Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Funeral Flowers are Fading

Is it possible to live such a wonderful life that when you depart, you leave smiles of gladness on so many faces that it outweighs the sadness? When Mother Teresa died, did she leave the world mourning, or a little better for the years she spent in service?
Grandma was one of those individuals who loved to serve others. She told myself, my sister, and two of my aunts that she wanted a bagpiper at her graveside, so a bagpiper it was. I have included a short video to give you a taste. Everyone loved the bagpiper.

C woke up yesterday with a head cold. When he came home from school, he sat on the couch with Kawi, cuddled up under a down comforter and fell asleep. In over ten years of marriage, I don't think I have ever seen him do that on his own. We were invited to a party last night, so I went alone (and had a great time, I must admit) and told him I wouldn't be gone long. Around nine I started back home, and about two minutes before walking in the door, received a text from C, wondering where I was, since he knew how eager I was to get home to do homework. He'd tidied the kitchen and started the dishes for me while I was gone, so I am not sure how much rest he received after I left. What a trooper!

When I took the cover off of Kawi's cage this morning he showed me his wings, a ritual usually reserved for cagetime when he wants to look super cute so you will take him out again. Considering that in the morning he usually tries to ignore you so that you will let him sleep longer, it was obvious he was ready to get out. I then sat down to type, and he was very hoppy. Not a type-o. He plays a game where he hides behind the computer to play peek-a-boo, and when you ask, "Where's Kawi?" He bounces out with such vigor that sometimes he face-plants. Then he runs behind the computer and waits for you to ask where he is again. Sometimes you can actually feel him tremble with excitement. It's pretty funny. One of these days I will catch him on video.

Okay, rather than answer ALL of the questions about privacy at once, I will do a few at a time. Otherwise that would be one LOOONG blog post!

1. Telephone Bills: This one is tricky, so bear with me. While this is not the type of information anyone may pull up on the Internet, telephone bills are often used as evidence. A few examples this might include evidence that you were on the phone or texting at the time you got into an accident or got a ticket, spending excessive time on a phone at work (say, your job is to supervise at a jail and two inmates kill another inmate while you are on a personal phone call), or to help identify a connection between two individuals. Yes, certain government entities may get access to these records, but anyone may ask for them as evidence in court, and they must be provided.
Answer: False, unless there are legal proceedings involved, and then the answer would be True.

2. Marriage Records: True. Marriage records are public domain. When we purchased our home, there was a strip of land bordering our land that had questionable ownership. This brings me to #9.

9. Divorce Records: True. Divorce records are also not in the protected class, similar to Marriage records. Back to my story, I could not locate the individual who owned the land using my usual methods, so I contacted the county courthouse and asked about a possible divorce. Yes, a divorce took place after this person purchased the land, but the land was still in the name of that initial marriage. Next I searched for a second marriage for this individual, and found the second marriage. I then used my usual search methods and found her to discuss the land in question. Answer? True.

Well, more to come on the privacy records!

And how was your Sunday?

2 comments:

  1. Your grandma sounds like a really nice lady. And very cool on the bagpipes. I bet she loved them just like everyone else.

    Question on the privacy answers...Do you have to pay for some of that info?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. Grandma never said anything unkind about someone. She loved talking about people, but she was the most positive paparazzi around! I am really trying to be the same way!

    Privacy answers: Nope. I got that info over the phone. Not every organization/courthouse

    A. Knows that the info is free for the public, or
    B. Has the time to answer requests over the phone. You might have to pay for photocopies if you want to make copies of the info, but if I am lucky, the courthouse will let me take digital copies.

    Keep in mind that I am not nosing through my neighbors' personal details. The greatest display of power is to have the knowledge and ability and then to not use it. Usually copies of this type of information is obtained strictly for legal or historical purposes, but it's good to know that it is available for public consumption. I will get more into those details later, though, and explain how to get copies when you are refused access by clerks who don't know any better.

    ReplyDelete

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