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Folk's 50th
Drought
Earth Quake
First Snow
Jeff Beck
Happy Holiday
Bad News
Movin' On
Convention
Cheese Steak
Apple A Day
Action & Fun
Blow Up
Trade Places
Millennium
Off To Work
Mountains
Greetings
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All The News That's Fit To Print
Most recent news at top.
Or click Article Index at left.
Folk's 50th Party Pictures
- Posted 03-12-01
The photos from my folk's 50th anniversary party have been finally posted on this site. Use the "Folks Golden 50th" link to get to the right spot. There are about 60 pictures spread out over 3 pages. At some point in the future, we hope to print and mail hard copies of these pictures to all who attended. Thanks to everyone who attended and who helped us take all of these great pictures.
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Drought!
- Posted 03-11-01
What better news to follow the earthquake article below than, "Drought!" Unfortunately, it's true. We are extremely low on rainfall and our snowpack is pretty much non-existant. Our Governor, Gary Locke, is scheduled to officially announce a drought emergency this week. Not only is this grim news for our drinking water supply but also for our electricity producing ability. And to compound it, we've pretty much run our resevoirs dry helping California get through it's power crisis. We are going to be in big trouble here for quite some time, at least through this spring, summer and fall. Or whenever it starts raining again.
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6.8 Earthquake!
- Posted 02-28-01
We had a 6.8 earthquake in Seattle this morning (Wednesday, February 28th, 2001)at about 10:55 a.m. My apartment was severely shaking and I was outside in less than 15 seconds (in bare feet). After things calmed down I went back into my 3rd floor apartment to find a broken lamp and a lot of smaller items on the floor. My 2 cats were intelligently hiding under the couch. A wooden winged woman I have hanging from my ceiling swayed for 15 minutes after the shaking stopped.
At first they were saying 6.2 magnitude and then a 7.0, but as of 1:30 p.m., they are saying it was a 6.8 magnitude. About 30 people were stranded up in the Space Needle when the elevators shut down. There has been quite a bit of structure damage and I am hearing of some injured folks transported to Harborview Hospital (Seattle's Trauma Center) and maybe some deaths as a result of a fire over on the Olympic Peninsula. Both SeaTac Airport and Boeing Field are closed. SeaTac had damage to the Control Tower and the runway was damaged at Boing Field.
They are saying this was a very deep quake (about 30 miles deep) centered south of Seattle about 11 miles north of Olympia beneath the Nisqually River Delta. Because the quake was so deep they are expecting no significant aftershocks. This quake was felt from British Columbia to Utah and is certainly a wake up call for those of us in this area to be better prepared. I will spend some time today earthquake proofing the apartment.
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My Folks 50th Anniversary Part 2
- Posted 02-27-01
The party for my folk's 50th Wedding Anniversary was a lot of fun. Everybody who planned to come made it despite 6 inches of snow the day before. It was wonderful to see everybody, most who I hadn't seen since my cousin Joanne's wedding in 1992.
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My Folks 50th Anniversary Part 1 - Posted 02-17-01
My Mom and Dad are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, February 24th. We are throwing a party for them back in Lansdale, PA and are expecting about 40 friends and relatives. It will be great to see everyone and should be a really fun time. Congratulations, Mom & Dad!
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First Good Snow in Four Years
- Posted 02-16-01
We had a good 6 inches of snow last night, the first good snow since December, 1996. It may stick around for a bit as it is supposed to stay chilly.
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Jeff Beck Concert at The Paramount
- Posted 02-16-01
I saw Jeff Beck last night at the beautifully refurbished Paramount Theater. Jeff is a virtuoso guitarist and plays very loud hard rock with a strong jazz fusion pyschodelic edge. His female backup guitarist sang on one song but otherwise it was all instrumental. They played a mix of old songs and others from their last two releases, "Who Else!" and "You Had It Coming". Overall it was a great show. Fantastic music and awesome special effects lighting. Another bonus was the opening act, Willie Porter, an exceptional singer, song writer, guitarist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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The Following Is From My December 2000 Newsletter
Happy Holidays Everybody!
- Posted 12-31-00
Well, it has been a while since my last holiday newsletter. I think it was December 1995. A lot has happened since then and I've been a little distracted. I actually wrote newsletters in '96 and '97 and even got them printed but never quite got them in the mail. In 1998, I got out the old newsletters and was going to put it all together in a new one but never even really got it finished.
Last year I bought 6 boxes of cards thinking this would be easier and would more likely get completed but I still have six boxes of cards sitting here and they are pretty dusty. So now, here I sit trying again to do a newsletter. And I am wondering how far I will get. Will I finish writing it? Will I get it printed? Will I get them mailed? If you get this letter - it will be a true holiday miracle. And if I can find those old newsletters I'll include them in this mailing.
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The Bad News First!
