It was six weeks ago this week on Tuesday. I was sitting in my classroom having lunch, while trying to get caught up on some grading. I heard my cell phone signal that I had an unheard message waiting. I unlocked my drawer, took out my cell phone and saw that my husband had called. He never calls during the day, but, I knew he was “on sight” for work and wouldn’t be able to email. I dialed the number to get my voice mail.
I was horrified by his message: “Shane was killed in a car accident last night. I don’t know any more details. We’ll talk tonight.”
At first, I was furious with him. How can you just leave a message like that on someone’s voicemail? As the content of the message sunk in, I became very quiet. How could this be true? Not Shane. Ed must have gotten it wrong. Someone is playing a cruel joke on him and he passed along the bad information to me.
Not being able to concentrate any longer, I made my way to the faculty room where many of my colleagues were having lunch. I sat at a table with some of my teammates who were having a lively conversation about the up coming WASL testing. They took one look at me and immediately asked what was wrong. I told them.
A fifth grade teacher in the faculty room heard my story and informed me that he’d heard all about it on the news that morning.
Our PE teacher said that she lives in the same neighborhood as Shane’s family and heard about the crash through the neighborhood grapevine. She said that she knew the Wyrsch family from going to the same church.
So this is true. Shane is gone.
I finished my day as best I could, but, my students knew there was something terribly wrong.
I hurried home to find my husband and other friends gathered at our neighbor’s house. Most were crying, everyone in disbelief. I remember feeling sick to my stomach. I remember my heart just aching. I remember wanting desperately to do something. But, what? There is nothing that can be done to bring this man back to us. No matter what happens, he will still be gone.
The rest of the week was spent making phone calls, sending emails and searching for as much information we could find. Making sense of this senseless tragedy became priority number one.
On the day of the funeral service many of the guys that knew Shane through their love of motorcycles, met at a close friend’s house in Snoqualmie. They were to ride their motorcycles to the church, the cemetery and finally the reception. It was a miserable day. It poured and, yet, at least ten men showed up on their bikes to ride in honor of Shane. It was an impressive sight to see the double row of every different type of motorcycle you could imagine slowly making its way from Snoqualmie to Enumclaw. Many of the guys told me that they were crying before they even got through the main street of Snoqualmie.
I guess the reason that I’m retelling the events of the week Shane died is to impress upon everyone the importance of Shane in our lives. He was such a big presence, that you could only see him occasionally, but still be able to pick up right where you left off the last time you saw him. Now that he is gone, there is a huge hole where he is supposed to be.
The community is helping Shane’s family in many ways. The Fraternal Order of Police Chinook Lodge #21 is holding a benefit auction to help Zoe and the boys. Mt. Si High School is having a benefit game where all of the proceeds are going to Shane’s family. I know that the guys that have ridden motorcycles with Shane are going to dedicate their next ride to him and make it a fund raiser for the family. The football coach at Central Washington University, where Shane went to school and played football is going to have the players wear Shane’s number on their helmets. A friend’s men’s softball team is having a tournament where all of the entry fees will be given to help the family. I believe that if Shane wasn’t the man that he was, this amount of people wouldn’t be going out of their way to do so much for his wife and sons. He touched every single person involved with these fund raising efforts and they are going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that his family is taken care of and Shane is honored.
No one will ever be able to fill the giant shoes of Shane Wyrsch. Although Shane was physically imposing in his appearance, he was not this way in his nature. He had a gift in dealing with people and treated people with all of the courtesy that he would wish to be treated with. Within five minutes of meeting him, you were considered his friend and you were given a smile and a hug that you would never forget.
When Shane died, he took a part of every one of those who knew him. So, I am asking Ms. Henke, the prosecuting attorney, to pursue the maximum sentence that the law will allow against the man, Kenneth E. Clark, who took our friend Shane. Shane, his wife and sons deserve the best effort she can put forth to this matter.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Our Friend Shane
On Friday, Ed and I attended the funeral of our good friend and law enforcement officer, a wonderful father and husband. Shane Wyrsch, 35, was killed by a drunk driver last Monday. He was on his way home from a meeting when he came upon some guy, the "alleged" drunk driver, weaving around in his lane. An off duty police officer behind this driver was on the phone trying to get through to report him to dispatch, but, before she could get through, this "alleged" drunk crossed the center line and slammed head on into Shane's truck. Here is what King 5 said:
U.S. Forest Service officer killed in crash
09:04 AM PDT on Wednesday, March 21, 2007
By: BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News
09:04 AM PDT on Wednesday, March 21, 2007
By: BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News
BUCKLEY, Wash. – A suspected drunk driver involved in a horrific crash that killed a respected law enforcement officer should never have been on the road.
