| Christmas 2001 Diary |
| Written by Bob Zimmerman |
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Introduction Mom turned 82 this year. She is still living at the Red Oak apartments in North Bend. I am 52 and Valorie is 48. Thomas turned 26 and moved to Seattle in April. Paul celebrated his 24th birthday, and Anne is 21. I am still working at the Renton Boeing plant. My assignment for most of the year was to implement a concept called "Standard Work" into the manufacturing plans for the 737 program. We developed a process whereby we would work through each job, using a cross-functional team, to identify the best-known methods for performing the job. From there, we would revise the manufacturing plans and implement the changes. Although it is a slow process, it results in much greater efficiencies on the factory and supports implementation of a "moving" production line. In November, I was reassigned to work on improving our ability to certify the interiors for the 737 airplanes. I am presently leading a team called the "Interior Pre-certification Team", a cross-functional team. We intend to identify root-causes for failures to pre-certify the interiors in the factory and then improve processes to eliminate the failures. It is an enormous task!
Thomas was on his way to go skiing at Crystal Mountain. He was between Enumclaw and Greenwater when the quake hit. He said that it felt like a wheel was starting to come off his car, so he stopped and looked around. Finding everything OK, he continued driving only to find out that the road had been blocked by falling rock! It was then that he heard on the radio that there had been an earthquake.
Debra came to live with us on July 1. She had been living with Nickki in Enumclaw. We moved her into the master bedroom, Thomas' old room.
Thomas has set up our home network using a router and a linux box. He set up Valorie with a fire-wire connection to her laptop computer. We can now sit outside in the middle of the yard and still access the internet and our home network. And, with a cable connection, the access to the internet is now much quicker.
Valorie has been working hard developing genealogy web pages. She has learned to hand-code HTML and has developed several nice pages both for her personal genealogy but for use by people on RootsWEB.
One of the exciting advances that has come up in the last couple years, is the advent of so-called Cox-2 inhibitors [Vioxx & Celebrex], those are very much like the anti-inflammatories we have had up until now, but they block a specific enzyme called Cox-2. Basically they have the same anti-inflammatory properties of some of the more traditional medications, but they don't have some of the side effects, particularly they don't have some of the gastrointestinal side effects. That's often been a major problem for people over the years who get some relief from anti-inflammatories, but have difficulty tolerating or have problems with them. The second big category of medications that we have used, and it's been a major help for a lot of patients, are corticosteroids, [such as] prednisone by mouth, or sometimes injectable steroids. These have made a big difference in managing a lot of patients. And essentially, they are the most potent anti-inflammatory that we have. Over the long run, continuous or chronic use of steroids have a lot of side effects, and many people who have been on these medications are all too familiar with these side effects; osteoporosis, cataracts, if people have a tendency toward diabetes it can exacerbate that. They are the quickest, most effective way to relieve pain and inflammation, particularly in a flare, and they are often used as a bridge before instituting some type of longer range therapy or chronic therapy. For my birthday, Valorie got me a DVD player for my computer. It makes it nice to be able to watch a full-length movie on a nice computer monitor.
Sunday, December 9, 2001 This morning I arose just before 5 am. Rhys and Mollie still like to sleep with me in bed. Rhys usually sleeps in the crook of my legs towards the center of the bed. Mollie sleeps on the other side near my hips. Mom and I went Christmas shopping today. I arrived at her Red Oak apartment in North Bend at 9 AM and we talked for a while. On the way over Tiger Mountain, there was a dusting of snow at the summit which is just below 1400 feet. The snow really looked pretty as it covered the trees. Mount Si had a generous coating, but the clouds were breaking up with patches of sun reflecting brightly from the new snow. It was beautiful! We decided to go to Crossroads first. Mom wants to get a TV for Ron and Carrie. On our way there, mom remarked that it had been a long time since we had driven through the Bellevue neighborhoods. We passed near the house where Bill Lane lived, and later on, the house where Marnie Layne lived. As we passed Phamtom Lake, I pointed out to mom that there used to be a little floating dock where Ron and I would come to fish. The "little dock" is now a fancy public pier. Mom and I drove around the stores, but we were still early, and most were not open. We finally found our way to Video Only. The store had just opened and the salespeople were very friendly. They showed us several different flat-screen TV's, and confirmed that it would be better to buy a separate DVD player since a combination TV-DVD just adds complexity with opportunity for failure later. We bought a 27-inch color set and a matching DVD player. By the time they loaded the boxes into the car, it still was not even 10 AM! I mentioned that we could try to find a coat for Valorie since she had been saying that she wanted a lighter coat like my gore-tex coat. We looked at the Sports Authority, but the only coat that we liked cost almost $300! I finally suggested that I could do some shopping later in the week at REI. Mom thought that would be OK, but wanted to get me something. I suggested that we try to find some dress pants, the kind that I typically wear to work. I like the Van Housen style, which is available at Mervyns. Unfortunately, we could not find a store in the area, but mom thought that there might be one in Issaquah. We drove through the major "mall" in Issaquah, but there was no Mervyns. I suggested that we stop at the discount stores in North Bend, so we stopped there and found a nice jacket that I think Valorie will like. We stopped at McDonald's for lunch. I noticed the Nike store across the street and suggested that we could get a pair of tennis shoes. So we stopped there and I found a nice pair of shoes for a good price. I took the TV and DVD player home with me. I had to clear a place in the bedroom to store the box, which was not only large, but heavy. Unfortunately, I managed to tip over the stereo speaker, making a mess of Valorie's sacred items that had been stored on top of it. But, with a little work, everything was put back in its' place. I decided to give Anne and Debra a $100 bonus for having completed their classes at Greenriver. With that, we decided to go shopping at Bellevue Square. Anne drove the Cadillac. We arrived at 4:30 PM. Most of the crowds were gone and the shopping was enjoyable. I found a nice candle-holder at Illuminations, along with six pretty oil lamps. I also got two DVD's for Ron and Carrie. I chose "Groundhog Day" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". We headed home at 6, stopping for gas in Renton and getting a bite to eat at Sherri's.
