Rianon's blog of life

Time to catch up on things

2006-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I should update this thing since its been almost 3 months since I added anything. Terrance is now 9 months old and is up to 22 lbs and is 30 in tall. He is crawling now and pulling up on EVERYTHING. Won't be long before he takes off walking on me. Dakota is growing fast but his social skills have regressed since the baby. He tries to act like a baby. He is doing better now though including a bit better with the potty training. Hopefully we can have him completely potty trained before he turns 5 in December. CJ is off spending the summer with his grandma and Aunt in New York. They left on Monday, the 26th. We got Mom all moved out of our house and into her apartment. I have to unpack some more of her stuff so I can have the boxes to pack up my stuff. I am starting to go through all of our stuff at the house and in storage figuring out what we need to get rid of before we move to Oregon in August. It looks like we may have to live in Newport instead of Siletz like we wanted but the housing situation is very tight down there right now. The good news is that CJ has been accepted to the Siletz charter school for this fall. I hope it will be a good fit for him.

April 10th, 2006

2006-04-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Dakota has an appointment for his hernia surgery on the 18th. I will be glad when it is taken care of.

All of the kids are sick right now including Terrance, the baby. The older 2 are getting over it but Terrance is now using a nebulizer for breathing treatments. We will know in the next day or so whether it is influenza or rsv or what.

We just learned recently that my younger sister has been diagnosed as anorexic. We always knew that she had an unhealthy body image but it has gotten worse. And now that she has a baby (she just turned 1 last month) she can't afford to weaken herself by starving herself. Luckily she is in treatment now. Hopefully she will be able to rebound for her daughter's sake.

March 20, 2006

2006-03-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

What a week! Friday I had laproscopic surgery. I had my tubes tied so there will be no child #4. It was only day surgery but I am still in quite a bit of pain 3 days later. I also wear out quicker these last couple of days. Hopefully I will be back up to snuff soon.

Thursday, Terrance had his 6 month checkup. He is now 18 lbs 10.5 oz and 28.75 in tall. 90th percentile across the board. What a big boy!

I took Dakota to the doctor this afternoon due to a swelling in the nether regions. Turns out he has a hernia. He gets to go see the urologist on the 28th.

Thankfully my van is now fully repaired and in good working order. It was hard not to put myself through the windshield the first couple of days after the brakes were fixed.

My friend Liz and I took our babies to the Baby Fair in Spokane last weekend at the Convention Center. What a great event that is! So many booths with free samples and ideas. The baby crawl races are always the highlight of the day. There is always at least one kid who gets up and walks for the first time!

I am almost done with this round of physical therapy and while I am getting stronger, I haven't noticed any reduction in the pain or grinding in my knees.

March 3, 2006

2006-03-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

Still waiting for the Tribe to send the check to Les Schwab for my brakes. They told me on Monday that it was going out on Tuesday from Wellpinit to Colville but so far it hasn't arrived. I am actually scared to drive my van because of the brakes but unfortunately it is my only transportation. I can't afford to pay the $475 myself. It's times like this that I am glad we are moving back to the Oregon coast this summer. With decent paying jobs, we won't have to rely on others to make ends meet.

Mom came home from the hospital after 10 days. She seems to be doing better but I still worry about her. I guess that's to be expected.

My brother-in-law has called my sister a few times and is well. He got to hear his little girl tell him "Bye-bye Daddy" over the phone and it made both him and my sister teary. Their daughter will be 1 on the 25th of this month.

CJ and I had our birthday last month. He turned 8 and I am now 30 (don't feel 30 though).

My 5th anniversary is coming up on the 25th. Hubby and I were wanting to go out to dinner in Spokane but it's not looking likely due to finances. We are probably just going to go to the Shanghai and sing that evening.

I am finally getting treatment for my arthritic knees. I am now in physical therapy (I call it physical torture!) and if that does not help I may be looking at surgery. I am getting to the point that I don't care if I end up having surgery. I am so tired of being in pain all the time.

lotsa stuff

2006-02-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law who is in the Army was deployed to Afghanistan on Friday morning from Ft. Drum. My sister is missing him already as is their daughter. My niece will be spending her first birthday without her Daddy. Many prayers are being said for his safe return.

