jeannie in Rancho Murrieta, a suburb of Sacramento. We wish all participants a fantastic Independence Day.
THE MURRIETA MYSTERY
On the subject of Rancho Murrieta, well Murrieta specifically, I'll pass an interesting tidbit of trivia on to Tom just in case Kate's family runs out of beer.
Although many places in Central California are named "Murrieta" in one way or another, apparently very few people actually know the origin of the name itself. Well, as this link explains in detail, Joaquin Murrieta, now a nearly forgotten local legend in the 1850s, is for whom all these places are named. To some, Murrieta was a bandito and blood-thirsty murderer in Calaveras County. To others, primarily the exploited Mexican and Chinese laborers, he was a Robin Hood-like figure.. stealing from the wealthy. Legends abound:
-He was a normal, law-abiding citizen until two white men raped his wife
-He buried all his treasure in a spot that still hasn't been discovered
-He was finally tracked down and killed, after which his head was cut off as a trophy
-His head is preserved in a jar, now in San Francisco, and was a popular freak-show attraction for many years
-He was the inspiration for Zorro
In addition to the previous link, I highly recommend a discussion of Murrieta's history by Richard Rodriguez in his book Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father. In one of the chapters, Rodriguez gives an interesting account of his own pursuit of Murrieta's preserved head. While you're at that link, check out his other fantastic book, Hunger of Memory.
I wouldn't call him a pundit, but he's one of my favorite commentators on cultural/Latino/Hispanic/California issues. This will take you to an archive of his video essays for the Newshour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. If he had to be labelled, Rodriguez is a liberal, Catholic, Mexican-American writer with a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley who also happens to be gay. That's quite a combination. (If you think he's a walking enigma, check out Andrew Sullivan over on my links list.. conservative, English, Catholic, Ph.D. in politics from Harvard who not only also happens to be gay, but also HIV-positive.)
DAVE REID AVOIDING YARD WORK, TOO
Dad phoned to let me know that he definitely will not be able to meet Mom in Portland during her stay next week. That's a disappointment, but I suppose I shouldn't have posted so soon that there was a lot of dirt shoveling to be done. Sorry, Mom. Maybe we can get him to come up here later in the summer to visit Bend. Who knows?
He did say that since travelling here isn't going to be possible, he would like to try to meet up with his brother Steve, who I mentioned earlier in the week, and get down to see Grandpa Reid at Groundhog (Groundhog Reservoir, to the uninitiated, in southwest Colorado).
PHOTO CACHE APPROVED
Jerry, my employer, gladly gave a "greenlight" to the idea of a photo page on the company server for this blog. I'm now checking with our Rhode Island office about how much bandwidth we'll be using so as not to burden the server. I'll update as soon as I find out more.
GARDEN BENCH SHELVED
After coveting a handsome looking garden bench at Lowe's Home Improvement for the past year, Jill finally puchased one for the back yard today at a clearance price - in Jill's opinion, the only way to buy. After taking it home, she was disappointed to learn that upon closer inspection, the bench was very shabby. So, to save everyone else the trouble, avoid this bench at Lowe's:
When I get home, I have been bestowed the honor of returning it. That sure beats assembling it!
Tom reported today that he and Kate will be spending their first married 4th of July at the home of Kate's aunt Jeannie in Rancho Murrieta, a suburb of Sacramento. We wish all participants a fantastic Independence Day.
THE MURRIETA MYSTERY
On the subject of Rancho Murrieta, well Murrieta specifically, I'll pass an interesting tidbit of trivia on to Tom just in case Kate's family runs out of beer.
Although many places in Central California are named "Murrieta" in one way or another, apparently very few people actually know the origin of the name itself. Well, as this link explains in detail, Joaquin Murrieta, now a nearly forgotten local legend in the 1850s, is for whom all these places are named. To some, Murrieta was a bandito and blood-thirsty murderer in Calaveras County. To others, primarily the exploited Mexican and Chinese laborers, he was a Robin Hood-like figure.. stealing from the wealthy. Legends abound:
-He was a normal, law-abiding citizen until two white men raped his wife
-He buried all his treasure in a spot that still hasn't been discovered
-He was finally tracked down and killed, after which his head was cut off as a trophy
-His head is preserved in a jar, now in San Francisco, and was a popular freak-show attraction for many years
-He was the inspiration for Zorro
In addition to the previous link, I highly recommend a discussion of Murrieta's history by Richard Rodriguez in his book Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father. In one of the chapters, Rodriguez gives an interesting account of his own pursuit of Murrieta's preserved head. While you're at that link, check out his other fantastic book, Hunger of Memory.
