NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
That's right.. I haven't updated in a while. And no, I'm not still trapped at home. We've both been fairly busy lately, so I haven't gotten around to this as I would like. I hope to have some time to update more soon, but in the meantime, check out the following link to what I consider to be the most unique pop singer I've ever heard. Her name is Wing, and she's like a karaoke singer from hell. I'm particularly fond of Memories (from "Cats") and Jingle Bells. But I have to say, her cover of Mariah Carey's Vision of Love is quite a gem.
Listen to Wing
More later!
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Thursday, January 08, 2004
STANDSTILL - DAY THREE
It's pushing 9pm Thursday and we haven't left the house in any meaningful way since Monday night: the grocery store to stock up on a few necessities.
Today, Hillsboro and the westside started to thaw - slowly - with better road conditions on most major thoroughfares. Unfortunately, the smaller side roads which we have to take to get anywhere, including the MAX train that was not functioning today, were still pretty bad for most of the day. Beaverton Schools cancelled classes, so Jill did not go into work. I stayed home as well and worked at home again, though I had to ask for more work to be sent to me because I was starting to run out!
Jill and I are quite grateful that we bought a house in Hillsboro after all of this has happened. We're nowhere near the Columbia Gorge, which continues to bring colder air into the east side of the metro area. Wind, continued freezing rain and generally bad weather are the norm over there. Over here in the Tualatin Valley, it's balmy in comparison. I wouldn't want trees collapsing on power lines or water mains and pipes bursting like they have been over in east Multnomah County (east Portland).
Portland International Airport had all inbound and outbound flights cancelled by all airlines today and the same has been announced for tomorrow. The number of passengers stranded is well into the thousands. That includes Lisa Rodener, a friend temporarily staying with John and Judy, who is presently stranded in Phoenix waiting for America West to resume flights to Portland.
from The Oregonian
Interstate 84 is still closed from Portland to Hood River, a stretch of about 60 miles. It's the main artery of freight from the Pacific Ocean, though Portland, to Chicago and most parts east. Untold economic losses have been wrought, but nobody will ever know the final tally. The Portland metro area already has the highest recorded unemployment rate in the country.. we didn't need this.
We are now officially under flood advisories, meaning the possibility of flooding is escalated. Floods have not yet been reported anywhere. But in the coming days, the extent of rainfall and the speed with which temperatures rise will determine the extent of flooding. Again, nobody can say.
Besides working, I spent part of my lunchtime hour digging a trench in the ice and snow about 30 feet to encourage drainage of melting snow on our side of the street. I went outside to check the mail and a lake was already forming. I also broke up the inch-thick layer of ice sealing off our gutters. Rainfall, which began yesterday, and snowmelt was going over the side of the house instead of through the downspouts and out, away from the house.
Beaverton School District has already declared that school will be closed tomorrow, Friday, so Jill has gotten nearly a full week of vacation. But they'll tack on an extra four days in June, so she's not exactly pleased at that prospect. Provided roads are again slushy tomorrow morning like they were late this afternoon, and the MAX train is working again, I'll be headed back to the office downtown.
I'll let you know how it goes!
It's pushing 9pm Thursday and we haven't left the house in any meaningful way since Monday night: the grocery store to stock up on a few necessities.
Today, Hillsboro and the westside started to thaw - slowly - with better road conditions on most major thoroughfares. Unfortunately, the smaller side roads which we have to take to get anywhere, including the MAX train that was not functioning today, were still pretty bad for most of the day. Beaverton Schools cancelled classes, so Jill did not go into work. I stayed home as well and worked at home again, though I had to ask for more work to be sent to me because I was starting to run out!
Jill and I are quite grateful that we bought a house in Hillsboro after all of this has happened. We're nowhere near the Columbia Gorge, which continues to bring colder air into the east side of the metro area. Wind, continued freezing rain and generally bad weather are the norm over there. Over here in the Tualatin Valley, it's balmy in comparison. I wouldn't want trees collapsing on power lines or water mains and pipes bursting like they have been over in east Multnomah County (east Portland).
Portland International Airport had all inbound and outbound flights cancelled by all airlines today and the same has been announced for tomorrow. The number of passengers stranded is well into the thousands. That includes Lisa Rodener, a friend temporarily staying with John and Judy, who is presently stranded in Phoenix waiting for America West to resume flights to Portland.
from The Oregonian
Interstate 84 is still closed from Portland to Hood River, a stretch of about 60 miles. It's the main artery of freight from the Pacific Ocean, though Portland, to Chicago and most parts east. Untold economic losses have been wrought, but nobody will ever know the final tally. The Portland metro area already has the highest recorded unemployment rate in the country.. we didn't need this.
We are now officially under flood advisories, meaning the possibility of flooding is escalated. Floods have not yet been reported anywhere. But in the coming days, the extent of rainfall and the speed with which temperatures rise will determine the extent of flooding. Again, nobody can say.
Besides working, I spent part of my lunchtime hour digging a trench in the ice and snow about 30 feet to encourage drainage of melting snow on our side of the street. I went outside to check the mail and a lake was already forming. I also broke up the inch-thick layer of ice sealing off our gutters. Rainfall, which began yesterday, and snowmelt was going over the side of the house instead of through the downspouts and out, away from the house.
Beaverton School District has already declared that school will be closed tomorrow, Friday, so Jill has gotten nearly a full week of vacation. But they'll tack on an extra four days in June, so she's not exactly pleased at that prospect. Provided roads are again slushy tomorrow morning like they were late this afternoon, and the MAX train is working again, I'll be headed back to the office downtown.
I'll let you know how it goes!
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
STANDSTILL - DAY TWO
Jill and I are both at home in Hillsboro again today due to the solid layer of ice that now blankets nearly everything. If you don't have four-wheel drive, chains AND high clearance, it's extremely treacherous driving in the Portland metro area today. Road maintenance crews have had negligible impact on all of the ice as a result of freezing rain that stayed most of the night.
The meteorologists grossly underestimated the longevity of cold air barreling through the Columbia Gorge from the east. The Gorge acts much like a wind tunnel and, unfortunately, eastern Oregon and the Yakima Valley have stubbornly held onto a pocket of frigid air, despite southerly warm air that's been streaming into the state.
From www.katu.com
The result is that the Gorge supplies the metro area with very cold air while the warm, moist air continues to slide over instead of breaking it up as the forecasters predicted. Rain falls from the warm system, passes through the cold air and either freezes in the air - sleet - or hits the ground wet and then freezes on contact - freezing rain.
Here's a link to a bunch of photos taken by viewers of KATU. Among all the stations, they seem to have the best amateur photographers. I rather liked this one, though:
-Interstate 84 is still closed from Portland to Hood River - poor truckers.
-Flights in and out of PDX airport are delayed until 5pm at the earliest.
-Parts of Highway 101 on the coast are still closed.
-I-5 south of Wilsonville (southern tip of metro area) requires chains on all vehicles.
-The MAX trains are closed in all directions - that's how I get to work.
-All school districts are closed, nearly all public agencies and jurisdictions are closed, and for the first time ever, Nike Headquarters in Beaverton (no too far from here) has closed. Intel, God bless 'em, is still open.. their fabrication plants here in Washington County lose millions with a blink-of-an-eye power surge, much less a two-day work stoppage.
We've been told that it's expected to warm up here on the west side of the metro area. Based on my view out the back window, I'd agree. Rain is falling, but it's not freezing but rather pooling on top of the ice that formed overnight. The temperature is still 28 degrees here, however, so I don't see it getting above freezing anytime soon.
So what now? Well, the locals are still worried about the flooding that will likely occur after tomorrow. We are expected to warm up very quickly after this with continued rain. So snowmelt and rain will combine and the river levels are expected to climb substantially. We're not at risk at our house, but I wouldn't want to be living within any river's 50-year or 100-year floodzone.
Here is a link to a webpage that was written during the 1996 Willamette Valley flood.. with plenty of photos and comparisons to a flood in 1964 that was equally devastating. It's actually a lecture by a professor at the University of Oregon prepared and presented that very day in 1996.
More later!
Jill and I are both at home in Hillsboro again today due to the solid layer of ice that now blankets nearly everything. If you don't have four-wheel drive, chains AND high clearance, it's extremely treacherous driving in the Portland metro area today. Road maintenance crews have had negligible impact on all of the ice as a result of freezing rain that stayed most of the night.
The meteorologists grossly underestimated the longevity of cold air barreling through the Columbia Gorge from the east. The Gorge acts much like a wind tunnel and, unfortunately, eastern Oregon and the Yakima Valley have stubbornly held onto a pocket of frigid air, despite southerly warm air that's been streaming into the state.
From www.katu.com
The result is that the Gorge supplies the metro area with very cold air while the warm, moist air continues to slide over instead of breaking it up as the forecasters predicted. Rain falls from the warm system, passes through the cold air and either freezes in the air - sleet - or hits the ground wet and then freezes on contact - freezing rain.
Here's a link to a bunch of photos taken by viewers of KATU. Among all the stations, they seem to have the best amateur photographers. I rather liked this one, though:
-Interstate 84 is still closed from Portland to Hood River - poor truckers.
-Flights in and out of PDX airport are delayed until 5pm at the earliest.
-Parts of Highway 101 on the coast are still closed.
-I-5 south of Wilsonville (southern tip of metro area) requires chains on all vehicles.
-The MAX trains are closed in all directions - that's how I get to work.
-All school districts are closed, nearly all public agencies and jurisdictions are closed, and for the first time ever, Nike Headquarters in Beaverton (no too far from here) has closed. Intel, God bless 'em, is still open.. their fabrication plants here in Washington County lose millions with a blink-of-an-eye power surge, much less a two-day work stoppage.
We've been told that it's expected to warm up here on the west side of the metro area. Based on my view out the back window, I'd agree. Rain is falling, but it's not freezing but rather pooling on top of the ice that formed overnight. The temperature is still 28 degrees here, however, so I don't see it getting above freezing anytime soon.
So what now? Well, the locals are still worried about the flooding that will likely occur after tomorrow. We are expected to warm up very quickly after this with continued rain. So snowmelt and rain will combine and the river levels are expected to climb substantially. We're not at risk at our house, but I wouldn't want to be living within any river's 50-year or 100-year floodzone.
Here is a link to a webpage that was written during the 1996 Willamette Valley flood.. with plenty of photos and comparisons to a flood in 1964 that was equally devastating. It's actually a lecture by a professor at the University of Oregon prepared and presented that very day in 1996.
More later!
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
OREGON AT A STANDSTILL
As I sit here in Hillsboro, Western Oregon is weathering an onslaught of snow, sleet, winds gusting above 40 mph and temperatures, before chill factor adjustment, barely cracking 25 degrees. All schools have shut down, most roads require traction devices, Interstate 5 has been completely shut down between Cottage Grove and Roseburg to the south, and portions of Highway 101 on the coast have been closed completely! This follows on the heels of a far more mild storm that passed through on New Year's Day and shut everything down.
The Great Storm of 2004!
This is a photo of Marquam Bridge over the Willamette River in Portland looking east from downtown. All of the eastside is invisible from the snow. (From www.katu.com) I hope to have my own photos posted on here in good time.
Temperatures were well below freezing all day yesterday, but last night a major storm system moved onshore from the southwest and the result has been snow all night. The accumulation was originally predicted to be 6"-10" in the Portland metro area, but I think that's a stretch. They didn't factor in the fact that the colder the air temperature, the smaller the snow flake. And indeed, all the snow on the ground this morning is small and powdery. I would guess that here in Hillsboro, we've gotten no more than 3"-4". Though I do notice that the flakes are getting gradually larger and the dusting flurries have picked up again to a full-fledged snowfall.
Now mind you, both Jill and I have both seen far worse than this in our lifetimes, easily. Jill'ssentence time spent in Wisconsin as a child and my Alaska upbringing leave us amused at some of the hyperbole in the media about this storm. Many a morning with far more snow and colder temperatures do I remember driving to high school in Anchorage. But the area is clearly not equipped to deal with this very unusual volume of snow removal, record-low temperatures and icy roads.
So, Jill's school district cancelled all classes today and I'm working at home because the MAX trains have been shut down due to inability to climb necessary gradients on the westside line. The alternative is a shuttle service, but I personally don't care to risk it on the roads with a bunch of ill-equipped, stoned ex-Californians - the dominant breed of driver in Oregon.
The truly frightening part, however, is the fact that this afternoon and tonight, temperatures are expected to hold below 30 while potentially vicious freezing rain moves into the area. Forecasters are saying it's highly likely that at least a half inch of ice could accumulate, which is more than enough to take down many trees and powerlines in the region. That remains to be seen, but it has already been reported in Salem and parts further south in the Willamette Valley. (??!!)
