The TrUtH According to Lisa

Trying on Texas

It is hard to believe but I have been in Texas over a year now. A lot has happened...some days it seems like I just got here. My husband and I have new jobs, we moved into a new home, I had two knee surgeries, suffered a fair amount of pain, kept working. We have spent lots of time with our family here and especially with the four grand kids. That being said, I think Texas is growing on me.

Texas was never a place I wanted to go or end up. I have driven across Texas in the heat of summer in an unairconditioned car. There was not much to be seen except dust, rock, and tumbleweed...but Texas is a big place and proud place. The big means there is a lot more than dust and tumbleweed and the proud makes me feel like I am still a pioneer in a place that is still new, vital, and growing. Texas was once its own country and there are many here who would like just that...in some respects, I might not mind that.

The people are warm and inviting. Men have manners and open the door. People are just plain nice and I enjoy that. Even at work, I find it a much nicer, more family centered place. It feels good.

The land is like California with many of the same plants. In this regard, I love it. It already felt like home. The fall, winter, and spring were perfect and I almost never even put on a sweater. That was refreshing. My recent trip to the San Francisco Bay Area showed me my blood had thinned already and I found the low 70s cold. It might be because their 70s is a cool moist one while ours is a warm one. We have lots of breezes here...the town just north of me is called Pfluegerville...I think that means Windyville in English. On hot days, it is welcome.

My daughter does not like that I am five miles east of civilization. But I like being out in the wide open spaces. I like the farms and watching the cows. I love the fields of wildflowers. The toll road near me lets me zip to work going 80 mph.

My husband mentioned that we have much more culture here than the Bay Area in many ways...when you are out in the burbs there, it is pretty much just that...but here, it is a short drive into Austin...and there is a lot of cool stuff to do there.

So, I bought my first cowgirl boots and Wally his. We got boot socks and learned how to fit boots and get them on and off...it is quite the art form. I think the dust has settled and I am liking it here and when asked if I miss MA or CA, sure I do...I loved both of those places and more importantly my friends, but Texas is a good place to be for this moment of my life's journey. And as for the rest of my life, bring it on.

What is a breast biopsy like?

Today, I had two breast biopsies. I could have had three, but one problem area was next to another and they were able to do both in one. Every six months or so I go for a mammagram and an ultrasound. This is because I have "busy" breasts and they were watching a few areas. This round those areas changed.

Most of the time, cysts or other masses with clearly defined edges are no big deal. They find them, watch them, you go home and there are no return calls. This time they said, well, we need to biospy. I had a surgical biopsy about five years ago. It was benign. That time they put me out. It was rather agressive and today I wish  I had done it like what I had today. That procedure went through the nipple and the feeling never returned to be normal. Most biopsies are benign so it is not worth getting all worked up, but it is easy to be stressed. I am stressed.

Today, I went to the Austin Radiological Association facility called the Women's Imaging Center. It is a huge facility and a radiologist did the biopsies.  They explain everything they do. Redid the ultrasound and marked up my breast for the doctor. The doctor inspected the ultrasound for himself, located the problem area, shot me up with a local anesthetic, which I was told is similar to what is used in a dental office. He removed some fluid, then dove  a bit deeper for some tissue samples. He repeated this on my other breast.

I did not look. I am too quesy. There was really no pain, only weird pressure as he pushed my breast around with the needle inside to guide it properly. Even the local did not hurt. The biopsy machine sounds a bit like a drill, buzz buzz and he has a sample...it is kind of funny in an odd way. One side bothered me more than the other, for that one I was feeling some nausea, but it quickly passed. The second one did not bother me at all.

Afterwards, I got all kinds of directions on icing up my breasts, no lifting more than five pounds (we fly to CA on Friday). Take showers but no sooner than 24 hours from now. Do not submerge the breasts until they heal, blah blah...my head is spinning. The local anesthesia has a stimulent in it...I feel like I am on speed. Blood pressure is elevated. I feel tired.  I am glad this part is behind me. I may hear as early as tomorrow afternoon. Now, the waiting begins and I am not good with waiting...one day at at time.

Facing down the big C.

On Wednesday, I go in for a triple breast biopsy. I been down this road once before and everything was fine. This time, I have something they say shows blood circulation in it and that has me a tad nervous. I am trying to get my arms around the possibility of the thing that as a child filled me with dread. My neighbor, Mrs. Holloway, had breast cancer and died several years later and watching her go through that terrified me of the big C. She was almost like a second mom to me...she was the first parent I knew to die. I hoped I would never see a bad cancer so tried to live a healthy live, but cancer, it takes no prisoners...it strikes anyone.

In recent years, my paternal aunt has fought a breast cancer and won. My cousin, Denise, is fighting for her life with stage IV. She is my age. I was told last year my paternal grandmother had a double mastectomy in the 1930s...preventative they say, but I am thinking she most likely had cancer and in those days ladies did not talk. My paternal Great grandfather Scheuplein had stomach cancer. My sister and father have both had melanoma and got it early, thank God. These cancer types are related to the bad breast cancer gene. If I get handed the big C diagnosis, I will seek out genetic testing. If I have the bad gene, I will react differently than if I do not...but I will try not to get the cart before the horse. Detour ahead...tears I have...sure...but after knee replacement this past January...the biopsies seem small. I am just angry I have to endure it...and angry I have to be strong, but it is the only choice I can make at this time. Everything happens for a reason whether I like it or not...I just try to step back and examine my life and try to make the best of the cards about to be dealt to me.

Learning how to walk again or Life after knee replacement

When I went in for orthoscopic surgery last June, I thought it was going to make me good as new. Instead, I awoke my arthritis and I became bone on bone...meaning I had very extreme pain in the 8 to 10 zone. It ended up being worse than my knee replacement that followed in January.

Knee surgery taught me about long term pain. Sure, pregnancy was painful, but it ended. I still have pain, I don't bend right yet, but I can walk, ride a bike, and try to swim and I do okay. I am literally learning to walk and bend and swim all over again. I took a yoga class last weekend and I could not do the child's pose. I could not really do a lot of the poses that put me on my knees. I wanted to cry. I have to learn to swim again too. Mostly because I lost so much strength in my right leg. I know I have to endure through these times and be glad I am doing these things. It is hard to go from being a strong person to realizing you are not immortal, nor is your strength.

When I rise to a standing position, I feel 80 years old...but once I get moving I feel ok. I am getting my stride back. Surgery was almost 4 months ago. Half my knee is still numb but I am making progress. I have been off pain meds for well over a month now. They were keeping me awake at night. I have to laugh at myself trying to garden...when I try to sit down on the ground, kneel, or get around it is pretty funny. Sometimes, I ask Wally to pull me up.

What is hard for me is what I call the queise factor. I am pretty quesy when it comes to blood and guts and things that are icky and so when I have to deal with a knee that is numb or feels icky when I put my weight on it, it holds me back a bit. When I walk there is a slight clicking. Mom mentioned that and so I was aware of it. More and more it is becoming my knee, but for now I am aware of my titanium's foreign properties. I am hoping this fades over time. I am looking forward to the day I will wake up, get out of bed and not wobble or feel the weirdness of the new knee, and walk like ME and not give it another thought...that will be the day!

