shy wrote recently on 05/11

shy has written a few times since the last time (04/16) shy wrote - on the 04/24, 04/30, and 05/11. the typical duration of time between notes is 5-7 days. so i was a bit on edge by may 7, when i hadn't heard from shy. most from shy's recent note.

Just got back from a couple of back to back
auditions. The weather is starting to suck. Lows
in the 70s but highs up to 105. No air
conditioning during the auditions. Getting lots
of sandstorms and tons of sandfly bites. Things
are better once we are back on our base… have
the AC cranked up in our tent.

Sounds like you’ve been busy with work, yoga and
kickboxing. Too hot out here to work out. Get
enough of a workout on the auditions.

[snip]

Anyway, I hope all is well with you. Gotta run
now and prepare for another audition. It’s
supposed to hit 110 in the next few days. I’ll
take your advice and continue to hydrate. Take
care and talk to you later.

figured i'd share for a shy him update. and as part of my on-going un-pack-ratting efforts, i found yet another card from shy.

there appears to be a theme.
not too different from the other card.

r|break: sorting stuff ...

cards!!! ... greeting cards. cards from freaking 1988 when i left my first job (in S.F.) outta college!!! cards from family members, friends, people i no longer remember. postcards. postcards i picked up while on vacation. postcards from friends' travels. wtf hotel postcards (y'know, the ones in the hotel room drawer or sandwiched in the 'welcome binder'?!) holiday/special event cards. thank you cards. (oh! and postage stamps from places afar!) freaking cards!!!

keeping some ... and NO, i will not purge/recycle all of them. YES, i will purge/recycle most of them. i will keep some. why keep some? some are actually really beautiful cards. sentiments are memorable (good and not so good). sarcasm at its best. blackmail-lite opportunities (ha!). and simply, some make me smile or laugh.

realization ... as i am regrouping and getting a more clear perspective to adjust here in the BA, i am purging stuff (and donating and recycling what i can) and selectively choosing keepsakes. using my decoder ring to translate "selectively choosing keepsakes" ...

i am a recovering pack rat

when i left SD to move up to the BA, it was evident. the movers were kind (probably because i gifted them wine i was not prepared to drive up with me). so when i come across interesting things (or not so interesting) during this more-clear-perspective time in my life and i have the will to snap a pic (or scan whatever) and i have the patience to upload, i will share.

first offering -
keeping with some shy stuff, i came across this card ...

... which shy sent a couple of years ago.

(i think he may be projecting, but that's another story.) tho' shy will not be stateside for my b-day this 2007, i will remind him of this clever little sentiment he sent.

[did you see how i even
pack-ratted my previous blog posts?!]

hey there, dad ...

... a l'il heads up for those that don't know this - the 5th anniversary of my dad's death is this tuesday, and this post has a l'il something to do with that. (over here, i posted the eulogy) nothing major or deep. well, not in my opinion, at least. and then over yonder, i l'il mention under yesterday.

today i visited my dad ...

(which is what i do several times a month)

... and this is one view from the little spot i sit.

i don't often run into people i know when at the cemetery, but today, i did. e & c (my cousin and his wife) were visiting my dad, as well as others - and actually, they were just getting ready to leave as i was arriving. as i had written to shy this evening ...

i went to visit my dad - and totally got lucky and ran into my cousin and his wife. weird stuff because i was JUST talking about them and planning to get together with them and maybe see about just re-establishing a connection and all - this was just talking this morning at coffee with holly and glenn. crazy coincidence, eh?! well - it was a bit emotional because i was there with a lot to talk about to my dad. was good, though! was great, actually.

i figured i'd share.

my friend thinks it was "meant to be" but i am thinking perhaps not. who knows? and does it matter, i guess?

regardless, it was very wonderful to see them. and i will see them soon again.

shy writes - 04/11

... and i found this note (excerpt) a bit heart-wrenching to receive this early morn -

Had another rough time out there. Sensing some burnout
amongst my colleagues (and a little with myself).  Last night
was first night I had more than 3 hours uninterrupted sleep
in about a week.  Need to stay focused otherwise you could
get hurt out there.  

