Do you have Lainee's contact information?

Nothing special.  Today is the anniversary of the dedication of the Billings Montana Temple.  Montana makes me think of Lainee.  I was going to just say Howdy, but I realize I don't have her email address or snail mail address, and I am not too sure about whether I have a good phone number.  Too busy to check right now, isn't that bad!

 

Lainee, wherever you are, I love you.

 

(the rest of you, too)

 

Thanks,

love,

Barbara

from Kathie and Esque

We almost missed the deadline because I'm just too tired after a full day on-line.    SO glad to know that our family newsletter is still moving forward.  How is everyone?  We hope and pray that you are all well, happy, and safe.

 

We cannot believe our luck with cars this past 18 months.  Remember the accident in January 2006?  Well, there was a bigger accident in July 2007.  Our car was raked from stem to stern on the passenger side of the 1991 Cressida, when a woman backed down her driveway into oncoming traffic.  Fortunately, Esque's injuries were minor, as he was driving the car.  I wasn't in the car, as he had dropped me off at the office a few minutes earlier.  We had the car repaired and were planning to drive it a few more years.  That is, until Halloween.  We were headed to Sacramento City College, stopped near the intersection of 19th and Q Streets, waiting for the light rail to pass.

 

WHAM!  We were hit by another vehicle on the passenger side, back door/tire area.  MAJOR damage.  And, the driver, after inspecting the damage she caused, fled the scene.  Poor little car cannot be repaired.    It's now worth $167, according to AAA.  Funny/sad thing, the tires (which have fewer than a year's worth of driving on them) and rims are worth a cool $1,500 - $2,000.  Such is life.  We were driving the 1985 Toyota pick-up but not feeling too safe.  Purchased a 2007 Honda Accord and, with airbags everywhere, are now back on the road again.

 

Work is going well for me.  Being a Manager is such an adventure.  Thank goodness Esque understands when I get grumpy, frustrated, too tired to do housework...  He's a gem.  His 76th birthday will be 12/28/07 and we'll be celebrating with our English buddies, who are coming to town in early December.  Hooray!

 

Esque is keeping in shape by riding our stationery (or is it stationary) bike and walking most mornings.  Touch wood, we'll make it safely through the next few weeks and begin a new year without incident.  Touch wood.

 

We send you love and best wishes for a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

 

MUCH LOVE,

Aunt Kathie & Uncle Esque

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WOW IT'S BEEN AWHILE

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I HAVE WRITTEN FAMILY TIES. I WAS NOT SURE IT STILL EXISTED UNTIL I GOT THIS RANDOM E-MAIL FROM BARB. SO WHERE TO BEGIN......THERE IS A LOT TO CATCH UP ON.

WELL MY LIFE HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. I HAVE MOVED TO HAWAII, ANNOUNCED I WAS GAY, LOST OVER 100 LBS AND GAVE UP ON ORGANIZED RELIGION. ARE YOU SHOCKED YET? OH BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE. SO IN JANUARY ON 05 IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY WHEN I DECIDED TO WEIGH MYSELF. TO MY OWN HORROR I DISCOVERED I HAD HIT 250 LBS. SOME HOW IT SPAWNED INTO A COMPETITION BETWEEN TAYLOR, MY MOM AND I. WE HAD SIX MONTHS TO LOSE AS MUCH WEIGHT AS WE COULD AND AT THE END, THE WINNER WOULD RECEIVE TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR NEW CLOTHES. AFTER HEARING TAYLOR TELL MY SISTER THAT I WOULD NEVER WIN, I GOT ANGRY AND CHANNELED THAT INTO MY WORK OUTS. FOR ONE HOUR A DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK FOR SIX MONTHS I RAN, AND RAN AND RAN. AT THE FINAL WEIGH IN I HAD DROPPED 70 LBS, MOM HAD LOST 30 LBS AND TAYLOR HAD GAINED 5 LBS. SO YA I WON WITH FLYING COLORS.

SO SKIP AHEAD TO THIS JANUARY, I HAD GOTTEN VERY SICK. SO MUCH SO THAT I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WENT TO MY PARENTS HOUSE LOOKING LIKE DEATH WARMED UP THAT MY MOM RUSHED ME TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE I STAYED FOR TWO WEEKS. IT TOOK ALMOST A MONTH TO RECOVER. NOT FUN!!!!!

AFTER RECOVERING FROM MY NEAR DEATH DRAMA, I CAME TO A VERY HUGE DECISION IN MY LIFE. I DECIDED TO STOP LYING TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. SO I FINALLY TOLD THEM I WAS GAY. ITS FUNNY HOW ALMOST DYING REALLY PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE, MY SIBLINGS TOOK IT VERY WELL BUT AS EXPECTED, MY PARENTS DID NOT (BIG SHOCKER). SO AFTER DROPPING A HUGE BOMB ON EVERY ONE I KNOW, I DECIDED TO MOVE TO HAWAII FOR A LITTLE BIT.

