KOA Halloween 2008

Halloween at KOA in Monterey Park. From left to right: Me (vampire victim), Edward Okitsu (Ozzy fan), Guiseppe Canzioneri (pirate), Veronica Martinez (hippie), Steve Trinh (goofy), Emma Sorto (gypsy), Juan Gutierrez (batman), Vicki Yan (Chinese lady).

Management brought in a nice sandwich and salad lunch from Subway with pies from Marie Callendar's for dessert. Everyone voted on the best costumes. There were gift certificates given to the costume contest winners. The pirate won a deserved top prize.

A fun day at work.

Exercise Your Franchise

I voted last night and slipped my absentee ballot into the mail this morning. It made me feel good to get it done. This election has seemed a little wilder than most - but then sometimes I think we have selective memory about these things. It will be interesting to see the outcome next week.

I first voted in a Presidential Election when I was away at college. That's a lot of elections ago. We live in a great country. Be involved in the process!

Happy Halloween from ME and Emily Cat

Happy Birthday to ME!

I had the best birthday weekend! It started with a friend coming by on Friday night. Deonne surprised me with a handmade birthday card and lots of chocolate (always the right size, always the right color) She stayed and visited with me and Emily. It was a very pleasant evening.

Then, on Saturday, my actual birthday (the 18th) I got a phone call from my niece, Linnea. That was so thoughtful of her. It was great hearing her voice. I also got to talk to Merlene. I then had a real treat when Vicki, Jana and her husband Randi came to pick me up for lunch at

at the Whittwood Mall. Ruby's diner is one of my favorite places! We had hamburgers and ice cream and the waitresses sang to me! It was fun. I'm not always crazy about hamburgers, but their Hickory Burger is the bomb. We ate way too much, shared parmesan fries and talked and talked.

After leaving there, Vicki and I went shopping. It's so nice to be able to walk around without pain! I find I still get tired easily, and my asthma was bothering me, but I was able to do almost all the walking I wanted to, trooping through Best Buy and Target. What a joy! Then, I drove over to Barb Wagner's house for a get-together with part of the "gang". Lisa, Elaine and Maura joined us and we all went to

for dinner. Lisa just loves Pumpkin Pancakes which are in season now, so we made sure she got plenty of whipped cream and pancakes. To my surprise, they picked up the tab for me and wished me a Happy Birthday! Then we went over to Barb's house for a rousing gin rummy-type card game called 3-13. It was such a pleasant day. The group was going to play "9 in the Hole" but I had to leave, smiling, at 9 p.m. - early because our church starts at 9 a.m. and I still needed to work on my lesson for the Young Women of our ward.

On Sunday the Young Women all wished me a happy birthday. We have some newbies into the program, so my class was full - there were 8 girls instead of the usual 2 or 3! Talk about giggling cuties. They make me laugh.

I enjoyed church services, had a nice Sunday afternoon nap, and received nice calls from Dianna Lynn and Roxie, then Peggy came by bringing salad, soda and strawberry birthday cake!

Soon, there was a knock at the door, and a delivery guy delivered pizza from Papa Johns!

So, we had a great time eating pizza - and I even got real fancy candles on my birthday cake! Then Peggy very kindly hooked up my new DVD player for me. (My old one just died and I had just purchased a replacement). It's so hard for me to do because you have to get down on your hands and knees to get at all the plugs. Peggy did a great job and it was up and running in no time! So, of course, we had to play a movie - just to make sure it worked. I chose to see "P.S., I Love You", which I really enjoy. No doubt because it has Gerard Butler in it!

What a nice birthday weekend. It almost made up for being older than dirt this year. Still, I figure anyone who has so many sweet friends - people willing to buy you lunch to celebrate with you on your birthday - is very blessed and rich indeed. How lucky I am!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Daddy at 82 - October 14, 2008. This was thoughtfully taken by one of the caregiver/owners of the Golden Age home where Daddy resides. I sent him the edible bouquet. Looks pretty good!

My Secret Life

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As thy days shall demand, so thy succor shall be

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you

He hath said,You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;

In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;

At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,

As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all

My people shall prove

My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,

Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Today is my father's 82nd birthday. He got to have cake yesterday and he's celebrating today as well. Even so, I doubt it registers with him. He'll enjoy it for the 2 seconds his brain is able to process it, then forget it again. In July when I last saw him, I wasn't sure he'd make it to his birthday, but here it's October 14th and, by golly, he made it!

So, here's to the last weeks/months of a good person's life. Happy Birthday, Daddy, you are a good man and a kind father. May your last bit of time here on earth be as happy and pleasant as possible. Enjoy that angel food cake and the root beer! And God Bless you!

Reunicon 2008

Reunicon - we have the technology!

More Reunicon 2008 Pictures

At Knott's in Buena Park, Steve and Scott
Steve, Scott and Robin at the hotel in Buena Park, California

Patricia, Mark and Jill discussing topics of great social and scientific import...

Me, Scott and Robin at the Newport Beach Temple at dusk. There are lots of little bunny rabbits who live on the grounds and are very cute! Who knew?

Scott and Patricia at Po' Folks. Scott appears to be 'peeling his face', a decades old tradition, to annoy an unsuspecting Patricia.

Gird Up Your Loins!

The new, 2009 Dollar bill: