#2 Tarheels

As we reflect on 2006 and plan for 2007, UNC is still ranked #2:( UCLA (#1 ranked) beat UW today, so I'm doubtful this will change. You Bruins & Devils will live your vivid nightmares when Hansbrough, Wright, & Lawson meet you face to face in Hotlanta in the Final 4. Stay tuned, I'm gearing up for intense conference play....where the men and boys are separated.

A Visit to Blue Heaven

During my recent Thanksgiving trip back home, I had the opportunity to visit the southern part of heaven. Now the thought has crossed my mind, will UNC be National Champions every year in heaven? I'm sure I won't care when I'm there. I was able to drive down Franklin street and by the infamous Dean Dome and see all the construction progress around campus and UNC Hospitals. The years are passing quickly because it was 22 years ago that the 2 ton dump truck brought me & all of my belongings up Hwy 54 & delivered me to 111 Joyner, across from the then "new" Wilson library. The memories will always be held dear because it was there in that environment where various experiences shaped me into the woman I am today. My first job as a nurse was at the then North Carolina Memorial Hospital at the NC Jaycee Burn Center. I was able to catch up with old friend Anita Fields and Ernie Grant. The experience of working there, with the best team in the world, developed my view of nursing into the positive, affirming one that I still hold today. I knew I would make a difference as a nurse because I saw that I did every day. More about that at a later date....111 Joyner has an air conditioner in the window and the outside door has been replaced to a connector with another new building. The tennis courts behind the dorm are gone, replaced with a parking garage. The Pit, the Bell Tower, Kenan stadium, Woolen gym...they are all still there. There is an new & improved Carrington Nursing School...so beautiful with it's dark wood, still holding the rooms where I learned my profession. How lucky I was to have the opportunity to go to the University of North Carolina! Here's a picture of me at the Old Well...the symbol of the University. I'm so far away now, but the place will live on in my memories and heart. Because whereever you go, you can look up and see that God made the sky Carolina blue!

Teardrops fall for Deputy Steve Cox

Thousands gather to honor fallen King County deputy

Governor Gregoire called slain King County Deputy Steve Cox a role model, an inspiration, a hero and a superman.She spoke at his funeral today at a SeaTac church."He was the embodiment of the best of public service," she said. "As a deputy prosecutor, as a sheriff's deputy, and as a community activist, he never stopped believing and working to the betterment of his community."King County Sheriff Sue Rahr told the mourners that no one will be able to fill Steve's shoes but she says deputies have an obligation to keep his legacy alive by not letting down the people of White Center.That's where Cox was working early Saturday when he was shot while questioning a suspect.Thousands of officers from across the region joined families and friends for the service at the Christian Faith Center. A motorcade to the service Friday morning went through White Center and past the sheriff's station where a memorial of flowers had been placed.Mike Schemnitzer served as Steve's partner for the past 2 ½ years, and said working with Steve was the biggest honor of his life. "The only thing Steve loved more than protecting White Center was his family," he said while holding back tears. Schemnitzer said that patrolling the community with Steve was like riding around with a rock star. "People would yell his name at the car and wave, and when we got out people would crowd around because they wanted to talk to him.""He was more than just a partner and a friend," Schemnitzer said of Cox. "He was a legend." The 46-year-old Cox was a former deputy prosecuting attorney who became a police officer and joined the King County sheriff's office nine years ago.He was known as a "cop's cop" -- bigger than life and determined to clean up the streets he patrolled.But at home, he was a loving husband and a new father. The day before the memorial service his widow wanted to share memories of the man she loved and lost."There's no words. I cannot express exactly what I feel," said Maria Cox.Maria Cox says it feels like a part of her has been ripped away; the way any woman would feel when she's lost her husband."He had a mission," Maria Cox said. "He wanted White Center to become a decent area. He says 'it's going to be clean, it's going to be fixed and we are going to make that happen.' "Steve Cox was on that mission Saturday, investigating an assault outside a White Center home. Police say as the deputy questioned Raymond Porter -- a known gang member and convicted felon -- Porter shot Cox in the head.Friends and family say Porter's bullet took a dedicated cop, a devoted husband, and an excited new father. Just a few months ago, the couple adopted Bronson, a son who brought out the softer side of Steve."Bronson's going to know his Dad was a big, big man," Maria Cox said. "Not just a tall, beefy guy but he had a very large heart, very responsible."To many in the community he seemed bigger than life. But at home, Maria says he tried to protect her from the sometimes dark details of his job.So, she says, she never knew just how special he was on the streets."I didn't know my Superman was everybody else's Superman."Even though Maria Cox thought of her husband as Superman, she worried about him being out on the streets. So every night, she fell asleep to the chatter of a police scanner so she could hear his code name and know that he was OK.In what seems like a merciful twist, Friday night was the one night that she didn't have the scanner on. So she never heard the desperate call that there was an officer down. Our hearts are breaking for the Cox family.

