|
|
|
|
|
HP/AGILENT ALUMNI CLUB NEWSLETTER HP/AGILENT ALUMNI CLUB MINUTES – 4/7/2009 The April 7, 2009 meeting of the HP/Agilent Alumni Club was called to order at 1:30 pm by President Joetta Hoewisch. The minutes for the last meeting, as published in the newsletter, were approved as written and filed. Joetta read Laura’s treasurer’s report as Laura is still recovering from surgery. The report was filed. There were 48 attendees. They are: Jan Allen, Les Bailey, Pat Bestgen, Donna Biddle, Delphine Bieszard, George Blinn, Claudia and Roger Christiansen, Nancy Craig, Jim Drehle, Lorrine Farmer, Myrna and John Favinger, Harry Feldman, Marty Finley, Christopher Fox, June Fritz, Lois Green, Juanita Hartman, Lela Havens, Joetta Hoewisch, Carol Kibel, Anna and Steve Kochis, Pat Korenke, Mark Lambuth, Peggy McClellan, Wanda and Gerry McGonigle, Gloria McVaugh, Cheri and Doug Moloney, Jerry Murphy, Ken Nichols, Velma and Ernie Rossmanith, Harry Short, Chuck Smart, Mark Smith, Polly Tounzen, Helen Von Gunden, Evelyn Wall, Randy Walters, Ira Ward, Niles Whalen, Gerry White, Laura Winter, and Hal Wright. Meeting Visitors: Greg Tarza, who worked at HP for at least 25 years, primarily in pre-production engineering. Helen VonGunden, retired from HP after working at Digital for five years, then Compaq for five years, and HP for five years.
April Birthdays: Anniversaries: Harry and Glendora Feldman celebrate 46 years on the 18th and 19th because the minister wrote the wrong date on their marriage certificate. Dick and Sally Marshall celebrate their anniversary on the 17th of April. Health Announcements: Laura Mattison is recovering at home from surgery and did not feel up to attending the meeting. Our thoughts are with her as she gathers her strength and prepares her next enjoyable treasurer’s report for our May meeting. Esther Garten fell and broke her hip and is at the Cheyenne Mountain Care Center. An update on Gayle Hoenig’s health, following her stroke, was not available. We will keep her in our thoughts and wish her well. In Memoriam: Chalmer Miller’s wife, Eleanor, passed away on March 9th. We extend our sympathies to Chalmer and his family. Program: Bonnie Riley, Executive Director of PILLAR Vice President Mark Smith had June Fritz introduce the speaker, Bonnie Riley, Executive Director of PILLAR. June mentioned that Bonnie has more than 20 years of experience working in nursing homes and other environments with seniors. June also said that Bonnie is a good friend of hers. Bonnie first asked the audience questions about how long they had been retired and if they could wave a magic wand, what would they change. She received answers such as more money, better health, and more energy. Many of the attendees have been retired for more than 15 years. Bonnie said that in her 31 years of working with older people, she has found that a great determining factor was their attitude. “I saw people, no matter where in life they were, no matter how much money they had, they were still miserable, if they had a bad attitude in life.” “I started the first assisted-living facility in Colorado Springs in 1984 and worked with many people who were still very active and they all had one thing in common, a positive attitude.” Bonnie went on to describe her organization, “Pillar is about education, about learning. When we started, we had nine classes, now we offer more than 70. Some classes are very popular and repeated every quarter, but 90% of the classes are brand new. We do a lot of classes around the subjects of health and healing. You don’t have to be a member to attend classes. Membership is currently $39 a year. It does pay to be a member because you pay less for classes and trips. “It’s been said that service is the rent we pay while we’re still on earth. We always welcome volunteers. We now have over 200 volunteers. We also welcome people who are willing to share their experiences by teaching a class. I have instructor packets and we are currently setting up programs for July, August and September. “We are located downtown at 30 East Rio Grande, but are looking to relocate farther north. So, if you know of a location, let us know. There are lots of volunteer opportunities, in our curriculum activity, travel committee, classroom hosts, and administrative office work. We have an orientation on April 22nd in the Pillar office. We are especially looking for people with specific skills: technology and executive management. We would also like to get people to help us who are talented in creating newsletters. Bonnie related a short story by author O’Henry called The Last Leaf, which tells of a patient who had lost hope of recovering and likened her health to the few leaves left on a vine growing against the wall outside her hospital room window with an impending storm. Her nurse mentioned the conversation to a man who was a painter. He took it upon himself to go out and paint a leaf on the wall. The next morning the patient awoke to find that single leaf and took hope that she too could withstand the storm of bad health she’d been having. Bonnie then encouraged the audience to do as the artist did and “Paint Hope.” She ended her presentation telling people to keep hope and to paint hope for others, remembering that attitude is the defining factor in how you will enjoy your retirement years. Bonnie received applause from the audience and stayed after the meeting to chat with people interested in Pillar. Booklets were given to attendees, along with a certificate for a free two-hour class. People interested in the classes or