That same day, my mother checked into a hospital for severe depression caused by her medications. With the new Medicare rules, she was unable to get some of her needed medication which caused an exacerbation of some of her conditions (arthritis, fibromyalgia, degenerative disk disease). She was unable to sleep due to severe pain for at least a couple of weeks which led to a mental breakdown. She seems to be doing better in the hospital but we'll have to see once she comes home.

I took Dakota to an ear specialist Tuesday. His hearing was impaired due to excessive wax in his ears. When they tested his hearing before getting it all out, he had significant hearing problems. Once they got it out his hearing tested normal. Thank God! Hopefully now he will begin to make strides in his language comprehension. He is in speech therapy to help him catch up.

I just found out that my van now needs new brakes all the way around. I put new tires on it yesterday and Les Schwab told me that the front brakes were not good. A friend here in town looked at the back end said that they all need repair. OUCH!!! Hopefully we can get some help with that from the Tribe. They said that I need to get at least 3 quotes and they will help with it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

New Year

2006-01-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

Well we got some good news. Mom's cancer did not spread to her lymph nodes and it appears that they got it all. That has made for a better new year!

The rest of the family is doing well now. Terrance was in the hospital overnight New Years Day (night). He had a raging ear infection that mimicked meningitis. Luckily, he was just fine and continues to do well. At his last checkup on the 15th, he was 15 lbs 7 oz and 26.5 inches long. Dakota had his 4 year checkup the same day and was 3ft 3in tall and 39 lbs.

Hubby had his first checkup in probably 5 years also. Everything came back completely normal other than him being overweight. This surprised everyone even the doctor! Thank God for small favors.

We have started getting together with another family who have kids nearly the same age as mine. Our babies are only a month apart (Terrance is older). It has been nice having someone other than family to talk to in person. Our husbands are also alot alike (SCARY THOUGHT!!) and they both needed a "guy friend". So each wednesday, the guys go out and shoot pool and then on Fridays the moms go out. Saturday nights we get the families together for dinner.

Merry Christmas...here's cancer

2005-12-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

We just found out the other day that a spot on my mother's arm is actually melanoma or skin cancer. The doctor removed it and we are hoping that they got it all. Unfortunately, we won't know for sure until she sees the dermatologist and the oncologist after the first of the year.

My sister will be visiting us next week from NY with her husband and 9 month old daughter. We are looking forward to spending time with them before he is deployed to Afghanistan in late January.

The Double Eagle Casino is still closed and some of the employees are having a rough time this Christmas. One of them that I know is a single mom of 2 kids. She is surviving on less than $300 a month cash from child support and maybe that much in food stamps. She is still hoping that the casino will reopen so she can go back to work. She worked there for 7 years I think.

more on the Double Eagle fiasco

2005-11-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Double Eagle Casino fights back
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 10:10 AM PST

