Mischief in the night

I got up at 6:00 am Friday morning to go walk and wrnt out the front door as usual. Walking down the street there was some stuff out on people's lawns. I saw half opened wedding gifts and other stuff I didn't bother to stop and analyse. When I returned an hour later, I went into the garage to get into my car and go to the gym. Lo and behold, my car doors were open, everything inside the car that could be opened was and was left that way, the arm rest console, glove compartment, change drawers, etc. I was kind of shocked but assumed Larry had been looking for something. I went in and asked him and he said no. Hmmm.

When I got back into the car and closed everything and drove away, I suddenly put it together with the stuff I saw strewn around outside and thought, "I think we had a burglar!" When I got back from the gym, we checked and, sure enough, the Audi had also been opned and gone through! Everything opened, etc. I looked up and noticed that my large pantry cupboards were standing WIDE open! What the H! Larry is always leaving his wallet and other crap in the car but he checked and even his change drawer still had some change in it. Thank goodness he didn't leave his wallet in there.

Talking to neighbors, we found at least 5 others who realized they had had visitors in the night. ALL of us had left the garage door cracked open from the bottom for ventilation. Other neighbors lost GPS systems, cell phones, iPods, bags of coins waiting to be rolled, etc. We had none of the those things in our cars so we were lucky. I filed a police report on line as it never occured to me anyone would actually show up but the sherrif came out to another neighbor's complaint.

We learned big lessons, I thought, until Larry refused to put the door all the way. He left it opne about 3 inches. If anyone thinks they can slither under that, they are welcome to go for it.

Leaky, Leaky

Our Insinkerator garbage disposal began leaking recently. At least I hope it is only recent! There was quite a puddle under there but, as I always have that area full up, I only recently noticed it. Larry is a great handyman and went into full fix-it mode almost immediately. Went to Home Depot and spent a lot of money on another Insinkerator only to find the connections didn't match up! He spent the whole day trying to make a square peg fit in a round slot! He gave up and returned it. Spent more time at HD discussing the problem and now I guess we need a plumber. Great! Until the problem is addressed by various experts, my big mixing bowl under the sink is collecting water which I then throw on the tomatoes outside or somewhere. Do home repairs ever end?!?!

Labor Day Weekend was Worth Remembering!

My grandson Kent's birthday party was Saturday in San Diego. He is now 3! They had the party in the park on the street with a piñata, little friends and pizza. The photos were adorable! His grandma and grandpa missed it. BUT...the kids came up for the rest of the long weekend so that was great! They arrived Saturday night and we hung out for awhile. Went to church Sunday and had a great dinner of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and corn. I made Morgan play hand and foot Canasta with me! Monday morning we had a wonderful breakfast out on the patio...the weather was gorgeous! After breakfast we went up to the pool and played and just relaxed. That afternoon we had a big barbecue. Dan and the boys joined us. (Brenda is on a cruise to the Bahamas! More on that later....) Dan worked on my

computer for me and helped Larry out diagnosing the troubles with our kitchen faucet! BTW, Moen stands behind their products--even after eight years! I have a new spray assembly and inner guts for the faucet in the mail--FREE! I love a company that stands behind their products!

It was fun having a full house!

Nurse Jen

Jen started a Practical Nursing program in August 2008 @ Somerset County Technology Institute http://www.scti.org/. It was rigorous to say the least. She learned a lot about herself and even more about nursing. Some days it was more difficult than she thought she could bear; others she survived quite nicely. She learned so much in her many clinical rotations. We enjoyed reading her narratives as she sent them. She had some really great experiences with her patients, and cannot wait to get back to it AND GET PAID. She graduated August 6, 2009. She started with 42 students, and only 20 graduated. She finished with the second highest GPA of the 20.

She is anxious to move forward with more schooling; she is currently studying her RN degree through Excelsior College in NY. She has yet to sit for her state boards for her LPN, but hopes to have her Authorization To Test number in a week or so. Wish her LUCK!!!

My son Robert bought an almost-new motorcycle. He is loving it. I grew up riding motorcyles. My whole family rode, my mom, dad, brother, and my twin sister, Kim! The "mom" in me is a bit frightened but he actually had to take a motorcycle safety course PRIOR to licensing. He is safe as he can be. I trust him. I don't trust anyone else on the road with him!

Pageant of the Masters

We recently attended our very first Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. Jeff and Eileen gave us the tickets for Christmas and we all went together. It was fabulous! They take famous paintings and sculpture and recreate them with live people! We took our binocs and, try as we might, when the lights came on, there wasn't even a flicker of movement! It was wonderful. It is done in an outdoor amphitheater and the night was beautiful and cool. All the people are volunteers! Yay! Thanks, Eileen and Jeff for a very fun evening and event!

Famous Attorney in Residence

My husband is famous again! Here is the latest from his company newsletter! San Bernardino partner Lawrence Rookhuyzen received a defense verdict in June. After a two week trial, the jury returned the verdict in favor of our client Adelanto Springs Village LP dba Desert Springs Apts. The plaintiff slipped and fell on ice that formed overnight due to a broken sprinkler and fractured her leg in two places, requiring open reduction internal fixation surgery and the insertion of a rod. Plaintiff asked the jury for $350,000 and called 15 witnesses. The jury found that the apartment owner/management company were not on notice of the condition and therefore did not have a reasonable opportunity to remedy the problem. They also found that the icy condition was "open and obvious" and the plaintiff failed to take proper care and precaution to avoid injury. In another case last month, the Riverside Superior Court sustained Lawrence Rookhuyzen's Demurrer to Plaintiff's 4th Amended Complaint on the grounds of lack of subject matter jurisdiction based on Res Judicata and failure to state a cause of action for invasion of privacy. The case involved two brothers embroiled in a heated probate action involving their mother's large estate. Opposing counsel misrepresented to the judge that he had a "smoking gun" document which Mr. Rookhuyzen's client had illegally obtained, then altered and submitted in the probate case. When he failed to produce the document and/or amend his complaint, the court saw through his argument. Another big congratulations to Lawrence Rookhuyzen for his Motion for Summary Judgment victory. On 7/23/09 in the San Bernardino Superior Court case Flores et al. v Omnitrans, the judge granted our client's Motion for Terminating Sanctions against not one but three plaintiffs who were suing the public transit agency for personal injury damages. The court ordered their complaint stricken and the case dismissed with prejudice.