10-18-02
I wish I had more time to write but I don't - we are leaving for a Johnston Architects company retreat in about an hour, and I haven't even packed yet.
I have not received any pictures from my trip to Indiana yet, sorry. I am working on it. (Update: here)
Tomoka got home to Osaka safe and sound. Uncle Tim and Aunt Julie get here in a couple weeks. Truly is leaving Starbucks because she and her husband are moving to Tacoma. My classes are going great, but so far they are just lectures about the design industry.
Since I last wrote to you, I also saw Queens of the Stone Age (Showbox) and Enon (Graceland). We had cousin Jason over for a lovely dinner. Joe got back from the boat and was staying with us for a while.
There's more, but I gotta go.
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10-15-02
Sean and I are married 8 years (together 14) today.
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10-10-02
I haven't written because things are so difficult right now. My family & I are in the process of healing.

10-03-02
Last night my Dad called from Wes and Val's house. My cousin Chad was in a motorcycle accident just a couple hours earlier - he died instantly from head injuries. He was at Indiana University - his sophomore year, attending with my brother Todd. He had just left Todd's fraternity house and that was it. He's nineteen.
This made me realize that our family has never had to deal with death like this before. We've been so lucky - there are so many of us. Just about the whole family was at Wes and Val's house within an hour, minus me and Aunt Nancy (who's in California), Uncle Herb and Karyn (in Arkansas), and the kids who are away at college.
Sean and Chad at the lakehouse
I tried to work at Starbucks this morning but they sent me home at seven. I got a couple hours of sleep, but Nancy and my Dad both called me since we are planning flights, and Dad and Burt both went with Wes to the funeral home to make arrangements. [And yesterday was Burt's birthday.] Dad told me the viewing is all day Saturday and the funeral is Sunday.
I leave tomorrow morning for Indiana and return Monday around noon, where I hope to get some sleep and go to my first class for my certification program.
[I am sorry about this background if it offends anyone - I made it a couple days ago.]
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10-01-02
Tomoka is here!