Employees of closed casino stage rallyBY SOPHIA ALDOUS
S-E Staff ReporterAfter the recent closure of the Double Eagle Casino in Chewelah by the Spokane Tribal Gaming Commission, 19 former employees of the casino along with friends and family, held a rally last Thursday in protest of the tribe’s ruling.The group gathered at the Double Eagle off of Highway 395, holding signs that read “we want a fair hearing” and “give me back my job”.“It’s hard for these people to lose their jobs, especially at this time of year,” said owner Buzz Gutierrez, who built the Double Eagle in 1986. “These people are hard workers who want to earn their living. They don’t want to have to apply for welfare.”The closing of the Double Eagle comes after the tribe removed 250 “slot machines” from the casino in September. Shortly thereafter, Gutierrez installed 104 Class II electronic devices that simulate bingo, which the Tribal Gaming Commission claims were installed without its consent. The STGC also says that the Double Eagle has not paid its annual assessment to the National Indian Gaming Commission, an accusation that Gutierrez denies.“I am in compliance with all rules and regulations, tribal or otherwise,” Gutierrez claimed.Gutierrez filed suit against the tribe in September, contesting a breach of contract after the tribe removed the electronic gaming devices from the Double Eagle. The tribe is attempting to have the lawsuit dismissed by claiming sovereign immunity from such arraignment.As of yet, there is no court date for the lawsuit or Gutierrez’s appeal of the Tribal Gaming Commission’s order to close the Double Eagle.“There has already been a list of 10 to 12 qualified judges presented to the Tribal Counsel, but I still haven’t heard from the court administrator,” said Gutierrez.Let these people continue to work…Gutierrez believes the tribe has shut the Double Eagle’s doors because of political issues he has with the tribal government after his efforts this summer to recall three members of the Spokane Tribal Business Council who were charged with misappropriation of tribal property, abuse of office and intimidation. The charges were dropped in August after three legal officials linked with the case were either forced out by the Tribal Council or left the tribe’s service.Now Gutierrez, who lost re-election to the council in June, says the tribe is using politics against him, and that the people who depend on the Double Eagle for their livelihood are suffering because of it.“The need for these people to go back to work is great,” stressed Gutierrez. “We should be able to settle our legal disputes in a court of law and let these people continue to work and support their families.”Monica Simeon, manager for the Double Eagle and Gutierrez’s daughter, asserted that the Double Eagle is a “grandfather” gaming establishment because it was built before 1988 passage of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The IGRA allows individually owned casinos to function as long as they pay 60 percent of net revenue to the tribe and pay an annual fee to the NIGC.Simeon said that the Double Eagle has made $25 million for the tribe over the past 12 years, and that the tribe’s accusation that the Double Eagle is sidestepping its financial obligations is a falsehood.“The Spokane Tribe independently audits the Double Eagle every year,” said Simeon. “They know full well what our financial operation is.”Act in good faith…Simeon said that the Double Eagle employees are entitled to a fair hearing in court in order to retrieve their jobs, and that this is no longer just a tribal matter.“These people might not be tribal members, but that’s not an issue,” Simeon said. “To have 19 people out of work is devastating to our area, because there aren’t a lot of jobs. The Spokane Tribe regulates the gambling industry in this area, and as such they should act in good faith to neighboring communities.”For Shannon Paluck, a Double Eagle employee since April 2001, or “the tail end of the glory days,” the sudden loss of a job has left her family in a fiscal lurch, not to mention the feelings of sadness and frustration.“One of the main issues is that we won’t get a fair hearing, and we need one to get back to work,” Paluck said. “We know we are under the jurisdiction of the Spokane Tribe, but who governs them when they are stepping on our constitutional rights?”Jory Fields, who has worked at the Double Eagle exactly a year to the day it was closed, said that with gas prices being what they are, it would be hard for him to commute to Spokane or Deer Park for employment to help support his fiance, who is pregnant. Despite his financial fears, he expressed admiration toward Gutierrez for being mindful of his employees.“You don’t work in many places where you boss is right alongside you,” said Fields. “That really means something.”Tracy Kieffer, who worked for the Spokane Tribe for 17 years, stood outside the Double Eagle last Thursday in her support for Gutierrez, citing alleged corruption in the Tribal government as cause of the Double Eagle’s closing.“We need justice, but the system has been manipulated, so we have no justice,” said Kieffer.During the rally, as passing vehicles honked and waved to employees and their families in a show of support, Gutierrez called on the Tribal government to appoint a fair judge and to give the Double Eagle a fair hearing.“We should be able to set aside our political differences and resolve this,” Gutierrez said. “The Spokane Tribe owes the neighboring communities due process and that has failed in the closure of this casino, but we are confident we will prevail.”

I am so glad that this is all coming out in the open. Please call the number in the picture and tell them to give us a fair hearing! All we want is to work and support our families. There are at least 11 children whose parents work at the Double Eagle and they need their jobs to feed and clothe them. This is not about gambling or politics or pettiness. This is about people who are out of work in an area where there is no other work. All we are asking for is to be heard in court.

The casino I worked for illegally shut down

2005-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

I attended a gathering of employees and former employees at the Double Eagle Casino. I learned that it had been illegally shut down by the Spokane Tribe of Indians without notice or due process. The owners have even been denied a hearing reagarding the matter. The following appeared in the Spokesman Review on October 6th or 7th:

