The capital's a chatting place

As part of my Leadership Hermiston class, we went to Salem to tour the capital and learn more about the legislative process. While there we met with Rep. Bob Jensen, R-Pendleton, and Sen. David Nelson, R- Pendleton.

Above is a pic David "snuck" out of session to pose with us. (you can barely see my head to the right and behind facilitator Brenda Turner).

Anyway, it's been a while since I've been in our state capital and I was struck at how much talking and walking around goes on while sessions are going on. If this were a classroom, many of the legislators would be sent to the principal's office. 

Cuckoo's Nest comes crashing down

(It seems the first photo I had on here self-destructed, so here's another depicting the walls as they come tumbling down)

I was reading some information about the Oregon State Hospital - particularly the historic Building J (which any movie buff should recognize in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).

Anyway I was appalled to find out that the entire campus of the sprawling former insane asylum was added to the National Register of Historic Places last year.

Yeah, granted the building is old and the architecture is unique, but the human warehouse it became was disdainful.

Although demolition of parts of the building began earlier this month, the tower is being salvaged and will be part of the Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project. I'm sorry, but it's going to take a lot more than new digs for the state of Oregon to redeem itself when it comes to care for the mentally ill.

For some interesting reading, check out this Pulitzer Prize winning series about the hospital http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/hospital/

Cynical on the surface

Sometimes I'm jaded. (Jaded, adjective, made dull, apathetic or cynical by experience.) But then other times I meet people and I'm just amazed by human tenacity.

I recently told the story of a young woman who lost her infant daughter in December. (Death leads to March for Babies, East Oregonian, April 3, 2009).

Our office manager came in and told me a lady was here and wanted to talk about the March of Dimes fundraiser. My initial thought was I had just written up a brief about the fundraising walks planned for Pendleton and Hermiston, but I grabbed my pad and a pen and headed into the lobby area.

"I lost my infant daughter and to avenge her death, I want to do something for the March of Dimes," 25-year-old Becky Macki said to me before she even told me her name.

Stories like this typically don't just fall in your lap. I truly believe fundraising for various organizations is important, but to put a face to the cause is incredibly powerful.

As I talked to Becky, who lives with her sister, Debbie Knarr, I found out they lost their father in 2001 and their mother in 2007.

"We're just two little orphan adults," Debbie said.

As I talked with them I felt somewhat like a voyeur - asking deep, personal and penetrating questions ... stuff normal people don't ask others the first time they meet them. I apologized for being intrusive.

I guess I'm not so jaded.

Quick, follow that blog ...

Imagine my surprise this morning when I was showing a friend my blog and not only is my dog a follower, but now I have a horse too. I'm hoping to become the Dr. Dolittle of blogs.

Inside my shoes and Chinese laces

This doesn't really have to do with anything, except I was looking at my shoes. I had taken them off because I was hot in the newsroom. (I'm always telling fellow reporter Erin Mills, who mans the thermostat on the space heater, it's like returning to the womb).

I recently designed and ordered these shoes on Nike.com.

They're pretty basic compared to a pair I designed several years ago, but I wanted something that I could wear with a variety of things. I've found the Nike Shox are great for my knees.

Anyway, when I received the order the shoestrings were white — not a big deal, you say ... well it was considering I ordered black and paid good money to get what I wanted.

So, rather than just going out and buying some black laces, I sent an e-mail requesting that they send me the black ones I had originally ordered with the shoes. So imagine my surprise when I got a package from the People's Republic of China with laces in them. Evidently, even thought the Nike Empire is based in Beaverton, they had to have my laces shipped from China.

Doggone Part II

Just when I thought it was safe to write about Jai, our dog we recently had to have put down (Jai's last ride, East Oregonian, March 29), I got an e-mail from a reader that had a link to a poem called, "Rainbow Bridge."

You can read it by going here. But, if you've lost a pet recently you might want to have some Kleenex close by.

On a side note, a couple of days after we had Jai put down we got a sympathy card from Oregon Trail Veterinary Clinic. That initially surprised me because when we had our last German shepherd put down in 1999 we didn't get anything. We had taken him to a vet in the Tri-Cities because we couldn't get a cremation with returns in Hermiston. So, it just goes to show you, not only is doing business in Hermiston closer, it's more personable.

My dog's smarter than your dog

I got caught.

Jeter, our almost 10-year-old (His birthday is coming up — you still have time to buy him a present) German shepherd, saw Jai's photo on my blog. Even though I told him I'd put one of him on it, he was relentless and wouldn't let me relax until I did it.

Now the ball's in his court — he needs to sign up as a follower : )