At work, people still try to be nice to me and look out for me getting up or around. I am sure, to some degree, I am the cripple. That is all they have known about me. Now, I am going to turn that around and I hope that the memory of me hobbling around is gone for good. Having been pretty healthy all my life has been a blessing, so it is understandable that this threw me for a loop. Mom got her knee replacement in her late 70s and I am only 56. I am glad not to be hurting and thankful to be on the mend. I am thankful for good health insurance.

Moralist America and Campaigns

I don't know about you, but I am tired of all the finger pointing and debating over fidelity in the campaigns or office. Now that we have so much scrutiny, we are about to scrutinize leaders right out of the office and for what? Moralists? Most of the people who have screamed how moral they are just have not been caught, YET.  For one, I am not sure how many presidents in this century honored their vows...and at this point, as long as they do their job, I don't care.  Do I agree with moralist Gov. Perry that if a man cheats on his wife he will cheat in business? Hell no. I don't have to like what he does but it is his business and between him and his wife to figure out how to live.

Personally, I am sick of picking at each candidate to the point that, who in their right mind would want to run for office? Power corrupts and it is damn hard for any man in power to avoid these pitfalls...it is all a part of risk talking...I do not condone it, I just recognize that we are flawed fundamentally as humans.

I read a good piece on CNN today. This piece was on Gingrich, who I don't personally like from when he last was popular in politics and I find it humorous that the moralist right seems to be on his band wagon.  What I like best in this article is a quote. First let me post the link to the article:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/15/opinion/navarette-gingrich-fidelity/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

Here is the quote:

Gingrich needs to stop conceding so much on this issue. He needs to get off defense and go back on offense. In fact, if I were Gingrich, the next time this issue is raised, I'd turn to my opponents and say:

"Yes, I'm made mistakes. I'm not perfect. My earlier marriages were failures. Let's do this. Everyone who is flawless and who has a perfect marriage and who has never made a mistake in life can vote for you. Everyone else can vote for me. And we'll see how it goes."

There you go...I think if we are honest we would stop picking at this stuff and start talking about what really matters and that is getting this nation back on track and solving the financial crisis. Have you had enough of this BS about the personal lives of these candidates? I have.

Steve Jobs Has Died

I moved to Silicon Valley just as Steve Jobs and Apple Computer were exploding into the universe. He was this snappy young engineer with a bow tie. What I liked was the name of one of his early computers...LISA. I used to joke he named it after me...blush.

My very first computer that got me through college was an Apple clone. I salivated over having a Mac. Somehow, the pretty icons made it seem user friendly and that was good because up until this time computers kind of scared me. Steve and Apple were always big news in the Bay Area. I never worked for Apple but friends did. It was almost like a religion. You were either a Apple or a Windows person. Most of my life I was actually a Windows person.

Steve build a house in Palo Alto and it was a pretty country French home. I always thought the wild flowers in the front yard looked like weeds, but the house was cute. Some nights, when I drove by on the way home (he lived around the corner from my place),  I would see his profile in a window.  He was not as big as God just yet. His kid when to the same sch0ol as mine. My daughter painted a space alien on the school wall one year and the next year a similar one was on Toy Story. I often wondered if Steve or one of his people took a walk with him to Jordan Middle School and they copied my daughter's idea for the three-eyed little alien...but I will never know.

I moved to Boston in 97. About this time Apple was dying as a company. The stock was in the toilet. This guy in my office, Joe Smith, loved the company so much and was buying up the stock. I remember saying to him, good luck to you. I think the company will be dead in a year. Soon thereafter, Jobs returned. Things changed and the rest in history and I embrace Apple as I love the new computers, phones, and other devices. They are brilliant.  I own the stock now since it was 60 dollars. I was wrong about them, but happily so.

I used to ponder on  big men like Steve. Those who achieve so much. I have envied in my life and Steve, who was born in my year, I have envied his career and success. A few of the few people I have envied have experienced grave things. In Steve's case, this became cancer. He has fought it brilliantly, but in the end, no matter of success or money kept grim reaper away. I am still breathing and I am sure he would likely trade places with me any day. I am humbled.

As I watch the out pouring of love since his death, I think he would have been touched. I know I have been. He is a symbol of everything American. He did not even complete college, which goes to show you that no degree is necessary, only the guts to believe and love what you do. He did just that. I had heard he was a bit of a son of a bitch to a lot of people, but recently I had heard his speech at Standford from 2005. His words were very wise and his soul gentle. I wished I had known him personally. I think I would have enjoyed his brain...

Thank you Steve for all you brought to us.  Maybe he will get busy and make Heaven an even cooler place.

Religion and Politics do not mix.

Yesterday, I heard my governor and presidential candidate, Rick Perry, talk about how he knew he had peace from God about not knowing everything at the moment but (God) would reveal it to him in time. Wow, so all his thoughts are God breathed? That is dangerous thinking for anyone Christian or not. See, what folks do not get is, we are human and as such are subject to flaws. No human ever has a perfect pipeline to God. We may get it right sometimes but other times EGO steps in. I think it is dangerous to pry on the simple minded and say God tells me what to do in good time.  It really peeves me for leaders to use God to get votes. If you are a Christian or other faith, let your life so shine that it tells me...words are forever cheap. I will not vote for Perry because he is showing me he is a political hack for this very reason. My God is powerful enough to do his will regardless who is in power. Enough said.

9/11 A Day To Remember...

Where did the last 10 years go? Ten years ago, my son Jason spent a wonderful summer with us...I could not have been more happy. He interned at my company and learned about thermal engineering. My company loved him and I could not have been more proud. From this experience, he set his career and now works for Lockheed doing this type of work.

The week of 9/11 my son's girlfriend came to Boston. They spent a wonderful week together here and her ticket to return to San Jose, CA was for 5 pm, on 9/11 on American Airlines. The morning of 9/11, Wally stayed home sick. Jen, Jason, Janelle were sleeping...I drove to work taking note of the stellar beautiful blue sky day. The kind that makes you just smile. The day before at work, we suffered a layoff...I could not imagine anything worse.

I was early to a meeting and sat alone in a conference room when a co-worker sat down saying what a terrible day it was...."What? What can be worse than yesterday?" I asked. He told me about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I asked if it was a little plane. He was not sure yet. Then someone came in saying it was an airliner...and so I jumped up and went to Jason's (my son's) cube and called home. I reached Wally and he was watching this on TV. He filled me in on what was known. As we spoke the second plane hit. Then everything started to come unglued.

Work stopped. Most of us huddled numb in front of TVs in the office. Some folks left. I was glad all my babies were at home with Wally, all except Jared...he was in California. When I moved to Boston I always said, not to worry I was only a plane ride away, on 9/11 that changed. Flying has never been the same. We watched the 9/11 events stunned. No one knew how extensive the attacks would be...or if more would come. When I got home we began trying to figure out how to get Jason and Janelle home. They were both to be back in the next week for college classes. Janelle's flight was that night and cancelled. Jason's a few days later. Janelle wanted to fly home later in the week, I said no, we cannot put you on mass transit, I do not trust it. Then plans were made to rent a car and they drove home. Not an idea that thrilled Janelle, as I think she did not care for long car rides. At least I felt safer than a plane, bus, train...