Monday, December 10, 2001 This morning I arose at 3:30. Anne was laying on the couch talking to Valorie who was working on her laptop computer. A few moments later, Debra got up since she had just gone to bed. The dogs didn't know what to think. Typically they crawl in with Anne when it is a work day. But Anne wasn't in her bed. It was funny when Mollie kept trying to keep her nose warm. Anne would yell out, "Hey, get your nose out of my boxer shorts!" And, of course, Rhys kept trying to wiggle in on the other side, even though there really wasn't room. I shaved and showered while the fresh coffee was brewing. Debra had two large cups, thinking that she would stay up. I worked on developing my Christmas gift lists and then realized that I hadn't eaten breakfast. Debra and I decided to go to the Black Diamond Bakery for breakfast. There was only two other people there eating breakfast. We sat near the large decorated Christmas tree. It had unique ornaments. One was a Santa holding a loaf of bread. Another was two mixing spoons tied crosswise with ribbon. At the top of the tree was a baker. At home, I finished a picture collage for Nickki. It consisted of pictures of Austin that I had taken during the year. I also finished another collage as a tribute to Lola Cowan. I plan to give a copy to Kim and to Ted. Debra decided to lay down for a while and ended up taking an two-hour nap. As dinner time rolled around, Valorie, Debra and I decided to go shopping at the SeaTac Mall. We stopped for dinner at Ghorms in Kent. Valorie especially liked their homemade fries. At the Mall, I got a pair of slacks and a tie, using the money that mom gave me. I also found a basic toolkit that mom can use around her apartment. In addition, I picked up a book that mom will enjoy, and another that describes hikes in Washington along with related geology that can be observed during the trip. I think Paul will enjoy it. Valorie met her former boss from Primerica, Steve Lynch. Anne, Debra and Valorie went to see the movie, "Harry Potter". But true to my own form ("if it's after eight it's too late"), I headed to bed, snuggling between two warm and fuzzy doggies.
Tuesday, December 11, 2001 I began my day shortly after 5 AM. Rhys decided he would crawl in with Anne, so he snuggled in next to her while I did my usual morning routine. Paul had sent an email noting that he had purchased a CD that I had already ordered from Amazon. Fortunately, I logged on and was able to remove the CD from my order. Amazon really has a good web site that makes it easy to manage order activity. I printed out additional copies of collages, a tribute to Lola Cowan and Life Sayings of Bill Zimmerman. I also edited a picture and linked it to the "about me" section on Amazon dot com. I also updated my gift list and found a few stored-away gifts in my closet that I plan on sending to Salome. Anne arose at 8. She commented that she was puzzled why Rhys wanted to sleep in her bed when, indeed, I was home. Who knows? Looks like it's difficult to disrupt the everyday pattern in a dog's life! We decided to go to Costco, but had to wait until it opened at 11. I stopped by the Bank of America in Covington to get some cash and to transfer some money from the savings account to our checking. Stopped at Reber Ranch to get more Mother Hubbard's "wuff bones" for the dogs. Costco was not crowded and we quickly found items on our list: picture frames, bird seed, shampoo, and so forth. Of course, we had to stop at McDonalds in Auburn for lunch. At home I put the prints of dad's "life sayings" and of Lola's "remembrance" into ten by fourteen inch frames. They really look nice. Afterwards, as I was just beginning to snuggle up with the dogs, Anne decided that she had to wash her Cadillac. Now mind you, it was only in the mid-30's outside, and here comes Anne dressed in shorts wanting to get wet! Anyway, I rolled off the couch (to the dismay of Rhys and Mollie) and helped. It didn't take long, but Anne was shivering long before it was done. For dinner we decided to go for Godfather's Pizza in Covington and from there stopped at the Fred Meyer. I found a Sonicare toothbrush for Thomas, some replacement bulbs for the bathroom light fixture, and some nail polish for Anne. We were hoping to find some strings of Christmas lights, but they didn't have the traditional kind. At home, we found a message on our answering machine from a fire fighter in Kent who wanted information about Brittney and Robert. Several month's ago, Robert had taken Brittney and left Arizona, which is deemed to be kidnapping. There is a warrant for his arrest. Valorie provided him as much information as we knew. He also suggested that we put together a sign to take to the Ravensdale Market so that if Robert is seen they can call the police. And speaking of unusual subjects, can you imagine that Debra is interested in masterbation? Debra was using Anne's computer to surf the web, and Anne just happened to glance at the computer screen. The web page said something about masterbation, so we, of course, jumped to all kinds of conclusions. Debra finally announced that she was going to take a shower, and we, of course, just had so exclaim, "And I wonder what you're going to be doing in the shower...!" More screams! More laughter!
Wednesday, December 12, 2001 I began my day at 4:30. Rhys crawled in with Anne again. It's amazing how much time is spent putting together these notes. You'd think it would be easy to jot down a few memories, but it's hard to capture those gems, the little things, that would be interesting a few years down the road!
Anne got up at 6:30. She insisted that she just couldn't sleep since she went to bed at 10, but I think it has more to do with the fact that today is her final exam in Sociology. She poured herself a large cup of coffee, using one of the cups that looks more like a bowl than a cup. And, afterwards, she started talking about getting a donut at CJ's bakery. So we grabbed the dogs, hopped in the car and bought five filled donuts and one cinnamon one. At home again, both Debra and Valorie got up and enjoyed them with us. After the girls had left for class, I decided to get two new strings of outside Christmas lights from the Do-It center. The dogs got to go again, and we stopped at McDonald's for a Filet-o-Fish. I sat the food bag between the seats, and while I was cleaning up a drip from my soda, Mollie simply put her head in the bag and ever so gingerly pulled a out a fry! After eating it, she looked at with with an expression saying, "Whaaat?!" Anne and Debra returned from their Sociology final exam at 11:45. They said the test was really easy, with most of the questions being multiple choice. Anne had a bag of fruit-flavored Skittles, so each of us had our daily intake of limes, lemons, cherries, grapes and oranges. And, with a sugar high, we went outside and hung the Christmas lights. Anne spent much of the time inside checking the strings for burnt bulbs while Debra helped outside by holding the strings while I hung them. They look really nice, as always!
Thursday, December 13, 2001 I arose at 4. It has been windy overnight, so Rhys has been cowering and won't settle down. He ended up sleeping on the couch under a blanket. Silly dog. Valorie was still up, working on sending out emails to everyone who owned one of the Roots list pages. I did some shopping, cancelling an order for Cranium on Amazon since Paul wrote me a message saying that Tara's brother had already purchased it for her. I substituted several CDs. I also ordered some T-shirts for Anne. This was Anne and Debra's last day of class at Green River Community college. They had a final in Northwest history and left at 10:15. I inspected Anne's computer to find out what type of connectors that I needed to get to allow her to play music from her CD player and also play music from her computer. I took Rhys and Mollie and picked up two Radio Shack "y's". Also stopped at Bartell Drugs and got a manicure set for Anne. At home, I tried to see if the Radio Shack connectors would work, but couldn't get any sound to play from her computer. I'll have to wait until Thomas or Paul can look at it. Anne and Debra returned at 1:15, happy that finals are now over. I took the opportunity to take a nice nap with doggies by my side. Valorie, Debra and I left at 5 to meet Paul and Tara at REI in Seattle. It has been raining very hard all day, so traffic was really slow on I-90 going into town. It took us over an hour. On the way we learned that Thomas was also going to shop there. Paul browsed the snow shoes and talked with the salespeople about different kinds. He decided to get a 30-inch MSR brand, which should do well for the type of snow hiking he wants to do. He also found a pair of snow gaiters on sale. Valorie found a jacket that she liked, so I got that as well. I'll have to make arrangements with mom for returning the coat that we picked up last Sunday. We decided to go to dinner at the Ram Restaurant in the University Village. Although the freeway traffic was better, there was a long backup on the Mountlake exit. Once there, however, we had a long dinner with good conversation. By the time we were done it was after 9. We stopped at the Office Depot store. I found a computer game for Anne. We also browsed at Barnes and Noble. Anne called several times to tell us that the power was out at our house. Even though the rain had let up, the wind had picked up considerably. On the drive home, waves were crashing over the sides of the 520 floating bridge over Lake Washington. And, near Bellevue, we saw several fantastic flashes of light as trees hit powerlines and shorted out transformers. There was, however, power to all of the communities we passed, even through Black Diamond. Our development was the only one that was without power. Anne was glad to have us back home, as she was just in the process of washing her bedding when the power went out. Mollie and Rhys were terrified, but glad to see that the "pack was back". The power stayed off until 4 AM.
