Gandhi?

Is that you?



This picture made me smile :) I found it in the Day In Review with the LA Times.

A student dressed as Mohandas K. Gandhi sips a mango drink during an anti-tobacco campaign in Mumbai, India.
May 30, 2008

I am Loved

Something remarkable happens when you say to yourself, "I Am Loved." And the feeling is infinitely more extraordinary when the sentiment comes from someone else. It’s no surprise that Barnett Helzberg Jr.’s idea for a button, printed with these three words, has been so genuinely meaningful to so many people. I AM LOVED® was an overnight phenomenon that is still popular more than 40 years later. What is surprising is that when Barnett first scribbled down his idea, it was a sentiment so personal and heartfelt that he almost didn’t show it to anyone… it was only by chance that the little button became the icon that it is today.

I AM LOVED® was conceived in 1967 by Barnett Helzberg Jr., the thirty-something, third generation president of Kansas City-based Helzberg Diamonds. A young lady named Shirley Bush had just accepted Barnett’s marriage proposal. To know she said yes…to know he was loved…Barnett was ecstatic! He wanted to tell the world!

In his euphoria, he came up with an advertising concept capitalizing on the wonderful feeling of knowing someone loves you. He drew a lapel button with the words “I Am Loved” and wrote some ad copy that encouraged other guys to either buy their girls a diamond—or give them a button—but be sure to do something to “tell her she’s loved.”

After noodle-ing the idea, Barnett decided it was embarrassing, wadded up the sketch and threw it away. But the next morning he impulsively fished the drawing out of the wastebasket to show to the company’s advertising artist. The artist liked the concept and came up with the button design almost immediately!

Read more about it here.

Rip's READY

I sure hope so... And I hope everyone else is ready too...

Hamilton says he's 'ready to go' as Pistons try to stay alive in East finals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons and their fans received good news Friday after Richard Hamilton proclaimed himself "ready to go" for Detroit's must-win Game 6 tonight against the Boston Celtics.

"I have no choice. This is do or die," Hamilton, who suffered a strained right elbow near the conclusion of the Pistons' Game 5 loss in Boston, said after the team's shootaround Friday.

"Once I get out there and the adrenaline is going, I'll be fine," Hamilton said. "I told my teammates, 'Don't look at me as handicap.' ... I'm fine. I'm ready to roll."

Detroit's leading scorer strained his elbow in the final seconds of Boston's 106-102 win on Wednesday night. X-rays were negative, and Hamilton's arm was in a sling as he left the arena. He finished with 25 points.

Detroit needs a win to extend the Eastern Conference finals to a seventh game. Hamilton leads the Pistons in the series with 22.2 points per game.

Wedding Dress Donation

I know that I have been trying to keep my posts split (keeping wedding planning info on the Goin' To The Chapel blog and everything else on the Be The Change blog), but I thought this one should be posted on both, so that maybe I could get more input and information.

Currently I am not planning on keeping/ preserving my wedding dress after the wedding. I was thinking that I could sell it, but then I figured the best thing to do with it would probably be to donate it to someone that could use it. I know that there are a lot of great organizations that you can donate your wedding dress to. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or know much about it. [I have information on Brides Against Breast Cancer. I would love information on other organizations or ideas.]

Guerrilla Gardening

How awesome!! Hehe. I hope I can start soon :)

Guerrilla gardener movement takes root in L.A. area

BRIMMING with lime-hued succulents and a lush collection of agaves, one shooting spiky leaves 10 feet into the air, it's a head-turning garden smack in the middle of Long Beach's asphalt jungle. But the gardener who designed it doesn't want you to know his last name, since his handiwork isn't exactly legit. It's on a traffic island he commandeered.

"The city wasn't doing anything with it, and I had a bunch of extra plants," says Scott, as we tour the garden, cars whooshing by on both sides of Loynes Drive.

Scott is a guerrilla gardener, a member of a burgeoning movement of green enthusiasts who plant without approval on land that's not theirs. In London, Berlin, Miami, San Francisco and Southern California, these free-range tillers are sowing a new kind of flower power. In nighttime planting parties or solo "seed bombing" runs, they aim to turn neglected public space and vacant lots into floral or food outposts.