- for which this dovetails with several notes i've sent to shy about on-going growing emotions i have been having when i hear the news, read publications, etc. about efforts/troops in iraq (and those soon to be deployed to iraq).

my intentions have been to write shy every day (for which i have been pretty good about doing so). i create an on-going e-mail thread from my response to his notes to me. most of the notes i received from shy tend to span about a week or about 10-days. it's totally a treat (tho' not often) to get some within a few days of each other!

i was asked by a friend recently - what do you all write about? for me, it has been about l'il things going on over on this end of the world - tidbits of my life, thoughts in my head, stuff with family, and snippets of news.

with shy's recent note, i re-read the e-mail thread i sent over. an excerpt of my note to him follows:

thank you for your thoughtfulness and empathy, and i am
humbled that you have even taken time to offer words of
encouragement (so unnecessary and so unselfish of you).

at the same time, i am embarrassed to say that when re-reading
my string of notes to you this previous round, i feel horribly
selfish of "journaling" my days with the on-goings with *****.
so i find myself apologizing for my selfishness of providing
details and just being a dork.

as well as also writing ...

so i say to you, dear shy, do be focused with the strength
that you have - as i also pray that you and your colleagues
continue to have the physical, emotional, and spiritual
strength to continue to weather the "auditions" you all have.

be well, and i hope you know that you are dearly missed and
always in my thoughts and prayers. i look forward to the days
when we can talk about what you bought at banana republic or
where you went for brunch or dinner. most importantly, i look
forward to the day when you say - "it's time! get your airplane
tickets to head over to (any place but where i'm at!!!).
i'm coming home."

shy ... until the next round of notes, type at me later!

peace.

shy is doing well as of 01/03

... on the shy him exchange ... there has been a small flurry since the last post on 12/30 exchange.

and he asked about the four agreements referenced in this post.

(click on the image below)

[from miguel ruiz]

rather than cut/paste the notes (unless there is a chime-in to say "cut/paste them notes, missy"), just highlights below ...

• call from shy that he needed a charger/adapter for his PDA (... 'cuz with loss of power, all data is ttly lost; he can't download to one of the computers; [snip]; and all that other rolodex and passwords stuff - poof if no power!)
• e-mail xchanges about his xmas (and dehydrated pound cake - yum!) and upcoming preoccupied time
• more e-mail exchanges about the charger/adapter and new year's eve + new year's resolution (or lack thereof)
• his missing the creature comforts of home ... 200+ digital channels, a bed, easy internet access, cell phone, etc.
  
• more preoccupied time with meetings and "rehearsals"
• my USPS mailing of the PDA adapter/charger (thanks to gizmo2go & ups!), along with other goodies that can fit in that flat rate box
  
• my stuff about the new do, work, boys, and just plain stuff

... and we now have goofy code names (for which i'll have to get decoder rings soon!).

hope to hear he has received the mailed goodies!
peace.

to shy on 12/30 morn

haven't yet heard response from my last note to shy, and just doing the sat morn ritual ...

(oh! and all-righty! bringing back the postage stamp bat-kid for shy him posts.)

Date:	Sat, 30 Dec 2006 08:51:20 -0800 (PST)
From:	me
Subject:	12/30 AM...12/29 AM
To:	shy

hey you - more from me. so a 'admin/clean-up' item ...
what i'll do when i e-mail you is keep notes together
if i've not yet heard from you on the last e-mail ...
i'll just forward the old e-mail and write more on
that one. AND i'll also just add to the date in the
subject line. so in this one ...there is the 12/29
(yesterday's 4:AM note below) and then 12/30 - now.

[this way - you can just pull up one note - most
recent note - and read the tome from that.]

i'll also e-mail you some of the 'major' news things -
tho' you may have heard of them, already. but like
maybe the 'entertainment stuff' also. (HA!) get this,
tho' ... i'm not watching as much t.v. (WTF?!) -
working and getting place/my head organized.

O.K. THIS WEEKEND --- Coffee AM, cashing & depositing
checks (thanks to clients!), working (still catching
up and making a dent(!!!)), re-reading a
business/self-help book (to prepare my 2007 mindset
and office org), visiting my dad/cemetary), putting
xmas stuff away ('cept will keep up the white lights
in patio), more stuff to be added to your package, may
meet up in S.F. with a fellow (W) visiting CA from MD
for holidays, new year's eve fondue/games/drinks, and
more shopping!

some NEWS STUFF --- Pres. Gerald Ford died; 01/02 is
holiday to mourn his death. John Edwards (Dem) threw
his hat in for Pres. campaign; James Brown died; S.
Hussein hanged; major snow storm stuff - tho' doing
better - in CO; Juila Roberts preggers again; and Cal
Bears whooped Texas A&M at the Holiday Bowl (!!!).

o.k.- gotta start my sat morn; running a bit late.

hugs, love, and soon to be 2007! - me.

until next note, peace.

to shy on 12/26

responding to shy's note re: gifts for xmas ...

Date:	Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:10:20 -0800 (PST)
From:	me
Subject:	xmas gifts '06, so far ...
To:	shy

well, i realize that i must be older - i haven't quite
inventoried the gifts i got (and i remember when i was
younger, i ttly did that - dorky, eh?) ... so from
memory (because gifts have come over a few weeks and
continue to trickle in ...)

[list of stuff]

...surprisingly - no calendar (so i'm going on line to
find one on amazon), yet ...

well, that's it for xmas gifts. pretty fun stuff, eh?!

and soon i will get my ass to the post office!

hugs again and hope you become un-preoccupied, again,
more often!
- me.