Friday, December 14, 2001 I arose this morning a bit before 4 when the power came back on. The temperature inside had dropped to 65 degrees, so the fireplace was pumping heat full blast. I reset the CD-server and the network (and Internet connection) came back! Waaa Hooo! Today is Anne's "tryout" day at the Herbfarm Restaurant in Woodinville. She is going to meet Thomas there at 10. He has been doing the job for the past week, but prefers not to continue doing it. His job is to mentor Anne and, hopefully, she will be offered the job. The only bad aspect is the commute to Woodinville. Either Anne will have to put up with it, or she needs to find a place to stay that is nearer the work. Paul mentioned yesterday at dinner that there should be some fairly inexpensive places if Anne looks outside of the University district. I'm sure, though, things will work out fine. Valorie arranged to have lunch with Kerry Lea, our old friend from twenty years ago. Debra and I dropped her off at the Claim Jumper restaurant in South Center while we went shopping. We started at the Target. I found a CD-holder for Anne just like the one she presently has. We then went to the mall and had lunch at McDonalds. Debra searched for a wall calendar that Tara wanted. I found a book of jokes for Thomas and picked up the latest Old Farmer's Almanac for Valorie. We then drove to Bed Bath and Beyond. I found a cooking thermometer for Paul. We then went to the Guitar store. Debra got some guitar strings for Andy. Since we had now shopped for three hours, we returned to the restaurant, found Valorie (still talking to Kerry Lea), and finally headed for home. The traffic was a snarl through Kent, and it took us almost an hour to get home. Anne got home just before 6. She had a good day and enjoyed setting up the tables. Thomas showed her how he carries eleven wine glasses at once. Anne was only able to carry half as many. She explained that she will have to coordinate the table set up with the ever-changing menu, along with the different wine glasses depending on the wine selections.
Saturday, December 15, 2001 I awoke at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Valorie was watching some old music video's on TV and was surprised at how late (early) it was. Ted and Debra took a day trip to the cabin. There was over a foot of snow at the cabin. Valorie went to the Nutcracker with Paul and Tara. After dinner with them, she went to Paul Herrick's Christmas party. Anne and I got our Christmas tree today. Our first stop was the tree farm near Lake Moneysmith. They did not have very many nobels, and the ones they did have were quite small. Our next stop was the Green Valley Ranch tree farm. We walked through the rain and found a nice tree. It was $50. We brought it in and set it up. I had to spend a half-hour cuttng a board for it to sit on. I noticed a jumping spider on one of the top branches, and remembered the story of the "Last Real Christmas Tree" from last year's diary. Hope we don't experience the same thing! Since we were hungry, Anne and I went for lunch at Burger King, Anne filled her Cadillac with gas at the Arco station. It was $1.11 per gallon. We also stopped at the QFC to get some "Super Supper" for the cats and dogs. At home again, I started stringing the lights. We only had two strings with all the bulbs working. After inspecting them, we decided to get some new strings. We went to the Rite Aid in Covington and found three 150-light strings. At home again, we found that all of the strings had lights that were defective! Anne, bless her heart, packaged them up and returned them while I fiddled with trying to get one of the old strings to work. No luck. Anne found some other lights at Waggeners and I finished stringing the lights. Of course it looks pretty.
Sunday, December 16, 2001 I arose at 4:30. Rhys had abandoned me during the night since the wind had come up and it was raining hard enough to hear it through the ceiling. He snuggled in with Anne. I could only make two cups of coffee since we are out of ground coffee. Anne accepted a job at the Herbfarm Restaurant yesterday, so today is her first day of work there. She will be responsible for setting up the dining room, cleaning hand towels, replacing lantern oil, and general dining room preparations. She is concerned that she only has a few days of tie-in with Thomas before she has to go on her own. I asked her about how she would know what to set up, and apparently there is a checklist used as well as directions from Ron and Carrie. She'll just have to learn as she goes along. The dogs and I took a trip to Safeway and picked up some coffee, sausage, eggs, and hash brown potatoes. It took me about forty minutes to fix breakfast and a new pot of coffee. It smelled wonderful! The only glitch in the whole process was when I went to butter the toast. We have one of those butter dishes that keep butter soft. The butter is kept in the concave lid which fits into a cup partially filled with water. When together, the lid is sealed by the water. Unfortunately, the butter had started to mold, which I didn't notice immediately. But when I took a bite of toast, it was really apparent. Yuck! Closer inspection showed that there was mold growing on the butter, and the water looked more like someone's spit. It was stringy!!! I finished putting the ornaments on the tree, and, of course, it really looks nice. At the top of the tree is an angel. The angel is not attached to the tree. Instead, it is suspended by a thread that is anchored in the ceiling with a thumb tack. It's nice this year because we have a little green light at the top of the tree. The angel's skirt, which is made of a doily-like mesh, allows the light to peek through. As air causes the angel to move about, the light twinkles. I love it! I wrapped the gifts that we are going to send to Salome. For name tags on the gifts, I again used pictures of faces onto which I had placed a Santa hat. They're unique and fun! Anne got home at 4 after having another good day at the restaurant. We decided to go for Chinese food at the Golden Lion restaurant in Covington. We got the standard dinner for four and had four large take-home boxes.