More of the article here.

Toy Story Mania

I know that Ryan and I were interested in what exactly Toy Story Mania was going to be, so I looked it up today.

Toy Story Midway Mania! (also known as Toy Story Mania!) is an interactive theme park attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disney's California Adventure in California.

Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and inspired by the Disney/Pixar films Toy Story and Toy Story 2, the Florida version is scheduled to open officially on May 31, 2008 with the California version following on June 17, 2008.

Park guests wear 3-D glasses aboard spinning vehicles that travel through virtual environments based on classic carnival midway games. Ride vehicles seat up to four in back-to-back pairs.

The attraction features five mini-games after a practice round, each of which includes at least one "Easter egg" that can trigger additional targets or gamplay changes.

Mini-games
Pie Throw Practice
Hamm & Eggs
Bo Peep's Baaa-loon Pop
Green Army Men Shoot Camp
Buzz Lightyear's Flying Tossers
Woody's Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gallery

Each guest's score is recorded by an onboard display screen as points are acquired with individual toy cannons firing simulated projectiles at virtual targets. Toy Story characters including Woody, Hamm, Buzz Lightyear and Bo Peep appear during the attraction's different games.

Similar technology has been used in Disney attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold at DisneyQuest and several Buzz Lightyear attractions. According to Disney, it is the first attraction created simultaneously by Walt Disney Imagineering for two theme parks.

The queue at both parks features a large Mr. Potato Head audio-animatronic figure that appears to interact with guests through pre-recorded snippets of dialogue recorded by comedian Don Rickles, who voiced the character in the Toy Story films.

More info here.

Free Italian Food

So as most of you know, I am a BIG fan of free stuff. I love bargain hunting. I try my hardest to make my money go as far as possible. I can smell out a deal from miles away. :) Anyway, with that being said, I am a fan of rewards programs that give you free stuff. I have been a VIP with Channel 933 (one of the local radio stations in SD) for probably a year or so. In that time I have gotten tickets to the Wild Animal Park, DVDs (Gilmore Girls to be specific), Disneyland tickets, etc. This past week I spent some of my points on 2 gift certificates. The two gift certificates are both to yummy places down in Little Italy. The two restaurants are: Trattoria Fantastica By Busalacchi and Zia's Bistro by Busalacchi. We are actually going to be having our rehearsal dinner at Trattoria Fantastica. I think when my mom is here next week I will take her to Trattoria's to show her around and to have her try some of the yummy pizza. I have never been to Zia's Bistro, so I think the next time Ryan is down this way we will head down there and try it out. Anyway, just thought suggest TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GREAT DEALS ALL AROUND YOU!! All I do is visit a few websites through the radio stations page and listen for a word of the day and I rack of tons of points. I am also a member of a local TV news stations rewards program and all I have to do there is watch for the code word of the day during the morning news.

Ice Cream

Six of the Most Fattening Ice Cream Flavors

1. Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter (360 calories, 24 grams of fat). Look out for nuts and chocolate: the most fattening flavors tend to be loaded with both.

2. Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby (330 calories, 20 grams of fat). Vanilla ice cream with fudge and peanut butter swirls, plus fudge covered peanut butter-filled pretzels. Any hubby who brings this into the house is asking for trouble.

3. Häagen-Dazs Butter Pecan (310 calories, 23 grams of fat). It's one of the most popular flavors, but the abundance of pecans also makes it one of the fattiest.

4. Sheer Bliss Pomegranate with chocolate chips (320 calories, 20 grams fat). Yes, pomegranate juice is good for you. But don't be fooled by the name: cream, milk and sugar are the first three ingredients in this decadent concoction.

5. Ben and Jerry's Vermonty Python (300 calories, 19 grams of fat). Coffee ice cream with chocolate cookie crumbs and fudge "cows." Moo.

6. Coldstone Cookie Batter (300 calories, 16 grams of fat). The cookie batter mix includes molasses and brown sugar as well as flour, adding calories along with richness. Note that the smallest "Like It" serving size is bigger than a half cup; it has 380 calories and 20 grams of fat. The "Love it" portion is a full cup.

