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Thursday, January 10, 2013
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Presentation - Berkeley 1969 Class Reunion
I have been absent from most of my online social presence (myspace; facebook, twitter, this blog, etc), because I have been busy working on coordinating a 40th class reunion.
It started with a conversation of "why can't we get together again and have another reunion for those who couldn't make it in 2007?" So, I put it out there, and there was interest. I guess I just took the "bull by the horns" and decided to just do it!
I started out with 25 already located graduates from the 2007 reunion through the courtesy of two form
er classmates who coordinated the last reunion. Then, someone on our Yahoo!Group asked a question about "does anybody know where...is?" So, I quietly took that as a challenge and started searching the internet. When, to my surprise, I found a long-lost teacher! I immediately posted it to our Yahoo!Group. I received another challenge to locate another missing classmate, and boom, I found her as well; and then that's when the fun started. I looked on classmates and noticed the now "married" names and started more searches. I did general searches on my deep-search engines and found at least 20 more!Out of a total graduating class of 79; (minus 2 that have gone on to greater glory), that makes a total of 45 girls located, leaving 34 left to find. Granted, not all will attend the reunion, but I'm on a mission to find them all regardless.
What started out as just a quirk, has ended up being a wonderful treasure-like hunt, and I'm enjoying every minute of it! One of my former classmates even sent me the yearbooks she had saved from back then, so that I could scan and hand out copies for anyone interested at our reunion coming up in September. I will now have my very own copies saved to a disk for whenever I feel like viewing them.
I also discovered that there are classmates on Facebook, so I'm making sure that we all reconnected through that social network. It's amazing what you can do with a little impetus and interest!
I have even located some of the nuns that taught us at that wonderful "al
l girl" school in Berkeley, and to my enjoyment and surprise, two will be attending our 40th reunion. Boy, do we have some catching up to do!
An even greater surprise (mostly to myself) was finding our Art Teacher, Miss Peel who teaches at California College of the Arts . Thanks to Nancy for sending me those yearbooks, I've can now search for names of faculty from back then (which I had long forgotten about; dimentia, old age, or just too many duh moments?). Now, I wonder...is Mrs. Rodenbaugh still alive. I'm sure she would love to scold me for bringing water pistols to history class, even now. I know how upset she was when I accidentally spritzed her, and she thought someone was spitting at her (oops!) . I was such a bad girl...but I have good memories and I'm glad I can still remember, period!Well, gotta go.
Gotta finish scanning those yearbooks, and reach for the kleenex each time a memory flies into my brain about high school...little did I know I would miss that dang school so much. Who knew!?!?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
About me in 500 words or less
I haven't posted anything in quite awhile, so I feel obligated to post something. So here is something about me in 500 words or less...
I worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and for the University of California, Office of the President in Oakland in the 90s. I was a DJ in the early 80s at a small club in Albany, CA for awhile and learned how to mix music and drink! I spent most of my life making choices that may not have been the best, but I don't regret having had those life experiences because it made me a stronger and wiser person today. The best thing that ever happened to me was having my daughter, Vivianna in 1987. She has always been there with me, still is, and we share a great friendship as well. She is now 21, and has almost completed her AA degree. I'm a self taught computer geek, and proud of it. I love custom cars and going to car/bike shows and got into the photography thing at each show. I used my photographic learning curve to take more and more pictures at custom car and bike shows and at the drag races. The more shows I attended, the better my pictures became. I attempted to start an online magazine of local custom cars, but never got it off the ground. I still occasionally attend cars shows and go the NHRA drag races every year. I'm currently employed at a company that refurbishes large Yachts, Ships, Barges, etc. in the Human Resources department. My life is not as exciting anymore, as old age and arthritis has crept in like an unwanted roommate and just won't leave! I spend most of my spare time beading and making my own jewelry as well as making my own greeting cards. I used to occasionally go out dancing on a Saturday night with a former friend Jaylene, but my movement is limited. However, that doesn't stop me from having a good time!
California born and raised (by Maternal Grandparents).
Have lived in San Pablo, CA all my life. Catholic School girl...St. Paul Elementary in San Pablo and Presentation High School in Berkeley. Have been working since 16 (but not at the same job). First job was cashier at the Rancho Drive-In theatre in San Pablo part-time. After graduation from High School, I went to Contra Costa College studying Business Administration and Principals of Accounting. Second job was Bookkeeper at Goodyear in Richmond at 19. Later I moved out of the house. After that, worked at different waitress jobs until I found a good job at UC Berkeley as an Admin Asst in the Chicano Studies Dept. I worked at the Golden Gate Fields/Bay Meadows Race Tracks during the mid 70s at which time I bought my first c
ar...a fiery red 1979 Pontiac TransAm. Although the car is long-gone, the memories of that fantastic machine are as vivid as if I drove it yesterday. Loved that car!
I worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and for the University of California, Office of the President in Oakland in the 90s. I was a DJ in the early 80s at a small club in Albany, CA for awhile and learned how to mix music and drink! I spent most of my life making choices that may not have been the best, but I don't regret having had those life experiences because it made me a stronger and wiser person today. The best thing that ever happened to me was having my daughter, Vivianna in 1987. She has always been there with me, still is, and we share a great friendship as well. She is now 21, and has almost completed her AA degree. I'm a self taught computer geek, and proud of it. I love custom cars and going to car/bike shows and got into the photography thing at each show. I used my photographic learning curve to take more and more pictures at custom car and bike shows and at the drag races. The more shows I attended, the better my pictures became. I attempted to start an online magazine of local custom cars, but never got it off the ground. I still occasionally attend cars shows and go the NHRA drag races every year. I'm currently employed at a company that refurbishes large Yachts, Ships, Barges, etc. in the Human Resources department. My life is not as exciting anymore, as old age and arthritis has crept in like an unwanted roommate and just won't leave! I spend most of my spare time beading and making my own jewelry as well as making my own greeting cards. I used to occasionally go out dancing on a Saturday night with a former friend Jaylene, but my movement is limited. However, that doesn't stop me from having a good time!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
SpringTime
I have been away for awhile because of nothing exciting to write about. Of course, I have been enjoying the fact the my friends and former co-workers have taken me out in observance of my 57 years here on earth. However, now that spring is here, there is plenty to report. I have been stimulated to put together a scrapbook of my life from my modest beginnings in life, my current status in life, and my inevitable end of life, which I hope will not be soon!I was raised and have lived in the Bay Area all my life. Mostly living in San Pablo, CA. In my search to find out about early San Pablo, and the area in which I grew up, I have found that there is not much online to be found. There is plenty about the surrounding city of Richmond, CA, on the internet but not much on good old S.P. I understand that there is/was a book provided by and published by the San Pablo Historical Society, but have not been able to find it as of yet. Therefor, I will be compiling together my own book, in hopes of publishing it some day.
Aside from doing my bio, I spent another lovely Easter/Spring break week in Oakdale, CA, where my lovely hostess, Tina showed me a picture she took shortly before Easter.
For those of you who doubt the existence of the Easter Bunny, or no longer believe...this will definitely put those doubts to rest. Here is a little something I wrote reminiscent of Charley Brown's friend Linus who believed in the Great Pumpkin:
The Great Easter Bunny gently rises up from the bunny patch
to hide the beautifully colored eggs for all the children
to find on a nice bright sunny Easter morning!
to hide the beautifully colored eggs for all the children
to find on a nice bright sunny Easter morning!
This is an authentic photograph, not something that was "Photoshopped" or "CG'd" in any way. I believe this is a once in a lifetime shot that will never happen again.Also while spending time in the beautiful and quiet surroundings of my friend Tina's ranch in Oakdale, I was inspired to write some verse in honor of Spring as follows:
A warm spring day
The sun is bright
The birds a-twitter
With song mid-flight
Flower buds burst forth in bloom
A sea of color viewed from my room
The wind flows gentle
Through tall oak trees
The miracle of pollination
Brought forth by bees.
The site and sound
of croaking frogs
The joy of catching pollywogs
The dragon and the butterflies
The spectacle of Nature enfolds
Before my very eyes!
The birds a-twitter
With song mid-flight
Flower buds burst forth in bloom
A sea of color viewed from my room
The wind flows gentle
Through tall oak trees
The miracle of pollination
Brought forth by bees.
The site and sound
of croaking frogs
The joy of catching pollywogs
The dragon and the butterflies
The spectacle of Nature enfolds
Before my very eyes!
Friday, February 22, 2008
TGIF
I'ts Friday. Thanks to having President's Day off, it was a quick and short work week.
Valentine's Day came and went without any big production. I don't have a significant other, therefore I don't get the normal "kissy-kissy" "will this save my ass from being in the dog house" flowers and candy stuff. Which is fine, because not having all that relationship drama is so liberating, to say the least.
On another note, I hate all this rain that we've been having. Yeah, I know we need the rain, but I hate having to drive to and from work in it because of all the IDIOTS that are on the road, and DON'T know how to drive in the rain. That's one of the main reasons why I don't commute to work on the freeway anymore and take the scenic route via the "Avenue" and other side streets all the way to work. Too many bad drivers (aka IDIOTS) darting in and out of traffic just to get one or two cars ahead of you, in their mad rush to work. Or the ones that cannot control the vehicle in bad weather and drive 35-40 mps on the freeway. I say either start out earlier so that you're not in such a frantic rush, or take public transportation and give the rest of us who know what we're doing behind the wheel, free reign of the road.
Valentine's Day came and went without any big production. I don't have a significant other, therefore I don't get the normal "kissy-kissy" "will this save my ass from being in the dog house" flowers and candy stuff. Which is fine, because not having all that relationship drama is so liberating, to say the least.
