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HP/AGILENT ALUMNI CLUB NEWSLETTER HP/AGILENT ALUMNI CLUB MINUTES – 10/6/2009 The October 6, 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 were approved as published in the last newsletter and filed. Treasurer Laura Mattison gave the Treasurer’s Report. Laura’s report was approved and filed. We received $100.00 in donations toward the newsletter/postage expense last Month. Laura said a huge “Thank-you” to all who have contributed to this cause. There were 49 attendees at the meeting, including: Barbara Alger-Kochis, Jan Allen, Les Bailey, Steve Balsiger, Pat Bestgen, George Blinn, Marlys Blinn, Jack Casey, Roger Christiansen, Claudia Christiansen, Nancy Craig, Lorrine Farmer, Harry Feldman, Gloria Fuentez, Molly Gauss, Don Griffith, Juanita Hartman, John Hawton, Joetta Hoewisch, Bob Jones, Carol Kiebel, Anna Kochis, Pat Korenke, Dennis Kruse, Laura Mattison, Freeland Mattison, Peggy McClellan, Dave Moloney, Cheryl Moloney, Barbara Parsons, Eileen Pekarek, Cecil Ray, Wanda Ray, Gary Roberson, Tom Saponas, Jack Sheets, Mark Smith, Mike Sondgerath, Greg Tarcza, Joe Tighe, Polly Tounzen, Chris Tounzen, Joe Trujillo, Helen Von Gunden, Evelyn Wall, Randy Walters, Ira Ward, Niles Whalen, Laura Winters There are currently 207 members in the HP/Agilent Alumni Club. October Birthdays: Carol Davis, October 5 Anniversaries:
Cec Ray and Helen Ray,
September 1, 63 Years Health Updates: Deaths: Gayle (Kegin) Hoenig passed away in the Aspen Living Center from complications after suffering a stroke. After retiring from HP, Gayle dedicated herself to the preservation and protection of wildlife, with a license from the federal government and from the State of Colorado. We send our sincere sympathies to Gayle’s family. Nancy Rae Musick passed away on September 2, 2009. Nancy was a Colorado native and worked at HP for many years. All those who worked with her remember her smile and good nature. We extend our sympathy to Nancy's family. Program: Cynthia Griffin, RN, Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care (PPHPC) Vice President Mark Smith introduced Cynthia Griffin, who is a registered nurse at Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care. Cynthia spoke to members about the services PPHPC provides. She also answered questions from the audience. Here is some information about PPHPC. You can find more information at their website: www.pikespeakhospice.org. Hospice Care: Hospice is a model of care, born of strong beliefs: · That when we are sick we suffer in body, mind and spirit. · That when we suffer from life-limiting illness, those close to us suffer as well. · That every day of every life matters, and can and should be lived to the fullest extent possible, with an emphasis on comfort, dignity, and family and friendships. In the hospice care model, the focus is on caring, not curing. Doctors and nurses are part of the patient care team, but so are counselors, chaplains and trained volunteers. And care is provided not just for the patient, but for his or her loved ones as well. Hospice care can be provided anywhere. Most often, it is brought to the patient's own home. For other patients, it might be in a long term care or assisted living facility. A relatively small percentage of patients seek care at a hospice inpatient facility. Palliative Care: Different kinds of care meet our needs at different times in life. There is preventive care to keep us healthy. Rehabilitative to help us recover from injury. Curative to fight disease. And one that's often overlooked palliative, to provide relief from the physical, emotional and spiritual symptoms and pain that often accompany a serious illness. In its simplest form, palliative medicine is the discipline of pain and symptom management. In practice, though, the specialty is far more complex. Palliative medicine is a science, a medical specialty as distinct as cardiology or obstetrics. It encompasses a commitment to care wrapped around a patient's physical comfort, and emotional and spiritual well being. Palliative care should be part of the treatment regimen for anyone facing a serious or life-threatening medical condition. What that looks like varies based on a patient's medical condition, personal care goals, and cultural and religious values. But the goals are always the same: To control symptoms, relieve suffering, and preserve the best possible quality of life, as determined by the patient. Questions about hospice and palliative care Isn't hospice giving up? No. Hospice care is patient-centered care emphasizing comfort, peace and quality of life. Hospice care is built on the belief that every day of every life matters. We aim to help patients facing a life-limiting illness live in comfort and with dignity. Hospice care doesn't hasten or postpone dying. Just like an obstetrician provides specialized medical expertise and support when we enter the world, hospice provides expertise and support during the last phase of life. When is the right time to consider getting palliative and/or hospice care? Anyone facing a potentially life-limiting illness should be aware of all the care options, including palliative and hospice care. Palliative care can often be provided at the same time as curative treatments. Knowing when to consider hospice care is important for planning. Signs for serious consideration of hospice care are when the patient: · No longer responds as expected to treatments for the disease. · Expresses concern that the burden of treatment is outweighing the benefits. · Is