I'll update if anything else interesting happens - if I still have phone connection as the day goes on.. there's big trees around here next to the telephone wires.
As I sit here in Hillsboro, Western Oregon is weathering an onslaught of snow, sleet, winds gusting above 40 mph and temperatures, before chill factor adjustment, barely cracking 25 degrees. All schools have shut down, most roads require traction devices, Interstate 5 has been completely shut down between Cottage Grove and Roseburg to the south, and portions of Highway 101 on the coast have been closed completely! This follows on the heels of a far more mild storm that passed through on New Year's Day and shut everything down.
The Great Storm of 2004!
This is a photo of Marquam Bridge over the Willamette River in Portland looking east from downtown. All of the eastside is invisible from the snow. (From www.katu.com) I hope to have my own photos posted on here in good time.
Temperatures were well below freezing all day yesterday, but last night a major storm system moved onshore from the southwest and the result has been snow all night. The accumulation was originally predicted to be 6"-10" in the Portland metro area, but I think that's a stretch. They didn't factor in the fact that the colder the air temperature, the smaller the snow flake. And indeed, all the snow on the ground this morning is small and powdery. I would guess that here in Hillsboro, we've gotten no more than 3"-4". Though I do notice that the flakes are getting gradually larger and the dusting flurries have picked up again to a full-fledged snowfall.
Now mind you, both Jill and I have both seen far worse than this in our lifetimes, easily. Jill's
So, Jill's school district cancelled all classes today and I'm working at home because the MAX trains have been shut down due to inability to climb necessary gradients on the westside line. The alternative is a shuttle service, but I personally don't care to risk it on the roads with a bunch of ill-equipped, stoned ex-Californians - the dominant breed of driver in Oregon.
The truly frightening part, however, is the fact that this afternoon and tonight, temperatures are expected to hold below 30 while potentially vicious freezing rain moves into the area. Forecasters are saying it's highly likely that at least a half inch of ice could accumulate, which is more than enough to take down many trees and powerlines in the region. That remains to be seen, but it has already been reported in Salem and parts further south in the Willamette Valley. (??!!)
I'll update if anything else interesting happens - if I still have phone connection as the day goes on.. there's big trees around here next to the telephone wires.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
POST-CHRISTMAS UPDATE
It appears that everyone's Christmas went very well. Good times were had with few complaints.
Jill and I had a quiet Christmas, opening our presents around 10am after enjoying a nice sleep in - except for a call around 8:55am - after staying up late wrapping, baking and cooking.
Jill got a nice set of anodized aluminum cookware (15 pieces) from Nino & Sundaye, but from me she got Series 1-5 of Are You Being Served? on DVD
and a new cell phone service. Her phone number stays the same.
I, on the other hand, got a new cell phone and my new number is as follows:
503.522.1236
It's Verizon, so all of you on their network can call with fewer worries of burning up all of your monthly minutes. We received many other gifts and we are grateful to all. If you haven't received yours yet, it's on the way soon enough.
KATE BREAKS HER ANKLE
Tom called to ask how Christmas went and then relayed that Kate broke her ankle dancing at one of two wedding receptions they attended over the weekend. Apparently, some irresponsible person spilled wine on the dance floor and didn't say anything. Kate slipped, and well, use your imagination. We wish Kate a very speedy recovery!
Tom also mentioned he got the dish network satellite television for Christmas. Lucky devil.
RETURN OF THE KING
Just do yourself a favor and go see it. It's the fastest 3 hours and 10 minutes I think I've ever spent. And, besting only the Making Out During Schindler's List episode of Seinfeld, I don't think I've seen something so deftly weave so many storylines in such a frantic manner.
Here is a link to Rotten Tomatoes' review of LOTR:Return of the King. That website is a clearinghouse of links to pretty much any and every film critic nationwide that has any credibility, as well as many on the internet and elsewhere that aren't quite as prominent. You can look up any film and the collection/concensus of reviews.
The Tomatometer for LOTR:ROTK is an astonishing 97% approval given the length and expectations of the film. Just go see it!
INGA CHOW-MONREAL UPDATE
My old Baylor friend Inga Chow-Monreal wrote and is going through the ups and downs of pregnancy. She and her husband Richard are expecting a boy sometime in March or April. Undoubtedly the kid will be an athlete.
It also looks like Inga's family is trying to plan a trip to China (they're ethnically Chinese, although their family has been here for more than a few generations). She expressed that she was worried about whether or not she would get to go, but I think things will work out just fine for her. Congratulations Inga and Richard.. keep me updated!
UPDATE: MOO, EH?
It turns out the Holstein heifer with Mad Cow Disease (I'm not a cow, I'm a duck) up in the Yakima Valley of Washington is actually from Canada! This story, from Winnipeg, gives details. But notice that the cow is very clearly "US" in the headline but complicated DNA tests are being run to check its nativity. Nevermind the cow's eartag already identified as denoting Canadian origin. If the eartag don't fit, you must acquit.
Canada had a case of Mad Cow back in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Canada and the U.S. banned feed that contained cow parts, specifically rendered brain and spinal chord material - which carries Mad Cow bacteria. But it turns out the cow was born before the 1997 ban and more than likely, purchased from Alberta ranchers and used as a dairy cow in Washington until it was slaughtered and processed.
The Vietnamese restaurant Jill and I enjoyed for lunch yesterday, Green Papaya Bistro, had a beef recall, so Jill couldn't have Pho beef noodle soup. But the chicken sauteed in curry and lemongrass, as well as my udon curry chicken noodle soup, were both outstanding!
It appears that everyone's Christmas went very well. Good times were had with few complaints.
Jill and I had a quiet Christmas, opening our presents around 10am after enjoying a nice sleep in - except for a call around 8:55am - after staying up late wrapping, baking and cooking.
Jill got a nice set of anodized aluminum cookware (15 pieces) from Nino & Sundaye, but from me she got Series 1-5 of Are You Being Served? on DVD
and a new cell phone service. Her phone number stays the same.
I, on the other hand, got a new cell phone and my new number is as follows:
503.522.1236
It's Verizon, so all of you on their network can call with fewer worries of burning up all of your monthly minutes. We received many other gifts and we are grateful to all. If you haven't received yours yet, it's on the way soon enough.
KATE BREAKS HER ANKLE
Tom called to ask how Christmas went and then relayed that Kate broke her ankle dancing at one of two wedding receptions they attended over the weekend. Apparently, some irresponsible person spilled wine on the dance floor and didn't say anything. Kate slipped, and well, use your imagination. We wish Kate a very speedy recovery!
Tom also mentioned he got the dish network satellite television for Christmas. Lucky devil.
RETURN OF THE KING
Just do yourself a favor and go see it. It's the fastest 3 hours and 10 minutes I think I've ever spent. And, besting only the Making Out During Schindler's List episode of Seinfeld, I don't think I've seen something so deftly weave so many storylines in such a frantic manner.
Here is a link to Rotten Tomatoes' review of LOTR:Return of the King. That website is a clearinghouse of links to pretty much any and every film critic nationwide that has any credibility, as well as many on the internet and elsewhere that aren't quite as prominent. You can look up any film and the collection/concensus of reviews.
The Tomatometer for LOTR:ROTK is an astonishing 97% approval given the length and expectations of the film. Just go see it!
INGA CHOW-MONREAL UPDATE
My old Baylor friend Inga Chow-Monreal wrote and is going through the ups and downs of pregnancy. She and her husband Richard are expecting a boy sometime in March or April. Undoubtedly the kid will be an athlete.
It also looks like Inga's family is trying to plan a trip to China (they're ethnically Chinese, although their family has been here for more than a few generations). She expressed that she was worried about whether or not she would get to go, but I think things will work out just fine for her. Congratulations Inga and Richard.. keep me updated!
UPDATE: MOO, EH?
It turns out the Holstein heifer with Mad Cow Disease (I'm not a cow, I'm a duck) up in the Yakima Valley of Washington is actually from Canada! This story, from Winnipeg, gives details. But notice that the cow is very clearly "US" in the headline but complicated DNA tests are being run to check its nativity. Nevermind the cow's eartag already identified as denoting Canadian origin. If the eartag don't fit, you must acquit.
Canada had a case of Mad Cow back in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Canada and the U.S. banned feed that contained cow parts, specifically rendered brain and spinal chord material - which carries Mad Cow bacteria. But it turns out the cow was born before the 1997 ban and more than likely, purchased from Alberta ranchers and used as a dairy cow in Washington until it was slaughtered and processed.
The Vietnamese restaurant Jill and I enjoyed for lunch yesterday, Green Papaya Bistro, had a beef recall, so Jill couldn't have Pho beef noodle soup. But the chicken sauteed in curry and lemongrass, as well as my udon curry chicken noodle soup, were both outstanding!
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE
It's been 19 days since I last updated, much has been going on and it never seems like I have time to update. But I'll do it now. So here goes...
Merry Christmas!! May the miracle of Christ's birth provide you with hope, joy and peace!
Jill and I will be spending Christmas at home in Hillsboro with Jill's parents John and Judy. We'll be joined by Lisa and Marianne, two family friends. Marianne will be staying at our house; she lives in Southern Oregon and will be arriving later this afternoon.
Mom and Dad will be spending Christmas in Baggs, Wyoming on-location where Dad is drilling a series of wells through March. Sounds like a great gig, except that it's in Wyoming. They'll get to spend much more time together now that they're footloose and fancy free after the sale of the house - more later...
Tom and Kate will be spending their first married Christmas with Kate's family in Sacramento. Big family gatherings can be a lot of fun.. and who knows, they might all go skiing.
Me-ma is spending Christmas in Tempe with Melissa and Gary. We'll be sending her gifts to her at Sue and George's house in Gallup, NM. We're late sending out presents, so we apologize profusely!
Charlotte is spending her Christmas with Art and Lorrae's family and Diana's family (from Indiana) in San Antonio, where the weather will undoubtedly be warmer and sunnier than here. But it's Texas...
Grandma and Grandpa Reid will be in Farmington, but I have no idea who will be visiting until I call them tomorrow. Likely Grampa Gus and family, provided he gets a little time off.
And just remember: if you don't get what you want for Christmas or you find yourself feeling down tomorrow, you don't have it as bad as this KTUU (NBC) reporter in Fairbanks, AK reporting from Santa's house at the North Pole! (from the Associated Press)
JOHN'S EYE SURGERY APPEARS TO BE A SUCCESS
John's eye surgery this past year appears to have done (part of) the trick for him according to a recent doctor's visit. According to their prognosis, they're within striking distance of getting his eyesight back to where he can drive again. He has cataracts, but they're apparently (relatively) easy taken care of, so all of this is positive news. More updates as we learn more ourselves!
JILL RECOVERS FROM THE FLU
Jill's flu virus appears to have nearly all cleared up now after knocking her down pretty hard for the better part of two weeks. The whole week Mom and Dad were in town to look around Clark County, Washington, Jill was laid out completely and not able to interact much or go and do things. She did go back to work last week but was very weak and had to take it very easy.
But, she is feeling better now and is getting around much better doing what she needs to do. However, the upshot is that we have done very little to decorate the house for Christmas between her being sick and me taking care of her and being busy at work. We don't mean to be grinches! The Christmas tree is up, however and looks great.
MOM AND DAD VISIT
A couple of weeks ago, when Jill was sick, Mom and Dad visited us and checked out Clark County, Washington for possible home sites. They're looking for a little bit of forested acreage on which to have a cedar house built. Clark County, Washington is just north of the Columbia River from Oregon. Vancouver is the largest city nearby.
They also met with some home builders and they're forming their opinion as to what they'd like, so it was a productive land hunt. Unfortunately for them, the piece of land they liked most has a really unpleasant neighbor.
Mom and Dad would like to visit again in February to check out the area when it's at its coldest.. you know, in the 40s. Doesn't hurt, anyway.
MAD COW DISEASE IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST
What on Earth is going on with Washington's agricultural sector?! It was reported that yesterday, the Yakima Valley has distinguished itself as being the first location of a case of Mad Cow Disease in the United States. Unfortunately, it looks like the meat of the animal passed through a Portland packing plant.. so the Feds are all over the place like Teamsters on a box of Krispy Kremes.
This is why Jill and I spend a little bit more money and shop at the healthy food store on organic/no-hormone/no-mass produced groceries, most grown here in Oregon. We double-checked the origins of our dairy and beef.. no worries! We're what you call Granola Conservatives!
But really.. Washington has been the origin of unpasteurized apple juice (e. coli outbreak) deaths, hamburger e. coli deaths at Jack-in-the-Box, and now this. What on earth are those people doing up there? Have Washingtonians not yet discovered the joys of handsoap? Make a trip to Target, people!
CHRISTMAS AT BAYLOR
My alma mater, good old Baylor U., produced a Christmas music special that's being broadcast on PBS stations nationwide. The link to information about the show is here.
