Israel

On the right is Daniel, my youngest son. In the center is Josh, his friend that he met in Israel. I met Josh. He's a great guy. Josh helped Daniel unpack the moving truck when Daniel moved to Columbus. Josh is getting his masters degree in architecture at Ohio State University. A great catch for some lucky gal out there. So is my son, Daniel.

Battelle

Here's a photo of Daniel in his office at Battelle in Mountain View, California as he is packing up his work to take to headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. I got to meet some of the amazing, talented, and brilliant people he has been working with. They are fun too with a great sense of humor. An official certificate was created, signed, dated, and given to Daniel saying that he is released from his debt of 50 million donuts promised in an e-mail. Great words of praise and expectations for Daniel were shared with me by everyone I met. Daniel was working with PhD's in CA and when he left, several said they thought he'll be President someday, not President of the US because no one would want that job, but President of Battelle. He worked hard with 12 to 18 hour days to find solutions, common ground, and answers to difficult questions as a research scientist working on projects with NASA and the airline industry as a graduate of Oregon State University. I'm very proud of the work that Daniel is doing and that he is part of Battelle. Now he's working hard in Columbus at Battelle and is now a proud Buckeye at Ohio State University working on his MBA.

I got to meet his new boss in Columbus and his two beautiful daughters. Eight year old Aleah is a beautiful blonde princess and is very precocious. She showed me her pure white teddy bear dressed in a bridal gown. His boss couldn't have been nicer or more supportive. He said that Columbus is a place to settle down and I agree that the quality of life in Columbus is excellent.

I love Columbus. I love it that you can see a Broadway play, see an exhibit on Monet at the Art Museum, listen to the symphony, visit a replica of the Santa Maria in the harbor, eat at some great restaurants, and the housing prices are reasonable. The shopping is amazing. I'm impressed with Columbus and I'm so happy for Daniel.

http://www.battelle.com/

My cousin, Victor

This is my cousin, Victor Gess who lives in Lafayette, California. Daniel and I stopped to see him before leaving California on our way to Columbus, Ohio. Victor is the son of my Dad's sister, Alma. He's an amazing man who has accomplished a lot in life. He's intelligent, political, and a strong leader. Victor is a big supporter of Hilliary Clinton, so I was interested in hearing his take on her race for the presidency. He spends a lot of time researching family geneology and has written books about our family originating from Sweden.

Daniel's Friends

These are all the great friends who came to help my son, Daniel move in Mountain View, California. Each one has an amazing career. It was so much fun to meet and talk to them all. Daniel always has the BEST friends. He sure knows the secret of how to pick great friends and attract them. Not only are they intelligent with great ideas but they have a kind and generous spirit, and work hard to acheive their goals, like Daniel who is sitting in front. I liked them all very much.

skybus.com

Skybus is the best news for consumers who fly that I've heard about in a long time. On the website it says there are ten seats on every flight for $10. Wow! That's great for someone like me who loves to travel and can plan ahead but doesn't have a lot of money to spend. Flights originate in Columbus, Ohio and fan out to cities across the country. Skybus doesn't fly into Oregon yet but I sure hope to see news of it soon.

Grades

It's great to get all A's but the most important thing is to learn the lesson in the book. To do your best and to understand it's okay to get a B once in awhile is better than to be like the student who is so consumed about getting A's that later in life he never cracks a book or cares about learning. Life happens. If you don't have lofty goals, you will never even come close to achieving them, but be kind to yourself along the way to make sure you get proper rest, exercise, healthy food, a dose of friends, and time alone to see answers. There are many lessons to learn in life and not all of them can be measured by a grade. The drive for excellence must come from within but it must be encouraged and valued.