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Home > Archive: August, 2016
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Archive for August, 2016
August 31st, 2016 at 01:52 pm
0[img]14381[/img]
A hard day's night, and working like a dog.
I joined Ancestry.com a few months ago and after doing some family research and some road trips with dad, I decided to plunk down $99 for a DNA test that could further enrich my discoveries.
So to begin, my 2 paternal grandparents were born in Ireland and Germany, while my maternal grandfather was born in Austria. My maternal grandmother was born in the US, but her parents were born in Czechoslovakia.
So you would expect to see in my DNA roughly 25% representing each of the 4 ethnicities.
But my results showed instead that i am about 50% Eastern European, 20%, more or less, Irish, 7% Scandinavian, 6% European Jewish, Western European 6% and 4% or less Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain, Italy/Greece.
Due to intermarriage, migration and war, Ancestry does not list most countries individually; they list regions instead. Ireland is one exception because it is relatively isolated by the seas.
So put another way, I am 96% of European descent. But where's the German part? That was a surprise, however, I know my German grandfather's family was from a little town called Reichenbach which is in southeastern Germany, very close to the Czech border. So it could be possible if I went back a few generations in his family that I might discover they also came from Czechoslovakia. I really don't know, but this is a guess looking at the map.
Another thing to remember is that just because something like my German lineage didn't register much, it doesn't mean I'm not German; it just means I didn't happen to inherit many German genes. Also to keep in mind that Ancestry. com gives you a range as well as an average, based on multiple DNA checks. So while my "average" Irish lineage is estimated at 20%, the range of possibility is 7% to 33%.
When you get the DNA test done, Ancestry.com automatically checks their vast database of other subscribers, and it came up with 29 individuals who were "extremely high," "high" or a "good" chance of being related to me as a 2nd, 4th, 5th or 6th cousin. Looking at some of their family trees, I get all twisted up when i try to figure out how exactly we might be related, and not everyone makes their family tree public. I did write to 3 people inquiring about it. There was only 1 person whose tree had a name shared by someone in my tree, on the Irish leg of my tree, so I did write to them. It's all very interesting.
It could be very helpful to have my dad do his DNA test, because if there are any shared matches with other people between us, that makes a much stronger case we are related to that person.
I have learned so much about my family since deciding to research my family tree, and I really haven't gone further back then 3 or 4 generations. There is just so much to learn and one thing leads to another, from the road trips with dad to his childhood hometown to the DVD I bought that we still plan to watch that has footage of a German-American bund camp in New Jersey that he attended. Reading up on these bund camps and their role before and during WWII was very interesting and all new to me.
Conversations with dad and going through my mother's old childhood photos also led to new insights.
Last night I did the mock jury duty focus group. I can't talk about the case now but it was a very sad case involving a lawsuit against several doctors and a hospital. We all agreed they were negligent but differed in how much and how much $$ should be awarded, to the tune of about $7 million. I would think the hospital would want to settle out of court becus it inspired a lot of sympathy for the plaintiff.
They fed us a very nice hot, catered meal and paid us in a single $100 bill as we left.
Several of us were annoyed because when we arrived in the parking lot, we saw you had to pay to park and the people running the focus group mentioned nothing about that. When we inquired, they seemed unsure if the meter maids came around after 5 pm or not. Since they're in the business of running focus groups, you would think this was something they would know, but they didn't. So a few of us had to go back outside and pay $5 to ensure our cars would still be there when we left the focus group.
Today I'm meeting a friend for lunch, someone else who got laid off.
Yesterday I made a decent dent in cutting back some incredibly invasive brambles growing in my pachysandra (also invasive) and threatening to encroach on my lawn on the north side of my house. I cut the brambles wearing some leather work gloves, the only gloves I've ever found that allow me to pull out brambles without getting stuck. I cut the brambles about a foot high and then sprayed the cut ends with a vinegar/salt/dish soap solution to inhibit regrowth if not kill it. I hope to continue this work this afternoon after my lunch. asdf123
A hard day's night, and working like a dog.
I joined Ancestry.com a few months ago and after doing some family research and some road trips with dad, I decided to plunk down $99 for a DNA test that could further enrich my discoveries.
So to begin, my 2 paternal grandparents were born in Ireland and Germany, while my maternal grandfather was born in Austria. My maternal grandmother was born in the US, but her parents were born in Czechoslovakia.
So you would expect to see in my DNA roughly 25% representing each of the 4 ethnicities.
But my results showed instead that i am about 50% Eastern European, 20%, more or less, Irish, 7% Scandinavian, 6% European Jewish, Western European 6% and 4% or less Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain, Italy/Greece.
Due to intermarriage, migration and war, Ancestry does not list most countries individually; they list regions instead. Ireland is one exception because it is relatively isolated by the seas.
So put another way, I am 96% of European descent. But where's the German part? That was a surprise, however, I know my German grandfather's family was from a little town called Reichenbach which is in southeastern Germany, very close to the Czech border. So it could be possible if I went back a few generations in his family that I might discover they also came from Czechoslovakia. I really don't know, but this is a guess looking at the map.
Another thing to remember is that just because something like my German lineage didn't register much, it doesn't mean I'm not German; it just means I didn't happen to inherit many German genes. Also to keep in mind that Ancestry. com gives you a range as well as an average, based on multiple DNA checks. So while my "average" Irish lineage is estimated at 20%, the range of possibility is 7% to 33%.
When you get the DNA test done, Ancestry.com automatically checks their vast database of other subscribers, and it came up with 29 individuals who were "extremely high," "high" or a "good" chance of being related to me as a 2nd, 4th, 5th or 6th cousin. Looking at some of their family trees, I get all twisted up when i try to figure out how exactly we might be related, and not everyone makes their family tree public. I did write to 3 people inquiring about it. There was only 1 person whose tree had a name shared by someone in my tree, on the Irish leg of my tree, so I did write to them. It's all very interesting.
It could be very helpful to have my dad do his DNA test, because if there are any shared matches with other people between us, that makes a much stronger case we are related to that person.
I have learned so much about my family since deciding to research my family tree, and I really haven't gone further back then 3 or 4 generations. There is just so much to learn and one thing leads to another, from the road trips with dad to his childhood hometown to the DVD I bought that we still plan to watch that has footage of a German-American bund camp in New Jersey that he attended. Reading up on these bund camps and their role before and during WWII was very interesting and all new to me.
Conversations with dad and going through my mother's old childhood photos also led to new insights.
Last night I did the mock jury duty focus group. I can't talk about the case now but it was a very sad case involving a lawsuit against several doctors and a hospital. We all agreed they were negligent but differed in how much and how much $$ should be awarded, to the tune of about $7 million. I would think the hospital would want to settle out of court becus it inspired a lot of sympathy for the plaintiff.
They fed us a very nice hot, catered meal and paid us in a single $100 bill as we left.
Several of us were annoyed because when we arrived in the parking lot, we saw you had to pay to park and the people running the focus group mentioned nothing about that. When we inquired, they seemed unsure if the meter maids came around after 5 pm or not. Since they're in the business of running focus groups, you would think this was something they would know, but they didn't. So a few of us had to go back outside and pay $5 to ensure our cars would still be there when we left the focus group.
Today I'm meeting a friend for lunch, someone else who got laid off.
Yesterday I made a decent dent in cutting back some incredibly invasive brambles growing in my pachysandra (also invasive) and threatening to encroach on my lawn on the north side of my house. I cut the brambles wearing some leather work gloves, the only gloves I've ever found that allow me to pull out brambles without getting stuck. I cut the brambles about a foot high and then sprayed the cut ends with a vinegar/salt/dish soap solution to inhibit regrowth if not kill it. I hope to continue this work this afternoon after my lunch.
