Write Way Designs - Ramblings |
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Random RamblingsRandom: A haphazard course— at random: Without definite aim, direction, rule, or method Ramble: To talk or write in a desultory or long-winded wandering fashion (Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary) This page contains Susana Rosende's reflections on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and often references contemporary events as well as personal happenstance. Susana's opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position or mission of Write Way Designs, Inc., the company. These writings are merely ramdom ramblings.For Susana's Random Ramblings, click the links below:
Poll Responses: Industries Least Impacted by Recession Economy
posted by Susana Rosende on October 9th, 2009, 9:55 AM To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Unemployment: I am not alone
The same article quotes the US Department of Labor as stating that Florida's unemployment rate is higher than the national rate, which topped 8.4 in March. In conclusion, this article states that Florida's seasonally adjusted rate means 874,000 people out of a labor force of 9.25 million are out of work. I am not alone. But it doesn't make me feel any better.
Tips for what to do if you're unemployed:
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Did you know we are living in Exponential Times?Translated to Spanish at http://www.marilink.net/2009/02/23/vivimos-tiempos-exponenciales/ ?Lo Sabias? by Marilink To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Tips for How to Survive a Recession
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Buyer Beware of DELL HellIn August 2007, I purchased a DELL 830 D Latitude Laptop, including monitor, docking station, Bluetooth keyboard, and wireless mouse for $3,019.44. It is by far the worse purchase decision I have made in my life. In fact, I refer to this laptop as my Expensive Paperweight.The problems began as soon as I turned it on. There were constant blue-screens and memory dumps just after a few minutes, and eventually the laptop didn't power up at all. The past year and a half since the purchase has consisted of a never-ending treadmill of phone calls, emails, and documented chat logs, including two separate occasions where technicians attempted to troubleshoot and repair the laptop on-site. The techs replaced the motherboard, CPU, and Memory, but diagnostics run on the hard drives displayed errors the techs had never experienced and didn't know how to fix. One of the Techs said I obviously bought a "lemon." He added, "It's happened before." It probably has, more often than NOT. But, despite my three-year extended warranty, DELL would not give me my money back. After I got the BBB involved last month...that's right...December 2008, after almost 18 months since the purchase date, and more frustrating phone calls where I was endlessly put on hold and transferred to practically every department in the company, it was finally approved to replace my laptop with a NEW, not refurbished, laptop of equal or greater value. I was told my laptop issue would be escalated, and the shipping expedited, with a slight delay due to the Christmas holidays, but to expect my replacement on my doorstep by New Years Eve. It never arrived, so I called. The laptop had never been shipped. Due to the holiday season, all replacements were on hold until after new sales orders were delivered. The "tremendous amount of DELL 2008 sales orders" had created a huge shipping backlog. But, not only would I have to wait until after the December holiday season, the ensuing holidays in January and February would further delay the shipping of my laptop. That's when I learned about the specific holidays that were delaying their shipping schedule: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Boxing Day…WAIT! BOXING DAY?! It's not a US holiday. "Yes," the Level 2 Support Person from the Small Business Unit told me. "Boxing Day. Look at your calendar. It's a holiday." Does anyone REALLY believe I'll ever get my money back, or at least the approved "exchange" for a replacement laptop? I'm not holding my breath. It was hard enough to be an unemployed single mom, with a struggling freelance business, and to lose 1/2 my retirement in this economy, but to know my one tool for sending resumes, networking for full time employment, and finding clients for my freelance business, was yet another economic drain, is almost too much to handle. Unfortunately, my case is not an isolated incident. There is an entire population trapped in DELL HELL. There's a website that catalogs customer complaints at www.ihatedell.net, which includes a forum listing a series of class action lawsuits against DELL. Even DELL employees are suing the company for unlawful conduct. At least, I know I'm not alone. But there may be a reason for the lack of product quality and poor customer and technical service. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWNAB624720081231?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0 The article explains a lot! This company is in trouble. See the specs for my laptop below: 222-7945 Latitude D830, Intel Core 2 Duo T7700, 2.40GHz, 800Mhz 4M L2 Cache, Dual Core 1 $2,553.44 320-5301 15.4 inch Wide Screen WUXGA LCD for Latitude D830 1 311-5689 4.0GB, DDR2-667 SDRAM, 2 DIMM for Dell Latitude Notebooks 1 310-8713 Internal English Keyboard for Latitude Notebooks 1 320-5303 256MB NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M Latitude D830 1 341-4569 120GB Hard Drive 9.5MM 5400RPM for Latitude DX30 1 310-8796 Standard Touchpad for LatitudeD830 1 340-8854 No Floppy Drive for Latitude D-Family Notebooks 1 420-4790 Windows XP Professional, SP2 with media, for Latitude English, Factory Installed 1 430-2274 Dell Wireless 360 Bluetooth Module for XP, Latitude 1 310-7956 90W AC Adapter for Latitude D-Family, Factory Tied 1 313-5044 8X DVD+/-RW w/ Roxio Creator and Cyberlink for Vista Basic/Business, Latitude DX20 1 430-2436 Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN (802.11g,54Mbps) Mini Card Latitude 1 310-8798 Resource CD w/ Diagnostics and Drivers for Latitude D830 Notebook 1 312-0536 9-Cell/85 WHr Primary Battery for Latitude D830 1 312-0493 9-Cell/85-WHr Additional Primary Battery for Latitude D531 1 310-7275 Corporate Nylon Backpack for Dell Latitude, D-Family Notebooks 1 310-9147 US - System Documentation Power Cord, Latitude D830 1 982-3762 Contract - Next Business Day Parts and Labor On-Site Response, 2YR Extended 1 986-7838 Dell Hardware Warranty, Extended Year(s) 1 982-7280 Contract - Next Business Day Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year 1 986-7847 Dell Hardware Warranty, Initial Year 1 373-0024 Factory format of 2nd partition is NTFS, for Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision 1 373-0020 Factory Enable 60GB Primary Partition, Remainder Secondaryfor Latitude, OptiPlex Precision 1 466-2909 WINDOWS XP STICKER, OPTI/PWS/LAT/INSP/DIM 1 310-7278 D/Port, Port Replicator for Latitude D-Family, Factory Tied 1 310-7287 90 Watt Additional AC Adapter with 3 feet Power Cord Latitude D-Family 1 430-2279 Dell Wireless 5520 Mobile Broadband (HSDPA) Mini-Card for AT and T, Latitude 1 310-8047 Dell Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse bundle, English, for Latitude Notebooks 1 Subtotal: $3,019.44 Shipping and Handling: $0.00 Sales Tax: $196.30 Total: $3,215.74 Visit http://www.ihatedell.net/forum/phpBB2/ There's even been a class action lawsuit against DELL in New York City: Here's the link to the lawsuit: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2007/may/delllawsuit1.pdf Here' the link to the Decision and Order by the New York Supreme Court: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2008/may/delldecision.PDF Abstract: Justice Joseph C. Teresi said in his decision, "Dell has engaged in repeated misleading, deceptive and unlawful business conduct, including false and deceptive advertising of financing promotions and the terms of warranties, fraudulent, misleading and deceptive practices in credit financing and failure to provide warranty service and rebates." According to the decision, Dell deprived consumers of the technical support to which they were entitled under their warranty or service contract by:
Justice Teresi concluded that Dell lured consumers to purchase its products with advertisements that offered attractive "no interest" and/or "no payment" financing promotions. In practice, however, the vast majority of consumers, even those with very good credit scores, were denied these deals. In a classic "bait and switch" scheme, DFS instead offered consumers financing at high interest rates, which often exceeded 20%. Dell and DFS frequently failed to clearly inform these consumers that they had not qualified for the promotional terms, leaving many to unwittingly finance their purchase at high interest rates. The decision also held that DFS incorrectly billed consumers on cancelled orders, returned merchandise, or accounts they did not authorize Dell to open, and then continually harassed these consumers with illegal billing and collection activity. Although many consumers repeatedly contacted Dell and/or DFS to advise them of the errors, DFS did not suspend its collection activity and Dell failed to expeditiously credit consumers' accounts, even after assuring consumers it would do so. As a result, many consumers have been subjected to harassing collection calls for months on end and have had their credit ratings harmed. Justice Teresi ordered discovery in aid of restitution by Dell to be completed in four months and an injunction to prevent any recurrence of the misleading, deceptive and unlawful conduct by Dell. More Class Action Lawsuits against DELL: (WARNING: Language)
Angry Customers Make for Funny Customer Service Calls: (WARNING: Language)
Maybe, I should have purchased an ASUS. Even after being run over by a car and drowned in water, it works better than my DELL ever did. Watch the amazing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFzs11d_DTo&NR=1 FeedbackHi Susana,My gosh I certainly feel your pain about your computer. I too had a rather crazy experience with DELL and that length of time must be how long the computers function. Some people I know say that they haven't had problems with DELL while others swear that they will never buy another one, no matter how great their prices are! I concur. Within the first year I had problems with my computer. I called and they troubleshooted and that did ok for a while. Then I phoned them again because not too long after that, I experienced the Blue Screen of Death and this is the first time this happened to me since I began buying computers back in the early 90's. So, in order to fix that, because this particular issue is not covered under warranty (according to Technical Support - which by the way you have to pay in order to speak to them...talk about insane!), I had to pay $150.00 for an Operating Systems CD, which by the way they do not include with your computer, just in case you need to restore your system like I needed to do. So I bought it because I was using my computer not only for my personal use, but also for work. That plus the support I bought for that particular issue was for a year, so I thought I was good. Well Susana, I kid you not, exactly one year and four days after I bought that thing, I experience the blue screen of death AGAIN and it completely screwed up my hard drive. When I called them, which connected me to someplace overseas and I could not understand what they were saying, except that I needed to pay another undetermined amount of money to (1) buy another part, (2) take it to a place where they could fix it (more money), (3) then I was to call them back so that they could guide me through the steps to get my computer up and operating again. Thank goodness this time I backed up my files which I wasn't very good at doing and bought another laptop. The heck with DELL. I hope that you will be able to get your money back or at least a brand new computer. They really need to do better with customer service! Now could you tell me what the heck is "Boxing Day?" Is it a day to commemorate professional Boxers in sports or is it a day that is designated to pack stuff in boxes? That's a new one on me. Gotta do some research on that one! Anyway, thanks for the heads up, which is not surprising to me. The best of luck with this resolution! Take care, Kym M. Susana, you should take all the communications you have had with Dell and provide it to a lawyer to begin a class action. I am sure there are many more like you in the country. I have had great luck with Dell product, but have never purchased a laptop from them. I have always purchased Compact and now since HP purchased them, that is what I buy. They began the laptop instrustry in the 80's and make a great product. I paid less than $500 for my last laptop and then added a $200 500K external storage that I connect with just a usb cable. It backs up the entire laptop and my desktop daily and it syncs all the files that I worked on that day. If I can help you set up a similar system let me know. Sorry to here about your problems. If there is anything I can do to help you reach your goals this year, please let me know. Happy New Year! Tony P. WOW that sucks, I am sorry hear about your experience. Thank you for the heads up I appreciate. Good Luck and i hope you get it resolved. BTW if they installed a 32bit operating system, the 4GB of Ram was a waste and they should have told you that because only 64bit OSs can use RAM above 3GB. Jason J. Hello Susana, Happy New Year! I guess, you should put this in your blog to spread the word out. Since business powerhouses are hand in glove with the respective admin, the only way to act is to use all available platforms to voice your anguish through such media. You getting back the replacement or compensation may be a far cry yet others could be alerted rather than being passive. Let me know, once you have blogged it. Smiling Regards, Jose R. To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Show Me the MoneyToday, I allow myself two minutes for self-pity over my new jobless state ("whine, sniff, whimper"), and then run a mental checklist of my talents, skills, and professional experiences. There is no time to waste. I need money.So, what do I have to offer? What have I accomplished in life, thus far? I am a college graduate, freelance business owner, manager, writer, designer, translator, artist, and last, but not least, single mother who has raised two fantastic sons, one of whom was in his high school's I.B. program, received the Bright Futures Scholarship, and is graduating next year from Florida State's Music Composition program. My youngest, at 15, is a very talented high school student who has been building and networking PCs and creating websites since he was 11. I am a survivor and thriver, and this, too, shall pass. Like magic, as soon as I finish the self-pep talk and post my updated resume to job sites, I start getting leads for technical writing, copy writing, and translation projects for Write Way Designs, Inc. It is almost as if my newly confident aura is sending powerful vibrations through my keyboard to the Internet. I am great! Hire ME! But, it's not magic. It's hard work. Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself. This may well be the perfect time to make my dream come true and expand my freelance business into a full-time venture. The ailing economy seems to be the right time for freelancers, as employers lay off permanent employees and only hire temporary workers. And right now, I'll take what I can get. To quote our president elect Barack Obama: "Yes, I can! For unique careers and job ideas, see the following:
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The Year of No JobIt is the best of times. It is the worse of times. It is the year 2008.And I've never had a worse year...career-wise.