I actually like sherbert better than ice cream anyway, but man, why do all the yummy things have to be so bad for you :).

Mom

Smile word of the day:

MOM



My madre is coming to visit in ONE WEEK from today!! Whoo hoo!! Aaron (my soon to be sister-in-law) is going to be a mom for the first time very soon (her original due date was Monday, but they are thinking it will probably be a week or so). In less than 3 months I will be getting another mom (well mother-in-law, but close, right).

10 annoying office habits

Check out this article. I know it is from Australia, but I think the topics carry over quite well.

Top 10 most annoying office habits

AUSTRALIANS spend more time at work than those in almost any other developed country, which is sort of annoying.

But it's not as annoying as some of the office habits which we seem to have allowed ourselves to either fall into or to tolerate. Here are our 10 leading annoying office habits.

Go Wings

Funny article!!

Want to buy an octopus? Let's see some ID first

You can buy an octopus next week at Wholey's Fish Market in Pittsburgh -- unless you're wearing Detroit Red Wings gear or otherwise let slip that you're visiting from Michigan for the game.

Red Wings fans, known for their traditional octopus toss during the Stanley Cup playoffs, are welcome to buy any fish in the store, Dan Wholey, who owns the market, told the Detroit Free Press. But he won't sell them an octopus.

You see, Wholey does not want to see the Red Wings fans' tradition of flinging the eight-legged sea creatures carried out at Mellon Arena when the Pittsburgh Penguins host Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday and May 30.

The Stanley Cup finals begin Saturday in Detroit, with Game 2 on Monday.

"I have the utmost respect for all the people of Detroit," Wholey said, according to the report. "They are great citizens and great hockey fans, just like I am. But I'm a Penguins fan first and foremost and I want to see the Penguins win, period."

If that means checking ID and listening for customers with Midwestern accents, that's what he's willing to do.

"Anyone who comes in here with a Red Wings jersey, they're allowed to buy anything in the store, just not the octopus," he said.

The Detroit octopus-throwing tradition started in the 1950s, to symbolize the eight wins needed at the time to win the Stanley Cup.

Some pics

I took these, but they didn't make the cut. I still liked them and thought I would share them.

Tied Up

After Little Shooting Success, Mr. Big Shot Delivers

They don't call him Mr. Big Shot for nothing, although you'd be excused for wondering how he ever got that nickname if all you were judging him on was his body of work over the first three games of this series and the first three quarters of Game 4.

In fact, Chauncey Billups was such a borderline liability through the first 36 minutes of Game 4, he began the fourth quarter on the bench and stayed there past the midpoint of the period. At that point, whether he'd even get back into the game was a question mark.

But Billups finally peeled off his warm-ups and checked back in with 4:50 remaining, and his 3-pointer with 2:55 left ended up being the biggest shot of the game, extending a seven-point lead to 10 and giving the Pistons the breathing room that had been eluding them all night. Detroit went on to defeat the Boston Celtics 94-75 Monday night to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

The final score, with its 19-point margin, was not indicative of how close this game was for the first 46 minutes. The Pistons never trailed, but they also couldn't find a way to put away a Celtics team that stayed within striking distance by going to the free-throw line 39 times and making 32 of them.

Boston shot a shade below 32 percent from the field, went 1-for-9 on 3-pointers and didn't get any sustained offense from its big three as Paul Pierce shot 3-for-14, Kevin Garnett was 6-for-16 and Ray Allen was 2-for-8 and missed two big free throws with 2:04 remaining when Boston had a chance to cut its deficit to eight.

The rest of the article here.

YAY!!

Congrats to Erik and Sarah!!



I am soooo happy for you two!! I am glad all of the planning worked out Erik!!

Here is the story that Sarah sent out to her fam...

As they say, everything happens for a reason ...

So most of you know that I was all set to travel to Sao Paulo, Brasil with my family for Gabriel's wedding. We traveled the 10 hour flight there together but Immigration wouldn't let me into the country because my Visa was expired. I was immediately deported and flew another 8 hours to Miami. My family stayed in Brasil and I tried to fight my way back down there from the loud, hot, under-construction city of Miami. After weighing the costs (monetary and on my sanity) I opted to fly back to Tucson--56 hours after my journey began.

