We all need Spontaneity

Really what is life without a little spontaneity every now and then??

I have a roommate who has been waiting for a missionary. She kept it pretty quiet and I didn’t even know about it until a few months ago. Well…he flew home last night but he wasn’t flying to Phoenix. She has long ago decided that she wasn’t going to be able to make it to the airport to welcome him home. We were sitting at the house last night around 9 pm and she was totally (and I am not exaggerating!) freaking out that he was almost home, scheduled to land in Tucson at 10:30 pm. We tried to find the tracker online so that she could watch his flight from LA to Tucson…but we were unsuccessful.

INSTEAD we convinced her that she really didn’t have a good reason to just not be at the airport herself. Sure she had a paper to write and school at 8 am (or was it 9 am???) anyway we reminded her that you only live once so do your hair and get in the car! We met our other roommate on her way home from work in a random parking lot…she parked her car and hopped in with us and we were off. Just 100 or so miles to go and we would be there...we missed the landing (50 miles out still) but he was still at the airport when we arrived.

It was a super fast trip that was totally unplanned but we had a good time and it makes a great memory. We are all quite a bit tired this morning, but we had FUN!

Here are my roommates in the back seat on the way home…such a good time!

Dr. Glaser on the Nuremberg Medical Trials

So this post is pretty late in coming...but totally worth sharing what I learned. Pictured above is "L" on the right with Edmund Glaser, Ph.D. in the center {I'm on the left}

In January I attended the OHRP Conference (Office of Human Research Protection). Dr. Glaser was the keynote speaker that morning. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1946, Dr. Glaser was trained by the Signal Corps as a motion picture sound photographer. He was sent to Nuremberg to photograph the War Crimes Medical Trials. Today, his interest in the Nuremberg Trials remains keen and his memories still vivid.

That morning for nearly 2 hours we listened as he shared some observations and footage from the Nuremberg Trials, as well as reflections following this experience. It truly was an awesome experience to sit there and listen to him tell us all about what happened to him while he was there and since that time. He suggested the movie "Judgement at Nuremberg" as a good representation of what happened there. I haven't yet watched it but think that I will get around to it one of these days.

to my Verizon friends...

I found out something today that I thought I would pass on to all of you so that if (hopefully not when) you need this you will know what to do.

This morning I received a picture message that was COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE. After being completely shocked and upset, I didn't know what to do but I knew that I didn't want to receive anymore pictures like that. I didn't want to have picture messaging taken away because I get the most adorable photo's of my nieces and nephews sent to me that way. Last week one of the ladies I work with mentioned during lunch that she was getting crazy text messages and was texting back that they had the wrong number (she is not a Verizon customer) and she called her company to find out if they could block the number and they could only block texting all together. So I called Verizon to see what my options were. Turns out that if you have Verizon you can log on to manage your account and block specific numbers. Go to My Verizon, then Messaging, then Text Messages on the left in red click on Preferences and then you get text blocking and you can enter up to 15 numbers, emails, or domains. It will stay blocked for 3 months... I also asked and if you have the number blocked the sender does receive a message back that tells them the message was denied.

Anyway I hope that none of you have to receive inappropriate picture messages, but if you do and you have Verizon...I hope I helped you out.

Tickets anyone!!

OK, so I will admit I have a bit of a problem. I have such a desire to see the world that I have so many travel emails that I get each week. I open each email and review all of the great deals each Wednesday when the emails arrive. Well...since I passed on such a great find a little while ago I thought I would pass on another one that I have discovered.

It is http://www.ticketsnow.com/ it came on the end of one of my emails a couple of weeks ago. You can get relatively cheap tickets for concerts, sporting events, plays, etc... Since finding this I can now see that paying the $45 for a ticket for an occasional sporting event is for the birds. Check it and see what you can find. I can go to an NBA game where I live for $6!!

Missionaries & Cops...who can enter?

OK...so if you refer to my post from September 4, 2008 you will note that I have an old lady who thinks that her son still lives in the house that I bought over 3 1/2 years ago. Her visits have been getting more and more often. One week she came 5 days in a row and sat outside in her car until 2 am just watching the house.

Since we have an Alzheimer's division at work I asked some of the nurses what they thought. For sure they think that she has some form of dementia and let me know about Adult Protective Services. You can call them and give them all the information and they will check the senior citizen out and make sure that they are receiving the care that they need. So I called in January to give them the information. Unfortunately they can't do anything without a police record. This last Friday when I got home her car was outside but she wasn't in it. I made sure that the house was all locked up and went to the gym. When I returned home she was in her car outside. I called the non-emergency line and they sent an officer over to do a welfare check (basically they will take her home). Of course my luck would have it that she left as soon as I hung up the phone.

Here is where the story gets funny...I ran to take a quick shower and my roommate answered the door when the cops got there. She talked to them at the door for a time, but in the back of her mind she was nervous to invite him in since she was alone in the house. At the same time this was happening I was getting dressed and was hurrying since I knew she was the only one out there and would need to have a "companion" in order for the male cop to enter our home. (YEAH Right!). Anyway she asked him if he could come in...he laughed and said "Oh, I can come in...even if you don't want me to".

Isn't it funny how we had both thought that because she was "alone" that a male couldn't enter the house. After he left we both just laughed when we found out what each of us were thinking. I guess that just goes to show you that my house is filled with good girls.

**as a side note - hopefully the little old lady will get some help soon.

Funny story

So...I have not been one who forgets to do my Visiting Teaching, but lately I am always down to the wire at the end of the month. This last week I realized that it February was almost over. Two excuses...February is a short month, and February is a busy month in my world.

Anyway I have now watched the "10 Virgin's" (by Emily Freeman) play 3 times now, either in play form or a readers Theater. Every time I have seen it I comment on how much I love the music, and how much I would love to have the CD. Well, this time I found them on sale and actually bought 9 of them. I gave them all away so far except 2, which I will preview before I give away...let me tell you why.

Because the month was almost over and we had not yet set up our appointments for Visiting Teaching, I thought I would just drop in my on 3 ladies and give them this CD since I love the music so much. So far 2 of the 3 have called me back letting me know that when they put the CD in their players to listen to it that it was some sort of sales pitch. The packaging: case, cover, photo on the CD and everything would lead one to believe that what they were about to listen to was the "10 Virgins".

I just thought that was a really funny story and I hope that the others who received the gift from me actually got the music, and not a sales pitch :-)