I have recently rekindled my interest in geneology. Did you know that Grandjack was at least 1/4 Luxembourgean?? As in from Luxembourg, the teeny tiny country next to Germany?? I didn't. I have traced parts of his ancestry back to the 1600's (no famous relatives yet...but I will let you know if I DO find any).
In continuing this search, I am asking for any and all info you might have about my forebearers. Meaning--full names, birth dates (even approximate), birth states/countries. Marriage dates/years/locations. Death dates/states. Every little bit helps. I have Grandjack back to his Great, great, great, great, great grandparents (well, a couple of them...), but almost no info for Grammie's side. And nothing at all on the Cooper side. (Other than the names Earl and Virginia).
Help me out! I will share all the info I have, if you are interested.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Ethan and I have finished season 5 of Star Trek:TNG, and are awaiting season 6. According to our blockbuster queue, there is a very long wait for this next season...so it may be a while. For all the uninitiated, here is a video that educates you on the episodes for each season. And, no, that is not Ethan's voice. He is not so much of a public singer.
What did you do this weekend?
Yesterday, Ethan and I added ourselves to the national bone marrow registry, and you should too.
Wanna be sure that if there is someone out there whose life you can save....you will be notified?? Now I know. If I can save a life, I will be given the chance to do so. Pretty cool, huh?
It costs $25-50 to be put onto the registry, and you stay there until you are 61. If a match comes up, they contact you and you learn a lot more about the process and have the opportunity to change your mind if your circumstances or health no longer make this a good idea. The odds of someone matching you are very small.....but how cool would it be to be able to donate!?
Wanna be sure that if there is someone out there whose life you can save....you will be notified?? Now I know. If I can save a life, I will be given the chance to do so. Pretty cool, huh?
It costs $25-50 to be put onto the registry, and you stay there until you are 61. If a match comes up, they contact you and you learn a lot more about the process and have the opportunity to change your mind if your circumstances or health no longer make this a good idea. The odds of someone matching you are very small.....but how cool would it be to be able to donate!?
Monday, March 17, 2008
My husband rocks
Ethan was nominated for an award through the UW.....by the directer of all of engineering. The award was for someone who embodies the UW's values of integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation and respect. He did not win the award, but just imagine that YOUR husband had this letter written by his boss. Could I be more proud???
It is my distinct pleasure to nominate Mr. Ethan Amerson for the David B. Thorud Leadership award. He currently serves as the supervisor at Harborview Medical Center's Department of Facilities and Engineering in the Lock Shop. While many in my department are exemplary employees, I believe Mr. Amerson fully embodies Harborview's mission and is a wonderful hospital ambassador to the general public.
Late last year, our Lock Shop went through a period of wrenching staff upheaval. Through it all, Mr. Amerson remained above the fray in both temperament and work product. Given the stressful situation, Mr. Amerson continued to perform in his typical calm and courteous manner and when called upon to step up to a leadership role, assumed new responsibilities in our time of turbulence like a seasoned professional. While I am unable to flesh out many details of this time period, please know that Mr. Amerson's efforts were not trivial in the least. He was able to remain mindful in the face of adversity.
Mr. Amerson typifies the kind of employee who inspires others around him. He unofficially serves as a mentor to other African-American employees in our department, often younger people than he who are beginning to carve out their careers based, in part, on his advice. He is wise beyond his years. As a Viet Nam era veteran and the father of a soldier who is currently serving his third mission as a helicopter pilot in Iraq, I'd follow Mr. Amerson up any hill. My belief in his skill set and in his intrinsic compassion are unqualified. He is truly a gifted locksmith who possesses a heart of gold. Those who work above and below him in the chain of command agree.