Monday, December 17, 2001 I arose at 4:30 this morning. There are now a couple of wrapped gifts under the tree. Anne, Debra and I went shopping, starting a the Fred Meyer store in Covington. We were looking for a Hot Wheels Steering Wheel for Austin. Fred Meyer didn't have any in stock, but Debra found a few gifts for her family. Anne got a Cinnabon for herself and some cinnamon sticks for me. We then went to the Target and found the gift for Austin. Debra got some mints for Kim. On the way back, Anne was looking out the car window and suddenly jumped. She had happened to glance at a fenced pasture and thought that there were two huge dogs looking over the fence at her. It turns out that the huge "dogs" were really horses. Maybe they were dog-faced horses? Anne went to the Kiss 106.1 Jingle Bell Bash with Brianne Rouse and her friends. She left at noon, but the concert didn't open until 5. Brianne wanted to be one of the first into the concert. Kim called this morning wanting to confirm that we were willing to pay for a lawyer for Angel. She had heard that Robert has contacted a lawyer here in Washington to try to retain custody of Brittney. This was the first time that I had heard this, so Kim said that they would find out how much it would cost and call us back. I'm was also concerned when Debra said that Nickki thinks that Angel is using drugs again as a way to deal with these problems in her life. Unfortunately these ways of dealing with problems only exacerbate them. I packaged up the gifts that we are sending to Salome. This is the last day that UPS will guarantee delivery to any address in the United States by Christmas. The gifts fit tightly into three 18 by 24-inch boxes. I mailed them at the Mail One store in Four Corners. The clerk at the store found a large box and put the three smaller boxes into it, saying that it's cheaper to send one large package than it is to send three separate packages. When he went to address the boxes, he accidentally put highway 160, rather than highway 60. Luckily I caught the error, or the poor boxes would be languishing somewhere in the Arizona desert! The shipping came to $33. On my way home I gassed up the car and then got four Cheeseburgers for Debra and I for lunch. At home, Debra took on the task of cleaning the refrigerator. We have been smelling this horrible stench for several days now, but were unable to locate the source. I suggested that perhaps something had spilled and ran down behind the shelves. Debra finally found the "source" in the bottom vegetable bin. It was a package of coleslaw that was rotting! She sorted through all of the bottles and items, and it really looks clean! Good job Debra! I spent the rest of the afternoon wrapping gifts. I had to hunt for boxes in the attic, and was dumb enough not to take a flashlight. Here I am crawling along the boards between the attic beams, feeling the boxes on either side of me, when suddenly one of the boards shifted. I lurched upward, smacking my head on one of the ceiling trusses. It would have made an excellent "dumb and dumber" movie. Now I have a nice red gash on my forehead. I did find a good box, though!
I also spent several hours making unique gift labels. I find pictures of the people to whom I am giving gifts, and extract their faces from the photo. I then place a Santa hat on their head. I've put all of these faces into one Photoshop file. The software allows me to either show or hide the pictures in the file. If I want to print labels for Kim, Rick, Nickki and Andy, I just hide all of the other labels, arrange their faces, and hit the print button. They print at 720 dpi. I then cut out the faces and double-back tape them to the packages. It makes a wonderful decoration and is an excellent way to identify the packages. Besides, it is then obvious to the receiver of the gift who is giving the gift.
Tuesday, December 18, 2001 I arose at 5:30 this morning. Anne and I went shopping at Southcenter, stopping first at Cost Plus World Market. Anne found a caligraphy set for Valorie. I bought some stocking-stuffers - magic puzzles! From there we stopped at Toys R Us, looking for a Playstation 1 for Debra. We didn't see one, so we went across the parking lot and found a used one at the Game Stop. With the player in hand, we then went back to Toys R Us and bought two games for it. Our next stop was Target. We were looking for a Muppets Christmas album, but did not find one. I got some cash at Bank of America and we then headed for Costco. Found some pistachios and Christmas candy. Anne picked up a box of birdseed for mom. We also got some fresh donut holes -- yum! We then returned to Cost Plus to find some containers for the pistachios. On the way there, Anne and I were discussing whether a "forgotten memory" was an oxymoron. How can a there be a forgotten memory? If it was a memory, then it wouldn't be forgotten, right? Anyway, we agreed to disagree about it. Cost Plus didn't have what I wanted, so we stopped across the street at Pier 1 Imports. They had some good containers. Anne found a nice flower vase for mom, and a unique birdfeeder for Valorie. We stopped for lunch at Wendy's before heading home. Anne had to mention the attic incident from yesterday, and so everyone was asking me how I got the inch-long gash on my head! Humph! They will just have to read these notes to find out! I wrapped more gifts while Anne and Debra went to the Auburn Supermall to do more shopping. Valorie and Debra left at 10 to go to the opening of "The Lord of the Rings". They are going with Thomas and some of his friends.
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 I began my day at 5. Valorie and Debra got home from seeing the opening of "The Lord of the Rings" at 4:30. Valorie said it was the best movie she has ever seen. Anne left for the Herbfarm Restaurant at 9. I changed out 10 gallons of water in my fish tank and also cleaned the filters. This was a day of rest. I wrapped the remaining gifts including the three containers of pistachio nuts. This tired me out, so I managed to take a two-hour nap around noon, with the dogs sucking out my energy. Anne called at 5:30 when she was leaving the restaurant. We arranged to meet at Presti's for dinner. Valorie and I chose the salad bar while Anne and Debra ordered from the menu. The UPS truck arrived at 7:45. I got my Amazon.com order along with the Photon Key Chain. Valorie got another order of books as well. While waiting for the UPS driver to come, Debra stood behind the couch and was waving her arms up and down in a flapping motion as she said, "Gee, Anne, you're rather weird!" All of us looked at her and broke out laughing!
Thursday, December 20, 2001 I got up at 4:10. I spent some time on the Internet downloading some Internet Expolorer critical updates from the Microsoft download site. I also worked on making a certificate graphic for Anne, good for fixing the defroster fan in her Cadillac. Anne left for work at 9 and called at 9:50. There was an accident on I-405 and it took her an hour to go from Renton to Factoria! She was 45 minutes late to work. Valorie, Debra and I went to lunch with mom. We met Thomas, Paul and Tara at the Colonial Inn in Fall City. They sat us in the main dining room. Afterwards, we drove to the Fall City Cemetery and stopped at dad's grave. There still is no head stone. From there, we drove by the old Herbfarm property. Very little has been done other than to remove some of the benches. Maybe the developers are having as much trouble getting permits as we did! At home, I managed to settle down and take another two-hour nap. These naps are getting to become a habbit. Anne got home around 6. We watched the movie, "A Wonderful Life" and then "Friends". Anne, Valorie and I then drove to Covington. Anne filled her car with gas ($1.09 per gallon) and then went to Fred Meyer. I got some stocking stuffers (gob stoppers and nail polish). Anne and Valorie shopped for CD's, but wouldn't let me see them.