The Washington State Patrol says U.S. Forest Service Officer Shane Wyrsch was driving home on Highway 410 near Buckley Monday night when a pickup crossed the center line and slammed into him head-on. Witnesses say the man who hit Wyrsch was driving very erratically. Troopers say he was likely drunk, and driving with a suspended license.
All that's left of Shane Wyrsch's truck is a mangled pile of metal.
U.S. Forest Service
Shayne Wyrsch was killed in a head-on crash near Buckley Monday night.
The 16-year veteran patrolled the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and the communities nearby.
"Each and every one is like a brother, and losing Shane will be very similar to losing a family member," said Enumclaw Police Officer Don Banner.
"He lived in this community and anything he could do to further make it a good place to live, he never hesitated," said Enumclaw Police Lieutennant Eric Sortland.
Wyrsch died Tuesday morning, leaving behind a wife, two children and countless colleagues.
A spokesperson says the entire U.S. Forest Service family is devastated by Wyrsch's passing. The State Patrol plans to investigate this as a vehicular homicide.
The Washington State Patrol says U.S. Forest Service Officer Shane Wyrsch was driving home on Highway 410 near Buckley Monday night when a pickup crossed the center line and slammed into him head-on. Witnesses say the man who hit Wyrsch was driving very erratically. Troopers say he was likely drunk, and driving with a suspended license.
All that's left of Shane Wyrsch's truck is a mangled pile of metal.
U.S. Forest Service
Shayne Wyrsch was killed in a head-on crash near Buckley Monday night.
The 16-year veteran patrolled the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and the communities nearby.
"Each and every one is like a brother, and losing Shane will be very similar to losing a family member," said Enumclaw Police Officer Don Banner.
"He lived in this community and anything he could do to further make it a good place to live, he never hesitated," said Enumclaw Police Lieutennant Eric Sortland.
Wyrsch died Tuesday morning, leaving behind a wife, two children and countless colleagues.
A spokesperson says the entire U.S. Forest Service family is devastated by Wyrsch's passing. The State Patrol plans to investigate this as a vehicular homicide.
At Shane's service, one of the speakers said that "it didn't matter how long you knew Shane. You could have met him for a minute, an hour or have known him for years. You would always remember him and take something away from that meeting of him." It's true. Shane had a presence that was huge. Not just because he was a big man, but, he has this, this, "thing" about him. He made you feel like you were special.
Shane loved motorcycles. If you knew him, he'd want to buy you one. When he found out that I bought my TL1000R, he was almost as excited as me. He sent me an email asking me about my bike, what kinds of modifications were on it already, what kind was I going to make, and "here's a picture of my bike with all my mods. Can you see the ..." He even participated in an email campaign with Ed and me to get our other friend Matt to buy the same bike he and I have. Which he, of course, did. He had to! Shane would have never let him live it down if he didn't!
Shane was passionate about everything he participated in, especially his kids. Ed was telling me about an email that Shane had sent him the week before he died with a picture of his boys doing wheelies on their little kiddie bikes. He wrote to Ed, "Man! Look at my kids! They're already doing wheelies! Don't know where they get it though!" He was present in every part of their lives and even looked forward to the time when Zoe had had enough and needed some time off away from the boys. I hope that we can help to make the memory of their dad as clear as we can so they can know him like we did.
I did a lot of thinking on Friday. What is really important in life? What am I doing to make sure that those important things are always in the forefront of my life? What have I not made peace with? If I died tomorrow, would the people that I care about most know that I truly care about them? I just can't live my life taking these things for granted any more. Putting things off is not an option.
So now, my friends, I become the proverbial "freak show". If you are drinking, you will not drive if I have anything to say about it. I will come and get you no matter what time it is or where you are. I will drive you home from the party or you will stay overnight. There will be no arguing.
However, should you choose to argue, my suggestion would be for you to pack a lunch. I'm a big girl and I'm stubborn. It will probably take all day.
Rest in peace, Shane. We miss you.
June 1971-March 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Vera's Letter
Dear Vera,
You are now at the age of three and one half (as you say). I love that you are such a girly-girl and want to wear the "crappy shoes" and fluffy, pink, princess dresses; that you are the absolute opposite of your mommy!I love that you shriek at the boys to "Look at me now!" and wait for them to see you do a pirouette. Then, the next minute you are forcing them to wrestle with you and decide the "belly-whomper" move is appropriate.
