an unexpected holiday

as i had planned, i returned home for the holidays. after my last final on december 9, i hung around for a friday night outing with my dorm mate before spending the weekend at my brother's in san francisco. i made the drive home to portland.

first week

i arrived just in time to get some dinner on tuesday the 12th. as with my thanksgiving trip, there was a lot of talking and catching up. pretty much all of them asked how i felt about the finals from my first semester at stanford.

i had a chance to go shopping with my sisters. then i went shopping with a couple of my brothers. then i went shopping with my mama. then i went shopping with my best friend from high school, Shawna. fortunately, i didn't break the bank!

there are 10 members of my immediate family; 11 if you include my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Carla. we all would love to have the resources to buy for everyone in the family, but that's just not possible. a few years ago, my parents adopted a system where we would each draw a name ... well, not one name, but three! now, a few of us cheat and get everyone else a little something, and my parents still buy for each of us kids.

i drew my mama, Angela and Brandon. in turn, Jessica, Brandon and Carla drew me. that's a diverse group, and i received a diverse collection of gifts. not that i would advocate playing favorites, but i had almost wished to draw Monika's name, though i did not.

that was okay since we celebrated her third birthday on december 19. i was able to be there with her and present her with something i really think she can use and enjoy.

our scare

the day after Monika's birthday, on the afternoon of monday the 20th, my dad was in his office at work talking with a clerk when he began having chest pains after a little prodding, his boss took him to the hospital. it appeared he was having a heart attack, but was conscious and trying to talk to the doctors himself. they stabilized him as best they could, did x-rays and blood tests and so forth. according to what i was told later, he had a minor blockage in one of the arteries heading into his heart. they originally thought he was having a grade-4 or grade-5 heart attack, but it was downgraded just past grade-5. they performed minor surgery that night to repair the blockage and he's doing fine. they also determined that the other arteries were in good shape.

my mom wasn't home when it happened, and Keith answered the phone and gave it to me. i was shocked, but tried to maintain my composure. we tried calling my mom's cell, but she had it off because the charge was down. i had Keith keep trying to call her, while Brandon, took the others to the hospital in his truck. i went to the base, talked to the clerk who was with my dad and grabbed my dad's laptop and a couple of other things before heading to the hospital. i knew there was nothing i could do until he was out of triage. i got to the hospital about a half an hour after my siblings did. Keith was still trying to get in touch with my mom, and Brandon and i went to try and get some information from the doctors.

when my mom was finally contacted and made it to the hospital, there wasn't much information available, but we updated her as best we could. she was in a panic and wasn't sure what she wanted to do, so we had my three younger sisters sit down and just be there with her. Brandon and i started making phone calls to extended family and so forth.

Brian flew up tuesday and it was very comforting to have him there. he and Carla had planned to come up friday morning for christmas, so he was just a few days early. Carla arrived friday morning, as planned.

my dad is in very good physical shape and i wouldn't necessarily consider his diet to be over susceptible to heart problems. be that as it may, the procedure was successful and he was discharged from the hospital three days later.

a normal christmas

with all that happened, we had two objectives. the first was to make my dad as comfortable at home as we could. basically, we made sure a couple people were home with him at all times, preparing the right foods and helping him with this or that. my mom spent a lot of time with him, and each of us did our own little bit to help out and spend time with him.

one of the cutest things i saw was when i went into mom and dad's bedroom, he was laying there with some jazz on in the background. in one hand he was reading his book, and his other was laying on top of my cat, Nikki, who was laying next to him. he told me my cat came in and set herself down next to him. i had to smile wide; Nikki has a knack of going to the person who needs her most. she just seems to be smart like that.

the second objective was to make christmas as normal as possible. this was going to take some doing, but we all were confident we could still make it a special day. when i say we, i mean Brian, Carla and i.

it actually went very well. my dad was able to sit in his chair christmas morning while we all exchanged gifts, and later on for dinner, which we all adapted to match that which my dad was allowed to eat on the day.

there were a lot of laughs, smiles and many tears. the tears were of happiness and joy, and also that of a renewed spirit. i was very happy to see something which could have been mellow and bland, turn into something so special. i would even venture to say that it was one of our best as a family.

