Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Discrimination in Dallas

This past week has been like a roller coaster ride!  I went through a major cancer scare and subsequent surgery on 12/4/12 which put those fears to rest. Through all of that rough ride, my close friend Tegan Marie Smith has been so supportive!  Her late wife Margaret had the same kind of cancer that I thought that I might have and died from it 4 years ago.  Tegan was so informative and such a rock for me during that scary time!  I finally had the chance to meet her in person last week!  She flew into town to visit with her son and daughter-in-law, whom she hasn't seen in a good while. They had a wonderful time!  Her and I had lunch at the Macaroni Grill near Love Field Airport and had a great visit all day long!  I got to see her again on Monday for breakfast and a brief visit before she went to the airport for her flight home to Atlanta. Here's a picture of her and I having Lunch at the Macaroni Grill:

Tegs and I at the Macaroni Grill on 12/7/12

Later on that day she messaged me from the airport to say that her flight was delayed.  When I didn't hear back from her several hours later I began to get pretty worried.  Finally, several hours later I was shocked to read her post that she had been arrested at the airport!  I couldn't believe it!

She said that her plane had been delayed and she and a few people went into the bar that was near the gate and had a couple of beers to wait for the flight to arrive.  When the plane arrived, they all lined up to get on and she boarded the plane and sat down.  She said that a gate person came in and sat behind her and said that she needed to come with her, so Tegan got up and followed her out of the plane.  When she got outside of the plane there were several Dallas Police Officers waiting to arrest and handcuff her!

I'm not going to provide any of the detail that she told me due to what I hope will be an impending lawsuit against the airline and police.  All I will say is that they had no grounds to arrest her and that she was profiled and harassed from the beginning because she is a transwoman. 

They handcuffed her and took her back to the police station, where they harassed her for several hours.  Then they released her without charges.  They put her into a cab to the nearest hotel, which cost her over $200.00 for the night.

I cannot believe how terrible she was treated here in Dallas!  She is such a kind and nice person and does not deserve this kind of treatment!  I hope that the people who abused her receive their just comeuppance!  She is understandably traumatized by the whole thing!  I know that she is strong and will be able to rise above this quickly and gain justice for the terrible deeds done against her!


 

Monday, December 10, 2012

Happy Tuesday

This post is a sequel to my last two posts. To make a long story short, I had to have a complete Hysterectomy on Tuesday, December 4th at Medical City Dallas Hospital.  The surgery was scheduled for 4 PM and was to be performed with a DaVinci Robot unless any pathology was noted.  If pathology was noted, a full laparotomy would be done to check surrounding organs and take biopsies. So going into the surgery I didn't know if I was going to wake up hearing if I had cancer or not.  It was not a good feeling!

So I checked into the hospital at 2:30 PM and it ended up that my surgery got postponed until 7:00 PM because there was another doctor still using the DaVinci Robot.  This didn't help my nerves any and to top it off, the Anesthesiologist told me that my EKG was abnormal, which freaked me out!  The EKG Tech retook it twice and it was perfect, so there was a lead not placed in the right place on the first test.

At 6:00 PM someone finally came and took me up to OR Staging Area so that they could get my IV in and I could sign all of the scary papers acknowledging everything that could go wrong during surgery.  The Anesthesiologist then put the "I don't care" shot into my IV and that was all I can remember until I woke up in my hospital room several hours later.

The first thing that I did was look at the spot right underneath my breast bone to see if it had a vertical cut on it.  I was so happy to see that there was no cut!!!  This meant that the surgery was conducted with the DaVinci Robot and that no pathology was found!  The doctor confirmed that they found no cancer and everything went well!  This was the best result that I could have hoped for!

Thank God that things turned out the way that they did!  I also want to thank my family and some special friends for their support during this trying time!  I especially thank my daughter Nicole and my dear friend Tegan Marie Smith, who were so supportive to me during the dark hours I had before the surgery.





Tuesday, December 4, 2012

An Angel to Watch Over Me

This post is a sequel to my last one named "Alive and Kicking".  I sit here this morning in anticipation of undergoing a full hysterectomy at 4:00 PM today.  The procedure will be done using a DaVinci robot and is scheduled for 2-1/2 hours.  If any pathology is discovered,  I will have to undergo a full laparotomy where the doctor will examine my other abdominal organs and take biopsies.

I pray to God that they don't find any pathology and that I'll be done in less than 2-1/2 hours!  I want to stay my requisite night in the hospital and go home!  I want to go on my cruise to the Panama Canal on the 19th of this month!   I want to be healthy and be here for my family and friends!

I woke up this morning and found a sweet note from my daughter and a note and picture of a beautiful angel from Tegs on my Facebook wall.  I saw this as a sign that there will be angels watching over me and everything will be okay!  Here is the angel picture that was on my wall this morning:

Teg's Angel

I pray that God and his angels will watch over me today and keep me safe!  I also pray for anybody else undergoing surgery at this time as well.