Now that you are in pre-school, you have begun to be aware of the world around you. You are more interested in where you came from:
Mommy, when Daddy was a little boy, a long time ago, where was I?
You weren't born yet.
But where was I? Was I dead?
No, you were waiting to be born.
But, where?
I love how sweet you can be when you know that Auntie is sad:
Auntie, where's Jessie?
Jessie died.
Is she sick?
She was sick. But she died.
Could you take her to the doctor to get a shot and she'll be better?
We did that, but, she was old and couldn't get better.
Where is she now?
I remember when you were staying with Uncle Ed and me when your house flooded and you couldn't find your "damn cat." You searched everywhere in our house for Harley but that "damn cat" couldn't be found. He was actually hiding on the top of our dresser, but you were too short to see him.
I am thrilled that you LOVE the Wizard of Oz. I am amazed that the wicked witch didn't scare the pants off of you when she made her debut, but, you were strong and didn't flinch. I love showing you my new ornaments that Uncle Ed buys me for Christmas every year because I know that you enjoy them as much as me.
My favorite, though, is how you make Bop smile. It is fun to watch him tease you and make you laugh. It reminds me of when your mommy and I were little and he did those things to us. I know that he misses you very much now that you have gone back to live in your brand new house.
You and Munka have power struggles. I laugh when you try to tell Munka how it's going to be and watch Munka dig in for the fight. More often than not, Munka is the winner of these struggles because she is more stubborn than you. Don't hold this against her. She will always win and it's better if you learn this now.
Vera, you have a giant future ahead of you. I hope that your curiosity never leaves you. I hope that you never lose your fierceness and the side of you that makes me want to have my own children.
Love you bunches,
Auntie
You are now at the age of three and one half (as you say). I love that you are such a girly-girl and want to wear the "crappy shoes" and fluffy, pink, princess dresses; that you are the absolute opposite of your mommy!I love that you shriek at the boys to "Look at me now!" and wait for them to see you do a pirouette. Then, the next minute you are forcing them to wrestle with you and decide the "belly-whomper" move is appropriate.
Now that you are in pre-school, you have begun to be aware of the world around you. You are more interested in where you came from:
Mommy, when Daddy was a little boy, a long time ago, where was I?
You weren't born yet.
But where was I? Was I dead?
No, you were waiting to be born.
But, where?
I love how sweet you can be when you know that Auntie is sad:
Auntie, where's Jessie?
Jessie died.
Is she sick?
She was sick. But she died.
Could you take her to the doctor to get a shot and she'll be better?
We did that, but, she was old and couldn't get better.
Where is she now?
I remember when you were staying with Uncle Ed and me when your house flooded and you couldn't find your "damn cat." You searched everywhere in our house for Harley but that "damn cat" couldn't be found. He was actually hiding on the top of our dresser, but you were too short to see him.
I am thrilled that you LOVE the Wizard of Oz. I am amazed that the wicked witch didn't scare the pants off of you when she made her debut, but, you were strong and didn't flinch. I love showing you my new ornaments that Uncle Ed buys me for Christmas every year because I know that you enjoy them as much as me.
My favorite, though, is how you make Bop smile. It is fun to watch him tease you and make you laugh. It reminds me of when your mommy and I were little and he did those things to us. I know that he misses you very much now that you have gone back to live in your brand new house.
You and Munka have power struggles. I laugh when you try to tell Munka how it's going to be and watch Munka dig in for the fight. More often than not, Munka is the winner of these struggles because she is more stubborn than you. Don't hold this against her. She will always win and it's better if you learn this now.
Vera, you have a giant future ahead of you. I hope that your curiosity never leaves you. I hope that you never lose your fierceness and the side of you that makes me want to have my own children.
Love you bunches,
Auntie
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Marriage Rules
Before anyone gets married, I think that there should be a rule that the prospective husband and wife should be made to complete a home remodeling project together. If they can live through the ENTIRE project without killing each other, live in the same house together, go to work, complete normal house chores and still like each other, then they should be allowed to get married. Ed and I have completed one such project. Well, I guess technically it's not complete. There's still trim to put around the built in cupboard and we still need a new door.
Two years ago, Ed bought me a claw foot bathtub for my birthday. I LOVE it. However, this claw foot bathtub turned into an entire master bath remodel. I mean really, how can you just take out an old bathtub and put in a nice white, new one and not change any of the other almond colored things in there? Well, and since you have the toilet, sinks, and shower out, you may as well get a new vanity and counter top. Oh, and since we have the vanity out, why don't we tile the floor?
Hmmm....
The newest project is the front bathroom remodel. This one HAD to be done. Ed was under the house rearranging our cable stuff so that we could get cable Internet into our office when he hears an ominous "drip, drip, drip".
