I spent the last 2 days walking through a neighborhood where I used to live. It's strange and exhilirating to "relive" the past. I walked by my first apartment ~ actually a Victorian turned into 3 apartments. I owned my first computer and started writing my graduate thesis there. At least until the couple upstairs had a baby and she spent her days jumping up & down on the hardwood floors in one of those doorway johnny jump-ups. I thought I would lose my mind! His father owned the building so I couldn't really complain. But I met my boyfriend there, related to the woman upstairs.
So I moved a couple of blocks away to an historic block in a house that was more than 100 years old. It was called a Bell Ringer - a designated historical house. I lived there when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit in the hills right above town. It rolled through Los Gatos damaging every other block. We happened to be a block that was largely undamaged. I lost 1 plate in a kitchen cabinet and a small barbecue pit on the back porch. A brick wall fell on it. Anything brick fell, like chimneys, walls. A block away, houses were shaken apart. Next door to the apartment from where I had moved, the owner had spent years renovating his beautiful huge Victorian. The renovation was almost done. Then the earthquake came and took out much of the house. So heartbreaking. They had to move out, but the insurance provided a means to rebuild it. We were without utilities for several days. After work, the town was filled with people who were trying to drive over the hill to Santa Cruz after work. But due to severe slides, the highway only had one lane open so they had to be escorted a car at a time. And we had significant 5.0-3.0 aftershocks every day for 3 months. I walked those blocks today ~ not a sign of any damage is evident.
It's interesting to walk in a space and to have thoughts filled with small snippets of something that has happened in that place. Oh, that's where the French woman lived, I remember going to a garage sale there, or walking up that path, or picnicking in that park. So & so lived there. I remember before they had kids and realize their kids are in college now. A party here, a dinner there. It feels so real in that moment as if there are some molecules of my experience left in that spot. I don't think anyone else would experience what was once mine. I did have a peculiar thing happen though ~ a young woman walked out of a house and started walking down the street (not on a street where I lived but somewhere I'd been in the past). I immediately was filled with feelings of frustration and annoyance. Our eyes didn't even meet. It was just an overwhelming presence. So maybe we do leave behind experiences and someone else can feel them. I don't know. It's just a thought - LOL!
I did walk past my old boyfriend's house. Looking at it, not feeling attached to my experiences there but wondering about the man. Remembering that at this time on a Sunday what he would normally be doing. Wondering if that's what he was doing. Seeing lights on behind the curtains and wondering if he could see out. I would've been embarrassed if he walked out of the house as I walked by, especially if anyone was with him. How do you explain something like that! Fortunately, no one came out of their houses so I didn't need to confront that. I guess it was the risk taking that was exciting. Or my curiosity. I'm married to someone else, and would never consider knocking on that door or even calling him unless my husband knew beforehand. So I think it was curiosity, walking through my past.
People always say they'd like to go back to such and such with the experience they have now. Sometimes it's ok for experiences to stay back there, and maybe just walk by sometimes and feel them.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Changes or not
I decided to take a weekend out of town by myself, except Ms. Georgie, my soon to be 14 year old schnauzer, is with me. I lived in Silicon Valley previously back in it's heyday of outrageous wealth being thrown about as companies went public. It was an interesting time to be here. I remember hearing of a CEO who made $16 million one day so everyone in the family got a new car, including the teenagers. I remember a blond woman who went to the market in her red Ferrari. I remember a friend remodeling a home, and the backyard cost was around $1million, not including costs for the house. Interesting times. I met a lot of interesting people during those times. I settled in the town of Los Gatos because I could walk to everything, get good coffee and go to the art theater.
I first moved here when I was in graduate school in San Francisco and running a cardiac rehab program in San Jose. I was up at 6am exercising with people with heart disease, and the next day I would be driving to SF. I was young, strong, healthy, driven. It was an exciting time with so much change and potential all at once. Then I added a position with a research group at Stanford which I eventually chose to do fulltime. This while commuting to SF! I can't imagine doing that now. When I finished grad school, I took a parttime clinical teaching position in SF, while working at Stanford. I was so driven and excited by everything that I couldn't give up anything! I think the buzz in the air from all that was happening in the valley is what kept me wired. And probably the coffee...
Eventually, my work life focused in a new clinical area in HIV/AIDS, at a time when not a lot of people wanted anything to do with it. I was head of a team whose mission was to educate & develop new policies at a major medical center, set up & provide services, and be community liaisons. All of the training and education and experience that I had gained was all being applied in this one position. That was a lot! It wears me out thinking about all of that.