in consistent pain, or when other physical symptoms are not relieved. · Makes repeated, short-term trips to the hospital and/or emergency room. · Is despondent about his or her condition and quality of life. Where can I get more information about hospice care? You can always contact Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care at 633-3400. We're available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Do I have to check my loved one into the hospice facility? No, in fact the majority of our patients receive hospice care in their very own homes. We also provide palliative consultation in hospitals and other care settings. We provide hospice care in assisted living and long term care facilities, as well as in our own licensed facility. Is hospice care covered by insurance? Medicare and Medicaid both provide coverage for basic hospice services, and most private insurance policies have some hospice provision. Families should check with their health insurance provider specifically. What kind of support is offered to patient families? Hospice includes help for caregivers in the form of training and emotional support. In addition, Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative care provides 13 months of bereavement support following the death of a family member. How is Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care different? We are a not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider, and have been operating in the Pikes Peak region since 1980. We are here for and because of this community. We are not charged with providing a profit to shareholders, have the full support of a foundation, and pride ourselves on providing a deeper, more personal level of care to our patients, and to handle even the most complex cases. Research shows there are 10 key things people want for a loved one facing a serious, life-limiting illness:
Assurance that
the patient's wishes are honored and respected. Cynthia received an enthusiastic response to her presentation. She invited people to contact her at 633-3400, extension 611, with any questions. NEW BUSINESS President Joetta Hoewisch announced it was time to nominate candidates for club officers for the calendar year 2010. Each officer read their responsibilities according to the By-laws and the following current officers announced that they would not run for their present office next year: (Vice President) Mark T. Smith, (Treasurer) Laura Mattison and (Secretary) Lois Green. A nomination form was distributed to the members that attended the October meeting for them to nominate someone for an office or to volunteer as a candidate for an office. Les Bailey and Niles Whalen collected the forms and tallied up the votes. There were (7) people nominated for President; of which (6) declined. Joetta Hoewisch accepted nomination and is currently the only candidate for the office of President. There were (12) people nominated for Vice-President, of which (10) declined. Lela Havens and Jerry Murphy accepted nomination and are currently the two candidates for the office of Vice-President. There were (7) people nominated for Secretary, and all (7) declined the nomination. At this point there is no candidate for the office of Secretary. If there is anyone who would like to volunteer as a candidate for this position, please call Joetta at 599-5292. There were (9) people nominated for Treasurer, of which (8) declined. Jack Sheets accepted the nomination and is currently the only candidate for the office of Treasurer. If anyone desires to have their name added to the ballot for any of the above offices, please contact Joetta at 599-5292. Nominations from the floor will also be accepted at the November meeting. ANNOUNCEMENTS Thanks for a job well done! The Annual Senior Center Appreciation Show was held on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. The following people were thanked for their performance at this event: Mark Lambuth as the MC who kept everyone wondering what his next magic trick would be; and, Mary Lou and Les Bailey for their rendition of “The Mississippi Squirrel”. Les Bailey also sang the song "I Believe". Other performers for the show, who were not part of our Club, were Fred Stilzer, Top Hat Strutters, and the Mississippi River Band. Our Red Hat Group – The Red Resistor Sisters The next Red Hat Luncheon will be held on October 21st at Marigold’s on Centennial Blvd at 11:30 and Helen Von Gunden will be the Hostess. If anyone would like to join, please contact Joetta Hoewisch at 599-5292. Volunteer Opportunities Joetta asked that everyone be thinking about the Greeter and Refreshment list that will be circulated at the November meeting and what they would like to sign up for in 2010. Volunteer greeters are needed for meetings in 2010, except in August and December. Upcoming Programs November 3, 2009 – We will vote for our club officers and determine 2010 dues. December 1, 2009: Mark Smith announced that the HP/Agilent Alumni Club Annual Christmas Luncheon will be held at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 7815 North Academy Blvd. on December 1st at 11:00 a.m. Each person will be responsible for their own meal. Door Prizes: The winners of the October Lotto Tickets were Barbara Parsons and Laura Winters. Winners of the October 50-50 Pot drawings were Cec Ray and Freeland Mattison. They each won $24.25. Thank You! Joetta thanked Laura Winter and Pat Korenke for being the greeter and Anna Kochis and Barbara Alger-Kochis for the wonderful goodies provided. The greeter for the November