Donated 2 more bags today!
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EVLYNN: Donated 2 more bag of platelets today
Friday, August 23, 2013
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: Donated a “double” today
Friday, April 26, 2013They didn’t have the usual setup today so everything was “approximated”. Hence, they were only taking singles and doubles today. DRAT!
Due to my “superior qualifications” as a “cow”, they were able to “milk” me for a double.
That translates to four bags of platelets for someone who needs them.
They find it harder to get platelet donors than whole blood donors.
(Hey, it’s hard work hooked up to one of these “dumb” boxes. And, you have to sort of focus, “squeeze the little ball on the draw, and relax on the return”. Over, and over, and over. For about 2+ hours. Fortunately, I’m a good layer around. Today, I listed to all my @tswift13 music.)
Any way, that brings me to 70/75 bags replaced.
Never let it be said that I let Our Girl down with an unkept promise.
(But my butt still hurts!)
Laff!
Join me next month?
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: Funny story yesterday
Wednesday, February 27, 2013For the better part of almost a year now. I roll out of bed, shape up, and go to work arriving between 7 and 8 AM.
Clock work!
So on Monday, knowing I’d be late, I could my senior coworker and my Boss.
Went to Mass.
Come out and turn on my phone and berry. They start to have a nervous breakdown. Email, calls, texts!
Did the building burn down? Did our pool with the lotto? Was there an asteroid on its way to 22102?
NO!
My coworkers missed me at my appointed time and feared the worst.
They were getting ready to send a expedition over to the condo to see if I died in my sleep.
(LAFF, I should be so lucky!)
And, they even involved my senior coworker, who forgot about the conversation.
Hysterical!
I guess they are creatures of habit too and you’re not allowed to deviate from the norm.
Maybe next year, they’ll remember.
I thought it was quite touching and funny.
It was the cherry on a lousy morning!
(Or should that be mourning?)
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: February 26, 2011 — a day that I’ll never forget
Tuesday, February 26, 2013Evlynn Marie Mahoney Reinke
(July 1, 1947 – February 26, 2011)
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What can I say?
My life changed that day.
And the rush for the finish line began.
To catch up.
It’s like … missing an essential part of what was “me”.
I don’t know how other folks doit.
One foot in from of the other, I guess.
No sympathy; no pity needed.
I have a great 40+ years. More than most; less than some.
I only regret the days I didn’t treasure what I had.
This ends what I call the “yucky season” — starts are Halloween (She loved the kids at the door and always made a game out of it!) and end at the end of February. Only bad day the rest of the year is 7/1 her birthday.
“This too shall pass.”
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass
The phrase appears in the works of Persian Sufi poets, such as Sanai and Attar of Nishapur. Attar records the fable of a powerful king who asks assembled wise men to create a ring that will make him happy when he is sad, and vice versa. After deliberation the sages hand him a simple ring with the words “This too will pass” etched on it, which has the desired effect.
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: 19 left to go
Sunday, January 27, 2013On Friday, I was able to donate a double. Wonder why? Used to be good for a triple every visit. At this pace, I won’t complete until November. Wonder if I eat more spinich? Any experts on what drives platelet production? Time to do some google medicine searches.
Argh! Sad and fustrating.
–30–
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EVLYNN: Got a lesson from the Universe today
Tuesday, December 13, 2011In feeling blue about Frau Reinke’s passing …
… today, the Universe delivered a lesson. I saw a man feeding his wife a hot dog. She was confined to a wheelchair and shook uncontrollably. Obviously in the late stages of Parkinson’s. She was obviously totally dependent on him for her care. And, he was lovingly and diligently feeding her. (Give him a lot of credit.)
So that was my lesson!
Frau Reinke would have been crazed to be like that. And, it would have been infinitely harder work for me to do that for her. (I would have but it would have been a lot harder and emotional for both of us.
So the Universe said today, “It could have been a lot worse for both of you.”
And showed me.
I’m glad she didn’t have to suffer like that.
And, I’m “fine as silk”. :-(
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EVLYNN: Remember those ratty shoes you were after me to toss?
Sunday, March 20, 2011
… I threw them in the garbage today. Pleased?
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: Today I stopped at the store …
Sunday, March 13, 2011Del Monte grapefruit was on sale 2 cans for $3. Her favorite. It made me very sad.
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EVLYNN: The proposal
Sunday, March 6, 2011Earlier, I wrote about how I knew I had found the girl I was gonna marry. It was obvious to me. I broke up with a beautiful girl I was dating. And, I signed off another girl I had seen from time to time. (Yes, watch the quiet ones. Treat the gals nice and they’ll over look all sorts of shortcomings in looks, charisma, and character.)
On her birthday that year, I proposed. And, she promptly said “No!”. No hint of a smile. No hint of disgust. No hint of shock.
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Correction: It wasn’t on her birthday. It was in the Fall of 1967. I don’t know why I was confused about the date. Should have written it down. Should have written a lot of things down.