Friday, December 21, 2001 I arose at 5:30 on this, the shortest day of the year. It doesn't get light now until almost 8 AM. I went shopping in Auburn this morning. Of course, I had to take the doggies. My first stop was at the liquor store next to Fred Meyer. I got a nice bottle of Champagne for Ted and a bottle of peach-flavored rum. I then went into Fred Meyer and got some treats for the dogs and some stocking stuffers. The next stop was at Lowe's hardware where I picked up a copy of "Sweet 116" - the story of the 2001 Mariners. I then drove to the Fred Meyer store in Covington to get a case of motor oil. The Covington store was packed! I then stopped at the Arco station and filled up with gas for $1.09 per gallon. Ate lunch next door at the Burger King and then headed home. Debra wanted to go shopping, so she suggested that we go to Bohems Candies in Issaquah. We took the Bohem window tour and then browesed in the shop. I bought a half-pound box of truffles. We then went to Gillman Village and spent several hours browsing their shops. One shop had some really interesting items and I picked up a "critter" for Ron and a candle-lighter for Carrie. We also had fun browsing through a toy store, especially the musical toys. We got home just after 6 and Anne arrived shortly thereafter. Debra ordered pizza from Shakey's and I picked it up for dinner. Anne had a good day except for a problem with folding the napkins. They didn't fold right and looked odd. Thomas was serving at the restaurant this evening and he called asking what had happened. He gave Anne a few tips so that she can do a better job tomorrow.
Saturday, December 22, 2001 I arose at 5:30. Anne got up at 6:30 and left shortly before 8. Today is the first full-day of winter! I took the dogs and picked up a bale of hay at Reber Ranch. I put 1/4 of the bale into Porkie's house. I spent an hour wrapping the gifts for Rhys and Mollie. Made name tags for them as well. Rhys smelled his gift - a box of Milk Bones - and started biting at the wrapping! After all the excitement, we settled down for a two-hour nap. Anne got home at 5. We went for dinner at Trotter's in Auburn. Anne folded some Herbfarm napkins and I stretched the table doilies. Anne and I are going to the Herbfarm tomorrow. I'll help her get done early so she can do some shopping.
Sunday, December 23, 2001 I arose at 5:30. Debra and I went with Anne to the Herbfarm Restaurant to help her set up - so she could finish early and do some Christmas shopping. Anne gave Debra and I the job of hunting for burnt out light bulbs. We found quite a few in the kitchen and had to climb up on a ladder to remove the fixture and change out the bulb. We also had to bring in a ladder to change a bulb in the main dining room chandelier. We then gathered up all of the oil lanterns and refilled them. There were lanterns on each of the tables as well as many scattered throughout the restaurant. This is a rather messy job and resulted in black fingertips. Our next task was to clean and polish the butter dishes. These are silver-plated and have to be cleaned and polished inside and out. We finally folded several hundred replacement napkins that are used whenever a dinner guest leaves the table. The old napkin is removed and replaced with a fresh one. We finished at 12:30 and went to lunch at Wendy's in Kirkland. Anne then drove to Bellevue Square. She found some pretty candles for Carrie and a book from Ron's Christmas list at the University Book Store. We stopped at Starbucks for refreshment before heading to SouthCenter. Anne bought a few music CD's at the Warehouse music store. At home we listened to music while Anne fell asleep on the couch!
Monday, December 24, 2001 I arose at 5:30. Rhys was not feeling well this morning, and immediately went outside and was sick. Poor little guy! I finished wrapping my gifts, including the large, heavy box containing the new TV for Ron and Carrie. Anne had arisen early, so she helped me lift it onto the table. We wrapped it in green and cut out the carrying holes. At 7 we went to Fred Meyer, bringing the doggies with us. Picked up ingredients for making cookies and grabbed a box of mandarin oranges. We also bought three Cinnabon's. On the way home we watched the sunrise. It was beautiful with the pale pink reflection on the clouds and the pale outline of Mount Rainier in the distance.
We all went to Safeway at 3 and picked up the goodies for the evening meal. We got ingredients for our punch, sandwiches and veggie tray. Valorie stopped at Starbucks and picked up a pound of Gold Coast for mom and some beans for Paul. Ted Cowan arrived at 4. We helped him log on to Yahoo and get his email. Just before 5, I got a final package from UPS. It was the items that I ordered for Anne - the Pearl Jam and Incubus T-shirts. Thomas, Paul and Tara arrived shortly after 5. Anne finished wrapping her gifts and we started our celebration around 6. Had a couple glasses of Spumante and then everyone fixed sandwiches. Ted brought his fruit salad. It was really good. The next several hours were spent opening gifts. I got some new jeans and a wrinkle-free shirt from Paul. Debra gave me an IQ puzzle-game. I got two CDs, "Let Me In" by Chely Wright and Clint Black's "Greatest Hits II". Ted gave cash to everyone. Debra really enjoyed her new Playstation game system and set it up to play on Anne's TV. Paul spent an hour getting Anne's computer to play CD's. He had to reload the audio drivers. She now can play music from her computer and from her CD player.
Paul, Tara and Thomas left at about 10:30. We filled Paul's and Thomas' stockings with secret Santa gifts.
Tuesday, December 25, 2001 I arose at 5:30 and helped Santa fill Anne's, Debra's and Valorie's stockings with a few treats. I also wrapped the final gift for Anne and labeled a candle-lighter for Carrie. It's sunny today, but slightly windy. Temperatures at night have fallen into the upper twenties. I played two of my new music CD's, "Clint Blacks Favorite Hits II", and Chely Wright, "Let Me In". On the Clint Black album my favorites are "Something that we do" and "Easy for me to say." My Chely Wright favorite is "Shut up and drive". I was having problems getting my copy of Windows Media Player to copy the CD into MP3 format. Even though I reloaded the software it always went to error once the first song on the CD was copied. As it turns out, the library file was corrupt. Once I re-created it everything worked fine!
We left the house at 1. Anne drove Debra and Valorie while I picked up mom. We arrived at Ron and Carries at 1:30. Everyone else was already there, including Ted Cowan, Thomas and Paul. We piled the presents under the tree and spent and hour in conversation before the opening of gifts commenced.
Ron and Carrie opened their TV first and got it
working. They also opened and connected their DVD
player. I got several more CD's, a wallet from Ron, new Nike tennis shoes, a new coat, Turbo Tax for the tax year 2001, a Shannia Twain DVD, a Snow White DVD, and a Disney Cartoon DVD. After opening gifts, champagne was served in crystal glasses. Even Cali seemed to enjoy it!
