December 31, 2000: New Years Eve

Jo, Skip, and Skip's parents came over to George and Marianne's  house to ring in the New Year.  We watched the ball drop.   We all kissed and hugged each other after the countdown.     Everyone brought over some appetizers which were delicious.   It was a nice relaxing New Year.      

December 30, 2000: Heather Klee's Wedding

George, Marianne, Wendy, Joy, and I went to the Great Harvest Bread Co. and had a bunch of free samples.    Then, we went shopping at Briarwood.  Rode with Wendy to Heather's reception at the Henry Ford Estate in Dearborn.    Heather looked so pretty in her wedding dress.   The estate was beautiful inside, especially with the Christmas decorations.  It was sad to see Jase with his girlfriend, Brenda, as I used to like him.   

There was assigned seating at the reception. Adam and I sat at the table with Heather's cousins.    He said he was thinking of attending Western Michigan University.    Joy, Kim, and I danced alot.    I enjoyed seeing everyone at the reception.  Heather had the appetizers in one room and the dinner was in the room that used to be the pool.     She had a video of her wedding in Paris which was pretty neat to see.   They had to have a French ceremony and American ceremony at the cathedral in Paris.      

December 29, 2000: Gonyos

We went to the mall to do some shopping. We went to a bookstore and I got the Hunter Tylo book that I had wanted to read.     Wendy came and stayed the night.  Todd was up at their cabin.    Wendy was a month pregnant and due in August.   

December 28, 2000: Train Ride to Ann Arbor

The train out of Chicago was 2 hours behind schedule, due to the cold weather.    We finally left Chicago around 8 p.m.     I called Marianne to let her know it was going to be late.    We were supposed to get to Ann Arbor at 11:30, but didn't get there until 3 a.m.     They picked me up at the train station.   Marianne had the electric blanket on in my bed, which felt so good.   

December 25, 2000: Christmas

Mom and I went to Christmas mass at St. Clements Catholic Church on Orchard and Deming Streets.    My eyesight was driving me crazy.  I guess I expected to have perfect vision right away.   Then, we went to Union Station, so my mom could ride back to Holland.    I had a wonderful time with my mother this week.    I hated to see her go.

December 24, 2000: Christmas Eve

Mom and I had dinner at the Bagel Restaurant on Broadway Street.    Then, we came home and watched the movie, "A Christmas Story" and made brownies in a jar that my mom had given me for Christmas.   They were delicious.  

December 23, 2000: Fred & Janice Soop

Mom and I took the Northwest Metra train out to Cary, IL to visit Fred and Janice Soop.  They bought a house here, so we wanted to see it.    Janice made delicious lasagna, salad, and dessert.   Then, we took the 8 p.m. train back to downtown Chicago.  I really missed taking Metra to work each day, as I used to do when I lived in Downers Grove.

December 22, 2000: Walnut Room

Mom and I walked to the Historical Society museum at North Ave and Clark.   We got to go inside for free.    I was complaining of my eyes, as they seemed so hazy and dry.   Then, we went to the Marshall Fields on State St. and put our name on a waiting list to have dinner at the Walnut Room.    We got a nice table right next to the big Christmas tree.  The food was fabulous.   It looked like many families made this a family tradition each year. 

December 21, 2000: Post Operative Appt/University of Illinois

Mom and I took the bus to my post operative appointment at the TLC office at the Water Tower Place. Dr. Close checked my vision and it was 20/20.  I was told it would take about 4 weeks for the haziness to clear up.    

Mom and I walked down Michigan Ave. and did some shopping.   Then, we walked to the Thai restaurant on the corner of Delaware and State St.    We had our pad thai that we loved.    Then, we took a cab to the Hull House at the University of Illinois.    We went on a tour of the Hull house.   

I talked to Carol and Eddy Wong on the phone about the surgery, as Eddy had the surgery.  He said it took about 4 weeks for his eyes to heal.  

December 20, 2000: Laser Eye Surgery

Mom and I took the bus to the Blue Line and then took the 'El' out to the O'hare airport.    We rented a car from the airport and drove to the Laser Eye Center in Westchester.     I had to take this test which tested the thickness of your corneal flap.    My eyes had to be numbed before the test.    The 2nd test was to measure your eye, so when the procedure was done, it was done with accuracy.  Then, you went to a room and get a Valium pill to help you relax.   They also dilated and numbed your eyes with eye drops.     Then, you were moved to the room where the laser procedure was done.    I was so scared to go in there.    Dr. Probst was so handsome looking.    He looked like he was in his 30s.   When I got on the table, he asked me how I got my lipstick to match my sweater.    I got more numbing drops in my eye and then they put this wire thing over your eye to hold down your eyelids.   You stared at this blinking red light.  You could see when the corneal flap was being created and when it was lifted up, your eye went grey for a few seconds.  He asked if I saw the red light which I did see.   The corneal flap was lifted and then the laser light came down at my eye and the computer automatically counted down from 59 to 0.   I could smell the fumes.    Then, the computer said complete.     Then, the same procedure was done on the other eye.    The procedure took less than 15 minutes for both eyes.    Then, the doctor put the corneal flap back on the eye and you start to see immediate results.  I got more drops in my eye and then was escorted to the recovery room.   My mom was able to see the procedure done on the TV. She said it was scary to watch it.    After recovery, I went to a different room and got eye drops and the eyeglass shields I had to wear.     

As we walked out to the car, I couldn't see much, as it was hazy.     We dropped off the car at the rental place and took a cab home, as I didn't feel like dealing with public transportation.   I got back to my apartment and slept for 5 hours, as instructed.    

When I woke up, I had to put more eye drops in my eyes.   It was amazing how I could actually see without glasses.    My eyesight before the surgery was 20/675, but after the procedure, it was about 20/30.       Mom ordered us pizza from Pizza Hut.   

