I Keep Looking For Me

I spoke to a "free"  lawyer on the phone.  (I pay a nice monthly fee for ARAG membership.  Free phone consultation, 25% discount on office visits).  Worth every penny. (Can you hear the sarcasm?  I think my problem stumped him, but I didn't get the impression that he much cared.   He did have one idea for me to pursue that I had not thought of - look for my birth announcement in the local paper.

Unfortunately, The Willits News - established in 1903 :) - only keeps their own papers for a year, certainly not 60+ years.

However, they think the old papers are on microfiche in the Willits Library.  Only a 4 hours drive.  While I try to figure out when I can do that during library hours, I emailed the friends of the library in case someone there can / will help with my search.

It sure goes easier on TV.

If I had time and a little money, I would really enjoy a trip to Willits.  And  I would like to ride The Skunk Train

*Jimmy Cagney voice* “Oh, you dirty rat.” (even though he never actually said it)

A little excitement in the office this morning. 

An unpleasant smell has been growing over near the front desk.  At first, barely noticeable and not constant.  Yesterday, it was camouflaged by a potluck. This morning, it began to really bother people. 

One coworker declared his certainty that a dead rat was stuck somewhere.  Much productivity was lost as people wandered about comparison sniffing, hunting through empty cubicles, peering at vents and lights, etc.  A couple of janitorial workers were brought in.  Several people stood about at various distances admiring their courage and  offering suggestions.  The smell seemed to be coming from the ceiling.  Every discoloration of the light covers became suspect.  The janitor said it was not in the ceiling because when he stuck his head up there he could not smell it, but when he was going up and down the ladder he could.  

The smell was finally identified as a potted plant which had gone moldy at the bottom!  

Rather sad as my super had grown it from a mere leaf.  Alas, she is not going to try to save it, but had it unceremoniously removed.

 

Back to work, people.  It’s fiscal year end.

Crime and Punishment

Have you read Tolstoy's Crime and Punishment?  I read about a quarter of it on my Kindle (thank you, mystery family and friends!), but I don't expect to finish it.  I take no pleasure in it. (The Kindle, yes, the novel, no) I have read my small share of classical literature and my share of slow to get into books, but I don't care to read this.  If you have read it and found benefit therein, please share – but not in a superior and judgmental manner, if you don't mind.

Now about another crime and punishment.  I committed the crime. 

It was during an evening of Reading Club -  The Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-ja.  I was tired and nature was calling.  Partly because of the large glass of chocolate milk which I held, not quite empty, in my hand.  As I rose to hand off the book and leave briefly to utilize some of my favorite wonders of modern life, something went wrong.  I am not sure how I managed it, but I got chocolate splattered all over the front room floor and some on the book.  Anna, devoted canine companion, volunteered to start cleaning the floor.  Joseph and Andrew, dear diligent sons, did their best to clean up the book.  I answered the aforementioned call.

After the young men's ministrations, the book looked to my eye much as it did when Joseph brought it home from the library.  It looked like a lot of young people had read it and not always in pristine conditions. Nonetheless, Joseph took the book to the library, showed it to the librarian, and was charged to replace the book.  He had expected to pay a small damage fine.  Ridiculous.  We had little affected its appearance and not at all affected its readability.  He paid. He did get to keep the book.

When back home he made to fasten his receipt to the book and saw that the receipt said “lost book” which was not true.  What is it with false documents, anyway??!

Joseph looked on Amazon and found that he paid more for the used book than it costs new!

Joseph returned to the library and discussed the situation with the librarian.  I think he wanted to know if they would refund his payment if he gave them a new book.  Nope.

I do not think the punishment fit the crime.  (I did pay him most of the fine he paid as it was my crime, but I admit, I would have just turned the book in as it was without saying anything. 

At least we enjoyed the book.  But it is book 10 of a series.  I don't like having one book of a series.  I enjoyed the books, but had not considered owning the series.  ($$!)

A) Keep the book?  B) donate it to DI?  C) try to sell it on eBay?  D) complete the set?