AS WE ALL KNOW JAY (A.K.A SPERM DONOR) IS LIVING IN HAWAII AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO MOVE OVER THERE. HE CLAIMED HE WANTED TO GET TO KNOW ME AGAIN BLAH BLAH BLAH. SO SINCE THINGS WE A LITTLE CRAZY IN PORTLAND I PACKED UP MY LIFE AND HEADED OVER TO THE BIG ISLAND. WHEN I ARRIVED I SAT AT THE AIRPORT WAITING FOR JAY FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. SO I MUST BE HONEST, ONE REASON I WENT TO HAWAII WAS TO SEE IF JAY HAD REALLY CHANGED HIS WAYS AND WANTED TO REBUILD HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS KIDS. SADLY I WOULD FIND THAT IT IS A WASTE OF TIME. YOU CANT TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. I LIVED IN HAWAII FOR FOUR MONTHS AND WORKED AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT. I LOVED IT. I GOT TO MEET MANY CELEBS RANGING FROM KELSEY GRAMMER TO BRITTNEY SPEARS. ABOUT A MONTH INTO MY STAY ON THE BIG ROCK, JAY DECIDED TO TAKE VACATION TO THE MAINLAND. IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR TWO WEEKS. ABOUT A WEEK INTO HIS VACATION I GOT A CALL AT 4:30 AM TELLING ME HE WOULD NOT BE BACK FOR AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS. SO HERE I AM ON AN ISLAND NOT KNOWING ANYONE, AND THE MAIN REASON I WENT WAS NOW NOT COMING BACK. THAT WAS WHEN I MADE THE DECISION THAT I COULD NOT HAVE JAY IN MY LIFE. THERE IS ONLY SO MANY TIME YOU WANT TO THROW YOURSELF UNDER THE BUS. I DECIDED TO MOVE HOME BEFORE JAY GOT BACK TO THE ISLAND. SO IN AUGUST I MOVED BACK TO PORTLAND.

I LANDED AT MIDNIGHT ON AUGUST FIRST. WHEN I WALKED UP TO THE GATE MY FAMILY WAS WAITING. THE FUNNY THING IS THAT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME. I ALMOST WALKED RITE PAST THEM. I HAD DROPPED THIRTY MORE POUNDS AND NOW HAD A DEEP TAN.

I NOW LIVE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN AND WORK AT THE HOTTEST HOTEL IN PORTLAND. SINCE BEING BACK I HAVE MET SOME AMAZING PEOPLE. I LOVE THE STAFF I WORK WITH AT THE HOTEL LUCIA.

ONE WEEK AGO MY GRANDFATHER PASSED AWAY OF CANCER AND I HAVE BEEN GOING TO SERVICE AFTER SERVICE FOR HIM. MY FAMILY IS DOING WELL WITH HIS PASSING. I ALSO FOUND OUT ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WILL BE GONE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WITH ALMOST NO WAY TO CONTACT THEM. AND TO TOP IT OFF MY BOYFRIEND JASON HAS BEEN REALLY SICK AND I HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF HIM. SO THE LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE BEEN VERY CRAZY.

SO ABOUT MY FAMILY, SAMANTHA IS GROWING LIKE A WEED. SHE IS NOW IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IS GETTING STRAIGHT A'S. SHE IS GROWING INTO MUSIC VERY WELL. SHE LOVES TO SING AND SHE IS VERY GOOD AT IT. SARAH IS NOW ENGAGED AND WILL BE GETTING MARRIED. THATS JUST CRAZY. CHELSIE IS DOING GREAT. SHE WORKS AT A VERY HIP SALON. HER DAUGHTER QUINMREE IS GETTING SO BIG. SHE IS NOW THREE AND IS HAVING FULL CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERY ONE SHE MEETS. MOM AND DAD ARE DOING WELL. THEY FINISHED BUILDING THERE SHELBY COBRA. IT TOOK THEM TWO YEARS. TAYLOR, WELL HE IS DOING AS WELL AS TO BE EXPECTED.

I HOPE EVERY ONE IS DOING WELL. WE REALLY NEED TO ALL GET TOGETHER SOON. I AM THINKING REUNION THIS SUMMER? I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE ALL UP TO. SO UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES.

LOVE,
CHAD

McKona Koffee is a Reality

Since I know that Michael just isn't going to find the time to write about his new endeavor, I thought I'd let you all know that  as of November 1, 2007, mcKona Koffee Roastery & Paradise Kafe  (formerly Paradise Café) are now owned by Mike McGinness & Bruce Harrington. 

Everything chaotic and crazy right now, especially since their big floor roaster hasn't been delivered yet and probably won't for another month, so Mike is having to do all the coffee roasting at home.  Apparently the whole bean sales are going pretty good as people are discovering that they are carrying a variety of them, fresh roasted and packaged in 1 and 1/2 lb bags.  They have their own label and a website the is working, but still under construction.  Check it out a www.mckonakoffee.com.  Still needs a lot of work, but they need to find someone that can work on it that has some knowledge of coffee.