in a new light

following my dad's medical issue, Brandon and Angi became a little distant, Kevin wasn't around too much but still, showed his support, Monika was very concerned about her daddy, and Jessi was hit very hard. Brian and i tried to reassure the others as best we could, and he was eventually able to calm Jessi down. Brandon and Angi came on board with supporting dad when he arrived home.

the biggest surprise to me in all this was my 13-year-old brother, Keith. this baseball-playing musical drummer very much stepped up to the plate. he told me later about some nice conversations with my dad, telling him he loved him and wanted him to be around for a long time.

instead of walking around in a daze or showing anger, he approached his oldest sister to get some facts "you're a genius and i know you've already looked up all this stuff," he said. he was correct. we sat down, went online and found some medical charts. i explained to him about the blockage in our dad'a artery and went through my most informative version of what is involved in an angioplasty. he asked questions and understood.

Keith was there with me all week. he wanted to be as helpful and mature as he could be. if that was his goal, then he not only reached it, but surpassed it greatly. i think my youngest brother grew a lot over the past two weeks. i now see him in a new light.

a little work

with the holidays and my dad's situation, the family's distributorship business (the one we entered into in july) was left kind of fending for themselves. my mama wanted to stay at home with my dad so it was decided that i would go in and fill in for her in her role as owner/general manager for a few days (i have a small stake as a minor owner).

we essentially were just tying up some loose ends, invoicing and paying some invoices. i had to deal with a couple minor problems in the fashion and spirit i believe my mama would.

we were open december 27-30, and on the last day, we left Carla with my dad while everyone else joined in for a day of inventory. we'd never done this before, so it took a little getting used to but, all in all, things went very well.

new year's night out

another plan was that my little group from high school would get together for new year's eve. true to tradition, the six of us found out way to four parties (the first two were kind of lame). we rung in the new year at the third, with champagne and kisses from a couple guys i'd never met. no -- it wasn't that kind of thing -- just a closest person thing. really, it was funny more than anything else.

about a quarter after midnight, we left that party and went to the fourth. usually, these parties tend to die down after midnight, but this really seemed to be the place to be. i recognized a lot of people from high school, but mostly in grades higher than me. it was nice to get reacquainted with them, if even for just a night. i ended up hanging out with a couple of guys who were seniors when i was a freshman (not sure where the rest of my group had gone!).

the three of us had a great time and all i'll say is that we rang in the year just right.

so it's 2011 ... this should be an interesting year

~ Kassandra

thriving

the past month has been that of getting adjusted, thriving and downright enjoying life. a lot of things have happened, so i'm going to touch on the highlights.

first of though, i should probably start off by saying; please disregard the comments in the final section of the previous blog. Adam turned out to be nothing i would want to be around. why 'o why do i seem to attract those types of guys ... well not always, i guess.

family

i've had many, many opportunities to keep in touch with my family back in oregon (not to mention my brother in the bay area).

i try to talk to my parents at least twice a week (usually about three times to each of them), and my siblings one- to two-times a week. we chat via webcam, instant message, e-mail and numerous times on the telephone. this has been wonderful. i believe my family knows how hard it is for me to be separated from them.

i've been able to keep up with all the latest with each of them and have been able to tell them of each and every little thing going on with me.

two trips have been made to my brother and his fiance's apartment in san francisco. if you remember, i have my own room in their three-bedroom apartment. those trips have been a great diversion from campus life; a very nice break as i've used the time primarily to study and complete some papers.

school

i go into every semester with a semester-long plan to study and review on a daily basis. i also make sure that once i am assigned a paper or project that i complete it as soon as possible. this is what i call my study plan. not to sound conceited, but i think it's working very well. i have four mid-term papers completed, and i'm prepared for the other three mid-term exams. mid-terms begin tomorrow and i really feel as if i'm taking advantage of this opportunity.