Debra did really well for someone who does not like seafood. She ate most of everything, including the scallops. She even tried caviar before dinner! After dinner, Carrie brought out nine additional gifts and had each one of us pick a number out of a hat. The person who chose number one got to select one of the gifts and open it. The next person could either take the gift just opened, or open one of their own. The third person could do the same, but one an opened gift has been claimed for the third time it cannot be claimed again. I went third, and stole a nice gift basket from Anne. It contained two pounds of coffee beans, mugs, jellies and other assorted items. Luckily I held on to it throughout the game. It was a fun way to end a fabulous evening. Anne and Debra met mom and I at her apartment to help carry up her gifts. I headed home while Anne and Debra met with Brianne Rouse to see the movie, "A Beautiful Mind". Rhys and Mollie were overjoyed at my return, especially Rhys since he has to remain in his carrying cage while we are gone to keep him from jumping. Valorie and Ted visited with Carole and Collin. Valorie arrived home at 11. I listened to my Shania Twain DVD for a short while before heading to bed.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001 I arose at 5:30. I listened to two more CD's and watched part of the Walt Disney Cartoon DVD. I find it hard to watch the cartoons one after the other, especially since they were made in the late 1930's and the technology was nothing compared to today. Debra set up her Playstation on Anne's TV and played her game for several hours. Anne took the opportunity to take a short nap, curled up with the dogs. By mid-afternoon, we were hungry. I broke out the vegetable tray with Ranch dressing. Both Mollie and Rhys thought it would be fun to beg, so they did. I put a little dressing on my finger and let them lick it from my finger. They liked it. I then took a carrot and dipped it in the dressing and let Mollie lick it from the carrot. Anne and Debra dared me to eat the carrot, but before I could comply, I dipped it again in the dressing. They thought that I had dipped the "licked-end" into the dressing, and both gave a nasty groan. Instead I had switched ends on the carrot! But, in reality, dogs have clean tongues, don't they? I sure hope so! Anne opened my new griddle so that I could fix french toast. It was really good. However, both Debra and Anne said that they preferred imitation syrup to real maple syrup. We piled in the car to return some of the duplicate gifts. I got two copies of Snow White, so I returned the one purchased at Costco. We then went to Lowe's (across the street) where Anne returned the second copy of "Sweet 116". From there, we drove to Bellevue and stopped at Tower Records. Valorie and Debra returned music CD's and shopped for others. We then went to Toys R Us which as just a few blocks away. Debra returned a duplicate Playstation game and found another racing game. On the way home I-405 was really slow because someone had dropped a load of trash in the freeway. I pulled into Taco Time where we had dinner. At home, I spent time watching Snow White, which was very well done. Anne did laundry for the Herbfarm while Debra played on her Playstation.
Thursday, December 27, 2001 I arose again today at 5:30. I spent time copying songs from two more new CD's - Chely Wright's "Single White Female" and an album by Lace called "Lace". Anne arose at 8:30. I fixed pancakes, using my new griddle again. I then spend several hours working on the introduction to this diary, adding photographs and the details for the year's top stories. Debra spent most of the morning playing on her Playstaion. I also printed out four more copies of the collage I made for Ted, "A tribute to Lola Cowan". Valorie and Ted are going to have lunch tomorrow with cousins who live in Antecortes. I drove to Four Corners and got a haircut. I was lucky enough to be able to walk right in and get into the chair. I like it that way. I also typically give the barber a 3-dollar tip, and today Ralph really appreciated it. The wind was blowing hard, hard enough to blow open the door of the barber shop. In fact, it was blowing hard enough to shake the truck while I was waiting at a traffic light. After my haircut, I drove to Bartell Drugs and picked up another bottle of after shave lotion. I stopped at QFC and bought a roast, some vegetables, a couple filets of salmon, and a package of three-cheese tortellini. The roast was already herb-seasoned. I like to put it in a lidded casserole dish and surround it with potatoes, carrots and onion. I use a meat thermometer set at 155 degrees to measure the cooking process. The roast went into the oven at 4 and we had a nice dinner at 5:30.
Friday, December 28, 2001 I arose at 5:30 again this morning. There was light rain overnight. Anne has a doctor's appointment this morning. It was re-scheduled from yesterday since she remembered too late to go. I listened to Reba McEntire's new CD, "Greatest Hits Volume 3" and copied them to my music library. The day was beautiful and sunny. I spent several hours working on this document and then decided to wash the truck. It looks so much better when it's clean and the wheels are shiny. Since it was clean on the outside, I then decided to change oil and check the antifreeze. The fluid level in the radiator was a bit low, so I topped it off with new antifreeze. I then took Mollie and Rhys and stopped at Reber Ranch for another sack of pig food. We took the long way home, driving up the Green Valley road. There were lots of fishermen in the river. I saw one carrying a nice steelhead trout. Valorie left the house at 9:30 to go with Ted to visit Dick and Jo Flickinger who live in Antecortes. They also took Collin and Carol. Valorie got home at 7, just after Anne returned from working at the Herbfarm Restaurant. Debra spent the entire day playing on her Playstation. She's finding that the game gets more challenging the further into it she gets.
Saturday, December 29, 2001 Happy Birthday, Kim! I arose at 6:30 this morning. Anne was also up early since she wants to get done early at the Herbfarm. Anne had a fruit and grain breakfast - a jelly-filled donut. The sunrise was awesome, with pretty pink colors in the high clouds. Today was the day to take down the Christmas tree. I noticed that the jumping spider had spun several webs on the top branches of the tree. Everything went smoothly, except for searching for the end of the last string of lights. Somehow it always manages to elude me, so I have to start at the plug end and follow it to the end. Debra was up early, and she helped me take down the outside lights. It always goes much quicker removing them than it does putting them up. Everything went into their appropriate bags, so it will be easier next year to put them up again. Thomas came by the house shortly after 10. He and Debra were heading to the cabin. About a half-hour later, they returned. Thomas had forgotten his cabin keys! It was rather warm today, so I spent an hour raking branches and pine cones in both the back and front yards. Valorie was rather slow in packing to go to the cabin, and ran out of energy at 4. I think she is really getting out of shape since she spends so much time sitting at her computer. She would benefit greatly if she would spend a few hours every day in more active persuits. Anyway, we decided to go to dinner at the mexican restaurant in Black Diamond. Valorie had their shrimp special; I had two burritos with rice and beans. Valorie had mexican coffee while I tried a jumbo margarita. We got a macho burito "to go" for Anne. Anne got home at 5, just about the time Valorie headed for the cabin. Anne had another load of towels and napkins to fold. After eating part of her burrito, she set up the card table and folded while we watched the news and then watched the Sonics play Toronto. The Sonics won in a blow-out. They were playing really well.
Sunday, December 30, 2001 When I arose at 5 this morning, Anne was already getting up. The dogs didn't know what to think! Anne wants to start early so she can have part of her day left after she finishes. I was a cleaning maniac today. I cleaned out the recycling area near the washer and drier and then went through my clothes and drawers. I put together nine recycling bags of clothing that I never wear. I also vacuumed the house, arranged the video library and cleaned up in the kitchen. Anne got home at 3:30 and spent four hours folding napkins and towels for tomorrow nights' New Year's celebration at the Herbfarm restaurant. I helped fold some of the replacement napkins as Anne was really getting tired.