UNC Ranked #3

So, all you fans..weren't we PUMPED when the Heels beat Ohio State...now don't talk about the ifs, when, or buts...b/c on that night, the game ended with UNC having more points than the Buckeyes. YIPPEE. I did practice some deep breathing and guided imagery during the first half. Now we are going into the holiday blow out period....stay tuned.....PS. more & more Dook fans head for the closet...if they aren't # 1, you just don't hear many people saying how they are fans. Read my lips...when UNC only won 8 games ALL YEAR, I still watched the games (on mute, sometimes) and told everyone who asked, my name is #1 Tarheel Fan....move over, fair weathered fans....New AP Poll--Week 5
1. UCLA (55) 6-0 1,781
2. Pittsburgh (15) 8-0 1,713
3. North Carolina (2) 6-1 1,619
4. Alabama 7-0 1,550
5. Ohio State 7-1 1,510
6. Texas A&M 7-0 1,385
7. Duke 7-1 1,168
7. Florida 7-2 1,168
9. LSU 4-1 1,099
10. Wichita State 6-0 1,016

Lance, Zackery, & Grace

There are 3 special people in my life and unfortunately, I have to travel on a plane to see them. (teardrop)!Thanksgiving time was my trip back to see family and meet the newest special person...Grace, age 2 1/2 months. Lance in 4 and Zackery is 2. What a busy, wonderful time it was! I miss & love them so much!

October Madness

Now, you may guess by my name that I am the #1 Tarheel fan. I take my job seriously. There are 2 seasons of the year....1) basketball season & 2) pre-& post-basketball season. I have given you a break, as I have been patiently waiting and preparing for the upcoming Tarheel mania. (No medication required.) The schedule has been on the fridge for months, with the pacific time conversions. The ESPN Full Court package has been bought & paid for. The roster is on the fridge and I quiz myself on the home towns of each player. So, no more breaks for you. First we will have October madness (prep time, including learning each new player, stats, rankings), November madness (pre-season blow-outs, pre-season tourney trip to NYC), December madness (a short holiday break in between the early games), January madness (rising to ACC greatness), February madness (overcoming the Cameron crazies in their house), March madness (my party, on the 4th at 1pm PST where we will watch & celebrate UNC beating duke), & finally April madness (we will paint our bodies blue, run through the field, & scare the 9 month pregnant cows as we celebrate once again---a NCAA National Championship)! Now, the Gators can't get greedy, they had their celebration, so move over, here we come. The preseason polls are out...listed below. Dick Vitale has redeemed himself with me (I've always believed he is a secret, in the closet, duke lover and during the misery of the 8 winning game season, had to regularly mute him on my TV or listen on the computer to the hometown announcer). But, alas, he has been assimilated and has gone against the grain and put my BELOVED Tarheels as #1 ranked in the USA. Thanks Dick!
Week 1 ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. Florida (30) 0-0 772
2. North Carolina 0-0 728
3. Kansas 0-0 714
4. Ohio State (1) 0-0 595
5. Pittsburgh 0-0 583
5. UCLA 0-0 583
7. LSU 0-0 556
8. Georgetown 0-0 538
9. Wisconsin 0-0 530
10. Arizona 0-0 478
11. Duke 0-0 477
12. Alabama 0-0 420
13. Texas A&M 0-0 335
14. Memphis 0-0 328
15. Boston College 0-0 284
16. Washington 0-0 240
17. Marquette 0-0 203
18. Connecticut 0-0 200
19. Texas 0-0 172
20. Syracuse 0-0 138
21. Georgia Tech 0-0 137
22. Kentucky 0-0 119
23. Creighton 0-0 113
24. Tennessee 0-0 106
25. Nevada 0-0 101Top 40Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
When looking at the landscape of college basketball, the 2006-07 season should be excitement galore, baby!
There are so many talented teams out there. It is time to look at my summertime rankings for the upcoming campaign, 10 at a time until I unveil number one. Here we go.
1. North Carolina Roy Williams has a super recruiting class coming in to join Tyler Hansbrough and company. There will be joy on Franklin Street! 2. Florida Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford and company want to be the first repeat champion since Duke. The Gators have a legit shot of doing it.