- Posted 12-31-00
I'll try to get the grim news out of the way first and finish on a positive note. Many of you probably know, but for those that don't, I'm now officially single (divorced) again! Unbelievable, but true and I really don't know how to explain it other than to say Linda decided she was ready for a change. The whole thing probably would have been easier for me if I had been ready for a change too, but I really wasn't. But sometimes change gets dumped (no pun intended) upon us so I've been trying to make the best of it. Last I heard, Jamie was living in California where he moved after finishing high school and now is spending some time in Hawaii and will be going to college this fall. I truly hope the best for him.
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Time To Move On!
- Posted 12-31-00
I ended up moving from West Seattle to Belltown, which is in downtown Seattle between Pike Place Market and The Seattle Center Space Needle area. This was quite a change from the more suburban West Seattle area that I had lived in for 21 years and it turned out to really be a lot of fun. When you live downtown, you are within easy walking distance to a lot of great restaurants, concerts, theaters, shopping, parks and the waterfront, etc., and there was always something going on. It really was exciting and I was surprised to enjoy it, as I had never thought of myself as a city dweller. I stayed in Belltown for a year and 3 months and then got a chance to apartment-sit for a friend up on Capitol Hill, which is about a 15 minute uphill walk east of downtown. After 5 months, my friend returned and I was able to rent the apartment next door for half the money I had paid in Belltown, so here I still am.
Capitol Hill is only slightly less urban than Belltown but I still have many restaurants and a lot of shopping opportunities right around the corner. There is a large stone church right across the street form my building and a Group Health Hospital complex on the opposite corner. There are too many apartment buildings and too little parking spaces so this is a challenge. There are some very old houses in the neighborhood so its fun to walk and check out the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Capitol Hill has a diverse population so besides the rich and famous, we have the tattooed and pierced not to mention a few other unique personalities.
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Convention Gone Bad!
- Posted 12-31-00
Probably the most excitement I've had up here on Capitol Hill was just over a year ago when Seattle hosted the WTO (World Trade Organization) annual meeting or convention. It was nuts and it certainly got out of control. Seattle was on the World News every night for a week and I was kept awake several nights to the sound of stun grenades, tear gas bombs and other incendiary devices not to mention the constantly circling helicopters, chanting protesters, sirens and police bull-horns. Tear gas wafted throughout the neighborhood but most of the real property damage was limited to the downtown core. I walked through it just after the hundreds of police in riot gear regained control and I have to say it was a rather startling site to see our normally peaceful downtown looking more like the police state it actually was. I wish I had my camera with me. I understand the sentiment of the protestors but to trash our city seemed to take some credibility away from their point. It was sad to see our beautiful city in a war-like condition looking very beaten and abused.
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I'll Take A Cheese Steak Please!
- Posted 12-31-00
One highlight for me here on Capitol Hill is a Philly Cheese Steak place only a few blocks away. They actually have the meat sent in from Philly and have Tastykakes, too. And they actually taste like real Philly Chesse Steaks! I go through withdrawal if I don't have one at least once a week. If you are in Seattle, you can check it out near 24th and Madison.
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An Apple A Day... Yeah, Right!
- Posted 12-31-00
My health has been full of fun events, most of which I'm now recovered but I still have a few things to conquer. I got a serious infection from a small cut on my elbow at work. I didn't know it was infected for about a week and figured it out on a Friday night. By the time I made it to the doctor on Monday, my arm was swollen from my wrist to my shoulder and I needed an antibiotic drip and several shots before it was under control. This event was followed by a kidney stone - ouch! And then a blown out knee from a work incident that led to knee surgery and a lot of limping. I think it was 2 years before I really felt recovered from this one.
Lately, I've been battling intermittent hearing loss and vertigo (equilibrium loses & motion sickness). Initially I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease but after having a lump called a neurofibroma removed from my neck in December during nose surgery and a just discovered sleep apnea condition, I'm hoping corrective measures for these new items will solve the Meniere's or Meniere's-like condition. For those of you thinking, "Steve, you are falling apart", I have the same feeling, but am trying to get it together. I am working with several doctors who seem now convinced I really do need help and that they can fix me so this is excellent news.
Editor's Note: (03-11-01) Found out from allergy testing in late January that I was allergic to corn. Have cut corn out of my diet and equilibrium attacks have virtually dissapeared. Bizarre, but true!
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Action, Fun And Adventure.
- Posted 12-31-00
Adventure wise, this year, things have been a bit slower than normal. I made it back to see my folks on St Simons Island, Georgia 3 or 4 times and on the last trip I drove a rental car back to Seattle with a few of my Dad's model ships, a mirror, an old muzzle loading rifle my Dad made and my folks two cats, Roxie and Oreo. We did 3,000 miles in 3 days and although the scenery was excellent, the cats were glad we didn't take our time any more than necessary. My folks have now sold their house on the island and are officially living back in Pennsylvania in the Lansdale area. I know they miss Georgia but are enjoying being closer to family and old friends and feel a little more secure about their living arrangements long term.