Monday, November 26, 2012

Alive and Kicking

I've been having cramp like pains in my lower abdomen for over a month now.   During the last few weeks or so, the pains started to go into my lower back as well.  This really worried me since I had to be hospitalized for a bad kidney infection last April.  I couldn't get in to see my GP all month, so on two separate occasions  I attended appointments with her associates to try to find out what was wrong with me and get it treated.  On both occasions I ended up getting antibiotics prescribed to treat a bladder infection. However, the cramps didn't go away.  The Friday before last I tried to get an appointment to see my Gynecologist, only to hear that she's on Maternity Leave.  Meanwhile, my GP was still booked solid and I was really hurting!  Consequently, I spent the entire day Saturday before last at the Emergency Room.

I forced myself to leave the house and drive to the ER.  When I got there, the Waiting Room was empty and they admitted me right away.  They gave me an IV, took some blood tests, then gave me a CAT Scan. The CAT Scan revealed what looked like an abnormal left ovary, so the ER doctor ordered an Ultrasound. The Ultrasound revealed an enlarged left ovary with a lesion, cysts in the right ovary, and uterine fibroid tumors.  The ovarian cysts and fibroid tumors were not a surprise as they had shown up in an Ultrasound back in April and didn't appear to be too much of a problem back then.

The ER doctor prescribed some Vicodin and called an associate of his who is a Gynecologist to set me up for an appointment early in the week.  I saw the Gynecologist last Tuesday and she told me that she was still waiting on the results of a CA 125 test to come in from the ER, but that based on what she saw in my Ultrasound report, she thought that I have Endometriosis. She left the room to check if the results from the test came in and then came back to tell me that the results of the CA 125 test were positive.

Hearing her say this stopped me dead in my tracks!  I know I must have had a shocked look on my face, because she immediately told me that the test result should be interpreted that there was increased risk that I could have ovarian cancer, but that it didn't mean that I actually did have it.  She explained that a number of benign conditions can cause elevations of the CA 125 level, including pregnancy, endometriosis, uterine fibroids (benign tumors), pancreatitis, normal menstruation, pelvic inflammatory disease, and liver disease. Benign tumors or cysts of the ovaries can also cause an abnormal test result.  She said that she thought that I have Endometriosis and I know for sure that I have uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts.  I'm praying that these conditions are what caused the positive test result!  Either way, it looks like I'm going to have to have a Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy sometime really soon.

So, I ended up having to set up an appointment with a Gynecological Oncologist for this Thursday.  We'll see what he has to say and then go from there.  In the meantime, I have a Panama Canal Cruise booked to sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on December 20th and return on the 30th.  I really hope that I don't have to have this surgery done before then, because I'll have to postpone the cruise.  Even worse, I had to spend the whole Thanksgiving holiday worrying about whether I have ovarian cancer or not.  I probably won't know for sure until after the hysterectomy.  Needless to say, I've had some pretty dark moments about this whole thing!

Sure, we all have to die someday, but there is nothing more sobering than having to face your own mortality.  The worst part is just hanging and not knowing for sure.  I pray to God I don't have it!

Meanwhile, whether I have it or not, I'm going to try to remain positive and I plan to be alive and kicking for a long time!

So I'll end this post with an appropriate song that has always been one of my favorites, but is even more so now after this experience.




 I know that there's a reason that all of this is happening and I hope that the outcome is a good one!
















Monday, November 12, 2012

Obsession

As evidenced in my past blog posts, the wonderful world of Facebook has presented me with some very interesting experiences, some of which have shown up in the last few months.  There is one in particular going on right now that is absolutely wonderful, but I'm going to keep that to myself . . .  There are several others that have me shaking my head, one of which I wrote about in my previous blog post named "Out of the Blue".

The other experience began on . . .  believe it or not . . . Halloween!  I received a friend request from somebody who is a mutual friend of several other Facebook friends of mine, so I accepted their request.  This person turned out to be extremely intelligent, with a background and interests very similar to mine.  We chatted quite a bit about our past and current experiences and the conversations were very stimulating and enjoyable!  Such a bright and interesting person this friend was turning out to be!

As we continued to chat, this person began to strongly indicate that they wanted to be involved romantically.  I was very clear up front about my current situation and where I stood.  But I will have to say that I found this person's forthrightness and sheer directness to be quite refreshing in a world where there is so much dishonesty and deception.  However, their desire to be involved increased exponentially in a very small amount of time, to the point where they were professing their love after only talking with me for about a week. 

Despite the fact that this person is incredibly intelligent and possesses many outstanding qualities, their behavior was becoming a bit unsteady.  They were starting to go to emotional extremes and were all over the place.  They announced that they had made travel plans to come to Dallas to have dinner with me!  This was happening way too fast and was becoming a bit worrisome!  This all made me very sad because I know that they've been through a whole lot this past year! 