Casino owner files suit against Spokane Tribe (The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.)
By Kevin Graman, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Oct. 6--The future of one of the state's oldest Indian-owned casinos may hinge on the outcome of a lawsuit filed last month by a Spokane tribal member against his own tribe.
The owner of the Double Eagle Casino in Chewelah has sued the Spokane Tribal Business Council after the council pulled tribal-owned slot machines out of his gambling facility and then thwarted his attempt to bring in new machines.
The lawsuit filed by tribal member Ronald "Buzz" Gutierrez in Spokane Tribal Court seeks more than $30 million in damages as a result of the tribe's alleged breach of a lease agreement with the Double Eagle and "tortuous interference" with the casino's attempt to negotiate a deal for replacement gambling devices with an Oklahoma gaming company.
Named as defendants are the tribe; its chairman, Greg Abrahamson; vice chairman, Warren Seyler; secretary, Gerald Nicodemus; councilmen David C. Wynecoop Jr. and Ricky Sherwood; tribal gaming commissioner Ron Samuels; and the tribe's gaming attorney, Scott Crowell.
"We're not the aggressors here," said Gutierrez's attorney, Robert Rosette of Mesa, Ariz. "All Buzz is trying to do is continue to operate."
The Double Eagle, the first casino on Spokane Indian trust land, has been "closed for remodeling" since the tribe removed its 250 slot machines from the facility on Sept. 23, Gutierrez said. "We are hoping to reopen no later than Oct. 14."
Tribal council members declined to comment on the case.
Crowell, who represents the tribe on gaming matters, said, "I don't believe the suit has any merit." But he, too, declined further comment because he is named as a defendant.
On Monday, the defendants filed a motion for dismissal, citing the tribe's sovereign immunity from being sued, according to tribal attorney Rory Flint Knife. Since the suit was filed late last month, Gutierrez's attorney has requested an emergency hearing on the matter and the disqualification of tribal Associate Judge David Harding, who is brother-in-law to Nicodemus, one of the defendants.
The Double Eagle, which has been in operation since June 1986 under a series of land lease agreements with the tribe, is a "grandfathered" gambling facility. Because it was operating before the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, it may continue to operate provided it pays 60 percent of its net revenue to the tribe and pays an annual fee to the National Indian Gaming Commission.
Since June 1996, the tribe has leased Double Eagle floor space for some of its Class III gaming devices. Federal law regulates three types of gaming: Class I includes social games like raffles, with prizes of minimum value. Class II includes games of chance, like bingo or its electronic equivalent. Class III is just about every other type of gambling, including slot machines.
Gutierrez said the tribe has made $17 million on its slot machines at the Double Eagle since they were installed nine years ago and $25 million from the casino since it opened 19 years ago.
In September 2004, an audit by the National Indian Gaming Commission found three "potential notice of violations" involving the Spokane Tribal Gaming Commission, the Double Eagle and two other individually owned casinos. They included failure to provide annual audit statements, failure to provide NIGC fees and quarterly statements, and failure to perform background checks for key employees.
With Crowell's advice, steps were taken to remediate these findings, which resulted in no enforcement action by the NIGC, the lawsuit claims.
In a May 3 resolution, the tribal council, claiming the lease agreement with the Double Eagle was out of compliance with federal law, terminated its contract with Gutierrez effective Sept. 23. The resolution also said the lease agreement exposed the tribe to potential fines and enforcement action and that the slot machines were generating less revenue than gaming devices at tribally owned and operated facilities.
In June, Gutierrez entered into negotiations with Rocket Gaming Systems for lease of Class II gambling devices. By July, Gutierrez said, the talks with Rocket Gaming representative Jason Ashmann resulted in "a done deal."
Then on July 26, at a Northwest Indian Gaming Conference, Crowell and Samuels approached Ashmann and told him that Rocket Gaming's machines would not be licensed by the Spokane Tribal Gaming Commission and that action would be taken if he installed them in the Double Eagle, the lawsuit claims.
Rocket Gaming backed out of the deal with Double Eagle.
On Aug. 3, Abrahamson told Gutierrez the council would not approve the Double Eagle conducting games beyond the Class II card games the casino offered before enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1986.
"Such action will be viewed as jeopardizing the interests of the Spokane Tribe and appropriate action will be taken to protect the tribe's interest," Abrahamson wrote, citing ongoing negotiations with the state and federal governments.
The Spokane Tribe is the only tribe conducting gambling in Washington state without a gaming compact. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 1998 that the state was not negotiating in good faith with the tribe and dropped a federal injunction against tribal gambling operations. Last year the tribe resumed negotiations with the state.
"It's strange to hear the tribe declare gaming illegal when they have fought for 20 years to protect that right," Rosette said.
Regardless, the attorney said, it still does not allow the tribe out of its contractual obligation with Gutierrez. If the tribe can operate Class II devices, the attorney said, the Double Eagle can operate them. He said the casino had electronic bingo devices in 1986.
Rosette also said that a dispute resolution clause in the tribe's space lease agreement with the Double Eagle waives the tribe's sovereign immunity from civil action.
The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment from the Tribal Court that the Double Eagle is in compliance with state and federal laws and an injunction against the defendants until the court can determine whether the casino can continue to offer Class II and Class III gaming.
It also seeks $10.2 million for breach of contract, $10.2 million for the tribe's "bad faith" dealings with the Double Eagle, and $10.2 million for interfering with Gutierrez's ability to operate Class II gaming devices.
Gutierrez, a former tribal council member, sees himself as a pioneer in Indian gaming in Washington state, having defended his casino from state and federal authorities since first advising his tribe of its right to offer gambling in 1985.
Since then, he said, "Jealousies have surfaced. Tribal government changed hands. Now we are among a group of people who do not carry on the traditions of using gaming to empower the tribe."
"They want to shut down the Double Eagle," Gutierrez said.