Unedible Zucchini

Now getting down to the nitty gritty. I grew up on a farm but never had farming in my blood, so to speak. Don't get me wrong, I worked on a farm, but never did transcend over to loving the farm. I took for granted so much during those growing up years...like a big yard to play in (& mow), tractors & old trucks to drive, horses to ride, fresh cows & pigs to eat, hay to bale, crued tobacco to stomp, even moon pies to eat or peanuts in Mountain Dew. Yes, I'm getting a little sentimental here. I'm imagining the smells, sounds, tastes. Why was I imagining, planning, dreaming of leaving instead of savoring, enjoying, delighting in my good fortune? Now, Mr. Tarheel had a total different location to grow up in...a real city. Born in San Fran, & transplanted over in San Jose, he lived in one of the early, classic, suburbs. Neat, new houses, built side by side with one tree planted out front. He only dreamed of running in his yard, b/c after a couple of steps, he was on the sidewalk or street. He took the city bus or skateboard around to explore. He dreamed of woods, fields, rivers, open space. It's funny, I would have loved that. I craved stimulation and was easily bored. Now fast forward 30 years....here we are on a little "farm" of 10 acres, an old big red barn, and some cows of our own. You'd think that I'd have the ability to grow a garden, some veggies, from the land. Well, this year was a bit of a disappointment. First of all, when preparing the soil became overwhelming, I decided to plant one zucchini plant. I faithfully watered it during the annual 90 drought we call summer, and voila, nice zuchini grew. And grew, and grew. I kept telling myself to pick one & actually eat it, but the summer passed and I never ate one. Opportunity missed. So I decided to gather my zucchini, take a picture, so you could see some examples of large, unedible zucchini. I tell myself, don't worry, there's next year.....

A Dream Come True

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life.....now, that says alot, b/c I have lived throught 3 UNC national championships! Yes, let's give a hip, hip, hooray to one of the newest CRNAs in the world...my sister RaRa:)

Once upon a time, it began with a dream. A dream, not only to finish 3 college degrees, but to help people, get respect, while on the way to living one happy life. The beginning was hard because it involved delivering papers in the middle of the night while going to class and clinical during the day. And of course, there was a motherly presence always nearby. From a distance, she made it look easy. Then came working night shift, even through a hurricane, and helping people in the ER and ICU. The next part of the dream involved learning to jump through a seahawk flaming hoop, all while working through the night with first a broken and then a mended heart. Even though Hawaii wasn't meant to be, but loving a trucker and a four-legged son named Sam was. The dream continued and even rejection didn't deter her. Her determination grew. The transformation into a Gamecock was a slow process, filled with sleepless nights, and hours and hours of volunteer work. Inch by inch, she kept putting one foot in front of the other for months and months and months with little compliant and an occassional smile. She saw the finish line, the end of this era of stress. Then a monster appeared in the mail, and the last hurdle would have to be jumped again. How could this be, this detour from the completion of the dream. If there was doubt, she hid it well. The cheerleaders didn't doubt, but they did wish to see her big smile when she jumped that hurdle that would never have to be jumped again. Days and days passed with many hours of study and prayer, and the sign came again...the passing sign ...the end of the dream. The cheers from the east and west woke her up...for the dream came true. She had lived her dream...to be a CRNA and I know she will be the best one ever.