Well, one recent evening it became quite obvious that they were being very standoffish to me on Facebook.  However, it didn't surprise me with all the emotional extremes they had been experiencing in such a short time.  They messaged me the next morning to apologize, saying that a visit to their therapist had made it clear that they were suffering emotional extremes due to everything they have been through over the past year.  They also indicated that they would like to just remain friends on Facebook, which is fine with me!

This situation brought back an old song by Animotion to mind:




To be honest, I like this friend very much, especially their keen intelligence and directness!  I do hope that they can find peace, stability and what they need in their life!  They've worked very hard and deserve it!  

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Veterans Day 2012

This Veteran's Day 2012 marks the one year anniversary of my Blog!  I ended up starting my Blog this time last year in response to a smart-ass comment from somebody who called herself "Snark".  Snark's remark, along with my true passion for our country and it's veterans, got this whole thing started!  Thank you, Snark and a huge thank you to all veterans who have served in our Armed Forces!  I don't often like to talk about myself, but this Blog helps me greatly to express what is in my heart, which has helped me immensely!

I also want to honor my ancestors who have honorable served our country and have updated my memorial picture of them:

In Honor of My Veteran Ancestors

I also need to honor my 1st cousin 3x removed, Captain Michael Duffy.  He served in the 69th Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Brigade and was killed in action on July 2, 1863 at the Angle in Gettysburg.  He was only 24 years old when he died, but looked to be about 60 years old in his picture below:


In Honor of Captain Michael Duffy

Soldiers in the Civil War lived under some very harsh conditions, and it really showed!  I'm proud to say that the 69th Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Brigade consisted mostly of Irish immigrants and it's memorial at Gettysburg has a shamrock on it!

And last, but not least, I also want to honor a very special person very close to me who sacrificed greatly in service of our country.  Tegan, thank you for your selfless and honorable service to our country!  You are so hard on yourself for being human, but you are one of the bravest and kindest souls that I've ever met!  I'm so proud of you and your service! 


For Major Tegan Marie Smith, Thank You for your Service!

Thank you so much to all of the special veterans in my life and to all US and Canadian veterans!


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Glittering Mirage

We all have our responsibilities in life . . . home, family, work, and bills.  We get up every morning and go to work, come home and take care of household matters, pay bills and tend to children.  The whole routine can get to be a long blur of boredom after a while.  The ubiquitous and glittering mirage in the distance beckons, and sometimes its pull is seductively overpowering!


An Enchanted Evening Under the Stars

Oh yeah, give me that sleek, sexy car along with musk scented evenings with wine, candles and a sultry lover to tend to my every need!  The mirage dominates my brain and I can't seem to vanquish it.  Loved ones continue to inquire about that dreamy look in my eye and where my mind is at.  If they only knew . . .  I want and need passion so badly, but is it worth the steep price I'd have to pay to get it?

After much thought, I've come to the realization that there is a way around all of this, and that is in my dreams.  I can go anywhere and do whatever I want to in my dreams!

I can't help but think that Gary Wright must have had the same sentiment as me when he wrote this song:




I will dream on!



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Out of the Blue

Back in the latter part of September, I received a message out of the blue on Facebook from a man who served with me at Camp Parks RFTA in Dublin, CA back in the earlier years of the Millennium.  The unit that we served in was a joint service one with Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines working side by side.  He was Army and I was Air Force.

I always thought that he was handsome, but he was very quiet and we never spoke much back then.  We spoke briefly about retirement one time right before I left in 2004.  That's the one and only time that we ever spoke, other than saying "Hi" in the hall. 

So back to the present, this man said that he looked me up on Facebook and found my profile, then he sent me a message.  What I found intriguing is why he was trying to find me after 8 years.  He told me that he had been deployed to Afghanistan and I get the impression that it was more than once.  I can't even imagine how bad that must have been for him!  I do know that he has a young child and that must have been torture to leave him!  I'll have to ask him more about that some time.

Here is a picture of him over in Afghanistan with a little Afghan girl:




It is flattering to have somebody who I barely knew contact me out of the blue 8 years after I last saw them.  I guess that I must have made a lasting impression on him, somehow!

I've talked with him via Facebook message for over a month now and he seems to be a very nice man.  He's been very respectful and has said nothing untoward.  I think that I'd like to keep in contact with him as friends.

It's amazing how much Facebook opens up the world to us! 

10/29/2012 Update

I've been talking back and forth with this guy and he seemed very nice.  So, I get up this morning and find that he sent me a message at 6:00 AM saying that his mom is really sick and to please wire $2K into some woman's account first thing this morning and that he'll pay me back.  What stinks even worse is that the bank account he provided is at a credit union in my home town in Pennsylvania!  My home town is truly a podunk one where the bars look like garages, so this really scared me badly!

I barely knew this guy in California and all of a sudden after 8 years he's contacting me.  Okay, this can happen these days with Facebook and all, but asking me out of the blue to wire $2K to some chick's account?  Where is this guy's family?  I strongly suspect that he's a con artist and promptly told him so.  After I told him this, I unfriended and blocked him on Facebook.