Brandie Darr stopped over to see how I was doing.  Kelsey and Grandpa called to see how I was doing. 

December 19, 2000: Mom's Visit

Mom's train from Holland was canceled due to a terrible snowstorm.    Luckily, a guy going to Chicago offered to take the passengers in his van to Chicago.  My mom needed to come this day, as we were going to the suburbs the next day for my laser eye surgery.   Their van got caught in traffic near Chicago.   There had been an accident, so they had a long wait.  One of the ladies in the van was pregnant, which was not fun for her.   I picked up my mom at the train station, where he dropped them off.   She came to my work and got to meet my co-workers.    They were so amazed how she looked so much like me.   I showed my mom how to get to Marshall Fields Department store, so she walked down there.  After work, I met her at Marshall Fields.   We went for dinner at the Golden Nugget.   She loved their potato pancakes.   I was so nervous about the surgery tomorrow, so I didn't eat too much.

December 15, 2000: IRI Christmas Party

I tried to get a hold of Ceylon all day about meeting me at the Christmas party at Navy Pier.    I ended up taking a cab to Navy Pier by myself hoping to meet up with her at the company Christmas party.     She didn't come to the party, which disappointed me.   I saw Wayne, his roommate, Glenn Brien, John McGee,  and Jeanette there.  I felt awkward at this party, as it was mainly couples.   At one point, I wanted to cry and just go home.   Then, I ran into Tony Dragel, who said the party sucked.    Other years, the parties were alot of fun.  Yolanda, Chris Blackwell, Wayne, etc. used to come, but didn't come this year.       Wayne said he was getting the laser eye surgery a week after me.  I stayed until the end of the party, as John McGee offered to give me a ride home.    What a blessing!      I was glad when I finally got home.       I went to the party, as I knew this was going to be my last Christmas party at IRI.

December 13, 2000: Pay Raise at Work

It was a surprise today for me at work. Bev called each of us individually into her office to tell us about our pay raises.   The base pay in our department was $31,000.   So, now I made $34,500/yr.  Lilly wasn't too pleased with the raises, as she had passed her 2nd competency.    I told her my secret that I was planning to leave the department in the spring and move back to Michigan.    She was quite surprised.

December 2, 2000: Funky Buddha Lounge

Tamara Ohs Ryan was in town for a wedding, so she invited me to the reception.  It was at this Italian restaurant on Lake St.      Quynh Lee was at the reception, too.   We all went dancing at the Funky Buddha Lounge which was near Milwaukee and Halsted streets.   There were alot of Latin men there. They were all so cute.    The DJs played dance, hip hop music, which was what I liked.  I had this Jamaican guy hit on me.  He kept grabbing my butt.    I took a cab home with some of Tamara's friends.   First, we had breakfast at Mel's Diner which was near my apartment.   It was scary walking home at 3 a.m.  I was so glad to get home safely and into my cozy bed.   I must be getting older, as the bar scene wasn't as exciting. I prefered to travel, dine at nice restaurants, and go to the movies.  

November 23-25, 2000: Thanksgiving Weekend

This was the first year that we celebrated Thanksgiving without Grandma Thomas.     Her job used to be to stir the gravy, but I took the honor this year.  We had a nice meal at Charlene's house.    On Black Friday, my mom and I drove to Ann Arbor to visit with the Gonyos.   We went to lunch at Dave and Busters which was fun.   We went shopping at Twelve Oaks mall.  Alex had his first haircut at JCPenneys. We got to see Wendy's house in Howell.  She had it decorated so cute.   

On Sunday,  Marianne dropped me off at the train station to go back to Chicago.  My mom drove herself back to Muskegon, but somehow got lost on the way to the outlets in Howell.    Some nice man offered to drive ahead of her so she could follow him. He was driving too fast and my mom was trying to keep up with him.  Well,  a police officer saw her speeding, so he stopped her.   She said it was worth it, as she found some nice things in the stores.

November 19, 2000: Prince Concert in Grand Rapids

I took the 'El' to Oak Park to Yolanda's apartment on South Blvd.    I finally got to see her apartment.    We always laughed at the time that my Mom, Grandpa Thomas, and I stopped over to Yolanda's apartment to visit, but she wasn't home.  It's been a joke at work, as people in Chicago don't just stop by each others homes for a visit.     I remember seeing just cactus in the window that time.  Now, I was finally going to see the inside of her place.     

Yolanda, Lilly, and I drove to Grand Rapids from Chicago to see the Prince concert.     There was a winter storm on the way and I warned Yolanda that Michigan's storms were brutal, but she figured she could handle it.  The line to go inside the VanAndel was wrapped around for 2 blocks.    The tickets were at will call.  Prince didn't sell his tickets online.     We waited outside in line in the cold and snow for 1 1/2 hours.    We were so glad when we finally got inside.     Prince didn't start his concert until everyone was in the building, which I thought was very nice.     Prince did an excellent concert.  We all had a great time.   The drive home was not easy for Yolanda.   The snow was coming down so hard that we could barely see outside the window.   She did an excellent job, though.  She dropped me off at my apartment on Oakdale which was very nice.

November 16, 2000: Whirleyball

Ceylon and I got a ride in Jeanette Walls's Land Rover over to Whirleyball for our work group outting. Our new Safeway director, Julia Devine, came too.   We sat in bumper cars and used rackets to throw the ball to each other, while driving these bumper cars. It was alot of fun.      

November 5, 2000: Grand Rapids: Tamara Ryan & Tamara Hubek Coon

Had breakfast with George, Marianne, and Joy at the VFW, then left for Grand Rapids.     I went to Tamara Ryan's house in Grand Rapids.    Tamara Hubek came from Kalamazoo.    They were impressed at how well I dressed.   That sure made my day.   We took a walk around the neighborhood and to the park.   We went to this wonderful Mexican restaurant on 28th Street for dinner.    They had wonderful queso dip.   We looked at Tamara Ohs Ryan's photo albums which was fun.    Then, I drove Tamara Hubek Coon back to Kalamazoo.   We had alot of fun on the way.