I love you RaRa!~

Timing Tucker

Good morning, Casey Kahne fans....yes, last night was win #6 and he's on his way to making history! I'm becoming a NASCAR fanatic also. Only 3 weeks before Tarheel (my namesake) basketball season starts and we're ON!

The funny event of the Saturday was practicing with the self-timer and trying for a good, not great, picture with Tucker. The pictures didn't turn out the best, but it sure was fun..ENJOY!

Famous Roosevelt Quote

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbledor where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;who strives valiantly;who errs and comes short again and again;who knows great enthusiasms,the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while DARING GREATLYso that his place shall never bewith those timid soulswho know neither victory or defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

The Last Hoorah

The early morning caffeine infusion is opening up my mind....it's still dark outside and after 6:00am. Fall has fallen here and the rain was turned on for a week. It was sunny & warm yesterday, and felt like spring again. The temperature felt like spring, but I didn't. A warm spring day here in the Northwest brings out the longing and desperation of Northwesterners who have tried to wait patiently for months for the warmth to return. Hopefully, they have taken a sunny, hot vacation as a teaser during the first few months of the year. So a warm fall day brings on a little anxiety because you know it is the last hoorah. Today is expected to be another warm, sunny one. A day to mow the newly growing green grass. The cows will be happy to eat it. As soon as the mower gets going, they all rush over to the fence and wait, occassionally bellowing, for their treat. No sunglasses for me. I'll let the warmth penetrate my eyes in anticipation for the long winter ahead.

Birthday Month in Full Swing

The weekend celebration involved me & Mr. Tarheel having a 3 hour dinner at El Gaucho's. This is the place where you are escorted to the ladies room. This is the second year here for me on my birthday....I sense a tradition forming....Last year, I had a quick thought after entering the ladies room...are they waiting outside for me to come out? But, alas, they weren't.

So we had the same waiter as last year, Houston, who remembered me because of my accent. He's from guess where? Texas! I'm almost to 10 years of having no anonymity here...do you know what it's like for 5-10 times a week for someone to ask you where you're from? I take the responsibility seriously to represent my Southern heritage in a positive manner, but it can get old.

OK, back to the celebration dinner....I took a hiatus from my boycott of French products and we had a delicious bottle of French wine....there's one problem, though. I can't tell you how much I drank. There's the wine waiter, who is constantly spying on your wine glass and when it's about a 1/3 full, comes over and refills your glass. I did notice that my glass was getting filled much more than Mr. Tarheel's glass....hence his job as DD.

The ChateauBriand for 2 was delicious and the chocolate dessert with a candle on top was sweet. The best thing was no one sang to me or clapped...it was just a simple...Happy Birthday. I made my wish quickly and went on to becoming so stuffed that I was nauseaous on the way home. Luckily, I didn't upchuck the most expensive dinner that I've ever had!

I had spent some time thinking over my wish. Now wishes are not something to make on the fly. Some time and energy needs to go into exactly what you are wishing for. I'm not superstitious, so you're probably imagining now that I am going to tell you what I did wish for. In the past, I've had several years where I wished for my own special baby. I know everyone's baby is special, but the MY OWN are the key words here for me. No, I didn't wish for that again. I decided not to limit it to one specific thing, to make it broad, so hopefully becoming a mother will be included. I wished for this year to be the happiest year of my life....a true belly laughing, fantastically joyous year! Now it will be hard to surpass 1991, the year Mr. Tarheel & I fell in love....but I think it's possible. I'll keep you updated:0)

More news...my friend Sandy is out of the hospital & getting her chemo as an outpatient. Go to www.sandyshaw.blogspot.com to offer your words of encouragement & support.

Now, Miss Grace did not do her uterine bungy jumping routine on my day....I won't hold it against her b/c everyone needs their own special day. She made her sweet Mama wait until 9/15/06 @ 0537 to head out, without pain medicine, into this world. So my new niece is still a Virgo, so we'll see if that holds any weight to her personality. Everyone is doing well and there's going to be alot of hammering with my craft hammer as I'm making her birth announcements....a topic for another day.

Only 40 days to UNC basketball season....but who's counting......