This really scares the hell out of me!  I would never ask somebody that I barely knew to wire money to an account, especially that much money!  Even if his mother really is sick, I truly question the character of somebody who would put a new friend on the spot to wire money.

I feel very sad that something that seemed so nice has turned into something this bad!  My distrust for people has increased substantially because of this incident.  Goodbye J-Lo!  I hope not to hear from you ever again!  Go try to con somebody else!



 

Friday, October 5, 2012

A Breath of Fresh Air

I reached out and did something especially bold last week and it paid off!  I've got several posts here in my Blog in which I lament the loss of a connection that I had with somebody in the past.  I knew this person on a casual basis for a few years at work, but always wished that we could have been closer friends.  Unfortunately,  they moved away last year and this never happened.  I've thought about them often since they left and hoped that we could connect again.

Well one night last week after a couple of glasses of wine, I decided to take the plunge and send a message to ask if they wanted to be in touch online. Once I did this, I decided that I was just going to let things ride and see what happened . . . without stressing about it.  In retrospect, I've observed that this is quite a departure from how I've done things in the past.  I didn't realize how much I've changed over the last year, but I'm happy about it!  I'm finally starting to overcome being hurt in the past and learn how to reach out to people again.

So, I went about my business and the next day I received a very nice reply to my message!  This person messaged me back to say that they're interested in staying in touch!  This means so much to me that it feels like a breath of fresh air has come back into my life . . . and a much needed one at that!   I can compare the feeling that I have to the first days of Spring, when little buds appear on the trees and everything is starting to come back alive after a long and cold Winter.

During the time that they were here, I actually looked forward to getting up in the morning and going to work, just so I could see and talk with them.  Although I've always been intrinsically motivated to look and perform my best, I made a special effort to do even more whenever they were around.  They gave me a reason to surpass my goals.  Some people out there might think that this is dorky, but I don't care!  It takes a very special person to motivate me in this manner, and I've met very few like them!

This person asked me about some of the friendships that I have online and how they came to be. What I couldn't quite tell them at the time is that all of this happened due to a quest for knowledge to learn more about them.  I hope that I can tell them this one day.

So, I don't know what will end up happening out of all of this.  Hopefully we will develop a good and lasting connection.  But as with most things, only time will tell . . .

October 17, 2012 Update

Well, we've messaged back and forth a few times, but they've been out of touch for about a week now.  I hope that this doesn't continue.  What's a link without comms?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A Tribute to my Brother

Yesterday, September 24, 2012 would have been my brother Jon's 55th birthday.  Sadly, he didn't make it to 55.  He died on October 21, 2009 of heart failure due to complications from pneumonia.  I'll never forget getting the phone call from my other brother, Mark informing me about Jon's death.  It was just so shocking for all of us!

Jon was a maverick from a very early age to the day he died.  He always marched to the beat of his own drum, even if he got punished for it, which was often the case both at home and in school.  The nuns at school used to send him out to sit in the doghouse with the Convent's dog.  Our father used to whip his butt continually, but his maverick spirit could never be broken.

When we were kids, he and I fought pretty fiercely and he always brought out the beast in me!  I hated it when I was young, but my early dealings with Jon taught me how to be competitive and defend myself and others, which has served me well in the male dominated field in which I work. He and I got along much better when we got older.

Happy 55th Birthday, Jon!  I hope that you are at peace, wherever you are!


Now I'll play some Herbert Albert in your honor and memory:




Rest in peace, my brother!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

A Trip to Virginia

I flew out to Virginia this past Monday to attend a 3 day class in Fairfax.  The trip out there wasn't the greatest as both the flight from Dallas to Houston and the subsequent one from Houston to Dulles got delayed due to airplane mechanical problems.  I'm  not very impressed with the way that United Airlines is heading business wise and it isn't likely that I'll be flying with them again.  I ended up getting to my hotel after 11:00 PM.

I stayed at the Hyatt House near Dulles Airport and it is really a nice place!  Here are a few pictures that I took in the hotel:

My very comfortable bed!

The Desk and Coffee MESS Area
The Chaise Lounge

A Pretty Sitting Area in The Breakfast Area

The next morning, I drove to class at the CC Pace Center in Fairfax.  The class was well run and we were treated very nicely.  They had drinks, snacks and lunch for us daily, which made everybody feel comfortable and welcome.  Right after class, I hit the road and headed for Eldersburg, MD to join my children, son-in-law, stepdaughter and her daughter at the Osaka Restaurant. The traffic was so bad on the Capitol Beltway (495) that it took me 2 hours to get there, but I finally made it!  I visited some with Nicole, Brandon, and Justin at their apartment and then we headed over to the restaurant to meet Anne and Cassie.

