Winter Storm

We are experiencing a blizzard in Dublin, Ohio, and it is still snowing. Some reports say we are under 18" of snow, with drifts up to three feet. This brings to mind a horrible ice storm that struck us in North Carolina in 2002. There was a 1/4 to a 1/2-inch of ice on everything in sight. The ice caused trees to fall on power lines. This caused some 1.5 million homes to lose power, some for up to ten days.

I lived in Carrboro, eight miles away from mom, and I went and saw her afterward. She was cold and angry because she had to sit in the dark, but she was otherwise okay, except for the tree that blocked her driveway!

We all made it through that storm, more or less unscathed. I wish she was here for this one, too. We have power and warmth. All we need is her company, really.

Mom, Aziza, and Osman

This photo was taken in the balcony of our old apartment in Zamalek in what must have been 1986.

Excuse me...

I am extremely exhausted today, so I will not be posting. I am working on a large project for this area, so bear with me.

I'll be back tomorrow, bushy eyed and whatever.

Mommie and me

This is a photograph of mom and me in Chapel hill in 1971.

Random Linda Picture

Here's another random Linda photo. This must have been in October, 2002, after I returned from a brief (7-month) stint in Bahrain as a contract linguist with the US Air Force. From left to Right: My uncle Brad, my aunt Janet Janet, a much thinner me, and mom. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo, but that was the best my digicam could do.

Sylvia: "Linda Would Have Voted for Obama"

"One of the reasons that I think your mother would have supported Obama was her huge regard for Robert Kennedy. As much of a political cheerleader as I can be, (some might use less polite terms like hectorer, bully, etc.) she was truly passionate and vocal about Robert Kennedy. Some of the traits he had, Obama also has like no other political leader since. I never saw her as genuinely positive about another candidate, although she did have her opinions and preferences. I, on the other hand, was pretty enthusiastic about Bill Clinton and then Howard Dean. Her work enabled her to see the foibles and shortcomings of our government on the ground in connection with projects on which she worked. That, no doubt, blunted her passion for any candidate. RFK was both idealistic and pragmatic. She was particularly impressed with his ability to respond rapidly to campaign charges and problems. While Obama was sometimes slow to respond in the early stages of his campaign, he learned, and has been particularly adept and effective recently.

"I would dearly love to talk politics with her now. I know you must have thousands of moments each day thinking you want to talk something over with her or tell her something only to be dashed by reality. I suppose that the greatness of a person corresponds to the size of the loss of the people closest. I don't know whether it helps to remind yourself that you would never trade her for a mother of less talent, wit, and wisdom."

"Love, Sylvia"