First, the HR VP emails a highly cryptic message about our jobs not being "guaranteed." To bypass the layoff, I accept a position with the timeshare division of a hospitality firm...also hit hard by the real estate market and high gas prices. Six weeks after losing THAT job, I'm hired by a government contractor...a Draconian sweatshop of epic proportions, where I nonetheless feel lucky to be employed...until, alas, my project ends, and along with it, my job.
So, it's back to the drawing board. And it occurs to me I've spent more time interviewing in the last 12 months, than I have in twenty years.
As I ponder all my options -- get my MBA, write that novel, start a new business -- I find the only pleasure that I can...the extra mother-son time with Joey, and all the domestic duties I now have time to provide. Why cook spaghetti when there's time for gourmet? But, to my chagrin, that too, goes wrong. I am earnest and ambitious. Lacking all the ingredients in the cookbook --and money-- does not deter me. I will use what I have. So, I search the freezer and cupboards for substitutes. And get creative. I will make sweet and sour chicken. For the sweet, I have honey. For the sour, I have Mojito cooler. I add the veggies (green beans and corn), and the 90-second microwave rice, and voila! Dinner is ready, and not half bad. My taste testers - the dogs - think so, too. I am proud. But, the true test will be Joey, who at 15's more finicky than the average two-year-old. Joey stares at his plate. Me: What? Eat! It's getting cold.
As he pours himself a bowl of cereal, he senses my despair.
And hugs me. I pour half into the dog bowls. And freeze the rest. For tomorrow. To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Barack Obama Wins. The USA and The World Celebrate
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Today is the Day: McCain vs. ObamaFor a lighter look at the Turning Points of the 2008 Election, click: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/opinion/04points.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
The Important Thing is To Vote!This year's presidential race is exciting on so many levels. And for the first time in years, I like all four candidates, both presidential and vice presidential, so much so in fact, that I am still undecided.Historically, Cuban Americans are staunch Republicans, citing reasons such as the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the fear that any view left of center may be socialistic, and therefore lead to Communism. If it sounds paranoid, you must understand that Fidel Castro denied he was a Communist until he was in power. Yet, the current issues of two wars (Iraq/Afghanistan) and the economy (layoffs, high gas prices, housing crisis, healthcare insurance) have me wishing for CHANGE (Obama), EXPERIENCE (McCain) (Biden), and WASHINGTON OUTSIDERS (Palin). So, being the Technical Writer that I am, I research both sides, by reading about the issues and the candidates, and trying to attend and/or watch all the speeches and debates. Sarah Palin was in Kissimmee one weekend, and my son Joey and I attended the rally with Republican friends. If you watch closely at the beginning of the video, you will see me with camera in the lower right-hand corner of the screen behind Governor Sarah Palin:
Despite the seriousness of the issues, I'm enjoying the humor and hope you enjoy the political parodies I've posted below, including the most recent Saturday Night Live show, featuring Senator John McCain:
Obama Rallys in 39 Degree Rain in Widener, Pennsylvania Rednecks in the News and The Red Diaper Baby:
MORE HUMOR:Whether you vote for John McCain/Sarah Palin or Barack Obama/Joe Biden, the important thing is to vote. It is a privilege to vote in the United States. All American Citizens are urged to vote on November 4th! Last, but not least, while you're at it, vote for Time Magazine's "PERSON OF THE YEAR!" To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
The Real Sarah Palin on Saturday Night LiveWill the Real Sarah Palin please stand up?! The following videos present the clever and funny skits featuring Vice Presidential Candidate Governor Sarah Palin on last night's SNL. For the write-up, click http://www.celebitchy.com/16356/sarah_palins_saturday_night_live_appearance_featuring_mark_wahlberg.
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Little Old Ladies Attack Obama Supporters at Palin Rally
Many in the community have expressed shock and dismay about this growing trend of violent old ladies, some of whom brutally attacked Obama supporters at a recent Palin rally, by punching, kicking, scratching, and elbowing their victims, coupled with verbal abuse. For story, see http://stix1972.typepad.com/stix_blog/2008/10/old-lady-repubs.html As terrorized Americans prepare to protect themselves from further attacks, they look to their British allies across the pond. The Brits have been dealing with notorious violent biddies in both rural and urban neighborhoods since the sixties. See video, below:
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The Vice Presidential Candidate Debate - ALSO Deemed a Tie by Most
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The First Presidential Candidate Debate - Deemed a Tie by Most
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Sarah PalinYikes! Which one of the following two interviews is the funny one?(Suddenly, there's a lot of humor in the media about America's Sweetheart, the Republican VP candidate. Unfortunately, not all the humor was intentional.)
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USA Vote 2008!
The upcoming 2008 presidential election is going to be a very exciting one, indeed.
Taking into consideration all the national and global issues impacting the United States today, it is crucial to vote, and even more so to select the very best candidate to handle the unique challenges facing today's presidential candidates.
(Click below to learn more about each of the presidential candidates.)
Thousands of Americans have already made up their minds. For those who have not, it's not too late, as the following video shows. Please click the link in the video (below) for a special presentation about the most recent presidential candidate to "come up from behind."
