Mary's Article

Mary's Article

Check out Mary's article in the South Mountian District News. This article was printed in the October 2006 issue, which was ditributed to 20,000 homes and businesses in South Mountain and Laveen area. There are some exaggerations and a few items missing from the interview, but that is journalism. Any news is good news, especially if it is free. Enjoy.

Halloween

Click on the picture to view it bigger to read the comic:

Happy Halloween

A mock-up of a plane crash is displayed as part of a Halloween display in the garden of a home in Los Angeles October 20, 2006. Los Angeles police visited the scene after thinking the crash was real. The homeowner is an aircraft mechanic in training and the parts are from a real Gulfstream jet.

Gila Monsters

Diabetic drug has Gila monster to thank

Connie Midey
The Arizona Republic

One of the newest weapons in the fight against diabetes owes its ability to lower blood glucose to a reptile that has made its home in the Sonoran desert for millions of years. Byetta, a non-insulin injection for type 2 diabetes, is based on a protein found in the venom-spiked saliva of the Gila monster. Two studies released this month found that exenatide, the drug's active ingredient, improves blood-glucose levels as effectively as insulin injections.

Results of the one-year and 32-week studies, funded by Byetta makers Amylin and Eli Lilly pharmaceutical companies, were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association of the Study of Diabetes in Copenhagen, Denmark. The associated weight loss many Byetta users experience is as exciting as their improved glucose control, especially given obesity's link to type 2 diabetes.

"I have patients losing 30, 40, 50, 60 pounds, with hardly any effort," Phoenix physician Gerald Asin said. "For patients who are obese and have diabetes, this is a wonderful drug."

In the one-year study, people using exenatide lost an average of 5.5 pounds, while those treated with a commonly prescribed insulin gained an average of 6.4 pounds. Even nausea, Byetta's main side effect, and fear of needles don't seem to matter. "Patients typically plug away with it, knowing they want the end results," said registered dietitian Angela Pitman, who leads a Scottsdale Healthcare diabetes support group.

Diabetic drug has Gila monster to thank (Summary)
Diabetics hail 'wonder drug' derived from the lizard (Full Story)

SLC

We spent a quick weekend in Salt Lake City for the semi-annual General Conference. Thank you to our great friends, Hans & Shalay Branch, for allowing us to stay with in their beautiful home in Spanish Fork. Additionally, thank you Uncle Jerry & Aunt Linda for a great family dinner on Sunday. Below is a cell phone picture.

Orlando

We did a great trip to Orlando / Tampa Bay on 8/31/06 to 9/3/06. We went to Epcot at Disney World and Kennedy Space Center. We travelled over to Tampa Bay to see Mark's friend from high school.

R.I.P. - The Crocodile Hunter

The Crocodile Hunter

Key events in the life of Steve Irwin

Some key dates in the life of Steve Irwin, the television presenter known around the world as "The Crocodile Hunter," who died 9/4/06:

• Feb. 22, 1962 - Stephen Robert Irwin is born near Melbourne.
• Feb. 22, 1968 - Irwin receives a 12-foot-long scrub python for his 6th birthday.
• 1980s - Irwin volunteers for Queensland's crocodile relocation program, trapping problem crocodiles.
• 1991: Irwin takes over his father's reptile park when his parents retire and begins building Australia Zoo into a tourist icon.
• 1991 - Irwin marries Terri Raines, a tourist from Eugene, Ore. Footage from their honeymoon becomes the first episode of "The Crocodile Hunter" in Australia.
• 1992 - "The Crocodile Hunter" is picked up by the Discovery Network, shown worldwide.
• 2001 - Irwin makes a cameo in the Eddie Murphy film "Dr. Dolittle 2," in which he attempts to wrestle an alligator and loses an arm.
• 2002 - Irwin releases his first feature film "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course."
• Oct. 2003 - Prime Minister John Howard invites Irwin to lunch with President Bush in Canberra.
• Jan. 2004 - Irwin provokes an international outcry after being filmed holding his 1-month-old son, Bob, while feeding a snapping crocodile.
• June 2004 - Irwin is investigated for a possible criminal breach of Australian wildlife laws after allegedly clowning around with whales and penguins while filming a documentary in Antarctica. He is cleared of wrongdoing.
• Sept. 4, 2006 - Irwin is fatally stabbed in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a television segment on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

AZ Cardinals Stadium

We partook in the AZ Cardinals Stadium free tour. It is amazing site including a retractable real grass field that only the football players touch. Check out more info at Design & Quick Facts.

7 years

We celebrated our 7th year anniversary at Chili's, as we do every year. Our first date was at Chili's at Mill/University. Mary insists we always eat at Chili's each year, despite my desire to celebrate at a more luxury place.

Chicago

We enjoyed a long weekend in Chicago from August 3-7. We went to Wrigley's Field to watch a Diamondbacks vs. Cubs game, visited Navy Pier a few times, Sears Tower, John Hancock Tower, Shed Aquarium, Field Musium, Musium of Science and Industry, Chicago LDS Temple, Lincoln Park Zoo, took a lake tour of the city sky line, & walked many miles. We had a blast.