It was very well done and highlighted the excellence of Baylor's School of Music. It was also fun to watch the locational shots of various places around campus.. heck, the music was so good it put Jill right to sleep!
The above link will let you know when it will be on TV where you live. I encourage you to watch it!
It's been 19 days since I last updated, much has been going on and it never seems like I have time to update. But I'll do it now. So here goes...
Merry Christmas!! May the miracle of Christ's birth provide you with hope, joy and peace!
Jill and I will be spending Christmas at home in Hillsboro with Jill's parents John and Judy. We'll be joined by Lisa and Marianne, two family friends. Marianne will be staying at our house; she lives in Southern Oregon and will be arriving later this afternoon.
Mom and Dad will be spending Christmas in Baggs, Wyoming on-location where Dad is drilling a series of wells through March. Sounds like a great gig, except that it's in Wyoming. They'll get to spend much more time together now that they're footloose and fancy free after the sale of the house - more later...
Tom and Kate will be spending their first married Christmas with Kate's family in Sacramento. Big family gatherings can be a lot of fun.. and who knows, they might all go skiing.
Me-ma is spending Christmas in Tempe with Melissa and Gary. We'll be sending her gifts to her at Sue and George's house in Gallup, NM. We're late sending out presents, so we apologize profusely!
Charlotte is spending her Christmas with Art and Lorrae's family and Diana's family (from Indiana) in San Antonio, where the weather will undoubtedly be warmer and sunnier than here. But it's Texas...
Grandma and Grandpa Reid will be in Farmington, but I have no idea who will be visiting until I call them tomorrow. Likely Grampa Gus and family, provided he gets a little time off.
And just remember: if you don't get what you want for Christmas or you find yourself feeling down tomorrow, you don't have it as bad as this KTUU (NBC) reporter in Fairbanks, AK reporting from Santa's house at the North Pole! (from the Associated Press)
JOHN'S EYE SURGERY APPEARS TO BE A SUCCESS
John's eye surgery this past year appears to have done (part of) the trick for him according to a recent doctor's visit. According to their prognosis, they're within striking distance of getting his eyesight back to where he can drive again. He has cataracts, but they're apparently (relatively) easy taken care of, so all of this is positive news. More updates as we learn more ourselves!
JILL RECOVERS FROM THE FLU
Jill's flu virus appears to have nearly all cleared up now after knocking her down pretty hard for the better part of two weeks. The whole week Mom and Dad were in town to look around Clark County, Washington, Jill was laid out completely and not able to interact much or go and do things. She did go back to work last week but was very weak and had to take it very easy.
But, she is feeling better now and is getting around much better doing what she needs to do. However, the upshot is that we have done very little to decorate the house for Christmas between her being sick and me taking care of her and being busy at work. We don't mean to be grinches! The Christmas tree is up, however and looks great.
MOM AND DAD VISIT
A couple of weeks ago, when Jill was sick, Mom and Dad visited us and checked out Clark County, Washington for possible home sites. They're looking for a little bit of forested acreage on which to have a cedar house built. Clark County, Washington is just north of the Columbia River from Oregon. Vancouver is the largest city nearby.
They also met with some home builders and they're forming their opinion as to what they'd like, so it was a productive land hunt. Unfortunately for them, the piece of land they liked most has a really unpleasant neighbor.
Mom and Dad would like to visit again in February to check out the area when it's at its coldest.. you know, in the 40s. Doesn't hurt, anyway.
MAD COW DISEASE IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST
What on Earth is going on with Washington's agricultural sector?! It was reported that yesterday, the Yakima Valley has distinguished itself as being the first location of a case of Mad Cow Disease in the United States. Unfortunately, it looks like the meat of the animal passed through a Portland packing plant.. so the Feds are all over the place like Teamsters on a box of Krispy Kremes.
This is why Jill and I spend a little bit more money and shop at the healthy food store on organic/no-hormone/no-mass produced groceries, most grown here in Oregon. We double-checked the origins of our dairy and beef.. no worries! We're what you call Granola Conservatives!
But really.. Washington has been the origin of unpasteurized apple juice (e. coli outbreak) deaths, hamburger e. coli deaths at Jack-in-the-Box, and now this. What on earth are those people doing up there? Have Washingtonians not yet discovered the joys of handsoap? Make a trip to Target, people!
CHRISTMAS AT BAYLOR
My alma mater, good old Baylor U., produced a Christmas music special that's being broadcast on PBS stations nationwide. The link to information about the show is here.
It was very well done and highlighted the excellence of Baylor's School of Music. It was also fun to watch the locational shots of various places around campus.. heck, the music was so good it put Jill right to sleep!
The above link will let you know when it will be on TV where you live. I encourage you to watch it!
Friday, December 05, 2003
LAS VEGAS VACATED
Well, as of Wednesday, the Reids no longer live in Henderson, Nevada. After loading up a 24' U-haul truck, Tom, Kate & Mom drove the truck - Tom specifically - to Sacramento on Monday. I flew down to Sacramento Monday night (Dec. 1) to drive the truck up to Portland the next day.
The flight was interesting to say the least. It wasn't full, and after I sat down the Captain addressed the passengers instead of the flight attendant. Uh oh, this can't be good I thought to myself. After delivering a pair of time-worn California recall election jokes - "This is your captain, and I want you to know I recently lost the California recall election" and "Like Gary Coleman, I came up just a little bit short" - he delivered the news I was waiting for. Some aspect of the air conditioning system (?!) was malfunctioning, so we would not be able to fly above 24,000', roughly 10,000' below normal altitude. The scientific reason escapes me, so I won't even try to explain that one.
The bottom line is that the flight rumbled and bumped around like a high-speed roller coaster, only with a perfectly horizontal track for most of the ride. Nothing dramatic or scary, just non-stop and disconcerting enough to make you realize just how good you had it at 35,000'.
The drive from Sacramento to Portland was a long day, but for the most part, the weather was very cooperative. The best by far, ironically, was the Siskiyou Summit in the State of Jefferson. The clouds rolled back just north of Weed and we didn't see many again until the Rogue Valley in Oregon. We stopped to snap a photo of Mt. Shasta, which slowly became visible as its veil of clouds lifted with the sun. I snapped a photo, posted below.
We also made a stop in Medford to visit the Harry & David store where Mom stocked up on chocolate truffles and bought a decorative bench with a little girl and boy kissing, or something like that. We finally got into Portland a little after 7pm and given that we left Sacramento at 6:30am with a few stops along the way, I'd say that was pretty good time for a U-haul.
Once we arrived, however, I must have misunderstood the storage place because it was closed and we couldn't unload the truck. We saved that for the following day which took a few hours to complete. After we finished, took some items to Goodwill and then returned the truck, it was time for Mom to catch her plane to Vegas. All in all, it was a pretty smooth process.
Nobody knows when they will be shopping and buying a home up here, but I did find out today that they'll be driving over in the middle of next week for a short visit and to store some additional items. Sounds like a plan.
THANKSGIVING IN SAN ANTONIO
After a less-than-pleasant start (getting up at 3am to catch a 5:45am flight out of PDX - which was delayed and jumbled our reservations so we had to wheel and deal to sit next to each other), we got into San Antonio on Thanksgiving for a very nice visit with Jill's grandmother Charlotte, who I posted about last time. Jill's parents were already in San Antonio for a few days before we arrived.
Charlotte was in very good spirits and the visit was enjoyed by all. Even though she's off of some important medication temporarily due to the antibiotics, everything else seemed to be just fine. She did have some pain in her knee, though. But she managed to get around okay and we all went out to her favorite Chinese restaurant Saturday night - Kowloon - after which we got lost for about 15 minutes trying to get back to Art & Lorrae's. We won't mention who was leading the pack!
We got to play cards - rummy dum-dum - which Jill won consistently, even besting "Garbage Arm" Charlotte, who never met a discard she didn't like. Oh, well. Jill won a couple bucks that evening.
While we were there, we got to visit Market Square near downtown San Antonio. The area had a nice, old San Antonio feel - architecture, parks, features - but there more than a few shops with either overly expensive crap or really cheap crap. We didn't find much we were really interested in, unfortunately, but the experience and food were worth it.
We also got to visit the Peace Market held at Esperanza Peace & Justice Center in San Antonio. The market featured hand-made goods from San Antonio and various places in Latin America. I can't say we were tremendously impressed with most of the items there, but we did purchase a carved gourd from Peru that had a little story and illustrations carved into it. There were huipiles from Guatemala as well, but the prices they wanted were quite high - we must have a fortune in huipiles based on what we saw there. We'd rather go back to Guatemala and purchase them so that we know who got our money.
But overall, it was a great visit and it was very good to see Charlotte. It was obvious that having visitors made her feel a bit better.
TOM MISSES THE CALIFORNIA BAR EXAM BY 3 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
That's right.. if Tom had answered three more multiple choice questions correctly, he could be practicing law in California. So close, it must be maddening. Well, it looks like he and Kate will be taking the Oregon bar exam in February. We look forward to the visit, however brief or long.
Well, as of Wednesday, the Reids no longer live in Henderson, Nevada. After loading up a 24' U-haul truck, Tom, Kate & Mom drove the truck - Tom specifically - to Sacramento on Monday. I flew down to Sacramento Monday night (Dec. 1) to drive the truck up to Portland the next day.
The flight was interesting to say the least. It wasn't full, and after I sat down the Captain addressed the passengers instead of the flight attendant. Uh oh, this can't be good I thought to myself. After delivering a pair of time-worn California recall election jokes - "This is your captain, and I want you to know I recently lost the California recall election" and "Like Gary Coleman, I came up just a little bit short" - he delivered the news I was waiting for. Some aspect of the air conditioning system (?!) was malfunctioning, so we would not be able to fly above 24,000', roughly 10,000' below normal altitude. The scientific reason escapes me, so I won't even try to explain that one.
The bottom line is that the flight rumbled and bumped around like a high-speed roller coaster, only with a perfectly horizontal track for most of the ride. Nothing dramatic or scary, just non-stop and disconcerting enough to make you realize just how good you had it at 35,000'.
The drive from Sacramento to Portland was a long day, but for the most part, the weather was very cooperative. The best by far, ironically, was the Siskiyou Summit in the State of Jefferson. The clouds rolled back just north of Weed and we didn't see many again until the Rogue Valley in Oregon. We stopped to snap a photo of Mt. Shasta, which slowly became visible as its veil of clouds lifted with the sun. I snapped a photo, posted below.
We also made a stop in Medford to visit the Harry & David store where Mom stocked up on chocolate truffles and bought a decorative bench with a little girl and boy kissing, or something like that. We finally got into Portland a little after 7pm and given that we left Sacramento at 6:30am with a few stops along the way, I'd say that was pretty good time for a U-haul.
Once we arrived, however, I must have misunderstood the storage place because it was closed and we couldn't unload the truck. We saved that for the following day which took a few hours to complete. After we finished, took some items to Goodwill and then returned the truck, it was time for Mom to catch her plane to Vegas. All in all, it was a pretty smooth process.
Nobody knows when they will be shopping and buying a home up here, but I did find out today that they'll be driving over in the middle of next week for a short visit and to store some additional items. Sounds like a plan.
THANKSGIVING IN SAN ANTONIO
After a less-than-pleasant start (getting up at 3am to catch a 5:45am flight out of PDX - which was delayed and jumbled our reservations so we had to wheel and deal to sit next to each other), we got into San Antonio on Thanksgiving for a very nice visit with Jill's grandmother Charlotte, who I posted about last time. Jill's parents were already in San Antonio for a few days before we arrived.
Charlotte was in very good spirits and the visit was enjoyed by all. Even though she's off of some important medication temporarily due to the antibiotics, everything else seemed to be just fine. She did have some pain in her knee, though. But she managed to get around okay and we all went out to her favorite Chinese restaurant Saturday night - Kowloon - after which we got lost for about 15 minutes trying to get back to Art & Lorrae's. We won't mention who was leading the pack!
We got to play cards - rummy dum-dum - which Jill won consistently, even besting "Garbage Arm" Charlotte, who never met a discard she didn't like. Oh, well. Jill won a couple bucks that evening.
While we were there, we got to visit Market Square near downtown San Antonio. The area had a nice, old San Antonio feel - architecture, parks, features - but there more than a few shops with either overly expensive crap or really cheap crap. We didn't find much we were really interested in, unfortunately, but the experience and food were worth it.
We also got to visit the Peace Market held at Esperanza Peace & Justice Center in San Antonio. The market featured hand-made goods from San Antonio and various places in Latin America. I can't say we were tremendously impressed with most of the items there, but we did purchase a carved gourd from Peru that had a little story and illustrations carved into it. There were huipiles from Guatemala as well, but the prices they wanted were quite high - we must have a fortune in huipiles based on what we saw there. We'd rather go back to Guatemala and purchase them so that we know who got our money.