Like many other applicants who I suspect have been nominated for this award, Mr. Amerson is an employee who comes early and stays late, if the need be. He treats each request and requester with the same amount of respect-whether it is a clerical worker who locks her keys inside her desk or a King County medical examiner with a malfunctioning lock in the morgue or a psychiatric patient who has his clothes locked inside a closet. He accepts job assignments cheerfully and volunteers to help other shops within our department. Because of the nature of his work, he often interacts with those in our Door Shop, Machine Shop, Carpentry Shop, etc. He successfully collaborates and provides solutions for complex problems without hubris or guile. Mr. Amerson is like a breath of fresh air.
QUOTES FROM CLIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL HE HAS HELPED. EVERYONE LOVES HIM AND THEY'LL GIVE QUOTES IF WE CALL.
In closing, I'd like to reiterate how important Mr. Amerson is to the smooth functioning of our department, in particular, and to the hospital, in general. He displays the highest level of ethical performance, he is a natural leader who commands the respect of others, and he is trusted to operate at top levels of hospital security. I'm a luck director to have him in my department.
Sincerely,
Mark Olson
Administrative Director
Facilities and Engineering Services
It is my distinct pleasure to nominate Mr. Ethan Amerson for the David B. Thorud Leadership award. He currently serves as the supervisor at Harborview Medical Center's Department of Facilities and Engineering in the Lock Shop. While many in my department are exemplary employees, I believe Mr. Amerson fully embodies Harborview's mission and is a wonderful hospital ambassador to the general public.
Late last year, our Lock Shop went through a period of wrenching staff upheaval. Through it all, Mr. Amerson remained above the fray in both temperament and work product. Given the stressful situation, Mr. Amerson continued to perform in his typical calm and courteous manner and when called upon to step up to a leadership role, assumed new responsibilities in our time of turbulence like a seasoned professional. While I am unable to flesh out many details of this time period, please know that Mr. Amerson's efforts were not trivial in the least. He was able to remain mindful in the face of adversity.
Mr. Amerson typifies the kind of employee who inspires others around him. He unofficially serves as a mentor to other African-American employees in our department, often younger people than he who are beginning to carve out their careers based, in part, on his advice. He is wise beyond his years. As a Viet Nam era veteran and the father of a soldier who is currently serving his third mission as a helicopter pilot in Iraq, I'd follow Mr. Amerson up any hill. My belief in his skill set and in his intrinsic compassion are unqualified. He is truly a gifted locksmith who possesses a heart of gold. Those who work above and below him in the chain of command agree.
Like many other applicants who I suspect have been nominated for this award, Mr. Amerson is an employee who comes early and stays late, if the need be. He treats each request and requester with the same amount of respect-whether it is a clerical worker who locks her keys inside her desk or a King County medical examiner with a malfunctioning lock in the morgue or a psychiatric patient who has his clothes locked inside a closet. He accepts job assignments cheerfully and volunteers to help other shops within our department. Because of the nature of his work, he often interacts with those in our Door Shop, Machine Shop, Carpentry Shop, etc. He successfully collaborates and provides solutions for complex problems without hubris or guile. Mr. Amerson is like a breath of fresh air.
QUOTES FROM CLIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL HE HAS HELPED. EVERYONE LOVES HIM AND THEY'LL GIVE QUOTES IF WE CALL.
In closing, I'd like to reiterate how important Mr. Amerson is to the smooth functioning of our department, in particular, and to the hospital, in general. He displays the highest level of ethical performance, he is a natural leader who commands the respect of others, and he is trusted to operate at top levels of hospital security. I'm a luck director to have him in my department.
Sincerely,
Mark Olson
Administrative Director
Facilities and Engineering Services
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Massive irritation
A little work-related fuming.
I requested (in OCTOBER of last year), time off in September 2008 for our trip to Hawaii. My ortho manager approves vacations...but is a bit absentminded and disorganized. When I turn in vacation slips to him, I wait a couple weeks then ask him if he has seen them and if I was approved. All I generally get is an 'oh, you're fine', and off I go. When I went to Australia--I got an' oh, you're fine' and went. I am supposed to get a copy of the request back for my records, but that never happens. Never. Not in the 2 years I have been working this UDF job.