Crap.
He found that our guest bathroom shower was leaking inside the wall and dripping down under the house. The insulation was soaked and falling and it was a huge mess. Thank God I have a husband who is talented and has the gumption to fix things! He was able to cap everything off and stop the leaking. (this was last September!)
At Christmas time we figured out that we'd have to rip out the tub/shower combo in order to fix the leak. Thank goodness we did that because the connections behind the wall were only finger tight and pulled apart when he barely touched them. (double yikes)
So here we are again, with no bathtub/shower in the guest bathroom and at a quandary as to what to do. You all know! You can't put in a brand new, white tub/shower combo without replacing the toilet, sinks, vanity, flooring, doors... Yes people! We are again in the middle of a bathroom remodel.
This one is going much smoother as we sort of know what to expect and have bought as much as we can before hand, therefore reducing our trips to Home Desperate and Blows.
And guess what? I still like my husband! For as much as we DON'T think alike, we are working pretty smoothly together. I think that we would have passed the marriage test, if it were required!
Oh rats... I've got to go. Ed needs help hanging a door...
Two years ago, Ed bought me a claw foot bathtub for my birthday. I LOVE it. However, this claw foot bathtub turned into an entire master bath remodel. I mean really, how can you just take out an old bathtub and put in a nice white, new one and not change any of the other almond colored things in there? Well, and since you have the toilet, sinks, and shower out, you may as well get a new vanity and counter top. Oh, and since we have the vanity out, why don't we tile the floor?
Hmmm....
The newest project is the front bathroom remodel. This one HAD to be done. Ed was under the house rearranging our cable stuff so that we could get cable Internet into our office when he hears an ominous "drip, drip, drip".
Crap.
He found that our guest bathroom shower was leaking inside the wall and dripping down under the house. The insulation was soaked and falling and it was a huge mess. Thank God I have a husband who is talented and has the gumption to fix things! He was able to cap everything off and stop the leaking. (this was last September!)
At Christmas time we figured out that we'd have to rip out the tub/shower combo in order to fix the leak. Thank goodness we did that because the connections behind the wall were only finger tight and pulled apart when he barely touched them. (double yikes)
So here we are again, with no bathtub/shower in the guest bathroom and at a quandary as to what to do. You all know! You can't put in a brand new, white tub/shower combo without replacing the toilet, sinks, vanity, flooring, doors... Yes people! We are again in the middle of a bathroom remodel.
This one is going much smoother as we sort of know what to expect and have bought as much as we can before hand, therefore reducing our trips to Home Desperate and Blows.
And guess what? I still like my husband! For as much as we DON'T think alike, we are working pretty smoothly together. I think that we would have passed the marriage test, if it were required!
Oh rats... I've got to go. Ed needs help hanging a door...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Brotherhood Survey
1. Your name:
Amy
2. Your Web page:
This is it!
3 What have you been up to this past year (please be as detailed as possible, because we actually want to know)?
I have been teaching 24 fourth graders, mourning my dog, remodeling the bathroom, reading some good books, playing with my nieces, torturing my husband.
4 How much longer do you think you'll be doing what you're doing?
I'll be teaching until I'm old and grey, oh wait, I am grey.
Mourning my dog, I don't know.
Remodeling the bathroom- hopefully VERY SOON!
Reading good books- Always
Playing with my nieces- until they tell me to get lost.
Torturing my husband- 'til death do us part
5 Why are you doing it?
Because I love teaching.
Because I love my dog.
Because the bathroom was retched.
Because reading is vacation!
Because my nieces are the cutest things ever!
Because I have no children to torture!
6 What do you want to be doing?
If I wasn't teaching I would want to be an archaeologist.
7 What's next in your life?
Teaching, traveling
8 How You Doin'?
Fine?!?
9 What's the best book you read this year?
Children's (young adult) : Looking for Alaska By John Green
Adult: From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
10 Describe a perfect day.
Waking up without the alarm, having it be sunny and warm and going on a long motorcycle ride.
11 Assuming that all things come to an end...how do you think humans will go extinct?
I don't know. I just hope I'm not here.
12 How are you feeling about kids these days?
I like kids. I'm a teacher. I don't know if I want any of my own yet. You can't ride a motorcycle when you're pregnant.
13 (- In this space, compose your own question, and answer it -)
When's the last time you combed your hair?
About 4 weeks ago... the last time I got it cut and colored.
14 Ambrozzo tastes better than anything else, what does ambrozzo taste like?
Kettle corn
15 If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be?
Hell hath no fury compared to a women scorned.