We all cut up and laughed and had a great time!  In my opinion, the Osaka has the best Japanese and Hibachi dinners that I've ever tasted!  Here are some pictures from dinner:

Anne, Cassie and Justin having Miso Soup and Sushi

Anne, Cassie, Justin, Me, Nicole and Brandon at Dinner

Nicole and I sitting at the Hibachi Table

Justin, Nicole and I back at Nicole & Brandon's Apartment

We went back to Nicole and Brandon's apartment for a while and visited some more, and then I did the hour drive back down to Virginia, which was much better on the way back because there was no traffic!  So, I got settled in and went to sleep and then it was up again to go to class the next morning.

The next morning I got up, showered and dressed and then went down to breakfast. The hotel has a very nice complimentary breakfast, with scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, danish pastry, cereal, toast, juice coffee, etc.  I enjoyed breakfast and then headed off to class.  After class, I went home to freshen up for a dinner date with a Facebook friend named Keri at the Cheesecake Factory in the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax. We ended up eating at a table outside and the weather was just gorgeous!  It was a great meal with good conversation and company!  She's a very lovely lady and we had a wonderful time!  I hope that Keri and I can meet up again sometime.

It turns out that another Facebook friend named Donna was in the DC area that day, but she ended up leaving that day to go back down south.  It's a shame that we were in such close proximity but didn't get to meet.  I really would love to meet her one day!  

After dinner, I drove back to the hotel and got settled in to sleep and then got up the next morning for my last day of class. 

The last day of class was good and everybody traded business cards and said their goodbyes.  I went back to the hotel and relaxed and waited for Nicole and Brandon to come and visit.  Brandon goes to a university in Sterling, so he dropped Nicole off at the hotel and went to straighten out some school business.  Nicole and I had a nice long visit and then Brandon joined us.  We visited some more and then headed to the Macaroni Grill in the Dulles Town Center for some dinner.

Here are some pictures of us at dinner:

Nicole and I outside of the Macaroni Grill at Dulles Town Center
Brandon and Nicole across the table at dinner
Me, right before dinner

We had dinner and since wine was 1/2 price, two bottles of wine.  After dinner, we went back to the hotel and visited some more, then they headed home.  I went to bed as I had a very early flight the next morning.

The next morning I got up and had to leave the hotel at 4:00 AM to return my rental car and get to the airport on time for my 6:00 flight. Both the flight out to Houston and the subsequent one to Dallas were on time and I got home in the early afternoon.

I'm really glad I got to go to Virginia!  The trip provided me with some much needed peace and solitude as well as the opportunity to visit with some of my family.  It was also very nice to meet my FB friend for the first time!  I hope to get another opportunity like this one again soon!






Saturday, September 8, 2012

The Passing Parade

I remember being a young girl, lamenting about some nasty thing that some "friend" at the time had done to me (pre pubescent girls can get extremely nasty!).  My mother always told me that there are very few true friends in life and the rest are just a passing parade.

Well, as usual, mom was right!  I've had a number of people come and go in my life (the passing parade), with some of the departures being very painful and unforgettable!

I was looking around on Facebook today and noted that a very charming FB friend posted a beautiful video on to their lovely wife's wall, probably because their wife may have recently lost a friend or somebody else and is feeling sad about it:.


Here is the video:



This video spoke directly to me, as it is quite applicable to my life right now and in the past!  I've had some new friends come into my life recently and somebody who wasn't exactly a friend pass away in the latter part of August.

I ended up sending this video to a FB friend who appears to be going through a major life upheaval at the time.  She seems to have these upheavals on a fairly frequent basis, with numerous people coming in and out of her life each time. I really wish that I could help her in some way.  I hope that she can find peace, stability and some roots soon.  She deserves it!



Friday with the Facebook Sorority

Just a note for anyone reading this blog or any of my other ones,  I will not use any of my Facebook friends' real names in my blogs in order to protect both their privacy and mine.

I went to work for a half a day today and then headed down the street to pick up Angie so that we could make our way to Jordan's place in downtown Dallas.  Angie and I had a very nice chat on the way downtown and got to Jordan's without incident.  Whew, it was hot as hell in Dallas today at over 100 degrees!  Needless to say, we gathered what we had in the car and got into Jordan's house quickly, where it was nice and cool.

Jordan looked very good today and is feeling much better than when I saw her in the hospital last Friday.  I brought her some clothes that I've never worn because I have too many clothes hanging in my closet!  She tried them all on and modeled them for us.  They fit perfectly and look absolutely lovely on her!   We  enjoyed the fashion show!

Jordan's place is a good bit better than I thought that it would be.  She has a nice Living Room and a decent Kitchen there.  We had plenty of space to sit comfortably in the Living Room.

I brought her an AT&T Laptop Connect so that she could get onto the internet.  I think she's been getting a little stir-crazy from being disconnected.  Her and Angie are really nice ladies and I'm glad to call them friends!  I just wish that our Canadian friend could have been there with us, but she's too busy driving her rig!