For more humor, see the following video: To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Petition Against TrademarkAs many of you know, my middle child, Sean, had Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a birth defect that today afflicts 1,600 babies, and kills 800 per year. Although CDH occurs as often as Spina Bifida and Cystic Fibrosis, CDH most often has fatal results. Dawn Torrence, the President of CHERUBS- The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Advocacy, and Support, also lost a son at six years of age to this birth defect.Dawn has worked tirelessly to bring awareness and support to the community, especially back when there were no support groups and CDH families had nowhere to turn. I, myself, credit Dawn's website and forums for the knowledge and support I received for years after the loss of Sean. Now, another organization has filed a trademark to "own" the phrase "Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness" preventing others from using this language for fundraising and support in the future, as well as demanding that Dawn, and others, stop using this phrase on websites or literature for CDH advocacy, research, and support. While Breath of Hope is also a good resource for support and fundraising, it should join forces with CHERUBS to bring awareness to this devastating birth defect. One shouldn't be able to trademark the name of a health issue, birth defect, disorder, or disease, as it implies the ability to profit from it. So, just as Dawn supported me and all the other countless families across the world, I now support her in her fight against the filing of this trademark. I ask that you also please consider signing this petition. To do so, please click the following link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cdhawareness/ We thank you for your support and ask that you please forward the link to family and friends, because it is important that all of us be free to raise Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness. In Memory of my son, Sean Matthew Lutz, (April 29th-30th, 1988) On behalf of Dawn Torrence President & Founder CHERUBS - The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support http://www.cdhsupport.org 270 Coley Rd, Henderson, NC 27537 (252) 492-6003 For more information on CDH, as well as resources and support information, please click the following links:
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My Father, My Inspiration
My father, Alberto Carlos Rosende, Sr., has had a great impact on my life, both personally and professionally.
He has instilled in me the values of family, hard work, and integrity, as well as the knowledge for the importance of
having goals in life, and for never giving up, no matter the obstacles. He also inspired me to earn a university degree.
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1926 to a working class family, my father learned at a young age that earning an advanced education was essential to gaining financial security. After receiving a scholarship to the University of Havana, he endured hardships (such as lacking bus fare or lunch money and needing to share college text books with his twin brother) to earn his Civil Engineering degree. His professional engineering career was curtailed in the early 1960s, when he chose to leave Cuba during Fidel Castro's revolution, and was then rejected for engineering positions in the USA during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Previously in management, he was forced to start over as a Land Surveyor to support his family. However, he persevered, eventually landing a structural engineering position in NYC to support his wife and--eventually five--children. After 20 years with the company, he was transferred to Houston, Texas during the oil crisis. In Houston, the company folded. My father was laid off and lost all his retirement benefits. Undaunted, he found an engineering job at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he was laid off and re-hired numerous times, and then continued working until a few months before his 80th birthday (even after undergoing prostate and quadruple bypass surgeries, and even after losing my mom, his wife of 44 years, to congestive heart failure).
After my divorce, my father encouraged me to return to college to earn my degree. My parents then welcomed me back into their home, and helped care for my then-two-year-old son, while I worked two jobs and commuted to school. My father, who prided himself on not missing days from work, took the day off to attend my college graduation. Because of his example, I am inspired as a single mother to continue striving toward new education and career goals, and in turn, to pass my father's values and legacy to my sons. (In the top photo, I am being held by my father, in Havana. In the bottom photo, I am at my college graduation from the University of Central Florida.) To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Diagnosed with Epilepsy
(Photo at right is of Joey at Cape Canaveral, Florida during Spring Break in March 2008)On August 7th, 2007, my 14-year-old son Joey was swimming underwater at his grandparents' subdivision pool when his grandmother noticed he had remained in one spot for several minutes. She swam over to him, nudged him, and receiving no response, turned him over and lifted his face out of the water. Joey was blue and motionless. She thought he was dead. Luckily, his 74-year-old grandmother is a retired emergency room nurse. Although she couldn't lift him completely out of the water, she pulled him over to the steps and was able to get him breathing. Then she screamed for help, alerting a neighbor who was in a nearby weight room. The man pulled my son out of the water and dialed 9-1-1 on his cell phone. He then drove Joey's grandparents to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where Joey was rushed by ambulance, and where he remained unconscious. Joey was unconscious for almost 24 hours. When he came to at 3:00 AM the next morning, he asked, "Mom, where am I?" All he could remember was swimming underwater and then waking up at the hospital. The doctors had no explanation for what happened to Joey. They suggested that perhaps he had fainted while holding his breath for too long. This phenomenon is often referred to as shallow water drowning, when a person hyperventilates to hold his breath for as long as possible and then passes out. Many deaths of strong swimmers have been attributed to this phenomenon. One doctor at the hospital asked if Joey had a history of seizures. We all told him "No."
Since then, Joey has visited numerous doctors (pediatrician, neurologist, endocrinologist) and has been poked and prodded and subjected to many brain scan M.R.I.s, E.E.G.s, and blood tests.
From the results of the E.E.G., the pediatric neurologist determined my son was indeed having Absence Seizures from Generalized Epilepsy, and may have been having them for quite a while. (The previous school year, in 8th grade, Joey's grades had dropped dramatically, and his teachers had complained of his constant daydreaming. One had remarked that it was as if he "wasn't even there.") For several years before that, teachers had hinted at Joey's lack of focus or possible ADD or ADHD. More recently, his older brother Brian had become concerned during a visit home from college, when Joey had forgotten an entire conversation they'd had the night before. But, when Joey argued that he'd been tired and nodding off, I'd believed him. (Photo above is of Joey with his big brother Brian.) Now, we learned Joey had Epilepsy, and all of us - including my ex-husband, son Brian, grandparents, and I were in shock - but especially Joey. In retrospect, we should have realized there may have been a physical reason for Joey's lack of focus on his classwork - that it was not attributed to day dreaming, adolescence, lack of discipline, or plain laziness. How could we have been so blind?
(Photo at right is of Joey with my dad, his grandfather Alberto Rosende, in March 2008.)
The following videos are about Epilepsy. The first shows an example of the Absence Seizure, or "staring spell" that Joey experiences. This type of seizure used to be referred to as Petite Mal Seizure. In the second video, a 19-year-old young man explains Epilepsy and speaks out against prejudice and ridicule used against people with Epilepsy.
The following information is from the The Epilepsy Foundation: Seizures and Syndromes
Since Joey has begun taking the Lamictal medication, we have all noticed a tremendous improvement in his attentiveness and ability to focus.
This year, he is back on the Honor Roll.Since the age of 11, Joey has been creating websites, building PCs from scratch, and networking all the computers in our home. He even gets paid to update the website for his grandparents' Orchid Club. He has dreams of going on to college and then pursuing a career in software engineering. His doctors say there is no reason why he shouldn't. It's important for people with Epilepsy to know they're not alone; there are successful and even famous people in the world, both in history and currently living and thriving, with Epilepsy. The following examples are of famous people in history with Epilepsy:
Upon learning this latest bit of news, Joey responded with typical adolescent defiance: "Mom! If I REALLY
have a brain tumor, I'll be pissed!" He then added that he would never permit anyone to operate on his brain.