trips can get information by visiting the website (www.visitpillar.org) or by calling 719-633-4991. May 5, 2009 Program: Chuck Smart, Baby Boom Fitness Long time HP/Agilent employee Chuck Smart will talk about fitness, aging and health. ANNOUNCEMENTS Members who have changed their email addresses lately are asked to notify Gerry McGonigle (bluespruce@prodigy.net) and George Blinn (blinn27@comcast.net) so they won’t miss their monthly newsletters. Agilent Technologies has announced that retirees are now required to register as visitors and be escorted any time they are in the facility. They will need to show their retiree badge and identification to enter the facility. The credit union, of course, remains accessible without restriction. If you have questions about this change in policy, you can call 1-877-357-2554. Joetta distributed a sign-up sheet to solicit interest in group trips. Listed as options were Cripple Creek, a Rockies game, the Boulder Dinner Playhouse, and the Aquarium in Denver. Interested members were also asked to list other suggestions. She is willing to plan trips if enough people show an interest. Joetta thanked Randy for all his work on the website. He has reported that visits to the website have increased significantly since its inception last September. Here are the statistics:
Month # Visitors
# Pages Viewed You can access the website (www.hpagilentalumni.org) for copies of newsletters and other interesting information. To access the member section you will need the correct user ID and password. Regular Monthly Meeting Events
Door Prizes: Winning five Lotto tickets each were Jan Allen and Hal Wright.
Thank You! The greeter for May will be Molly Gauss. Don Griffith and Niles Whalen will provide the refreshments. Volunteer greeters are still needed for July 7 and September 1. Please contact Lois Green if you wish to volunteer (LoisGreen3921@aol.com or 481-3921). The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 pm.
GREETER & REFRESHMENT LIST
Come on, folks, we still need two volunteers for Greeter to fill out this year's roster! WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS Vera King spent 30 year at both HP and Agilent, starting in 1972. She worked on the Denali Probe, and later on the loading and add-ons line. Since retirement she enjoys gardening, especially flowers, and also traveling. Also joining us is Helen Von Gunden (husband, Donald). She started with DEC, then on to Compac, and finally with HP as the result of various company purchases. She started as a temp and moved on to administration; the next 5 years as coordinator for the sales events put on by HP and Agilent. The last 2 years she spent doing briefings as Promotions Manager at the Rockrimmon site; she arranged events, visits, doing set ups. She is into genealogy, and also enjoys reading, cooking and camping. Greg Tarcza started with HP in 1977 working on the 1720 oscilloscope line as a technician. He attended UCCS in the '80s, getting BS degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. During this same period he transitioned into test engineering work, and eventually was officially promoted to this level around 1987. Greg wrote some of the first automated test programs for the 1980 Oscilloscope, and then the 541xx scopes. He authored built-in self tests for portions of the 547xx and Infiniium scopes and Lightwave products. Greg retired from Agilent in 2003 and says he misses mentoring some of the new kids that joined Agilent in his latter years with the company. After retiring, Greg contracted for 3 years to ITT on GoG Road in various engineering roles. Greg says, "Working at ITT really made me appreciate the caliber of folk we had at Agilent and HP". As many recent retirees have, Greg also contracted back to Agilent for about 2 years (some times concurrently with the ITT work). He was a high-speed digital design engineer on his last project for a new Logic Analyzer test fixture. Greg's hobbies include ham radio, radio-controlled sailplanes, computers, and electronics in general. Currently, he is doing repair work for an electronics recycler in Security, but would like to find more permanent engineering work. Greg met his wife, Ruth, in 2001 and they were married in 2002. Between them, they have 5 children, all older and on their own. NEWS FROM ADDISON AVENUE Your Visa Debit/Check Card: Demystifying the differences between using Credit and Debit Whether you choose debit (and punch in your PIN) or credit (and sign), you may already know that the purchase amount will be deducted from your checking account. Besides the most inherent attributes of debit and credit, have you ever wondered about the other differences? Which option should you choose, and when? Learn more about what happens behind the scenes at www.addisonavenue.com/debitvscredit Life events can affect health care – research your options. Life-changing events such as marriage, a new child, and changes in employment can affect your health care choices. Visit addisonavenue.com for details about our affordable discount programs. Be Green Addison Avenue’s investment in green financial products—means savings for members as well as the planet. Learn more about our green products, such as our solar and green auto loans by visiting www.addisonavenue.com/begreen. Enter for a chance to win a Solio Enroll in e-Statements by April 30 and you will be automatically entered to win one of 50 Solio Classics, the solar charger powerful enough to charge all your handheld electronic devices. Visit www.addisonavenue.com/begreen to learn more.