There is a public rally at the Double Eagle Casino to try to publicize this outrage. The casino is located just south of Chewelah on HWY 395. The rally is this Thursday (October 28th) at noon. Even if you don't gamble, please show your support for the employees who have been forced out of their jobs without reason. These people who have been put out of work all have families to support.

Terrance update

2005-10-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is Terrance. He is almost 6 weeks old now. As of yesterday he had gained 3 lbs since birth. His brothers are really happy.

Terrance Denali

2005-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Terrance Denali was born on 9-15-05 at 3:47 a.m. He was 7 lbs 5 oz and 20 inches long at birth. He is a welcome addition to our family especially since he is going to be the last of our children.

Things in my life

2005-08-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Things are getting really busy around my house now. My eldest started school today, 2nd grade. I spent a couple of hours at the hospital last night with contractions (I guess Terrance wants to come early). The doctor is hoping I can make it another week or two.

My brother in Pensacola, Florida called me on Sunday night and was battening down the hatches in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina. I haven't heard from him since the hurricane hit but my prayers are with him.

My mom is looking at shoulder surgery soon for a torn rotator cuff. Her doctors are a little bit concerned about her going under because she has a liver condition and general anesthesia is processed by the liver. I hope all goes well.

My best friend, who lives in Kansas, just gave birth to her first child on Friday. He was 5 lbs 7.5oz and 19 in long. She ended up having a C-section because the cord was around his neck. Both mother and son are doing well though and went home yesterday. Like most first-time moms, she's a little nervous about motherhood but she has good support to get through it. To be honest, I was a little worried about her when she told me she was pregnant because she is bipolar and on medication. Her doctors watched her closely and took her off meds until after the birth. She may or may not go back on them depending on what the doctors say. Good Luck with your first child Amanda!

Baby update

2005-07-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to come together in preparation for the baby's arrival. As I said in the last post, we are naming him Terrance Denali after my late friend Teresa. We found a nice crib and got it set up the other day. We are starting to dig out all the baby bedding that we had left after Dakota so it can be washed. I found a playpen at a second-hand store here in town and was surprised at the wonderful condition of it. Now all we need to get is a baby swing, high chair, clothes and nipples for the bottles (for some reason we kept all the bottles after Dakota switched to sippies). CJ is getting excited and asks everytime I go to the doctor if I am going to get the baby out. Dakota is still too young to really understand but he knows something is up. We are also preparing CJ to be there when Terrance is born. We will have to see how he handles it and if I can handle him being in there with me.

Family friend, continued

2005-07-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Teresa went peacefully in her sleep. She hadn't felt good for a couple of days. Her husband went to wake her when he got home from work but she didn't wake up. The results of her autopsy won't be available until early next week but preliminary thoughts are heart attack. My mother cut her trip to New York short so that she can go to the memorial mass. She will be home next week instead of in 3 weeks. Luckily my kids will be on vacation with another family friend that week. It will give her a chance to unwind from the emotional turmoil without having to deal with my rambunctious boys.

My husband and I have decided to name our new son (who is due in about 2 months) Terrance after Teresa. She will be sorely missed.

Family friend

2005-07-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just found out that a woman I have known my entire life, my mother's best friend, was found dead today in her home in San Diego. Her husband found her. We are not sure how she died but we think it was a heart attack. Mom was hysterical in the background when my sister called me from NY to tell me. I am pretty upset myself. She was a young woman (early 50's) and even younger at heart. She will be sorely missed. Her passing is a total shock.

Rest in Peace, Teresa!