Angie and I headed back towards my work around 3:15 PM and I dropped her off at our rendezvous point.  I'm hoping that we can have our "sorority" meet ups at least several times a month!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Lean on Me

I'm glad to say that I got to meet another Facebook friend this past Friday.  I'm going to call her "Jordan" in order to preserve her anonymity. I've been talking with "Jordan" for the past three months or so and several of my other friends have become friends with her as well.  Her marriage ended last year after she accelerated her M to F transition.  She's had some pretty rough times since, and just recently had her home foreclosed upon by the bank. I find this very upsetting because she had several people living with her who weren't giving her anything in return for their room and board.  However, when she lost her home, none of them were around to help her. She also had her beloved car repossessed, so she didn't even have a ride to take her on her one-way ticket to nowhere. 

I'm very happy to say that one of our mutual friends "Angie" (not her real name) was kind enough to go all the way to Oklahoma to pick "Jordan" up and take her to Dallas, where she's now staying in a duplex furnished by the VA.  There were problems along the way, i.e. the VA wouldn't let her into the duplex until she went through mental and physical examinations and got her name changed on her military records.  As such, she had nowhere to stay for several days, so "Angie" paid for her hotel room and food during that time.  Now that's what I call a good friend!

"Jordan" had some health problems earlier in the week and had to be admitted to the VA Hospital, which is where I visited with her on Friday.  It turns out that she's having problems with her heart enzyme levels and the VA is going to give her some medicine for that condition as well as several others.  She ended up getting discharged from the hospital not long after I left and is back in her duplex.  I hope that she can get straightened out and get back into life again. What she truly needs right now is real friends . . . ones with no ulterior motives.  She's been used terribly throughout her life.

The way that's she has come into my life is a strong sign that I need to be there to help her in any way possible. This goes the same for all of my friends . . . lean on me, when you're not strong and I'll be your friend.  That's the true meaning of a friend.   Here's a perfect song for this blog:



The day that I started writing this blog was the 15th anniversary of Princess Diana of Wales' tragic death.  I'll never forget the day that she died.  She was such a sweet and giving woman!  As I was writing this blog, a very fitting picture popped up on Facebook:

Amen, Princess Diana!


This said so much about how I feel about helping others!  This picture was definitely a sign to continue down my present path.

09/15/2015 Update

The past few years have reinforced the fact that while it truly is a wonderful thing to help others, this needs to be done with some boundaries.  First, the people that one is helping need to want to help themselves.  Helping somebody who won't help themselves is just enabling them. It is also important to set limits on the amount of help given.  Not setting limits is a good way to get used and abused. Lastly, one needs to watch out for entitlement issues.  Anybody who thinks that the world owes them a living needs to be left in the dust!




Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Four Years Gone

I'm a bit ashamed of myself right now!  I was so caught up with the craziness at work that I completely overlooked the anniversary of my dear mother Nora Reilly West's death!  Last Friday, August 24th marked 4 years since she died.  I also overlooked what would have been my father John M. West's 89th birthday on August 14th!  Shame on me!  Work is no excuse for forgetting important family dates like these!

I'll never forget the day that she died.  We were on a Mediterranean Cruise in the middle of the ocean en-route to Athens, Greece and it was around 1 AM when the phone rang.  It was my brother, Mark calling to tell me that Mom was in the hospital and that he thought that this might be it for her.  We talked for a while and I asked him to call me immediately with any changes in her condition.  He called back at 3 am to tell me she had died.

Her death was a bittersweet experience.  Mom had been ill with Dementia for over a year and was deteriorating rapidly.  It was so sad not to be able to see her again, but frankly, my mother was gone about 1-1/2 years before her actual death due to her Dementia. 

Our cruise ship pulled into the Port of Athens a few hours after she died.  We had purchased tickets to go ashore and visit Athens and my husband asked if I wanted to cancel since Mom died.  I refused to cancel because I knew my mother would have wanted for me to go see Athens and all of the other stops on our cruise!  So we went up and toured the Acropolis and Parthenon in honor of my mother!  Here is a picture that I took of the Parthenon when we visited there on the day that Mom died:


The Parthenon

And here is a picture of my dear mother, Nora:


Nora Reilly West

Rest in peace, Mom!  I love and miss you very much!


Monday, August 27, 2012

I'll Pray for You

What an uncanny experience I had today!  Back a few weeks ago on 8/5/2012, I posted a blog on here titled "Calling all Angels", in which I felt compelled to finally speak out about some particularly bad treatment that I received from a manager on the job back in Alabama in 2009. I held these feelings inside for almost three years and for some reason, they finally came out in my blog on August 5th!

Well, I was at my desk at work today and noticed that I received an email from a coworker who had just recently returned to Alabama. When I opened the email, I was shocked to read that the manager I refer to above and in my "Calling all Angels" blog died this past Friday at 59 years of age!  I'm not sure how he died, but I gather that it was health related.

I can't tell you how much I hurt for so long about how bad this person treated me, and how bad the whole good 'ole boy club in general treated people back in Alabama!  There were times while there that I kept hoping that I was dreaming and that I could wake up and realize it was all just a nightmare!  I've since learned that this manager's ex wife took him for everything that he had when she left him, which occurred before he came to our team.