It is highly likely that Joey has no cause for concern. Pituitary Adenomas are found in 45% of the healthy population, most of whom will never be aware of their existence unless the tumor is discovered during an exam for an unrelated condition. In fact, these benign tumors are common during adolescence due to rapid growth and excessive hormones. There is only need for concern if the adenoma begins to grow and exerts pressure on the optic nerve, causing visual disturbances, or if it begins to secrete hormones, which may create other complications, such as gigantism. But, these conditions, are rare, and highly unlikely. However, Joey will receive annual MRIs and blood tests to monitor the adenoma. The horror of Joey's near-drowning accident has been a blessing, as it led to a timely diagnosis - before Joey received his driver's license. Our whole family continues to learn about Epilepsy, especially Absence Seizures from Generalized Epilepsy. We now make it a rule to educate others about Epilepsy, including the teachers at Joey's high school, friends, and family. The following websites and support forums have been very helpful:
Famous People with Epilepsy, as listed on Epilepsy.com:
To comment, click here. (Back to Top) Turning 45 - Sometimes, You Just Have to LaughWhen I'm Sixty-Four(Lennon/McCartney)
When I get older losing my hair
Will you still need me, LIFE IN SUSANA LANEWell, I hope I make it to 64! At the rate I'm going, I sometimes wonder. My "female" issues are getting worse. Although my latest ultrasound came back "Normal," I'm still getting my period every 15 days, for seven days straight, and it is still debilitating enough for me to miss work for one or two days at a time. I always pray for my cycle to arrive on the weekends, so I can stay in bed -- or actually on the couch since I haven't had a bedroom since Hurricane Frances -- for two days without having to miss work.If I can't avoid leaving the house, I bring a towel to sit on in the car, and make sure I have a change of clothes. It's that bad. And often I'm in so much pain I don't know whether to call in sick or call an ambulance...or a priest. Feeling weak, I fill up on carbs. Too exhausted to exercise, my body has ballooned to gargantuan proportions. Racked with pelvic pain, my abdomen is distended as if I'm 23 months pregnant, and is tight as a drum. I'm so bloated, maternity clothes won't do. When I go dress shopping, I wonder if I should buy a tent at the hardware store instead.
Turning 45 sucks! I have to keep reminding myself it's better than the alternative. There may be hope still. A co-worker, who had the same symptoms, and like myself, suspected Menopause,has found a cure. She had the lining of her uterus lasered. No more periods! Besides eliminating the painful physical effects, this procedure has also greatly improved her mental outlook. No more PMS! Really, men have no idea what women go through:
Monthly Man With less than a week recovery time, this new procedure, Novasure or Endometrial Ablation, beats the old Hysterectomy hands down! She has her life back! No more PMS mood swings, labor-like cramp pain, intestinal problems, hot flashes, excessive bleeding with embarrassing accidents, the need to always be in close proximity to a toilet - which can be a problem in itself - extreme weakness, dizziness, crushing fatigue, blinding migraines, food cravings for chocolate, carbs, and BEEF. She, too, felt like a vampire, constantly craving steak. I understand completely. I drive by cow pastures and salivate. My dogs are running scared. I am always so tired and short of breath, I cannot even climb a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing like an Asthmatic running a marathon without his inhaler. A new and interesting phenomenon is that my hair has stopped growing. I haven't colored it in months. It's falling out in clumps, chemo-patient style, causing drainage problems in my bath tub. I didn't want to accept the fact that I'm losing my hair, but there's no denying it. It's gotten to the point where other people are noticing and commenting. Case in point: Shopping with Melissa Dresses are on sale at Dillards, so that's where we go, and select from the Reduced racks. Sizes 14 and 16 no longer fit. Undaunted, my sister leads me up the escalator. To my horror, we're in Women's, where sizes are accompanied by letters: 1X... 2X... 3X. I notice that one 3X dress could be sold in the hardware store. In the dressing room, Melissa detects my thinning hair. She suggests a shorter length and layer cut to help my hair look fuller. I fish scissors out of my purse and point them in her direction. "Here? In the dressing room?" she asks. "Now?" "Now," I say, handing her the scissors. "Okay," she responds, "But, let me brush your hair out first." And brush she does, gently, untangling and pulling my curls straight. "Bend over," she commands, "so I can layer your hair." I flip my hair forward as directed. She combs it straight and holds the hair firmly with one hand. "I'd like to cut right here, okay?" she asks. "No!" I respond. "Not that short." Melissa adjusts her hold. "Here?" I hesitate and then agree. She cuts straight across. "Stand up." I straighten and flip my hair back. We giggle at the hair lying on the carpet. What will the sales clerks think? What are WE thinking, turning a dressing room into a makeshift salon? Melissa continues to cut, deftly holding sections of hair at different angles. She finally stops. "There," she says as she fluffs my hair with her fingers. "It looks thicker already." I admire her handiwork in the mirror. My hair is now barely past shoulder length, and appears fuller. Of course, my bangs are still thin. "It looks a lot better, Sue," she says. She adds, "You know, I read an article about Anemic women. Anemia can make your hair fall out. Are you taking vitamins? When was the last time you had a physical?" Silently, I continue to inspect my hairline in the mirror. "Maybe," Melissa suggests, "You could try Rogaine for Women." "Yeah, maybe," I respond while gathering my fallen locks into a neat pile. I give Melissa a hug, as we giggle together at our latest sisterly adventure - hair-cutting in a clothing department store dressing room. I select a black shell, two black skirts. Melissa insists that I also purchase a pink shell and matching black skirt with tiny, pink polka dots. "Do it, Sue!" she badgers. "I'm so sick of seeing you in a big, black bag. What are you, a Goth? Add some color to your wardrobe." "Black is slimming," I mutter. "It camouflages my problem areas." Bullied into buying the pink top and matching skirt, I mentally plan to wear the outfit when I lose 10, 20, or 30 pounds, but know deep down inside that I'll return it. As I pay for the clothes, my hair loss is still on my mind. Yikes! To my dismay, a later GOOGLE search reveals the answer is a definite Yes: Earth to Susana..."It's really happening. You're going bald."
