July-August 2003

Murdock Muse July-August 2003 - Part 2

GAME DEDICATED TO GRANDPA SLIM
Sean Murdock

Hate to admit I let these kinds of things go too often without remembering them, but I do have a (belated) birthday present in store...

In one of the most popular online games ever (if not the most popular) I have been learning to create maps for people to play against eachother online. My next map will be dedicated to Grandpa Slim, will say so in bold text somewhere where players will see it often, and I will post screenshots for the murmuse when its finished.

My Grandpa Slim is the coolest. :D

If you or Grandma could get me some sort of personal information such as Grandpa's final rank in the Navy, or his military id#, I think it would add a good personal touch on his "monument" in the map, as well as the preferred "full" name (ie: robert "slim" murdock, "grandpa slim", etc). [Ed. Note: He chose Grandpa Slim and looks forward eagerly to the unveiling.--NAM]

FORKSVILLE POWWOW 2003
Carol Howlett

Just wanted to tell of our trip to Dushore PA. Chris, Angel, Brittany, & Gaitlyn went down on Saturday June 5th for some vacation time together. On Friday the 13th, son Rob and dogs Diesel & Norma came to pick Doug and me up to go to the 15TH annual Forksville Powwow. Chris happened on it about 6 years ago. It was our 3rd and Rob's 2nd. This year we had beautiful weather, not like last year when we all got soaked. Later in the day they invited people to go into the circle to dance. They had a special dance for children (the candy dance). Brit and Gaitlyn had a lot of fun; they were not interested in the candy they just wanted to dance. We went on Saturday and Chris took an extra day so we all came home on Monday.

We are looking forward to the July 5th reunion at John & Cathy's. Hope you have good traveling coming up. We are dog sitting Chloe, as Doug & Lisa have gone to Virginia Beach for a little vacation. They will come back on the 26th, which is their 11th Anniversary.

MEMORIES
Margery Aukstikalnis

Jack's been doing a little cleaning out and found some things that never got unpacked from Snake Pond. Among them were some old magazines from Heywood Wakefield. Attached is a scan of two of the pictures we found from the 1940 edition. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

The HW treasures came from Jack's collection of memories, as his Dad retired from Heywood after 37 years of service! As #7 child, I didn't inherit any of those, but share with siblings and husband. Yes, it sure is fun to come across them.

Jack's 15-year anniversary present to me was a collection of cards, napkins, invitations, pictures and other memorabilia of our wedding. It was heartwarming to review.

MY DAD
Meredith Murdock

My Dad... .. told me stories at night, with Poodle, and Donkey, too. [Picture of "Bedtime Piggy"]

.. brought me Sanka and waffles while I watched Scooby Doo. [A plate of waffles]

.. taught me how to ride a bike – although at first I fell. [A two-wheel bike, junior size]

.. taught me how to use computers, before there was a Dell. [Emblem of a Texas Instruments home computer]
Happy Father's Day, Dad!!!!
{Ed. Note: Meri's poem was laid out on a black background with yellow text and pictures as described. NAM]

AFTER THE SURGERY
Polly Soberg

6 May: Well, I'm sort of doing things as usual except not making beds, vacuuming, etc. Carl is very good about doing the housework and getting meals so I can't complain at all... I've been walking in the house and outside as much as I can. Actually I'm bored but finding things to do on the computer. Such as...

I ordered a new computer yesterday with all the fixings. I'd better get back to work before I get in more trouble... Fortunately, Carl is in favor of a new computer.

SILICON VALLEY SLUMP
Valerie Davidson

As bad as the economy is throughout the nation, and as horrible as it is here in California, we have the distinction locally of having the worst major city unemployment rate in the nation in San Jose, thanks to the demise of the Silicon Valley. Unfortunately, that happens to be in our "backyard," and the bad times extend to our section of the peninsula where we live. The boom was great while it lasted, but now Redwood City has huge complexes of new office space sitting empty for going on several years now!

Jerod works for the City of San Jose (under sub-contract), and happens to be indirectly involved in trying to find employment for legions of unfortunates. The number of jobs lost locally topped 250,000 several months ago, and I read in the paper that lost jobs jumped 70% in April--which I can easily believe. When I wet my finger and raise it into the wind, I feel nada, nada, nada... Already, many are working at jobs at far less pay than before, meaning that many others have been displaced right out of the workplace so that lesser-paying jobs can be grabbed by over-qualified applicants just grateful to have something coming in. A friend recently enquired about a job listing in the Sunday paper (the section is very thin these days), and they informed her that they had already received 4,000 faxes for the one position. She is holding on to the reduced-pay job she has already, even though it means a 40-mile commute each direction.

