Somehow, I believe, many of the characteristics of my mother's parents have rubbed off on me, but with less intensity. I tend to be conservative in how I spend money, but can also lose that discipline. One thing I can say is that I don't have religious affliations, so the whole thing about not dancing is just silly. However, I have strong moral beliefs but for myself only. Never do I want to tell others how to live their lives as often people with strong moral convictions are want to do. Also I feel a strong tie to the land and to nature. In other words, I am not a city person, although I do appreciate services and entertainment options that are in an urban area.
20110730
LJ down again--Updates
LJ is down again (temporary slowness they call it), so making updates here.
* My dental appliance is not a problem that I thought it might be. I sleep well and there are no ill-effects from wearing it all night.It is easy to make it part of a routine as I already brush my teeth every night before bed. I just clamp the guard over my bottom teeth after brushing. When I wake I usually go to the bathroom which is where I now force the guard off the teeth, wash it off and put it in its plastic box. Today Sirius preceded me into the bathroom and when I did that first he had to investigate, because he didn't expect that would be my first bathroom activity, so he jumped up on the sink right after I finished putting away the guard.
* I've got a discussion going regarding what I am doing at work. I don't know where it will lead but I am happy that it is under way. Mainly I feel overloaded and it prevents me from being very happy at work not to mention inefficient and less productive.
* Just got a two bike rack delivered. This rack allows two bikes to hang on top of each other. This will save some floor space in our front area once I remove the vanity and Ikea bed.
* After more than 30 years of banking and certainly more than 3000 checks written, a machine has misinterpreted a check incorrectly. This was a big mistake, too. The check was written to pay off a credit card. It was interpreted as 1/100th of what the check was written for: the machine (on the credit card bank's side) inserted a decimal point which wasn't there! Unfortunately 1% of the total is less than the minimum payment due and the credit card people started calling. We figured out what happened and my bank says they will straighten it out by early next week. I suppose it could have been worse: the machine could have added two extra zeros and the check would have bounced. Then I'd owe my bank money and the credit card company would again be steamed! This would never have happened with a human being in the system: the words were very clear that I was sending a large amount of money...but the computers don't read that part of the check! One of these days I will send myself a check with a value spelled out in words as "blah blah blah waddity wah" and the number as .01 and see what happens.
* My dental appliance is not a problem that I thought it might be. I sleep well and there are no ill-effects from wearing it all night.It is easy to make it part of a routine as I already brush my teeth every night before bed. I just clamp the guard over my bottom teeth after brushing. When I wake I usually go to the bathroom which is where I now force the guard off the teeth, wash it off and put it in its plastic box. Today Sirius preceded me into the bathroom and when I did that first he had to investigate, because he didn't expect that would be my first bathroom activity, so he jumped up on the sink right after I finished putting away the guard.
* I've got a discussion going regarding what I am doing at work. I don't know where it will lead but I am happy that it is under way. Mainly I feel overloaded and it prevents me from being very happy at work not to mention inefficient and less productive.
* Just got a two bike rack delivered. This rack allows two bikes to hang on top of each other. This will save some floor space in our front area once I remove the vanity and Ikea bed.
* After more than 30 years of banking and certainly more than 3000 checks written, a machine has misinterpreted a check incorrectly. This was a big mistake, too. The check was written to pay off a credit card. It was interpreted as 1/100th of what the check was written for: the machine (on the credit card bank's side) inserted a decimal point which wasn't there! Unfortunately 1% of the total is less than the minimum payment due and the credit card people started calling. We figured out what happened and my bank says they will straighten it out by early next week. I suppose it could have been worse: the machine could have added two extra zeros and the check would have bounced. Then I'd owe my bank money and the credit card company would again be steamed! This would never have happened with a human being in the system: the words were very clear that I was sending a large amount of money...but the computers don't read that part of the check! One of these days I will send myself a check with a value spelled out in words as "blah blah blah waddity wah" and the number as .01 and see what happens.
20110729
The Story of a Lifetime 14b
Just who were John and Mary Smick? Really, I do not know. I only had a brief encounter with Mary (Grandma) and John died when my mom was just a teenager. Both were very young when they came to the United States, so they didn't relate to being Germans. Mainly they grew up as farmers and did the best they could do to raise a family and pay the bills during the Great Depression.