A New Beginning

There's a stillness over the early morning house. Mr. Tarheel and the big red dog are sleeping soundly, one underneath and one on top of the "cat-house" red duvey. The big moon is sinking. This is my favorite time of the day...early morning and my favorite activity is drinking my Sulawesi and looking out across the pasture. Today, marks the beginning of a new era....my 4th decade! Tonight, at precisely 1728 PST, I will turn 40. A milestone for me to celebrate & embrace. Dinner at El Gacho's, shopping, spending time with Mr. Tarheel. My life fits me like a beloved sweater...it feels just right, right now.

I just finished my 3 day work week, maybe I was wrong about work at home being more than work at work. Work at work isn't in my control, work at home is. It was a grab bag this week....reach in & see what you get. Sometimes I grabbed a irritating, frustrating experience (there's no pill for me to take for anger management), other times a beautiful, wonderful glimpse into the beginning of a new family. In 2 weeks, I will start doing some 24, no 25 hour shifts. Scarey, huh? Just a new opportunity for me to learn to pace myself.

For now, it's my beautiful 4 days off. The sun's up and the coffee cup is empty. Let the party begin!

Good morning, it's the last day of my week off. Today, is barn cleaning time. My first question was how clean does a barn need to be? My OCD nature wanted to pressure wash and scrub it with a 10% bleach solution. But then I realized, these cows, as much as I like them, aren't potty trained not to go in the barn. It's just a fact of nature. Mr. Tarheel is having allergic reactions when he goes in the barn, so I have Tim, a teenage helper coming to help me. He was the one who I paid high dollar to shovel out the waste. Best $ I've spent in a long time. Everything is dried out now and not too smelly. More about my cows...we have 6 "mama" cows, 6 calves (ages 4-5 months), 1 steer, and 1 heifer. We own a bull with 3 other friends and I named him "Big Red"...guess why...he's big and he's red! Not too original, huh? I have another reason...I grew up on a farm and my Dad had a bull named Big Red, so it meant alot to my Dad. The bull is a registered Red Angus and his ear tag has him identified as R13. Now say R13 three times outloud, fast. It sounds like "Arthur", doesn't it? So that's what the other owners call him. His official name on the papers is Feddes Vermillion R13, his dam (mother) was Feddes Blockana 231, his sire (father) was GMRA Vermillion 796....so that's more than you probably wanted to know about "Big Red". Well, Big Red has been acting a little strange this week...a little different. I have a feeling that all these mama cows are already pregnant (he's been visiting for at least 2 cycles now) and he is getting that restless feeling that celibate young men have....you understand? Hopefully, he won't break through the fence. I have no desire to chase him back home but since he cost about 4K, if he breaks out, you'll see me among the crowd, chasing him back home. It's back to work tomorrow and I have a feeling that I'll do less work at work than work at home. The list is almost complete except for barn cleaning and grocery buying and instead of nice little check marks beside everything, I took a sharpie and marked over & over each item....so each one was obliterated. See sometimes, OCD is a good thing!

A dog is a girl's best friend..XXOO

Well, today is the second day of my week off. My first goal was to make a list of the many things that I want to accomplish this week. So, I began my list with #1: make a list. So far it's the only thing on the list. I did get some things done, so now I won't feel as productive when I finish everything on my list, b/c the things that I did today won't be on the list. Or should I go ahead and put them on the list and then savor the satisfaction of marking them off the list? I did take my neighbor, Whitney, out to lunch today. She's 19 and struggles with the many difficulties associated with being a former 26 weeker back before surfactant. I looked through a scrapbook that she did of her early years...boy was she on lots of steriods and home O2 until she was over a year old. She has a shunt and had hydrocephalus. Now, she drives a car, goes to school, and wants a nice boyfriend, like most 19 year olds. But there's lots of evidence of what she's been through. Some is positive, some negative. I started thinking about how we each have evidence of what we've been through, both positive and negative. I'm focusing on the positive today... But you don't walk through fire without some scars. Sometimes you want to talk about the scars, sometimes you don't. But they're there, evident, a part of your being. I'll keep you updated on my week & my list! Tarheel88

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