Good News and Bad News

2005-07-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

The good news is that one of the missing kids from North Idaho has been found safe. Shasta Groene was found alive this weekend with a registered sex offender. We don't know if she was assaulted or not or whether she saw her family murdered but it is enough to know that she is home with her father now and alive. The fate of her brother, Dylan, is still unknown. He has not been found. However, they have found some remains in Montana that may be young Dylan. Part of me hopes that it is so that the family can have some kind of closure but another part of me hopes it isn't and that Dylan will also be found alive. I guess we will know more in a couple of days after DNA testing at the FBI headquarters in Virgina.

Been awhile

2005-06-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a little while so I guess I better add a bit to my blog.

I have been working in the optometrist's office for nearly a month now and am getting the hang of the billing and insurance stuff. People have been quite patient with me thank goodness.

I had an ultrasound yesterday afternoon and found out that we are having another boy. While we were hoping for a girl this time, we are not disappointed. I will be sure to post statistics on him after he is born in late September.

My mother is now in New York with my sister and niece. She is spending the summer with them so my family has the house to ourselves for the first time in a couple years. The boys are also going to Oregon for a week in the beginning of August with a family friend. Husband and I are looking forward to the break.

Good News

2005-05-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning, I got an interesting phone call. I was getting ready to go to DSHS to apply for assistance when the phone rang. It was my eye doctor's office. The receptionist there (also the owner of the practice) asked me if I was still looking for work. I said yes and then she asked if I would be interested in learning to do her job. She mainly wants me for filing, billing (oh boy I get to deal with insurance companies), appointments and phones. I immediately said yes! I went into the office that day and started training and also worked all day Friday. I am loving it! This was exactly the kind of job I was was praying for!

Sometimes things just don't make sense

2005-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

I applied for assitance yesterday at DSHS and was told that my family qualifies for food assistance based on our current income now that my hours have been reduced. What's really messed up is that even though we qualify for food assitance, we DON'T qualify for family medical assistance! Hell, if I can't afford to buy food, how the hell am I supposed to afford medical insurance? Luckily, we found out that since he is a registered member of a Federally recognized Indian tribe, he can go to the tribal dental clinic in another town about an hour's drive away and it won't cost us anything but the gas to get there. Hopefully they can take care of his abcessed tooth!

5-20-05

2005-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Boy this has been a week of ups and downs. The 2 kids are still missing after the deaths of their mother and brother. I worked my first week on my new schedule of two 13 hour days. My eldest lost his 2 front teeth on top within 3 days this week (we are calling him the "toothless wonder"). It has changed his appearance more than I ever thought it would. Today, I turned in some paperwork to have Dakota evaluated for his speech development. He is 3 and a half now but sounds like he's 2. If nothing else, they can give me some ideas to help him progress even if he doesn't get into the program at the school. CJ had his class play yesterday afternoon. The 1st graders put on a variation of Disney's Bambi. The baby has really been moving around alot the last few days making it hard to sleep sometimes but I would be more concerned if it wasn't. We are really hoping for a girl this time. We have picked out names for both a boy and a girl just in case. If it is another boy, his name will be Nathaniel Kennedy. If a girl, she will be Rhiannon Chumani. Rhiannon is Welsh for goddess and Chumani is a Sioux word for dew drop.

Please sign my guestbook. The link is at the bottom of the page under the Amber Alert ticker and above the site counter.

Still looking

2005-05-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Those 2 kids in Idaho are still missing but the police have contacted a "person of interest" (IMO that is only a euphemism for suspect so the cops can get away without calling them a suspect). Hopefully the kids are found safe. The people who were killed were the children's mother, 13 year old brother and a man described as the mother's boyfriend. All 3 were bound and murdered according to reports.

Missing Children

2005-05-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

There are 2 kids missing from Coeur d'Alene, ID. They were discovered missing last night after 3 people were found dead in their home. http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1014751&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

That is a poster from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Please print some out and hang them around. Let's bring these two kids home safely. My prayers are with them!

Some very rude people in cyberspace

2005-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

While I have found that many people online are good people, there are many who are just plain cruel and disgusting. I have been told that some people on forums call this my place to whine. Maybe it is but to me it is more of a place to vent. This blog is not for someone else's sick perverse pleasure at my troubles but for me to keep my sanity and release my frustrations. To those who think otherwise, tough cookies! This is my blog not yours. You don't like what I write, don't visit.