As I said in my "Calling all Angels" blog, I could tell that this guy hated me before we even met.  I get the idea that he hated woman because of what his wife did to him and he took it out on me whenever he could.  I gave it back to him pretty good, but he was such a prick!.

Well, I'm really glad that I finally got this off of my chest back on August 5th.  I never really could harbor any ill will towards this person and I just want to let go of it all, especially now that he has died.

Rest in peace, Greg!  I'll pray for you and your family every day, just like I do for my family and other people that I've known during my life who have died. 


Rest in Peace, Greg







Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The Fall Fashion Show

It's almost September and it's time to go back to school, which meant a new Fall wardrobe for Adeline.  Last weekend was Tax Free School Shopping days, so we headed out to Kohls and Target to do some shopping.  Kohls always has really cute things for girls and they came through again this time.  We ended up getting Adeline twelve new outfits and four pairs of shoes! 

Adeline did a Fall Fashion Show for us on Saturday evening.  Here are the highlights of the show:
 
Pink Leopard Pants and "Hello Kitty" Shirt

Multicolor "Hello Kitty" Slack Set

Pink and Black Glam Set - My Personal Favorite!

Black and Blue Heart Set

Purple and Black Leopard Pants and Sparkle Shirt

Sequined "Hello Kitty" Pants Set



Blue Butterfly Pants Set


Rock Star Pants Set - Another Favorite of Mine!

We also got her a "Hello Kitty" jacket which she hasn't wanted to take off since we got it!

Most of her clothes at Kohl's were 50% off, then the cashier gave us another 20% off for having a Kohl's card, so we got 12 really cute outfits, hair bows, and 12 pairs of socks for $214.67!   So now she can wear a different outfit to school for more than two weeks without having to wear the same thing twice!

After the Kohl's experience, we went next door to Target and bought her the black boots she's wearing in the pictures plus 3 pairs of shoes, all tax free! 

It's so fun dressing up such a sweet and smart little girl!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Calling All Angels

A dear friend of mine posted this song to my Facebook wall the other night:




The song is named "Calling all Angels" by Train.  It says so much about where I've been during the hard times of my life and where I'm at now.  Whenever I'm experiencing rough spots in my life, I ask the angels to help and protect me, and they always come through.

Back in 2009 when I was in Huntsville, Alabama, I went through a terrible time at work.  I started working there in the Spring of 2007 and things never were good as it was a "good 'ole boy" environment.  It didn't matter how hard anybody worked or how good they did, if you weren't a part of the "good 'ole boy" network, you didn't matter, period.

Huntsville fell upon hard times after President Obama took office and sought to end the Missile Defense Program that I was working on at the time, just as he promised he would do if elected.  Things started going to hell in a hand hand basket around Springtime of that year, when folks started getting scared that they were going to lose their jobs.  Times like these usually bring out either the best or the worst in people, and in Alabama there was a whole lot more of the "worst" part coming out.

The back biting became unbearable and there was one guy on our team who was eavesdropping on everybody's personal conversations and then going to our manager and telling him what folks were saying.  What a hostile working environment!  They switched our manager several times within a 4 month time frame and the last one was a total prick!  I'm convinced that he hated me before we even met.

All of this mess ended up in my getting a pink slip, which was completely devastating. Up until that time, I had never received a pink slip in my entire working career.  It was one of the worst times of my life!  My daughter sent me a beautiful Angel Stone to help me get through the crisis.  I've posted a picture of an Angel Stone before in one of my other blogs, but here is what it looks like:

My Angel Stone

Every time that I felt overcome with worry and depression, I got out my Angel Stone and held it, imagining a group of beautiful angels surrounding me to keep away all of the pain and angst. I ended up getting a job within the company with all moving expenses covered as well as a big bonus!  Thank God for that and the angels who helped me to get through that terrible time!

Wow, I've never put that experience down on paper or really even spoken aloud about it!  I must have needed to get it out once and for all.

Nowadays at work I'm in charge of making sure that a large group of people get a complex task done in a short time span, which is somewhat stressful.  I've been asking the angels to help me get through this in one piece.

Funny, this just popped up on my News Feed on Facebook:


A Sign from the Angels

I think it must be a sign from the angels!


Here are the lyrics to the song:

I need a sign, to let me know you're here
All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere
I need to know, that things are gonna look up
'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup

When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head
When you can feel the world shake from the words that are said

And I'm, calling all Angels
And I'm, calling all you Angels

And I won't give up, if you don't give up
I won't give up, if you don't give up
I won't give up, if you don't give up
I won't give up, if you don't give up

I need a sign to let me know you're here
'Cause my TV set just keeps it all from being clear
I want a reason for the way things have to be
I need a hand to help build up some kind of hope inside of me

And I'm, calling all Angels
And I'm, calling all you Angels

When children have to play inside, so they don't disappear
While private eyes solve marriage lies 'cause we don't talk for years
And football teams are kissing queens and losing sight of having dreams
In a world where what we want is only what we want until it's ours

And I'm, calling all Angels
And I'm, calling all you Angels

And I'm, calling all Angels
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)
And I'm, calling all you Angels
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)

Calling all you Angels
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)
Calling all you Angels
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)
Calling all you Angels
(I won't give up, if you don't give up)

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The Oklahoma Standard

In my last blog, I talk about our visit to Oklahoma City on the weekend of July 21, 2012.  We had such a great time!  On our drive back to Dallas, we visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which is a tribute to those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever in the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred Murrah Building. We got there and parked, and as we walked up towards the Memorial, we came upon a chain link fence that contains artifacts left by all of the people who visit in memory of that sad day back on April 19, 1995.

