Deism 101

Belief in God + God-Given Reason = Deism

http://www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm

Interesting stuff! For quite a while, I have not been 100% comfortable with organized religion, yet I have always felt a need for an "organized" way to express my spiritual beliefs.

I have long thought that religion was fine -- it was the human beings who "ran" organized religions that I could not always trust. Face it -- while a lot of good has come from belief in an organized religion, lots and lots of suffering has also come from belief in organized religions. Furthermore, some of the good has been done with an ulterior motive (e.g., missionaries who clothe and feed the poor only if they listen to their preaching).

Who wrote the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, etc.? Humans. I am certainly not anti-human, but us human types tend to have our own biases and perspectives on the world. That's not necessarily a bad thing, until you get some who take things and run too far with them (e.g., the Inquisition, September 11, etc.).

What did God write? Flowers, mountains, solar systems, puppies, love. This is not from a book, nor from an organized religion. God created all, and then left us to take His wonderful gifts (flowers, mountains, etc...) and run with them. We only need to send prayers of Thanksgiving, because to pray for anything else is silly. Didn't God already give you everything you need? You have reason, free will and intelligence because God gave them to you. Now, all you have to do is choose to use them (or not).

We (us human types) have all we need - including peace - if we choose to have it. We have incredible knowledge and potential (for good and for bad). We also have been given this beautiful planet on which to live (and share with the other creations God made, especially puppies - my bias there!).

Anyway, when I hear people praying for their team to win the football game, I have to think, "God gave you so much and all you can do is ask for your lousy team to win a game?!?" When I hear people praying for peace, I think, "We have the God-given abilities to make peace happen ourselves! It's us who are choosing not to use those abilities, not God's choice not to allow peace to happen."

Thank you, God. I have all I need.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I would like to take a moment to give thanks for all that I have.

- I live in a democracy that peacefully transitions at least some power every November. When I was in college, there was a presidential election in which my candidate did not win. However, the following January, when the guy I didn't vote for was sworn in, I still found myself feeling proud of the way the whole process works - and happy that I don't have to worry about opposition parties shooting out their disappointment, or candidates going "missing", or a military coup.

- The Husband and I am not even close to going into foreclosure. And we have a nice house in which we intend to stay for many years.

- My health is not bad. It could be better, but it could be worse. I am able-bodied, can see and hear, and can play with my dog.

- I have a job. My employer, The Really Big Bank, is taking over another Really Big Bank, so there may be changes in my employment future, but at least my Really Big Bank is not in need of any bailout money. (Yes, my bank is taking bailout money, but will use that money to fund loans, not to keep us afloat.)

- Our vehicles are in good shape (my Beetle just passed 36,000 miles, so I am no longer covered by my warranty, but it's still a relatively new car).

- The most important thing: I have a good family, good friends, and The Best Husband Ever.

My Thanksgiving Wishes:
- Peace for everyone (no exceptions).
- Happiness for everyone (no exceptions).


Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Could it be... an update?

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long time between posts. What can I say? It's been a dull summer so far. Here's what I have been up to:

• The Husband and I are stripping and re-staining our deck. At least we would, but it has been raining lately (we should have started the deck earlier when we needed rain!). We have a BIG deck... and a get-together on 8/30. Wish us luck getting it done in time!
• I passed my Series 7 exam and am now studying for my Series 66 license. The S66 is shorter but 100x more dull. I actually read the exam study manual out loud to remain awake. My cat is not a good listener... but I cannot blame him.
• I am still employed by the Really Big Bank. Boss is great, company is good, commute sucks.
• The Husband, my brother and I are going to see Journey and Cheap Trick in September. Just what I need - a trip down memory lane! Back to the 80s when I did not have as much responsibility, as much girth, or as much disposable income... (you gotta take the good with the bad...). I am looking forward to the show!
• The same week as the Journey and Cheap Trick show, my Ma and I are going to see Little House on the Prairie at the Guthrie Theatre. Now that really takes me back... to the 70s! I am sure it will be a great show. Now all I have to do is find my sunbonnet... I know it's in the house somewhere...
• Oh, there is the get-together I mentioned in the first bullet point above. The Husband and I always have a party in the summer and it's great to see the friends who we otherwise don't see enough of.

Okay, maybe it's not so dull after all. It just may be the state of mind I am in today (as I take a break from reading the mind-numbing S66 manual).

Hope all is going well with you! Stay cool.

You have GOT to see this!