There was this man who was a consultant to Avici Systems. The night before 9/11 he asked our IT person to work late so he could return the next morning early to his new bride. He had sat in my chair on 9/10...and on the morning of 9/11, he was on one of the flights out of Boston that hit one of the towers...he perished. I later read about his wife, who was so devastated in losing her new husband, that she committed suicide. Such a tragedy! This was the lone person I knew who perished.

In November, we flew to Florida to visit my parents for Thanksgiving. I was not thrilled to fly. I watched a parent place an Elmo doll in the overhead compartment for their child. The lady next to me and I watched that together and we both took comfort in this flight somehow thinking of the children aboard. After 9/11, the economy busted. High tech lost jobs in a fashion unseen before. No one cried about our job losses, nor made a plan to keep or help us. Our investments and life savings took a terrible stumble...we never imagined them not returning to previous values and we were all invested in high tech....I lost a job and was out for 4 months. Wally, lost several and it was very difficult in sales during those years. 9/11 and the aftermath hurt us deeply, mostly from an economic level.

Thankfully, this is not the case today, though high tech stocks such as Cisco have never returned to those values... Ten years ago I worked for one of the highest IPO companies of the year 2000. I lived in my dream home, I flew with no hesitation. I had 3.5 million in stock options in a black out period, near half million in stocks, all vanish before my eyes over a period of weeks...today we have great jobs, and continue to rebuild our finances but time is short at our ages to recover that sort of money. We live near two of our children and four grand kids and life is good. I do have to say though, that the last 10 years have been a hard road, but looks rosier everyday. I do think that 9/11, and the events thereafter changed my life forever and the lives of many...and as I look out to the clear, sunny blue sky day today, I am reminded of that beautiful day and I hope the US never sees another tragic day like that one.

I want to thank my politicians....

Yes, thank you for sucking at running the US economy and running it down the toilet. We elected you in good faith, and you could not even manage a budget. Since when do we spend money we do not have? We cannot have a utopia if we cannot afford it.

Thank you for further RUINING hope by dragging out a deal to stop the US from defaulting, but that is a whole other story. While you dragged your asses, people dug in their heals, stopped spending, held their breath. This continued to drive economic indicators DOWN.

This economy is such a mess...and if you would stop playing "being an official" and doing your jobs, and not take your vacations if the job is not done, like the rest of us, maybe we would not be in this mess. I think many of you will be gone with the next election. Unless you start talking for real about CUTTING costs and balancing this budget we really do not want to hear from you.

In other words, thanks for nothing!

Ortho Knee Surgery Is Not for Sissies.

When I had knee pain over 1.5 years ago, the first doctor looked at my xrays and asked me when I wanted a knee replacement. That freaked me out and I did nothing for a long time, hoping it would heal and it did not. I did a series of therapy for it, and that did not help either. I then made an appointment for a second opinion with the doctors who see the Red Sox and New England Patriots. They said I did not need to replace my knee and gave me a shot and said if that did not work, next thing to do would be an MRI and possibly Orthoscopy.

We decided to move to Austin, so I did nothing other than more therapy to calm the pain, which helped some.

In Austin, I was referred to Texas Orthopedics. Wow. They saw me, took a new xray and did my MRI in the same day. I had my surgery within a month, my choice. I was told that in most cases I should be up and about with little pain the Monday following my Friday surgery. This did not turn out to be true.

In my case, when the doctor wentin he found two tears in my meniscus and he basically scraped off boney deposits from my knee cap and from the tops of my leg bones. The PT says this feels like a bone fracture.

I have had over four weeks of pain spikes between the 8 to 10 level...sleepless nights due to pain even though I take the meds, but I tried to pull back on the pain pills but this appears to be a bad idea. I don't take meds or vitamins easily. I just hate pills but I hate this level of pain more...so a few days ago, I decided to take my full level of meds and it SEEMS to help and I have had no pain spikes. I am finally consistently walking nearly normally except for some pain and some clicking in my knee. My PT says I have to work through the pain, build up my muscles so that the knee will work properly. I sure hope so. I been trying very hard and today when I go to therapy I will NOT be dragging my leg...haha. She yelled at me on Tuesday, but the darn thing was hurting!

I take a lot of pain. My first three tooth fillings I got without novacaine because I was too afraid of needles. In childbirth, I did not lose control even though it was not easy.  This has been weeks and weeks of pain...so after a while it drains....

I am really looking forward to getting back to the gym and working out with my trainer. I have enjoyed doing water aerobics. I really have learned to appreciate being healthy and walking....all in good time I guess. Knee surgery is definately NOT for sissies.

Our Leaders Have Failed

Time is getting short for our leaders to fix the budget and get us on track. Damage to our economy happens every day for their lack of leadership and for the fear mongering they do to stir up the "little people." That alone I think is appalling.

First of all, it was our elected officials that ALLOWED for this mess in the first place. We have the best government money can buy, not a government for and by the people. They even have their very own health care. How much of our budget is that? I say get rid of it. Not heard a word about that as part of the budget talks. I would have fired them all for getting us here in the first place.

So, here we are in this horrible economic mess and we have two sides battling and no compromise. You know, when there is no money there are no paid for items "for the people." This utopia has ended. We can only buy what we can afford...and I know that is how I live. I have no credit cards, I live on what I earn. The only card I use is my bank card. A few years ago, we decided to get real and get rid of debt. By Christmas or January, we will be debt free. It is an amazing thing, but it meant giving up some things. I for one got sick of paying interest...and as a nation we should stop relaying on that as well. It costs too much.

So, where is Donald Trump when we need him...I can hear him tell all these guys, "You're Fired!" I for one hope we vote out all the incumbents for their lack of leadership and for getting us in this mess we have today. They have failed.

Congressional Reform Act 2011--Do You Agree?

This came to me via one of my friends and I agree with it. If you do to, send it along to your friends.

Congressional Reform Act 2011

  The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified!  Why?  Simple!  The people demanded it.  That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

   Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

   I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

   In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.  This is one idea that really should be passed around.

   Congressional Reform Act of 2011

   1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below..

A. Two Six-year Senate terms

B. Six Two-year House terms

C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

   2.  No Tenure / No Pension.

   A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 

   3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

   All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.  All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

   4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

   5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise or fall by the lower of CPI or 3%.

   6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

   7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

   8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. 

   The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.  Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

   Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

   If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message.  Maybe it is time.


   THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it on.   If not, just delete

   You are one of my 20+.  Please keep it going.

Scandel Comes to an End

Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned today in what must have been the worst most embarrassing moment in his life.  It is hard to imagine how someone in his position would expose himself so freely on the Internet, but this came to light with all the gory details and the result is an end to his career as a politician, at least for now.