Paper clip guy to get his house

Paper clip guy to get his house
It looks like Kyle MacDonald, the 26-year-old Montreal man who set out to trade a single red paper clip for a house, has accomplished his ambitious goal. MacDonald will be giving his most recent trade--a movie role--to the city of Kipling, Saskatchewan in exchange for a two-story farmhouse, according to his blog, "one red paperclip." The deal will become official once MacDonald shakes hands with the mayor of his new home town on Wednesday, exactly one year after he announced his endeavor, he wrote. "One red paperclip. One house. One year," he wrote, of his 14-trade saga. "A great statement as it is, but you better believe the first thing we're going to do is paint the house red. Please don't ask me why I'm going to paint it red. Like the beer keg, I think we can all agree it's just one of those things that has to be done."

One Red Paperclip Blog Website

Mary is Great!

Wednesday, July 5th
Mary is recovering great & walking around, even walking upstairs to go to bed. Mary is doing so well, her mom went home early.

Mary had 17 staples taken out. She sees Dr. Bartell again on Wednesday, then will be able to drive. She has just less than three weeks to go before returning to work. For the first time in eight years knowing Mary, she is actually doing nothing, being lazy, and relaxing more than an hour.

To see pictures of Mary's staples and tumor please click the link (Warning: this is a picture of Mary's tumor and Mary's stomach with staples, please proceed with caution): click here.


Thursday, July 13th
Mary is cleared by Dr. Bartell to drive now. The result of the tumor is non-cancer & weighed about 3 pounds – wow! Mary continues to surprise even Dr. Bartell on the quickness of recovery. Mary has a couple more weeks until returning full load at the store & will continue to enjoy time off recovering.

Monday, July 31st
Mary has completely recovered from surgery and is back to full load at the store and normal activities. We are blessed that this process is a complete success!

Mary's ovary tumor (updated)

Mary is having surgery on Thursday, June 29th, at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Hospital (aka Scottsdale North Hospital) (stats). We will be at the hospital at 5:30 am and the surgery starts at 7:30 am. Please keep Mary in your prayers.

Mary's OB doctor performing the surgery is Dr. Misti Bartell; she has performed about 50 or so of this type of surgery. It will be a two-hour surgery or less.

Mary has a 17 cm tumor in her lower section (lower bladder area), which is a small melon size. Dr. Bartell will remove the right ovary and tube & will try to save the left side. Mary is doing great and staying calm. Her twin sister, Misty, had a similar surgery performed about two years ago. See our Oregon post for a picture of Mary and Misty.

Mary will be in the hospital for two or three days. She will be relaxing at home for two or three weeks, then taking it easy and not lifting for an additional three to five weeks thereafter. Mary, Misty, and I will be at the hospital on Thursday. Mary's mom, Charlene, will be there on Friday & taking care of Mary for about two weeks recovering at home. The UPS Store has great, valuable employees that will take care operations during this time of Mary's recovery. I will be assisting at the store when necessary.

Here are Mary's CAT scans (sorry I do not know how to covert from novapacs viewer to jpeg, so I performed printscreens to bmp):

Oregon

Mary and I, & Misty, did an extended weekend trip to Oregon. Thank you Grandma & Grandpa Soule for allow us to stay with you and all your great hospitality.

Flew into PDX on Wednesday, May 24th, night. Thursday visited to Silverton, Silver Falls, Corvallis, and Uncle Gene. Friday visited with Uncle Gene Tilimock cheese factory, water fall, Lincoln City, Newport Beach, back to Grandma & Grandpa's for some great lasagna! Saturday visited Portland: Pitock Mansion, Rose Garden, water fall, Vacouver, WA, ate at Joe Crab's Shack on the Columbia River, and Portland Temple. Sunday went to church in Philomath, then visited Eugene and OU; came back to eat dinner at Roger & LuAnn's (great dinner and birthday cake)! Monday took Levi & Misty to the airport, then Mary and I visited Portland some more, shopped at Woodburn outlets, visited the Nelsons in Stayton (my favorite mission family!), and took Grandma & Grandpa to Shoneys for dinner then learned a new card game called golf. Tuesday we was a lazy morning, then visited West Salem & South Salem - we got lost and after the one hour drive to PDX almost missed our flight, we were the last to board.

In the Bleachers

Mothers deserve $134,121

Study: US mothers deserve $134,121 in salary
ABC News Article

"A full-time stay-at-home mother would earn $134,121 a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top U.S. ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released on Wednesday."

"A mother who works outside the home would earn an extra $85,876 annually on top of her actual wages for the work she does at home."

"To reach the projected pay figures, the survey calculated the earning power of the 10 jobs respondents said most closely comprise a mother's role -- housekeeper, day-care teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive and psychologist."

"Employed mothers reported spending on average 44 hours a week at their outside job and 49.8 hours at their home job, while the stay-at-home mother worked 91.6 hours a week, it showed."

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 26 million women with children under age 18 work in the nation's paid labor force. Both employed and stay-at-home mothers said the lowest-paying job of housekeeper was their most common role, with employed mothers working 7.2 hours a week as housekeeper and stay-at-home mothers working 22.1 hours in that role.
On average, the mother who works outside the house earns a base pay of $62,798 for a 40-hour at-home work week and $23,078 in overtime; a stay-at-home mother earned a base pay of $45,697 and $88,424 in overtime, it said."

Snow in Phoenix

Mountains by our house:

Link to more pictures

New House

We actually closed on August 31st, 2005 & officially moved in on September 10th, 2005.