It will make you smile - I promise.

Where The Hell Is Matt?

Look at it -- just do it!





Did you look at it yet?

Just funny...

Mid-Life Crisis

Well, actually, it's not truly a crisis, but a time to pause and consider life as it is right now.

No, I don't need a red convertible or a pool boy to ogle at home (I don't even have a pool). I am quite content with my Beetle and The Husband, thank you.

I have, however, been pondering my situation on Planet Earth for a while now. When The Husband and I started our lives together, we had little money and lousy jobs. Our first apartment had a very noisy furnace and the second apartment had very noisy neighbors, but we kept going... somehow knowing that things would "get better". We would have our own house someday -- we would have dependable cars someday -- we would have respectable jobs that paid respectable salaries someday.

Well, the days where I would go to a mall and think about how nice it would be to be able to freely actually buy stuff came and went... and before long I would go to a mall and simply purchase what I wanted.

The first house was nice. The first late-model used cars were nice. The first new car was even better. The second house is great. The second and third new cars are cool. Buying stuff when I wanted to was fun.

This was great... for a while. Then I realized that more "stuff" did not translate into anything other than more "stuff". (Hardly an original realization, I know.)

Now I no longer enjoy accumulating stuff, but I must admit that I do like the security that our present position allows. However, how much of my soul have I sold to get here? Do I really want to spend the rest of my days as a corporate drone just for a little security?

What to do?

Move off the grid completely? Pull a Jeremiah Johnson and leave society and all its trappings?

Please. While I have contemplated a more simple life, going completely off into the wilderness would not be a good idea (I know myself too well). It's a little extreme, don't you think? Even The Husband wouldn't want to completely abandon civilization.

I am still wrestling with this (and have been for a year or so now). But then, isn't life full of opportunities to review our existance and consider alternatives?

The issue is that I am needing to do something more to find my direction now. One option is to stay on my current path, go to work at the Really Big Bank, and enjoy the benefits. Another option is to change the path, but how? What direction? What sacrifices will need to be made to find a new situation? Will it be worth it?

Any ideas out there? Anyone?

Sad Update

Beau is gone. She's actually been gone since May 15, but I am just that bad at updating my blog.

She died in my arms. The vet assured me that The Husband and I made the right decision. Beau had gone on a quick decline, indicating to the vet that more was going on than just the kidney disease (probably cancer). I bawled and called The Husband from the animal hospital, then bawled more while they gave me time to say goodbye to The Pretty Beau, then the vet came in to take care of things, and I bawled some more. They gave me all the time I needed afterward in the exam room with my deceased sweet girl. I finally went home, cried a little more, then waited for The Husband to get home from work.

When he got home, we cried and found a good spot in the yard (near a lilac bush and a flowering crabapple tree), The H dug a hole and picked a new daffodil to lay on top of the box with our baby inside. We cried. She was gone.

It's been a week and a half and I still ache. Not as much, but enough. She was beautiful and affectionate and we miss her very much. She enhanced our lives for 12 years and for that I am grateful.

On the way home from work today I stopped at the Minnesota Valley Humane Society where we picked up little baby Beau so long ago. I asked if they wanted her food (we still had pouches and cans of food that we cannot use for our other cat Monti - he'll barf it right up). I told the lady behind the desk about my Beautiful Beaujolais and she humored me nicely (she did actually seem interested, but then again she works at a humane society... she must be into animals!). She offered me a donation receipt, but I just told her that this was to honor Beau. No receipt necessary.

I miss my baby.

Sad news

My darling Beaujolais has had kidney disease for a couple of months now. We thought we could treat her chronic condition with special food and subcutaneous fluids every other day... but it seems that her condition has worsened.

I will be taking her to the vet today to see what can be done. Her quality of life - and her weight - have diminished quite a bit in the past month. She no longer purrs and does not seem to even want to eat or drink. The Husband and I have been preparing ourselves for the worst, and now the worst seems to be here.

For a while I was not ready to part with my Beautiful Beau, but now I feel it would be selfish to keep her going. I am going to miss our Pretty Beau.

A new challenge

I have started down a new journey... one which will cause me plenty of stress until it is over.

I am studying for my Series 7 license.

The Series 7 (also known as the General Securities Representative license) is infamously tough... for people who are into this sort of thing. I, however, am more of a language/words/creativity person... not the type to get excited about collateralized mortgage obligations, options, calculating accrued interest on government bonds (which uses a different year than calculating accrued interest on corporate or municipal bonds...), or determining the parity price of a convertible preferred stock.