Purrs and Clicks

From the Life of George Albert Smith

To teach about the importance of revelation to guide the Church, George Albert Smith told of an experience he had on an airplane flight from Los Angeles, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah:

“Near Milford, Utah, we suddenly flew into one of the worst fogs I have ever seen. I tried to look out of the window of the plane but could not see anything through the fog. Not a thing could be seen in any direction outside the plane.

“I knew that we were approaching the mountains at the approximate rate of three miles a minute, that we were compelled to pass over them to get into the Salt Lake Valley. I was worried and asked myself, ‘How can the pilot find the way when he cannot see a thing?’ He had his compass but the plane might drift off its course. He had instruments indicating our distance above sea level but he had no way of knowing how far we were from the ground. I thought he might fly high enough to clear the mountains between us and the Salt Lake Valley and try to find the landing field by the flash of the beacons if we got close enough, but I chilled when I thought of the danger of losing our way and missing the beacons and the airport.

“In my anxiety I went up into the space that was occupied by the pilot and the co-pilot to see how they knew where we were going. I could not tell whether we were a hundred feet, a thousand feet or ten thousand feet above the ground and I did not know how they could tell, except approximately. I noticed that the pilot had a little device over his ear like operators in telephone offices use to receive with. I inquired of the co-pilot how they could tell whether we were flying in the right direction or know if we were off course. He replied, ‘When we cannot see we are guided by the radio beam.’

“‘What is that?’ I asked. He explained that the beam might be likened to an electric highway between two points, and in our case the points were Milford and Salt Lake City. He said that the device over the pilot’s ear operated so that when the plane was in the beam a low, purring sound continued to be heard, but if the plane goes to the right or left the sound changes and the pilot is warned by clicking as of a telegraph key. If he … pulls back to the beam or highway, on to the path of safety, the clicking ceases and the purring resumes. If we continue on the beam we will arrive at our destination in safety.

“I returned to my seat greatly comforted to know that notwithstanding we were enveloped in fog and darkness and could neither see nor feel where we were, the pilot was receiving information constantly that we were on the highway and he knew that we would soon arrive at our destination. A few minutes later I felt the plane descending. We had passed over the mountain tops and were nearing the airport. When we were nearly down we could see the powerful lights of the field indicating where to land and the plane with its precious cargo touched the ground gently as a seagull lights on water, slowly came to a stop and we stepped from our conveyance to the ground, happy to be at home again. …

“I have thought many times of the lesson I learned on the plane and have applied it to experience in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. …

“Not only has the Lord given us the advice already recorded in the scriptures to guide us but he has placed a leader in this Church, one of his sons who has been chosen and ordained and set apart to be the President. He is our pilot and he will be directed by a voice that will enable him to lead us where we should go. If we are wise we will not set up our judgment against him but will be happy to honor him in his place as long as the Lord sustains him.”

.... 

You are entitled to the inspiration of the Spirit, and the knowledge that He is your Father, and when I say “you” I speak of all those who have obeyed the commandments of our Father, and have partaken of the sweet influence of the Spirit of the Lord in the Church of Christ. … Each of us is entitled to the inspiration of the Lord in proportion to the manner in which we live a godly life

Pearls

Many pearls of wisdom in church today which strung together lead to life, peace and happiness (as usual, of course)

Unedited because I should do my personal scriptures and GET TO SLEEP, but glean from them what you will:

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Bishop Adair: (head of our ward or congregation)

Things we need to know:

We have a Heavenly Father who loves us

Pres Uchtdorf Oct 2009: He loves us. We are important to God... because we are His children

We are of worth. We have already made some wonderful correct decisions.

Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Atonement is real. We have the option of repentance.

Families were designed to be together forever.

The temple is safe haven for our spirits.

We have agency, one of the greatest gifts that could be given. The first war was fought over agency.

Not “free” agency – there are always consequences, wonderful or otherwise

Things that we need to be doing

Satan is intelligent and experienced

Satan gets at us with little things “I'm too busy” “I am not important” I am unworthy I will do it neck

t time I worry about what others will think

God did not give us selfish commandments Every commandment is for our benefit. Life will be more fulfilling, our challenges easier to bear.