My mom, for instance, tells me she had hand-me-down clothes from her older sister Jean all of her life (the exception was a new coat she got when she graduated from high school). She didn't get well-fitting shoes, either, which led to hammer toes for the rest of her life. There is some possibility that John actually got in trouble with creditors and why the entire family hit the road during the 1930s, driving into Oregon, staying in Ashland, Oregon for a while and later rejoining the farming community in Colfax, Washington.
Saving money was the watchword...but so was responsibility. There was a strong work ethic in the Smick family and a certain religious discipline: they were Seventh Day Adventists which meant, among other things, that dancing was not allowed but going to the roller skating rink was fine.
The phrase "a woman's place is in the home" was probably something that was a given for the Smicks...until my mom rebelled, much to the chagrin of Mary. However, Mary was also smart. After all, she took on the day to day responsibilities of managing wheat farming or making financial deals eventually to get out of farming. So, when she see not only how my Mom was doing important work for the U.S. Army as a nurse and what it meant to Mom, she decided to become a nurse herself!
So, Mary (Grandma) was opinionated and tried to get her own way...but also listened and learned.
Mary's obstinate ways rose to the surface late in her life when my mom looked for residential care facilities or nursing homes where Mary could stay. My mom found that some places refused to take Grandma because of her behavior problems.
My mom, for instance, tells me she had hand-me-down clothes from her older sister Jean all of her life (the exception was a new coat she got when she graduated from high school). She didn't get well-fitting shoes, either, which led to hammer toes for the rest of her life. There is some possibility that John actually got in trouble with creditors and why the entire family hit the road during the 1930s, driving into Oregon, staying in Ashland, Oregon for a while and later rejoining the farming community in Colfax, Washington.
Saving money was the watchword...but so was responsibility. There was a strong work ethic in the Smick family and a certain religious discipline: they were Seventh Day Adventists which meant, among other things, that dancing was not allowed but going to the roller skating rink was fine.
The phrase "a woman's place is in the home" was probably something that was a given for the Smicks...until my mom rebelled, much to the chagrin of Mary. However, Mary was also smart. After all, she took on the day to day responsibilities of managing wheat farming or making financial deals eventually to get out of farming. So, when she see not only how my Mom was doing important work for the U.S. Army as a nurse and what it meant to Mom, she decided to become a nurse herself!
So, Mary (Grandma) was opinionated and tried to get her own way...but also listened and learned.
Mary's obstinate ways rose to the surface late in her life when my mom looked for residential care facilities or nursing homes where Mary could stay. My mom found that some places refused to take Grandma because of her behavior problems.
The Story of a Lifetime 14a
Mary Smick was born Mary Elizabeth Swent in Russia in 1893. She and her siblings Katy, Hank and Phillip Swent emigrated together. I do not know the names of her parents, but they must have emigrated as they had more children in the U.S.: John, Ryle and Leah Swent. Mary's father must have died (possibly in World War I or from the flu epidemic?) so Mary's mother re-married someone with the last name of Janke. Thus Mary had a half-sister from that marriage named Martha.
Mary married John Smick in late 1915 or 1916. At some point, probably during World War I, he anglicized his family name, so when married he may have had the previous name. I do not know for sure.
He was born Johannes Schmick in 1893 in Saratoff, Russia, a Volga River port located about 450 miles southeast of Moscow. His parents, Conrad and Cattarina, arrived at Ellis Island in 1898 when Conrad was 35 and Cattarina was 34. With them on the journey were Justin, Johannes, Anna and Conrad, Jr. Conrad, Jr. died during the trip over the Atlantic and was buried at sea. He was about 7 years old at the time.
Mary married John Smick in late 1915 or 1916. At some point, probably during World War I, he anglicized his family name, so when married he may have had the previous name. I do not know for sure.
He was born Johannes Schmick in 1893 in Saratoff, Russia, a Volga River port located about 450 miles southeast of Moscow. His parents, Conrad and Cattarina, arrived at Ellis Island in 1898 when Conrad was 35 and Cattarina was 34. With them on the journey were Justin, Johannes, Anna and Conrad, Jr. Conrad, Jr. died during the trip over the Atlantic and was buried at sea. He was about 7 years old at the time.
20110728
The Story of a Lifetime 13b
What do I remember about my oldest relatives? We are not talking heresay information, but just what I know from being around them.