Luckily I had Erik to come home to. He scrambled to put a nice weekend together for us and chose Sedona as the destination. We stayed at the lovely Enchantment Resort nestled in the red rocks. Beautiful place! We arrived on Friday evening in a wintery freezing-rain storm. Memorial Weekend and yet it's snowing in Flagstaff! Saturday morning we had room service breakfast and went to a Qi-Gong class offered at the spa. Despite the rain Erik REALLY wanted to hike up Boynton Canyon, the trailhead was accessible from our hotel. So at 8:30am we left in the cold and wetness and hiked up the hill. I swear Erik was sprinting to the top, while I wanted to take a leisurely stroll with my umbrella! He kept saying he wanted to get up there to see the view before the guided hike group came along.

At the end of the hike he handed me some water and the backpack as I stood looking out over the misty canyon. When I turned to my right he was getting down on one knee with a black box in hand. A wedding proposal followed, and I knelt too (my legs didn't feel like they would hold me and I didn't like being the center of attention anyway!). Within 60 seconds after his proposal and my acceptance another hiking couple showed up and was able to take our pictures and share marriage advice. He told Erik there are 3 rings involved in marriage: the engagement ring, the wedding ring and the suffering. Sheez!

We cruised back down the hill. My feet didn't feel like my own, we were both floating, essentially. Back at the casita Erik had arranged for champagne and chocolate covered strawberries (my favorite), and the floor was littered with rose petals! SOOOO SWEET. What a fantastic guy I'm going to marry and have in my life forever.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (observed in 2008 on May 26). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 9 p.m. US Eastern time. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers place an American flag upon each grave site located in a National Cemetery.

In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. Some Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. The national "Click It or Ticket" campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for auto accidents and other safety related incidents. The U.S. Air Force's "101 Critical Days of Summer" begin on this day as well. Many Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen.

Flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day 2006.Memorial Day formerly occurred on May 30, and some, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day." Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional day since 1987.

May Storm

The weather is soooo screwed up around here. Yesterday we had a crazy storm come through. The company I work for has another smaller office about 1.5 hours north of where this one is located. Below are some of the pictures that one of my co-workers took out in the yard of the office. Yep, that is snow and a 'tornado'. I guess the wind from the storm KNOCKED THE TRAIN OFF THE TRAIN TRACKS ONTO THE PROPERTY.





Maybe the Californians don't know but you are supposed to TAKE COVER when you see funnel clouds in the sky... Oh Cass employees :)

Dead Battery

Sorry for those of you that may check out my Photo Of The Day blog. My camera battery is TOTALLY dead, I couldn't turn it on this morning, so right now it is at home charging. I won't be able to load the pictures from yesterday through Sunday until I get back to work Monday. Just a heads up :)

Heck Yeah!

Pistons Prove Six Is Still Greater Than Three

BOSTON -- Somewhere, perhaps back home in Akron, perhaps in the back of a limo with Jay-Z, LeBron James had to be thinking to himself: "I told you so."

Only four days earlier, James exited the 2008 playoffs with some parting words of wisdom for the Boston Celtics, warning them that the Detroit Pistons team they were about to face probably takes more pride in winning on the road than in defending their home court.

In Game 2, the Pistons showed why James may have a future side career in prophesy.

Getting solid if not spectacular all-around efforts from each member of their starting five along with rookie Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons overcame the Celtics on a night when Boston's big three played better together than they had in any of their previous 15 postseason games.

All five Detroit starters, led by Richard Hamilton's 25, reached double figures and contributed to a defensive effort that gave the Pistons a 103-97 victory Thursday night that evened the Eastern Conference semifinals at one game apiece.

"In Game 1, we let one slip away because we didn't play with the intensity we needed," Hamilton said. "Tonight, it was like: 'OK guys, all year long we say we care about each other, so now when we go out there, don't leave anybody hanging.' I thought we did a great job of not leaving anybody hanging, not just on offense but on defense."