I must say I am surprised to see how someone's sins can be measured in such a way as to be greater than other transgressions in office. As each sordid story emerges we watch and listen what happens. Some lose office, some do not. Fingers are pointed left and right and I know as I watch the finger pointing and as the Scarlet Letter is embroidered on various foreheads and as the stones are swiftly picked up, I wonder why no one seems to take pause at their own transgressions.

I know that others in office are just as guilty and yet will stand there with stones in hand...not yet caught or exposed...acting as if they are moral and pious...taking refuge in the great unknown, until it is known...Weiner made some huge transgressions...no doubt. But I will not be standing there with stones in my hand today.  His mistakes are what they were, others are doing equally disturbing activities yet are not talked about. We have politicians who are alcoholics, and others who do other things...there is no real way to police a lot of this stuff.  Some seem to want our officials to be morally pure, as if such a state actually existed. I say it is a nice goal...some may come close, but as human beings we start out the gate with defect. Some of our greatest leaders have had great weaknesses.  Perhaps there is some connection?

Anyway, I do not know if Weiner has an illness or not, probably he is just a narcisst, sociopath, we demand a lot of people in public office. Honestly, if most of us were exposed to the scruitiny these poor chaps are exposed to I wonder how perfect we would stand. Sometimes, I am not sure if it is worth running for office or being famous for the microscope that becomes a part of life.

For his wife's and family's sake, I hope the news dies down and goes away. I hope he learns and does something amazing with that energy and I hope each of us will examine our own hearts before we pick up stones. Just saying.

For the Love of Grand Children...

I love my kids, more than life itself. Grandkids are even more interesting. They listen to me. Somehow, what I say to them is fascinating. I marvel in this. Where kids have parent ears, the kind of listening that is tuned out, grand kids listen. If grand kids misbehave at home, some magical thing happens when they are with grandparents.

Somehow, what is work at home, becomes play with grandparents. As I type this, Grandpa has my grandkids equipped with a vacuum and dustbuster, they are walking around like soldiers looking for anything worthy of sucking up...hehe. It is simply hilarious. The two-year-old is armed with the DustBuster...and the 4-year-old with the mini-vacuum. He leads them like the Pied Piper. Last night, Grandpa had both grandsons on his lap and it was just too loving to miss that moment. This is when I LOVE cell phone cameras. They are always there to capture precious moments.

This morning as we sipped coffee and the kids had some orange juice and a healthy cereal similar to Cherrios, but this one has little hearts in it, our grand daughter needed her diapers changed but she elected Grandpa to do it. I laughed so hard. He never had kids so I guess the Universe is ensuring he fill his diaper quota!

We will be making some waffles soon...but they got up too early so that is where the cereal came in handy. I need more coffee...so sipping some of that and watching the entertainment. I told Griffin my waffle machine flips over while baking waffles and he can't wait to see that. He wonders if the waffle will fall out...hehe.

We have had these two grand children over since early yesterday so my daughter and husband can pack. They are supposed to move in a few weeks, if all the kinks work out on the purchase of a new home for them.  Last night, I fixed a BBQ for the whole family and for the first time I has most of my kids all around our table and the children at the little table I found on Craig's List.  The only thing to make that moment more precious would have been to have Jason and Janelle and Kaylee...we MISS YOU GUYS too! We hope to have that pleasure for Thanksgiving!

We been up for two hours. and it is not yet 8 am. Time for cartoons...More coffee please!

 

Boston Bids Farewell With Beautiful Sunrise. . .

Today is a beautiful day in Boston. Sunny, a bit cool, breezy...and Spring has sprung with the first spring trees popping into bloom and the daffodils and tulips  bursting with color. I saw this a few weeks ago as we drove south to Texas and now I get to have Spring again.

The move went exceedingly well. The car got pickup on time, the movers slipped in right behind them. Mayflower sent some very nice men who handled our things very well. We were done and out the door by 4:30 or so. The pain of moving made so much easier leaning on the help of my friend Sarahjane. She cheerfully volunteered to help me as I could not be in two places at once...she helped to clean, and she drove me to Boston...truly a dear friend. Other friends this week greeted me for dinner out, at their homes or a restaurant. It was a beautiful week that way...yes, I shed a few tears, but I am happy!  Hard not to be happy with so many doors opening in Texas...

So, my daughter waits on the other side. We are going to a very nice Mexican restaurant for lunch.  Then I get to go see my soon to be new home for the very first time! I am very excited...

I board my plane in one hour...and I had an interesting morning when my overfull suitcase broke...I summoned up some packing tape from the Boston Logan Hilton. I paid overages on my 62 pound bag, I went through the wrong gate check point because it was before coffee  and Jet Blue now uses three gates on the United side of the house (how dare they test me before coffee?). I realized this only AFTER buying my coffee and breakfast...good thing I am an early bird.

So, I am at my gate in a way too full terminal of people trying to get someplace. A Denver flight is boarding at my feet. I am sitting on a floor near the ONLY electric plug...and passing time on my PC. The end game is in sight...and Austin awaits.

And after 14 years, I bid Boston goodbye-- for now...

Avatar goodness from SL

I posted the magazine to Facebook yesterday, but those who did not wish to navigate but wanted to see the pictures, I am posting them here. In March, my Second Life avatar won a high profile modeling semi-finals for the Avenue Couture Look contest. One of the prizes is a full page spread in the April 2011 issue of Avenue Magazine, which is interesting to look at in itself to see what it looks like. The artistic richness of Second Life is amazing. These outfits I am wearing are a mash from many others. To make it in Second Life modeling you must be very creative and unique. I am very pleased with this win...

 

The above image is a simple classic formal to contrast against the following:

 

The above outfit was my winning costume. I really love it. It was no small task to put together.

 

I loved this outfit too. The world of fashion in Second Life is amazing. I really have a lot o fun. If you want to read my avatar's interview CLICK HERE. To find the article, you have to click through until you see that first picture...enjoy!

Starting to say my good-byes. . .

I am good at doing things. I can organize with the best of them and pull anything off. Moving, the physical part of it, the planning and logistics is a piece of cake. Emotionally, I am generally strong and I did pretty well up until today really.

Part of going meant using up gift certificates I can't use in Texas. One of our most dearest friends here, Larry and Arlene, gave me a spa certificate a while ago and I only just used it today. As I relaxed in the dark room, on the warmed table with the new age music I felt very relaxed and was glad for the break when I realized this was my last Friday in New England and tomorrow is my last breakfast with the ham guys we love so dearly. They truly have been our family these last 14 years and I started to weep and felt like an idiot waiting for the technician to walk in on me.

I also thought about Larry and Arlene and even though we have seen little of each other since we moved from our house into apartments, they remain so dear in my heart. I wept more and tried to snap out of it.  Tears were streaming down my face, I could not even wipe my eyes because my face was marinating in some herble miracle.

I was near their house so I wanted to see if I could stop by for a hug before moving next week, I dialed the number and was bawling and laughing because YES, I am happy to move and everything has gone so well, we are blessed, but moving means unraveling the mesh foundation of friendship enough to wriggle through so you can move on...these friendships are not ending, but they are changing and distance will make it hard, I know...I have moved and put distance between myself and many dear friends over the years. But just because I have done it before does not make it easier. Arlene was surprised with my level of emotion, I guess sometimes I am stoic. My emotions run very deep and moving and being close to my children and their precious babies has opened me up a lot.

