08.04.09
Yesterday’s Luncheon
We had meant to get together to celebrate months ago, but didn’t do it until just yesterday. Better late than never. . .
Actually, our luncheon was just an informal combined celebration for the awards my sisters and my boys (Brian and Andrew) are holding. Brian got his shiatsu certificate, Andrew got his AA diploma (magna cum laude 
), my sis on the left is holding a crystal plaque for Nurse of the year 2009, and my other sis on the right renewed her broker’s license. We like to find any excuse to get together, and a quadruple celebration definitely fit the bill!
Here’s a close up of my sister’s nursing award.
And I definitely agree that she’s a “great” nurse! When I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia back in 1999, she took great care of me and came to help me almost every day during my transfusion dependent days. She even started some of my IV’s when the nurses were having trouble accessing my veins. My other sister worked on co-ordinating all my blood donors and making sure there was always blood on hand for me. She called me every morning while on her way to work. I still remember her telling me, “I just want to hear your voice. . . “ There is no doubt that I have the “BEST” sisters!!!
Congrats, guys, for your successes!
And for a little trivia. . . While we were waiting for my sister to get ready for lunch, I spyed one of their “samples” on their conference table. They do remodeling work as well as retrofitting and seismic work. So I’ve known about how California has certain earthquake standards for construction, one of them being that certain buildings are required to be built with “rollers” to help make them more flexible during earthquakes. Aside from that, I never knew what or how those rollers looked. Well, I finally saw a sample. Here’s what the bottom layer looks like.
I tried to push the front, left ball to show how the platform is a bit concave. However, in this picture it’s hard to see the ball moving, although it was in actuality. This is a model of what the bottom rollers on a building looks like. Then the next layer goes on top of the rollers. The second layer looks like this when on top of the bottom rollers.
The rollers still have some room to roll this way. Then the third layer is placed on top of this, which looks like this and is the platform for the building.
This base construction/design gives the building some flexibility during an earthquake. The building will sway rather than crack due to rigidity. Here’s a pic of the three layers being pushed aside and still rolling along the rollers.
This is the reason I have been told that when in a tall high rise and I feel the sensation of “movement,” there really is movement. And that’s my trivia for the day!
Oh! While I didn’t have a “certificate” or “award” to show off, I did acquire something that I spyed in a little Japanese store after lunch and thought was too cute to pass up. . . Aren’t these adorable? Eeeeee!
I had to take them home. Here’s the side view of them.
As soon as I got home, I threw my new fat cat bowls in the dishwasher. I’ve been enjoying my meals today in them, heheheh. I should have looked around more to see if they had matching mugs. Oh well, maybe next time.
Marlakins
P.S. Funny to have this post titled “Yesterday’s Luncheon,” but not have any mention or pictures of our lunch! Ha! Well, it was Japanese food, and we were chatting so much that I forgot to take pictures of the food!
Kim said,
August 10, 2009 at 4:35 pm
What a great idea! A family awards ceremony! I agree, you have a great family. It seemed to most of us that your sister had a lot to do with keeping you going during your AA rollercoaster.
Of course, your husband continued things by doing so much research on your natural healing diet.
Congratulations to Andrew on his degree!
P.S. Love the kitty bowls!
Administrator said,
August 11, 2009 at 12:33 am
Thanks, Kim! Yes, my sisters did do a lot for me! I think it was my second sister (the donor organizer) that you must have spoken to back in those days. She’s the one that kept in touch with our office to make sure you all had the updates on me. My other sister, the nurse, worked on the medical side making sure that I was hooked up okay and on the days that I was too weak to walk, she’d wheel me there. I really fought the idea of having to use a wheelchair, but when I could barely walk up to the procedures center, I had to give in to that. It was either wheel me up or pass out. . . ha! Have you ever felt like lying on the lobby floor of a hospital? LOL She even wanted me to get a handicap tag so I could park closer, but I put my foot down on that one! Ha!
And yes, Brian was soooo supportive during my recovery. I have been humbled by his devotion and faithfulness in helping me in my recovery. Once I made up my mind to go natural, he defended me all the way. Whatever I needed, he made sure I got. Not once did he even hint that I was making a mistake to go natural. When I look back at my situation, I KNOW that I have been blessed. Not many people have the support I got or the circumstances that allowed me to do what I did (the logistics of my house to hospital, my good insurance, the abundant availability of organic foods and equipment like juicers, dehydrators, etc., my great family support, the financial means, etc.) I only wish more people would be so blessed, and it has helped me to see how it’s so important that we all help each other. It was a very trying period in my life, but I’ve learned a lot from it.
Also thanks for the congrats on Andrew’s AA degree. He actually got it last fall, and has gone on to continue at CSULA. If all goes well and according to plan, he may finish his BS this summer!
Okay, you take care and enjoy those babies!
Marla