However, since I enjoy my job (and being employed at all), I will dive in and get this done.

I have finished Unit 1 (equity securities) in my exam manual, did the unit test, did the 100 question drill and practice, then did the (required) online checkpoint exam.

The good news - I have shown improvement. The bad news - this was an "easy" unit.

Here are my scores for unit 1:
Unit exam - 50% (ouch!)
Drill and practice - 74% (passing!)
Checkpoint exam - 90%

I am working my way through unit 2 - debt securites. Anyone know an easy way to learn the calculations for convertible bonds? And what the heck is a tranche?

Wish me luck everyone!

Oh - after I get the Series 7 (my exam is in July, and I need a 70 or better to pass), I get to start work on my Series 66, then my Minnesota insurance license. There will be celebrating after this is all done!

Do you want to see the photos?

Because I sent them out to a lot of you... so I wonder if it's necessary to put them on the blog as well.

Yes, I am lazy! I know, I know...

Tell you what -- if you want me to put them on the blog, click the comment link and let me know!

Have a nice day!
~ Collette

The photos are coming -- really!

I have heard people complaining that our vacation photos aren't up yet. Between the regular digital camera and the underwater digital camera, we took 700+ photos and video. We (i.e., The Husband) are still sorting through them and deleting the unnecessary shots. The Husband is also putting together a video of our underwater exploits (including great footage of sea turtles, sting rays, eagle rays and the barracuda).

They're coming -- honest! Stay tuned. My tan, on the other hand, is already faded ("tan" being a relative term...).

An Update on the Animals

Here's the latest:

Beaujolais has kidney disease. We had noticed that she'd been losing weight, so we purchased some wet cat food to encourage her to eat. She did have dental issues in the past, so we thought that soft mushy food would be easier for her to eat. When this didn't work, we took her in to the vet. After some tests, we learned that she had kidney disease and maybe diabetes also. This all became known the week before we were going to leave for Mexico.

We left her at the vet for a 48-hour IV test to see if her kidney disease would be controllable or if it was too far out of control. This would also help confirm if she truly had diabetes on top of the kidney disease. The good news is that 1) She does not have diabetes, and 2) Her bad test readings were helped by the IV test.

During our trip to Mexico, we were wondering what to do about The Pretty Beau. We decided to have her boarded at the vet so her condition would be monitored and we would not have to put any of our cat-sitters through anything beyond just checking in on the cats.

So, she's treatable, but there is no cure. We have to put her on a low-protein diet and flush her with IV fluids every three days. No problem - we will do what we have to do to keep her happy and (relatively) healthy. She is a senior... and not exactly happy with her new food. We're letting her eat regular wet food just so that she eats something, but we're trying to mix the prescription food in so she gets used to it. Oh, she is also taking Pepcid. Yes, over-the-counter Pepcid (split into quarters). Whatever we have to do, she's worth it. She seems happy and loving, so we'll just keep the IV bag around as long as she graces us with her presence (may it be at least a few more years!).

Pepper's new nickname is Scarface. Two days before we left for Mexico, Pepper went outside to do "business" and chase a squirrel. He ran after a squirrel who made a mad dash to a tree... and in his pursuit, Pepper forgot to apply the breaks... and ran right into the tree. I am sure I heard the squirrel snickering at the top of the branches. Anyway, when he came back in, I noticed some blood on his face near his right eye. I dutifully got the dog first aid kit to patch him up. He did not go for the gauze pad taped to his face, and I began to wonder if he may need stitches. My dog first aid kit did not include needles and sutures, so off to the vet we went.

While Pepper was being examined, I went to visit Beau (who was still in her 48-hour IV test). She seemed comfortable enough -- considering that she was in a hospital cage -- and was happy to see me. Pepper did not need stitches, but did get a prescription for antibiotic ointment. We did have to pay the dog boarder extra for them to apply the ointment twice a day, but he's worth it too!

Okay. That leaves Monti. Poor baby -- nothing is wrong with him, but he's the last of our animals I would want to leave alone for a whole week. He needs company and attention. Fortunately, we had our nearby friends check in on him. When we returned from Mexico, we got an earful of complaints about how he was denied his normal amount of scratches and love. (We've been home six days and he is still being more vocal than normal.)