I wouldn't call him a pundit, but he's one of my favorite commentators on cultural/Latino/Hispanic/California issues. This will take you to an archive of his video essays for the Newshour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. If he had to be labelled, Rodriguez is a liberal, Catholic, Mexican-American writer with a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley who also happens to be gay. That's quite a combination. (If you think he's a walking enigma, check out Andrew Sullivan over on my links list.. conservative, English, Catholic, Ph.D. in politics from Harvard who not only also happens to be gay, but also HIV-positive.)
DAVE REID AVOIDING YARD WORK, TOO
Dad phoned to let me know that he definitely will not be able to meet Mom in Portland during her stay next week. That's a disappointment, but I suppose I shouldn't have posted so soon that there was a lot of dirt shoveling to be done. Sorry, Mom. Maybe we can get him to come up here later in the summer to visit Bend. Who knows?
He did say that since travelling here isn't going to be possible, he would like to try to meet up with his brother Steve, who I mentioned earlier in the week, and get down to see Grandpa Reid at Groundhog (Groundhog Reservoir, to the uninitiated, in southwest Colorado).
PHOTO CACHE APPROVED
Jerry, my employer, gladly gave a "greenlight" to the idea of a photo page on the company server for this blog. I'm now checking with our Rhode Island office about how much bandwidth we'll be using so as not to burden the server. I'll update as soon as I find out more.
GARDEN BENCH SHELVED
After coveting a handsome looking garden bench at Lowe's Home Improvement for the past year, Jill finally puchased one for the back yard today at a clearance price - in Jill's opinion, the only way to buy. After taking it home, she was disappointed to learn that upon closer inspection, the bench was very shabby. So, to save everyone else the trouble, avoid this bench at Lowe's:
When I get home, I have been bestowed the honor of returning it. That sure beats assembling it!
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
DIRT - ROCKS - COMPOST - MULCH
Now that she's purchased her tickets, we can be honest about what Mom is really doing when she gets here. We've rented a U-Haul pickup to take 140 cubic feet of fill dirt to the dump, then we have to go and pick up a few loads of 1.5" river rock for the drainage, compost for the raised beds, and then bark mulch for where Jill's planted. Mom only thought she was picking berries.
Actually, I'll be loading and dumping the dirt on Saturday morning as the landfill closes at noon. The rest is easy. All will be done Saturday. It's now obvious why Tom is staying in Sacramento.
BILL AND JILL TO WHISTLE COLONEL BOGEY'S MARCH?
Now that the airline tickets are purchased, Jill and I are feverishly studying our Lonely Planet guidebooks to Thailand. Jill's inspecting the general guidebook and I have the miserable job of reading and looking at pictures of paradise in the islands and beaches book. What I didn't realize until I started to read was that the real (read: ugly) Bridge on the River Kwai is in Thailand, along with a cemetary for over 7,000 Allied soldiers who died building the original as part of the Imperial Japanese Death Railway in World War II. This tells you more about the bridge itself, as well as the nearby town of Kanchanaburi.
Apparently, many tourists walk across this modern rail bridge whistling Colonel Bogey's March, just like the soldiers in the movie.
You don't think I would do that, do you?
WHAT'S A LOUGE, EH?
To no one's surprise, Vancouver BC was awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics by the IOC today. The link will take you to far more information than you ever wanted to know about it courtesy of the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Fact is, I'm thrilled and I'm not. I think it'll be exciting to have the Olympics not too far away. Not only that, but Vancouver/Hongcouver/Vansterdam is a fantastic place to visit pretty much any time of year. That's true for recreation, culture, dining, sightseeing, shopping, gardens, or anything else you can think of.