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August 29th, 2016 at 08:01 pm
0[img]14380[/img]
Last night, letting me know it's time for dinner.
I tried to renew my MS prescription and of course I immediately ran into problems doing so with the changeover of my insurance from employer managed to COBRA managed, by Sentinel Benefits.
Express Scripts tells me my policy is inactive, even though I sent my COBRA paperwork in to Sentinel and I see they cashed my premium check. The Sentinel rep said she straightened it out so i call Express Scripts back and this time they tell me my pre-authorization by my doctor, which is usually good for a year, expired.
I talk to my neurologist's office and later she calls me back to say they have a letter on file from Express Scripts saying my pre-authorization is good through October 2018. So what gives??
Meanwhile, I get a letter from Sentinel in today's mail telling me my next premium isn't due til Jan 1 2017, it will be in the amount of $30 a month and to use the enclosed coupons, which were not enclosed. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
I call back Sentinel and after a while on hold, she told me there was "an internal glitch," aka human error. Instead of cancelling my dental insurance as I had directed (which was for $30 a month), they cancelled my medical and kept the dental. Which accounts for all the wrong numbers.
I'm waiting to hear back from Express Scripts with hopefully some resolution so I can order my med. I hate this kind of stuff. It's taken up half my day. Can't people just pay attention and do their job?
This morning I donated 19 more pieces of mom's art to the mom who is spearheading the construction of a new animal shelter in town for abused and neglected animals, in memory of her daughter. She came over and was super nice. We hugged about 4 times and she gratefully took all the art; i had told her she could pick and choose if she liked. Most of the art was what i would call small, meaning around 10 x 12" in size, except for three pieces, which were larger. It was one large framed sunset over water photo and the rest were oil or acrylic painted, mostly of flowers and trees, and one with water fountains.
She invited me to meet her at the building site, all woods now, this fall and she would show me around where everything will be. They'll start with small farm animals and companion animals first. They will do outreach to veterinarians. They hope to have construction completed next year sometime. It's the kind of place I might like to spend time at, even without donating the art, or even volunteer.
So all told, I've donated 67 pieces of art to two non profits. I also gave 1 dog photo to my mother's neighbor, its owner, after his dog, the subject of the photo, died. He was very grateful.
It didn't occur to me til very recently that both of the non profit groups I decided to donate to were each founded by parents who lost a young child, and both of these groups are named after the child. I didn't plan it this way, and in fact it was a process that took me most of the past year to get through. I just felt these were two organizations that both mom and me could believe in, and would want to support. And I think it no accident that when you lose someone very dear to you, it can be healing to pursue a venture, or some kind of work that helps others. I know that donating mom's art just feels good.
Thinking about it now, this just gave me another awesome idea. What if I approached my town's high school with the idea of establishing a small annual scholarship to be awarded to some worthy student pursuing a career in the arts? I love the idea as a way to keep mom's name alive, although I don't have unlimited funds. Maybe I could do a $1,000 scholarship for a few years, but then what? Maybe there are more productive things to do with that money. I don't know, just thinking....
I also gave 3 or 4 pieces to my cousin and have 2 more to give her that she picked out if she ever invites me down to Jersey, a trip I've been wanting to make all summer.
So I've donated or given away many more than I've sold. Since mom was ill late last year, I exhibited her work in 6 shows and nothing has sold yet thru a gallery. I did sell 2 pieces myself to coworkers at the bank, and I sold another half dozen very small pieces at one gift shop.
I now have her work in 2 galleries/frame shops (they knew mom very well), 1 crafters' coop (new) and 2 gift shops. I should do more but I have so many things to do I often feel overwhelmed with stuff and end up doing very little. The newest outlet, the crafters' coop, did invite me to send jpgs of mom's larger work so I want to do that next. At least probate is over. Still, I am often torn between spending time marketing mom's art or looking for a job.