GLAD TO HAVE THE MUSE
Margery Aukstikalnisr

Just in time! I was able to print out the Muse while I read the newspaper, as we are leaving before 8:00 AM. It's a four hour trip, so I'm glad to have the Muse to read on the way. But what an added bonus! I don't know what ever made me go to the fun and games page when I have so little time, but I did, and bumped right into all the travel information we will need for our September trip to Canada! How wonderful! I was unable to pursue the details but have made note to go visit the link when we return fro the Cape.

By the way, Amy did finish the marathon, despite her injury, but did not run as fast as her qualifying time. We are proud of her for qualifying.

NEW JOB
Lori Turner

This past week I started a new job working at the hospital. I think I am going to really enjoy it. I am the Asst. to the Vice President of Human Resources/Administration and I will be very involved in the community with hospital events. I work Monday thru Friday and get off no later then 4:30. With being the Manager for the lotion store, I had to work nights, weekends and holidays. So it is so nice to have nights and weekends off.

Things here in WI are still going good. Will be buying a house real soon. Had one picked out but we changed out mind, wanted something a little bigger. The weather is beautiful and sunny. I am ready for snow so that I can try out the new snowmobile that I bought when I moved here.

Time to get ready to head out for the evening. We are going out for a nice prime rib dinner and drinks.

BABES IN THE WOODS
Nancy Murdock

For the first time, we flew into Orange County (John Wayne) Airport, which is just outside Anaheim, where we had a timeshare reservation. The biggest problem on the trip was the long walk in the Dallas airport, made worse by the fact that my smallish backpack grew to immense proportions in my mind as the weight of all the library books pressed me down. Next time, anything I take on the plane will have wheels. I finally got someone to get the keys and drive us the rest of the way in one of those carts that never have space for us. It was really embarrassing to realize my best packing efforts had been a failure!

We picked up the rental car and started innocently out to go to our timeshare, Dolphins Cove. After many, many tries back and forth on the freeways, and a phone call to Dolphins Cove, we were still lost. We finally saw a police patrol car in a neighborhood near where we had made the call at a WORKING phone outside a strip mall. (Yes, a working phone is unexpected in certain spots. We needed it because our cell phone had somehow drained, and we hadn't brought the charger.) The policeman was less familiar with the Anaheim area, but he kindly gave us some directions and said firmly that he would lead us out of the neighborhood, which he described as "problematic." As we followed his directions, we found that the exit to the highway we needed did not exist from south to north, only north to south. So Bob suggested we take the next exit and go south on the same road until we reached the correct exit, then take it north.

When we arrived at Dolphins Cove, we couldn't find our way to the "open all night" desk, as all entrances were locked at some point. We kept winding around and around the complex on foot, getting occasional glimpses of a lighted office but unable to reach it. It was a true nightmare. Finally, after a few more prayers and more walking, we found a window and got the attention of the people inside. A security guard came out and escorted us through the gate to the desk, where the night man looked at us with hope and asked, "Are you the Murdocks?" He was really worried when we didn't arrive after our call, especially when a serious accident occurred about the time he expected us. He sent the guard to check out if anyone involved was headed to Dolphins Cove, but he was still worried about us. His face lit up when we said "Yes."

The guard directed us to re-park our car in a spot that said "Employee of the Month." Then he carried our two large suitcases upstairs. As I staggered in with my backpack, etc., I saw an image in a mirror and wondered who that 100 year old woman was. We thanked the guard profusely with words and cash, dragged the stuff into the bedroom, and collapsed into bed at 3:00 AM. It felt very, very good to be in that beautiful, comfortable place, but by that time we would have thanked God for even a pillow on a closet floor.

IN THE NEWS
Gene Murdock

9 May, Gene Murdock: Robin is an Army recruiter, a job in which she excels. She has received many awards and commendations, but never expected to make the pages of a national magazine!! --From a proud father-in-law. [Ed. Note: Robin had her picture in U.S. News & World Report! It showed her interviewing some potential recruits.--NAM]

SO-CAL
Nancy Murdock

SoCal We had a wonderful time in CA, a real family time. Meri and her boss worked out the best days for her to be off, and we planned some events around that schedule. Becky and Ian were very flexible as to when we arrived and what everyone could join in with. We saw all of Ian's five and most other SoCal Muse readers except Claudia Lindsey, who will be at the Howlett Reunion. The visit has left us with very good feelings about all of them, and a nice idea of how their days go.

The primary reason for our trip was two graduation invitations we received a year earlier. Those important celebrations are in other articles. But we can't say enough about the way our grandchildren in CA are shaping their lives. All but Tim are now voting age adults, and Tim is a very mature 15. Besides being nice people, all of them are fun to be with and understanding of their aging grandparents. We had a chance to go to NaTT's pre season softball game and Tim's first baseball practice of the season. We ate at our favorite breakfast place and got our pictures taken by the waitress, while the kids cringed but kept a smile on their faces. We went to Baskin Robbins one afternoon on the spur of the moment. We picnicked at the park. We had several meals cooked at home and played some great games of Trivial Pursuit.