Unfortunately, I'm not going to make it back for the holidays but hope to in late February. I will definitely miss going back to Georgia. Besides the visiting my folks and relatives, the quality of the environment there really was stunning. When my folks first told me they were moving to Georgia I envisioned flat fields of cotton and dismal swamps as far as the eye could see. But in reality it is a beautiful state diverse in its ecosystems, from its ocean beaches, pine forests, wildlife rich marshland and Live Oak canopied coastal islands. It's bird watching paradise and the weather was not boring either. It can get hot in the summer but between the ocean breezes, afternoon thunderstorms and the hurricane watch, there never seems a dull moment. I will really miss the late night walks around my parent's neighborhood and listening to the tree frogs and crickets making the night come alive with their sounds.
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There She Blows!
- Posted 12-31-00
Another blast this year (pun intended) was the demolition of Seattle's famous Kingdome - home of the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners. A friend from work and I got up before daylight and walked to an optimal viewing area where we stood on a hillside of blackberries with thousands of other crazy people and at the designated time watched the destruction begin. First, streaks of light (detonator cord) were seen shooting down roof beams and support columns. This was followed by shots of smoke and quickly followed by hundreds of loud explosions. Within 10 seconds, the entire structure had collapsed and we watched a very huge wave of smoke and dust race north towards downtown Seattle. Within a couple of minutes, the entire view we had of downtown was obliterated by the cloud of dust which probably took about 30 minutes to fully clear. By the time we got back to my apartment, there was a fine layer of concrete dust covering everything. My apartment is about 1.75 miles northeast of the Kingdome.
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Trading Places!
- Posted 12-31-00
A little over a year ago I got an opportunity to switch homes with some friends who were having a tough pregnancy. They stayed at my place within 10 minutes of the University of Washington Hospital and were hoping to avoid a very premature delivery. I stayed at their place about 65 miles north out in the country house sitting their dog, 2 cats and tropical fish for close to 2 months or so.
It was quite an experience capped off by an incredible huge flaming meteor I witnessed that was quite a site to see. It was during a big meteor shower, I think it was the Leonids, but supposedly these things are only the size of a grain of sand as they burn through our atmosphere. This was not your typical shooting star but a giant flame-trailing ball streaking low across the sky. It left a smoke-trail visible for nearly 15 minutes and was more reminiscent of a special effect in the movie "Asteroid". It was kind of hard moving back to the city after a couple of months of peaceful country living, but my friends had a beautiful, healthy baby girl who now has just turned a year old. As soon as I returned, the previously mentioned WTO fiasco started.
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It Is The New Millennium!
- Posted 12-31-00
I finally got a new computer system with color scanning and printing capability so I have been enjoying learning how to scan color slides and negatives and then printing them out in color. It's been a bit of a challenge learning the new technology and new software but no pain, no gain as they say. I still seem mired in the pain stage evidently but hope to overcome it all before too long. I jumped right from Windows 3.11 to Windows Millennium Edition so I have now seen the future so to speak. My biggest challenge was transferring my old data files from my old computer to my new computer. Most of my files were way too big to fit on a floppy disk and I had way too many files for this approach anyway. I tried a direct cable connection but the different operating systems couldn't relate. I tried to upgrade my old computer to Windows 98 but it crashed not once but twice and the second one was ugly. I finally yanked the hard drive out of my old computer and installed it in the new one to do the transfer. Computers can be fun. Computers can be useful. But they can also drive you totally out of your mind sometimes. I've actually heard of people shooting their computers with a gun.
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Off To Work We Go.
- Posted 12-31-00
I'm still working at Boeing on the 777 wingline although I've been taking a little time off trying to get some of the aforementioned health issues under control. It is basically a good job and I enjoy it for the most part so I hope I can get it together and keep doing it. I work on a crew that loads the entire upper skin panel on a 777 wing.
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Why? Because It's There!
- Posted 12-31-00
My big goal for 2001 is to get out and try a little hiking and mountain climbing again. This was my goal this past year but it just wasn't in the cards. Going through my old pictures has brought back so many great memories of climbs with friends and the incredibly beautiful places we've been able to explore. And most of them within a 1-3 hour drive of Seattle! I hoping next year's newsletter will be called SummitPath and will have a report of some successful adventures to a mountaintop or otherwise beautiful wilderness area. I certainly won't be climbing at the faster pace of my youth but really hope to be able to put a little outdoor adventure back in my life.
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Season's Greetings!
- Posted 12-31-00
That's all for now. Hope you all have a great holiday season and a fantastic, peaceful and healthy 2001. Please e-mail, write or call if you get a chance. I would love to know how you are doing and what you've all been up to.
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