AGILENT BLOOD DRIVE – APRIL 22ND
Agilent will be holding a blood drive on Wednesday, April 22nd. Any retirees or their family members interested in donating blood should contact Linda Olson at 590-3646. Linda will be able to give you information on times and how to arrange for access to the building under the new security rules. WHY GOD MADE MOMS Answers.... given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why
did God make mothers?
How did God
make mothers?
What
ingredients are mothers made of ?
Why did God
give you your mother and not some other mom?
What kind of
little girl was your mom?
What
did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
Why did your
mom marry your dad?
Who's the
boss at your house?
What's the
difference between moms & dads?
What does
your mom do in her spare time?
What would it
take to make your mom perfect?
If you could
change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
RANDOM THOUGHTS Remember ... Once you get over the hill, you'll begin to pick up speed. I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put some in the food. If it weren't for STRESS, I'd have no energy at all. Whatever hits the fan ... will not be evenly distributed. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some, like me, just don't have any film. I always know that God won't give me more than I can handle. However, there are times I just wish He didn't trust me quite so much. Dogs Have Owners ~ Cats Have Staff If the shoe fits ... buy a pair in every color. Never be too open-minded, your brains may fall out. Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Not any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. Bills travel through the mail ... at twice the speed of checks. If you look like your passport picture you probably need the trip. Some days are a total waste of makeup.
Men are from earth. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends. Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me ... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. I've tried!! JUST FOR LAUGHS Buddy & Edna Buddy and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year, and every year Buddy would say, "Edna, I'd like to ride in that helicopter". Edna always replied, "I know Buddy, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks". One year Buddy and Edna went to the fair, and Buddy said, "Edna, I'm 85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance". To this, Edna replied, "Buddy, that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks". The pilot overheard the couple and said, "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny! But if you say one word, it's fifty dollars. Buddy and Edna agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Buddy and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!" Buddy replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Edna fell out, but you know, 'Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!'" Lest We Forget While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn't miss them until they had been driving for about forty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around, in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up one minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car, and hurried toward the restaurant to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card". Giving Up Wine A stylishly-dressed woman was walking down the street when she was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked her for a couple of dollars for dinner. The lady took out her wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?" "No, I had to stop drinking years ago", the homeless woman told her. "Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?" the lady asked. "No, I don't waste time shopping," the homeless woman said. "I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive." "Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?" "Are you NUTS!" replied the homeless woman. "I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!" "Well, the lady said, "I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight." The homeless woman was shocked. "Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting." The well-dressed woman said, "That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine." What's Your Weakness? An octogenarian who was an avid golfer moved to a new town and joined the local Country Club. He went to the Club for the first time to play but was told that there wasn't anybody he could play with because they were already out on the course. He repeated several times that he really wanted to play today Finally, the assistant Pro said he would play with him and asked him how many strokes he wanted for a bet. The 80 year old said, "I really don't need any strokes as I have been playing quite well. The only real problem I have is getting out of sand traps." And he did play well. Coming to the par four 18th, they were all even. The Pro had a nice drive and was able to get on the green and two-putt for a par. The old man had a nice drive, but his approach shot landed in a sand trap next to the green. Playing from the bunker he hit a high ball, which landed on the green and rolled into the cup. Birdie, match and all the money! The Pro walked over to the sand trap where his opponent was still standing in the trap. He said, "Nice shot, but I thought you said you have a problem getting out of sand traps?" Replied the octogenarian "I do. Would you please give me a hand?" From the Mouths of Babes A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait." Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets." A GREAT PHILOSOPHY, IF I EVER HEARD ONE! PICTURES FROM THE APRIL MEETING Pictures taken at our most recent meeting will be posted on our Club's website: www.hpagilentalumni.org From the homepage, click on "Meetings > Photos > April".
SEE
YOU AT OUR TUESDAY, MAY5TH |