So the good-byes are beginning. I have dinner tomorrow night with four other dear, wonderful friends, another comes to help me with the final packing on Sunday. People at work came by today to say farewell as they were going on holiday next week and would miss my lunch.

Arlene invited me to dinner with them on  Tuesday...and the clock keeps ticking and I know the next days will pass quickly and I soon will be with Wally and all the kids and I am REALLY HAPPY for that and for all the goodness that came to make this real. But, the good-byes are so very hard I only wish I could weave a connection that keeps everyone I love close to me, because each and every one of them means so much. I do not escape Boston without pools of tears for the joy of knowing many dear people.

T-minus 9 days and counting. . .and I am a bonafide nomad.

The todo list is swirling in my head...I was chilling out after the weekend until I  realized I need to be prepared for Saturday to ship anything I need access to before we get our stuff again. The car is supposed to be shipped Monday. The movers come Wednesday. I am staying in Boston the last night so I can hop a plane early the next morning. I need to pack up my office as well. I start my new job on the 25th. Never a dull moment.

My boss reminded me how I am facing some of life's biggests stresses. I smiled. I don't feel too bad. I miss Wally as I am used to leaning...we are great partners to get things done (he would say I meant him doing all the packing <grins>. He is a comfort that I am appreciating more with his absence. 

My biggest worry for this entire move was jobs. Before I made the decision I stressed. I wondered "How do I rip up our lives and press restart at this point in life?" I weighed jobs and friends and a life built here over the last 14 years....then I acknowledged I am a bonafide nomad...I am good at this. I think the reason I am doing okay is I don't sweat the things I cannot control. That is like trying to swim upstream. I have a plan, I work the plan and if plan A does not work I chill out and look to where life leads me. I believe all things happen for a reason.

We have been exceedingly lucky these past weeks. I decided to play that luck a bit more yesterday. Near our home here in Lowell is a very old pub that sells lottery tickets. I took my old tickets, took my winnings off one, and bought a new ticket with 11 weeks of pulls on my numbers. While I was there, I got a beer, some Belgium orange flavored one, and took a call from the Dell HR guy. We had a fun chat. I told him I left my donation for the drug test and that completes the stuff require to on-board at Dell. Next email will tell me where to report and when on Monday, April 25th.

There is still a busy road ahead. I look forward to sitting down on the Jet Blue flight on Thursday and later when it lands in Austin...and this spring will be all about new beginnings. I have always said, "Home is wherever I am." I think that is because home is so much more than a place, it is a creation.

All the pieces fall into place. . .

This move to Austin has been an amazing experience. I have been trying to practice paying attention and letting things happen when they should vs. when I want. Our potential move was slated for the fall, but job opportunities arose sooner. A resume was submitted and Wally was hired. He was packing up the house and had me selling furniture LONG before the offer was in hand...I smiled at his energy and went with it. I did not need the things to live...so parting with them was ok. We had no plan b really.

When he got his offer, I put out a few resumes and had a call to interview with Dell. They wanted me out pretty fast but I was going to be there the following Monday, could they wait? They could. I interview very well, but I did not really count on having an offer with the first interview in Austin. I was hoping I would because my biggest fear was losing my job. I was containing it and trusting that everything would work out...trying to use what I been taught in recent years...keeping my vibration high, acknowledging my fears but choosing to believe in a good outcome. This entire move has forced me into high gear on this way of thinking (Thank you Karen and Peg!).

Typically, I don't forget to ask when I might hear back on the hiring process, I did this time...then I began to stew a bit. I flew back to Lowell alone. Facing the last packing and dealing with the move was hard...things I am well equipped to do but with some amount of dread...I lean on Wally more than I realized, so again I had to wrestle with choice. I had to recognize my dread, package it up and put it away and just trust...that good was coming...it may not be exactly what I expect but whatever it would be would be good. Mercury is even retrograde...something I did not need but still choosing to believe good. I got the offer and  start on April 25th.

My friends here continue to be supportive and caring. I meet weekly for breakfast...there are some dinners...and I am blessed for the friendships we have had here, they are the hardest piece of the puzzle to move away from. To each of you who read this, know we love you and we waited many years partly due to having such great friends here...who could leave you?

I have been packing and cleaning each room...moving toward the final cleanup. Ordering the movers, buying my ticket to fly back. Giving some stuff to a neighbor for free because I don't need it, she does, and it helps me. She does not want to take it without payment, I assure her taking it is payment enough. She works at the local spa and I need a massage so I will see her on Wednesday...I love talking to her and wished I met her sooner.

The weather continues to warm here. Should be in the 70s today. This weekend I opened the blinds and windows and turned on the ceiling fans and brought in the sweet spring air. I am down to the final boxes and should be all packed at my leisure this weekend. I have a hair appointment on Sat. for one last visit with Leah. She told me I am her favorite customer and she is so sad I am going. She loves our talks. I enjoy hearing about her life as well. So many goodbyes. . .

Some chapters in life make so much sense, as this new chapter is. I know moving closer to two of my kids is a good idea. The only better piece would be having all three near. I could not love my kids more. I am not sure how I went this long being so far away from them--as close as we are. It amazes me how I boxed up my emotions to deal with what life dealt me but then when I opened those boxes it rushed right back in...and I remember.

I don't like being separated from Wally either.  The good part is, it makes me appreciate him more. So I am counting the days. There are 10 more until I fly back to Austin. A lot can happen in 10 days...but I continue to believe everything happens for a reason and good things are coming my way.

Life is an adventure and I am glad I have new surprises. Wally tells me life with me is anything but dull and boring :-). Look out Austin, here I come.

The Journey to Austin, TX Begins. . .

After years of nudging from my youngest and oldest to move to Austin, and years of soul searching about making a move at this stage of the game of life, we decided last fall to move to Austin. The plan was to have one of us get a job, and the other would follow--hopefully scoring a job soon thereafter.

I am good at moving. I have made major moves all my life, three times cross-country to and from CA from Florida following my father in his aerospace career. Once to Oregon when I was a newlywed. From OR to Silicon Valley with my young family, and from Silicon Valley to Boston to follow my job at Bay Networks. I thought this was my last move, but life is an adventure and I know I have lots of adventure yet to come as I trade lobsters for BBQ, and frigid winters for steamy hot summers.

But, the greatest gain by far, is healing the separation between mother and children as best as I can do, with two of my children here and one other in Silicon Valley with his dear family. My family is a prime example of migration. My mother is the only child in her family born here to German immigrants who came to this country in 1929. My father is the son of German immigrants and a Hugunaut.  I have envied my New England friends who have lived here forever, and have their roots here. Family is big in New England and I have always wished I had a true home town, where I was born, raised and lived among familiar faces, but that was not to be. My kids grew up not really knowing their grandparents much. None of them really lived near us. I swore that would not be for me and my grandkids, but then it became my reality. So, all things in life are choice. We choose now to live near kids we love and their families we love.