But overall, it was a great visit and it was very good to see Charlotte. It was obvious that having visitors made her feel a bit better.
TOM MISSES THE CALIFORNIA BAR EXAM BY 3 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
That's right.. if Tom had answered three more multiple choice questions correctly, he could be practicing law in California. So close, it must be maddening. Well, it looks like he and Kate will be taking the Oregon bar exam in February. We look forward to the visit, however brief or long.
Saturday, November 22, 2003
UPDATE: CHARLOTTE WACHDORF HOME FROM HOSPITAL
Well, the good news coming out of San Antonio is that Charlotte (Gram, Char-Baby) Wachdorf is now back at home with Art and Lorrae Wachdorf, her son and daughter-in-law. Her condition is fairly stable and no longer requires constant monitoring.
She is, however, now under hospice care with a nurse coming by weekly to check on her status. She has been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - credit goes to Les Hardison for the link and update info. - which is incurable. In effect, without oxygen at all times, she cannot survive. Further complicating things is the fact that her bone marrow is now only able to supply 50% of normal new blood cells to her system. She has been taken off of coumadin, due to continued internal bleeding problems which are waning, and her diabetes medication as it also apparently is contributing negatively more than it is positively.
Needless to say our thoughts and prayers are with her, Judy and their family. We look very forward to seeing her next week for Thanksgiving. John and Judy are already down there as of yesterday. Jill and I will have a bounty of goodies from the German deli that will no doubt lift her spirits. Here's a photo of a very proud Charlotte with her son, Air Force Colonel Art Wachdorf, who she now lives with in San Antonio.
TOM REPORTS ON BAR EXAM RESULTS
Further less-than-good news was reported by Tom yesterday. His California bar exam results came in and he did not pass. He'll get detailed information about what sections were good for him and which were not. He says he'll take California again eventually, but now he knows he (and Kate) will need to take the Oregon bar exam and, possibly, the Washington and Nevada exams as well just to diversify his and her future opportunities.
Jill and I can't say we're happy he did not pass, but we're certainly happy that the turn of events will bring them up for a visit in February for the Oregon bar exam and, possibly, a future, permanent relocation for jobs. Besides.. we need someone to help out when Mom and Dad move up this direction.. our hands will be full!
Well, the good news coming out of San Antonio is that Charlotte (Gram, Char-Baby) Wachdorf is now back at home with Art and Lorrae Wachdorf, her son and daughter-in-law. Her condition is fairly stable and no longer requires constant monitoring.
She is, however, now under hospice care with a nurse coming by weekly to check on her status. She has been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - credit goes to Les Hardison for the link and update info. - which is incurable. In effect, without oxygen at all times, she cannot survive. Further complicating things is the fact that her bone marrow is now only able to supply 50% of normal new blood cells to her system. She has been taken off of coumadin, due to continued internal bleeding problems which are waning, and her diabetes medication as it also apparently is contributing negatively more than it is positively.
Needless to say our thoughts and prayers are with her, Judy and their family. We look very forward to seeing her next week for Thanksgiving. John and Judy are already down there as of yesterday. Jill and I will have a bounty of goodies from the German deli that will no doubt lift her spirits. Here's a photo of a very proud Charlotte with her son, Air Force Colonel Art Wachdorf, who she now lives with in San Antonio.
TOM REPORTS ON BAR EXAM RESULTS
Further less-than-good news was reported by Tom yesterday. His California bar exam results came in and he did not pass. He'll get detailed information about what sections were good for him and which were not. He says he'll take California again eventually, but now he knows he (and Kate) will need to take the Oregon bar exam and, possibly, the Washington and Nevada exams as well just to diversify his and her future opportunities.
Jill and I can't say we're happy he did not pass, but we're certainly happy that the turn of events will bring them up for a visit in February for the Oregon bar exam and, possibly, a future, permanent relocation for jobs. Besides.. we need someone to help out when Mom and Dad move up this direction.. our hands will be full!
Thursday, November 20, 2003
UPDATE: HEATMISER AND SNOWMISER... IN THE KNOW
Yesterday, I posted about how the Heatmiser was on vacation and that his brother, Snowmiser, thought he was too much. Links were provided, but I really didn't realize what kind of a following these two claymation characters have until I played around with Google.com.
The two brothers, each fighting for control of Earth's weather, are from the Rankin-Bass Christmas special A Year Without Santa Claus. I didn't find the show all that compelling as a whole, but the Heatmiser and Snowmiser each sing quite a swinging song that's hard to forget for those who remember it - the show was from 1974.
Heatmiser
Snowmiser
If you Google these two characters, you get all sorts of hits in addition to the two I linked yesterday:
This one gives links to both Heatmiser's song and lyrics and Snowmiser's song.
This one states that Miser Brothers Christmas lights for your tree (!!) are no longer being manufactured - with a picture.
This one details the 2000 Rumble in the Claymation Jungle grudgematch - with voting - between Heatmiser and Snowmiser. You can click the link at the bottom of the page to a CNN.com site declaring the winner and other important headlines.
Here's my Google.com query page for anyone that's wants to look into this further...
And for all of you who think I'm an idiot for posting all of this information, here's a link for you.
Yesterday, I posted about how the Heatmiser was on vacation and that his brother, Snowmiser, thought he was too much. Links were provided, but I really didn't realize what kind of a following these two claymation characters have until I played around with Google.com.
The two brothers, each fighting for control of Earth's weather, are from the Rankin-Bass Christmas special A Year Without Santa Claus. I didn't find the show all that compelling as a whole, but the Heatmiser and Snowmiser each sing quite a swinging song that's hard to forget for those who remember it - the show was from 1974.
Heatmiser
Snowmiser
If you Google these two characters, you get all sorts of hits in addition to the two I linked yesterday:
This one gives links to both Heatmiser's song and lyrics and Snowmiser's song.
This one states that Miser Brothers Christmas lights for your tree (!!) are no longer being manufactured - with a picture.
This one details the 2000 Rumble in the Claymation Jungle grudgematch - with voting - between Heatmiser and Snowmiser. You can click the link at the bottom of the page to a CNN.com site declaring the winner and other important headlines.
Here's my Google.com query page for anyone that's wants to look into this further...
And for all of you who think I'm an idiot for posting all of this information, here's a link for you.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
BLIZZARD IN PORTLAND - HEATMISER OFFICIALLY ON VACATION
It appears freak weather in the PacNW has yet to run its course. This morning, a Portland-area rain storm was bowled over by a sudden, unexpected cold front. Here's the result:
The Heatmiser couldn't be reached for comment. His brother, Snowmiser, released this statement: "I'm too much!"
JILL'S GRANDMOTHER IN THE HOSPITAL
Charlotte Wachdorf, Jill's grandmother - Judy's mother, is in the hospital due to a bad fall and, apparently, pneumonia. She was in intensive care for a while, but she's apparently holding her own now. We don't have much more news than this, but she's a tough lady and she's very much in our thoughts and prayers. We'll be visiting her for Thanksgiving in San Antonio next week.
REWARDING CAREER SOMETIMES
I learned last week that a community/housing development corporation has successfully been awarded tax credits to build apartments for farmworkers in Salem, Oregon. The reward was based largely on the feasibility study and market need analysis I conducted for them. There's a serious lack of safe, non-slum housing for farmworkers all over Oregon, but in Salem, the state's capital, the need was particularly bad. Well, in a year to two years, the project should be constructed. It will provide low-rent, quality apartments, english lessons, day care, volunteer legal services and job/computer training to enhance work skills among families renting there. That's all good news in my book!
That's just one of the projects I've been working on.. here's what's keeping me busy right now:
- Financial analysis for the City of Wood Village to determine if the redevelopment of their old city hall property can pay for a new one
- Statistical analysis and quantification of residential composting rates for the purposes of a statewide tax credit
- Economic and fiscal (tax revenue/public service costs) analysis of a few million square feet of office, industrial, retail, condominium and hotel development near downtown Seattle
- Market position analysis of three different apartment complexes in the Sacramento area
- Waterfront development need and feasibility for the Port of Siuslaw in Florence, Oregon
- Market Need, financial feasibility and economic impacts of a business park to be built along I-5 in Keizer, Oregon
- Community impacts of redeveloping properties in a lower-income/higher-crime neighborhood in Seattle
And I manage to get some sleep every night!
JILL SPEAKS WITH VIVI & LUCIA RUCUCH QUILA IN GUATEMALA CITY
Last week I reported that the Guatemalan election was a bit of a zoo but that results indicated that the former dictator Rios Montt was defeated. Well, that's still the case, but Jill telephoned Vivi and her mother Lucia in Guatemala City to see how things were. Both are doing fine, though Lucia reported some minor health problems. Vivi is extremely busy raising her son and working full time in the City (she and her family live many slow miles out of town in a government subsidized - well - shantytown. Rats and all.).
Politically, things are stable and just fine. They reported no real bad news, though so we feel much better about the situation. I'll try to post some photos of them soon so that everyone can see who we're talking about here. Jill was Vivi's case manager in 1996 back in Eugene. Vivi was kidnapped and tortured by the military during the country's civil war at the tender age of 14. We've visited them there twice and keep up with them. We continue to financially help Vivi, particularly with her college education.
It appears freak weather in the PacNW has yet to run its course. This morning, a Portland-area rain storm was bowled over by a sudden, unexpected cold front. Here's the result:
The Heatmiser couldn't be reached for comment. His brother, Snowmiser, released this statement: "I'm too much!"
JILL'S GRANDMOTHER IN THE HOSPITAL
Charlotte Wachdorf, Jill's grandmother - Judy's mother, is in the hospital due to a bad fall and, apparently, pneumonia. She was in intensive care for a while, but she's apparently holding her own now. We don't have much more news than this, but she's a tough lady and she's very much in our thoughts and prayers. We'll be visiting her for Thanksgiving in San Antonio next week.
REWARDING CAREER SOMETIMES
I learned last week that a community/housing development corporation has successfully been awarded tax credits to build apartments for farmworkers in Salem, Oregon. The reward was based largely on the feasibility study and market need analysis I conducted for them. There's a serious lack of safe, non-slum housing for farmworkers all over Oregon, but in Salem, the state's capital, the need was particularly bad. Well, in a year to two years, the project should be constructed. It will provide low-rent, quality apartments, english lessons, day care, volunteer legal services and job/computer training to enhance work skills among families renting there. That's all good news in my book!
That's just one of the projects I've been working on.. here's what's keeping me busy right now:
- Financial analysis for the City of Wood Village to determine if the redevelopment of their old city hall property can pay for a new one
- Statistical analysis and quantification of residential composting rates for the purposes of a statewide tax credit
- Economic and fiscal (tax revenue/public service costs) analysis of a few million square feet of office, industrial, retail, condominium and hotel development near downtown Seattle
- Market position analysis of three different apartment complexes in the Sacramento area
- Waterfront development need and feasibility for the Port of Siuslaw in Florence, Oregon
- Market Need, financial feasibility and economic impacts of a business park to be built along I-5 in Keizer, Oregon
- Community impacts of redeveloping properties in a lower-income/higher-crime neighborhood in Seattle
And I manage to get some sleep every night!
JILL SPEAKS WITH VIVI & LUCIA RUCUCH QUILA IN GUATEMALA CITY
Last week I reported that the Guatemalan election was a bit of a zoo but that results indicated that the former dictator Rios Montt was defeated. Well, that's still the case, but Jill telephoned Vivi and her mother Lucia in Guatemala City to see how things were. Both are doing fine, though Lucia reported some minor health problems. Vivi is extremely busy raising her son and working full time in the City (she and her family live many slow miles out of town in a government subsidized - well - shantytown. Rats and all.).
Politically, things are stable and just fine. They reported no real bad news, though so we feel much better about the situation. I'll try to post some photos of them soon so that everyone can see who we're talking about here. Jill was Vivi's case manager in 1996 back in Eugene. Vivi was kidnapped and tortured by the military during the country's civil war at the tender age of 14. We've visited them there twice and keep up with them. We continue to financially help Vivi, particularly with her college education.
Monday, November 10, 2003
ELECTION NEWS FROM GUATEMALA
CNN.com is reporting that Sunday's presidential election in Guatemala appears to be fair, if not chaotic, and former Guatemala City mayor Oscar Berger (likely with the National Action Party - PAN) was in the lead with about 48% of the vote.
So, what's the big deal? Well, we heard from Vivi Rucuch Quila, our Guatemalan friend, and she reported that things were destabilizing because former dictator General Efrain Rios Montt was running for president and killings/kidnappings were being reported as a result. Rios Montt, a hard right-wing evangelical "christian" -quite a lot of nerve to call himself that - was responsible for the most bloodsoaked period in Guatemala's modern history during his "presidency" in the early 1980s. Why he hasn't been tried for genocide we have no idea.