One night was designated as Guys Night Out at the Ballpark (Angels vs. Orioles), so the women had Chick Night. We ate at one of Becky's favorite places, where the waitress was wonderful (and took our pictures) and we enjoyed having just girl stuff to talk about: hairdos, nail care, clothing, shopping, tattoos, etc. Yes, Natt has a tattoo. Her parents recently spent one night in Las Vegas, where they dressed up and had a great time, and Becky won enough money to bring home $300 after paying the trip expenses. When they got home, all aglow after their first time away in years, they found NaTT had gotten a tattoo on her upper back just below her neck. It's quite nice, a discreet set of three stars in blue, red, and gold, but it was a shock to her parents.

Although we had planned a chick flick for our Chick Night, we had to switch to reality TV, since it was the final night of "American Idol" and the ladies didn't want to miss out on seeing who had won. This was a new experience for me, as the most recent TV show we had watched at home was probably the Nationals for ice skating competition.

One day, four or five of us went off to the Air and Space Museum in L.A. but found it closed, so we ended up at the Museum of Natural History. Bob and I particularly enjoyed the exhibits on the Native Americans in CA. Then we all cruised the Rose Gardens, which we hadn't visited for many years. It was good to see old favorites.

Christel invited us to her apartment for lunch, a very pleasant experience. It was very interesting to see how she had arranged things around the perimeter of the rooms to display some of her favorite things. Perhaps her drama background included getting a good eye for set arrangements. At any rate, I realized that we could do some different things at home here. This resolution hasn't borne much fruit yet, but it's percolating. I have added two more small quilts to the dining room walls, but that's only a small start. Christel and her friend Tiffany, who was visiting from San Diego, had arranged a gorgeous table setting, mainly of items Christel had bought on her most recent trip to Europe. They served delicious food from a nearby Chinese restaurant, including vegetarian eggrolls, which we had been unsuccessful at finding here locally. We made arrangements for them to come to our party in Anaheim at 5:30 on Friday, our last night at Dolphins Cove. (This was some really bad scheduling, which later caused a lot of serious guilt feelings on my part.)

Lorenza Soto, Sean's other grandmother, took us and Sean out to dinner one evening at Mimi's Restaurant in Downey, where we had a delightful time. Her health isn't as good as we'd hoped, but her witty conversation hasn't diminished at all. The waitress took our photo after she saw me taking pictures, so we have a nice memento of the evening.

Friday we went to the desert, to Joshua Tree National Park, after a late start. Ian decided to drive separately with Meri, so we were just two in ours. It was farther than we had remembered, so we didn't go for any long hikes. We let Ian and Meri each choose a book from the bookstore as a souvenir, and Ian used his to identify every plant we saw on our little walk at the Oasis. (Check "What's New" about July 20th for possible photos from CA.)

In mid-afternoon we realized we couldn't possibly be back for the party by 5:30. There was no phone at the site, but possibly a little juice left in the cell phone. The ranger said we might be able to get a connection by driving about four miles down the way, and fortunately this worked and Becky was home. She said she would call Christel and others, and re-set the time for 9:30. Then she would get there in time to let everyone in, for which we had given her one of the keys. We also called Chip Martz to change our arrival time at his house - for the second time! I tell you, our relatives deserve gold medals.

After a nice chance to update with Chip and snack on his arrangement of good cheese, crackers, and fresh vegetables, we pushed as fast as we could toward Anaheim. The clock seemed to move faster than we did, but eventually we reached the party, which was already in progress. I dashed to the kitchen to make some refreshments and set out the other offerings. Ian arrived with his justly famous four cheese enchiladas, the prettiest ones I've ever seen anywhere - and the tastiest! I had been asked to make some Mexican rice and deviled eggs. But a surprise favorite was the pasta salad I made from leftover tricolor rotini.

Christel and Tiffany brought a delicious carrot cake, two good games, and forgiving hearts. They had gone home after arriving the first time at 5:30 to find the place locked and nobody there. I am so grateful that they were willing to return! It was wonderful getting together for a party in that nice space. Several of us gathered around a small table for Yahtzee (brought by Christel). It turned out that Sean had never played Yahtzee, so this gave him a chance to make some of his amusing comments. Everyone had fun teasing each other, and we got rather loud, but Bob said he figured the vacationers in other units were probably not too surprised.

We had invited everyone to stay overnight, since there were beds and couches galore, but NaTT and Meri were the only ones who stayed. We took them home the next morning before we took off for the north.