My father and mother live in Florida and he looks at me and my decision and blinks. I think he wonders how I could resign from the best most lucritive job of my life, pull up stakes and leave. This was not a choice he made. But, as I look at aging parents and distance, and look ahead 30 years. I do not want my kids wrestling what to do about Wally and I. I do not want to miss their beautiful kids growing up or having some impact on their lives. If my parents ever need us to care for them, it is more likely to happen in TX than in frigid New England.

This was not an easy decision for me. I am my father's stubborn daughter. I wrestled inside myself for years for the ability to make this adjustment with no regrets. I think when the timing is right you know it in your heart and you can go knowing full well that this is the right thing to do now. Is the move easy, heck no. It requires a great deal of patience and inner calm. For over a month Wally was in interviews and the outcome was unsure and we had to keep the possitive vibes alive. We had no plan B.

He got the job and begins next week. The house is all packed but the movers will come in round two of this move. Wally and I leave today and begin the drive to Austin. I fly back next week and work another month, unless my options change. So this is phase one of our move. Phase two will be in May.

We had a party with a great deal of our friends last Saturday and leaving them behind is like leaving family. They have been our family. There is family you are related to and family you pick to be with. When you are nomads like us, friends mean a great deal. They become the ones you have holiday meals with when family is too far away. If I have any regrets, it is leaving these dear people behind, but thankfully technology will keep the connections strong.

So my bags are packed and Wally picks me up at 3 pm today...and for the next four days we drive. I am looking forward to this road trip. I will get to Austin in time for my granddaughter's birthday too! I have to admit, I am exceedingly happy. I know all the pieces will come together.  I just have to trust that it will.

Elizabeth Taylor Passes Away

I remember Elizabeth Taylor turning 40. Turning 40 was a big deal for women back in those days. She had a cover on Life Magazine as I recall. And she was stunning. Hard not to envy her, and I was still a child and she was an icon.

 
 

Elizabeth is the same age as my mother. My mother is also a beautiful woman. I don't know if my mother ever envied Liz but I have to say my mother aged better. Mom has had some health issues, none as big as what Liz suffered.  I have to be amazed sometimes how people age...how some seem so old and others not so much. Sometimes, I wonder if it is how you live or genes, or maybe both. My dad is 84 and looks amazing...glad I have good genes on my side.

One quote I read about Elizabeth was pretty amazing, it read, "Taylor is more vilified, celebrated and photographed than Jacqueline Onassis, Princess Diana and Madonna put together." Wow!

Liz had an amazing life. Lived it as she wanted. Did a lot of good works. Rest in peace Liz.

 

My car is a popsical

It is 27 degrees F outside and the rain started out slow. Each drop coating my car with a layer of ice until my car was encrusted with ice so hard I could barely scrape  it off. Monday mornings are not my favorite and facing ice or piles of snow is never any fun. I was walking in six inches of snow, which management did not clear, and cracking up the ice to get it off. First pass on windshield was not good enough. I sprayed it with de-icer but that was fruitless. I sat staring at it with my wipers ...wishing I had some coffee as I mindless stared at the ice and wishing it would break up. Not such luck..this ice I see once in a while here...it is impossible stuff. I opened my car door and opened the back door once again to fetch my ice scraper.

This time I cut slices in the ice and used more brut force to break up the remaining ice. I got most of it off--enough to drive. The electric de-icer on the back window was working great, thank God. The side windows were ok.

By the time I got to work my windshield was clean. However, our security man was out in front of the building warning us the sidewalk was a sheet of ice. It too was coated with about 1/4 inch of nastiness.

This is the winter I so loath. . .by noon with the rain and temperature rising my car will no longer be a popsical, but the memory of it will remain.

Misc. Comments on a Winters' Day

It is February, and I am done with winter come Jan. 1. By February the snow, ice, and cold make winter practically unbearable. At least we do get bright sunny days even though it is a frosty 23 degrees F.

As I look up out of my frosty New England day the news scales from the horrible earthquake in New Zealand, upheaval in the middle east, sailors who thought God would protect them from evil pirates and lost, to a new hairdo for Jennifer Anniston (do we care about her hairdo?).

I listen to all kinds of news. News about teachers and public workers who believe they have rights that go beyond that of the average worker in the US. Seems someone forgot to teach basic economics. Who pays for their medical and retirement? BTW, if I falsely took five days off work that caused my business to halt, I would be fired. There are plenty of teachers and public work folks looking for work...

Anyway, I look forward to the thaw. I look forward to a better day, and better news...

 

 

The connection of Christmas cards. . .

My parents send Christmas cards every year to all the people they ever met and valued. Over the years this was a significant number of people. It is a kind of calling card and a way off staying connected in a world that is casting us all to different locations.

As a kid, I used to help mom put on lables and lick stamps. It was always a big production. Their list has grown shorter over the years because my parents are in their 80s...well dad is. Mom will be there soon enough...but they still do Christmas cards. I do sometimes. Most of the time with working it is just another bother and expense. Not the joy it once was...I need to mark my calendar and do it better. This year it will be New Years cards again...I am just not motivated to get moving for Christmas until about two weeks before and by then it is too late. I get overwhelmed. I miss helping my mother wrap gifts and do cards. I used to get some help from my daughter doing things like that and baking cookies. My husband would help, but I guess I never asked...but maybe next year I will get organized. I need to get my calendar in shape.

So, this year my dad calls me and asked me if I have the address of one of our old neighbors. He knows I have been talking to her daughter recently and I am connected to her on Facebook. I love Facebook for this kind of thing. It has laced together friends from the neighborhood growing up, my high school buddies, and other friends sprinkled across the world. I needed facebook because I am lazy collecting that stuff and Facebook does a nice job of organizing my friends. 

I got a note back from my friend about her mother. She is caring for her as her mother is getting hospice care now. This may be her last Christmas. The card that was returned to my parents will get a new address. She will get it in a few days and know that my parents, after all these years, more than 30 plus...have not forgotten her.

On my old street, I do not think many of the parents are left. There are my parents, the Doyles, Mrs. Highley, and Mrs. Ricker (Curl). I think that is it now. Not many. One other family that I know of also remains. I forget his name but he used to row his boat down the canal in the days before exercise was a big deal. He is also in his 80s. I did see him on my last visit.

So, the cards wentout and the connections remain, even across the miles. I think cards are one of the nicer traditions. It connects people and lets them know, they are not forgotten. I guess Facebook will have to do for me most of the time...it is a card I enjoy all year long.

The Evil Snow Stick

The first sign of spring may be the crocus. The first sign of fall may be the first hint of fall blush, but around these parts (I live near Boston, MA) the first sign of old man winter is the evil snow stick.

 

So, I got to work, and as soon as I did, I was faced with a parking lot sprinkled with these dandies all over the place. They show the plows where the curbs are. They help us to know how deep the snow is. They tell me winter is around the corner as I go kicking and screaming...

Sure, I love the pretty white snow. It is very Norman Rockwell here. I love how pristine it is after a nice bunch of it covers the blemishes of dead leaves and dirty streets. I love the quiet that the blanket of snow provides just after it falls and the earth is quiet for a time, as we look at it in wonder and make our hot cocoa and cook soup.