Still, it was the offense that came through in the final minute when the Pistons needed to make plays to maintain their comfort zone that was in danger of being squeezed.

With Detroit ahead 96-92, the Pistons got the Celtics to bite on a switch, leaving Hamilton isolated against Kevin Garnett beyond the 3-point line near the home bench. Hamilton's eyes lit up, and his swift feet carried him right past Garnett as he drove toward the free-throw line and tossed up a 12-foot floater that swished through.

Read more here.

Ryan was at the airport last night giving me updates from the airport bar :) GO STONES!

Smile

I got these pics in an email, they made me smile, so I thought they might make you smile too.

Have a TERRIFIC Thursday

Water Shoes

So when Ryan and I decided on Fiji for our honeymoon, we knew we would be doing a lot of water activities (snorkaling, scuba - if Ryan can talk me in to it, kayaking, etc.). We went to REI to look for some good water shoes. They all seem to be SUPER expensive (probably because we went to REI). Anyway, I tried some on that I liked, but never decided on anything. Today I was going through Marshalls and found THEM! They were in the Kids section (yes, I know my feet are small when I can still wear kids shoes), which means not only were they cheaper (only $15), but they came in much cooler colors than the adults :). Check out more views of the cool shoes here. I'm pretty stoked to wear them!!

Dandies

I love them!! Here are some fluffy ones I photo'ed yesterday!

Baby Bump Day?

You’re Invited!
Celebrate your new addition with a free 3 oz. cone* of our newest addition - Soft Serve.

For: Expectant mothers.

When: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Where: Select Baskin-Robbins stores across the country.

Print this page and take it to your neighborhood Baskin-Robbins to receive your free 3 oz. cup or cone of our new Soft Serve.* Offer available at select stores in California, Chicago, New York, Nashville, TN and El Paso, TX.

Cleaner Beaches?

Pollution survey finds California beaches cleaner

Waters off California's coast are cleaner -- and safer for swimmers and surfers -- in dry weather than they've been in years, according to a new environmental report released this morning.

But while water pollution is improving overall statewide, Los Angeles County is home to the most bacteria-laden seawater in California for the third straight year. Half of the 10 foulest shorelines in the state are in Los Angeles County, with the dirtiest surf at Avalon Harbor Beach on Santa Catalina Island.

Other "beach bummers" with the worst water quality were the waters at Santa Monica Pier, Poche Beach and North Beach Doheny in South Orange County, Marie Canyon at Puerco Beach in Malibu, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and various locations in Long Beach.

Drier-than-average weather helped keep most ocean waters cleaner; in rainy conditions, however, more than half of Southern California beaches tested fair to poor for traces of fecal bacteria.

"For storm water pollution, we're not doing a good job at all," said Mark Gold, president of the Santa Monica-based nonprofit Heal the Bay, which compiles the report. "The beaches are just as polluted today during rainstorms as they were 15 years ago."

Runoff can contain trash, toxic heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizer, petroleum byproducts, animal waste and human sewage.

"It's not surprising -- it's just frustrating," Gold said. "We've had so much progress in so many other, different areas of coastal protection [yet] our beaches still look like landfills after every rain."

More of the story here.

It's HOT

Windy and dry conditions in San Diego County deserts, combined with a fourth day of high temperatures, prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning Tuesday, signifying high fire danger.

Gusts up to 35 mph or more are possible, and the relative humidity could fall below 15 percent for extended periods, according to the NWS.

Temperatures are forecast to top 100 degrees for a fourth day in row. Blowing dust and sand are possible at times.

Thank goodness it is cooling down this week!

HockeyTown

Stanley Cup finals breakdown: Red Wings vs. Penguins

There is often debate about which Stanley Cup matchup might be best for the greater good of the NHL: big market, small market, Canada, West Coast, East Coast.

There's no right answer (just wrong ones, more often than not), but no matter how you cut it, the 2008 Stanley Cup finals have all the makings of a classic matchup between some of the most skilled players in the game.