16 What is your least favorite part of any given day?
When my husband's alarm goes off.
17 Do you enjoy science fiction?
YES, YES and YES!!!!
18 Cheese or Chocolate?
Cheese. Chocolate makes my teeth hairy.
19 Where would you live if you could live anywhere?
On a lake, in Montana, in a log cabin.
20 What was your first concert?
Chicago. I was 13 and went with my sister and her friends. It was really bad!
21 If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be?
A used book store.
22 Invisibility or Time Travel?
Invisibility! (DUH!)
23 What's wrong with the world?
Parents who don't teach their kids to take responsibility for themselves and their choices. (It wasn't my fault!)
Amy
2. Your Web page:
This is it!
3 What have you been up to this past year (please be as detailed as possible, because we actually want to know)?
I have been teaching 24 fourth graders, mourning my dog, remodeling the bathroom, reading some good books, playing with my nieces, torturing my husband.
4 How much longer do you think you'll be doing what you're doing?
I'll be teaching until I'm old and grey, oh wait, I am grey.
Mourning my dog, I don't know.
Remodeling the bathroom- hopefully VERY SOON!
Reading good books- Always
Playing with my nieces- until they tell me to get lost.
Torturing my husband- 'til death do us part
5 Why are you doing it?
Because I love teaching.
Because I love my dog.
Because the bathroom was retched.
Because reading is vacation!
Because my nieces are the cutest things ever!
Because I have no children to torture!
6 What do you want to be doing?
If I wasn't teaching I would want to be an archaeologist.
7 What's next in your life?
Teaching, traveling
8 How You Doin'?
Fine?!?
9 What's the best book you read this year?
Children's (young adult) : Looking for Alaska By John Green
Adult: From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
10 Describe a perfect day.
Waking up without the alarm, having it be sunny and warm and going on a long motorcycle ride.
11 Assuming that all things come to an end...how do you think humans will go extinct?
I don't know. I just hope I'm not here.
12 How are you feeling about kids these days?
I like kids. I'm a teacher. I don't know if I want any of my own yet. You can't ride a motorcycle when you're pregnant.
13 (- In this space, compose your own question, and answer it -)
When's the last time you combed your hair?
About 4 weeks ago... the last time I got it cut and colored.
14 Ambrozzo tastes better than anything else, what does ambrozzo taste like?
Kettle corn
15 If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be?
Hell hath no fury compared to a women scorned.
16 What is your least favorite part of any given day?
When my husband's alarm goes off.
17 Do you enjoy science fiction?
YES, YES and YES!!!!
18 Cheese or Chocolate?
Cheese. Chocolate makes my teeth hairy.
19 Where would you live if you could live anywhere?
On a lake, in Montana, in a log cabin.
20 What was your first concert?
Chicago. I was 13 and went with my sister and her friends. It was really bad!
21 If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be?
A used book store.
22 Invisibility or Time Travel?
Invisibility! (DUH!)
23 What's wrong with the world?
Parents who don't teach their kids to take responsibility for themselves and their choices. (It wasn't my fault!)
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Cuban-American
Over mid-winter break, Ed and I did this ski trip that we do every mid-winter break. He has now given it the name, "Beers and Boards". Beers is for the microbreweries that we visit in Idaho and Montana and the boards, is, of course, for the skiing. The trip is 1800 miles in 6 days. Yeah, we're movin'.
So, to pass the time, I go to the library to get books on tape as our Subaru has both a CD player and a cassette player. Since I am the one who is dubbed "library visitor" I feel that it's my choice as to what books we get to listen to. No, I'm not that cruel. I wouldn't subject Ed to some Fabio romance novel. But, I did, however subject him to Janet Evanovich. We listened to books nine and ten on our way from home to Boise to Lewiston.
Now, here's the funny part. The woman reading the books, does a great job with the voices for all of the characters. (She gives me something to work toward during my own read aloud with my class!) If you've read any of the Evanovich books, you know that there is a character named Ranger. (Cuban American, tight body, skin the color of coffee mocha...YUM) The reader gives him this great Cuban accent. Ed became very interested in the love triangle that happens between Ranger, Stephanie Plum and her boyfriend Morelli. He kept asking me "what's so great about Ranger", trying to get some insight to the female brain of course. And then proceeded to try to tempt me using this same accent, to which I just giggle. (He really can be funny sometimes!)
So, we stayed over night at the Super 8 Motel in lovely downtown Lewiston, Idaho. (Don't recommend it.) The next morning, we wake up at our usual time and this how our conversation goes:
Ed: You want to get up and get in the shower first?
