About Me

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I'm Kassandra an Oregon girl at heart. Attorney at Law. My parents are both U.S. army veterans and continue to serve in the military in other capacities. I have four brothers (two older, two younger) and three sisters (all younger). I love each of them for all of their individualities and their commitments to the examples set by our parents. Aside from my family, I have several friends who mean a great deal to me. Notable are my best friend from high school and my best friend from college, I'm strong in analytical thinking. I am able to process things from several viewpoints simultaneously. I'm open and honest. Note: I'm interested in receiving feedback on this blog, but I request that the comments pertain to the actual blog itself, and I do not approve anonymous comments.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

My brother and my favorite neighbor

i am the third oldest in my family, with brothers two and four years older than me. Brian is my oldest brother and he turned out to be pretty great. as toddlers he showed amazing patience with his little sister ... until he became a teenager.

i can't much blame him. i mean, what teenage boy has anything at all in common with a sister four years his junior? it was not a matter of hatred nor uncaring. i now chalk it up more to a lack of common denominator between the two of us.

there were times in my early teens when i wondered if Brian and i would ever find a commonality between us.

***

i was just 8 months old when my family moved to the house i would call my home when growing up. it was fall of 1992 and we were moving into a nice little neighborhood in suburban portland, oregon.

this is the house my parents planned to make home for their family.

as i said, i was not even a year old when we moved. my parents were inside our new house and i was in a stroller sleeping away my mid-day nap.

***

Peggy was a wonderful woman who had lived in the house across the street since the 1960's, raised three kids and had remained in her house after her husband passed away in 1984.

she would become my favorite neighbor growing up. my brothers, sisters and i would always help with groceries, lawn mowing and such. we were all great portland trail blazers fans.

i learned more from her than i learned from any time i ever spent doing classwork.

***

Peggy came over the day we were moving in when 5-year-old Brian was outside.

she introduced herself to my brother with a smile.

"hi, "i'm Brian Martin," my brother said. "that's my brother Kevin playing on the porch.

"come over here," he continued. "this is my baby sister, Kassandra. isn't she beautiful?"

***

unfortunately, my first neighbor passed away in april 2009 of a heart attack.

that was a truly sad day in my heart.

***

now at 18 years old, i think of the friendship between my brother and i. there are no more concerns about a common denominator between us.

we're both entering adulthood and have our concerns of life and the future.

i cherish the bond, especially as i prepare to go 675 miles away to college. he is a u.s. army recruiter stationed just 30 miles away from my school.

***

i suppose i never should have been concerned at all.

after all, he told Peggy what he thought of me all those years ago.

Monday, April 19, 2010

blazers take game 1; Barkley is an idiot

absolutely incredible! i was going to say unbelievable, but there's not a one of us who didn't think we could win this game! what a team effort!

i first have to give credit to Nate for not letting the suns build momentum. every time phoenix went on a little run, he called timeout, regrouped the guys and stopped the suns from extending their lead by more than 4 or 5 points. very intelligent. i also liked a lot of things he did with the rotation (leaving in the Andre-Jerryd guard tandem in the fourth quarter, for example!).

obviously, everyone is talking about Andre, as well they should. he took control in that fourth quarter brilliantly. he did exactly what you need to do against a team like the suns, attack the paint. phoenix had no answer for Andre last night.

i had mentioned that at least one of the bench guys had to step up and it was Arizona native Jerryd. what a big night for him (sans the missed ft's at the end). he made a lot of things happen and really kept us attacking, especially in the fourth quarter. between he and Miller in the fourth, i think it was an exceptional combination for us, and something which caught phoenix off guard.

Marcus was again a huge factor in the win. i don't know what's more impressive; his 17 rebounds or his defense on Amare or even the blocked shots. i felt he had a virtually perfect game until he missed the dunk. that could have really put in the dagger. Marcus was dominating down low, which compliments LaMarcus' game very well.

speaking of LaMarcus (don't you all just love my segues?!), i was a little worried about his shooting in the first half, but he went 3-6 in the second half and played some nice defense at the other end.

and what can i say about Nicolas. i had read a story the other day where he talked about being disappointed in his play last year against houston and that he wanted to redeem himself from that. obviously, his defense caused various suns players fits all night long, but his shooting was spectacular as well, 7-13 for the game (7-12 if you don't include the desparation three he almost made at the end of the third quarter). Nicolas: redemption phase one complete. oh, that driving dunk in the third quarter should make everyone's highlight reel; i think he had just been called for a foul at the other end, and you could tell he wanted that dunk!