Anyway, CNN reports that Rios Montt is in a distant third place with 11.2% of the vote so far. The trouble is the Guatemalan constitution, for all intents and purposes written on a dry-erase board, forbids re-elections after two terms. Rios Montt managed to strong-arm the judiciary into ruling that he could run again. Encouragingly, voter turnout was heavy and Montt has been rejected. In the old days, he'd have stormed the presidential palace. But with so much public pressure from the international community, that isn't likely.
Most encouragingly CNN reports:
The U.S. government has warned that U.S.-Guatemalan relations will suffer if Rios Montt, 77, is given a second chance to lead the country.
Human rights groups in Guatemala and Spain have accused Rios Montt's former government of carrying out massacres, including the 1981 arson of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala City in which 37 people died. Officials in both countries are investigating the charges.
So, it seems the U.S. has made its opposition to him very vocal. That's good news. Because the winner must have at least 50% of the public vote, there will now be a run-off and Montt is out of it for good.
MOM AND DAD SELL THE HOUSE
Well, the Vegas house has been sold in one day for $5,000 more than asking price. I'd say that the realtor has 'splaining to do. Congratulations! Now the business of packing and moving things into storage begins. Until then, I haven't heard, but I suppose someone's going to be sleeping in a U-haul.
It looks like the U-haul, filled with goodies, will be headed for Portland with a drop-off in Sacramento. Beanie Babies decor for Tom & Kate! Details are currently being planned.
ME-MA BETTER AFTER BIRTHDAY FALL
After a misdiagnosis, Me-Ma's head is now healing much better after the backwards fall she suffered the weekend of her birthday. Looks like eczema is the problem and has slowed healing, or something to that effect. Either way, she's doing better now that a second opinion has brought a better treatment.
CNN.com is reporting that Sunday's presidential election in Guatemala appears to be fair, if not chaotic, and former Guatemala City mayor Oscar Berger (likely with the National Action Party - PAN) was in the lead with about 48% of the vote.
So, what's the big deal? Well, we heard from Vivi Rucuch Quila, our Guatemalan friend, and she reported that things were destabilizing because former dictator General Efrain Rios Montt was running for president and killings/kidnappings were being reported as a result. Rios Montt, a hard right-wing evangelical "christian" -quite a lot of nerve to call himself that - was responsible for the most bloodsoaked period in Guatemala's modern history during his "presidency" in the early 1980s. Why he hasn't been tried for genocide we have no idea.
Anyway, CNN reports that Rios Montt is in a distant third place with 11.2% of the vote so far. The trouble is the Guatemalan constitution, for all intents and purposes written on a dry-erase board, forbids re-elections after two terms. Rios Montt managed to strong-arm the judiciary into ruling that he could run again. Encouragingly, voter turnout was heavy and Montt has been rejected. In the old days, he'd have stormed the presidential palace. But with so much public pressure from the international community, that isn't likely.
Most encouragingly CNN reports:
The U.S. government has warned that U.S.-Guatemalan relations will suffer if Rios Montt, 77, is given a second chance to lead the country.
Human rights groups in Guatemala and Spain have accused Rios Montt's former government of carrying out massacres, including the 1981 arson of the Spanish Embassy in Guatemala City in which 37 people died. Officials in both countries are investigating the charges.
So, it seems the U.S. has made its opposition to him very vocal. That's good news. Because the winner must have at least 50% of the public vote, there will now be a run-off and Montt is out of it for good.
MOM AND DAD SELL THE HOUSE
Well, the Vegas house has been sold in one day for $5,000 more than asking price. I'd say that the realtor has 'splaining to do. Congratulations! Now the business of packing and moving things into storage begins. Until then, I haven't heard, but I suppose someone's going to be sleeping in a U-haul.
It looks like the U-haul, filled with goodies, will be headed for Portland with a drop-off in Sacramento. Beanie Babies decor for Tom & Kate! Details are currently being planned.
ME-MA BETTER AFTER BIRTHDAY FALL
After a misdiagnosis, Me-Ma's head is now healing much better after the backwards fall she suffered the weekend of her birthday. Looks like eczema is the problem and has slowed healing, or something to that effect. Either way, she's doing better now that a second opinion has brought a better treatment.
Monday, November 03, 2003
BILL VISITS SACRAMENTO
I had a business trip to Sacramento last week, well Wednesday and Thursday, where I got to drive all over Roseville and North Sacramento looking at apartment complexes and lying about who I was in order to get information about the project they otherwise wouldn't reveal. Kinda like a secret shopper.
While there, I spent the night at Tom and Kate's estate in Natomas. They have a really impressive two-story house now with nine-foot ceilings, sitting areas and a kitchen with enough space to hold a dance. I was impressed, to say the least. I did ask about the name of the street: Paul Corter. It turns out that all the streets in their development were named after police officers killed in the line of duty.
I thought the idea a little bit morbid, but then again, it's certainly a better tribute than anything I've heard many cities publicly attempt. While I was there, the murderer of officer Bill Bean Jr. (Bill Bean street is two blocks from Tom & Kate) was found guilty of 2nd degree murder and was made ineligible for the death penalty. Police officers present at the sentencing were shocked and disappointed. You can read about it here.
I suggested that a mob of Bean's family spring him from jail, take care of business and then bury the remains under Bill Bean street. Get Mike Benner on the phone!
While there, Tom and I hit In-N-Out twice for lunch
and then Kate, Tom and I had Jamaican food at a restaurant near downtown (buffet!). It was a good trip.
SAN ANTONIO TICKETS PURCHASED
I finally broke down and purchased our tickets to San Antonio (pronounced Santone), Texas for Thanksgiving. John, Judy, Jill and I will be headed down to spend Turkey Day and the weekend with Jill's grandmother. John and Judy will be headed down sooner than we will as we have to work the Wednesday before. She's trapped in Sherz, Texas because her insurance supposedly won't let her leave the state and receive oxygen.
Our crack team of lawyers in Sacramento suspected that was a bunch of hooey and that the insurance plan couldn't dictate her ability to travel in that way. We'll be investigating further.. I'll follow up with details. It will be fun to visit Texas again, well Santone anyway. I hope to post some info about Santone and what we hope to visit while there, in addition to Charlotte.
WILL GALVIN UPDATE
Will Galvin, my first roommate and friend from Baylor University, emailed recently to say hi and give some news about his goings-on. I kinda felt sorry for Will.. his freshman dormitory roommate card said his roommate was from Anchorage, AL instead of Anchorage, AK. So, instead of a hick from the Redneck Riviera who might have been some fun, he got a nerd from Alaska.
He's back in Delaware with his wife Julie and their son Jake (six years old! Hi, Jake, if you're reading this.) He was in Saudi Arabia for the Air Force managing purchase contracts with local Saudi vendors. Now he's back home, working on a master's degree as is Julie. He didn't say what either was pursuing, but I do recall that Julie is a skilled painter. Will, if you read this, email with more details. I know my family would like to know.
He did say he recently bought a new car - picture below - and was very happy with it. He always did have a weakness for sporty cars.
Not bad, eh? Well, greetings from Oregon to Will, Julie and Jake!
I had a business trip to Sacramento last week, well Wednesday and Thursday, where I got to drive all over Roseville and North Sacramento looking at apartment complexes and lying about who I was in order to get information about the project they otherwise wouldn't reveal. Kinda like a secret shopper.
While there, I spent the night at Tom and Kate's estate in Natomas. They have a really impressive two-story house now with nine-foot ceilings, sitting areas and a kitchen with enough space to hold a dance. I was impressed, to say the least. I did ask about the name of the street: Paul Corter. It turns out that all the streets in their development were named after police officers killed in the line of duty.
I thought the idea a little bit morbid, but then again, it's certainly a better tribute than anything I've heard many cities publicly attempt. While I was there, the murderer of officer Bill Bean Jr. (Bill Bean street is two blocks from Tom & Kate) was found guilty of 2nd degree murder and was made ineligible for the death penalty. Police officers present at the sentencing were shocked and disappointed. You can read about it here.
I suggested that a mob of Bean's family spring him from jail, take care of business and then bury the remains under Bill Bean street. Get Mike Benner on the phone!
While there, Tom and I hit In-N-Out twice for lunch
and then Kate, Tom and I had Jamaican food at a restaurant near downtown (buffet!). It was a good trip.
SAN ANTONIO TICKETS PURCHASED
I finally broke down and purchased our tickets to San Antonio (pronounced Santone), Texas for Thanksgiving. John, Judy, Jill and I will be headed down to spend Turkey Day and the weekend with Jill's grandmother. John and Judy will be headed down sooner than we will as we have to work the Wednesday before. She's trapped in Sherz, Texas because her insurance supposedly won't let her leave the state and receive oxygen.
Our crack team of lawyers in Sacramento suspected that was a bunch of hooey and that the insurance plan couldn't dictate her ability to travel in that way. We'll be investigating further.. I'll follow up with details. It will be fun to visit Texas again, well Santone anyway. I hope to post some info about Santone and what we hope to visit while there, in addition to Charlotte.
WILL GALVIN UPDATE
Will Galvin, my first roommate and friend from Baylor University, emailed recently to say hi and give some news about his goings-on. I kinda felt sorry for Will.. his freshman dormitory roommate card said his roommate was from Anchorage, AL instead of Anchorage, AK. So, instead of a hick from the Redneck Riviera who might have been some fun, he got a nerd from Alaska.
He's back in Delaware with his wife Julie and their son Jake (six years old! Hi, Jake, if you're reading this.) He was in Saudi Arabia for the Air Force managing purchase contracts with local Saudi vendors. Now he's back home, working on a master's degree as is Julie. He didn't say what either was pursuing, but I do recall that Julie is a skilled painter. Will, if you read this, email with more details. I know my family would like to know.
He did say he recently bought a new car - picture below - and was very happy with it. He always did have a weakness for sporty cars.
Not bad, eh? Well, greetings from Oregon to Will, Julie and Jake!
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
BLOGGING IS LIGHT, RAIN IS NOT
Yes, I've been slacking with this blog. I last posted 15 days ago, enough has been happening - nothing too exciting - but still, I've disappointed my throngs of loyal readers. I apologize.
So, I'll start with Monday driving from Portland to Seattle and back in the worst day of rain in Seattle's history. That's sort of like saying the hottest day in Hell, isn't it? Folks in the know realize Seattle days aren't that rainy per se. It's the fact that it never stops days on end. 364 days of rain at 1/2 inch each day still adds up!
But Monday, the Puget Sound region posted record rainfall, many places in the neighborhood of 7" or more in 24 hours. Their stormwater drainage systems are not used to a concentrated downpour, so many parts of the region flooded out. Below is a photo of me driving back home from my meeting in Seattle.
Just kidding. Actually, this is an actual photo from the Seattle Times. Apparently jet skis are now the only way to get around up there.
Meanwhile, Portland has enjoyed a string of Hawaii-like weather. Balmy, light humidity with low to mid-70s. That will all change soon because as I type this, a gray canvas of clouds is the only thing visible in the sky - until July 2004.
ME-MA's BIRTHDAY PHOTOS
I just uploaded all of them to my computer and I hope to burn some CDs soon. YES.. I realize that's what I said about our vacation photos, but there's roughly 500 of them and many had to be altered because they are sideways, dark, or whatever. Give me time.
For either, I'm taking orders. Put in your requests to wer@johnson-gardner.com ASAP.
NEW INSTALLMENT: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DAVE REID?
I have an irregular feature on here I like to call Where In the World is Dave Reid? - it's been a while since the last installment.
So, without further ado: Dave Reid is in BAGGS, WYOMING.
I can already hear it - Where on earth is Baggs, Wyoming? Well, just west of Savory, Wyoming of course! That is, just north of the Colorado border in southcentral Wyoming, Carbon County to be exact. Baggs is located in the Little Snake River Valley.
To be perfectly honest, Dad has outdone himself with regard to working in an obscure location. There is nothing interesting about this little burg on the internet. Normally I try to give him some tips about what to visit wherever he is. But frankly, with a drought of interesting information about Baggs online, I simply recommend he finish that job up ASAP and go back to Rusk County, Texas for its historic outhouses.
The best I can find is townofbaggs.com. No tourism bureau, no visitor information. By the looks of their URL, you'd think they made purses and misspelled their name. Even their city attractions, as they describe them, are an insomniac's miracle cure:
About Us
Population 348 Elevation 6245
Latitude: 41.03 degrees north of the equator
Longitude: 107.65 degrees west of the prime meridian
Baggs is 76 miles from Rawlins, Wyoming and 41 miles from Craig, Colorado. The distance to Cheyenne, the state capitol, is 152 miles as the crow flies. We are part of Carbon County.