Me: I think I'm paralyzed! My hands and arms are asleep!
Ed (using his Ranger Cuban accent): Jou want me to wake them up for you?
Me: All out, hysterical, snort- laughing.
Ed: Smiling like a Cheshire Cat.
We didn't listen to any more Evanovich books on our trip.
So, to pass the time, I go to the library to get books on tape as our Subaru has both a CD player and a cassette player. Since I am the one who is dubbed "library visitor" I feel that it's my choice as to what books we get to listen to. No, I'm not that cruel. I wouldn't subject Ed to some Fabio romance novel. But, I did, however subject him to Janet Evanovich. We listened to books nine and ten on our way from home to Boise to Lewiston.
Now, here's the funny part. The woman reading the books, does a great job with the voices for all of the characters. (She gives me something to work toward during my own read aloud with my class!) If you've read any of the Evanovich books, you know that there is a character named Ranger. (Cuban American, tight body, skin the color of coffee mocha...YUM) The reader gives him this great Cuban accent. Ed became very interested in the love triangle that happens between Ranger, Stephanie Plum and her boyfriend Morelli. He kept asking me "what's so great about Ranger", trying to get some insight to the female brain of course. And then proceeded to try to tempt me using this same accent, to which I just giggle. (He really can be funny sometimes!)
So, we stayed over night at the Super 8 Motel in lovely downtown Lewiston, Idaho. (Don't recommend it.) The next morning, we wake up at our usual time and this how our conversation goes:
Ed: You want to get up and get in the shower first?
Me: I think I'm paralyzed! My hands and arms are asleep!
Ed (using his Ranger Cuban accent): Jou want me to wake them up for you?
Me: All out, hysterical, snort- laughing.
Ed: Smiling like a Cheshire Cat.
We didn't listen to any more Evanovich books on our trip.
Just Not Ready Yet
We had to euthanize our dog last November. She was our first "charge" together... this tiny, fat thing who had more interest in us than her 10 brothers and sisters did. She moved into our house 3 weeks after we did and stayed for almost 13 years.
You don't realize how much they permeate your life. She was in every part of it. She went camping with us, on the boat with us, to get ice cream and to Christmas at "Munka's" h0use. She loved our nieces and nephews and treated them as her own brood. We were her everything and she was our love. She slept next to me in her bed in our room from day one, and, on very many occasions, she would go to bed without us when we stayed up too late for her.
When our friends found out what happened to Jessie, they did the greatest thing. They found a local guy who does sand blasting on stone and bought us a gift certificate to have a stone made in her memory. We finally got it in place at her burial spot after she'd been gone 12 weeks.
We miss her so much. Some of our other friends have asked when we are going to "get a replacement" for her. How can you replace a family member? You can't. It's a little infuriating when they say this to us. I want to scream, "It's only been 14 weeks, damn it! When are you going to get a replacement grandparent?!?!?!?" I know, not very nice, but, that's how it feels.
I keep wondering when I'll stop wondering where she is when I open the door when I get home. Sometimes I still go down our back hallway to let her in the back door and get half way down there before I remember. One night, Ed even called her to go to bed when we were shutting down the house for the night. That nearly killed him.
Today one of my former parents brought in their 11 week old yellow lab, Cassie to my classroom. She was so darn cute. It made me want another lab for about a minute. I can't get the memory of the day we took Jess to the vet out of my mind.
I am definitely not ready yet.
You don't realize how much they permeate your life. She was in every part of it. She went camping with us, on the boat with us, to get ice cream and to Christmas at "Munka's" h0use. She loved our nieces and nephews and treated them as her own brood. We were her everything and she was our love. She slept next to me in her bed in our room from day one, and, on very many occasions, she would go to bed without us when we stayed up too late for her.
When our friends found out what happened to Jessie, they did the greatest thing. They found a local guy who does sand blasting on stone and bought us a gift certificate to have a stone made in her memory. We finally got it in place at her burial spot after she'd been gone 12 weeks.
We miss her so much. Some of our other friends have asked when we are going to "get a replacement" for her. How can you replace a family member? You can't. It's a little infuriating when they say this to us. I want to scream, "It's only been 14 weeks, damn it! When are you going to get a replacement grandparent?!?!?!?" I know, not very nice, but, that's how it feels.
I keep wondering when I'll stop wondering where she is when I open the door when I get home. Sometimes I still go down our back hallway to let her in the back door and get half way down there before I remember. One night, Ed even called her to go to bed when we were shutting down the house for the night. That nearly killed him.