Julie and i continue to get to know each other and we're getting along very well. we seem to have the same priorities and styles as we approach life here at school. we also share ethical and moral standards which make things so much easier and, therefore, more fun.

i've gotten to know the resident assistants (RAs) pretty well. one in particular, Gary, has been very helpful and supportive. if i must say, i think i'm his favorite resident on the floor. being aware that the males in my family are very athletic and active, he's dubbed himself as my "gay older brother and protector."

football and basketball

i absolutely love the atmosphere here surrounding the cardinal football team. i don't know if this is because it's new to me, because we're doing so well or because of both. i'm guessing both. i've been to two games at the stadium (didn't go to the southern cal game because i had the flu). for the away games, a group of us get together in the dorm's rec room to watch the game. we've had about 30-35 residents in there for both games and it's been a really nice way to get to know people. i've met some very fun friends there. we've got five games left -- two at home and three away. i'll be at the stadium for the home games, and in the rec room for at least two of them. there is talk that we should be able to get tickets to the "big game" against cal at berkeley. i really want to be there!

my hometown portland trail blazers open up their season in just two days from this writing. still with some injuries to a couple of our players, i'm confident in the team we're going to put on the court this season. we have steady veterans, an more-than-solid core group and some very exciting rookies. on paper, we should be very strong. i'm not saying we'll win the championship this season, but it is the year we should be able to take the next step.

personal

i'm really just getting into the social life here. watching football in the rec room has been a lot of fun and there have been a few fun parties. i've met a lot of people.

there is a whole different selection of guys than i've seen before. in a way, that makes me feel like a little school girl. i haven't planned on any relationships, but perhaps the occasional fling might be fun. i had a great night during alumni weekend with a sophomore named Chase. he seems sweet. i may just want to hang out with him again.

i'm going to leave that at that.

~ Kassandra

emotional last day at home

emotional. excitement. fear. trepidation. optimism. love. sadness. pride. thankfulness. curiosity.

on this, my last full day at home before heading off to college tomorrow morning, i can't imagine an emotion which is not touching my heart.

i've been talking about my feelings of being away at college in the past several blog entries, and now the time has come.

so, as my family often does to commemorate events such as this, threw a party. it was just an intimate little thing with about 20 close family friends.

today was the last time until probably thanksgiving or christmas i was able see my best friend, Shawna. she has been amazing friend to me for the past four years. in high school, she was the rudder who straightened my ship. she says the same of me. there are times i am sure i owe my sanity (for better or for worse!) to her. she's about to head off to her own journey; hers taking her to the university of washington in seattle.

i've been told that as high school friends move on, they will lose contact. i believe that we will adopt other priorities in school and life, but i am as committed as i can be to stay in touch with Shawna. i have labeled her as my kindred spirit; and you just can't lose contact with that.

it meant so much to me to see these people who came to share my last day in oregon (at least for the school year). i loved seeing Simon from across the street; our very close family friends col. and mrs. Chapman; McKenzie, Thomas, Rick, Tami, Heidi and Irene from high school.

it was certainly wonderful and fitting that all of them were there, people who have been such a very important part of my life. I feel honored to be included in theirs as well.

i've spent the past month attempting to relate to my family how much they mean to me. i think i've made my points clear. my sister, Jessica, told me the other day: "yes, Kasey, i know, i know and i know!" she then smiled and hugged me so that she could whisper in my ear that she can't even imagine what it will be like with me here.

that kind of thing has comforted me, and all of them have really taken that sort of moment to convey their feelings.

i've left messages for each of them which i will e-mail to them either monday night or tuesday morning. i only hope they understand the words which i try to convey. (i've left the recorded message to my parents with Brandon, who will give it to them upon their return tuesday night).

so, i'm off in the morning. one more goodbye as Brandon, Jessica, Angela and Keith take time away from getting ready for school, and we're on the road. my parents will start the trip in their suv, while i have the privilege and honor to be accompanied by my youngest sister, Monika, as i drive my jetta. we're headed to san francisco where we'll all stay with my brother and his fiance monday night, then move me into the dorm on tuesday.

i fear that watching mom, dad and Monika drive away will be the saddest sight i've ever experienced.

but then again, that's just one emotion which is rushing through my heart.

~ Kassandra

sf bay area rocks!

so far, i am loving the bay area! i know seem to be saying 'i love this' and 'i love that' a lot lately. it's true though; i've been here just a day and a half, but it's been an incredible day and a half!

Brian and Carla

i was met at the san francisco airport by my brother at a little before 5 a.m. thursday morning. after grabbing my luggage, he took me to his apartment where i would be staying through the weekend, which included friday's meeting with my college counselor.

wait, i'm getting ahead of myself a bit.