i continue to be impressed with Martell's defense. i remember when he was drafted; my dad and oldest brother were talking about him only being able to shoot the ball. i think he's been learning some defensive skills lately from Nicolas and Marcus! fanhouse.com calls his double block in the fourth quarter, 'Webster's Dikimbe Mutombo Moment!'

we know what we have to do to beat the suns. we've proven we can do it, and i see no reason why we can't pick up game two. they'll be hungry, but i think we will as well.

to make a long comment short (don't roll your eyes at Kassandra!), i'd like to take a moment and point out how much of a complete utter moron that is Charles Barkely. basically there were two things he said at halftime (we had the game on both channels at my house!):

1. he made the claim that "no one in portland, oregon thinks the trail blazers can win this series." -- uh, Chuck, i haven't talked to one person in portland oregon who things we won't win this series; shut your pie hole!

2. as part of a bit during the halftime show, Chuck was asked a question by a fan, 'being from alabama, do you find it hard to communicate intelligently with other people?" after laughing and trying to shrug off this question, he eventually said 'yes.' --well, at least he admits it!

i'm very proud of our blazers, and i'd love to see us win tomorrow night!

~ Kassandra

Monday, April 12, 2010

Wrapped

It would be the third time he's gone through it, and the sergeant felt prepared for anything.

Rugged, straight-forward and no-nonsense, he'd approach this change the way he had approached everything. He would follow his pattern and all would be perfect. According to plan. No wavering.

He took his two boys - ages four and two - to the neighbor's house. Two boys, to take after the old man. They'd be strong. Athletes perhaps. He'd been rigid with them, but curious about their crawling, walking and obtaining their own little personalities.

They'd be fine at the neighbor's there until this little mission was over.

Mission. It was a strange word to describe what was coming. The sergeant knew no other way to describe it, yet had the gut feeling the word would turn out to be a major understatement.

The drive to the hostpital would be only six miles and at shortly after eight o'clock at night, the traffic was about what could be expected.

He arrived at the hospital to find his wife had checked in and was in her room. It would be their third. Another boy. Would he be a quarterback? A first baseman? A soldier like his dad? Only time would tell, the sergeant supposed.

The sergeant would make sure his wife was comfortable. That's all he could do.
He had met Jane seven years before. Army guy and Army gal. Not long after, they would be married. Two years later, a son. Two years after, a son. It had been two years since the second had been born.

There wasn't much he could do; it would probably be a couple hours until she was ready. He wouldn't be there anyway. Too busy to go to coaching practice, not that Jane needed one or wanted one. She had her role down. Easy. Piece of cake. Well, maybe not that easy.

A phone call to the neighbor informed him that the boys had behaved and were tucked in bed. They had no idea why they were at the neighbors that night and they probably didn't care.

They would find out soon enough.

The sergeant sat at his wife's bedside, delivering the customary ice chips and words of encouragement. He was being the dutiful husband, though he feared he wasn't being of much help.

It was about a quarter to midnight when the doctor told him if he was going to leave the room, now was the time. A quick kiss to his wife's forehead - she seemed to dismiss it - and he went to the outer room to have a seat and wait.

For how long, he would not know.

He read through two copies of old Sports Illustrated magazines, and a cover story in Newsweek about the upcoming democratic primaries. The race looked somewhat interesting but, after reading, the sergeant concluded the senators from Iowa and Massachusetts didn't have much of a chance, and the governor from Arkansas would probably prevail over the former California governor, which would pit him against the republican incumbant president in the general election.

He was skimming an article on Bulgarian exports from the previous year when his wife's doctor stepped into the outer room. She informed him that everything had went perfectly, and that he could see his wife.

He eased into the room, not sure how lucid she may be. Surprisingly, she smiled at him and they shared a kiss and hug, only half in actual contact, but more than whole at the heart. They talked for a few moments, but she didn't tell him about his new little surprise.

The sergeant told his wife that he was just glad that everything worked out all right. He had some calls to make, but that could wait a bit.

The door to Jane's room glided open, a small cart of some kind being pushed by a 30-ish-year-old nurse with dark brown hair. The sergeant's wife smiled at her husband, gripped his hand and suggested he take a look.