Then, I went to visit my old roommate, Rose Carlson's apartment in Kalamazoo.  It was decorated like Martha Stewart would do.   She still watched the "Young and the Restless".   Then, I had to drive back to Chicago. I got an attitude from the toll booth lady in Chicago and knew I was back in the big city.

November 4, 2000: Nina's Wedding

Joy and I went to their church bazaar and met up with Jo Lawver.    Jo said that Jase called all of his old girlfriends and was now dating one of them named Brenda.   She's a teacher in Brighton, but lived with her roommate in Bloomfield Hills.   Brenda told Jase in the first few weeks of their courtship that she wanted 5 kids.   Chad was back with Kristy.    He was substitute teaching in Bloomfield, Indiana.   

Joy and I got ready for Nina's wedding.    The wedding was at a Baptist church in Royal Oak.  We saw Nina before the ceremony.  She looked beautiful.    The  bridesmaids wore the Indian dress, sahris, which they got in India.     Nina had Betty, Brooke, her sister Nithia, and Tricia in her wedding.    The reception was held at the Marriott hotel on Big Beaver Rd in Troy.    They had Indian appetizers which were so spicy. Joy and I drank so much water, as we were not used to it.     There were ice sculptures of swans.   They had a slide show of each of them growing up, which I had never seen before. I thought that was pretty neat.   Joy and I had fun dancing at the reception.   

Nina already had her Indian ceremony in India, but she wanted to have an American ceremony, as well. 

October 23, 2000: Norm's House

In the morning, we watched the talk shows.  George thought they were so crummy and didn't want to retire and watch them.     Grandma, Norm, and I watched "Young and the Restless".   Norm thought the character, Sharon, was very attractive.   I helped George wash Grandma's car.   The temperature was 84 degrees which was wonderful.    

Then, we rode over to Norm's house.   I was so surprised how big it was inside.      He said he had at least 12 closets in the house.  His wife used to have all of the closets full of clothes.      His house was decorated in the 50s/60s style.   He showed us his indoor pool. He was in the process of putting solar panels together that would be used to heat the pool.    

Got back to Grandma's mobile home and had lasagna for lunch.  Then, I had to take the cab back to the Tampa airport to go back to Chicago.        I talked to the cab driver who said he had moved to Florida from New York 20 years ago and never regretted it.

October 22, 2000: Busch Gardens

George, Marianne, Joy, Grandma, Norm, and I went to Busch Gardens for the day.   Grandma paid for our admission which was really nice of her.  Of course, George found the bakery near the entrance, so we sat down and had a muffin and planned our day.   George, Marianne, Joy, and I went to the dolphin show, bird show, acrobat show, and ice skating show.    We all had lunch in the German restaurant, where they performed the shows.    

I was the only brave one to go on the roller coaster upside down 7 times.  

We went to Pizza Hut in Zephyrhills for dinner.  When we got home, Joy and I played cards. 

October 21, 2000: Big Top Flea Market

George, Grandma, Joy, Marianne, and I drove over to the Big Top Flea market to shop.    I got a nice black leather fanny pack for $6 and some birthday cards.    Joy got a nice suitcase for $20.   Then, we went home and had a big lunch at Bryan's Buffet in Zephyrhills.    Joy and I went to Bell's Department store.    It was always a tradition of ours to shop at Bells down in Florida.   

Then, we played some cards and watched TV.

October 20, 2000: Visiting Grandma in Florida

Took the 8:35 flight from Chicago to Tampa to see Grandma.  George, Marianne, and Joy picked me up at the airport.   I was really happy to see them all.  I realized how thankful I was for my family and how glad I was at moving back to Michigan next year.     We had lunch at Sonny's BBQ, which was a big chain down in Florida.   It was so nice to see Grandma Gonyo. I gave her a big hug.     We sat and relaxed and had a nice conversation.

After dinner, Norm came over.   Grandma and Norm taught George, Joy, and I how to play Skipbo.   Of course, we couldn't stop playing until I won a hand.   

Being with family was wonderful.    I will always remember all of the food we have eaten together, the conversations, the TV shows we watched together, as well as the card playing.

October 10, 2000: Review at IRI with Chris Blackwell

Today, I met with my supervisor, Chris Blackwell, concerning my yearly review.   I had calculated myself at 46 points, but he came out slightly lower.    I told him I believed I deserved the 46 points, so he said I should write a statement listing why I thought I deserved the higher rating and then he would submit it to the committee for review.     I was very thankful for the chance to plead my case, even if I didn't get it.  

I told him after the review, that I was discouraged with this review process and also with the fact that the new employees were getting paid $1700 less than I got when I started at IRI 3 1/2 years ago.      He said he had some issues with Bev the past few weeks.   Ever since he announced his transfer,  the relationship with them had not been the best.     

October 6-8, 2000: Jim Morse & My Mom's Visit

On Friday, met Jim and my Mom at the train station.  Their train was 1 1/2 hrs late due to a derailment.    In the evening, we went to Rudi Frazules on Clark and Fullerton.   Jim paid for our meal, which was very  nice.   Then, we went to the movie "Almost Famous".     

On Saturday, we had breakfast at the Golden Nugget.  Then, we went shopping on Michigan Avenue.   We took the 'El' to China Town and went through the shops.   We had dinner at the Evergreen Restaurant.   

On Sunday, Jim, my Mom, and I went to church at Moody Bible which was near Lasalle and Clark.   It was a beautiful church.  The service was too long, though.    Then, we went to the movie, "Meet the Parents" which was hilarious.   When we got out of the movie, there was a big power outage in Chicago.  

All of the transformers were out at the train station, so no one was able to take their train out.    There were hundreds of people stranded.   Mom and Jim's train left about an hour late.       