meeting will be Gary Roberson. June Fritz will be providing the refreshments. Joetta adjourned the meeting at 2:43 pm. HP/AGILENT MEMORABILIA Thanks to Niles Whalen and Don Griffith for bringing the CRT picture poster to our last meeting. Members really enjoyed seeing images of various friends as they appeared in days gone by. Others have brought various items in the past, and it is always fun to look through them and remember the "good old days" we shared. If you have items of this sort, we'd love to have you bring them to meetings for members to look through during the visiting portion of our gatherings. ERROR IN SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER From Club Secretary Lois Green: Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death are highly exaggerated.” Now Connie Petit can make the same claim since I mistakenly reported her death in last month’s newsletter. When I called to apologize, Connie was her gracious self and was even able to see a bit of humor, joking, “Now my friends will think I’m gone!” Connie lost her husband, Ralph, in August. He had suffered for quite some time with congestive heart disease. Connie and Ralph moved to Arkansas eight years ago due to his health problems. Connie plans to stay there as her sister lives there also. Ralph Petit, an Air Force veteran, was honored by the Patriot Guard Riders at his funeral. You can reach Connie at 403 Fine Ranch Drive, Alma AR 72921-7601. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Welcome to Gorden Blanz and partner Joanie Long. He worked for both HP and Agilent for 26 years, in Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance. His career included designing oscilloscopes and pulse generators, and serving as editor of the QA newsletter. He loves jazz music and photography. Karen Briggs sent an application through the mail. She has a husband, Scott. She worked for HP, Agilent and Avago, for 35+ years with a couple of maternity leaves. Her career ranged from Financial Analyst through VP, Finance. She enjoys family, travel, photography and reading. We are delighted to welcome these 2 new additions to our family and look forward to meeting them at a future meeting. GREETER &
REFRESHMENT LIST OPEN ENROLLMENT Agilent Open enrollment update: The annual enrollment period for Agilent will be 11/5/09 – 11/18/09. Materials are scheduled to arrive at the retiree’s home address on file no sooner than a week prior to the start of our annual enrollment. HP Open Enrollment update: The annual enrollment period for HP/EDS will be 11/9/09 – 11/20/09. A postcard to remind retirees of the upcoming open enrollment will be sent out the first week in October. The Enrollment Kits will be mailed out late October. FOR OUR HEWLETT PACKARD RETIREES HP Annual Retiree Event: Friday, October 30 at 1:00 p.m. PDT has been chosen for Mark Hurd, HP's CEO, to meet with retirees. The live event will be held at HP’s headquarters at 3000 Hanover Street, Palo Alto - Bldg. 20 Auditorium. The event will be broadcast from the Palo Alto auditorium live and simulcast to Cupertino, CA; Corvallis, OR, Ft Collins, CO, Houston, TX, San Diego, CA, and Plano, TX. For those who are not able to attend these events, a webcast will also be available. For the international audience and those who missed the event a recording of the event will be available on the www.hp.com/retiree website. NEWS FROM ADDISON AVENUE New Branch Hours In several branches, we are staying open longer, extending our drive-thru lane hours and opening up earlier on Saturdays. For the hours of a branch near you visit, https://addisonavenue.com/locations/hours.htm Upcoming Webinars: * Low Down Payment Home Loans Join us for this LIVE WebEx on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Attend this informational seminar if you are interested in learning about your options for purchasing a home with a small down payment or the process of getting a home loan in today’s market. To register, visit addisonavenue.com. * Retirement Basics Join us for this LIVE WebEx on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. To register visit addisonavenue.com/nesteggbasics Every Three Seconds Someone’s Identity Is Stolen. Simply reacting to the theft of your identity isn’t enough. Shredding your mail, using unpredictable passwords, keeping tabs on your financial statements, and obtaining annual credit reports can all be done for little or no cost. For details about Addison Avenue’s Identity Theft Solutions Program visit the Insure & Protect of addisonavenue.com. ARE YOU AN HP RETIREE? The vast majority in our Club are Agilent retirees. However, we do have a few "official" HP retirees. Through various communications, I periodically get news or announcements that would only be of interest to an HP retiree. Only a few of these make it into our newsletter. If you are in this category, have email, and would like me to try to route this sort of information to you, please let me know. Gerry McGonigle Email: bluespruce@prodigy.net SENIOR APPRECIATION DAY SHOW PHOTOS Photos taken at the show we sponsored at the Senior Center can be viewed on our website: www.hpagilentalumni.org. Just click on the "Special Events" tab on the home page. JUST FOR LAUGHS The Traffic Camera A man was driving when a traffic camera flashed. He thought his picture was taken for exceeding the speed limit, even though he knew he was not speeding. Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. He thought this was quite funny, so he slowed down even further as he drove past the area, but the traffic camera flashed yet again. He tried a fourth time with the same result. The fifth time he was laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past at a snail's pace. Two weeks later, he got five traffic tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt... An Extremely Loyal Fan There was a Packers fan with a really terrible seat at Lambeau. Looking with his binoculars, he spotted an empty seat on the 50-yard line. Thinking to himself, "What a waste!", he made his way down to the empty seat. When he arrived at the seat, he asked the man sitting next to it, "Is this seat taken?" The man replied, "This was my wife's seat. She passed away. She was a big Packers fan." The other man replied, "I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. May I ask why you didn't give the ticket to a friend or a relative?" The man replied, "They're all at the funeral." Stay!! I pulled into the crowded parking lot at the local shopping center and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever pup had fresh air. She was stretched full-out on the seat and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there. I walked to the curb backward, pointing my finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me?" "Stay! Stay!" The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady, gave me a strange look and said, "Why don't you just put it in Park?" Gathering Chickens The farmer's son was returning from the market with the crate of chicken's his father had entrusted to him, when all of a sudden the box fell and broke open. Chickens scurried off in different directions, but the determined boy walked all over the neighborhood scooping up the wayward birds and returning them to the repaired crate. Hoping he had found them all, the boy reluctantly returned home, expecting the worst. "Pa, the chickens got loose," the boy confessed sadly, "but I managed to find all twelve of them." "Well, you did real good, Son," the farmer beamed. "You left with seven." Where Are You From? The cowboy lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh Amarillo theatre. When the usher came by and noticed this he whispered to the cowboy, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat." The cowboy groaned but didn't budge. The usher became more impatient. "Sir, if you don't get up from there, I'm going to have to call the manager. The cowboy just groaned. The usher marched briskly back up the aisle. In a moment he returned with the manager. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move the cowboy, but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police. The cop surveyed the situation briefly then asked, "All right, buddy, what's you're name?" "Sam," the cowboy moaned. "Where ya from, Sam?" With pain in his voice Sam replied .... "The balcony." Arriving Home Very Drunk A man is in a bar and falling off his stool every couple of minutes. He is obviously drunk. So the bartender says to another man in the bar, "Why don't you be a good Samaritan and take him home." The man takes the drunk out the door and to his car and he stumbles at least ten times. They drive along and the drunk points out his house to the man. He stops the car and the drunk stumbles up the steps to his house with the man. The drunk's wife greets them at the door: "Why thank you for bringing him home for me, but where's his wheel chair?" What Was the Problem Before? Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped, turned around and returned to the gate. After an hour-long wait, it finally took off. A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant, "What was the problem?" "The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine," explained the Flight Attendant, "and it took us a while to find a new pilot." Picking a Mate in Your 80's A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy, "So I hear you're getting married?" "Yep!" "Do I know her?" "Nope!" "This woman, is she good looking?" "Not really." "Is she a good cook?" "Naw, she can"t cook too well." "Does she have lots of money?" "Nope! Poor as a church mouse." "Well, then, is she good in the romance department?" "I don't know." "Why in the world do you want to marry her then?" "Because she can still drive!" Grocery Shopping A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her "no." The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long." He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out." The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased today. The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this check out stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap." The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen..." The mother broke in, "My little girl's name is Tammy... I'm Ellen." Scared Sleeping Shakey went to a psychiatrist. "Doc," he said, "I've got trouble. Every time I get into bed, I think there's somebody under it. I get under the bed, I think there's somebody on top of it. Top, under, top, under. You gotta help me, I'm going crazy!" "Just put yourself in my hands for two years," said the shrink. "Come to me three times a week, and I'll cure your fears." "How much do you charge?" "A hundred dollars per visit." "I'll sleep on it," said Shakey. Six months later the doctor met Shakey on the street. "Why didn't you ever come to see me again?" asked the psychiatrist. "For a hundred buck's a visit? A bartender cured me for ten dollars." "Is that so! How?" "He told me to cut the legs off the bed!" --------------
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