Wyoming highway 789 running through Baggs was commissioned in 1954 as part of a multi-state route that traveled through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The highway goes over the Continental Divide between Creston Junction and Baggs.
Baggs was reputed to be the a former home of one of the most notorious outlaw bands of the old west: Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and their 'Wild Bunch". The Gaddis/Matthews cabin on Highway 789 in Baggs was a local hangout of Butch Cassidy.
The Bank Club Bar is listed on the National Historic Register and is located on old main street.
The Dad stage stop site is 24 miles north of Baggs on the west side of the highway.
Baggs is the home of the Rattlers, the mascot of the Little Snake River Valley school.
On the Little Snake River you will find the towns of Dixon, Wyoming 7 miles east, Savery, Wyoming 11 miles east and Slater, Colorado 18 miles east, of Baggs.
How's that for thrilling? Well, for your enjoyment, here are a couple of photos of the area:
Pretty country this time of year.
Baggs' "Wild Bunch" - Butch Cassidy's gang re-enactors or unfortunate new country music group?
Well, I don't mean to be too tough on Baggs. But honestly, they need to fire their economic development director. They clearly have pretty country and recreation to advertise, but you'd never really know it by searching on the web!
TOM AND KATE'S SAN FRANCISCO ADVENTURE
Tom called Saturday to let me know he and Kate were headed to San Francisco for the weekend - her law firm, Hanna Brophy, was celebrating its 50th anniversary. They apparently had a major blow-out planned at one of the nice hotels downtown. "Open bar!!" according to Tom.
I haven't heard since, so I assume they had a lot of fun. But I have to ask - what kind of a hotel would allow dozens of lawyers to converge there and drink themselves into belligerence? It was either foam-padded wall to wall, top to bottom or it enforced a strict liability waiver form.. kinda like a sanitarium!
Yes, I've been slacking with this blog. I last posted 15 days ago, enough has been happening - nothing too exciting - but still, I've disappointed my throngs of loyal readers. I apologize.
So, I'll start with Monday driving from Portland to Seattle and back in the worst day of rain in Seattle's history. That's sort of like saying the hottest day in Hell, isn't it? Folks in the know realize Seattle days aren't that rainy per se. It's the fact that it never stops days on end. 364 days of rain at 1/2 inch each day still adds up!
But Monday, the Puget Sound region posted record rainfall, many places in the neighborhood of 7" or more in 24 hours. Their stormwater drainage systems are not used to a concentrated downpour, so many parts of the region flooded out. Below is a photo of me driving back home from my meeting in Seattle.
Just kidding. Actually, this is an actual photo from the Seattle Times. Apparently jet skis are now the only way to get around up there.
Meanwhile, Portland has enjoyed a string of Hawaii-like weather. Balmy, light humidity with low to mid-70s. That will all change soon because as I type this, a gray canvas of clouds is the only thing visible in the sky - until July 2004.
ME-MA's BIRTHDAY PHOTOS
I just uploaded all of them to my computer and I hope to burn some CDs soon. YES.. I realize that's what I said about our vacation photos, but there's roughly 500 of them and many had to be altered because they are sideways, dark, or whatever. Give me time.
For either, I'm taking orders. Put in your requests to wer@johnson-gardner.com ASAP.
NEW INSTALLMENT: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DAVE REID?
I have an irregular feature on here I like to call Where In the World is Dave Reid? - it's been a while since the last installment.
So, without further ado: Dave Reid is in BAGGS, WYOMING.
I can already hear it - Where on earth is Baggs, Wyoming? Well, just west of Savory, Wyoming of course! That is, just north of the Colorado border in southcentral Wyoming, Carbon County to be exact. Baggs is located in the Little Snake River Valley.
To be perfectly honest, Dad has outdone himself with regard to working in an obscure location. There is nothing interesting about this little burg on the internet. Normally I try to give him some tips about what to visit wherever he is. But frankly, with a drought of interesting information about Baggs online, I simply recommend he finish that job up ASAP and go back to Rusk County, Texas for its historic outhouses.
The best I can find is townofbaggs.com. No tourism bureau, no visitor information. By the looks of their URL, you'd think they made purses and misspelled their name. Even their city attractions, as they describe them, are an insomniac's miracle cure:
About Us
Population 348 Elevation 6245
Latitude: 41.03 degrees north of the equator
Longitude: 107.65 degrees west of the prime meridian
Baggs is 76 miles from Rawlins, Wyoming and 41 miles from Craig, Colorado. The distance to Cheyenne, the state capitol, is 152 miles as the crow flies. We are part of Carbon County.
Wyoming highway 789 running through Baggs was commissioned in 1954 as part of a multi-state route that traveled through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The highway goes over the Continental Divide between Creston Junction and Baggs.
Baggs was reputed to be the a former home of one of the most notorious outlaw bands of the old west: Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and their 'Wild Bunch". The Gaddis/Matthews cabin on Highway 789 in Baggs was a local hangout of Butch Cassidy.
The Bank Club Bar is listed on the National Historic Register and is located on old main street.
The Dad stage stop site is 24 miles north of Baggs on the west side of the highway.
Baggs is the home of the Rattlers, the mascot of the Little Snake River Valley school.
On the Little Snake River you will find the towns of Dixon, Wyoming 7 miles east, Savery, Wyoming 11 miles east and Slater, Colorado 18 miles east, of Baggs.
How's that for thrilling? Well, for your enjoyment, here are a couple of photos of the area:
Pretty country this time of year.
Baggs' "Wild Bunch" - Butch Cassidy's gang re-enactors or unfortunate new country music group?
Well, I don't mean to be too tough on Baggs. But honestly, they need to fire their economic development director. They clearly have pretty country and recreation to advertise, but you'd never really know it by searching on the web!
TOM AND KATE'S SAN FRANCISCO ADVENTURE
Tom called Saturday to let me know he and Kate were headed to San Francisco for the weekend - her law firm, Hanna Brophy, was celebrating its 50th anniversary. They apparently had a major blow-out planned at one of the nice hotels downtown. "Open bar!!" according to Tom.
I haven't heard since, so I assume they had a lot of fun. But I have to ask - what kind of a hotel would allow dozens of lawyers to converge there and drink themselves into belligerence? It was either foam-padded wall to wall, top to bottom or it enforced a strict liability waiver form.. kinda like a sanitarium!
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
TOM GAINFULLY EMPLOYED
Tom emailed yesterday the 6th to say that he had won a position with E*Trade, the on-line stock brokerage house. Unfortunately, I use Ameritrade so I personally have absolutely nothing to gain from his new assignment.
Congratulations! Now Tom and Kate are DINKS just like Jill and me. Welcome to the club, you two!
So, let's put Tom to the test.. Is this his new uniform and can I get sued for posting this picture?
I'll post Tom's reply as soon as I get it!
HEMINGWAY'S BIG ADVENTURE
We also learned recently that Hemingway, Tom and Kate's furry grey cat, decided to go on a roadtrip of sorts last week. It seems he left the house on the 30th without telling anyone where he was going. He turned up three days later about seven houses down in Tom & Kate's new neighborhood.
Naughty Kitty...
He's home safe and sound now, so all is well.
BELLY FLOPS
Well, it appears I'm way behind the times with regard to my ignorance of "belly flops." I posted that Tom & Kate were providing almonds and belly flops for Me-Ma's birthday but had absolutely no clue what a belly flop was in this context. I didn't think it could be the following, but that might have been fun, too:
OR
But, Kate, Tom and Leigh clarified that Belly Flops are in fact defective Jelly Belly's.. the ones that don't quite look right and so can't officially be called a Jelly Belly.
So, I went over to the Jelly Belly website and entered Belly Flop in the Search box. NOTHING about belly flops came up, but I scrolled down a little and there was information about Sugar Free Jelly Bellies. At the bottom of their description, I found these words:
WARNING: Consumption may cause stomach discomfort and/or a laxative effect. Individual tolerance will vary; we suggest starting with a single serving size of 8 beans or less.
Now, do you really think that the average consumer of sugar free Jelly Bellies is going to call it quits at 8 beans?! But then again, gorging yourself on these things makes for an interesting weight loss plan on its own.
CALIFORNIANS VOTING FOR NEW CAPTAIN OF U.S.S. TITANIC
Well, I haven't blogged about it in some time, but the day has come for southern Californians to peel themselves from their tanning beds and for northern Californians to get up without spilling bong water and VOTE.
So, on this very important day for our neighbor to the south, I have just two things to say:
You're voting for Governor, not Chief Executive Choir Boy
If you can't follow simple directions about how to use a punch card (the same one you used to elect Gray Davis in the first place), you have no business deciding who should lead the most economically powerful state in the most powerful country on the planet
Good luck to you. And with that, I'll end with comments from Jimmy Kimmel Live last night after he showed a clip of Ahnuld holding up a broom and threatening to clean house in Sacramento:
I suppose it's only appropriate that Californians should elect a foreigner to clean house
Ah, but you can't threaten him with deportation if he asks for a raise.
Tom emailed yesterday the 6th to say that he had won a position with E*Trade, the on-line stock brokerage house. Unfortunately, I use Ameritrade so I personally have absolutely nothing to gain from his new assignment.
Congratulations! Now Tom and Kate are DINKS just like Jill and me. Welcome to the club, you two!
So, let's put Tom to the test.. Is this his new uniform and can I get sued for posting this picture?
I'll post Tom's reply as soon as I get it!
HEMINGWAY'S BIG ADVENTURE
We also learned recently that Hemingway, Tom and Kate's furry grey cat, decided to go on a roadtrip of sorts last week. It seems he left the house on the 30th without telling anyone where he was going. He turned up three days later about seven houses down in Tom & Kate's new neighborhood.
Naughty Kitty...
He's home safe and sound now, so all is well.
BELLY FLOPS
Well, it appears I'm way behind the times with regard to my ignorance of "belly flops." I posted that Tom & Kate were providing almonds and belly flops for Me-Ma's birthday but had absolutely no clue what a belly flop was in this context. I didn't think it could be the following, but that might have been fun, too:
OR
But, Kate, Tom and Leigh clarified that Belly Flops are in fact defective Jelly Belly's.. the ones that don't quite look right and so can't officially be called a Jelly Belly.
So, I went over to the Jelly Belly website and entered Belly Flop in the Search box. NOTHING about belly flops came up, but I scrolled down a little and there was information about Sugar Free Jelly Bellies. At the bottom of their description, I found these words:
WARNING: Consumption may cause stomach discomfort and/or a laxative effect. Individual tolerance will vary; we suggest starting with a single serving size of 8 beans or less.
Now, do you really think that the average consumer of sugar free Jelly Bellies is going to call it quits at 8 beans?! But then again, gorging yourself on these things makes for an interesting weight loss plan on its own.
CALIFORNIANS VOTING FOR NEW CAPTAIN OF U.S.S. TITANIC
Well, I haven't blogged about it in some time, but the day has come for southern Californians to peel themselves from their tanning beds and for northern Californians to get up without spilling bong water and VOTE.
So, on this very important day for our neighbor to the south, I have just two things to say:
You're voting for Governor, not Chief Executive Choir Boy
If you can't follow simple directions about how to use a punch card (the same one you used to elect Gray Davis in the first place), you have no business deciding who should lead the most economically powerful state in the most powerful country on the planet
Good luck to you. And with that, I'll end with comments from Jimmy Kimmel Live last night after he showed a clip of Ahnuld holding up a broom and threatening to clean house in Sacramento:
I suppose it's only appropriate that Californians should elect a foreigner to clean house
Ah, but you can't threaten him with deportation if he asks for a raise.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
BACK TO BLOGGING... HOPEFULLY
The past few weeks have again been a bit hectic, so I've not been able to blog much. Plus, at home, we've been having connectivity problems with the internet so we've not been online there. We hope to get high-speed internet soon, so that will seriously help things. Then I'll be able to update this site far more frequently with the tedious, inconsequential information you've grown to love.
ANNIVERSARY TRIP A SMASHING SUCCESS
Jill and I travelled to British Columbia for our 6th anniversary. Most of you already know that BC is our absolutely favorite place for long weekends and Vancouver is arguably our favorite city - though Queretaro and Guanajuato in Mexico are up there. The diversity of recreation, cuisine, the scenic beauty and the overall international atmosphere is a lot of fun to dive into.
After a long drive the first night (Thursday), we spent the night in Surrey just across the border from Washington. Then we headed up to Hope, BC along the famous Fraser River east of Vancouver.
Hope is an old mining and lumber town at a large, undisturbed elbow of the Fraser River. The town is not that impressive, filled with nothing more than old motor lodges from the 1950s and decaying restaurants "Chinese and Canadian Food -- Down Home Cooking", but the town is surrounded by imposing mountains rising steeply for hundreds of feet from the river valley floor. It's quite a sight to behold.