September 23, 2000: Chicago Cares

This was my third weekend monitoring for work. I ended up going into work to get it done faster.   I did some volunteer work for Chicago Cares at the food depository.   I got a ride from some girls to the facility on Pulaski.   They were all impressed by my great sense of direction.   We spent 3 hours packaging noodles.   On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme donuts.   Then, I went back to Information Resources to check on the jobs in the system. I gave Jase a call.   He broke his foot during the first week of training at the state police academy, so had to be on crutches.   He wasn't sure if he would be able to finish the course.   He said life didn't always go the way you wanted it to.   Adam hurt his vertebrae, so he couldn't play sports.    Skip had to have cataract surgery on Monday.    

September 17, 2000: St. Clements

Mom, Shari, and I went to the catholic church, St. Clements, which was on Deming and Orchard. They seemed to enjoy the service. Then, we walked around the botanical gardens and the Lincoln Park zoo.

September 16, 2000: Gangster Tour

Mom, Shari Goodhue, and I went to the Golden Nugget Restaurant for breakfast. We went on the gangster tour and saw the places where Al Capone hung out around Chicago. Then, we had lunch at Navy Pier and took a ride on the ferris wheel.

September 15, 2000: Mom and Sherri's Visit

Mom and her friend, Shari Goodhue, came to visit me.   Their train was late, so I wasn't able to have a nicer lunch with them.   However, we had fast food.   I had received an email from a good friend, saying I was too negative and got tired of hearing about my future plans.  She told me to have a good life.  I was pretty hurt by it.   Ceylon told me to not let it bother me, as people will come and go in your life.  Those that stick around are your real friends and not to worry about the others and to just move forward.   She said she used to get upset by that stuff, but after her boyfriend said it was crazy and that some people are like that.    You just have to move forward.     

After work,  Mom, Shari, and I went to the Italian restaurant, 'Buca Buca', on Clark/Oakdale.  We had this pizza that had goat cheese on it. It was pretty good.  We went to an English film and fell asleep during it.   It was pretty funny that we did that.

September 10, 2000: Jase Lawver

I called the Lawvers to congratulate Jase on passing the interview and getting into the Police Academy.    I talked with Jase for about an hour.   He said he was glad I had called.   He said we will definitely have to go camping once I moved back to Michigan.  His training started on Sept. 17th and he planned to come home every weekend.    Chad was now substitute teaching and seemed to enjoy it.   I think that was the first time I had spoken with him that long on the phone.   

August 28, 2000: Train back to Chicago

Marianne took me to the train station station for my trip back to Chicago.    Wendy wanted to have a child, but they were having trouble.    The doctor said to try in a year.     It was sad to leave as I loved to see them.  I realized all summer how much my family meant to me. I got along with everyone especially the Gonyo side, as they were so down-to-earth.   I always felt like myself around them.

August 26, 2000: Camping Trip

Got up for breakfast. Harold was picking on us as usual.    He made us pancakes for breakfast.   Kim seemed very happy being a mother.     Owen was pretty quiet for some reason.    Cheryl, Wendy, Todd, Joy, Marianne, and George came down to the beach.   Cheryl and I were talking about teaching, as it had been an interest of mine.

Skip came camping.   The guys tried to get Cheryl and I to get them beers but we wouldn't.   Then, Jo, Jase, and Adam came down to the beach.   Jase sat next to me.    He had one more interview to go through in order to be accepted into the Michigan State Police Academy.    Chad was living in Bloomington, IN.  He was training for the Navy Seals.   He proposed to Christy in May, but she didn't accept.   Jo wasn't sure why Christy said no to the proposal.    Adam hurt his vertebrae in football.   He had dyed his hair blonde.

Then, Harold, Jase and I walked back together to the campsite.  Harold was telling me how he took Jase to this bar after they tried on tuxedos for Dawn's wedding.  I guess some girl had her eyes on Jase at the bar.

Harold asked Jase if he had a girlfriend. Jase's response was 'yes, she was in jail.'.    I thought that was a hilarious response. Jase got his mom and I a pop.    Jase was the sweetest and best looking dude I've ever met.   He didn't like sweeping for his dad, but said it was a job.

We all had to eat fast as the sky was getting very dark.  We could hear thunder in the distance.    Sure enough, as soon as we finished dinner, it began to pour down rain outside.      We all ran for the camper.    Kim's in-laws had come for dinner.   Jase, Jo, and I talked for quite a while.    Showed them my pictures of the Mexico trip and of the gay pride day parade in Chicago.   That parade was so funny!    We got about 4 inches of rain that night.    Wendy and Todd's tent had 4 inches of water, so they packed up and went home.

Jase and Adam left as Jase had to do some road sweeping the next day.    Dawn showed me her beautiful wedding pictures.  Jo gave me some beautiful dish towels with lighthouses on them.     Marianne gave me the same card that my cube mate had given me. I got a kick out of that.

The rest of us went inside the camper and talked.    The adults were talking about the old days and how each of them met their spouses and how they were proposed to.    Skip and Jo went home as Skip had to fly somewhere the next day for a conference.     

August 25, 2000: German Park & Camping

George, Marianne, Joy, and I helped peel onions, sort potatoes, and sort sausages for the German Park festival.   Then, we had a real nice luncheon that included fruit, chips, sandwiches, cubed cheese, pop, and cookies.     We went home to pack for the camping trip. George and Marianne have a 5th wheel trailer which was so nice for camping.    

We got to the campground.  Harold, Cheryl, Kim, and Alex came and we all walked down to the beach.    Kim got out one of these Mad Lib books which we filled out. It was hilarious what we came up with.   

August 24, 2000: 26th Birthday

Today was my 26th birthday.  My cube mate, Ceylon, gave me this funny card and then a box of Fanny Mae candy.   I thought that was so sweet of her.    After work, I took Amtrak to Ann Arbor for the annual camping trip with the Gonyos, Klees, and Lawvers.     I was quite excited about seeing everyone.