Brian and Carla have been together a little over a year and became engaged in june. she essentially met my family when he brought her home for my high school graduation. the reception from my parents, siblings and myself was a positive one for her. i imagine it can be daunting meeting your fiance's family of military parents and seven siblings. i, for one, was quite impressed.

prior to my arrival in san francisco, Brian and Carla informed me that they had a big surprise for me.

my brother and i arrived at the apartment from the airport at about 5:30. Carla was already awake. each of them had to go to work in a couple of short hours. i was going to get a chance to rest after my two weeks in new mexico and nebraska.

i was told to help myself to the fridge and cupboards, make myself at home and feel free to watch any movies or listen to any music i found in the place.

then my brother nodded toward his fiance and said she had something to show me. she smiled slightly then motioned for me to follow her. i did so, and Brian followed me. down the hallway and to the last door.

she stopped for a moment, then opened the door.

what i saw brought me to tears. the bed, the chest, the desk. and a theme of my favorite pink.

i was then informed that this was my room, for whenever i wanted to take a break off campus and drive the 30 miles north. this was offered as my refuge by a smiling couple. i was amazed and honored.

Brian had grabbed my bags and he set them inside. he approached me as i was walking around beaming, a smile from ear to ear. what he told blew me away. Carla had remodeled the room just for me. he said she wanted to make a great impression since i would probably be the family she would get to know best.

i smiled at her, went over and gave her a huge hug. i love it!

college counselor meeting

i met with my counselor at the university for the first time in person this morning. she's a sweetheart and i really think we'll be able to work together.

we spent a lot of time on the curriculum and what it will take for me to attain the goals i have for myself. this basically included the courses and overall plan of action for me to earn the degrees for which i'm aiming.

she showed me a layout of my classes for fall and a layout of the buildings on campus. we also talked about my dorm, parking permit and the student union.

she also gave me a special treat. as we were concluding, she said 'ah, one more thing.' she picked up the phone, looked at a paper on her desk and began dialing.

that one more thing was a call to my dorm mate, a blond girl named Julie from oxnard, california. we spoke via speakerphone for about 10 minutes and exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses. it's great that we'll already have been talking before we actually meet face to face. needless to say, i'm feeling pretty good about it!

so here i am, in my room near my school, loving ththe bay area!

~ Kassandra

des moines, lunch with grandma, heading west

you know, this really has been the vacation of my lifetime. in just under two weeks, i feel like i've lived a summer's worth of adventures. i've seen probably 85 percent of my extended family, encompassing both sides!

there's no way i can recapture all this in one blog, but i can say it would make one hell of a 'what i did on my summer vacation' report!

mississippi river and des moines

when we last left off, my grandparents, aunt and cousin were off to des moines, with a detour to the mississippi river and the state of illinois. it was a great day, even though much of it was in the car.

from lincoln we went through southern iowa and northern missouri to burlington, illinois. my impression from this part of the trip: the mississippi river is friggin huge! i mean, i knew it was big and the current was strong, but i don't think i was prepared for the sure size and awesomeness of it.

monday night in des moines was wonderful. my cousin, Stacey, lives there and showed us some midwestern hospitality that would make a southerner jealous (not sure about the validity of that; it just sounded good!). after my grandparents and aunt decided to crash out, Stacey, Rebecca, Stacey's roommate Candice went to a club in des moines. i just have to say, as i may blog about this later, the iowan guys are something very special!

last day in nebraska

i had wanted to drop into kansas, so on wednesday before leaving, my grandmother and i had a girls day out. we drove past some of the larger farms in the area, then took a little drive across the kansas border into marysville where we had a nice little lunch and did some shopping.

shopping was a major activity in all these places, but there were also some other souvenirs from the trip ... how about a little summary:

sixteen state-named t-shirts; 12 pieces of jewelry, over 25 little trinkets, about five special mementos, samples of dirt from nine states (10 if i can get some during my layover in minneapolis/st. paul!) and, get this, samples of river water from two of the country's largest rivers (mississippi and rio grande).

how's that for a summer?!

brother and school

from here, i go to san francisco to stay with my brother for a couple of days. i have my first face-to-face meeting with my college counselor friday and that's only a 40 minute drive from my brother's apartment.

i should arrive at the airport there early morning of the 12th.

he already told me that he and his fiance, Carla, have a surprise for me when i show up there ... i have no idea what it might be!

but i do love surprises!

~ Kassandra