About half an hour south of town are both the Harrison Hot Springs and Harrison Lake. We visited both, the latter during the day for stunning views of the mountains and a Canadian air show - largely fire-fighting planes that dropped water into the lake near the viewing area to thrill the locals. The only military planes were transport and old biplanes, largely because Canada hasn't had to spend their own money on defense for the last 90 years. But that's another story.
Harrison Hot Springs used to run into the lake, but now they're funneled into a public soaking pool (covered, unfortunately) that was very warm and pleasant for an hour or so. No overwhelming stench of sulphur characteristic of hot springs further north in Canada.
The next day we drove through the Fraser River gorge north to Lytton.
The climate grew warmer as we ventured north and higher in elevation. Douglas Fir, cedar and ferns were replaced by pine and sagebrush. The climate was naturally warmer, but less scenic in many ways given the lack of deciduous trees and their presently changing colors. The views were still gorgeous all the same. Here we turned around and headed back south on Highway 1 for Vancouver.
I won't go into details of Vancouver because we pretty much stuck to old haunts. Here's a link to an old entry about Vancouver and a host of links to information about places we enjoy visiting, including on this trip Van Dusen Gardens and Granville Island market.
JOHN AND JUDY SETTLING INTO NEW HOME
The Korynasz's are getting their new home in order now that we've moved most of their belongings up to Hillsboro. Their new place larger than the home in Eagle Point, so they'll better be able to utilize their furniture and decorations, etc. It's slow-going for them, however, as they've not been feeling well of late.
I think the move really exhausted them this time given that it was a long-distance affair rather than cross-town. Besides, both of Judy's feet now are deteriorating so it looks like she's going to need two surgeries instead of one. It's getting to be excruciating for her to stand on her feet for very long, possibly even worse than it was for her knees before she had both of them replaced. But, they seem to be pleased by Hillsboro's warmer climate and the fact that we're nearby has been a big plus for them. Come time for surgeries, that will be even more important.
Plus, I get to borrow their second car quite a bit for trips to the vet with Sundaye and odd trips for work...
EMAIL FROM OUR MEXICAN FAMILY
Pepe and Hilda Munoz, from Queretaro, QRO in Mexico emailed us last week to say hello. We have been terrible about emailing them back (or anyone really, for that matter) so they were concerned about whether or not we had received their last message. Jill is planning a long email soon.
Pepe and Hilda are our Mexican family. Jill stayed at Hilda's house in Queretaro back in 1994 when she was an exchange student learning Spanish. Hilda owns a women's clothing store that she and her sister, Licia, manage. The store is located next to Licia's beautiful house, which was designed by her son, an architect.
Pepe is an appraiser, musician, raconteur and all-around great fellow. When he's not busy with work, he's busy recording and archiving traditional music played and sung by members of his family. We have two of his recordings, one by his late uncle with Pepe and a second with vocal tracks by his late aunt. I have some digital photos of the family that I'll put on here soon from our 2001 trip. Meanwhile, here's a map of Queretaro relative to the rest of Central Mexico and then a great shot of Queretaro, the birthplace of Mexican independence.. kinda like the Boston of Mexico.
A la familia mexicana: se miran este website, Hola y Saludos desde Oregon! de Bill y Jill y nuestras familias gringas! (y lo ciento para mi Espanol malo!)
BILL REID, TV STAR
Monday night, I was on TV in Josephine County, Oregon. I testified before the Josephine County Planning Commission regarding potential new revenue sources (read: taxes and fees) to pay for maintenance of their sadly underfunded rural roads. I felt good about my performance, but it was a bit of a distraction speaking while on the wall to the right of the commission members was the broadcast itself. Try talking to a group of policy-makers about a boring topic while being self-conscious about keeping them awake AND seeing your own ugly mug the size of computer monitor up on the wall simultaneously. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.
As soon as the recording goes on-line, I'll try to have a link posted!
The past few weeks have again been a bit hectic, so I've not been able to blog much. Plus, at home, we've been having connectivity problems with the internet so we've not been online there. We hope to get high-speed internet soon, so that will seriously help things. Then I'll be able to update this site far more frequently with the tedious, inconsequential information you've grown to love.
ANNIVERSARY TRIP A SMASHING SUCCESS
Jill and I travelled to British Columbia for our 6th anniversary. Most of you already know that BC is our absolutely favorite place for long weekends and Vancouver is arguably our favorite city - though Queretaro and Guanajuato in Mexico are up there. The diversity of recreation, cuisine, the scenic beauty and the overall international atmosphere is a lot of fun to dive into.
After a long drive the first night (Thursday), we spent the night in Surrey just across the border from Washington. Then we headed up to Hope, BC along the famous Fraser River east of Vancouver.
Hope is an old mining and lumber town at a large, undisturbed elbow of the Fraser River. The town is not that impressive, filled with nothing more than old motor lodges from the 1950s and decaying restaurants "Chinese and Canadian Food -- Down Home Cooking", but the town is surrounded by imposing mountains rising steeply for hundreds of feet from the river valley floor. It's quite a sight to behold.
About half an hour south of town are both the Harrison Hot Springs and Harrison Lake. We visited both, the latter during the day for stunning views of the mountains and a Canadian air show - largely fire-fighting planes that dropped water into the lake near the viewing area to thrill the locals. The only military planes were transport and old biplanes, largely because Canada hasn't had to spend their own money on defense for the last 90 years. But that's another story.
Harrison Hot Springs used to run into the lake, but now they're funneled into a public soaking pool (covered, unfortunately) that was very warm and pleasant for an hour or so. No overwhelming stench of sulphur characteristic of hot springs further north in Canada.
The next day we drove through the Fraser River gorge north to Lytton.
The climate grew warmer as we ventured north and higher in elevation. Douglas Fir, cedar and ferns were replaced by pine and sagebrush. The climate was naturally warmer, but less scenic in many ways given the lack of deciduous trees and their presently changing colors. The views were still gorgeous all the same. Here we turned around and headed back south on Highway 1 for Vancouver.
I won't go into details of Vancouver because we pretty much stuck to old haunts. Here's a link to an old entry about Vancouver and a host of links to information about places we enjoy visiting, including on this trip Van Dusen Gardens and Granville Island market.
JOHN AND JUDY SETTLING INTO NEW HOME
The Korynasz's are getting their new home in order now that we've moved most of their belongings up to Hillsboro. Their new place larger than the home in Eagle Point, so they'll better be able to utilize their furniture and decorations, etc. It's slow-going for them, however, as they've not been feeling well of late.
I think the move really exhausted them this time given that it was a long-distance affair rather than cross-town. Besides, both of Judy's feet now are deteriorating so it looks like she's going to need two surgeries instead of one. It's getting to be excruciating for her to stand on her feet for very long, possibly even worse than it was for her knees before she had both of them replaced. But, they seem to be pleased by Hillsboro's warmer climate and the fact that we're nearby has been a big plus for them. Come time for surgeries, that will be even more important.
Plus, I get to borrow their second car quite a bit for trips to the vet with Sundaye and odd trips for work...
EMAIL FROM OUR MEXICAN FAMILY
Pepe and Hilda Munoz, from Queretaro, QRO in Mexico emailed us last week to say hello. We have been terrible about emailing them back (or anyone really, for that matter) so they were concerned about whether or not we had received their last message. Jill is planning a long email soon.
Pepe and Hilda are our Mexican family. Jill stayed at Hilda's house in Queretaro back in 1994 when she was an exchange student learning Spanish. Hilda owns a women's clothing store that she and her sister, Licia, manage. The store is located next to Licia's beautiful house, which was designed by her son, an architect.
Pepe is an appraiser, musician, raconteur and all-around great fellow. When he's not busy with work, he's busy recording and archiving traditional music played and sung by members of his family. We have two of his recordings, one by his late uncle with Pepe and a second with vocal tracks by his late aunt. I have some digital photos of the family that I'll put on here soon from our 2001 trip. Meanwhile, here's a map of Queretaro relative to the rest of Central Mexico and then a great shot of Queretaro, the birthplace of Mexican independence.. kinda like the Boston of Mexico.
A la familia mexicana: se miran este website, Hola y Saludos desde Oregon! de Bill y Jill y nuestras familias gringas! (y lo ciento para mi Espanol malo!)
BILL REID, TV STAR
Monday night, I was on TV in Josephine County, Oregon. I testified before the Josephine County Planning Commission regarding potential new revenue sources (read: taxes and fees) to pay for maintenance of their sadly underfunded rural roads. I felt good about my performance, but it was a bit of a distraction speaking while on the wall to the right of the commission members was the broadcast itself. Try talking to a group of policy-makers about a boring topic while being self-conscious about keeping them awake AND seeing your own ugly mug the size of computer monitor up on the wall simultaneously. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.
As soon as the recording goes on-line, I'll try to have a link posted!
Monday, September 22, 2003
WARNING - NASTY COMPUTER WORM
Someone has unleashed a VERY sneaky virus/worm today under the disguise of Microsoft Tech Support/Security. If you receive an email from "MS Security Department" called "Current Microsoft Security Upgrade" and it looks like the following text, DO NOT OPEN THE FILE ATTACHMENT...IMMEDIATELY DELETE THE EMAIL.
I received it this morning and we confirmed that it was indeed a hoax without opening it. As a matter of policy, Microsoft does not email security patches to the general public, but instead has a download page or free download service from where you can automatically get updates.
Microsoft All Products | Support | Search | Microsoft.com Guide
Microsoft Home
Microsoft Client
this is the latest version of security update, the "September 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which resolves all known security vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express. Install now to continue keeping your computer secure from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an attacker to run executable on your computer. This update includes the functionality of all previously released patches.
System requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later
MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later
MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation Customers should install the patch at the earliest opportunity.
How to install Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use You don't need to do anything after installing this item.
Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can be found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site, or Contact Us.
Thank you for using Microsoft products.
Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact Us | Legal | TRUSTe
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | Accessibility You have been warned...
MORE UPDATES LATER...
Someone has unleashed a VERY sneaky virus/worm today under the disguise of Microsoft Tech Support/Security. If you receive an email from "MS Security Department" called "Current Microsoft Security Upgrade" and it looks like the following text, DO NOT OPEN THE FILE ATTACHMENT...IMMEDIATELY DELETE THE EMAIL.
I received it this morning and we confirmed that it was indeed a hoax without opening it. As a matter of policy, Microsoft does not email security patches to the general public, but instead has a download page or free download service from where you can automatically get updates.
Microsoft All Products | Support | Search | Microsoft.com Guide
Microsoft Home
Microsoft Client
this is the latest version of security update, the "September 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which resolves all known security vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express. Install now to continue keeping your computer secure from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an attacker to run executable on your computer. This update includes the functionality of all previously released patches.
System requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later
MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later
MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation Customers should install the patch at the earliest opportunity.
How to install Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use You don't need to do anything after installing this item.
Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can be found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site, or Contact Us.
Thank you for using Microsoft products.
Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact Us | Legal | TRUSTe
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | Accessibility You have been warned...
MORE UPDATES LATER...
Monday, September 15, 2003
TOM & KATE ON THE MOVE
Tom and Kate are now in the process of moving to their new home as mentioned last week. The new address, starting today Sept. 15, is:
2055 Paul Courter Way
Sacramento, CA 95835
(916) 928-0648
They mention that they will continue to have their cell phone numbers:
Tom - 916-342-3125
Katie 916-342-0436
and email addresses:
Tom - lawman2be@aol.com
Katie - kmhreid@aol.com, khappereid@hannabrophy.com
Send them a housewarming gift or friendly greeting when you get a chance!
GEORGE AND SUE GALLUP-BOUND
George and Sue will be moving to Gallup, NM as a result of George accepting an offer he couldn't refuse.
A management position at Amigo Chevrolet & Toyota.
Congratulations to George on the promotion and change of scenery! Just don't forget to pack your winter coats...
In related news, Jeff will be buying their house in Henderson and renting to roommates to further bankroll the Jeff Bahr Financial Empire. Don't forget to add 5% per month in the rent you charge for a damage/maintenance reserve, Jeff. The maintenance of the house will now legally be solely your financial responsibility! I know a couple of lawyers I can recommend in Sacramento...
VICTOR GARCIA IN LAKE MEAD FISHING TOURNAMENT
Victor and his fishing partner have qualified for a fishing tournament at Lake Mead on the weekend of October 11th. I don't have the name for the tournament, but that doesn't matter so much as an announcement.
I was, however, able to snag a few shots of your competition:
Good luck fellas! By the looks of it, you're going to need it...
NEW BIRTHDAY PARTY DETAILS
Check out www.me-masbirthday.blogspot.com for new details about the surprise birthday party. We have additional information about photos that you need to remember.