August 20, 2000: Chris Blackwell/IRI

Today, my boss, Chris Blackwell, announced that he was leaving our department and transferring to CPG network.    He knew more about the Safeway delivery than anyone in the group.    He had been a real good boss and friend to me the past few years.    I will miss him.

Joe Idstein asked to have a meeting with me as he was concerned about Chris leaving.    Joe asked if we could put our past behind us, which I agreed to.   

Chris Blackwell, Tony Dragel, and Yolanda Thomas were the original group members of the retail database group when I started at IRI in May 1997.  Lilly Dunson, Josh Bulak,  and I started about the same time in 1997.   I enjoyed my time with all of them at IRI.  We had alot of fun both at work and outside of work.     We used to go out to lunch for each person's birthday, so I got to eat at all kinds of neat restaurants.      Ed Slivinskas and Jennifer Lovato came after that.    Lilly and I used to hang around them and have a good time.  Later on,  Jennifer and Ed got married.      Jeanette Walls joined the group.  Her twin sister also worked at IRI.   Bryan Kerr joined the group.     Lilly nicknamed him, 'Bean' as he used to look like the English character, Mr. Bean.     We called him by his nickname.     

I will never forget working with these people as long as I live. I hope to keep in contact with them.

August 20, 2000: Fontrise Charles

Fontrise and I had breakfast at the Golden Nugget restaurant.    Then, we went shopping at the shoe stores and CD stores on Clark Street.    The air show was going on this weekend, so we could hear the planes flying above.   

August 19, 2000: Christina Aguilera Concert with Fontrise

Fontrise Charles, my friend from college, came down to visit me for the weekend.  We went to the United Center to see Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child in concert.    I think we were one of the oldest people there.   We had a good time at the concert.    Then, Fontrise and I went for pizza in downtown Chicago at Pizzeria Unio.    Fontrise fell down a step at the restaurant and hurt her knee.    We waited forever for our pizza.   The manager ended up giving us the food for free due to her fall and the pizza taking so long.  

August 18, 2000: Ceylon Hayes and I Met Tyrese

My cube mate at IRI, Ceylon Hayes Ewing, was a big movie star fan like I am.    I heard that the R and B singer, Tyrese, was going to be at the Grand Opening of the Guess store on Michigan Avenue.   Ceylon and I went down there after work to meet Tyrese and get his autograph. We waited in line for 1 hr and 15 minutes to get our picture with him.  Both of us didn't think he was that friendly, so were disappointed in that.       But, it was still fun to meet someone famous.

August 11, 2000: Liz Daraskavich

Liz Daraskavich, a co-worker at IRI, came to visit me after work.  We went shopping at Century Mall on Clark/Diversey.  We went into the Express store and some gal asked if I was Amy.  I looked up and couldn't believe my eyes. It was Julie Christensen from my graduating class at Mona Shores High School.     Her boyfriend lived in Chicago.  She lived in Grand Rapids.   I told her I had been living in Chicago for almost 4 years.  She was so surprised.   

Liz and I walked down Clark St. toward Fullerton and had a bite to eat at Mickey's Snack Bar.    We had dinner outside, which was pretty cool.  It was nice of her to come and visit me.

July 28, 2000: Titanic Display

Showed Mike where I worked out at Ballys.  We went to see the Titanic display at the Field Museum.   Somehow, Mike and I got separated in the display, so I had to wait for him at the end.   I got a kick out of the funny mirrors that made you either look tall or fat, but I didn't think he thought it was too funny.    I was hoping we would go to dinner, but he ended up going home, which disappointed me.   I think this was the answer I was seeking. 

I am finally growing up and realizing I don't need a man to be happy.   This statement had been reinforced to me this summer.    It would be nice to have someone, but as long as they respect me and can make me laugh.  The whole summer had been very enlightening to me.     

I spent the past 2 years dealing with the infatuation with Joe Idstein and the fact that he married my roommate from college, Dawn.    I wish I had not spent so much time on that situation and just moved on right away.    They ended up getting divorced about 5 years after marriage.        

July 27, 2000: Jimmy Buffett Concert with Mike

Mike Tabaczka, from Muskegon, came to Chicago to visit me.   I was so excited.   He took a wrong turn and ended up way up in Lake Forest, so I had to redirect him back downtown to IRI.   We went to the Jimmy Buffett concert out at the New World Music Theater in Tinley Park.   

The Jimmy Buffett concert was fun.    Mike stayed at my apartment.   I was nervous as I had never had a guy spend the night at my apartment, other than good friends of mine.    I met Mike through Sue and her sister, Chris Arnouts.    He used to do the photography and the website for the bike racing up near Newaygo. It was called Big Air.   I volunteered to work at the registration counter at Big Air a couple of times.    

I had a good time at the concert.  I love Jimmy Buffett's music.   It is always so happy.

July 17, 2000: Lisa Syverson

I learned a very valuable lesson from my friend Lisa Syverson, who was in my bible study.   She said a friend of hers haf a fiance and asked him if he 'needed' her in his life.    What he said was that he didn't 'need' her,  but 'wanted' her in his life.   That was the key difference.    You don't need certain people in your life, but want them in your life.     She said she did alot of things by herself.      You have to learn to be happy with yourself and be yourself before you can be happy with someone else.        Lisa was a beautiful woman and could find any man, but chose to enjoy her life with or without a man.    I think that was fantastic. 

July 9, 2000: Food Depository at the Taste of Chicago

Yesterday, Fontrise Charles and Tamara Ohs were supposed to visit me, but ended up canceling the plans.   Tamara had missed the train to go to Chicago from Gary, IN, so that was why she wasn't able to meet me at the Taste of Chicago.   

