Dear Diary

This one's for you T.D.


Dear Diary,
These last few weeks have been crazy busy. Between volunteering, meetings, and wrapping up the school year I sometimes feel like I meet myself coming and going. Since last we spoke I have had PTO, school board, and athletic booster club meetings, a field trip for Little Miss, awards ceremony and field trip for Mister Man, Field day, PTO fundraiser and book fair. WHEW!

Highlights of the past week.....you are now reading the blog of none other than the new PTO president, YAY! At the last school board meeting EVERY member was present, Go School Board! I'm excited about the new Booster club, I think it is going to be a great addition to the school. Field trip with Little Miss was fun, always fun to be a kid again. Mister Man received awards for many things but my favorite was for the most A.R. Points in the school with 294 points, for this he received a season pass to the local swimming hole. And the PTO fundraiser was a success, WOOHOO!

Field day......ah, field day. I always loved field day as a kid. We got to go to the big stadium and it always smelled like fresh cut grass. To this day mowing the lawn takes me right back to field day as a kid. We would step onto that field and I swear we felt like we were in the Olympics. You could hear the Rocky soundtrack playing as you approached the starting line and the roar of the crowd made you feel like you were invincible. I love that Little Miss has a coach that gives her these same great memories. At our school we had field day in the morning and a carnival in the afternoon. At my daughter's school they have field day in the morning and water day in the afternoon. So.Much.Fun.

Book fair, once again, a childhood favorite. I've always been a voracious reader, so when the book fair carts would roll into our school it was like my birthday all over again. You never knew what they would bring or where those stories would take you. I have to say that working a book fair, well, it's not quite as magical. Haha! Don't get me wrong, I Love Working Book Fair! I love the other volunteers, I love our fearless librarian, and I still love those carts and the books on them.  However there are some things about book fair that you just don't realize until you work one or five.   If anyone has contacts at Scholastic please, Dear God, tell me why they can't just include tax on all of their books.  We do it in our business, everything we sale has tax included then come tax time we just back the tax out of the purchase price and turn that over to the IRS.  How hard could it be?  Because no matter how many times we tell the kids they just don't understand tax.  Those of us that work the book fair bring our piggy banks for just this reason.  And those kids that can't afford books but want to read, well, it's nice when money magically appears for them.  All in all, it's a great week.  We get to foster a love of reading in a new generation, us girls get in our therapy sessions, and we also get reading material to last until the next book fair.

Well, that about does it for today Diary.  This afternoon we will head to Louisiana for our family reunion, which will require it's own post come Sunday or Monday.

Much Love,
Courtney

Humor and Homocide

 We wrapped up The Art Emporium's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" yesterday.  For those unaware "Arsenic and Old Lace" is a play about two little old ladies who poison lonely old men and bury them in their cellar.  One wouldn't think that would make for a humorous play but it was absolutely hilarious.  And Lord knows, I could use a laugh this past week.  More than that I needed the feeling that I got from being a part of this group. I will NEVER be on stage, I'm more of a backstage kind of girl but being even a small part of this group means the world to me.  Over the weeks of rehearsal, through the blood, sweat, and tears there is a bond that is forged that can not be broken.

They may be a crazy family, but they're my crazy family and I love them.

Just The Two of Us

Wherever you are....My Love goes with you.

I've Gone to the Dark Place

In the Darkness......

She Comforts Me....

What Will I Do When She's Gone?

Damon

My brother's 40th birthday is this week.   He has now been missing for the past 8 years.  To mark the occasion, our Dad has taken out an ad in the Anchorage Daily News.

  I guess now is as good a time as any to tell his story...

There is so much to tell, that it is hard to know where to start.  I guess we'll start at the beginning.

The year was 1972 on a warm spring day... Too far? Well okay, let's jump ahead.