On a side note, I have added the Amber Alert ticker at the bottom of the page. Please check it from time to time and help bring a missing child home.

Sometimes life sux!

2005-05-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't get the job I wanted and was turned down by 2 other prospective employers. I am not working full time anymore thanks to my body's demands. I am now working only 26 hours a week but the downside there is that it is 13 hours a day on Tuesday and Wednesday. At least I won't be on my feet as much.

Because I was off work for 10 days, today's paycheck was extremely short. I was able to buy a few things we needed but not all since $100 doesn't go very far these days. Hubby gets paid next week but his check is already spoken for with the van payment and the utility bill. I think we will need to go to the DSHS office to get some assistance with food at least. Thank goodness Dakota and I are on WIC or we would be in an even worse position!

Update

2005-05-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

I went around today looking for work. My husband was off today so I took off by myself (felt like a mini-vacation!). I turned in resumes around Chewelah and Colville. One of the positions I was looking at was filled yesterday. I wasn't too upset over that one since it was only $7.35/hr and only 18 hours a week. On the good side is that I have an interview/orientation tomorrow morning at 8:30 am for a position where I call people to remind them of appointments and such. The job I really want is only 4 blocks from my house as a data entry clerk at a title company. I filled out an application today and attached a resume. I am looking forward to hearing from them. I really want to get away from the casino. I have been doing this for nearly 9 years and I am sick of it. The casino is not a career and cannot support my family.

A Little about Rianon

2005-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am kinda new to this blogging thing but I post on forums all the time so I thought I would give this a shot.

I am a married 29 year old woman with 2.5 kids. I say 2.5 because I am expecting in late September of this year. We are hoping for a girl this time because we already have 2 boys. CJ is 7 and Dakota is 3. I have been married for 4 years.

I have not had an easy life. I was born to an unwed mother in 1976. My father denied me. I have not even met him once. My mother is a wonderful (if annoying sometime) woman. She gave me a strength that not many in my generation have. She married in 1982 and had my sister in 1983. The man she married was an abusive alcoholic. We got away from him in 1990. So for most of my life, it has been me and mom.

I was molested by an uncle when I was 5. He was convicted and is still listed as a Level III sex offender in the state of Washington. I was kidnapped and raped at the age of 14 after we had moved to a small town of less than 2000. I talked him out of worse and was able to give the police his description and license plate number. He was caught the next day.

After high school, I went straight to college. I took classes for 2 years only to find that I was bored and didn't know what I wanted in life. I quit school and went to work at a small Indian casino. I started out in the deli. One day, one of the bosses asked me if I had ever thought about dealing cards. I said no but I was willing to try it. I became a blackjack dealer in August of 1996.

I had my first child on my 22nd birthday (happy birthday huh?). I left his father when I was 3 months pregnant with him. It was for my safety as well as the safety of my baby. CJ's father has never seen him. I do send pictures to the family of the father but he has made no attempt at contact.

When CJ was 2, I moved 500 miles to the Oregon coast to build a new life for myself and my son. I was a 24 year old single mother in a town where I knew absolutely nobody. I went to work in the casino there as a dealer again. I loved it. I found a good babysitter who still finds time to write and come visit even though we moved back to Eastern Washington. It was at that casino that I met my husband. He was a pit boss (table games supervisor). He may not be much to look at but there was just something about him. A friend of his kinda pushed us together. He never asked me out though. I finally took the initiative and asked him to join me for a drink after work at a local karaoke bar. The rest, as they say, is history. We were married on March 25, 2001.

In November of 2001, we moved back to Eastern Washington. I didn't like my doctors down in Oregon so we moved back. Dakota was born December 15. I worked wherever I could after Kota was born. I worked at a telemarketing firm 65 miles away and then at the local McDonalds. I was offered a position at the casino I had originally worked for. They wanted me to come back to work as a manager. I took the job without hesitation.

Fast forward nearly 3 years.....
I am pregnant again with my third (and last) child. I am looking for other work that is will allow me to sit more often like a receptionist or data entry person. CJ, who is in first grade now, has been diagnosed with ADHD and is on medication that seems to be helping. Dakota is a typical 3 year old....a pain in the butt (just kidding). I would just be happy if we can get him potty trained. I am off work for this week, at least, because of an infection that is causing some complications to my pregnancy. Hopefully I can find something else soon.