Kids fed to executives?

I had to share this sentence from a news story I just read:

"The company has long made its decisions based on the advice of kids fed to executives through its interactive website, where bear owners play games..."

Now, I know it was the advice that was fed to the execs, not the kids, but I had to read it twice!

I did get a good little chuckle out of it.

I am impressed

I heard about this guy from a friend yesterday: http://gwr7dayrun.com/

He's raising $38,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society (a cause near and dear to my heart) and trying to break a world record.

I am so impressed with his ambition and drive. I have a hard enough time trying to raise $2,800 that I can't imagine the effort that is needed to raise $38,000.

I hope he achieves both goals.

This is a great story

Have your tissue box nearby. This is truly a wonderful story and further proof that teenagers are not aliens and are out there doing remarkable things everyday.

"For love of the game"
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5218228

Do I need to know you’re getting your haircut?

I don’t understand why people find it necessary to announce where they are all the time. Are we that narcissistic that we think everyone (anyone) wants to know?

I think Foursquare, Gowalla and the ilk are a waste of time. The people who need to know where I’m at can call me or they already have the information.

I especially don’t like the people that auto-tweet their locations. I really couldn’t care less where you are.

I also find it amusing that while people like to hide on the web (think anonymous blog comments, posts, etc.) they are willing to broadcast their location on other platforms. I shake my head.

Bottom line, I don’t care if you’re at Starbucks or are the mayor of Thriftway, so quit tweeting about it. Really.

Dear Facebook, It's Over

Dear Facebook,

It’s not me, it’s you. You’ve taken it all too far. You want to own me and I just don’t want to play with you any longer.

Yes, I’m breaking up with you. Oh, I’ll keep my name and I’ll check in occasionally, but my love of you is gone. You no longer want to help me. It’s all about you now and what you can do to make money.

That is not what I signed up for. I signed up as a way to connect with friends and renew friendships. I didn’t mind the little ads on the side (even if they were a bit creepy). But once you decided that anything I put on my Facebook page should be available for everyone to see, our relationship started its downward spiral.

I can’t keep up with all your ‘privacy’ changes. I will vigilantly check them and keep my private life my own, but I’ll be removing a lot of information. I don’t need you to look through my data to ‘help’ me find a vendor or an interest group or a ‘friend.’ I’m capable of doing that myself, thank you very much.

Unlike others who seem to think it’s all harmless, I am alarmed at how cavalier you are with my information – all to make a buck. It’s shameful, really.

So, I guess this is good-bye. It was fun at first, but the bloom is off the rose and it’s time for me to find someone who will always keep MY best interests at heart.

Sincerely,
Me

Additional reading:
Can we get some privacy?
Overplaying your hand
Facebook’s Gone Rogue

5/14: Add this to the reading list (this is what I'm talkin' about):

Facebook's Biggest Issue Is Its Serious Bait-And-Switch

Welcome to Spring in Oregon!

Wow – so much rain today. But the snow in the mountains is helping with the water levels so it might not be so bad in the summer.

An update on my adventures in training for the Seattle Rock-n-Roll marathon:

This is our 11th week of training. We have 12 weeks until race day! Tomorrow we do 12 miles and next week we do 13. I'll be walking in the Race for the Roses on Sunday for my mileage.

March was tough for our team. One of our Honored Teammates passed away on March 8. Hunter was diagnosed with an aggressive form of AML when he was just 14 months old. He received a bone marrow transplant about 8 months ago, but struggled with the aftereffects until his death last week. He was just 3-1/2 years old. His parents kept a blog of his life, www.healinghunter.com. It is a moving account of the ups and downs of their fight with this disease. The final post is a heartbreaking record of Hunter’s last day. Have plenty of tissues on hand when you read it.

Before our walk the Saturday following Hunter's death, our coaches talked about Hunter and we had a moment of silence. Most of us pinned photos of Hunter on our clothes or carried his photo in a pocket to remember why we were out there.

Then we heard from a former participant, John. John’s son Evan was also diagnosed with AML when he was 2. But his story has a different plot and a happy outcome. He turned 9 on March 13 and is doing very well and is cancer-free. It was very heartening to hear Evan’s story and to hear the pride and thanks in his father’s voice as he told us the story. It is for Hunter and Evan and everyone else that is fighting a blood cancer that I continue to participate in Team in Training and support the LLS.

For most of the people on our team, walking 12 miles tomorrow will be the farthest they have ever walked. It’s always exciting to be with someone who has accomplished something they didn’t think was possible.

I am inching towards my fundraising goal and could really use your help!

To donate, please visit my fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/or/rnrseatl10/laubin

One Reason Why I Support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

This is just another reason why I support the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:

Important Update for Myeloma and Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Patients
Effective February 1, 2010, eligible myeloma and Waldenström macroglobulinemia patients will now be able to receive up to $10,000 in support to help offset the costs of prescription drug co-pays and other insurance related expenses. This increase is retroactive for expenses incurred from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 and is available to new and currently approved patients.