Today, I did some volunteer work for the Food Depository at the Taste of Chicago.   Yolanda Thomas worked there with me.    I helped collect the leftover food from each of the vendors.    We got free meal tickets for helping.   I met a nice gal named Mary Ann, who worked at the festival with me.   Channel 7 news interviewed us and took pictures of the rolls we had.   It didn't air on TV, but it was still neat.     Mary Ann took the 'El' back with me, as she lived in Ravenswood.   We met this nice older gentleman on the 'El' who worked for the City of Chicago.    He had worked with Mayor Daly and had done some volunteer work.    He worked at the tourism booth at the Taste of Chicago.

July 6, 2000: Taste of Chicago

After work, I went with Yolanda Thomas, Bryan Kerr, and Lilly to the Taste of Chicago.   We had some good food there.  Lilly got a free sundae.   We think the guy at the booth thought she was cute so that was why she got the free sundae.   I had a good time hanging out with all of them.     

Chicago was a fun place to live in, as there was always something going on.    I had always enjoyed going to the Taste of Chicago.  My mom and I went to this festival long before I lived in Chicago.

July 4, 2000: Bonnie & Tessie

It was nice to be able to spend the day with my mom.  We did some errands.  We visited Hazel's sister, Tessie, in the nursing home off of Seminole Ave.   We thought the facility was gorgeous.   I don't think Tessie knew who we were, but I'm glad we went to see her.  Hazel Wentzloff was one of my grandmother's good friends from Muskegon.    Hazel used to go visit her down in Florida.    After her last trip down to FL, something must have upset Hazel, as she never spoke to my grandmother again.   Both my grandmother and I have no idea why. We tried to trace back what happened, but couldn't figure it out.   

After we visited with Tessie, we went to see the outside part of the facility and met this nice old lady resident. She was sitting outside looking at the pond.    She said she enjoyed sitting there and watching the ducks.    It was very enjoyable just sitting there.

We checked out the new Agape Assisted Living home over by the Norton Shores library.   

I got to meet grandpa's new girlfriend, Bonnie.   She seemed very nice.    One of her kids used to live a couple houses down the street from us on Lawnel.

I still can't believe my grandfather started dating one month after my grandma passed away.

July 3, 2000: Charlevoix & Traverse City

We packed up the car and left for home.  First, we stopped at these springs in the UP that were absolutely gorgeous.  We took this wooden glass bottom boat out to the middle of the lake.  The water was a beautiful blue/green color.   Then, we stopped at a lookout point in the UP that overlooked the Mackinac Bridge.     Leah and I talked about going to Mackinac Island sometime.    We drove through Charlevoix which was the most beautiful town.   It was so classy and quaint.   I heard that Madonna had a summer home there.   We drove along the coast of Lake Michigan.  Leah and I talked about going to New York sometime.   

I know I won't ever forget this trip to the Upper Peninsula.    I realized more than ever that I am a city girl.   

For some reason this song by Marc Anthony, "You Sang to Me" kept playing in my head throughout the trip. My supervisor at IRI, Chris Blackwell, said that his wife liked that song.   That song got me through this vacation.

July 2, 2000: Rain & Card Playing

We wanted to go to Marquette for the day, but it rained all day.  We were afraid to drive down the 2 tracks and get stuck in the mud, so we had breakfast and played more cards.

It was a fun time playing cards and chatting with my friends.   Plus, we brought a bunch of snacks which was good too.

I was still paranoid about the ticks and all I wanted to do was go home.   Kara and Leah talked about how unhappy I looked after the tick incident.   So while we were playing cards,  Leah asked if I wanted to go home the next day.    I was afraid to say anything, as I knew that Kara was excited about this trip and I didn't want to disappoint her.  I did say I would like to go home.   We were all pretty scared of the ticks.   Plus, we were tired of feeling so dirty, as we couldn't take a real shower up at the cabin.    Kara and Leah said not to feel bad about going home early.  They wished I had said something earlier.   They just wanted all of us to have fun.      I thanked them and was so glad to have such wonderful friends.

We had homemade hot pockets that we roasted over the fire outside.    They were delicious.   Leah got a tick on her back, so Kara got it off and pounded it on the table with a hammer.   I found out that ticks hurt when they bury themselves in your skin.   Leah freaked out, but not as bad as I did.    I think that was the last straw for all of us. 

July 1, 2000: Stumps, Cards & Ticks

Kara, Leah, and I had a relaxing morning which was nice.   Kara made us pancakes on the griddle and I did the dishes.   It was hard to do the dishes as they had no sink.  I had to heat up the water on the stove for cleaning.

I ran to the outhouse to do my business, as I didn't want to get bit by ticks.     I don't think I enjoy roughing it in the wilderness.   

Kara, Leah, and I played a few games of "Hand and Foot".  Then, we got dressed to do some work outside.   We walked down the 2-track to saw a tree that had fallen across the road.  I used the saw to cut it in half.   Then, we moved the wood to the side of the road.  Kara and Leah fixed the mud in parts of the road so the water would filter out to the sides of the road.  

Then, we played more cards.   Later in the evening, we took a walk down the trail to see if we could spot some deer.   Kara said if we saw a bear that we should not say a word.   Somehow, I think that if I saw a bear that my natural reaction would be to scream.

We got back to the cabin and did our tick check.  We saw a few and brushed them off.   Then, we played some more cards.   
As we were sitting, Leah asked if my bra had a design on it and I said no.   It was a tick just inside my bra. I freaked out!   In a panic, I told Kara to get it out which she did.    Found some more ticks on my white shirt.    Kara found some ticks on her, too.   The ticks were all over the shoes that had been tied to the beams in the cabin.    We were all freaking out by now.   We checked each other for ticks from head-to-toe.  

We all had a hard time sleeping that night and were so paranoid of the bugs.   We all felt itches and thought they were ticks.  