Actually, we do have two more pets. Hrbek and Gaetti, our 12-year old goldfish (really!) seemed to do just fine in their tank during our vacation, and do not appear to have any ailments (other than Hrbek's bad eye, which he's had for years now). If Hrbek and Gaetti were investments, we would have made a killing... we purchased them for $0.25 each at Petco, and almost 12 years later, they are alive and well (and have each grown to about six inches long!). Not a bad return on 50 cents!

Summary:
Beau - kidney disease that we will manage with IV fluids and an attempt at a low-protein diet.
Pepper - tree: 1, Pepper: 0.
Monti - still starved for attention, but complaining a little less.
Fish - an excellent way to stretch a half-dollar into 12 years of enjoyment.

We're home

...and two and a half tons of laundry is done (minor exaggeration).


Okay - here's a wrap up of our wonderful week in paradise:

• Snorkeling in Half Moon Bay (right outside our hotel patio)
• Snorkeling in Yal Ku Lagoon
• Swimming at the beach in Tulum
• Great Mexican food (including grouper, octopus, lots o enchiladas, tequila, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, Dos Equis and Corona!)
• Lounging on beach chairs under palapas
• Snorkeling in Akumal Bay
• Climbing up a huge Mayan temple at Cobá (higher than the one at Chichén Itzá!)
• Getting safely down from the huge Mayan temple at Cobá
• Swimming in a super cool underground cenote
• Butchering "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" at karoke night at La Buena Vida
• No major sunburn (just a little pinkage and 2-3 more freckles)
• Enjoying the Dogs of Akumal romping and playing everywhere
• Watching the entire Academy Award broadcast at an event in the town of Akumal (complete with buffet and red carpet)

With two digital cameras (one made for underwater photos), we took nearly 800 photos (gotta love those 2GB memory cards!).

We had great luck -- our transportation (airplane, taxis, collectivos, etc.) were there when we wanted them, and our hotel was a good walk to and from town (getting a little exercise helps when eating and drinking like we did!). All in all, a great vacation!

So now I return to "normal" again. (Sigh.) That's okay... it's work that allows us to occasionally skip town and swim in coral reefs!

Photos are being organized and highlights will be posted soon!

Akumal Bay Today

Yesterday's excursion to Tulum was most enjoyable. We did not snorkel... but we did do some good old fashioned splashing in the waves. Tulum's beach is better for swimming because the coral reef is not so close. There's much more sand to romp and play in while getting tossed around by the waves. Big fun.

We toured the main drag in town, checked out the gift shops, then noticed clouds overhead just as we headed to a recommended restaurant for lunch. We ordered lunch and as we got our drinks, the rain started. Perfect timing! The funny part is that the two roofs of the restaurant does not quite connect with each other... and the rain came pouring in. It was very amusing (especially because our table was under the sidewalk overhang and we were dry). We sat by the entertainment -- a guy with two synthisizers playing lounge music -- and I did get a little worried when I saw the water from the rooftop fountain nearing his power strip (right by my feet). He did not seem to care and just moved the power strip on to the keyboard stand and kept playing. He played "Raindrops are Falling on My Head" and we all laughed. By the time we were done eating, the rain had stopped. Again, perfect timing!

We headed to the playa (beach) and rented two chairs under a palapa. After hours relaxing and swimming, we dried off and went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. It was an Asian place, and I had the best pad Thai I have ever had in Mexico!

Tomorrow we're going on a tour of the ruins at Coba. We'll be inland a bit, so no nice ocean breeze... but we will have shade. More to come!

If it's Tuesday, we must be in Tulum

Hola!

Yesterday, we went snorkeling in Yal Ku lagoon twice (once in the morning and again in the afternoon). It was a place where fresh water from underground rivers mixes with the salt water of the sea. There was coral and many beautiful fish. The Husband saw a barracuda and a sting ray (photos to come). Fortunately, the barracuda must have just eaten -- he did not seem concerned about The Husband's proximity.

Today, we're hopping on a collectivo to visit the town of Tulum. Collectivos are vans that goes up and down the main highway picking up and dropping off locals and tourists from town to town. It's cheaper than a taxi -- but we have to walk to the main highway to get one.

We have already visited the Tulum ruins, but we have not been to the city. It's a bigger city than Akumal, but smaller than Playa del Carmen. We'll check out the boutiques, eat lunch, sit at the beach and read our books, and consider sticking around for dinner.