Couple of my friends went down for lunch last week and said the sandwiches were really good.  Big and satisfying and so was the red curry soup, which they only got a taste of because it was almost gone.  They have a guy that makes scones and blueberry muffins, and get the rest of their baked goods, including the breads for their sandwiches from a local bakery up the street.

The only really bad thing we both get home late - after 6 for me and after 7 for Michael.  I've had to take over fixing dinner again, which I got out of the habit of doing this past year.  Got to learn to start planning ahead.  Hate eating that late though.  We'd gotten used to heating about 6:30 and now, sometimes it's almost 8 before we sit down.  Some days, it's just too much, then it's Schwan's.

My big news is the I had my 30 year anniversary with Bonneville Power on Wednesday.  I'm now eligible for full retirement.  Can't even believe it.  Of course, just starting a new business, it may be a while before I'll be able to actually do it, but just knowing that I could just up and retire at any time is sort of a nice feeling.  With everything that's been happening with my job over the past couple years - and it's still going on -  I could just get fed up one day, turn in my papers and leave.  Lady in HR did that about 4 weeks ago.  Just like that.  Of course, I wouldn't do that to my co-workers.  Besides, I want a BIG retirement party when I leave.  Michael says a couple more years, which will go really fast the way things are going.  Can't believe another year is almost gone.

So, that's the news.  Need to go make some potato salad for dinner.  I love hearing from everyone and like Robin wish everyone would write more often.

Love to all
Debi (and Mike in absencia)

The not-so-SLO life

Teresa and I continue to be very busy. Teresa is now especially busy as she continues with her full-time job and has begun taking classes full-time at Cal Poly. She was admitted as a philosophy major during the summer term and completed one five-week course in the first half of the summer, but this fall has been her first full-time quarter. She is taking a humanities class comparing modern and classic culture, an ethics class, and a course on philosophical classics. Monday through Thursday all of her time is required by either work or school.

I changed my major from architecture to architectural engineering this quarter. While I continue to be interested in and appreciate the art of architecture, it is such a relief to not be constantly in search of creativity. As an ArcE major, I need more math and science courses, so this quarter I'm taking a math course for the first time in over a decade. Fortunately the math class, Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, has not been nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. I'm also taking a geology course, C programing for engineers, and several architectural engineering courses. At 17 units, this is the heaviest load I have taken at Cal Poly, but I'm doing pretty well with it (I might take 19 in the winter). Because this major is a 4 year program rather than the 5 year architecture, my anticipated graduation date is two quarters earlier than it was (now December 2009).

After living in Grover Beach a few miles south of here for our first year, we moved to San Luis Obispo to shorten our commute. We had a lovely studio attached to a home belonging to members of our church there and Teresa and our former land-lady have been friends since we first called to ask about the place. We are equally blessed in San Luis Obispo, renting a one-bedroom secondary unit in the back yard of the former bishop of the singles ward here. We are walking distance from school but in a neighborhood that is not overrun by college students. At nights on weekend you can hear that there are parties around outside, but none are too loud.

Mom came down to visit us with Joseph, Andrew, and Benjamin about a month ago. After they arrived on Saturday, we explored Port San Luis Obispo then roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on the beach. We also attended church, played games, and watched movies over the weekend. On Monday Teresa returned to work, I returned to school, and Mom and the brothers went to Monterey to visit the aquarium there. It was fun having visitors. If any of our other relatives want to visit us on the central coast of California, let us know.

The San Luis Obispo Stake is in the Los Angeles Temple district. In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Los Angeles Temple, the First Presidency authorized each stake in the district to have a meeting in the assembly room of the temple. Our stake had our commemoration day a couple of weeks ago. Teresa's sister Amy also went through the temple for the first time that day, so it was extra special for us. The meeting in the assembly room was really neat. The temple president and his wife were especially glad to have our stake there because the are from our ward. A few members of our stake were in the temple district when the temple was dedicated. The temple matron, Sister Andrus, told us about her experience singing in a choir for one of the dedicatory sessions. We also heard some of the history of the temple from Pres. Andrus. While the Salt Lake temple has more floor space than the Los Angeles temple, no temple can accommodate more patrons in a single session. It was a wonderful day.

We're looking forward to the holidays. We will be in Sacramento for Thanksgiving again this year. We haven't nailed down Christmas plans, but are hoping to get together with Teresa's siblings; one of her brothers is working especially hard to get everyone together this Christmas. We love all of you and hope you have happy holidays and wish for a great start to 2008 for each of you.

I wish more of you would write ..........

This is our Cody.......one of our three kids.....he is our busy rascal.

I have loved hearing from Barbara and Lainee but don't hear from the rest of the family much.

Retirement life is good for us........I continue my travels.......just got back from Beijing/Shanghai area of China......very interesting area.......high air pollution......don't know how the 2008 Olympics will do there. The Great Wall of China was shrouded in smog.

Robin