UP HIGHWAY 5
Nancy Murdock

One thing we always look forward to in our CA trips is a nice leisurely drive up Highway 1, along the coast. There are several places where we like to stop, including the campground where we went family camping for several years. However, since we were going north on the first day of a holiday weekend, we judged it best to scoot rapidly up the faster, diagonal route so we could get to Valerie's house before a new day dawned.

We left from Ian's house after dropping off Meri and some of the food from the party at her house, where we knew her cats would punish her for staying away overnight. NaTT and the remaining food went to Ian's, where of course we then had to eat a dish of ice cream to fortify ourselves for the long drive. At the last minute Ian gave me a miniature bouquet he had created in an old nips bottle. I kept admiring it when I looked in the back seat or stopped to stretch.

The ride up was surprisingly pleasant, with the weather just about perfect. We ran into a problem at one stop, though. We smelled something ugly and thought it was a trash can, but we kept smelling it off and on. At first we thought it was the neighboring farms, after a nice layer of manure had been laid on the fields. But finally Bob's analysis located a cache of offensiveness on one tire. He said it was from driving through an innocent looking puddle at the gas pumps after a cattle truck had gone through. So I drove over the grass along the highway for a few feet, thinking it would come off like a little sand on shoes. Oh no, it acted like the doggy doo on Bob's shoes when he and I visited a nice church in Gardner while we were engaged. It lingered, no matter how much we tried to convince ourselves it had improved.

But the scenery was very interesting, with a minimalist, harsh beauty. We stopped at Casa de Fruta for auld lang syne, where we bought some rather overpriced dried cranberries and a ripe mango. We believe in encouraging the businesses that maintain rest rooms for our use. We enjoyed observing the layers of mountain and the irrigation methods in that dry part of the state.

We arrived at Valerie's after dark and couldn't believe how different her house looked from all the times we had seen it before. Her landlord had painted the whole inside, installed a new sink counter, and laid a new floor covering in the kitchen. She had thrown out all the old, much-used furniture and placed everything in different orientation from previously. Her beautiful fish in their nice clean tanks are the color focus of the decorating scheme. All the rest is white painted walls and ceiling, with black upholstery on the new rocker and the futon Jerod decided didn't work for his place. She had put up only a couple of paintings and quilts on the walls and was waiting for inspiration for hanging the rest. It was a complete makeover!

We checked into the motel and fell into bed after a long day of new scenes. The next morning we took Val to breakfast, after which Jerod was awake back at the house. So he and Bob took the car to a carwash and shopped for a few groceries. Then Bob took Jerod out to a steak breakfast. We spent the day lazily, catching up on all the news. Val's roses had bloomed profusely all at once just long enough before our visit that we saw only a few in bloom, but I paid my respects to all of them. I always look forward to her roses.

Val made a delicious bean chili, starting with the dry beans, and some tasty cornbread from scratch. She is always very good at coming up with vegetarian meals. One of the high points was her stories of her teaching jobs. It was clear to see that she loves her new career. She seems to have a knack for getting her students' attention and getting her point across.

We drove back to Ian and Becky's house on Memorial Day. It turned out to be a fairly sane idea, with our only heavy traffic six or so miles before Six Flags Magic Mountain. After thirty minutes of wondering if we would be able to get past it all, we were in the clear. We thought about what it would be like along the coast and patted ourselves on the back for being prudent. The family was still up when we arrived, and Becky, bless her heart, insisted she could sleep on some sofa pillows on the floor so we could have her king sized bed with its nice, frilly ruffles.

The whole vacation was a successful opportunity to visit with our family and learn more about how nice they are. God has truly blessed us.

WHAT'S IN A NAME
Nancy Murdock

My agency collects a lot of information about names in the course of its business. For the second year, some of the most popular first anmes for babies in the U.S. last year were in the newsletter a month or so ago. I found that you can go to the site (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/baby-names-pr.htm) and put in your own name to see where it ranks within the top 1000 for any year back to 1990. I was surprised to find that Nancy was #231 for 2002. Its high in that 13 year period was 236 in 2000, and its low was 141 in 1994. I never hear of anyone naming the baby Nancy any more!

You can also get the most popular names for either boys or girls for any year back to 1990, and you choose how many you want (10 to 1000). They mention that spelling differences are not grouped together, so Kaitlyn and Caitlin are separately counted, for example. For 2002 Emily and Jacob are #1, for the second year.

So give it a whirl and see how the names rise and fall in popularity. One interesting thing to me was the relatively small number of names we routinely use. It reminded me that many mothers would take care not to name a baby the same name as another Hubbardston child who would end up in the same classroom. However, not everyone had this same concern, and one year there were four Susans in a classroom or fewer than 30 students in two grades. My mother, who taught this group in grades 5 and 6, considered it a challenge to come up with four unique names acceptable to the students and their parents.

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