At least between the donations and the art out on exhibit, my house is feeling much more "livable," though there is still too much art here.
I had a 2nd butterfly emerge 2 days ago. I've been watching for the next one and moved the aquarium into the house, but so far, all is still.
I can't believe it's 4 pm already. asdf123
Last night, letting me know it's time for dinner.
I tried to renew my MS prescription and of course I immediately ran into problems doing so with the changeover of my insurance from employer managed to COBRA managed, by Sentinel Benefits.
Express Scripts tells me my policy is inactive, even though I sent my COBRA paperwork in to Sentinel and I see they cashed my premium check. The Sentinel rep said she straightened it out so i call Express Scripts back and this time they tell me my pre-authorization by my doctor, which is usually good for a year, expired.
I talk to my neurologist's office and later she calls me back to say they have a letter on file from Express Scripts saying my pre-authorization is good through October 2018. So what gives??
Meanwhile, I get a letter from Sentinel in today's mail telling me my next premium isn't due til Jan 1 2017, it will be in the amount of $30 a month and to use the enclosed coupons, which were not enclosed. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
I call back Sentinel and after a while on hold, she told me there was "an internal glitch," aka human error. Instead of cancelling my dental insurance as I had directed (which was for $30 a month), they cancelled my medical and kept the dental. Which accounts for all the wrong numbers.
I'm waiting to hear back from Express Scripts with hopefully some resolution so I can order my med. I hate this kind of stuff. It's taken up half my day. Can't people just pay attention and do their job?
This morning I donated 19 more pieces of mom's art to the mom who is spearheading the construction of a new animal shelter in town for abused and neglected animals, in memory of her daughter. She came over and was super nice. We hugged about 4 times and she gratefully took all the art; i had told her she could pick and choose if she liked. Most of the art was what i would call small, meaning around 10 x 12" in size, except for three pieces, which were larger. It was one large framed sunset over water photo and the rest were oil or acrylic painted, mostly of flowers and trees, and one with water fountains.
She invited me to meet her at the building site, all woods now, this fall and she would show me around where everything will be. They'll start with small farm animals and companion animals first. They will do outreach to veterinarians. They hope to have construction completed next year sometime. It's the kind of place I might like to spend time at, even without donating the art, or even volunteer.
So all told, I've donated 67 pieces of art to two non profits. I also gave 1 dog photo to my mother's neighbor, its owner, after his dog, the subject of the photo, died. He was very grateful.
It didn't occur to me til very recently that both of the non profit groups I decided to donate to were each founded by parents who lost a young child, and both of these groups are named after the child. I didn't plan it this way, and in fact it was a process that took me most of the past year to get through. I just felt these were two organizations that both mom and me could believe in, and would want to support. And I think it no accident that when you lose someone very dear to you, it can be healing to pursue a venture, or some kind of work that helps others. I know that donating mom's art just feels good.
Thinking about it now, this just gave me another awesome idea. What if I approached my town's high school with the idea of establishing a small annual scholarship to be awarded to some worthy student pursuing a career in the arts? I love the idea as a way to keep mom's name alive, although I don't have unlimited funds. Maybe I could do a $1,000 scholarship for a few years, but then what? Maybe there are more productive things to do with that money. I don't know, just thinking....
I also gave 3 or 4 pieces to my cousin and have 2 more to give her that she picked out if she ever invites me down to Jersey, a trip I've been wanting to make all summer.
So I've donated or given away many more than I've sold. Since mom was ill late last year, I exhibited her work in 6 shows and nothing has sold yet thru a gallery. I did sell 2 pieces myself to coworkers at the bank, and I sold another half dozen very small pieces at one gift shop.