Sunday evening was the Oscars. We went to the Lol Ha Beach Club for a charity dinner to raise money for the local school and they had TVs showing the ceremony. The buffet was delicious and they had a "red carpet" where the local "paparattzi" shot photos of the tourists as they entered the club. A local resident was the MC and she interviewed people as they entered. It was fun - and we actually watched the entire show.

Anyway, off to Tulum. By the way, it's warm and sunny here! We are always covered with sunscreen, and we still have managed to get a little pink. I am not complaining!

We are here!

Greetings from beautiful and warm Akumal!


We flew in yesterday and our journey was uneventful. We did watch the last episode of season one of Dexter, so I was happy to see how things wrapped up. It also made the almost four-hour flight more bearable.


Note: I am at CyberAkumal, an Internet place in town. This computer is in Spanish, so when I just did a quick spell check, pretty much everything is misspelled. Please excuse any misspellings or typos going forward!

Anyway... after getting settled in our hotel after a one-hour drive south of Cancun, we ate lunch and then explored town. Akumal is a very small town, so it did not take long to check out. We ate lunch at La Buena Vida (the good life). How true! Dinner was at La Pescadora, a fish and seafood place. The Husband had grouper (which was excellent) and I had octopus, Veracruz style. I loved it! After a few more drinks back at La Buena Vida, we crashed.

Now for the fun part -- snorkeling! After a quick breakfast in our hotel room, we headed out to Half Moon Bay (right outside our hotel room). The coral reef pretty much goes right up to the shore... all we had to do was put on our gear and walk into the sea. What a cool experience! I saw brain coral the size of those big exercise balls (about 2.5 feet in diameter). There were fish in bright colors - blue, silver, purple, yellow. I found a school of yellow fish hiding by a mound of coral. I sat in on the class for as long as the waves would allow. It was tricky swimming against the waves, but I took some comfort in seeing that even the fish sometimes were at the mercy of the ocean.

The Husband used his new underwater camera and took some neat shots (to be added to this blog when we return home). I will give underwater photography a try when we go back out later.

I will add more posts, but now it's time for lunch. Adios!

Life Goes On...

Well, it's finally February (the month in which The Husband and I are going to Mexico!). We are looking forward to the warmth, the sea, the food, the ruins, the warmth, the sand, the margaritas, the warmth...

I feel so fortunate to have stuff to look forward to in the near future. When we get back from Akumal, it will be March, then April, then the snow will melt, then the temperatures will rise, then the grass will grow and the birds will sing. How cool will that be?

Today's the Super Bowl. I really don't care for the Giants or the Patriots, but I do expect this to be a good game. As always, I am looking forward to the commericals more than the game. And even though I am a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I don't even know if I am going to pay much attention to the half-time show. I just want to see 30-second spots full of creativity and good humor (as opposed to the brainless ads we see the rest of the year).

My favorite ads from Super Bowls Past are the Streaker (Budweiser) and Cat Herding (some consulting firm). The FedEx ad with the cavemen is up there too (I love ads that make me laugh out loud, and that one did!).

Want to have a few giggles? Check out Super Bowl Ad Classics (courtesy of Spike TV). Enjoy!

The Pass

As I drove to work this morning (Friday), I played one of the CDs I burned when I got my new car last year (before I got my iPod hooked up to my car stereo). One of the songs that started to play was The Pass by Rush -- one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. After the first four notes, I immediately turned off the stereo. The Pass is about suicide, and it's just too soon after Sunday's tragedy to listen to that song.

If there's anything that I would like to come of this, it's more awareness of depression and suicide. I do not know Anthony's story, but I do know that depression is both treatable... and potentially fatal.

Do me a favor? If you know someone who is depressed or has mentioned harming themselves, DO SOMETHING.

Don't know what do to? Check out SAVE - Suicide Awareness Voices of Education at http://www.save.org/.

Better yet, if the person says s/he is going to commit suicide, call 911 before the person succeeds (or even attempts). Just do it!

You have a choice - feel "awkward" about intervening, or feel unbearable guilt and horror if you do nothing... and the person dies.

If you are depressed, see your doctor now. You can get help. There is always hope - trust me on this. There is someone who cares about you... me!

My deepest condolences to Anthony's family and friends. Peace be with us all.

Sadness

A terrible thing happened last Sunday. The Husband was Up North fishing with The Guys for the whole weekend, so I took advantage of the situation to visit the Mall of America.