Now, I can empathize with my brothers. But, what is the catalyst for my latest symptom? Hair-styling? Pre-menopause? Anemia? Thyroid disease? Ovarian cysts? Or could it be the mold? These days, I gently wash my hair, careful not to pull or comb it when wet, and use the cool setting on the dryer. I don't want to lose any more hair than I already have. I am especially careful to style my bangs and hair to hide the thin spot and widening part in the front and on top of my head. I vow to never laugh at Donald Trump, or anyone else I see with a "comb-over." Then after a long, hard cry, I figure, why not laugh? Sorry, Donald. Believe me, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing with you. In 2002, David Letterman shared the Top 10 Ways to Describe Donald Trump's Hair. They included: No. 7: Trumpy. No. 6: Strangely hypnotic. No. 5: Unbe-weave-able. No. 4: Wiggy. No. 1: Taj Ma-helmet. Sometimes, you just have to laugh.
And the inspiration for the "comb-over" hairdo? None other than Homer Simpson:
(Funny, isn't it? But, sad too. Yet there's nothing like walking in someone else's shoes to understand how distressing a situation can be.) I fight back the urge to cry again and remind myself: "It's only hair." God knows I've suffered worse losses in my life. Besides, "Bald is Beautiful," right?
And if I ever get to the point where I think it's not, there's a plethora of wigs to choose from. I may as well have fun with it.
Related Links: To comment, click here. (Back to Top) Support me in America's Walk for Diabetes!
We all know someone who's been affected by Diabetes, whether it is a family member, co-worker, or friend.
But, between providing for our families, the soaring gas prices, sending care packages to beloved troops overseas,
and the victims of Hurricane Katrina still taking top priority, it may seem difficult for us to find spare pennies to
donate to the American Diabetes Association.
As a single mother, I know too well how difficult it is to make ends meet right now. Yet, I will donate to this cause to help find a cure for the disease that shortened and diminished the quality of my mom's life. And I ask that you please consider making a small donation -- even $1 -- to help improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. After personally seeing how Diabetes debilitated my mom, I want to make a difference by walking in the America's Walk for Diabetes fund-raising event. Please sponsor me with a small donation -- just a $1 -- by selecting one of the "Walk for Diabetes" buttons in this blog. For less than the price of a soda, smokes, or candy bar, you can help fund research to find a cure.
If you want to do even more to help, you can join me. The walk event is fun and great for the whole family! Our efforts will help
set the pace in the fight against Diabetes. Let's get moving and beat this disease!
America's Walk for Diabetes Date: November 4, 2006 (my dad's birthday!) Location: Loch Haven Park Winter Park, Florida For more Information call: 1-888-DIABETES You can make a difference! Where will your dollars go at the American Diabetes Association? This year, the ADA will invest 40 million dollars in Diabetes research. Ninety-six ($ .96) cents of every dollar you donate to the ADA goes to research, education, or advocacy for people affected by Diabetes. Listed below are just a few ways your money is being put to the best use! $79.00 Pays for a child to go to camp for one day. $50.00 Pays for one hour of Diabetes research. $37.00 Pays for educational materials for a newly-diagnosed child and their family $26.00 Provides Diabetes risk tests for 1000 individuals. $25.00 Pays for materials necessary for a health fair. $11.25 Covers one hour of an advocate's visit to Washington. $2.75 Pays to send a Diabetes information kit to a newly diagnosed individual. _______________________________________ WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FIND A CURE? The Center for Disease Control has named Diabetes as the epidemic of the century. There is an alarming growth rate of 1% per year and an increase of type 2 Diabetes in children as young as 10 years old. Statistics show that one in three children born today will develop Diabetes in their lifetime. Scientists are also seeing a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and Diabetes, both of which are expected to triple within the next 50 years. Dr. Charles Ouimet, Professor of Biomedical Sciences in FSU's College of Medicine, states that 65 per cent of Alzheimer's patients also suffer from Diabetes. There are currently 18.2 million people in the United States who have Diabetes. Although African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are at a greater risk than Caucasions, no one is immune; the prevalence of this disease has increased across all ethnic groups over the decade. And currently, Diabetes kills more people than AIDS and Cancer combined. Diabetes affects one's health in many ways that can greatly lessen life expectancy. Did you know that if you have Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, you are at a much higher risk than the general population for damage to the eyes, kidney, nerves, and blood vessels? In Diabetes, sugar (glucose) accumulates in the blood to very high levels. This excess glucose attaches to proteins in the blood vessels and alters their normal structure and function, making the vessels thicker, and less elastic for blood to travel through. _______________________________________ My Mom's Story
Diabetes has affected me personally because my maternal grandparents, several of my uncles and aunts, and my mother,
and most recently, my dad, were all diagnosed with the disease.
My mom was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 at the age of 37. Diabetes ravaged her health, causing her to lose sight in one eye, as well as suffer toe amputations. While still in her 50s, my mom suffered kidney damage and loss of sensation in her feet so that she had trouble walking and was forced to stop driving. By age 60, she was on Oxygen. In 2004, after battling Diabetes for over 25 years, my mom passed away from Congestive Heart Failure at age 63. (Heart failure is a silent killer of diabetics, as there are often no advance warning signs or symptoms.)
Over the years, I witnessed my mom go from being an active, full-of-life housewife, mother of five, and grandmother of 10,
to being too tired and breathless to do her own housework, and having her independence severely limited by being unable to
walk or stand for longer than short bursts of time, and finally, being unable to drive.
Diabetes limited and shortened my mom's life, curtailing my parent's dreams of traveling together when dad retired, and preventing the youngest grandchildren from truly getting to know the loving person that she was. My mom will never help my youngest sister plan her wedding, nor will she know any children she may have. My mom wasn't present at my sister's college graduation or her eldest grandchild's high school graduation. At the time of her death, my parents had been married for 44 years. Without our mom, there is a great void in our lives. We have have not only lost our mom, but our best friend.
In the last few years, my father has also been diagnosed with Diabetes 2.
If you are diabetic, you can help to control your disease by maintaining a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise, monitoring your blood sugar daily, and keeping all doctor appointments to monitor your vision, kidney function, cardiovascular health, and feet. If you have a loved one with Diabetes, you can donate to the American Diabetes Association to educate Americans on prevention and control of this disease, as well as to fund research to some day find a cure. No matter how small, your generous gift will help improve the lives of the more than 18 million Americans who suffer from Diabetes and the 41 million people with pre-Diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!