Actually, there was really only one oldest relative whom I knew in any way, and that is my mother's mother, Mary Smick.
Grandma was very much like my mom, something Mom probably knew but didn't like to think about. You see, Grandma was very controlling especially when my Mom was in her late teens and early 20s. This is something my mom rebelled against and one of the key reasons my mom tried to get away from the farm as soon as she graduated from high school. My mom became a nurse and got to see a good part of the world.
Grandma apparently was impressed and decided to become a nurse herself. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say.
Okay, well, fast forward to when I knew Grandma. Mom brought us up to Spokane, Washington where Grandma lived at the time. She had a small house with two or three bedrooms and a chain link fence around the yard with a well trimmed lawn. Her Rambler was parked in a little garage as I remember: I don't think she parked it on the street.
I was warned by my mom to obey Grandma, so I did. But Grandma was always nice. I don't remember her doing anything that bothered me. I liked cutting out comics from newspapers and asked her if it was okay if I did so from her old newspapers. She was fine with it and helped me find some scissors. I somehow remember she was slightly amused I was going to all this trouble to cut out the strips so carefully.
There is not much more I can say. We were only there for a week at most and didn't do much. It was not exciting, but generally pleasant.
Actually, there was really only one oldest relative whom I knew in any way, and that is my mother's mother, Mary Smick.
Grandma was very much like my mom, something Mom probably knew but didn't like to think about. You see, Grandma was very controlling especially when my Mom was in her late teens and early 20s. This is something my mom rebelled against and one of the key reasons my mom tried to get away from the farm as soon as she graduated from high school. My mom became a nurse and got to see a good part of the world.
Grandma apparently was impressed and decided to become a nurse herself. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery they say.
Okay, well, fast forward to when I knew Grandma. Mom brought us up to Spokane, Washington where Grandma lived at the time. She had a small house with two or three bedrooms and a chain link fence around the yard with a well trimmed lawn. Her Rambler was parked in a little garage as I remember: I don't think she parked it on the street.
I was warned by my mom to obey Grandma, so I did. But Grandma was always nice. I don't remember her doing anything that bothered me. I liked cutting out comics from newspapers and asked her if it was okay if I did so from her old newspapers. She was fine with it and helped me find some scissors. I somehow remember she was slightly amused I was going to all this trouble to cut out the strips so carefully.
There is not much more I can say. We were only there for a week at most and didn't do much. It was not exciting, but generally pleasant.
The Story of a Lifetime 13a
In the past week I have purchased what is essentially a "fill-in-the" Blank Book called The Story of a Lifetime. It offers a way to document your life, prompting you with questions and allowing you to answer in the blanks. When you are finished filling everything out you have a sort of autobiography (or at least all the basic facts to create a readable autobiography). It would be great if everyone did one of these.
What I am going to do is fill out the blanks in this blog first before committing to paper, then will handwrite my comments into the book.
The first blank is 13a which essentially requests information about how my family moved from one country to this one. That is a story in itself.
I will give a brief answer now and will edit it later.
My father's family emigrated from Switzerland, arrived in New York City and were processed through Ellis Island. It is unclear why they chose to come to the United States: it was not part of some political change. The Epiney's and the Caloz's came together and there is sort of a triangle relationship that existed in Switzerland and continued when they came to the USA. I have documentation about this.
My mother's family, the Schmick's and the Schwent's, were Volga Germans. They moved to the state of Washington but, like the Epiney's and Caloz's, they came through Ellis Island (in 1898). I don't know how they came to a Pacific coast state, however as they were wheat farmers it made sense they travel cross-country to settle in Eastern Washington. The reason to move was simple: The Czar didn't want them in Russia anymore. The Volga Germans were farmers from Germany who were invited to raise wheat and other crops in Russia by Catherine the Great in the 1700s. They came and they prospered. Then, in the late 1800's the Czar asked them to leave.
What I am going to do is fill out the blanks in this blog first before committing to paper, then will handwrite my comments into the book.
The first blank is 13a which essentially requests information about how my family moved from one country to this one. That is a story in itself.
I will give a brief answer now and will edit it later.
My father's family emigrated from Switzerland, arrived in New York City and were processed through Ellis Island. It is unclear why they chose to come to the United States: it was not part of some political change. The Epiney's and the Caloz's came together and there is sort of a triangle relationship that existed in Switzerland and continued when they came to the USA. I have documentation about this.