March 30,  2004, appr. 6:30 a.m.- I received a call from Officer Macully with APD. He told me they were " investigating suspicious activity involving your brother".  Shit...that can't be good.  He went on to tell me that my brother's truck had been parked at a local lake for several days without moving.  He knew this because there was snow built up on top and around the truck.   Upon further investigation he learned that the truck had been parked there on the 28th as well but the officer who saw it at that time didn't think anything was remiss because of the lack of snow on it then.  At present time, he searched the truck and found that the doors were unlocked, the keys were inside along with my brother's cell phone and my brother's dog, Scully, was in the back under the camper shell.  All of this information was atypical of my brother.  We grew up in Houston, no one leaves their doors unlocked.  His cell phone wasn't just the way his friends and family got in contact with him, it was also his business number, he was never far from his phone.  And his dog was a faithful companion, one that he had spent a fortune to rehabilitate after an accident when others had said just to have her put down.  Something was very wrong.  And I  was the one who had to break the news to my parents.

Based on witness accounts and evidence, this is what we are able to piece together.

March 25th, 2004- I spoke with my brother by telephone, we discussed his court case to determine custody of his infant son.  He told me an arrangement had been agreed upon, but he was going to have his attorney review it at their meeting on Monday.

March 27th, 2004-  He worked that morning and had arrangements to pick up his son that afternoon for his overnight visit.  He also spoke to our Granny that day.  He made a deposit at the bank and went shopping at Walmart for Easter supplies and things for his son.  Sometime in the course of the day the plan changed and instead of going to pick up his son, he merely went to visit his son in the home of his ex.  And this was the last he was seen.

For those that don't know, it is not a crime to disappear.  An adult has every right to just walk away from their lives.  But those who knew my brother will tell you that Damon had no reason to leave and every reason to stay.

There was no evidence that a crime had been committed.  No blood, no forced entry, so no crime.  It was alluded that we were lucky to get the minute amount of investigation that we got.  I've often thought about being a detective, I enjoy research and investigation.  I enjoy watching detective shows, Law & Order: SVU being one of my favorites, although it has become harder to watch since my brother's disappearance.  Let me tell you what I have learned......real life is nothing like television.  Every drama isn't wrapped up in a nice little package within the hour, the bad guy doesn't always get caught, and justice doesn't always prevail.

I would venture to say that my family and I did the majority of the investigating.  We interviewed witnesses, we tracked the transfer of property, we were able to get records when the police couldn't.  And yet, the case still remains unsolved.

And lest you think it is ALL bad, let me tell you what else I have learned.  We ALL make an impact and we will ALL be remembered.  If you had asked my brother who would miss him when he was gone, he probably would have had a short list.  Nowhere on that list would have been the mail clerk at the post office who had to leave the room because she was crying when she heard about my brother.  Nor would his childhood friends who hadn't seen him in years and yet lament over his disappearance.   I have seen such an outpouring of love and support, and I will always remember your kindness.

Below you will find just a few of the websites on which my brother is listed.  The one for Project Jason is quite informative as it has many of the articles that have been written.

I have opted to keep this post relatively short, as there is so much more that could be told.  Most of what I haven't shared is to protect the innocent, but unfortunately in doing so I also protect the accused.  Feel free to ask me any questions, anytime.  Depending on the day and the hour I may break down in tears or I may answer with no problem, please know this was bound to occur with or without your questions.  Never feel guilty for seeking answers, I don't.

http://www.anchoragecrimestoppers.com/missing.aspx

http://www.dps.state.ak.us/ast/abi/docs/bulletins/bonds.pdf

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/4318

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=129.0

http://www.thenorthernlight.org/2012/04/17/samantha-koenig-a-tragic-wake-up-call

http://www.lbth.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200401699S

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Tonight was our daughter's last softball game. On one hand I'm sad to see the season end because they were just beginning to play as a team and see the results of their coaching. But on the other, whew, lots less driving and hours away from home. Joe and I are both doing a play coming up, he on stage and me on lights, so between rehearsals and ball practice we haven't had a lot of together time. We're always running somewhere. But I'm proud of my girl, this was her first year to ever play ball and I think she did pretty well. In fact, the kids went out with a WIN! So proud.