Tom and Kate are now in the process of moving to their new home as mentioned last week. The new address, starting today Sept. 15, is:
2055 Paul Courter Way
Sacramento, CA 95835
(916) 928-0648
They mention that they will continue to have their cell phone numbers:
Tom - 916-342-3125
Katie 916-342-0436
and email addresses:
Tom - lawman2be@aol.com
Katie - kmhreid@aol.com, khappereid@hannabrophy.com
Send them a housewarming gift or friendly greeting when you get a chance!
GEORGE AND SUE GALLUP-BOUND
George and Sue will be moving to Gallup, NM as a result of George accepting an offer he couldn't refuse.
A management position at Amigo Chevrolet & Toyota.
Congratulations to George on the promotion and change of scenery! Just don't forget to pack your winter coats...
In related news, Jeff will be buying their house in Henderson and renting to roommates to further bankroll the Jeff Bahr Financial Empire. Don't forget to add 5% per month in the rent you charge for a damage/maintenance reserve, Jeff. The maintenance of the house will now legally be solely your financial responsibility! I know a couple of lawyers I can recommend in Sacramento...
VICTOR GARCIA IN LAKE MEAD FISHING TOURNAMENT
Victor and his fishing partner have qualified for a fishing tournament at Lake Mead on the weekend of October 11th. I don't have the name for the tournament, but that doesn't matter so much as an announcement.
I was, however, able to snag a few shots of your competition:
Good luck fellas! By the looks of it, you're going to need it...
NEW BIRTHDAY PARTY DETAILS
Check out www.me-masbirthday.blogspot.com for new details about the surprise birthday party. We have additional information about photos that you need to remember.
Monday, September 08, 2003
GRANDMA REID HAS A NASTY FALL
Grandma had a bad fall a few days ago, cutting, scratching and bruising herself pretty seriously in the process. She was taken to the hospital where's she's stayed for a few days to heal and feel better. I gave her a call and she was in pretty good spirits, all things considered. She hadn't looked at herself in a mirror yet and was a little afraid of the bruises/cuts, but I told her to tell anyone who asks that she went in for plastic surgery. She thought that was a good idea.
I believe she's back home now, but she did mention that the hospital has worked out an arrangement where a nurse or someone with similar credentials will now begin stopping by the house regularly to assist with anything. She felt pretty good about it, particularly since she understood that Medicare would cover all the costs. Here's hoping it gives her more peace of mind.
NEW BLOG FOR ME-MA'S BIRTHDAY
I've created a new website with news and announcements regarding Me-Ma's coming birthday. Check it out:
http://www.me-masbirthday.blogspot.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT IN A HURRY
Well, we learned over the weekend that several pieces of Jill's grandparents' furniture will be delivered to the house this week from Los Angeles. This includes a dining set and a monstrous, black wrought-iron baker's rack.
So, we switched into high gear and began painting the dining room. We bought a few sample color quarts from Rodda Paints and applied them yesterday. In the process we got rid of most of the dark brown trim that has plagued that room, well to be honest all of the house, and we'll be replacing that with white trim after painting is done this week.
What colors you ask? Well, that's a secret, but when we're all done, I'll post a photo.
All this follows on the heals of a leaky toilet that Jill's father and his friend Steven helped repair last week. The old wax seal had broken, so we had to replace it. The job was reasonably straightforward, but the dumb toilets that we have are all one piece so lifting was particularly heavy because the tank is not detachable. Otherwise, it was as smooth as silk once I had the right replacement screws from Home Depot.
TOM AND KATE SET TO MOVE
Tom emailed to say that he and Kate have been approved to rent a nearly new house in Sacramento. They're finally getting out of the apartment! Congratulations to them; they're going to love it. Should I tell Kate about Tom's yardwork ethic now or later?
Here's a pic of the house and a link to more information about it.
VACATION PICTURES ON THE WAY
Since there's over 400 digital photos from the vacation, it's taking quite a long time to give them all descriptive names and format them appropriately for viewing. By that, I mean many were taken with the camera turned sideways to capture a tall building, a tree or whatever. So I have to go through many of those and turn them rightside, etc.
But soon enough, I'll have some photo highlights posted on here and I'll write some about the countries and individual episodes. Patience...
Grandma had a bad fall a few days ago, cutting, scratching and bruising herself pretty seriously in the process. She was taken to the hospital where's she's stayed for a few days to heal and feel better. I gave her a call and she was in pretty good spirits, all things considered. She hadn't looked at herself in a mirror yet and was a little afraid of the bruises/cuts, but I told her to tell anyone who asks that she went in for plastic surgery. She thought that was a good idea.
I believe she's back home now, but she did mention that the hospital has worked out an arrangement where a nurse or someone with similar credentials will now begin stopping by the house regularly to assist with anything. She felt pretty good about it, particularly since she understood that Medicare would cover all the costs. Here's hoping it gives her more peace of mind.
NEW BLOG FOR ME-MA'S BIRTHDAY
I've created a new website with news and announcements regarding Me-Ma's coming birthday. Check it out:
http://www.me-masbirthday.blogspot.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT IN A HURRY
Well, we learned over the weekend that several pieces of Jill's grandparents' furniture will be delivered to the house this week from Los Angeles. This includes a dining set and a monstrous, black wrought-iron baker's rack.
So, we switched into high gear and began painting the dining room. We bought a few sample color quarts from Rodda Paints and applied them yesterday. In the process we got rid of most of the dark brown trim that has plagued that room, well to be honest all of the house, and we'll be replacing that with white trim after painting is done this week.
What colors you ask? Well, that's a secret, but when we're all done, I'll post a photo.
All this follows on the heals of a leaky toilet that Jill's father and his friend Steven helped repair last week. The old wax seal had broken, so we had to replace it. The job was reasonably straightforward, but the dumb toilets that we have are all one piece so lifting was particularly heavy because the tank is not detachable. Otherwise, it was as smooth as silk once I had the right replacement screws from Home Depot.
TOM AND KATE SET TO MOVE
Tom emailed to say that he and Kate have been approved to rent a nearly new house in Sacramento. They're finally getting out of the apartment! Congratulations to them; they're going to love it. Should I tell Kate about Tom's yardwork ethic now or later?
Here's a pic of the house and a link to more information about it.
VACATION PICTURES ON THE WAY
Since there's over 400 digital photos from the vacation, it's taking quite a long time to give them all descriptive names and format them appropriately for viewing. By that, I mean many were taken with the camera turned sideways to capture a tall building, a tree or whatever. So I have to go through many of those and turn them rightside, etc.
But soon enough, I'll have some photo highlights posted on here and I'll write some about the countries and individual episodes. Patience...
Thursday, September 04, 2003
WHAT DOES D.C. MAYOR-EXTRORDINAIRE MARION BERRY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?
Quick blog update just because this link was so fascinating. Mortality statistics indicate that Washington D.C. in 2000 was more dangerous for a black man than war-time Iraq presently is, no matter how bad the U.S. and British media would have you believe. As they say, here's the "money quote":
According to this week's story from Scripps Howard News Service, there are 140,000 troops in Iraq, and there have been 286 fatalities from all causes since the war began in March (about 24 weeks ago). That gives us an annualized death rate of 443 per 100,000. Only about half of these deaths (147) were in combat, for a combat death rate of 228 per 100,000.
According to Center for Disease Control / National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, there were 21,836 young black men (age 18-30) in Washington DC in 2000, the latest year that mortality data is available. The total number of deaths in this group from all causes was 132, with 95 homicides. i.e. the death rate for this group was 604 per 100,000 and the murder rate was 435 per 100,000.
In other words, a young black male soldier from Washington DC would have been 36% more likely to die by staying at home than by serving in active duty in the Iraq war, and almost twice as likely to be murdered at home than to be killed in combat. Yes, that's horribly sad, but it puts a few things in perspective.
But you'd never hear the New York Times, Dan Rather or the BBC put Iraq mortality rates into true perspective as this data in fact does. They're all about anti-American hysteria over there. I'm particularly sensitive to this point because during our stay in Asia, according to the BBC World Service, the primary English-language news service on TV, Iraq was spinning into chaos, as was Liberia and Israel AND it was all the U.S.'s fault. The coverage was so biased, in fact, it made me think it a major miracle that England joined us in the campaign.
Anyway, just a tidbit of inarguable evidence that most news agencies are truly not serving us.
Quick blog update just because this link was so fascinating. Mortality statistics indicate that Washington D.C. in 2000 was more dangerous for a black man than war-time Iraq presently is, no matter how bad the U.S. and British media would have you believe. As they say, here's the "money quote":
According to this week's story from Scripps Howard News Service, there are 140,000 troops in Iraq, and there have been 286 fatalities from all causes since the war began in March (about 24 weeks ago). That gives us an annualized death rate of 443 per 100,000. Only about half of these deaths (147) were in combat, for a combat death rate of 228 per 100,000.
According to Center for Disease Control / National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, there were 21,836 young black men (age 18-30) in Washington DC in 2000, the latest year that mortality data is available. The total number of deaths in this group from all causes was 132, with 95 homicides. i.e. the death rate for this group was 604 per 100,000 and the murder rate was 435 per 100,000.
In other words, a young black male soldier from Washington DC would have been 36% more likely to die by staying at home than by serving in active duty in the Iraq war, and almost twice as likely to be murdered at home than to be killed in combat. Yes, that's horribly sad, but it puts a few things in perspective.
But you'd never hear the New York Times, Dan Rather or the BBC put Iraq mortality rates into true perspective as this data in fact does. They're all about anti-American hysteria over there. I'm particularly sensitive to this point because during our stay in Asia, according to the BBC World Service, the primary English-language news service on TV, Iraq was spinning into chaos, as was Liberia and Israel AND it was all the U.S.'s fault. The coverage was so biased, in fact, it made me think it a major miracle that England joined us in the campaign.
Anyway, just a tidbit of inarguable evidence that most news agencies are truly not serving us.
Monday, September 01, 2003
LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN HILLSBORO
Well, we're back in the States as of Saturday the 30th. Despite a 13-hour flight, we arrived (2:00 pm Saturday Pacific) before we departed (4:45 pm Saturday Hong Kong). Jet lag is definitely more of a factor on return as we've both undergone spells of serious fatigue randomly in the middle of the day. Jill's taking melatonin while I'm the control and there's no significant difference between our respective adjustment to Pacific time.
So, we've taken it extremely easy. Jill's parents are in town visiting, having brought the cats back up from Medford and now they're taking care of various chores necessary before they move to Hillsboro. They have a new cat, or kitten, Max, a furry black little thing that's probably the mellowest kitten anyone's ever seen. Even Sundaye hasn't had a problem with him.
In the coming days, I hope to post some photos from our trip with various information and other details. I promise not to make it boring; nobody likes wading through hundreds of vacation slides and photos. Plus, the system has only so much bandwidth. Just give me a little time... The new Minolta digital camera was a smashing success. The nearly 400 photos I took over vacation are nearly all very good quality with only a few blurry or poor photos. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
So, I'm about to go to bed to get rest for my first day back to work tomorrow. Before I get there, I have to go to downtown Hillsboro and take care of our water bill that somehow didn't get paid for August. I've looked through everything and I don't know that I ever received it to be perfectly honest. All the other utilities and bills were taken care of over the trip, so the water issue is peculiar indeed.
Well, I'd better hit the hay. Until later..
Well, we're back in the States as of Saturday the 30th. Despite a 13-hour flight, we arrived (2:00 pm Saturday Pacific) before we departed (4:45 pm Saturday Hong Kong). Jet lag is definitely more of a factor on return as we've both undergone spells of serious fatigue randomly in the middle of the day. Jill's taking melatonin while I'm the control and there's no significant difference between our respective adjustment to Pacific time.
So, we've taken it extremely easy. Jill's parents are in town visiting, having brought the cats back up from Medford and now they're taking care of various chores necessary before they move to Hillsboro. They have a new cat, or kitten, Max, a furry black little thing that's probably the mellowest kitten anyone's ever seen. Even Sundaye hasn't had a problem with him.
In the coming days, I hope to post some photos from our trip with various information and other details. I promise not to make it boring; nobody likes wading through hundreds of vacation slides and photos. Plus, the system has only so much bandwidth. Just give me a little time... The new Minolta digital camera was a smashing success. The nearly 400 photos I took over vacation are nearly all very good quality with only a few blurry or poor photos. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
So, I'm about to go to bed to get rest for my first day back to work tomorrow. Before I get there, I have to go to downtown Hillsboro and take care of our water bill that somehow didn't get paid for August. I've looked through everything and I don't know that I ever received it to be perfectly honest. All the other utilities and bills were taken care of over the trip, so the water issue is peculiar indeed.
Well, I'd better hit the hay. Until later..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
