MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family tree charts

So. I know I haven't talked to a lot of you in a while. My life has been filled with back to back drama, and I'm ready for it all to stop. Here's a nice recap of my first 2 months in 2007.

January: Had surgery, which if you want to know more about, email me privately.

2 weeks later, first week of February: My mom gets rushed to the hospital b/c of heart palpitations. (She's fine, but is under doctor's supervision)

A couple of days later, 2nd week of February: I get rushed to the hospital with Bronchitis. It appeared out of no where and when away as fast as it came. For those of you whom I have talked to since my mom, I didn't mention this, b/c ya'll know me and getting sick are old buddies, I didn't think it was super important until.....

YESTERDAY! In the midst of the blizzard, I got into a car accident with not one, but TWO cop cars. I hit the guide rail, the first cop car tried to swerve to miss me, but he hit the ice too and hit my car and then the second cop car hit him. I'm ok, but my car has a nicely mangled backside.

So, with that all being said....WHEN WILL IT END?!?! I'm getting paranoid about waking up in the morning, b/c stuff just keeps happening. For the past couple of weekends, I have been going to Cleveland, and for some strange reason, that is the only place I feel safe (more on this at a later time...). If any of you can figure out what all these trials and tribulations are supposed to be teaching me, let a sista know so I can get on with things!

So I started a new job on monday. It is really interesting, b/c I was under a lot of misconceptions about the whole field of organ donation.

First, let me explain what I do. I am a Community Relations Coordinator for an organ procurement organization (OPO) that is federally designated to deal with organ transplants. In our area, we are the ONLY institution that deal with organ and tissue transplants. My job is to educate clergy, communities of faith, and minorities about donation.

A lot of minorities dont' trust the medical field, which is understandable. A friend of mine brought it to my attention that 20 years or so ago, 20/20 did an expose that said that medical professionals don't try as hard to save your life if they find an organ donor card. That may or may not have been true back then, I don't know. But now, the laws and procedures have changed so it is NOT TRUE NOW

In order to be an organ donor, you have to meet strict criteria, which no one besides a hospital neurologist or neurosurgeon can declare. None of the doctors, none of the EMTs, none of the nurses, will be able to decide if you are qualified to be an organ donor, even if you are designated as one. Thus, they will do everything in their power to save your life. It is only after you have been clinically, officially, irrevocably declared brain dead that you can be evaluated as a prospective organ donor. Declaring brain death in an of itself requires 17 tests, that members of your family can sit in on (depending on the hospital). Now, if you have a cardiac death, you can still be a tissue donor, but not an organ donor.

So, for the record, being designated an organ donor has NOTHING TO DO with the quality of care you receive in attempts to save your life. We are not in the business of "take a life to save a life", which is unethical and legally and clinically impossible due to the strict guidelines.

One donation can help save up to 50 lives of people. Also, contrary to popular opinion (from an email I received) you don't need all of your body parts to get into heaven. 90% of major religions support and encourage donation as the ultimate act of love and brotherhood. I got an email froms someone asking for me to post the misconceptins about organ donation. But I have to go to work now, so I'll do that later.

DISCLAIMER: If any of the following situations apply to you, try not to take it too personally. All my myspace friends are super people.

If you are only sending out "fake friend bulletins" but yet never send actual messages to the people who are on your list, maybe you are the fake friend and not the people who don't repost the bulletin. I personally have recieved no less than 5 "fake friend" bulletins in the past couple of days, with a majority of them being from people who I added to my list because I knew them back in the day, but yet we have never spoken on an actual message.

Now, it's cool if we don't talk. It isn't going to hurt my feelings and I still like everyone on my list because at one point or another in my life we were cool and something like myspace isn't going to change that.  But if anyone actually believes that if I don't repost that fake friends stuff then I'm fake or not a good person, then you have issues and it's too bad myspace doesn't have a mytherapist section.

And what's up with the sensless reposting of bulletins about "do this or your mom will die" or "do this or you don't love Jesus"? Let's leave my mom out of things, ok? She isn't on myspace and can't defend herself by reposting a bulletin. Plus, if Jesus doesn't know that you love him without a myspace bulletin, something is wrong with the way you live your life.

It's true, I am guilty of sending out dumb stuff in the past. But, I noticed that my "real friends" actually don't repost that crap but instead send me a note to tell me that I'm on crack (love ya Aaron). Or just send me a general note to see how I'm doing, even though we haven't talked in a while.

So, I promise only to repost the most interesting, fun surveys, or honest virus warnings, or anything else funny that might make someone laugh. And I promise to send one note a month to everyone on my list. No more "doomsday" "boo hoo you're not my friend" crap. Ok, so that's my rant for the day.

Love you guys!!!!!!

I got the job!!! I start on monday. I will be a Community Relations Coordinator responsible for minority and faith based relations. The salary is more than I expected and the benefits are amazing! (I get the best health care system in Pittsburgh and I don't have to pay for anything except prescriptions). They match me $.50 on the dollar for my 401K, plusI get to travel some too, which will be cool. And, the fun part, (besides the money), is I get my own office, LOL.

So, I'm excited, b/c I miss working and I miss money and I miss Chicago, so with this salary, I'll be there way more often.

Holla!

I have a job interview for next wednesday. It is more "career oriented" than I expected, but it is very similar to what I was doing in Chicago, so that is kind of cool. To all my Chi-town folk, I'm going to be there in 2 weeks!!!!!!!! You betta be ready!

I know it sounds bad, but I really miss 3 a.m. runs to White Castle. It grosses me out just to think that I miss that, lol.

Oh, and for those of you who emailed me on here about the explosion in NB, I'm fine. We heard it. No body was hurt. It was kind of weird knowing that the train was coming from Chicago. And yes, that is the most exciting thing I can remember happening in NB in a VERY long time. We had a bomb scare at school in like 11th grade, that was pretty exciting.

Btw, if I was dead, I'm pretty sure my parents or next of kin would not be on myspace telling you....you need to have my phone number. All of you who know my mom, KNOW that she would have called u. Crying, but she still would have called. lol.

But much love for the emails, it feels go to be in your thoughts!

Anne--Jibaritos???

Lea--What are you doing for New Years?

Stina- Luv u hermana!

um...and I think you 3 are the only ones who will read this.

LOL!

Back at home, w/ the fam. I'm not sure how long I am gong to be here, but hopefully not long. I love my family, don't get me wrong. It has been great reconnecting with my cousins and everything. BUT, I am so bored! I miss my friends! I miss my freedom! I miss....Chicago!!!

I'm here basically b/c my parents are getting older and need help around the house and stuff like that. So, I've been trying to get some type of job here, but nothing super "career oriented" because I don't plan on staying long.

I loved kickin it with my family in Cleveland, so I am also looking for jobs up there, b/c then I could be close to my parents, but not too close.

So, if ANYONE reads this and lives ANYWHERE near Pittsburgh.....HIT ME UP! I can only go shopping so many times at so many different malls before I run out of money. I bought 3 books yesterday, and I guarantee I will finish all 3 in less than a week.

To all of you who have called to check up on me, thanks for the luv. And Jokya....I will call you back when ever my day time minutes turn over...unless u have T-mobile. lol.