I now have her work in 2 galleries/frame shops (they knew mom very well), 1 crafters' coop (new) and 2 gift shops. I should do more but I have so many things to do I often feel overwhelmed with stuff and end up doing very little. The newest outlet, the crafters' coop, did invite me to send jpgs of mom's larger work so I want to do that next. At least probate is over. Still, I am often torn between spending time marketing mom's art or looking for a job.
At least between the donations and the art out on exhibit, my house is feeling much more "livable," though there is still too much art here.
I had a 2nd butterfly emerge 2 days ago. I've been watching for the next one and moved the aquarium into the house, but so far, all is still.
I can't believe it's 4 pm already.
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August 26th, 2016 at 11:06 pm
0So we went from fat caterpillars about a week and a half ago....
[img]14360[/img]
to my first butterfly, newly emerged and drying out its wings.
[img]14367[/img]
[img]14363[/img]
I had checked on my 8 chrysallises yesterday several times throughout the day, and all was quiet. This morning around 8 a.m. I went into the garage and found this first butterfly quietly sitting and no doubt getting its bearings.
I took all the branches out of the aquarium so it could more easily fly out but it seemed to be having a little trouble getting airborne. So I got it to climb on my hand and then after taking a few selfies... :)
[img]14362[/img]
[img]14364[/img]
i gently transferred it to a sedum in my yard.
[img]14365[/img]
But then my batteries ran out and I had to race inside to get more, and I think my presence scared it a little because before I knew it, it had fluttered above me in the air, headed toward some large rhododendrons.
It was all very exciting.
Eight more to go! asdf123
So we went from fat caterpillars about a week and a half ago....
to my first butterfly, newly emerged and drying out its wings.
I had checked on my 8 chrysallises yesterday several times throughout the day, and all was quiet. This morning around 8 a.m. I went into the garage and found this first butterfly quietly sitting and no doubt getting its bearings.
I took all the branches out of the aquarium so it could more easily fly out but it seemed to be having a little trouble getting airborne. So I got it to climb on my hand and then after taking a few selfies... 
i gently transferred it to a sedum in my yard.
But then my batteries ran out and I had to race inside to get more, and I think my presence scared it a little because before I knew it, it had fluttered above me in the air, headed toward some large rhododendrons.
It was all very exciting.
Eight more to go!
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August 26th, 2016 at 04:01 pm
0Hooray...I got a call out of the blue from a focus group company that specializes in reviewing actual pending lawsuits. I vaguely remember registering with them 4 or 5 years ago but this is the first time they called me.
They are hired by the attorneys representing either the defendant or plaintiff to see how a jury might react to their case. What they learn from the focus group may affect how they present their case.
It's next week, they feed you dinner and pay you $100. :) It happens to be in the town where I used to work so I know exactly where it is. asdf123
Hooray...I got a call out of the blue from a focus group company that specializes in reviewing actual pending lawsuits. I vaguely remember registering with them 4 or 5 years ago but this is the first time they called me.
They are hired by the attorneys representing either the defendant or plaintiff to see how a jury might react to their case. What they learn from the focus group may affect how they present their case.
It's next week, they feed you dinner and pay you $100. It happens to be in the town where I used to work so I know exactly where it is.
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4 Comments »
August 26th, 2016 at 01:25 pm
0So we went from fat caterpillars about a week and a half ago....
[img]14360[/img]
to my first butterfly, newly emerged and drying out its wings.
[img]14367[/img]
[img]14363[/img]
I had checked on my 9 chrysallises yesterday several times throughout the day, and all was quiet. This morning around 8 a.m. I went into the garage and found this first butterfly quietly sitting and no doubt getting its bearings.
I took all the branches out of the aquarium so it could more easily fly out but it seemed to be having a little trouble getting airborne. So I got it to climb on my hand and then after taking a few selfies... :)
[img]14362[/img]
[img]14364[/img]
i gently transferred it to a sedum in my yard.
[img]14365[/img]
But then my batteries ran out and I had to race inside to get more, and I think my presence scared it a little because before I knew it, it had fluttered above me in the air, headed toward some large rhododendrons.