Problem is, until now, everyone and their dog has always, though ignorantly, viewed Seattle as the big, beautiful city to visit in the Pacific Northwest. Fact is, just between you and me, Seattle is kind of a dump. Everyone in this part of the world, except for the folks living in Seattle of course, knows that Vancouver is the true gem of region - for all of Canada as well, as far as I'm concerned.. and I've seen more than my share of the Great White North.
So, if tourists permanently head up to Vancouver in greater numbers now, there's more crowds and higher prices. Oh, well. Maybe that'll free up Seattle. Jill and I still haven't toured Seattle together since we've been married. When we head north on I-5, we never bother to exit before the Canada border if we can avoid it.
MORE UPDATES TO COME: I'll have Cathay Pacific Airline food pictures among others, the First Class Dining Conspiracy, and my promised post on why John Adams got the short end of the stick.
Now that she's purchased her tickets, we can be honest about what Mom is really doing when she gets here. We've rented a U-Haul pickup to take 140 cubic feet of fill dirt to the dump, then we have to go and pick up a few loads of 1.5" river rock for the drainage, compost for the raised beds, and then bark mulch for where Jill's planted. Mom only thought she was picking berries.
Actually, I'll be loading and dumping the dirt on Saturday morning as the landfill closes at noon. The rest is easy. All will be done Saturday. It's now obvious why Tom is staying in Sacramento.
BILL AND JILL TO WHISTLE COLONEL BOGEY'S MARCH?
Now that the airline tickets are purchased, Jill and I are feverishly studying our Lonely Planet guidebooks to Thailand. Jill's inspecting the general guidebook and I have the miserable job of reading and looking at pictures of paradise in the islands and beaches book. What I didn't realize until I started to read was that the real (read: ugly) Bridge on the River Kwai is in Thailand, along with a cemetary for over 7,000 Allied soldiers who died building the original as part of the Imperial Japanese Death Railway in World War II. This tells you more about the bridge itself, as well as the nearby town of Kanchanaburi.
Apparently, many tourists walk across this modern rail bridge whistling Colonel Bogey's March, just like the soldiers in the movie.
You don't think I would do that, do you?
WHAT'S A LOUGE, EH?
To no one's surprise, Vancouver BC was awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics by the IOC today. The link will take you to far more information than you ever wanted to know about it courtesy of the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Fact is, I'm thrilled and I'm not. I think it'll be exciting to have the Olympics not too far away. Not only that, but Vancouver/Hongcouver/Vansterdam is a fantastic place to visit pretty much any time of year. That's true for recreation, culture, dining, sightseeing, shopping, gardens, or anything else you can think of.
Problem is, until now, everyone and their dog has always, though ignorantly, viewed Seattle as the big, beautiful city to visit in the Pacific Northwest. Fact is, just between you and me, Seattle is kind of a dump. Everyone in this part of the world, except for the folks living in Seattle of course, knows that Vancouver is the true gem of region - for all of Canada as well, as far as I'm concerned.. and I've seen more than my share of the Great White North.
So, if tourists permanently head up to Vancouver in greater numbers now, there's more crowds and higher prices. Oh, well. Maybe that'll free up Seattle. Jill and I still haven't toured Seattle together since we've been married. When we head north on I-5, we never bother to exit before the Canada border if we can avoid it.
MORE UPDATES TO COME: I'll have Cathay Pacific Airline food pictures among others, the First Class Dining Conspiracy, and my promised post on why John Adams got the short end of the stick.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
SANDY DOG SHOWING NO IMPROVEMENT
Today Judy told Jill that poor Sandy Dog is not doing any better. It looks like they have to make the very difficult decision that all pet owners dread here in the near future. They're truly hoping to do what's in Sandy's best interest and I'm confident they'll do the right thing. Their difficulties are in our prayers.
It brings back memories of Autumn and her leukemia. Hopefully when I get the photo section up, I'll get a photo of Autumn posted. We was pups together. Specifically, the one where she's a puppy and I'm crawling on the floor. Mom, you still have that one, right?