So. I turn this slip in, along with some single days off I knew I needed for February and March. I wait awhile. I ask him about them...he says 'oh, you're fine'. I book the trip.
Now, SIX MONTHS LATER, I am being told that I was NOT approved, and that someone else already has the time off. Apparently, the 'oh you're fine' was to only mean the single days off, and not the big trip. AND, this someone is NOT hired as a UDF, works as a fill-in person for my days off, but is NOT officially hired into the position (and therefore should not count as being a UDF who is off on vacation--she was never hired!! She is an RN who fills in!).
This all came out the afternoon before my manager left on a 3 week vacation of his own, so he is not here for me to talk to and work things out. The assistant managers are telling me all this stuff.
Bottom line--I am going. Trip is booked, not my fault if they forgot that I was told that I was approved. Basically, the manager approves UDF vacations (me), and the assistant managers approve RN vacations. An assistant manager approved the RN-who-fills-in-as-UDF vacation, and is telling me I can't go. Not gonna happen--I am going.
To top this all off, today I am told that my April vacation (to Mazatlan), is not being approved. I turned it in a few weeks ago, but pulled it out of the manager's box to give to the assistant managers since this whole snafu with the September vacation happened. I told him that I had checked, and there were NO UDFs off at this time, no problems, and easy approval. This morning, they tell me that there are 2 floor RNs off, and I can't be approved. Since the policy has been 1 UDF off at a time, not paying any attention to the RNs who are off, this is crap. I am going. Already have plane tickets and hotel reserved. Going. I did my pary--checked to be sure there was no conflict with other UDFs, even spoke with a fill-in person to see if she wanted to cover some of my days off. You can't just change policy without telling people. No other UDFs are off....so I am going!!!!
I requested (in OCTOBER of last year), time off in September 2008 for our trip to Hawaii. My ortho manager approves vacations...but is a bit absentminded and disorganized. When I turn in vacation slips to him, I wait a couple weeks then ask him if he has seen them and if I was approved. All I generally get is an 'oh, you're fine', and off I go. When I went to Australia--I got an' oh, you're fine' and went. I am supposed to get a copy of the request back for my records, but that never happens. Never. Not in the 2 years I have been working this UDF job.
So. I turn this slip in, along with some single days off I knew I needed for February and March. I wait awhile. I ask him about them...he says 'oh, you're fine'. I book the trip.
Now, SIX MONTHS LATER, I am being told that I was NOT approved, and that someone else already has the time off. Apparently, the 'oh you're fine' was to only mean the single days off, and not the big trip. AND, this someone is NOT hired as a UDF, works as a fill-in person for my days off, but is NOT officially hired into the position (and therefore should not count as being a UDF who is off on vacation--she was never hired!! She is an RN who fills in!).
This all came out the afternoon before my manager left on a 3 week vacation of his own, so he is not here for me to talk to and work things out. The assistant managers are telling me all this stuff.
Bottom line--I am going. Trip is booked, not my fault if they forgot that I was told that I was approved. Basically, the manager approves UDF vacations (me), and the assistant managers approve RN vacations. An assistant manager approved the RN-who-fills-in-as-UDF vacation, and is telling me I can't go. Not gonna happen--I am going.
To top this all off, today I am told that my April vacation (to Mazatlan), is not being approved. I turned it in a few weeks ago, but pulled it out of the manager's box to give to the assistant managers since this whole snafu with the September vacation happened. I told him that I had checked, and there were NO UDFs off at this time, no problems, and easy approval. This morning, they tell me that there are 2 floor RNs off, and I can't be approved. Since the policy has been 1 UDF off at a time, not paying any attention to the RNs who are off, this is crap. I am going. Already have plane tickets and hotel reserved. Going. I did my pary--checked to be sure there was no conflict with other UDFs, even spoke with a fill-in person to see if she wanted to cover some of my days off. You can't just change policy without telling people. No other UDFs are off....so I am going!!!!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Saturday, March 01, 2008
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