Hollinger Family News & Events

News From Before 2000.

November 27, 1999

We left on vacation on October 15th, on a trip to the east coast and for cousin Sara Luksiewicz's Bat Mitvah. Click here for details.

We returned just in time for Halloween. Katelyn was a pink princess. Cousin Andrea dressed up like a witch and took her door-to-door in the neighborhood, with the rest of us (including Sidney) tagging along behind. Click here for Halloween pictures.

Other things we've been doing:

Marilyn judged the Columbus Day Parade in San Francisco on October 10.
Liz, Cherie, and Lauren came over for BBQ and a visit on the November 6.
Marilyn judged the Veteran's Day parade in San Francisco on November 7.
Helped Pam move from San Francisco to San Jose on November 13.
Marilyn visited Grandma Frances (Mission Viejo) on November 16, then worked at the Oracle Openworld Conference at the L.A. Convention Center on the 17th and 18th

Katelyn made the big move to a big-girl bed on November 5, complete with pink comforter, pillows, sheets, and a matching lamp. Grandma Adrien, in one day, made beautiful pink curtains with white ruffles. Katelyn loved it!

Shortly thereafter, on the 14th, Katelyn got up in the morning by herself, without calling for someone to come get her like she used to in her crib. She's growing up!!

Marilyn also checked on getting laser vision correction surgery. Looks like she's a good candidate, but it'll probably wait a while because...we're right in the middle of a cycle of IVF, in-vitro fertilization. It's a long process of precisely timed medications and procedures. Hopefully we'll know if we're successful by Christmas!

We had a bunch of family over for Thanksgiving - we have a lot to be thankful for, that we have family close by and we can all share happy times together.

October 2, 1999

We spent Labor Day weekend visiting Gail and Wally (childhood friends of Kathie) at their place outside of Grass Valley. It was nice and relaxing, spending time on their boat and just hanging out. Well, except for the boat breaking down and needing to be towed in to the dock!

Well, Adrien got everything together and moved on September 9. Kathie, Marilyn, Glynis, and Tim flew down there, packed the truck with some help from Jim (the new owner of the house) and two hired laborers, then drove back partly that day and partly the next. Then we unloaded some at the house and some at the storage unit, returned the truck, and collapsed. Adrien has spent the last few weeks unpacking, arranging, organizing, and generally putting the things in her life back together and settling in. Katelyn loves having her Grandma around again, and Marilyn and Kathie don't mind either!

That same weekend Christopher went off to Cal Poly. He spent the first week partying (they called it "orientation") and is now settling into school.

This seemed to have been the month of dental problems. Marilyn had a root canal, then Adrien had one. Hopefully that's enough...!

Kathie and Marilyn, along with friends Glynis and Judy, golfed in the Gyrl's Golf tournament on 9/18, as a benefit for the Bay Area Breast Cancer Network.

Marilyn's birthday was fun - after a long day of work, a bunch of us went out to dinner, then back to the house for cake and presents.

Now we're getting ready for vacation. Off to New York on October 14th, then a driving trip around New England until the 30th.

August 28, 1999

Today we're having a party celebrating Christopher going off to college.
He leaves in two weeks. We're all REALLY excited.

Adrien has been overwhelmed with the amount of things to deal with
since John's death. Susan went down there for a few days to organize,
marilyn spent a week, and Kathie spent a few days, helping to sort and pack.
She's sold her place and has spent the last month sorting through
twenty years of acumulated stuff. We'll be headed down there on the 9th
to move her back up here. Glynis and Tim will be helping out.

Katlyn's latest words are "absolutely" and "gorgeous". As in "No, mommy,
my new pink shoes aren't cool, they're gorgeous!" She hasn't been in diapers,
exept for one small incident a month ago, for at least 6 weeks. YIPPEE! She's
really loving her new group in the pre-school class at Hoover.