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Smart Kids...Smart Mom?
A neighbor who knows my kids, and also knows I married twice, asked, "Susana, how come you have such smart sons? Did you marry smart men?" Without missing a beat, I replied, "As a matter of fact, I did marry smart men, but I'm smart, too!" Between giggles, she responded, "Of course, but I KNOW fathers have a lot to do with it," the "it" meaning the intelligence level of children, and more specifically, I surmised, of MY children.
Although I defended my "intelligence genes," I admit to sometimes finding myself in situations worthy of an "I Love Lucy" or "Laverne and Shirley" sitcom. The following scenarios are prime examples: THE UMBRELLA While crossing the office parking lot one morning, I felt rain, and turned around to retrieve my umbrella. Upon reaching my car, I unlocked the door, dropped the keys in the seat while reaching under it, triumphantly grabbed the umbrella, and slammed the door. Then I realized that YES, I was prepared for rain! However, my keys were locked in the car.
THE SPEEDING TICKET When I was commuting a two-hour round trip to college, day care, and two jobs, any traffic delay was a major obstacle. One day I found myself behind an incredibly slow truck driver, and decided to pass him and whoever he was trailing. As I sped up to pass the truck, I found myself also passing the state trooper in front of him. The officers laughed when they saw the surprised look on my face, and promptly pulled me over. They were still laughing when they asked me to step out of my car and walk a straight line. They could not believe a sober driver had tried to pass them. Unfortunately, they also felt the humorous situation warranted a serious ticket.
THE ANTHRAX SCARE Once I came home from work to find my mailbox full of dirt. When I inspected it more closely however, the dirt seemed more like powder, and as was the media-induced paranoia of the day, I feared Anthrax poisoning. But before I called the police, I noticed the house was a mess and shouted for the kids to help me clean. While my eight-year-old, Joey, helped vacuum, my eldest, 15-year-old Brian, refused, stating, "If it's REALLY Anthrax, the police should be called right away. If it's not, the housecleaning can wait til morning. I'm going to bed." The sweeping, mopping, dusting, vacuuming, and uncluttering took 45 minutes. The police determined heavy winds forced extra dirt into the mailbox. No one came inside to judge my housekeeping.
HARD BOILED EGGS While making the kids eggs, toast, and bacon one weekday morning, I tried to save time by microwave-boiling Joey's egg. Needless to say, the microwave exploded, and the egg, and bowl it was in, shot out like a speeding flying saucer. Luckily, no one was hurt. But the microwave did not survive.
But, hey, they say even Albert Einstein couldn't tie his own shoes, and was cursed with such a bad sense of direction, they had to paint a path leading to his lecture hall or he'd get lost every day. Yes, I have smart boys, who are not only "book smart" but have common sense. It's a good thing I married smart men!
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Pig Teeth?
Years of antihistamines and lack of dental insurance contributed to periodontal
disease, despite my diligent brushing and flossing. But, they say humor can get you
through anything in life. When I opted to NOT be sedated during the second phase
of my periodontal surgery, the surgeon chose to relax me by quipping funny lines.
"Are you heartless, Susana?" he'd say. "You're hardly bleeding!" I'd giggle at the appropriate times, as much as I could, with my head back and mouth held open as the surgeon pulled back my gums, cleaned up the infection, then scraped the roof of my mouth and transplanted the extra skin on my gums.
Happily, he didn't do a bone graft (from my hip or something too gross for me to
imagine--freeze-dried cadaver bone) to replace the bone loss in my jaw, but
instead installed fetal pig teeth buds to stimulate bone growth.
"Will you grow pig teeth?" asked my son, Joey. "No, just bone," I said aloud, while thinking to myself, 'I hope!'" Then to my dismay, I snorted loudly as we laughed together.
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The Cube Farm: A Happy Place!
I'm one of those lucky few who enjoys a full-time day job along with a part-time, freelance business.
As a Senior Technical Writer/Supervisor in Corporate America, I'm luckier than most. I spend my days Mondays through Fridays in a family-friendly and flexible IT division for a company so nice it actually adheres to a Customer Service Excellence motto for both internal (co-workers) and external (the customers) clients. Once a year, the company holds a themed Customer Service Excellence (CSE) day, with free food, games, and casual dress for everyone, including the contractors. In addition to our generous two-week vacation to start -- three weeks after five years -- four weeks after 10, we also get 10 sick days, several holidays, two personal days, and birthdays off! Meals are catered for all-day meetings and training...yes, training! STC memberships are included for the technical writers and out-of-state trips to STC conferences are permitted most years. Not only is it a nice company, with nice people, but it has nice benefits to boot. During good years, our employees can expect to receive an annual bonus of up to 10 percent of our annual salaries! Most people stay at our company forever, retiring after 30 years. It is so nice, in fact, that I didn't think our company could be beat...until I heard about Google, the Search Engine so popular its name is now used as a verb.
Google's motto is "Don't Be Evil" and the niceties extend to its perks. First of all, free meals are
prepared by company chefs at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California. On-site amenities also include a daycare center,
doctors, dry cleaning, laundry, a gym, and basketball and volleyball courts. Google also offers 12 weeks of maternity or paternity leave at 75 percent
of full pay, as well as up to $500 for takeout meals for the family when a new baby arrives. Buses
(with wireless Internet access) are also available to shuttle employees back and forth to work throughout the Bay area.