The Detroit Red Wings are trying to win their fourth Stanley Cup since 1997. They are led by captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who will make his case as the greatest defenseman of all time before he's done. The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, are led by the finest 1-2 punch in the NHL in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is in the finals for the first time since 1992, when now-owner Mario Lemieux was leading the club to the second of back-to-back Cup wins. The Red Wings and Pens are the only teams to successfully defend a Cup championship since that year (Detroit won in 1997 and 1998).

While the Red Wings wobbled a bit in the first round (versus Nashville) and the West finals (Dallas), the Penguins will hit the finals boasting a 12-2 postseason record, just slightly more impressive than the Wings' 12-4 record.

More of the breakdown here.

Go Stones!

Celtics prefer busy schedule to Pistons' rest

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Long after practice ended, Ray Allen was still on the court firing up jumpers.

He was even making most of them.

That overtime work Monday showed that, like his Celtics teammates, he had plenty of energy left after two intense seven-game series. And the usually smooth shooter was regaining his rhythm.

Whether the Pistons still have theirs after a six-day layoff will become evident in Tuesday night's opener of the Eastern Conference finals.

"I would rather have the rhythm" of regular competition than extra rest, Allen said, "because (with) the rhythm you don't have to guess from one day to the next" how you'll play.

Boston has played three games since Detroit won its conference semifinal in five games against Orlando last Tuesday. The Celtics advanced with a 97-92 victory over Cleveland on Sunday in which Paul Pierce scored 41 points. Allen had just four and averaged only 9.3 points on 32.8 percent shooting in the series, far below his regular-season performance.

If he starts scoring again, he would give the Celtics their usual three main scoring options, joining Kevin Garnett and Pierce, to go against a Pistons team that has a much more balanced offense than the Cavaliers, who lost Sunday despite 45 points from LeBron James, and Atlanta, Boston's first-round opponent.

The rest of the article here.

Lacking

I am sorry that I have been lacking on my posts. I do have a good excuse, I had no computer. Yesterday after lunch I was just about fed up with my computer (how many pop-ups I had, how slow it was running, etc) so I went in to Jonna's office and told her that I know there are plenty of computers around the office not being used and I am sick of having to use a craptastic one and wanted to switch to another one. I then I had to have our IT guy (who is also our CFO, I know, I know, what a combo, right) come try and work on it for 2+ hours. He finally decided the computer was dead and that I could get a new one (well not new, but new to me). He then tried loading the programs that I needed on there and it was taking another 2+ hours. This morning when I came in it still wasn't working and I was fed up (again). I told him all I needed was Timberline (which is the program I run my payroll off of) and I needed to be on a computer or people wouldn't get paid. He finally let me use his computer while he was working on mine. Another 2.5 hours later I finally am able to use the computer in my office.

Golly, I hate technology!

Prayer for the Brennemans

Brad Alan BRENNEMAN
Just 21, Brad began his journey in God's hands on May 8, 2008, in Temperance, MI. He was born April 29, 1987, in Toledo, to Bill and Janice (Aldred) Brenneman. He attended Bedford High School and St. Mary's Catholic Central High School then went on to be a freshman at Miami University of Ohio and was also a student at Monroe Community College. Brad planned to join the U.S. Navy after attending classes this summer at MCC. Brad was an avid lover of all sports; playing baseball, basketball, football and soccer throughout his school years. He also played on several travel teams and was always a team player. Brad was a fun-loving person who loved to fish and enjoyed sunny vacations on the beaches of Florida and recently enjoyed a vacation on the Pacific West Coast with family. He was preceded in death by his father, Bill A. Brenneman Jr. and his grandfather, Herbert Oberdorf of Florida. He is survived by his loving mother, Janice and brother, Bryan; grandmother, Dolores Aldred, Cape Coral, FL; grandparents, Bill and Linda Brenneman, Toledo and Norman and Judith Aldred, Newberg, OR; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. A memorial celebration service honoring the life of Brad will be held Friday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Crossroads Community Church, 6960 Sylvania-Petersburg Rd, Ottawa Lake, MI. A reception will follow the service. Arrangements entrusted to the Bedford Funeral Chapel, 8300 Lewis Ave. Temperance, MI. Online condolences may be shared at www.bedfordfuneralchapel.com

Bananas

Took this photo last night, didn't make my Photo Of The Day, but I still liked the bright blue sky behind the bananas.