That is a significant amount of money to help patients with all the little bills associated with their illness that insurance doesn't cover.

Please visit my fundraising page to help me support the mission of the LLS:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/or/rnrseatl10/laubin.

Aren't they cute?

 

Kenai and his good friend Bruce after a nice walk this morning (taken by Bruce's mom, Marcia).

It's All Good

I'm up too early on a Sunday! I'm too excited about the trip to Vegas today to sleep in (mind you, sleeping in for me is waking up any time after 6 a.m.). I just don't know what to expect!

Training for the Seattle Marathon officially started yesterday. We had our first team clinic and walk. My enthusiasm had been a bit on the wane but after the kick-off party on Wednesday night and the walk yesterday, I'm excited for this event once again. Whew! It would've been a long season if that hadn't changed.

And, there's still time to join me!

We met at the Grand Avenue location of Portland Running and Walking. Dave and Paula have been great supporters of LLS and are just nice people. Five years ago I was sitting in those seats, apprehensive about what I'd gotten myself into but determined to see it through. And I did and now I'm on my 9th marathon with no end in sight.

Looking around the room and seeing the optimism and determination of each person there is always inspiring. I can't help but wonder which ones will end up not completing the season since everyone is so excited to start and make some positive changes in their life and in the lives of others. I hope the odds are in our favor that everyone finishes.

Finished filling out the FAFSA form at 11:00 p.m. last night. It required that I get my taxes done sooner rather than later this year. I owe small amounts to the Feds and State. :( Guess I better make some changes to my W-4s when I get back. I also have to fill out the PROFILE form but that's going to have to wait until I get back from Vegas, too. I just can't think about numbers any more this weekend!

Marie was accepted to Willamette! I am very excited for her even if it's not her first choice. It's just good to know that you have options. She also received a $10k merit scholarship that is renewable for all four years as long as she remains a full time student with a 2.5 GPA. I don't think that will be a problem for her! (I would LOVE it if she went there and I think she'd really like it and it's close to home, but I'm not going to pressure her into it.) Let's just hope we get good financial aid wherever she chooses to go.

Time to start packing. I usually over pack (who doesn't) so I'm trying to be very thoughtful about what I take. The hardest part is the shoes. I want to be ready for anything, but I don't want to take a big suitcase. Sigh. It's only 4 days, I think I can manage with just a couple of pairs, but it is soooo hard!

As I told my friend Stacy, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and something better happen in Vegas! ;-)

Where is Star Park's Customer Service?

I am a monthly parker with Star Park (they also manage the Smart Park lots for the City of Portland). I use their Metro lot because it’s just a couple of blocks from my office and it’s covered. I can tell you without reservation that Star Park sucks at customer relations.

Back in December (why does it sound so long ago?), Star Park notified us that the garage needed to be closed immediately due to some vague ‘structural’ issues. Only those monthly parkers who work for the State of Oregon or Metro would be allowed to use the garage and they would park on the 4th level.

The rest of us were initially redirected to park in a different, outdoor lot 4 blocks from my office – not a significant difference but now my car is exposed to the elements each day and I’m paying the same amount of money.

On December 17th, I had been instructed to park at a lot even farther from my office. In the summer time this wouldn’t be such an issue but in the winter, it is. BTW, none of my co-workers who also parked at Metro received the letter I did. They got something else. HUH?

Our offices were closed for the holidays so I didn’t need to park for two weeks. Ever the optimist, I drove to the garage hoping against hope that it would be re-opened. No such luck.

Since December 17th I have heard NOTHING from Star Park. None of my colleagues who used the lot have heard ANYTHING from Star Park. The five of us we have called and emailed with NO RESULTS. One friend was told that a letter was sent to all monthly parkers on 1/4 but none of us has received it.

I have checked Star Park’s website and there is NOTHING on it. We are at a loss on where to turn to get information.

I can see the lot from my window at work and there is NOTHING being done to the garage. They could at least post a notice at the attendant’s booth with information on the status.

I completely understand that this situation was out of their control. But what IS in their control is the message they send to the people who care about it. They have alienated everyone that I know that parked there (I'm sure there are others, too). They might not get us back as customers if they do re-open the garage.

I may re-think parking at any of the Smart Park lots, too. I am hesitant to support a company that ignores its customers.

UPDATE: I finally received a letter from Reed Wagner, METRO Interim Director of Parks and Environmental Services, dated January 8. All monthly parkers can park on levels 3 and 4 beginning Tuesday, January 12. Daily parkers will continue to use off-site lots.

While I am appreciative of finally receiving some information, it does not absolve either Metro or Star Park from their poor customer service. I will correspond with Mr. Wagner to let him know my displeasure. I'm usually one to 'move on' and put these things behind me, but in this case I feel very strongly that they need to understand how poorly they handled this situation. And it didn't have to be that way.

He's one happy Dog

A few photos of my favorite pooch!