[oops ... been forgettin' this l'il postage stamp fellow for shy notes]

response to shy's xmas note

shy wrote on Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:49:53 +0300 (they all are 11 hours ahead of pacific time) ... so i wrote this ...

Date:	Mon, 25 Dec 2006 21:35:37 -0800 (PST)
From:	me
Subject:	back at ya! Re: merry christmas!
To:	shy

hey mr. preoccupied ...
first of all - hope to hear from you
(voice/voice), again, and hope you also got
some of my other e-mails(from like the past
week); decided i'd write you just whenever i
get in the mood, eh!

Xmas day - went to mass this morn w/my mom
and then got back (9:30 PM) from my ninang's
(which we were there since noon) - pancit
luglug, shanghai lumpia, and lots of other
filipino food stuff - i, i went for the pasta,
green salad and fish casserole stuff...and
some pancit and lumpia. also - had some red
wine + a shot of 10 cane rum (don't like rum,
usually, but do like the 10 cane).

you? staying w/atkins a bit? other fun
goodies to chow on?

xmas stuff - yeah - got some cool and neat
stuff. will write to you about the stuff later.

rest of the holidays - got work stuff but
also will hope to get some social stuff in
(but doubtful). gotta crank - end of the year
and work stuff.

will type at you later
- hugs & love - bismarck!
(nudge nudge, wink wink)

until next exchange of notes.

to shy on 12/25

Date:	Mon, 25 Dec 2006 08:52:47 -0800 (PST)
From:	me
Subject:	merry christmas!
To:	shy

hey there shy! just a quick and heartfelt note for a good christmas to you and all those with you. be well and God bless. hugs & love - me

peace.

to shy on 12/24

Date:	Sun, 24 Dec 2006 10:26:30 -0800 (PST)
From:	me
Subject:	happy christmas eve day ...

... just a quick note to say that i totally miss talking to you about our coordinating to meet-up in san diego - our little 'crossing paths' somewhere in san diego for our christmas chow & gift/greetings exchange that we've done since 2002! be well - me.

back story ... met shy in aug 2002. we have typically spent the days just before arrival time/day (often 23, 24, or 25) chatting up when & where to meet, coordinating departure and arrival time/dates. the previous xmas meet-ups have included --- din after he meets up w/family (the "aunties") + dessert with 2 other friends ... ~ 90 minutes at SAN (airport starbucks/mcDs) after he arrived from the east cost, and i was on my way to the BA ... and sit-down dins with our l'il chit chats (sans any shellfish).

to shy on 12/23 sat morn

keeping with the saturday pseudo-touching-base tradition with shy, my note to shy him this sat morn ...

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 08:10:22 -0800 (PST)
From: me
Subject: hey there ... it's 12/23 ...

... and i am OCD-ing over getting the package to you
packed-up with some more stuff. so i'll send out early
next week - a new year's package, eh?  (oh! and i'll
take pics of my new place; took a few already but will
take more of the whole place & include CD of pics in
package.)

so this wkend ... sort of same ol' and not so same ol'
- some work (catch-up and prep), wrapping gifts (or
tissuing them in gift bags), end-of-the-year biz and
personal close-out stuff (e.g., file & record/log
stuff), in-house organization/clean-up, visit to
paddy's coffee shop (for an afternoon event - will
write 'bout later after i attend), visit to dad, and
prep for xmas eve + xmas.

xmas eve at my mom's - pat + family going, also. so
din-din should be fun. pics will be taken. and then
xmas, my mom & i go to my ninang's (glenn's mom) for
one of those mid-day/long-day xmas meal/gathering.

o.k. - will write more again. hope to hear from you!
meanwhile, be well and take care. hugs much! - me.

looking forward to getting an e-mail from shy!
peace.

[added activity today ... turns out ... since writing this note just about an hour ago, i'll be meeting up with mike for another pseudo-touching-base tradition.

back story ... m & i (we've known each other since '81) have met up in berkeley during this holiday time for the past several years, since ~4 years ago ... after randomly seeing each other while each casually walking on bancroft near college avenue. why random? ... random 'cuz he lived in hermosa bch, while i was in sd, and neither of us had spoken to each over in more than 2 years or so, i believe. way random, eh?!)]

for shy him and others ...

let's say thanks to shy him and others ...
[and the website's about us says ...]

The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.

The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.

All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed on the Xerox iGen3^® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops^®.

something to check out, eh?!

[thanks, deb, for the heads-up on this!]

heads up to shy him

... yesterday's touching base since last voice & e-mail exchange

shy, tho' it may not reach you by 12/25... i will get
a package in the mail with 'stuff' - stuff you asked
for, stuff your folks also may be sending, and stuff
you didn't ask for, but i'm sending. and because of my
bismarck trip, you'll get something from there, too! -
keep dry and warm! - me.

and for me, off to the USPS today or tomorrow.

