Happy Birthday, Mr. T!

There have been a lot of changes at work, some that upset us, making us cranky. So, yesterday being Mr. T's birthday, I decided to have a "Mr. T night." I got a birthday cake from Walmart that said, "Happy Birthday, Mr. T - I pity the foo' who doesn't want cake." We all laughed and told Mr T stories, which lightened the atmosphere considerably. The house supervisor used to work in Chicago, and had his own tales to tell, having met our birthday boy. Yes, this was totally random, but we had fun. Thanks to Savannah for alerting us to the date.

Mafia Wars

I have been playing "Mafia Wars" on Facebook with some of my friends. It kind of brings back memories from when I was a girl in Wisconsin. We lived between Chicago and Milwaukee. We had a good customer that "adopted" my brother and myself. He didn't have any kids and did not think that my parents were fit parents. (Like teaching kids the best way to off someone qualifies for parent of the year.) I always heard that he was from the mob, but I just laughed it off. Apparently, he was a "Self-Made Man." He served time for one of the big guys in Chicago, and they had a limo waiting for him when he got out of prison. No one could touch him, and he could say anything he wanted. He offered to "talk" to my first husband when things went south. I blew him off, but when I told him (ex), he got really scared and paranoid. He kept looking for bombs under his car. Anyway, I got divorced and decided to move to Milwaukee. "Big Al" had "friends" there, and set me up with a job there. I had a job and an apartment waiting for me. I was scheduled to work for the "family." I blew this guy off thinking that he was drunk and ignored him. I found my own job, place to live, etc. I found out many years later that "Big Al" wasn't kidding, that all of this was for real. Wow! The last time I saw "Big Al" was after I joined the Church, and right before I moved to Arizona. He said to me, "So now you're a Mormon, huh Kid?" When I acknowledged this he said, "Good for you!" Whenever I go to Wisconsin, people ask me, "Do you remember Big Al?" Like I am an expert on him or something.

A few years ago, we were joking with one of the members of our Bishopric. We were teasing him about tell the Teachers Quorum not to spoil their dates. He asked if Mark harrassed me. I told him no, that I was a protected species. Then the above story came out. He started calling me the "Mafia Princess" after that. He is a podiatrist, and I am a patient of his. He was doing an exam and asked if my legs were bigger when I was a Mafia Princess. LOL! (They shrunk due to paralysis.)

When my Dad died, we got a floral arrangement from the local "family." I was certain to send the first "thank you" card to them. My family has a long history of these "affiliations." They were on the sidelines. However, my family did help out with hiding John Dillinger. My grandma even danced with him and was friends with his girlfriend, Evelyn "Billie" Freshette. My greataunts and grandma said that he was very well dressed, had wonderful manners, and was a smoooooth dancer.
My Grandpa Brunner was buried next to Bonnie Parker of "Bonnie and Clyde" fame. Funny how those things work out.

This is John Dillinger:


This is Billie Freshette:

Thank you for letting me share some memories with all of you.

This is Frank Balistrieri:


This is from Wikipedia:
Frank P. Balistrieri also known as "Mr. Big", "Frankie Bal", "Mr. Slick", and "Mad Bomber" (May 27, 1918-February 7, 1993) was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mafia boss who was a central figure in casino skimming during the 1980s.Balistrieri was college educated and attended law school for six months. Short in stature, Balistrieri took great pride in his appearance. As a young man, he started working for the Milwaukee crime family, which owed allegiance to the powerful Chicago Outfit criminal organization in Chicago. Balistrieri soon built a reputation for arrogance, cruelty and ruthlessness. Balistrieri allegedly received the "Mad Bomber" nickname because he frequently used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) attached to cars as weapons against his enemies. His father-in-law and Milwaukee boss, John Alioto, was soon grooming Balistrieri as his successor.

In 1961, Alioto retired and Balistrieri took control of the Milwaukee family. Balistrieri eventually referred to himself as, “....the most powerful man in Milwaukee.” After the "hit" on acutance, August "Augie" Palmisano, Balistrieri was quoted as saying, "He called me a name - to my face - and now they can't find his skin!" Balistrieri conducted his business at a table at Snug's restaurant in Milwaukee's Shorecrest Hotel, giving orders over a red telephone. In March 1967, Balistrieri was convicted of income tax evasion and was sent to prison for two years. In June 1971, he was released.

Samarah's State Track Meet

Samarah went to the State Track Meet in Mesa at Mesa High. She did very well. I am especially impressed with the good sportsmanship between the schools.

I was laughing so hard. My brother-in-law, David Smith, likes to have his picture taken with people he doesn't know. He sneaks into the picture when strangers are having their photo shoot. It got to the point that when my niece got married, my sister gave him strict instructions not to get into any pictures he is not supposed be in. So, my daughter follows her beloved Uncle David's example and gets her picture in with all the other team pictures. What a funny experience. She sure love her Aunt Debbie & Uncle Dave.

Alex's Bike Gang

Alex got a bike this week. He wants his buddies to all get bicycles. I guess he is trying to start a "bicycle gang." They want something to do to keep in shape. The only requirement, other than a bike, is to wear a fake mustache. This should be good. Maybe I should start a subblog and call it "The Adventures of Alex." This son of mine never ceases to entertain me. A couple of the doctors at the hospital know Alex, and always ask about how he is doing. They love the "Alex Stories" as well. Dr. Plowman wants Alex to stay away from the bears to which he replies, "Not listening, not listening." Alex has also discovered that he loves sushi. Like mother, like son.

Nurses Week 2009

This is me and our CEO, Kevin Hawk. I tied with another nurse for the hospital wide nurse leadership person for 2009. I was very shocked to say the least. The other nurse is a very good leader and leads people correctly. I lead people into open rebellion, mischief, and mayhem. As Savannah said, "I didn't know they gave awards for that kind of leadership." All in all, it was nice to be recognized. I even ditched the award ceremony, and they had to call me to come down ASAP. At least I didn't get fired this week for my big mouth. LOL!

Army and the Bears

I guess that there are a lot of bears out and about in Anchorage, AK. Alex and his buddies (battles)see them. They saw a baby bear and thought it would be fun to pick it up. Mama was there, and they decided against it. Good choice. I told him that I get really angry when people mess with my kids. That mama bear feels it even more so. There are no PC laws to protect them, nor are there bear police that they can call. LOL! I hope that they don't keep messing with the bears.

My Samarah

 

I love this picture. She looks so beautiful! She looks like she belongs on the cover of a magazine. However, looks are deceiving... She'll scare them ALL at State. She has qualified for 4 out of 4 of her events. She is a force to be reckoned with. Dad and I are very proud of her, our Warrior Princess.