But today I'm sitting on a hotel bed, with my Georgie snoozing next to me. We have been out walking for the past 2 days, in and out of the rain. It doesn't seem that Los Gatos has changed much. It's still an enclave of wealth. The downtown is bustling with shoppers, restaurant goers, runners and bicyclists in spite of the rain. The trendy stores give the appearance of doing well, and lots of shopping bags in people's hands. The homes are beautiful, upscale, well groomed and maintained. We walked by one that had a for sale sign on it, 2.59 million! Cottages are still worth a million here, and the custom monstrosities in the hills are still tagged at millions. I don't see any foreclosure signs. I don't see the desperation of people without jobs. The Ferrari dealership is still here.
Many things come to mind. There really are alternate realities that all exist at the same moment ~ it's one's perspective on things. Or maybe the wealthy just have more cushioning and the signs are not evident yet. As the stock markets decline, so do their cushions. Great visual of air leaking out of a cushion. Or people are so good at presentation that they haven't changed the looks on their faces or of the places they live. It's a conundrum.
I first moved here when I was in graduate school in San Francisco and running a cardiac rehab program in San Jose. I was up at 6am exercising with people with heart disease, and the next day I would be driving to SF. I was young, strong, healthy, driven. It was an exciting time with so much change and potential all at once. Then I added a position with a research group at Stanford which I eventually chose to do fulltime. This while commuting to SF! I can't imagine doing that now. When I finished grad school, I took a parttime clinical teaching position in SF, while working at Stanford. I was so driven and excited by everything that I couldn't give up anything! I think the buzz in the air from all that was happening in the valley is what kept me wired. And probably the coffee...
Eventually, my work life focused in a new clinical area in HIV/AIDS, at a time when not a lot of people wanted anything to do with it. I was head of a team whose mission was to educate & develop new policies at a major medical center, set up & provide services, and be community liaisons. All of the training and education and experience that I had gained was all being applied in this one position. That was a lot! It wears me out thinking about all of that.
But today I'm sitting on a hotel bed, with my Georgie snoozing next to me. We have been out walking for the past 2 days, in and out of the rain. It doesn't seem that Los Gatos has changed much. It's still an enclave of wealth. The downtown is bustling with shoppers, restaurant goers, runners and bicyclists in spite of the rain. The trendy stores give the appearance of doing well, and lots of shopping bags in people's hands. The homes are beautiful, upscale, well groomed and maintained. We walked by one that had a for sale sign on it, 2.59 million! Cottages are still worth a million here, and the custom monstrosities in the hills are still tagged at millions. I don't see any foreclosure signs. I don't see the desperation of people without jobs. The Ferrari dealership is still here.
Many things come to mind. There really are alternate realities that all exist at the same moment ~ it's one's perspective on things. Or maybe the wealthy just have more cushioning and the signs are not evident yet. As the stock markets decline, so do their cushions. Great visual of air leaking out of a cushion. Or people are so good at presentation that they haven't changed the looks on their faces or of the places they live. It's a conundrum.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Birthdays
>Today would've been my dad's 104th birthday - woo hoo! He died at 93 years of age. He was an amazing guy whose first priority was to be a father. He was the perfect example of a man's man, good thing since I have 5 brothers. I was the youngest and only girl, so I was in the favorite position. I never gave up being daddy's little girl. Even in his 90's I sat on his lap (as long as his arthritis wasn't bothering him). Thank you Dad for all you gave us. You're still loved by many and we'll always miss you. Happy Birthday!
Today is also my closest brother's birthday (closest to my heart). He's loving life and doing well. I wish you much continued health and love in your life!
Every year in February we had a big birthday party around my dad's birthday. Two other brothers have birthdays within a couple of weeks so we celebrated 4 birthdays. It was always so much fun to get everyone together, give silly gifts and laugh alot. Our family is full of talkers and story tellers. Usually the same stories every year but we all still laugh like they're being told for the first time. When I lived in Florida sometimes I came home to California for the birthday party instead of Christmas.
These are the times and treasures I take with me in life. This is what has meant everything to me - family.
So Happy Birthday to my family. I love you guys!
Today is also my closest brother's birthday (closest to my heart). He's loving life and doing well. I wish you much continued health and love in your life!
Every year in February we had a big birthday party around my dad's birthday. Two other brothers have birthdays within a couple of weeks so we celebrated 4 birthdays. It was always so much fun to get everyone together, give silly gifts and laugh alot. Our family is full of talkers and story tellers. Usually the same stories every year but we all still laugh like they're being told for the first time. When I lived in Florida sometimes I came home to California for the birthday party instead of Christmas.