June 30, 2000: Upper Peninsula Trip with Kara & Leah

Kara, Leah, and I left early for our trip to the Upper Peninsula to stay at her grandparent's cabin in the remote part of the the UP.   Leah and I played the traveling bingo game.   It was hilarious.    Our first trip was to Mount Pleasant, so Kara could pick up her mail and do some errands. Central Michigan University was pretty quiet, which was an unusual sight to see.   

I did the driving up to the Mackinac Bridge.   We stopped in Mackinaw City to take a break.   Leah was afraid of heights, so she sat in the backseat, while Kara did the driving across the bridge.    The view of the lake over the bridge was beautiful.   

We stopped at the casino in Sault Ste. Marie.   It was Leah's birthday, so she wanted to go to the casino.    Kara won $50.    Then, we stopped at this store and I got some delicious peanut butter fudge.

Then, we had lunch at this restaurant that sold chicken pasties.    The Upper Peninsula was known for their beef and chicken pasties.        If you are a native of the UP, you are referred to as a "Youpper".  People from the Upper Peninsula are known as trolls.

We got into a bad storm, so Leah did the driving.   

The cabin was about 30 minutes from the main road.   We went through big mud puddles and over a tree that you could feel on the floor of Kara's car.   

The cabin looked like one on "Little House on the Prairie".   It was 1 room with 2 beds, a table, and the top of a range.  

There was no running water or electricity.   We unpacked and opened the outhouse to air it out.  

Leah and Kara started pumping the water, so we had it for cleansing and cooking.  

Kara taught us the card game, "Hand and Foot". 

Every time we came into the cabin, we had to check each other for ticks.  They are very small bugs that can bury themselves into your skin.  They are known to carry the Lyme disease.

I couldn't believe how dark it was at night. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face.  We were all paranoid over the bugs around the cabin.     I had a hard time going to sleep, as I was so fearful of those ticks.   

I heard a coyote outside and mice running on the floor.    Leah and I are both city girls, so this was not an easy experience for us.  

June 24, 2000: Reba McEntire Concert in Wisconsin

Brandie Darr asked if I would like to take the second ticket to the Reba McEntire concert, as her boyfriend, Brian didn't want to go.   I was really excited about going.    Brian did the driving up to Wisconsin.  We got in an argument, as he wouldn't follow the directions I gave him.     Needless to say, I was not too happy with him and wished it was just Brandie and I that went on this trip.

I will say that it was very nice of Brian to take me to my friend, Dawn Mehren's house in Appleton, Wisconsin.   I had wanted to see her new house.  Dawn was really happy that I came to visit. She was working at Kimberly Clark.

Then, Brandie, Brian, and I went to dinner at Ponderosa.   Brandie and I drove to the county fairgrounds in Osh Kosh to see the Reba McEntire concert.

I told Brandie I was planning to move back to Michigan in the next 2 years, as I missed my family.
We both got fake tattoos on our ankles.  

Then, I saw this palm reader and decided to have my palm read as I had always wanted to do that.   The dark haired lady looked at my hand and then up to the sky, as if she was thinking.
She said that I had been unhappy for some time, but that it would take 3 years before I was truly happy.   She said I would be moving somewhere else in the next 1 1/2 years.    She said I would have 3 kids and one of those kids would have a successful business.  The fortune teller said that I would get married and that the man right now had a hard time expressing his love for me, but that he soon would be coming around.    She said that I have struggled with money, but eventually those troubles would subside.  

I was simply amazed how much she could figure me out and how accurate she was with my present feelings.    I know they have a way of figuring out people and just want to take your money, but it was interesting.  

After going to the palm reader, I felt guilty for doing it. I asked God to forgive me for having it done.  

Reba McEntire did an excellent concert, but it wasn't worth the $70 for the ticket.

June 15-17, 2000: Charlene & Steve's Visit to Chicago

Charlene and Steve came Friday night to stay at my apartment located at 553 W. Oakdale, Apt. 209.   Charlene went to sleep early, so Steve and I took a walk down the street to get ice cream.   We sat on a bench and had a nice conversation.    I think that was the first time I had been able to talk with Steve, without a bunch of others around.    

On Saturday, Charlene, Steve, and I went to get coffee/hot cocoa at Seattle Coffee.  Then, Charlene and I had breakfast at Panera Bread which was right near my apartment.    We had a nice conversation.  She said don't ever settle for a man, as many of her friends did that and have had a life of misery and regret.   She said God will find me a good man at the right time.   

She said she and her friends had a slumber party in Washington D.C.  I thought that was pretty cool. 

Then, I showed Steve and Charlene around my neighborhood.   We browsed around Cost Plus and the toy store on Broadway.   Then, they got dressed for her nephew, Brandon's wedding to Carolina.   Their wedding was going to be at the same church that Lilly Dunson got married at.  

After the wedding, Kelsey and Matt came to my apartment.  They really liked my apartment. It meant so much to me that they came to see my place.   Then, they all went to the wedding reception.  Kelsey said I gave her good directions to her hotel.

On Sunday, Steve and Charlene left for Door County, Wisconsin.  I was sad to see them go.

May 12-14, 2000: Mother's Day Weekend

Grandpa and my Mom came to Chicago to visit me for the weekend. It was good for all of us to be together this weekend.   On Friday, we went to lunch at Berghoffs..  They got to meet my coworkers, Bryan and Jeanette.    They went to the museum to see the Titanic display.   

Saturday, we went through the Chicago Conservatory and saw the most gorgeous flowers. Grandma always loved flowers.    Then, we went to the movie at the Biograph Theater on Halsted which was where a mobster died many years ago.  

Sunday, we went for breakfast at Ann Sather's and then to Holy Name Cathedral for mass.   Then, we got popcorn from Garrett's pocorn.  Since Grandma's death, I realized how much my family meant to me.   