It was all very exciting.
Eight more to go!
asdf123
So we went from fat caterpillars about a week and a half ago....
to my first butterfly, newly emerged and drying out its wings.
I had checked on my 9 chrysallises yesterday several times throughout the day, and all was quiet. This morning around 8 a.m. I went into the garage and found this first butterfly quietly sitting and no doubt getting its bearings.
I took all the branches out of the aquarium so it could more easily fly out but it seemed to be having a little trouble getting airborne. So I got it to climb on my hand and then after taking a few selfies...
i gently transferred it to a sedum in my yard.
But then my batteries ran out and I had to race inside to get more, and I think my presence scared it a little because before I knew it, it had fluttered above me in the air, headed toward some large rhododendrons.
It was all very exciting.
Eight more to go!
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August 25th, 2016 at 12:47 am
0So today I wanted to re-register/reactivate myself with a few area focus group companies. Of the 3 I worked with in past years, one no longer has an office near me.
So in addition to reactivating the other two, I did a search online for "CT focus group companies" and wound up registering for another 4 or 5 more I hadn't known about. So hopefully this will results in some small income.
Tonight I went to an MS dinner meeting sponsored by a drug company. It's not the drug I take but I like to stay abreast of all the MS drugs should I ever need to use them, and so I don't need to just rely on my doctor's advice.
Plus it's a free dinner. :) And I enjoy the social aspect of meeting others there and even practicing my public speaking by asking the doctor questions. This one was at a hotel about 35 minutes away and I must say, everything at the buffet was excellent, including the mushroom salad, chicken, mashed potatoes and broccolini and apple crisp for dessert.
I made a habit of seeking out these meetings when I wasn't working in the past by going on the drug makers' websites.
I attended a Networking with Linked In webinar. She went thru a lot of important stuff very quickly but it's apparent I need to spend a LOT more time on Linked In, especially to identify my "target" companies. Right now, I don't really have any target companies, ie companies you've decided you want to work for.
Tomorrow, dad may possibly come over in the afternoon so we can take some large boxes of art supplies that won't fit in my honda up to a certain gallery owner who said she'd take them.
This is one thing I really like about not having a regular job. Every day is a little different. It's not the same boring routine.
I also need to cook up the 2 eggplant i picked, to make more baba ganousch. Once I find a recipe I like, i stick with it. :) asdf123
So today I wanted to re-register/reactivate myself with a few area focus group companies. Of the 3 I worked with in past years, one no longer has an office near me.
So in addition to reactivating the other two, I did a search online for "CT focus group companies" and wound up registering for another 4 or 5 more I hadn't known about. So hopefully this will results in some small income.
Tonight I went to an MS dinner meeting sponsored by a drug company. It's not the drug I take but I like to stay abreast of all the MS drugs should I ever need to use them, and so I don't need to just rely on my doctor's advice.
Plus it's a free dinner. And I enjoy the social aspect of meeting others there and even practicing my public speaking by asking the doctor questions. This one was at a hotel about 35 minutes away and I must say, everything at the buffet was excellent, including the mushroom salad, chicken, mashed potatoes and broccolini and apple crisp for dessert.
I made a habit of seeking out these meetings when I wasn't working in the past by going on the drug makers' websites.
I attended a Networking with Linked In webinar. She went thru a lot of important stuff very quickly but it's apparent I need to spend a LOT more time on Linked In, especially to identify my "target" companies. Right now, I don't really have any target companies, ie companies you've decided you want to work for.
Tomorrow, dad may possibly come over in the afternoon so we can take some large boxes of art supplies that won't fit in my honda up to a certain gallery owner who said she'd take them.
This is one thing I really like about not having a regular job. Every day is a little different. It's not the same boring routine.
I also need to cook up the 2 eggplant i picked, to make more baba ganousch. Once I find a recipe I like, i stick with it. |