UPDATE: BAYLOR HOOPS HOMOCIDE STILL A HOMOCIDE BUT NOT A HOMOCIDE INVESTIGATION
In a stunningly typical display of Waco law enforcement competence, contradictory and confusing accounts of the Dennehy investigation were announced today. While the police department are investigating this as a missing persons case and were unable to find any incriminating evidence at the crime scene, the Waco Tribune Herald published the court affidavit stating that indeed this is a homocide investigation. Hmmm.. someone, it seems, didn't get the memo. Just like the Branch Davidian catastrophe that occured while I lived down there.
This really is a shocking incident because Baylor is known throughout the NCAA and the Baylor community for athletes with decidedly moral, usually Christian, lifestyles. The result are teams that you wouldn't necessarily want to bet on (unless it was for them not to cover the spread against Nevada-Reno... oh, wait, who would ever bet a Reno opponent wouldn't cover the spread?), but you'd certainly be happy to have them baby-sit your kids. My college sports-knowledgeable (and avid Broncos fan from Sheridan, Wyoming) co-worker Jason concurred, mentioning that if it had been a University of Miami student, no one would have thought twice about it.
Hopefully the police get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and provide some comfort to families involved.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Remember, folks, I'm happy to hear from you and post announcements, news, etc. on here for everyone to read. I can't say that I have an ocean of readers, but you have to start out somewhere. Just email me at the email address on the left-hand side of the screen.
FRED MEYER HAS DREYER'S GRAND LITE ICE CREAM ON SALE
Bye-bye.. A bowl is calling my name.. more updates tomorrow.
Today Judy told Jill that poor Sandy Dog is not doing any better. It looks like they have to make the very difficult decision that all pet owners dread here in the near future. They're truly hoping to do what's in Sandy's best interest and I'm confident they'll do the right thing. Their difficulties are in our prayers.
It brings back memories of Autumn and her leukemia. Hopefully when I get the photo section up, I'll get a photo of Autumn posted. We was pups together. Specifically, the one where she's a puppy and I'm crawling on the floor. Mom, you still have that one, right?
UPDATE: BAYLOR HOOPS HOMOCIDE STILL A HOMOCIDE BUT NOT A HOMOCIDE INVESTIGATION
In a stunningly typical display of Waco law enforcement competence, contradictory and confusing accounts of the Dennehy investigation were announced today. While the police department are investigating this as a missing persons case and were unable to find any incriminating evidence at the crime scene, the Waco Tribune Herald published the court affidavit stating that indeed this is a homocide investigation. Hmmm.. someone, it seems, didn't get the memo. Just like the Branch Davidian catastrophe that occured while I lived down there.
This really is a shocking incident because Baylor is known throughout the NCAA and the Baylor community for athletes with decidedly moral, usually Christian, lifestyles. The result are teams that you wouldn't necessarily want to bet on (unless it was for them not to cover the spread against Nevada-Reno... oh, wait, who would ever bet a Reno opponent wouldn't cover the spread?), but you'd certainly be happy to have them baby-sit your kids. My college sports-knowledgeable (and avid Broncos fan from Sheridan, Wyoming) co-worker Jason concurred, mentioning that if it had been a University of Miami student, no one would have thought twice about it.
Hopefully the police get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and provide some comfort to families involved.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Remember, folks, I'm happy to hear from you and post announcements, news, etc. on here for everyone to read. I can't say that I have an ocean of readers, but you have to start out somewhere. Just email me at the email address on the left-hand side of the screen.
FRED MEYER HAS DREYER'S GRAND LITE ICE CREAM ON SALE
Bye-bye.. A bowl is calling my name.. more updates tomorrow.
UPDATE: MORE DIRT KICKED ON DIXIECRAT THURMOND'S GRAVE
The late Senator Strom Thurmond was not only an unrepentant racist after all these years, it also seems the segregationist Dixiecrat fathered a daughter with a Black house servant back in 1925. Shameful all the way around, though not without analogy to Thomas Jefferson, who we celebrate on Friday, among others.
As I'll write about in another update, it's John Adams who we should really be celebrating. More later.
The late Senator Strom Thurmond was not only an unrepentant racist after all these years, it also seems the segregationist Dixiecrat fathered a daughter with a Black house servant back in 1925. Shameful all the way around, though not without analogy to Thomas Jefferson, who we celebrate on Friday, among others.
As I'll write about in another update, it's John Adams who we should really be celebrating. More later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