These are the times and treasures I take with me in life. This is what has meant everything to me - family.
So Happy Birthday to my family. I love you guys!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Cost of My Step Son's Life
http://www.explorehoward.com/news/15309/columbia-man-found-guilty-fatal-crash/
Columbia man found guilty in fatal crash
July collision led to changes at Rt. 29/I-70 'crossover'
By Jennifer Broadwater
jbroadwater@patuxent.com
Posted 2/06/09
The Columbia man involved in a July 2008 fatal collision that spurred debate over the safety of the "crossover" intersection at Route 29 and Interstate 70 was found guilty of negligent driving and failure to yield right of way in Howard County District Court last week.
The collision occurred July 19, 2008, when 19-year-old Ellicott City resident Andrew Noel was riding a motorcycle south on Route 29 and a Dodge Durango traveling north on the same road turned in front of him heading for the exit ramp for I-70 west, according to county police. Noel was killed in the collision.
Police charged the driver of the Durango, Robert Mecklenburg, 79, of Columbia, with failure to yield right of way and negligent driving.
At a one-day bench trial Jan. 30, District Court Judge Neil Axel found Mecklenburg guilty of both charges, according to Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman for the Howard County state's attorney.
Mecklenburg had pleaded not guilty on both counts, according to District Court records.
Mecklenburg was fined $257.50 and court costs of $25.50, according to District Court records.
When reached by telephone Feb. 3, Mecklenburg declined to comment.
In an e-mail to her friends and supporters, Andrew Noel's mother, Valerie Noel of Ellicott City, called the ruling "another bittersweet victory."
She said a group of her son's friends supported her at the Jan. 30 hearing. "I'd told the kids at the start of the day that, no matter what was decided in the trial, we were winners because we had Andrew in our lives; nothing can take that away," Noel wrote.
Since her son's death, Valerie Noel has petitioned officials to make the "crossover" safer, or do away with it.
The intersection includes two exit ramps drivers can use to access westbound I-70 from northbound Route 29. One is a traditional right-side cloverleaf ramp, the other a left-side "crossover" exit ramp that requires drivers to cross the southbound lanes of Route 29 to access a separate ramp.
After placing stop signs and rumble strips along the intersection last fall, State Highway Administration officials announced in December that they would install a new stoplight at the crossover. The $114,000 project is expected to be completed by March.
Columbia man found guilty in fatal crash
July collision led to changes at Rt. 29/I-70 'crossover'
By Jennifer Broadwater
jbroadwater@patuxent.com
Posted 2/06/09
The Columbia man involved in a July 2008 fatal collision that spurred debate over the safety of the "crossover" intersection at Route 29 and Interstate 70 was found guilty of negligent driving and failure to yield right of way in Howard County District Court last week.
The collision occurred July 19, 2008, when 19-year-old Ellicott City resident Andrew Noel was riding a motorcycle south on Route 29 and a Dodge Durango traveling north on the same road turned in front of him heading for the exit ramp for I-70 west, according to county police. Noel was killed in the collision.
Police charged the driver of the Durango, Robert Mecklenburg, 79, of Columbia, with failure to yield right of way and negligent driving.
At a one-day bench trial Jan. 30, District Court Judge Neil Axel found Mecklenburg guilty of both charges, according to Wayne Kirwan, a spokesman for the Howard County state's attorney.
Mecklenburg had pleaded not guilty on both counts, according to District Court records.
Mecklenburg was fined $257.50 and court costs of $25.50, according to District Court records.
When reached by telephone Feb. 3, Mecklenburg declined to comment.
In an e-mail to her friends and supporters, Andrew Noel's mother, Valerie Noel of Ellicott City, called the ruling "another bittersweet victory."
She said a group of her son's friends supported her at the Jan. 30 hearing. "I'd told the kids at the start of the day that, no matter what was decided in the trial, we were winners because we had Andrew in our lives; nothing can take that away," Noel wrote.
Since her son's death, Valerie Noel has petitioned officials to make the "crossover" safer, or do away with it.
The intersection includes two exit ramps drivers can use to access westbound I-70 from northbound Route 29. One is a traditional right-side cloverleaf ramp, the other a left-side "crossover" exit ramp that requires drivers to cross the southbound lanes of Route 29 to access a separate ramp.
After placing stop signs and rumble strips along the intersection last fall, State Highway Administration officials announced in December that they would install a new stoplight at the crossover. The $114,000 project is expected to be completed by March.
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