He first counted. Ten and then another ten. All the toes and fingers seemed to be there. Add to that an adorable little smile and a pair of the biggest eyes he'd ever seen. All topped off with a cute little stocking hat in the color of pink.

Wait. Pink?

Boys don't wear pink.

There must be some mistake!

He lightly rubbed the hat and looked at the nurse in confusion. She smiled, congratulating him on the birth of his beautiful baby daughter.

His eyes got wide.

He had barely considered the idea of having a daughter. They had asked not to know the gender of the baby. There was no need, as long as it would be healthy, and she was.


The sergeant became nervous. She was his child and he would love her, support her and protect her. Immediate thoughts of her teenage years flashed through his mind, most notably scenes of him on the front porch cocking a shotgun at some teenage boy desperately trying to race away. He allowed himself a chuckle at the thought, which quickly disappeared. One day this little thing was going to be a teenager! What had he gotten himself into?

He made the necessary calls as his wife got some necessary and well-earned rest. They had discussed some family names, names of friends and some others at random. Finally, Jane said had always liked one name in particular. She spoke it a few times. The sergeant agreed.

Through the day and into the next morning he was busy with more phone calls, but preoccupied with the thought of his new daughter. A girl. Imagine that. How could he ever prepare for this? He could only assume that his wife would handle all the details which come with a girl.

He told himself it wasn't that bad. After all, she was beautiful. The staff in the nursery fawned over her. Would that make her his little princess?

As the sergeant and his wife prepared to go home, a nurse brought in the little girl and placed her in her mothers arms. She doted on her perfect little bundle.

Her father approached them and asked his wife if she was ready. We are, she said.

He looked down and smiled at his daughter, touched the top of her head - the pink hat still on - and gently tussled her shoulder.

Then something happened.

Her lightly flailing arms moved up and down, as if she were running in place. The first one stopped. Then the second with her hand placed right on top of his.

For the first time, all his concerns, all the scenes from her as a teenager vanished. This precious little girl had captured his heart. It was at that moment when the gruff and rigid sergeant realized he would never be able to say no to her, no matter how hard he tried.

A tear of joy formed in his eye.

With a kiss to his wife and a smile on his face, he led them out to the car. It wasn't a long trip home, but he was in a hurry. A lot of friends and family were gathering at the house.

And he had a daughter to show off to them

Friday, April 9, 2010

blazers scoring options, Oden and not drafting Jordan

taken from a post made on Mike Barrett's Blog on 4/9/10. this talks about the third scoring option for the portland trail blazers:

i have thick enough skin to not take every little thing said on a message board offensively or advesarily.

i believe it was in the previous thread, but i did mention that Greg was supposed to be the third option (maybe even the second). now don't get me wrong because i don't intend to throw him under the bus, but we need to be able to rely on the person to be healthy. we've yet to see that. again, don't get me wrong because i like Greg and i hope he does emerge as a major option for us in the long term. i'd love nothing better than to see him prove the naysayers and critics wrong and proceed to have a great career.

my point in thinking Nicolas could be a guy like that in the future is based, in large part, to his level of improvement from last year to this. additionally, the silver lining to his injury this season is that it was not to his leg, knee, ankle, etc. it's my understanding that those injuries have a more deletarious long-term effect on an athlete's body than a shoulder injury (generally speaking, of course).

also, i'm not even really talking about any of this happening after Andre's retirement. this guy's only missed five or six games over his entire career ... i think he has several years left in him. he is the option right now; i'd like to seem him be more of a distributor sometimes, though, rather than a shooter.

the draft with Jordan, et al was before my time, but i'm tired of hearing about it. it's my understanding that we already had Drexler and that we weren't really looking for the same type of player. what we needed was a center so we drafted the next-best guy. in looking this up i also learned that it was Bowie who we traded (with a draft pick) to get Buck Williams who, i'm told, was the final piece we needed to make our championship runs in the early 1990s.

it's ironic that people are cricizing the blazers now for doing the same thing in the Oden-Durant draft. i, for one, do not feel it's justified. i have faith in Greg; i just hope he can come back as well as he did before ...

... and speaking of Greg, does anyone have an update on whether he might be back for the playoffs, or at least the second or third rounds should we get that far?

~ Kassandra