(... gotta jam stuff in that flat rate box!)

voice/voice with shy him on 12/17

yup! shy called today (yippee!) - and just before i was headed out to do some shopping for "necessary" cold weather accessories! (a.k.a. an excuse to shop at rei).

it was awesome to get to voice/voice with shy. (thanks to at&t (?), i s'pose)

got my marching orders for a package o'stuff.

my note to him after our chat ...

shy, it was really great to hear your voice. and you
are right - it's weird that i was actually stationary
vs. in my car... and you weren't headed to a potluck
or some meal/celebration-related gathering. take care
and i'll pull together a package o'stuff! merry
christmas - esp. if we don't get to talk before/on
that day! hugs - me

be well, my friend!

to shy on 12/16 sat morn in cali

... have not yet heard back from shy after last week's exchange. decided to write shy him, in any case, to keep the weekend "what's up?" tradition (sans the cell phone) ...

[below is my note to shy him this morn]

hey there! just in case, below is my cell from last
wknd's notes. figure i'd keep the mini-tradition and
check-in w/you. another wknd here ... and this time
i'm catching up on/keeping on top off project work
(what's new?!), admin/invoicing, a few errands/chores,
and planning for end of the year stuff.

also, i've got an overnight trip for a 'double-secret
effort' to --- get this --- bismarck. really!!!
checking the weather, high/low as follows - monday at
30 deg F/9 deg F & tuesday at 36 deg F/11 deg F. tho'
the destination is of great interest (as i've never
been!), the process of flying there will be
interesting & hopefully successfully completed, near
enough on time. i've gotta do OAK-LAX-DEN-BIS to head
out there. fortunately, the trip back is just
BIS-DEN-OAK. perhaps i'll have an interesting tale or
two.

oh - just as a side note, this week was my dad's b-day
so my friend, karine, who was in town that day --- she
and i went to din-din w/my mom. it was really nice to
do that. i'm going by the cemetary today to visit, of
course. as i type this, i'm reminded of the very
supportive conversations you & i had back in the day
after my dad died. (teardrop) tho' i've said this
before, thank you for being such a good friend!

o.k. - melancholy aside, be well and take care! hugs -
s.

looking forward to hearing from shy him!

shy writes - our 1st exchange of notes!

i wrote a quick note to shy he before he left. i am totally excited that i received a note from him, which i post here.

(quick side note: on thurs night when flying from orlando, fl to sacramento, ca, from the san diego to sacramento leg of the flight, i sat next to and talked (of course) to a pilot (D) of an airline that is contracted to ship mail to the military in the mid-east. perhaps D's plane will ship the stuff i send shy him?!)

Hey S,

Greetings from Kuwait! Took the 18 hour flight through Maine and Germany. Have been here since Tuesday. Been really busy. Just had enough time to hit the internet cafe tonight. Things are going well. Lots of training to do. Will probably leave for Iraq early next week. I must say I was touched by your last note and blog. It's much colder here than I thought. Good thing they issued my some high speed long johns. By the way here is my mailing address in Iraq:

[his name and address with a bunch of systematically placed letters (capital & lowercase) and numbers]

The address has to be in the exact format as above (eg no titles or rank). Anyway, hope all is well. Talk later when I get more time. (shy him

he got there safely. very good to know.

(o.k. - this is not shy him...
it's just a random thought that popped in my mind)

back story ... here is the first note i sent to shy him for which the above was shy's response ...

hey (shy you) --- i will tell ya ... admittedly, i got a bit emotional after getting of the phone w/you - and right when my "conference call" (work stuff) guy called, also.

o.k. - for my 2 addresses to use -

this one: (###) (I check daily and it's sort of "not work-work" stuff.)
work: (###) this is o.k. to use, but your e-mail may get buried or missed by me. i'm a dork w/my work e-mail; i try to focus on 'work' stuff. tho' i expect if i see a note from you, it will be a welcomed respite!

i have MANY OTHER e-mails --- my blog e-mail - goes to my @sbcglobal.net account: (###)

well ... here is my l'il blog post ... just pulling from the 2 posts that i had of you from my old blog ---

... take care and e-mail! usps flat rate box! i'll get something set up for you 44th b-day. so don't forget to send the address. (of course, something for x-mas also.)

be well and God Bless,

Hugs and Love - Me

sure, i shed a few tears when i wrote my note to shy

NOW shy he is REALLY leaving for iraq...

back in october, i met up with my shy friend while still in SD.
we met for drinks-dinner-drinks-dessert & laughter.

shy he had initially been told he'd leave for iraq in early november.
not so.
he leaves tomorrow.
he is scheduled to return in early april 2007.
until then, i will miss my shy him, and i will miss our banter.