Monday, December 31, 2001 I arose at 4:10, but Anne was already up. We left the house at 5 and stopped for breakfast at Shari's in Renton. We got to the Herbfarm restaurant at 6:30. We checked for burnt-out light bulbs. Had to replace 5, three being out in the private dining room. It was fortunate that I came along since we had to carry the tall ladder through the dining room. I oiled the hinges of several doors, eliminating some squeeky situations. I then gathered and filled the oil lamps from the dining room and restaurant. Made a funnel from tin foil so that I could pour lamp oil from a one-gallon container into the filling containers. I then polished the butter dishes and then helped set the silverware. We were finished by noon. Anne stopped for gas and we were home by 1. The dogs were overjoyed to see us. We packed our bags, grabbed the dogs and were on our way by 2:30. Stopped at Safeway where Anne got some drinks for tonight and some chips. There was a cabin-full when we arrived - Valorie's cousin Carol, her son Colen, and their dog Lillie. Tina and her family was there, along with Paul, Tara, Thomas, Ted and some friends of Carol. I spent an hour putting some dirt on the driveway so that people would be able to get in and out. Paul and Joan arrievd at 5:30, and Bill and Janet Schaffer stopped by. Paul and Joan planned to stay in Enumclaw for the evening, but stayed until after midnight. I took a 3-hour nap before the midnight hour. Carol made a toast in tribute to Lola Cowan, and Tina toasted Valorie for her friendship. A wonderful evening was had by all.
Mistletoe: A little history
lesson Kissing under the mistletoe is a traditional holiday event, stemming from ancient times. The mistletoe tradition is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. These probably originated from two beliefs. One belief was that the plant has the power to bestow fertility. The other belief was from Scandinavia, where mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses could kiss and resolve their differences. Later, the eighteenth-century English used mistletoe to create a kissing ball with a certain magical appeal. At Christmastime, a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, could not refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she could not expect not to marry the following year. Even if the Pagan significance has been long forgotten, the custom of exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe can still be found in many European countries as well as here in America and in Canada
How to Care for the Christmas Tree
Fill the reservoir in your tree stand with the
following solution:
Tiny Tim, Puny Pete? Before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his character in "A Christmas Carol", three other alternative names were considered by Charles Dickens. They were: Little Larry, Puny Pete and Small Sam.
CALLING IN SICK - Story sent to me from Valorie Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my illness, I always sense my boss thinks I am lying.On one occasion, I had a valid reason, but lied anyway because the truth was too humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on my crown. The accident occurred mainly because I conceded to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no problem, but one morning, I was taking my shower after breakfast, when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen. "Ed! The garbage disposal is dead. Come reset it." "You know where the button is," I protested through the shower (pitter-patter). "Reset it yourself!" "I'm scared!" she pleaded. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?" (Pause) "C'mon, it'll only take a second." So out I came, dripping wet and buck naked, hoping to make a statement about how her cowardly behavior was not without consequence. I crouched down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing. It struck without warning, without respect to my circumstances. Nay, it wasn't a hexed disposal drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, clawing playfully at the dangling objects she spied between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I took the bait under the sink. At precisely the second I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, while rising upwardly at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region. Wild animals are sometimes faced with a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the "flight" option. Fleeing straight up, the sink and cabinet bluntly impeded my ascent; the impact knocked me out cold. When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics snorted as they tried to conduct their work while suppressing hysterical laughter. At the office, colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" If they had only known.
CNN EDITORS: TOP STORIES OF 2001
On the morning of the second Tuesday in September, two airliners crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, causing the collapse of three skyscrapers and thousands of deaths. Thick clouds of smoke filled the air and debris showered the streets as the world watched it all on live television. Before the morning was over, two more passenger jets crashed -- one into the Pentagon in Washington, another into a field near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Everyone on board the two planes was killed, along with 100 people on the ground. All air travel in the United States was halted as authorities scrambled for answers.
U.S. officials named Islamic militant Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect behind the September 11 attacks on the United States. Bin Laden heads the al Qaeda network, a band of pro-Islamic fundamentalists that operated in Afghanistan with the support of the ruling government, the Taliban. Bin Laden is also accused in other attacks on U.S. interests in Africa and the Middle East. In a mission to find and punish terrorists or "those harboring terrorists," the United States and an international coalition began airstrikes on Afghanistan on October 7.
The economic slowdown that hit the U.S. manufacturing sector and ended the dot-com boom in 2000 spread throughout the economy in 2001. Even before September 11, soft markets and rising unemployment had led the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates in hopes of reviving consumer spending. The attacks shut down major financial markets. When trading resumed it was chilled by the climate of uncertainty. October saw the largest job losses in 21 years, with 415,000 positions cut. In December, the Fed cut interest rates for a record 11th time within the year.
Shortly after the September 11 attacks, media outlets and government officials received letters that contained deadly anthrax spores. A letter laced with anthrax and written in peculiar block lettering was addressed to Senator Tom Daschle in Washington. It read, "You cannot stop us. We have this anthrax. You die now. Are you afraid?" That letter and others sent to Washington, New York and Florida spawned a new threat of terrorism -- one of biological concerns. Since October when the first case was reported, five people have died due to anthrax. Authorities have not determined the origin of the letters.
After months of stepped-up violence between Palestinians and Israelis, Likud Party leader Arial Sharon defeated Ehud Barak by a landslide in Israel's February 6 special election for prime minister. The terrorist attacks on the United States sparked a renewed interest in the stalled Middle East peace process. But violence erupted again in December following explosions in Jerusalem and the port city of Haifa, killing 25 Israelis and three suicide bombers. The violence led to major Israeli military strikes against Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza.
Politicians and their constituents got a crash course in biology this year, when cutting-edge technology pressed the debate on the definition of life. Stem cells, which have the potential to grow into a variety of specialized cells, hold great promise for treating medical conditions including diabetes and Parkinson's disease. But the stem cells that show the greatest promise come from human embryos, and the notion of producing embryos for research drew the ire of abortion opponents. In November, an American company announced it had cloned a human embryo for just that purpose.
Timothy McVeigh was put to death by lethal injection on June 11, six years after he parked a truck bomb next to the Oklahoma City federal building, killing 168 people. McVeigh, who admitted guilt, was the first federal prisoner to be executed in 38 years.
In June, deposed Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic was handed over to the U.N. tribunal at The Hague on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Three indictments charge Milosevic with war crimes in Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia over the past decade -- a dramatic fall from power for the man who led Yugoslavia through years of war.
The 2000 U.S. election narrowed the margin in the majority-Republican U.S. House of Representatives and created a 50-50 split in the Senate, which had been controlled by the GOP since 1994. It took only one person to shift that tenuous balance. Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont announced he was leaving the Republican Party to protest President Bush's budget plan. Although Jeffords became an Independent and not a Democrat, his decision gave the Democrats a 50-49 edge, enabling them to make Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota the new majority leader. President Bush's post-inauguration "honeymoon" effectively ended.