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In a trembling voice, I asked if that meant she no longer wanted to see me. And, she promptly said “No!”.
I asked for an explanation because I was crushed. She explained that it was too soon, too many things were outstanding, to many clouds in our way. And, not on her birthday! She wanted a special day.
So I took the ring — of course, I had a beautiful, but small, ring in my pocket that I had picked out by myself without telling anyone — back to the jeweler. Paid the 10% “rental” on the $1200. And the old guy asked about it, he said: “She sounds like a great girl. You pretend she said yes. Assume it. And, eventually she’ll see what a good guy you are. And come back when you’re ready to propose again.” Yeah right. He made a $120 a pop dispensing that advice.
But, I was hooked. Line and sinker.
I later found out that my Mom had spoken to her Mom and they had agreed I had to finish school first. So her Mom had a conversation with her. When this all transpired, I was oblivious. Guess it was obvious to the women folk.
Some time later, when it was getting close to completion, my semester grade’s came in. At that point, I had enough credits and GPA to take my degree whenever I wanted it. (Remember the VietNam war was raging. And, I had a deferment for school.) She let me know that she would entertain another proposal. All she said was: “Remember your proposal? It’s time to try again.” With that sparkle of trickster, vamp, and Irish entertainer.
Hey, I’m not easy, I made her wait a month.
Pete Gunston, Andre Straza, and I were all in that same state — impending engagement. So, we decided that a triple engagement date would be a good idea. (Never considering what it would mean if one, two, or three would refuse? I was reasonable sure I could, would, might close my “deal”. But with a crazy headstrong Irish colleen, it was never assured.) So we planned a movie and dinner afterwards. Fancy restaurant reservations.
We met at the movie theater.
“Barbarella”
The boys paid. It was more expensive because it was midtown NYC, “premiere no passes no senior citizen discount”, and it just was. I member 8$ / head. We got popcorn and stuff. (I ALWAYS get pop corn.) And, sat down. I remember the opening. Jane Fonda, who was not hard on the eyes, disrobes in a zero gravity space ship. (Interesting concept. Which I was interested in studying. Just from an engineering perspective mind you. A woman’s bust unconfined in zero gravity does what?)
Our Girl had seen enough to know where it was going. She stands up, and in a loud voice, says: “I’ve seen enough. I’m leaving.”
Of course, I was a few feet behind. Followed by our companions. (I’m not sure if the other young ladies would have led the walk out but they were sure ready to follow her.) The rest is a little bit of a blur. I remember a ferocious Irish Princess convincing the theater manager to refund the ticket prices. And, the comment that this movie was improperly rated. “XXX” was her assessment.
I believe I was told that “I’ll tell you when it’s time for you to see such things.” (Boobs?) She never did tell me; guess she just forgot.
So “plans are meaningless; planning is everything”. The men regrouped. We end to a chinese restaurant for appetizers to await our reservation time. To fill the time, the rings were presented and we were three for three. Went on to dinner, and laughed a lot about the walk out.
Later in the evening, privately, she said she was surprised at the choice of movie and “I was disappointed that you were not first up and out. It was so unlike you.” I explained my engineering interest in the topic so I was temporarily “distracted”. She said: “Grow up they’re just breasts.”
But we were engaged. Of course, we were back by 1230 for the 1AM curfew. And, we sat on the landing at 39W8, her Mom opened the door and said: “I see your home on time. I’m going to bed. Don’t stay out here all night.” I knew my status had changed. How it had changed! We exchanged … ideas about the future that night. And she scooted in before too long.
But, after that, I always checked out the movie before I would take her.
The girl had grit, standards, and a fierce independent streak.
# # # # # posted 2011-03-06 12:42
# – # – # – # – # updated 2011-May-26 @ 11:53
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Posted by reinkefj
EVLYNN: In a cowboy saloon restaurant
Sunday, March 6, 2011Hi John,
I read the obit you sent for Evlynn. I was so sorry to hear of her passing. I remember meeting your wife several times on our business trips and always thought how special a person she was. For some reason a trip to Orlando sticks out where Alan Bowden and I took you and your wife to some kind of cowboy saloon restaurant.
I just wanted to tell you I’m thinking about you during this difficult time.
Regards,
Gary
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Thanks, Gary. I forgot about that. She loved music. Even what I’d call “goat roper”. Guess she and Alan are laughing about it now. Sigh!
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Thanks, Gary. She loved music. Any kind! We were inseparable. Now, I have to travel “my last mile” alone. It’s something I knew was coming. We always knew she was going to leave early. That’s why she filed for her Social Security as soon as she was eligible. Even though from an after tax perspective it made no sense. But it was “her money”, the taxes came out of “our money” or “my money”. ROFL. Maybe it did make sense. She pulled the wool over my eyes again. I think it was the smile in her eyes. Bewitched me.
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Posted by reinkefj
Reinke Faces Life 
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