May 9, 2000: Hesperia and Whitehall

Marianne and I rode up to Hesperia to put flowers down by my dad and grandpa's gravestone.   Then, we went up to Whitehall and put flowers on Grandma Gonyo's mom's stone (Ora Morrison) which was in the middle of the cemetery.    It wasn't far from the building at the entrance.  Then, Marianne and I went for lunch at Russ's.  It was nice to spend some time with her.   

May 8, 2000: Grandma's Funeral Service

On May 7, we had visitation from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at Young Funeral Home.      I had never said the rosary so had no idea what to say.   We thought that grandma would want that as a part of the funeral.    It was scary for me to see Grandma in the casket.  I didn't think it really looked like her.    When Grandpa first got to the funeral home, he went in to see her and didn't recognize her either and blurted out that that wasn't her and walked out.    We had them put the pink square dance dress on her.   Grandpa wanted to wear his Hawaiian shirt to the visitation which we couldn't believe.  

On May 8th, we had the funeral service at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in North Muskegon.    We all walked behind the coffin up front. It was at that point that I realized that Grandma was really gone.    My Mom read the first reading and I read the 2nd reading.   Charlene and Kelsey talked about their memories of Grandma.  Kelsey said she had kept all of the cards Grandma had sent her.    After the service, we went to the Laketon Township Cemetery and put roses on top of the casket.    Grandpa said out loud that he had to go golfing. We were all shocked.    

Walked with Charlene down at Pioneer Park and walked along the beach.  We talked about Grandma's death, as well as my dad's death.    I had alot of anger about him dying so young. I wanted to know more about my dad's death. She told me that he sat down and tied the belt around his neck.   I guess I felt better that he had sat down as I had always had images of him hanging from a tree.   

Marianne stayed the night at our house. I was so glad to have her there.   Kara came over and all of us went to G and L for chili dogs and then had ice cream at Frosty Oasis.  

May 3, 2000: In Memory of Grandma Thomas

Grandma Thomas was a wonderful lady.  She used to make such wonderful meals for us at Easter, birthdays, and Christmas.  I remember her making us homemade chocolates which I looked forward to every year.     She was an Avon Representative for several years and had this room in her basement with all kinds of samples. Kelsey and I loved to try out the lipstick samples when we were kids.     

She had been battling with arthritis and alzheimers for many years.       

My mother had been keeping me up on Grandma's health the past week.     She said the priest was going to give her the last rites today.    When she said that, I knew it wasn't long before she would be gone.    After work, I walked down Oakdale and along Lake Michigan.   I was happy to be back in the city.   On my walk home, I was thinking about Grandma and my family.  It was as if I knew something had happened.  When I got home, I had a voicemail from my mom saying Grandma Thomas had passed away at 6:30 p.m.    My heart dropped.   She said Grandma died in peace and that Charlene had read Psalms 23 over and over to my Grandma.   Aunt Elsie heard the 'death rattle' which was where you hear this rattling sound in the person's throat.    She had heard this before with other family members. She quickly yelled for Grandpa, Charlene, and my Mom to come back to the room.  A few minutes later, she took her last breath.    She said it was the most faithful experience she had ever had.    She said as soon as Grandma died, her skin instantly cleared and the color came back.    It was the sign that her soul was already on its way to heaven.    I will miss Grandma dearly.   

Brandie came downstairs to give me a hug.    Then, I called Grandpa to give him my condolences and was surprised he was so cheerful.    He went out and cut the grass. I was shocked, but I guess everyone deals with grief in their own way. Plus, he knew she had suffered for so long.

April 29, 2000: Moving Back to the City/Dawn Klee's Wedding

I was sad that I wasn't able to make it to Dawn's wedding, but I did call her a few weeks ago to let her know and had a nice conversation with her. Glen Brien helped me move back to the city.   

I found Brandie and I separate apartments in the same building at 553 West Oakdale, which was just north of Diversey.    I was in apartment 209.    I spent about 4 hours unpacking.  

April 2-9, 2000: Mexican Cruise

On April 2, I took a limousine from my apartment to O'hare airport which was really nice.  I flew to Los Angeles and met the rest of my family there.    We went on the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship.    

Our first port-of-call was in Cabo San Lucas where we took this boat over by these beautiful rock formations, surrounded by crystal blue water.   We had drinks at this neat restaurant overlooking the ocean.    Had lunch at this Shrimp Factory Restaurant.     We were going to go shopping, but Grandpa took off and we had no idea where he went.   We had someone page him on the ship to see if he was there.    We searched the stores and all, but no sign of him. When we got back on the ship, we were so mad at him for taking off.    He was mad at us for worrying about him.    We had a nice dinner and saw three of the Osmond Brothers perform.  

Tuesday, we went to Mazatlan, Mexico.  Charlene, Kelsey, Matt, and I went over to a nearby island and went kayaking and did some rock climbing.    Charlene and I were so funny on the kayaks as we couldn't get the boat to move very fast.   Everyone else was way ahead of us.   We were laughing so hard.   Then, Charlene wanted to see Old Mazatlan so we walked around.     Kelsey, Matt, and I walked to Senor Frogs Restaurant.    That was a fun restaurant.  The waiters made us all these funny balloon hats and we danced to several songs.     We danced on top of the platform. My balloon hat was so high that it kept hitting the ceiling.   We saw our head maitre'd there dancing with some girl.    We got some shots and the waiter shook our head several times in different directions.   

Wednesday, we went to Puerta Vallarta.  Charlene, Grandpa, Mom, and I rented a car. We got a car with a cracked windshield which made us so mad.    We got lost in Puerto Vallarta and ended up in a residential area where no one spoke English.  

I had a body massage on the ship which was relaxing.  Wish I wasn't so ticklish, though.  

On Sunday, we left the boat to fly home.    I flew from LA to Chicago.   Brandie and Josh picked me up at baggage claim.  We drove back to Josh's house on North Ave. in Elmhurst. I bought them pizza for dinner for helping me out.    This cruise was one of the most relaxing ones I went on.