We have a living prophet. Know what he has told us – and follow his counsel

Pray. Why throw away a phone call t the most intelligent, caring person that you know? He is interested in everything that is important to you, that you are working on. Every aspect of our life is worthy of prayer.

Read the scriptures frequently.

Be faithful to our spouse and family

Treat our spouse as the most important person on the earth

Be good home and Visiting Teachers. An opportunity to be like Christ

Attend temple frequently

immerse ourselves in temple covenants

Share the gospel in a natural way

Have FHE – teach your family the Gospel and show them you love them

Exercise your agency to do many good things of your own free will

Endure to the end. Life by the yard is hard, by the inch, it's a cinch.

Don't ever make a decision without asking yourself, “How will I explain this to the Savior when I meet him?”

Relief Society (women's organization)

Lord to President Fisher, Stake (collection of congregations) President re Sister Godfrey who was called to be our Stake Relief Society  president and who is deaf)

“She hears me just fine. She listens to me and obeys. Do you?”

Mary, mother of Jesus – rare direct quotes which we would do well to heed

Be it unto me according to your word.

Whatever he saith unto you, do it.

Barbara, in search of self

I learned that school records follow the pupil. The school district where I first started school no longer has any record of me. I called my graduating high school. They purge the grade school records, but Lori, the gal I talked to, was very sympathetic. She is sending me an official high school record in the hopes that it will help and also a copy for me to have.

I am really putting a lot of hope in church records. My Bishop and Stake President had no idea of what, if anything, could be done. My ward clerk has not responded - I am beginning to suspect my e-address is wrong. I called church headquarters, who said they can get my "original" records, but my Bishop or ward clerk has to request them. I passed the information on to the Bishop and he said that he would work on it Monday when the HQ office is open. I hope I was blessed, as Mormon babies traditionally are. That should be good for establishing me as a baby. My parents were baptized just before my 1st birthday. The next record would be my baptism - traditionally at 8, but I was almost 9.

I don't know how much documentation I need. My aunt filled out an affidavit and had it notarized. She was about 9 when I was born. That and church records may be all I have about my childhood. Pretty meager.

Not a lot here. I still think parent citizenship should count. I have not applied for my mother's birth certificate yet. I am trying to figure out if there are other certificates I want to apply for at the same time. I will need to send a notarized statement of relationship with the request. One notarized affidavit will do for several document requests.

Also, the 1940 census has just been released and volunteers (myself among them) have been indexing them to make them digitally searchable. California is completely indexed, but not searchable yet. I think it should be soon. So I can soon find my mother as a child in the census. I hope that will help.

I emailed my great-uncle (my mother's mother's baby brother), but they are not on-line much. If I don't hear from them soon, I will have to go over there. Not sure when. Life is very full.

I just asked my aunt if she has any idea what kind of work Rolf (my birth father) did when I was born or whom he worked for. Long shot, I know. And what high school my parents attended. Can you think of any other clues/trails that I can follow?

If none of this works, it looks like Grand Circle has some great tours within the States, which I would love. : ) Would my aunt go for that?

All of which does not solve the Social Security benefits problem, but it's going to collapse soon, anyway, right?

Social inSecurity

Beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to prove my citizenship to the satisfaction of the Department of State, I came across this cheery statement:
Proof of U.S. citizenship must be established when dealing with all levels of U.S. government. Documents proving citizenship must be provided when applying for Social Security benefits and when applying for a U.S. passport.
The exciting thing here is that even if I give up on getting a passport and give up any opportunity to travel, I still have a problem:  I will not be able to collect Social Security Benefits.  (Meager though they may be because of my short work history and If Social Security has not completely collapsed by then, anyway)


It appears that the only way for me to get my California records is by petitioning the County Superior Court.  I will need to figure out which county(ies). 

I am trying to figure out what that will need.  Also, I need to figure out how to get records on my 2nd adoption in Oregon.

I wonder if my aunt's travel company does great tours in the US and if she would be interested. I would love an Early American History tour the best.