But the biggest perk of all is that the company's engineers are given 20 percent of their time at work to pursue their own ideas instead of company assignments. Last, but not least, all Google employees receive stock grants or options. Wow! It almost makes me want to pack my bags and leave sunny Orlando, Florida for sunny Mountain View, California.It sure is nice to know the face of Corporate America is changing. I think I can even see Dilbert smiling. Posted by Susana rosende on Saturday, January 17th, 2003, 7:51 AM To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Famous Technical WritersDilbert's Tina the Brittle Technical Writer
Fox's Andy Richter Controls the Universe
The Technical Writer - The Movie
Amy Tan, Technical Writer and Novelist
Kurt Vonnegut, Technical Writer, Novelist, and Graphic Artist
Thomas Pynchon, Technical Writer, Novelist
Dr. JoAnn Hackos, Technical Writer, Author, Director
Laura Lemay, Technical and Creative Writer
Lisa Higgins, Technical Writer, Humorist
Jodi Picoult, Technical Writer, Advertising Writer, and Novelist To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Resources for Technical WritersThought-Provoking Videos from TED - Ideas Worth Spreading
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The Downside of Technical WritingA Technical Recruiter once told me, "Susana, I have some advice for you...if you want to be a 'worker bee' go back to school and become a Nurse. There's just no respect out there for Technical Writers."He was serious. Newly-armed with my B.A. in English/Technical Writing, those were the last words I wanted to hear. But, 11 years later, I grudgingly admit he's right. The gods of the I.T. world, namely the computer engineers and programmers, often look down on writers. They figure they could do a better job of documenting their systems -- if they only had the time. What they don't understand is the importance of writing from the user's perspective, the main goal of the technical writer. Project managers and business analysts may forget to include writers in status meetings, or altogether, wreaking havoc with writing schedules as we scramble to learn systems well enough to produce quality documents at the last minute. What project teams often forget is that Technical Writing is not an isolated pursuit. Just as programmers build a product together, technical writing is a collaborative effort with engineers, analysts, Q.A. testers, writers, and editors. We cannot work in a vacuum. When the technical writer or editor is left out of the loop or receives no feedback on the documentation, the manual, guide, or online help is doomed. Sadly, in many projects, the user guide or online help is an afterthought, instead of being considered an essential part of the product. So, though a career in Technical Writing yields the most steady income of all writing jobs, unless one is a "technical Technical Writer," i.e. an engineer, web master, or computer programmer who writes, there are times one gets little respect. In every day life, there are many mind-numbing, soul-crushing, just-to-pay-the-bills job moments. During those moments, I wish to escape my career as a mild-mannered technical writer and editorial word Nazi for whatever soulless corporation I'm employed in at the time. But, then comes a project where my contribution is truly valued, and I fall in love with my profession all over again. The job of a technical writer can be an uphill battle, but those of us with inquisitive minds and a passion for writing, will nonetheless continue to pursue it.
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On Writing and CensorshipTop Censored Books01 - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck02 - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 03 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 04 - The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier 05 - Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 06 - The Witches by Roald Dahl 07 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 08 - How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell 09 - Blubber by Judy Blume 10 - Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 11 - Night Chills by Dean Koontz 12 - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl 13 - The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks 14 - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 15 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 16 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 17 - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 18 - I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Or rather...
To comment, click here. (Back to Top) Growing Up Bilingual
As a child growing up in the 1960's melting-pot neighborhood of Elmhurst in Queens, New York, I had the
unshakable conviction that every human being was bilingual. One language was reserved for the privacy of one's home
(in my case, Cuban Spanish), while the other --English-- was spoken with the rest of society. This attitude prevailed
among my peers, first and second generation Americans with their own "private" languages --Spanish, Polish, Italian,
Hebrew, or Japanese-- and English, our common tongue, which we had learned virtually through osmosis.
It was English that we heard on our Saturday morning "Bugs Bunny Cartoons" and on the "Ed Sullivan Show." It was English that was spoken by the beloved Mr. Softee ice cream truck driver and the revered soft pretzel vendor on the corner. It was also English that emitted from the lips of the magical Santa Claus at the Macy's toy department, as we sat on his lap for our Christmas photos. By Kindergarten, we had mastered the language, while many of our immigrant parents were struggling through "English as a Second Language" night classes. The English language reflected our childhood realities at school and on the playground. Our ethnic tongues, increasingly relegated to the status of second language, bound us to the realities of our heritage, and reflected a distant culture our parents struggled fiercely to preserve. One language tied us to our past, while English connected us to our future. By the 1970's, my family had relocated to then-all-American, middle class Willingboro, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here there were no more "private" foreign languages, except for my family's, and a neighbor's occasional visiting grandparent. Still, there were "code" languages inherent to every sub-group: the jargon of the businessmen spoken by the fathers at the neighborhood block parties; the choppy-intuitive exchange of the young housewives accustomed to having their telephone conversations interrupted by their pre-school children; and the slang adopted by us teenagers, our own private language, where "far out" and "cool" meant "great!" and "bad" meant "good." Today, my parents speak to my sons in both Spanish and English. More often than not, my boys respond in English. Yet they are gradually learning the language of my childhood--as if by osmosis--as they absorb the conversations of their loving grandparents. To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
The Tune-up
For instance, today, as usual, had been a long day. There was an efficiency expert at work fueling rumors of layoffs, the cat was lost, the dogs were barking, my teenager's boom box was blaring Metallica, and I'd barely walked in the door and kicked off my heels when I started making dinner.
After repeatedly calling the kids to wash up and help set the table, I felt myself starting to "lose it." When my eight-year-old finally came to the kitchen, I warned, "Joey, I'm getting angry!" Immediately, he ran to give me a big hug and kiss, accompanied by "Mom, I love you!"
I felt myself melting as I returned the embrace.
Seeing my smile, Joey commented, "Aw Mom. All you needed was a tune-up!" He was right. Moments like these are what keep me going. To comment, click here. (Back to Top)
Too Heavy for HeavenI have made many half-hearted attempts to lose weight this year. Taibo classes, dog-walking, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, aerobics. Of course, I didn't begin half-heartedly. Eventually, though, my attempts just lost momentum. It seemed all my exercise and dieting routines were interrupted for one reason or another: night class, work stress (translated stress eating), surgery, the kids' schedules, whatever...
Now the clothes in my closet can fit seven women, as they range in size from 2 to 14. But my expanding waist line hit it's circumference peak last night, when I barely squeezed into size 14 shorts. Could it be? Size 16! Ah, will I EVER wear size 2 again? (I never thought I'd hear myself say this...but, I'd settle for a 10!)
I should have listened to my eight-year old, Joey, last September and taken his words to heart.
"You know Mom, even if you did die in a plane crash, I know you'd never leave me." "That's right, Joey," I murmured, "I'd be forever in your heart and mind, and you in mine."
"No, Mom," he replied, "I mean you'd never leave this house. I'm sure you'd haunt the place."
"Oh really?" I laughed, surprised at his imagination. "Yeah, you'd NEVER go to Heaven." No longer laughing, I asked, "Joey, why do you say that?" "Because, Mom," he said, "You're too heavy to fly up there!" To comment, click here. (Back to Top) |
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