However the worst is yet to come...my birthday is next 
week and I'm turning another year older. In dog years, I'll be 399 yrs old!!! Wow, I've really survived through alot. I've sniffed alot of butts, but still haven't found Mr. Right...uh, excuse me your honor, please strike that last comment from the record due to my client's temporary attack of insanity...and I guess in 3 more years, I'll be considered an honest-to-goodness Senior Citizen at the ripe old age of 60. Pretty soon, I'll have to invite the local Fire Dept. to my birthday parties just in case I can't reach my fire extinguisher in time! Mmmmm, I love the smell of burning cake and wax in the morning.
week and I'm turning another year older. In dog years, I'll be 399 yrs old!!! Wow, I've really survived through alot. I've sniffed alot of butts, but still haven't found Mr. Right...uh, excuse me your honor, please strike that last comment from the record due to my client's temporary attack of insanity...and I guess in 3 more years, I'll be considered an honest-to-goodness Senior Citizen at the ripe old age of 60. Pretty soon, I'll have to invite the local Fire Dept. to my birthday parties just in case I can't reach my fire extinguisher in time! Mmmmm, I love the smell of burning cake and wax in the morning.
On another note, I hate all this rain that we've been having. Yeah, I know we need the rain, but I hate having to drive to and from work in it because of all the IDIOTS that are on the road, and DON'T know how to drive in the rain. That's one of the main reasons why I don't commute to work on the freeway anymore and take the scenic route via the "Avenue" and other side streets all the way to work. Too many bad drivers (aka IDIOTS) darting in and out of traffic just to get one or two cars ahead of you, in their mad rush to work. Or the ones that cannot control the vehicle in bad weather and drive 35-40 mps on the freeway. I say either start out earlier so that you're not in such a frantic rush, or take public transportation and give the rest of us who know what we're doing behind the wheel, free reign of the road. The ones that really get me are the ones in a mad rush to pass you up and then step on the breaks to slow down. What's that about??? Did you suddenly forget your destination? Did your medication suddenly kick in? Or did you have a brain fart and realize that trying to drive 70 mph wastes more gas than if you drive 55? I could go on and on, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, and you all know who you are!
You probably follow the manual on bad driving since you obviously don't 
have a brain cell of your own with which to make decisions with. Well, despite all the negativity, I'm positively looking forward to going to the WonderCon on Sunday in San Francisco....of course, I'll be taking BART!
have a brain cell of your own with which to make decisions with. Well, despite all the negativity, I'm positively looking forward to going to the WonderCon on Sunday in San Francisco....of course, I'll be taking BART!Monday, February 11, 2008
Is Xmas really over??
Another precious weekend gone and Monday arrives always too soon. I spent the early part of Saturday taking down my xmas decorations, along with the tree (yes, you read that correctly) and putting 
everything in their boxes all wrapped up and ready to be sent to storage; ready for next year. Now my apartment looks so gloomy and empty without all the glitz and bling of xmas, I get depessed AFTER chrismas because I have to take everything down. Most people get depressed during the holidays...not me! I get excited because I can go crazy and decorate like there's no tomorrow (I do the same for Halloween) both at home and at work. Well, at least I have something to look foward to; only 350 more days 'till xmas (again)!
On a lighter note, I watched to 50th Grammy awards last night, and I must say I was a bit disappointed. I don't ususally watch the Grammys, but since it was the 50th, I expected a little more pow, bang and zip for it being the 50th and all. Of course the entertainment was good, but I expected something more "out-of-the-box" type of thing. Something more stupendous to out-do all 49 Grammy shows that preceded.
Not even a compilation video show of all 50 years put together in one glorious presentation. I guess the writer's strike affected the illustrious Grammys and I was very dissapointed to say the least. Not to mention, that of the "late" artists that were being shown on screen who had gone on to their "greater Grammy award," James Brown was not listed among them! For shame! Between that disappointement, and christmas being gone and over with, I think I'll just curl up and hibernate until winter.
everything in their boxes all wrapped up and ready to be sent to storage; ready for next year. Now my apartment looks so gloomy and empty without all the glitz and bling of xmas, I get depessed AFTER chrismas because I have to take everything down. Most people get depressed during the holidays...not me! I get excited because I can go crazy and decorate like there's no tomorrow (I do the same for Halloween) both at home and at work. Well, at least I have something to look foward to; only 350 more days 'till xmas (again)!On a lighter note, I watched to 50th Grammy awards last night, and I must say I was a bit disappointed. I don't ususally watch the Grammys, but since it was the 50th, I expected a little more pow, bang and zip for it being the 50th and all. Of course the entertainment was good, but I expected something more "out-of-the-box" type of thing. Something more stupendous to out-do all 49 Grammy shows that preceded.
Not even a compilation video show of all 50 years put together in one glorious presentation. I guess the writer's strike affected the illustrious Grammys and I was very dissapointed to say the least. Not to mention, that of the "late" artists that were being shown on screen who had gone on to their "greater Grammy award," James Brown was not listed among them! For shame! Between that disappointement, and christmas being gone and over with, I think I'll just curl up and hibernate until winter.
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