Today one of my former parents brought in their 11 week old yellow lab, Cassie to my classroom. She was so darn cute. It made me want another lab for about a minute. I can't get the memory of the day we took Jess to the vet out of my mind.
I am definitely not ready yet.
Monday, January 22, 2007
In Memory Of
Jessie
December 3, 1993-November 17, 2006
She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are her life, her love, her leader. She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart. You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion.
-Anonymous
Saturday, January 20, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
I had given up making New Year's resolutions. Why bother? By the middle of January, I've given up and gone back to the "old me". Even when written down, the scrap of paper that I've scratched my ideas on gets conveniently lost. It seems so fruitless to write down convictions that I'm not going to bother thinking about until the next New Year's Eve when I say, "Oh yeah, I was going to..."
This year is different. I'm 37. YIKES! When did that happen? All of a sudden, I'm 37 and taking stock of where my life is. When did all of this weight show up? Was I sleeping and the weight monster (sister to the tooth fairy) decided to show up and gift me with this body? No, I'm not that delusional to not know where the weight came from. I am, however, tired of the way I look and feel. So I started to do some reading.
Did you know that sometimes chronic heart burn can be caused by large amounts of belly fat? Did you also know that if chronic heart burn isn't taken care of, it can permanently damage your esophagus possibly causing cancer and a whole other possibility of issues? Wow.
I guess this is my "bottom". (no pun intended) I don't want to have cancer of the esophagus. It's not a pretty thing and from what I hear VERY painful. The book I'm reading suggests low fat, low carb eating and making sure that you eat a TON of whole grains. "Get rid of the sugar, get rid of the belly fat."
So I purge the pantry and refrigerator. If after reading the ingredients label and finding that sugar or white flour are in the first five ingredients, to the food bank it goes. The next step is spending a frightening amount of money at the grocery store to get the "correct" staples now that the refrigerator and pantry are cleaned out.
This day also begins the daily regimen at the local gym. I have to be on the treadmill for one half hour every day and lift weights three times a week. I think that I am going to die. Seven days a week at the gym? Are you kidding me? But, we're making life style changes here so we're going to try it.
As it turns out, this life style change thing isn't so bad. There are some really great cookbooks out there with super tasty recipes. And the gym thing isn't nearly as bad as I first thought. My better half (who is responsible for the motivation in this relationship) agreed to join my gym and now he goes seven days a week with me. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. Who wants to spend an hour or so every day smelling other people's sweat and listening to the incessant bass beat from the step aerobics class going on? I think he's in line for sainthood.
I'm sleeping better. I'm less crabby. I don't grind my teeth or snore as much (always a plus) and I am starting to feel better about me. I don't crave sugar as much as I used to. In fact, it doesn't even really taste like I thought it did before. But, holy buckets, do you get a head ache when you stop taking in so much processed sugar. I'm surprised that I'm still married!
For all the hard work, I am seeing results. In the first week I lost 2 1/2 inches from around my waist and 4 lbs. The second week I lost 1 inch and 1 pound. I feel crappy when I don't go to the gym. My body lets me know it. I don't sleep as well. My hubby says that I snore and grind my teeth.
They say that you have to do something for at least one month before it becomes a lifestyle change. I have two more weeks to go. I hope my husband doesn't kill me before then.
This year is different. I'm 37. YIKES! When did that happen? All of a sudden, I'm 37 and taking stock of where my life is. When did all of this weight show up? Was I sleeping and the weight monster (sister to the tooth fairy) decided to show up and gift me with this body? No, I'm not that delusional to not know where the weight came from. I am, however, tired of the way I look and feel. So I started to do some reading.
Did you know that sometimes chronic heart burn can be caused by large amounts of belly fat? Did you also know that if chronic heart burn isn't taken care of, it can permanently damage your esophagus possibly causing cancer and a whole other possibility of issues? Wow.
I guess this is my "bottom". (no pun intended) I don't want to have cancer of the esophagus. It's not a pretty thing and from what I hear VERY painful. The book I'm reading suggests low fat, low carb eating and making sure that you eat a TON of whole grains. "Get rid of the sugar, get rid of the belly fat."
So I purge the pantry and refrigerator. If after reading the ingredients label and finding that sugar or white flour are in the first five ingredients, to the food bank it goes. The next step is spending a frightening amount of money at the grocery store to get the "correct" staples now that the refrigerator and pantry are cleaned out.
This day also begins the daily regimen at the local gym. I have to be on the treadmill for one half hour every day and lift weights three times a week. I think that I am going to die. Seven days a week at the gym? Are you kidding me? But, we're making life style changes here so we're going to try it.