Here is one of the first things I saw on the fence:

In Memory of  Blake Kennedy, 1-1/2 Years Old


This fence was the first fence to be installed to protect the site of the Murrah Building.  Tens of thousands of people have left remembrances of the victims on this fence.  It was really sad to see this, but there was a whole lot more to come.  This one really bothered me too:


Another Innocent Victim

We ventured further into the Memorial to find the "Gates of Time".  These monumental gates frame the moment of destruction, which was 9:02 AM.  The East Gate represents 9:01 am on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack.  The West Gate represents 9:03 am, which is the moment right after the attack. There is a Reflecting Pool in between the gates which occupies what was once NW Fifth Street.  This is a shallow pool of gently flowing water which provides a peaceful setting for meditation.
 

The 9:01 Gate - Signifying the Moment before the Blast


The Reflecting Pool


The 9:03 Gate - Signifying the Moment

We then looked to the right to see the Field of Empty Chairs, which contains 168 chairs that represent the 168 lifes lost on that day, with smaller chairs representing the 19 children killed.  It is situated on what was the footprint of where the Alfred Murrah Building once stood. The chairs are arranged in nine rows, with each row representing the nine floors of the building and placed according to which floor on which each person died.  The name of each victim is etched onto each chair and the glass bases light up at night, kind of like their souls shining from within.  This is such a forlorn sight, especially the smaller chairs that represent the children!  Many people visiting there just stood and wept openly, including a few members of our party.  I just felt so empty inside looking at these chairs . . .

After gazing solemnly over the Field of Empty Chairs, we went back to the Survivor Wall, which is on the east end of the Memorial.  These are the only remaining walls from the Murrah Building.  There are 600 names of survivors inscribed here on pieces of granite that came from the Murrah Building Lobby.


The Survivor Wall

A Jagged Portion of the Survivor Wall
 
Plaques with Names of Survivors







After looking at the Survivor Wall, we headed into the Museum.  On the way into the Museum was the Children's Area.

Tiles in the Children's Area

This is a wall of hand painted tiles that were sent to Oklahoma City by children to express how much they cared. 

We entered the Museum and saw this inscription on the wall:

Marble Inscription at Museum Entrance

After entering the Museum, I saw this picture. It is of the America's Kids Day Care children and workers posing for this photo as part of their Easter egg hunt and party on April 14, 1995, five days before the bombing!  Most of these children in the picture died in the bombing!  I found this to be immensely disturbing!


The America's Kids Day Care Center

Here is another really disturbing picture of Tim McVeigh pulling up to the building at 8:56 am in the Ryder truck that contained the bomb that blew up the building.


Video of the Ryder Truck Driving Up to the Building

Another item in the Museum that made me sick was a shoe that was recovered from the Murrah Building that belonged to Ashley Eckles, a child that was killed in the bombing.


Ashley Eckles'  Shoe

This is a stuffed toy that was found in the Murrah Building rubble.  It is unidentified, but is presumed to have been in the Day Care Center.  It looks so sad and lonely!

Stuffed Toy Found in the Rubble

The last part of the Museum contains the Gallery of Honor which honors the lives of the 168 who were killed. In this beautiful room, the victims' families display personal photographs and artifacts of their loved ones.  Interactive computers provide their personal stories.  All of these pictures are really touching, but this picture of an adorable little black boy in a black cowboy hat just reached out and grabbed my heart!


Three Little Angels



After looking through the Gallery of Honor, we signed the guestbook and then headed outside.  I headed towards the Field of Empty Chairs to find the one that belongs to Baylee Almon.  Baylee is the child in the arms of a firefighter in what was one of the most famous pictures of that fateful day:

Oklahoma City Fire Capt. Chris Fields holding Baylee Almon

Here is a picture of Baylee's little chair in the Field of Empty Chairs:

Baylee Almon's Chair

After seeing Baylee's chair, we headed out towards the car.  Here is a picture that I took of a beautiful memorial at a Catholic church across the street:  


"Jesus Wept"

The statue of Jesus was inscribed with "Jesus Wept". 

The sadness of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum is overwhelming.  But the significance of it all is how evil was overcome by love.  In the chaos after the bomb went off, the people of Oklahoma dropped everything to help the victims in any way that they could.  This is what is known today as "The Oklahoma Standard".