Just got the word, I'm going to be going to Russia! Chuck Sengstock and I have been tapped to go install some video conferencing equipment there. We'll leave Cedar Rapids on September 30 for the Moscow State Institute of Steel & Alloys, spend some time there, then travel by train to the Herzen State Pedgagogical University in St. Petersburg, then return back to the U.S. on October 18. Time to start learning some Russian...
I've got four Gmail account invites left to give out, they'll go to the first four people who post a comment on this, and include their first name, last name, and an e-mail address to send the invite to. If you're invited, please accept the invite ASAP, as Gmail seems to give me more invites after everyone accepts. Update: Wow, those went fast. I'll hopefully have some more as soon as the lucky first four of you accept your accounts.
Second Update: Yep, I've got more. Took care of Al from the comments, Bill didn't leave an e-mail address. Still have four more Gmail accounts left to give out. Post a comment if you want one. :)
Third Update: Okay, I'm out of invites again. I'll post a new entry when I get more. Thanks for playing!
I watched Bad Santa last night, a wholly inappropriate family movie, but I laughed my ass off. There are a few scenes in that movie that are truly hilarious, such as the scene involving the wooden pickle. I've got to agree with Roger Ebert's review, Billy Bob Thornton was pretty brave to tackle this role. I about fell off the couch at this line, spoken by Santa:
"I turned a corner yesterday...I beat up some kids. . .I felt like I really accomplished something. . . "
Maren Smith, step-sister of one of my best friends, JD. Shaffer, and sister of one of my good friends, Josh Smith, died late Friday night of cancer. She was a year younger than JD. and me, and left behind two boys, ages 3 and 7. Maren had Neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition which causes numerous tumors, though they're usually benign. She underwent chemotherapy, and numerous surgeries in an attempt to stop the cancer, even enduring the amputation of one of her legs, and a portion of her pelvis, but it simply spread too fast to be contained. As I was looking up the obituary information today in the Mason City paper, I noticed that there were several others listed who'd died of cancer, but they were all in their 70s or 80s, not 27.
MASON CITY — Maren K. Smith, 27, of 88 Country Circle, died Friday (June 11, 2004) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.
Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, with the Rev. James M. Magelssen officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, and continue one hour before services at the church.
Memorials may be given to the Maren K. Smith Memorial Fund.
Maren was born August 26, 1976, in Galesburg, Ill., the daughter of Douglas and Kathryn L. (Hanson) Smith. She graduated from Mason City High School in 1995.
Maren worked for APEC and Ron Weber & Associates for five years. She received her degree from North Iowa Area Community College in 2003 and was currently employed by Principal Financial.
In August of 2003 Maren was diagnosed with cancer. Her two children, DeArzae and Autry, inspired her, giving her the strength and courage to battle her cancer. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
Maren is survived by her two children, DeArzae Smith and Autry Allen of Mason City; mother, Kathryn L. Shaffer and husband, Larry, of Ventura; father, Douglas Smith, and wife, Mary, of Madison, Wis,; brother, Joshua C. Smith of Minneapolis, Minn.; grandmothers, Lorene A. Hanson of Mason City and Margie Smith of Santa Rosa, Calif.; step-brother, J D. Shaffer of Minneapolis, Minn,; step-sister, Jennifer Fasnacht and husband, Stephen, of Monticello; many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Maren’s sister, Kristin L. Smith; uncle, Philip Hanson; grandfathers, the Rev. Lavern R. Hanson, Loren Smith and uncle, Dean Smith precede her in death.
Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924.
I'm glad that I'm not a professor, as i stumbled across RateMyProfessors.com today, a site that lets students post their comments about faculty. Reading through them was interesting, since these are people that I actually work with, though it's somewhat hard for me to judge the accuracy, since I haven't actually taken a class from most of them. A few of them were spot-on though, as far as what I've discerned of their personalities. I'm glad there's not a Rate My Sysadmins site. :)