An already shell-shocked New York City was dealt a further blow on November 12, when an airliner crashed into a residential neighborhood in Queens, minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy airport. American Airlines Flight 587 was en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with 251 passengers and nine crew members. The crash killed everyone on board and five people on the ground. Officials said that early leads pointed not to terrorism, but to a possible mechanical failure or "wake turbulence" from a plane that took off just before flight 587.
Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old former intern, was last seen at a Washington health club on April 30. The press reported nothing special about Levy's missing person's case until U.S. Rep Gary Condit's name surfaced in connection with hers. He spent the summer at the center of a media firestorm, though authorities denied he was a suspect. Condit, Levy's hometown representative, issued a statement April 10 that said, "Chandra is a great person and a good friend." Anonymous sources pointed to a romantic relationship between Levy and Condit, but the congressman characterized their relationship only as friendly.
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Ron and
Carrie used the Herbfarm staff to help make funeral
arrangements. At 4 PM, we met with the staff at
Flintoff's funeral home in Issaquah to pick out a
casket and to arrange a meeting with the owner of
the Fall City cemetery. Later that evening we met
at the cemetery and picked out a spot for dad that
overlooked the valley. The funeral was held on
Thursday, January 18. We all shared our memories of
dad as he was laid to rest.
We had a magnitude 6.8 earthquake on February 28.
The quake was centered 35 miles southwest of
Seattle, near Olympia. The Boeing Renton plant
closed for two days. It happened just before 11 AM.
I was preparing to come home at the time, because I
wasn't feeling well. When the shaking started, we
all looked at each other and commented, "Hey, that
feels like an earthquake!" When it
intensified,however, we quickly jumped under nearby
desks and watched as ceiling tiles fell from the
ceiling and overhead light fixtures swung open. The
shaking lasted almost a minute. When it stopped we
all quickly left the building, jumping over the
fallen ceiling tiles and noting the cracks in the
brick work near the entrances to the building. I
told my supervisor that I was heading home. My car
was parked on the first floor of a two-level
parking garage. I held my breath as I got into my
car and drove out of the garage, hoping that
another shock wouldn't strike and bring down the
structure on top of me! As it turned out, the
building where I was working was so damaged that it
was condemned and torn down!
On April 11, Mom, Valorie and I went
on a day trip to see the tulip fields near Mount
Vernon. The day was windy, but the sun was shining
most of the time. The fields were beautiful and we
stopped at most of the popular places, taking a few
pictures along the way. Unfortunately, Anne missed
the trip, returning from Arizona on April 25, just
in time for the start of the Mariner baseball
season.
On April 2, Thomas moved
to Beacon Hill, in Seattle, to the CenterPointe
apartments. The apartment is nearby the offices for
Amazon.com. It is a rather large complex which is
gated for security.
Again this year, Paul, Thomas, Anne,
Valorie, Debra and I spent Father's Day at the
microbrewry festival in Seattle. We watched the
keg-throwing contest, which was fun when they
managed to splash the crowd as the barrel landed
into one of the swimming pool targets!
On July 2, Thomas, Anne,
Debra, Valorie and I visited the wineries in
Yakima. Mom gave the Cadillac Deville to Anne, so
we drove her car to Yakima and had a leisurely tour
using a car with a good ride and a nice air
conditioner.
Ted, Valorie, Debra and
Nickki scattered Lola's ashes at the cabin and at
Paradise on Mount Rainier on August 3.
Then there was
September 11 as terrorists flew passenger jets into
the World Trade Center towers in New York. I first
heard the news when I was in a meeting at work.
Everyone was in shock. As the weeks and months went
by, we began to realize the far-reaching impacts of
this in terms of the impact to the airplane
business. Many of Boeing's customers wanted to
either cancel airplane orders or delay deliveries.
Air travel by the public has declined by fifty
percent. There are expected to be layoffs of about
half of the people in the Commercial Airplane
Division.
In September, Paul and Tara took a road trip on his
motorcycle, visiting parts of Route 66. Here is
Paul's published itinery:
Nickki moved to
Arizona on September 16. Her plan was to live with
Kim and Rick while she looked for an apartment near
Phoenix. She already had several job interviews set
up and managed to land a job within the first week.
Unfortunately, she was unable to make enough money
to continue living near her work, and the communte
from Salome was almost two hours each way. At this
time, she is still living in Salome, hoping to open
a day care there.
Tara has
become more a part of our family, attending our
Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. She and
Paul invited Valorie and I to dinner at the
Herbfarm Restaurant on November 2. It was a
wonderful meal and we got to meet Tara's mom,
Deane!
Anne has
finally gone to the doctor to get treatment for her
rhumatoid arthritis. The anti-inflamatory medicines
(Vioxx and Prednesone) she is taking have made a
huge difference in her ability to function.
Regarding these medicines, here is a bit more
information that I have found:
This evening, I got three
deliveries from UPS! Two of the CD's from Amazon
arrived (gifts for Tara), one package from Car Toys
(a CD for Anne), and two boxes that I'd ordered
from the Boeing awards program (a griddle and a
portable electric drill).
Anne baked cookies all day
while we played Christmas music CD's. I printed out
two "ski bucks" gift certificates, one for Thomas
and one for Paul. I put $50 in each.
Ted was rather moved by
the picture I gave him in memory of Lola Cowan. We
all really miss her, especially at this time of
year.
Everyone was up by 10:30.
We played Christmas music on the radio while we got
prepred to go to Ron and Carrie's. We took cookies,
veggies, and snacks from our party last night. I
called Ron to verify that he wanted me to pick up
mom. He did. I loaded the Subaru with presents,
having to fold down the back seat in order to carry
the large 27-inch TV. The back of the car was
packed with gifts! Debra and Anne both dressed in
their new dresses. Debra tried to spice up her
attire by tying a large silver ribbon around her
head. She finally settled for a much smaller one.
Dinner started at 5,
moving from a poached egg (hand picked and sealed
with butter by Ron) to the poached pear filled with
cream. As always, it was supurb. To start the meal
we all got party poppers, each filled with a gift,
a paper crown, and a riddle. Almost everyone wore
their crowns for dinner. Anne and Thomas were
taking pictures of the dinner courses, trying to
hand-hold the digital cameras and competing with
each other to take the best pictures. I believe
Thomas won.
1.
September 11
2.
War in Afghanistan
3.
Failing economy
4.
Anthrax scare
5.
Mideast conflict
6.
Stem cell research / cloning
7.
Timothy McVeigh execution
8.
Milosevic handed over to The Hague
9.
Senate switch
10. American Airline crash (tie)
10. The case of Chandra Levy (tie)