I bought a pair of shoes and a tank top for the upcoming trip to Mexico, watched a cheerleading competition, and shared some love with a couple of special needs dogs (and one cat) who were at the Mall for fundraising. I also treated myself to lunch. All in all, it was a quality outing.

Until I left to go home.

I parked in Maine on the ground level, east side. I walked out the entrance and as I was about to cross the street to get into the parking ramp, I caught something out of the corner of my eye in mid-air... then I heard a strange clap-like sound. I looked toward the sound and saw a guy laying on the street on his back.

My first thought was stupid. I wanted to yell at this guy, "You're going to get run over if you lay on the street like that!" A split second later, I realized he needed help. People were shouting, "Call 911!" so I dropped my bags to dig for my phone in my purse.

When I saw that others were already calling 911, I ran to the guy on the street. I had taken first aid classes and naively thought that I might be able to help him.

There was nothing I could do.

I called out to no one in particular, "He needs help NOW!" but I knew it did not look good. I will spare you the details, but it simply was the worst sight I have ever seen. The emergency personnel and Bloomington Police did not take long to cover him with a sheet.

A mall security officer was with me after I yelled for help. At that point, I lost it. I knew he was gone and that I had seen his last moment. I cried and cried. The mall security officer took time to stay with me and the other witness to get our statements and to help us deal with what we had just seen. I gave my name, phone number and address, and had a hard time writing a description of the event as I cried and shook uncontrollably.

The security officer and a police officer did what they could to help me calm down. They reassured me that I did the right thing by going to him and by staying to make a witness statement. They were sympathetic and kind.

I didn't think I would blog about this. I was a quivering mess for the rest of the day, and had flashbacks throughout the next day (Monday). Back at the mall, after I finished my statement, the mall security officer helped me back into the mall. I knew I was in no shape to drive myself home. The Mall of America security had closed off this entrance and a small group of people were questioning why they couldn't go out the door of their choice. Some people saw trembling, sobbing me enter with the security officer and seemed to back away, finally realizing that perhaps the MoA officials closed the entrance for a real reason (and not just to inconvenience shoppers). One lady insisted on complaining to a security officer and as I passed near her I told her that she really did not want to exit this way. I did not tell her why because she had two young boys with her -- they didn't need to know.

I called my parents on my cell and told my dad what happened. I asked if he could come get me and bring me home. My parents came to get me -- my dad drove my car and my mom took me in their car. At my house, we went straight for the brandy. Dad said it would help. It did. So did the wine. Anything to deaden the nerves.

The next day I arrived at work around 7:10 am. I thought that it would be a good thing to dive into my projects so I could keep my mind off the previous day's events. It didn't work. Out of the blue I would see his face again, or hear that awful sound... Sometimes I would just shutter.

Finally, I called my employer's employee assistance program. I knew that what I was going through was normal -- I had just experienced a trauma and it seemed normal that I go through some sort of reaction. I just wanted to be reassured of this, and if there was anything I could do about it, I wanted to know. I also was trying to figure out how to get closure for myself. I thought that if I knew the man's name, I could grieve for a specific person, rather than "guy at the mall."

The employee assistance counselor was very helpful and sympathetic. She explained what I could possibly expect, given my situation, and that what I was experiencing was indeed very normal. I told her of my desire to know his name to help myself close this out, and she advised that I may need to find closure even if I cannot learn his identity. She offered to call back to check on me later and to give me the name of a therapist in my area, should I decide to see one.

I also called Bloomington Police to see if they were able to tell me his name. If they were not able to, I would understand, but I explained that I was hoping that his name would help me "bury" him in my mind so I could go on with my life. The sergeant with whom I spoke was very understanding, and told me the guy's name, even though it was not public information (yet). I asked if his family knew of his death, and the sergeant said that they were informed. He also thanked me for my witness statement.

It's been three days now, and I am getting past this. I did, however, drive past the MoA for the first time since Sunday on my way to meet friends for a drink after work. My heart ached for the young man who was in so much pain that he lost all hope.

Rest in peace, Anthony.



Man leaps to death at megamall ramp
Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 01/08/2008 11:17:11 PM CST

The Hennepin County medical examiner has released the name of the man who plunged from the sixth floor of a parking ramp at the Mall of America to the street below.

Authorities say 23-year-old Anthony S. Leandro, of Burnsville, died Sunday of multiple blunt force head injuries. His body was found on the road next to the east side of the shopping mall.

His death was ruled a suicide.
- Associated Press