As it turns out, this life style change thing isn't so bad. There are some really great cookbooks out there with super tasty recipes. And the gym thing isn't nearly as bad as I first thought. My better half (who is responsible for the motivation in this relationship) agreed to join my gym and now he goes seven days a week with me. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. Who wants to spend an hour or so every day smelling other people's sweat and listening to the incessant bass beat from the step aerobics class going on? I think he's in line for sainthood.
I'm sleeping better. I'm less crabby. I don't grind my teeth or snore as much (always a plus) and I am starting to feel better about me. I don't crave sugar as much as I used to. In fact, it doesn't even really taste like I thought it did before. But, holy buckets, do you get a head ache when you stop taking in so much processed sugar. I'm surprised that I'm still married!
For all the hard work, I am seeing results. In the first week I lost 2 1/2 inches from around my waist and 4 lbs. The second week I lost 1 inch and 1 pound. I feel crappy when I don't go to the gym. My body lets me know it. I don't sleep as well. My hubby says that I snore and grind my teeth.
They say that you have to do something for at least one month before it becomes a lifestyle change. I have two more weeks to go. I hope my husband doesn't kill me before then.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Technology Woes
I'm not sure how this blog thing is going to work... This is the first time that I have done anything like this and was intrigued when I read my friends blog. So, here goes nothing!
I've been thinking about how computer technology has infused itself in our lives. Everything can be found online now. You can bank, buy groceries, get directions, communicate, store massive amounts of information... The list is endless! What would we do without it? When the computers are down at school, I feel like a fish out of water! Everything that I can do (besides grade papers and teach kids) is on the computer! Even lessons that I have created are there. I have also been thinking about how the older generation is sometimes resistant to learning about technology and how frustrating it is sometimes for them when required to use it.
A few nights ago, I received a call from a colleague who lives near me. She needed to take her car in to have some things replaced and was asking to commute the next day with me. We got to talking about our meeting that day and how useful it was, etc. She went into a story about how she was late to her meeting because she hadn't gotten the agenda (which was sent out on school email). When I asked why she hadn't gotten the agenda, she replied, "I couldn't get into my email."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean, 'you couldn't get your email'?"
The story that came next made me giggle!
Before leaving school the night before the big windstorm, we were asked to unplug all of our computers so that if the power went out and came back on, nothing would be ruined because of a power surge or something. My colleague had done this in her classroom and, for good measure, had unplugged the Internet connections as well.
So, after I asked what she meant, she said that she couldn't get her email because she had unplugged her computers at school.
ME: "But, you aren't logging on to your computer at school when you log on from home. You are logging on to the network! You can still get your email!"
Colleague: "Yes, but, I unplugged the Internet connections too!"
It took another 5 minutes of explaining to convince her that even though she had unplugged her Internet connections and computers at school, she would still be able to get her email from home by logging on to the network! My colleague, bless her heart, took it all in stride and was happy to have learned something new!
I learned to not take knowledge for granted!
I've been thinking about how computer technology has infused itself in our lives. Everything can be found online now. You can bank, buy groceries, get directions, communicate, store massive amounts of information... The list is endless! What would we do without it? When the computers are down at school, I feel like a fish out of water! Everything that I can do (besides grade papers and teach kids) is on the computer! Even lessons that I have created are there. I have also been thinking about how the older generation is sometimes resistant to learning about technology and how frustrating it is sometimes for them when required to use it.
A few nights ago, I received a call from a colleague who lives near me. She needed to take her car in to have some things replaced and was asking to commute the next day with me. We got to talking about our meeting that day and how useful it was, etc. She went into a story about how she was late to her meeting because she hadn't gotten the agenda (which was sent out on school email). When I asked why she hadn't gotten the agenda, she replied, "I couldn't get into my email."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean, 'you couldn't get your email'?"
The story that came next made me giggle!
Before leaving school the night before the big windstorm, we were asked to unplug all of our computers so that if the power went out and came back on, nothing would be ruined because of a power surge or something. My colleague had done this in her classroom and, for good measure, had unplugged the Internet connections as well.
So, after I asked what she meant, she said that she couldn't get her email because she had unplugged her computers at school.
ME: "But, you aren't logging on to your computer at school when you log on from home. You are logging on to the network! You can still get your email!"
Colleague: "Yes, but, I unplugged the Internet connections too!"
It took another 5 minutes of explaining to convince her that even though she had unplugged her Internet connections and computers at school, she would still be able to get her email from home by logging on to the network! My colleague, bless her heart, took it all in stride and was happy to have learned something new!
I learned to not take knowledge for granted!
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