I love a snowy Christmas...it is really wonderful. I have been injured falling on ice badly a few times. As January nears, I am done. Now, when my daughter reads this she will remind me that Austin is snug and warm in the winter and to move our butts down there ASAP. Trust me that sounds good about NOW.

So, as I sit here facing the impending doom of winter. I wanted to share the evil snow stick with all my friends...I will keep you posted on the first snow.

Houses not selling? Why is this a surprise?

I am not a mathematician but seems like no one is adding up folks who declared bankruptcy, and the other set of folks who had their last house foreclosed on, or the rest of the people whose credit is hosed, now who is left to buy up all these houses? I would wager those folks already own houses. Unless someone starts forgiving some of this credit stuff, nothing is going to move. It really seems pretty simple.

Wally gets homemade peach crisp tonight!

"Would you like to sample a white peach?" the produce man asked me from my local store in Beaverton, OR, circa 1977. I had never heard of white peaches and I looked at him inquisitively."What are you prejudice?" He said with a grin. He was quite a sweet produce manager. He was Italian and loved what he did. I think he was the local TV produce guy too. I tasted the peach, as I tasted a lot of free samples at that small store. It was sweet and good and I bought a bag of them. That was my first white peach and I have seen them now and again.

We saw them last weekend at Trader Joe's. I bought a small box of 12. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables but we never finished the box and they are perfectly ripe tonight. I boiled up a pot of water and slipped the peaches gently into the hot water for a few minutes. Then I gently slipped off their skins and sliced them into an 8 inch ceramic dish.

I opened my tattered Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that has seen better days. I got it as a wedding gift from my mother in law for my shower in 1975. It is old, and the pages are worn. It is my favorite book, and for things like crisp and cobblers, pie crust, and biscuits, it is my hands-down favorite book. I knew what recipe I wanted. It was for the crumb topped apple pie. I wanted the crumb recipe. It is simple, just flour, sugar, and butter..and my sugar is aged with a vanilla bean. I whirl it up in a food processor and it easily sprinkles over the sweet and juicy slices of white peaches.

Next, I bake it. The peaches are ripe, sweet, and juicy and I know with the sweet crumbs it will be amazing. Now Wally can't complain that we are wasting peaches. . .now he can have something I know we both love. Nothing better than sweet summer peaches. I can hardly wait!

Immigration Law in AZ, What is the Problem Here?

The more I read about this issue of the Arizona law, and those who call it racial profiling, the more I scratch my head. If I take what they say about it being racial profiling, then I think we need to throw away all immigration law that pertains to anyone, because our hands are tied and we cannot question anyone ever because we might hurt their feelings and rights.

We have a mess in the US, that is a fact. Border states seem to have a pretty big problem and those of us who have no knowledge of those problems can easily sit back and point fingers and live in our ignorance and continue to not do anything effective.  Most US citizens have zero knowledge of the drug problems that are in Mexico and the crime and other economic issues that are driving people into the US.

I think the federal government needs to have clear laws and they need to enforce them, if not, all bets are off. As long as people are treated with respect, I have no issue with law enforcement asking for proof of citizenship. I think I can speak to this because my German grandfather was interned like the Japanese during WWII by the US because he was considered (and later cleared) of being an enemy alien. Chaos does not a strong country make. By not dealing with these issues sooner we now have illegal children who are "essentially" American. We need to come up with a way to plug the hole and to deal with what we have allowed up to this point. We are talking about human lives here.

For those of you who do not know it, there is a border town in our country that US citizens are asked to stay out of due to the problems from Mexico that have spilled over our border. If you do not think that is an issue, then let's put it in your backyard. I am no lawmaker but I know enough to know that other countries do not tolerate what we do and I know we cannot afford to stick out head in the sand much longer. We need to face what we have, deal with it, and fix the problem.

One solution seems simple. Enforce the law about people showing proof of citizenship before they can work in the US. Create a computer system that requires registration of all workers. I know I have to prove it when I change jobs and yes it was pretty annoying, but if I had to do it, so should everyone else. Heavily fine or imprison all those responsible for breaking these laws. I think this would go a long way to solving the problem.

What do you think?

Yeasty Belgian Waffles for Wally on Father's Day!!

Today is Father's Day and we have spent the weekend having fun. Yesterday,y was a trip to Rockport to enjoy the town and to go buy Wally the lobster dinner he craved. We went to the Lobster Pound, north of Rockport and had a nice 1 1/4 pound lobsters...not the biggest but plenty for us...some chowder, and we shared some fried clams...okay, I know this was not on the diet plan, but sometimes you have to splurge. We later stopped at Bedford Farms and got Cherry Bomb ice cream...move over Cherry Garcia!!!

 

This morning, being the real day, I got up early and made the dough for yeast version of Belgian Waffles. Now, I don't know about you but I never noticed these were Belgiann and not Belgium. A man I know on Second Life told me that Belgiann means "of or from" Belgium. So, do note I still learn new things!

Here is a picture...the yeast over baking powder is amazing. Thank you again Brian for the wonderful Belgian Waffle machine!! We put real maple syrup on it and had it with crispy bacon..OMG it was amazing.

Happy Father's Day to all my friends who are father's or who put up with their spouses kids like Wally has done...he he.

Surprise! Neanderthal DNA Lives On in Modern Humans

According to this article on CNN:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1987568,00.html?hpt=C2

Scientist were surprised to learn that there are Neanderthal genes in modern day humans. I chuckled. As a woman, I have encountered a few Neanderthals while dating. I am sure other women friends of mine will concur, that Neanderthals are alive and well on planet earth. What do you think ladies?

Dinner with the boyz....

My ham club has some very nice people. A bunch of us meet for breakfast each week and the same group meets for dinner once of twice a month. Last night was dinner before the meeting. Erik called and appointed he and I as dinner chairpersons and we decided on the Emerald Rose in Billerica, one of my favorite places to eat. The guys love the bangers and mashed there. Many of us got that.

Here is a picture of Erik and Paul. I think they got the message from mom on wearing a lavender shirt:

Paul is a rocket scientist, so he says...but I grew up with real ones...ha ha.

Here are Art, Paul and Jim. They are all sporting Red Sox hats, so they cannot be bad!! Needless to say, we had a blast. I am lucky to have so many friends.

Bike to work month for my company. . .

Last year, I started to ride my bike to work and then we had horrible rains and Wally got sick. It is May again. My company does this bike to work deal. I am trying to commit to three days a week and the first few will be tough as I am sooooo not in shape!! Today is gorgeous and I wish I rode in, but I have a doctor appointment. It is the perfect type of warm spring day with clear blue skies. I love it! The rest of the week should be the same I am told.

Here is a photo of my office today. It is a beautiful sky. . .can you feel the sun?

Still Spring in New England

Back in February, a friend asked if the trees were blooming and I said no. Our spring begins rather late up here. Winter can be so long. My friend Dave in Winnipeg, he taught me something. He said they do not have flowering trees up there on the cold prairie. I was so surprised. So, today, I wanted to share spring with Dave as we do get flowering trees and LOTS of them. My favorites include these cherries, but I love the tulip (magnolia) trees, and PMJ azaleas we have...and the bulbs. This color, assaults my eyes after winter and wakes me from my winter sleep. Today, it feel more like winter coming than winter going...burr. So these two trees are in front of my office and I snapped them on my Blackberry as I came in this morning. Enjoy!