My mother's family, the Schmick's and the Schwent's, were Volga Germans. They moved to the state of Washington but, like the Epiney's and Caloz's, they came through Ellis Island (in 1898). I don't know how they came to a Pacific coast state, however as they were wheat farmers it made sense they travel cross-country to settle in Eastern Washington. The reason to move was simple: The Czar didn't want them in Russia anymore. The Volga Germans were farmers from Germany who were invited to raise wheat and other crops in Russia by Catherine the Great in the 1700s. They came and they prospered. Then, in the late 1800's the Czar asked them to leave.
Ebay 13
Ebay just sent me a notice that I have been on Ebay now for 13 years. Wha?! Seems like only yesterday when Colleen Condron sent me email encouraging me to use Ebay to find some choice records. I eventually used it to buy everything from old magazines to furniture!
Our bed, bed stands, vanity, vanity stool (all Heywood Wakefield) were purchased through Ebay. The vanity, vanity stool, a bookcase and a china hutch/desk were picked up in Polson, Montana in early 2000! The bed and bed stands were purchased in Oklahoma and picked up by me in a moving truck in December 1999 on the way from Kansas to Oregon.
My Ebay number is 4775, indicating I won at least 4775 auctions (some sellers I had problems with may have given me negative or neutral ratings, so the number is not an accurate count of all auctions won).
Our bed, bed stands, vanity, vanity stool (all Heywood Wakefield) were purchased through Ebay. The vanity, vanity stool, a bookcase and a china hutch/desk were picked up in Polson, Montana in early 2000! The bed and bed stands were purchased in Oklahoma and picked up by me in a moving truck in December 1999 on the way from Kansas to Oregon.
My Ebay number is 4775, indicating I won at least 4775 auctions (some sellers I had problems with may have given me negative or neutral ratings, so the number is not an accurate count of all auctions won).
20110727
Distributed Denial of Service Attack
(the last post I made isn't showing up, so here I go again)
* LJ reports it is a victim of a massive Distributed Denial of Service Attack. Still going on.
* half of today at work: catching up on support issues.
* the other half: boring while waiting 5-50 minutes per program execution.
* picked out new frames for my new prescription. Difficult to get the style I like.
* picked up my $75 dental appliance today. I am wary but will give it a try.
* LJ reports it is a victim of a massive Distributed Denial of Service Attack. Still going on.
* half of today at work: catching up on support issues.
* the other half: boring while waiting 5-50 minutes per program execution.
* picked out new frames for my new prescription. Difficult to get the style I like.
* picked up my $75 dental appliance today. I am wary but will give it a try.
Back to work
Back to work today after a week away. Kick off, though, with a dentist appointment to fit a "night guard" which is supposed to help protect me from putting too much pressure on my teeth while sleeping.
Marisa is back from NYC. Despite the hot weather there she still managed to make it a worthwhile trip but she was obviously glad to get home.
We had dinner last night at Beaches before heading home.
The vegetarian pizza was good: had good, fresh ingredients. Unfortunately it disagreed with my digestive system and I awoke at 2:30 a.m. to deal with it. Lots of gas, however nothing more than that.
A week of culling ended yesterday with moving all stuff from the bedroom and hall way into the empty office closet. It is now much more serene outside my office. Unfortunately I won't be able to move any of the boxes in my office into the closet as well.
More culling ahead....
Marisa is back from NYC. Despite the hot weather there she still managed to make it a worthwhile trip but she was obviously glad to get home.
We had dinner last night at Beaches before heading home.
The vegetarian pizza was good: had good, fresh ingredients. Unfortunately it disagreed with my digestive system and I awoke at 2:30 a.m. to deal with it. Lots of gas, however nothing more than that.
A week of culling ended yesterday with moving all stuff from the bedroom and hall way into the empty office closet. It is now much more serene outside my office. Unfortunately I won't be able to move any of the boxes in my office into the closet as well.
More culling ahead....
20110726
Live Journal Down
I have been a Live Journal user for many years, but this week it has been difficult if not impossible to view my journal or access any LJ page. Today is the worst, in fact.
So I have decided to try another service, this one!
So I have decided to try another service, this one!
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