Giraffe Feeding

Beginning on Friday, May 23, visitors will once again be able to feed the giraffes a nutritious treat provided by their keepers. Feeding time is from noon to 1 p.m. at the new giraffe exhibit on Elephant Mesa. Three biscuits costs $5, and the proceeds benefit community conservation efforts in the Northern Rangelands Trust region of Kenya.

I think next time I hit up the zoo I will be feeding the giraffes!

Go Girl!

30-year vet worked in every station at the department

As a young woman trying to graduate from San Diego's firefighter academy in 1977, Lonnie Kitch thought she had come to the end of the road when she heard the fire chief's words: “There won't be a woman hanging on the back of a fire truck as long as I'm chief of this city.”

About a year later, that same fire chief signed her department-issued badge, cementing Kitch's place in history as San Diego's first female firefighter.

This week, after 30 years of putting out fires for the San Diego Rescue-Fire Department, Kitch, 52, is hanging up her fire gear for good.

She has worked a job in every fire station in the city. On Monday, she ended her career as an engineer at Santaluz Fire Station No. 46 in Rancho Peñasquitos.

More of the article here.

Relay for Life to step forward this weekend

Bedford Township's Relay for Life effort keeps getting bigger.

"The Relay keeps growing, growing and growing," said Gail Hauser-Hurley, the chairman of this year's event. "This community always helps us meet our goals. I would not want to live anywhere else. It is a community that keeps on giving."

The Relay for Life of Bedford will be held from 9 a.m. Saturday through 9 a.m. Sunday at Bedford Community Stadium at Bedford High School, 8575 Jackman Rd., Temperance.

The Relay for Life raises funds for the American Cancer Society. It is a 24-hour event with continuous entertainment designed to celebrate survivorship, help those who have been touched by cancer and to encourage those with cancer to fight back against the disease.

Special features include a Survivor Lap of Victory during opening ceremonies, with Rebecca Regnier of WTVG Channel 13 as host, and a luminary ceremony held at dusk in honor of those who survived and those who lost their battles with cancer.

This year's theme is "Ready, Set, Relay! Go for the Cure." The fundraising goal is $130,000. There are 1,871 participants and 67 teams signed up, with $25,670.65 raised toward the goal.

More of the article here.

CA=Change

California Court Affirms Right to Gay Marriage

Same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court’s 4-to-3 decision striking down state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman makes California only the second state, after Massachusetts, to allow same-sex marriages. The decision, which becomes effective in 30 days, is certain to be an issue in the presidential campaign.

“In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship,” Chief Justice Ronald M. George wrote of marriage for the majority, “the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.”

California already has a strong domestic partnership law that gives gay and lesbian couples nearly all of the benefits and burdens of heterosexual marriage. The majority said that is not enough.

Given the historic, cultural, symbolic and constitutional significance of the concept of marriage, Chief Justice George wrote, the state cannot limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. The court left open the possibility that another terms could denote state-sanctioned unions so long as that term was used across the board.


More of the article here.

Season Finale

GOODBYE, TOBY

IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE - SPECIAL ONE HOUR SEASON FINALE - OSCAR NOMINEE AMY RYAN ("Gone Baby Gone") GUEST STARS - It's Toby's (Paul Lieberstein) goodbye party at Dunder Mifflin and Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) demands a huge celebration that matches the joy in his heart. Angela (Angela Kinsey), sick of Michael's unreasonable last minute demands, refuses, and Michael turns to Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) to take over the party planning committee. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Meredith (Kate Flannery) haze the new HR woman, Holly (Oscar Nominee Amy Ryan). John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Oscar Nunez, Mindy Kaling, Creed Bratton, and Craig Robinson also star.

Three Weeks

WHOO HOO!! Today marks three weeks till my madre comes out to visit. She is coming out to celebrate her birthday with me, and while she is here we will try and take care of some wedding stuff (like a dress fitting, possible hair trial, take her by the venue, taste some cupcakes, etc). I didn't think I had posted about it yet, so I just wanted everyone to mark the countdown on their calendars :).