And here is the other one...

 Correction from Dave: He says they have a rare flowering tree here and there but he only seen maybe one. Recently, when traveling in the US, he saw many of them. I think of it as the fireworks of spring. They explode all around us in different colors.

Small World. . .

I was talking to one of our management team as he was stuck in Europe due to the Volcano and while waiting in the airport someone from his past found him and gave him a little punch in the shoulder. How strange it is  to have such encounters. It happens to me too and the most astounding case was back in high school.

I was a checker at a grocery store for my high school job. Some German teachers were coming through our store and I was taking German in high school and saving my pennies to go visit my cousin. I finally found the courage to speak to one of them, a man teacher. I said hello in German and told him I was going to visit my cousin there in a few months. He asked me which town. I said, " Andernach." He replied he was from that town. I was thinking he was pulling my leg. Then he asked me who my cousin was. I replied. He said, "She is my student." I was shocked. He waited until my grocery line was still and asked to take me to dinner. I was thinking this was a very creative pickup line...and I was young, only 17 and ill equip to handle it well. I said well I would have to ask my parents. So, I called them. They asked to speak to him. They approved of him. I think I picked him up and took him to the local dive for seafood. The one where we fed catfish through the floor of the pier upon which the restaurant was perched. HE loved it. I learned that prawns and shrimp were the same thing.

Later that summer, I went to school with my cousin. Sure enough he was her teacher. He was showing the students his slides. School goes longer in German than in the US. Students applauded by knocking on the desks and not clapping their hands...it was so surreal. What are the chances of me meeting someone like this? Turns out, they were more than teacher and student <grins>.

Last night, as I was working on my business in second life a fellow I know IM'd me and invited me to come sit with him and some friends. I was just finishing up and so figured that could be fun. When I arrived, three of his friends where three of my friends that I know from three different places in Second Life. I was blown away. I like all of them very much. As community gels in Second Life I am always amazed because it is a very large meta-universe. Part of my goal there is to build a community, as one that connected many of us closed a year ago and has been sorely missed. Connections in life happen in many ways. Have any of you stories of freak encounters?

94 Year Old Bungee Jumper!

OMG, look at this guy! My 50 year old frieds keep whining about being too old...and this guy is in his 90s and the OLDest jumper ever!! We are YOUNG!!

Read this CNN report and watch the video.

Flooding in Lowell, MA 2010

Wally and I get asked all the time if we are ok. If the floods have affected us here in Lowell, MA, as they know we are surrounded by water, both with the Merrimack River and the canals that lace through the City of Lowell left over from the mills that were in our area. We were once called the Venice of America here.

The answer is no. We are fine. Yes, there is flooding around us. We are on the 4th floor of our apartment, which helps and the canals around us are not even high. The Merrimack River however is. These are pictures from our walk on Easter Sunday taken by my Blackberry.

 
Typically, where these trees are is dirt. The water has receded and did cover this walkway, which is our bike path along the river.

This is one of the spillways from the mill canals where they are allowing the water through. As you can see, it it pretty violent and spilling over the walkway. The entry to this path from Boot Mills is blocked by the DPW.

Another view of the same powerful water system. It is amazing to watch and see the flooding we have had locally and in the last few years. We are thankful NOT to be harmed in this. Our benefit is a delay for us in paying our taxes since we live in a disaster area. Yippee!!

PS on previous blog

I forgot to add how my life is completely different because my father got transferred in 73 to the west coast. He was a lucky one. He kept his job. It cancelled my college plans on the east coast. I went to a junior college out in CA at the last minute. I did not finish college until later in life, at San Jose State. I was on the west coast from 73 until 97. While my folks have now returned to Florida, and I can get back there...my "hometown" does not exist really like normal hometowns.

Cocoa Beach has been around for a while yes, but growing up there was like growing up with folks from EVERYWHERE else. There was not much culture or amenities...I did find that later in life but I often associate growing up in Cocoa Beach as kind of growing up in the sticks. I loved the nature and the beach, BUT, I wish I had real roots in a community with family that goes back forever. I am a nomad now and home is wherever I am and I guess that makes me stronger...today there is a reunion back in Cocoa Beach and I am glad to see us babyboomers looking for our community there...it is beautiful to see. I am too far away to go to this party...maybe next time!!

Spacecoast in for another down turn...

I came across this article and it hit a sore spot:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100401/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1421

I lived in Cocoa Beach when the Apollo program ended and all those talented workers suffered such layoffs and financial harm. I cannot believe that our government cannot remember this tragedy and have avoided it with better planning. I cannot believe I am seeing it happen again.

I live in Lowell, MA...which is the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. This city used to be the richest city in America and fell hard when that industry left this area.

As a high tech worker, I have no job guarantee, none of us do, but seems like we could avoid trauma in this country with better planning. Watching industries end is inevitable I know, but can we consider the people? Can we not see things coming and figure out a way to truly retrain and reuse the talent? This harsh reality is hard to bear especially in areas where no other jobs exist and folks have to walk away from homes as they did in the Space Coast in the 70s. It was harsh and horrible. I can imagine it is the same for those working in the car industry and other ones that have come and gone.

My father asks me why I do not stay in the same job and have a retirement. My answer is that does not exist for me. In my industry, I am lucky to stay in a job for three to five years. Then I have to retool and retrain an yet another technology. Yes, it keeps me on my toes, I am nimble. I know how to interview and find a job. However, I never expected to have these skills at my age. My mother was enjoying traveling to see her grandkids for long periods of time..this is a luxury I don't really have. I get a few days. Short of winning the lottery this won't change.

Anyway, reading this makes me sad. These people dedicated their lives to make the Shuttle a success, yet we do nothing to use their talent for some years to come.  Just stinks.

Lucky me, I own a Toyota Camry

Each day, as I arrive at work, I now tell my friends on my ham radio how I survived another day driving my Camry. I bought one because of the reputation. I was tired of the uber repair jobs to my Jeep and VW Bug. I have to say in the almost three years of ownership I have almost no repairs...now I have the first recall notice in my hot little hand. I wish they would just take my car and give me a refund. I am sure this will affect my resale value as well. This sucks. Where are consumer rights? I guess only time will tell.

Hello, stop telling Haiti where they should build until WE DO THE SAME!

Are people like Rush Limbaugh blind? Does anyone every read about the great San Francisco earthquake? Don't people in the US see we build on land that we KNOW is unsafe because WE CAN? No one outlaws it. In recent history, look at New Orleans. Ever visit the wharf in San Francisco? Ever work in an office south along the San Francisco Bay? Hello, you are on liquefactor ground. The road interchange in San Jose where 101 and all the roads mesh, guess again, yup, bad land. Soooooooooooo, before we go pointing fingers at third-world countries, what are we doing in our own backyard? Just wait until a big quake hits here.