Kathie got a new job assignment at work. She's now responsible for all of
the SamTrans bus stops in San Mateo county. What a job!! It wouldn't be so
bad exept the District just changed ALL of the routes in the county!! Needless
to say Kathie has been a bit stressed lately. She worked 31 hours of overtime
in the last two weeks.

Marilyn got a really nice bonus at work, following the large stock option grant
she got a couple of months ago. Oracle is really treating her well!

We're working on the house some. We're getting some new futrniture, moving
things around after a bunch of stuff left when Glynis and Susan moved out. We're
also planning on fixing up the upstairs bathroom, and maybe some work downstairs
also. They say you're never done with your house -- and we're proof of it!

July 23, 1999

Sad news - John Drew passed away this morning. He died in his sleep
with his children there. Adrien is coping, but it's hard. I'm sure she would
love to hear from any of you who know her.

Good news - Katelyn is almost potty trained!

July 9, 1999

As you can see I've been working on updating the web site. Hope you like it!

June was really busy with Kathie's family. First, Christopher, her youngest nephew, graduated high school. He's now off to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, to study Urban Planning. Her other nephew, Mikie, got married to long-time girlfriend Andrea, on June 19. Katelyn was a flower girl. Click here for wedding pictures.

Katelyn is getting ready to move out of the toddler room at daycare. She's moving into the preschool "transition" group. This is for kids who are developmentally ready for preschool but who aren't potty trained yet. She's getting there - loves being in her "big girl underwear" during the day.

Kathie is getting ready to bid for her work shift for the next year. She's still not sure if she wants the new bus stop sign job.

Marilyn is going nuts trying to get one product released while planning for the next release. Her company must like her performance, though - she just got a 13,000-share stock option grant from Oracle. Whee!!

The biggest news is that long-time friends and roommates Glynis and Susan bought a house of their own in Pacifica, and they're moving out around the beginning of August. Click here to see pictures of their new house.We'll miss them!

May 31, 1999

Whew! Back from traveling. First Marilyn went to the CHI (that's Computer-Human Interaction) conference in
Pittsburgh, and brough the family along. We had a few days of fun time and days when Marilyn went to the
conference and met up with Kathie and Katelyn on breaks and in the evening. We toured around Pittsburgh,
visiting a coal mine, Harley shops, and the "incline" rides up the local hills.

The biggest problem on the trip is that Marilyn made a MAJOR mistake. She thought the conference was in
Philadelphia!! So we arrived in Philadelphia at 6pm on Friday the 14th only to realize we were supposed to be in
Pittsburgh, 300 miles away. So we drove half way there that night and the other half the next day. unfortunately
we couldn't just fly out of Pittsburgh after the conference, though, because the return tickets were from Neward
airport because the plan was to go see Marilyn's family in New York after the conference! So we had to do lots
of driving, and Marilyn is really embarrassed about the mistake. Kathie keeps hoping for an apology in the form of
a Harley or something equally as extravagant.

The visit with the family was fun.

Click here for pictures of the trip.

We were home for a few days and left on the 27th for a trip down to southern CA. We arrived 4 hours late due
to a flight cancellation and an additional hour delay. Never again will we fly Reno Air! We saw mom and John,
then Dad and Reggie, then Grandma Frances. A whirlwind trip through Mission Viejo, Temecule, Aguange, Palm
Springs, and back to Orange County Airport. We're home now and very very tired. Click here for those photos.

We're not planning on traveling again anytime soon. After all, Katelyn is beginning to wonder which bed is really
hers (she slept in 7 beds other than her own in the last 2 weeks) and is starting to ask which hotel we're staying in
every night. i guessw we've dragged her around a lot lately!!

March 6, 1999

No progress on baby-making yet, but we're still hopeful.

Katelyn can now type about 2/3 of the alphabet on the computer. She loves to sing, especially at the piano. We're working hard on doing the potty thing - she keeps asking for big-girl underwear! She's also now sleeping through the night with much more regularity, about 90% of the time. We're THRILLED!

At work: Kathie's new project is being responsible for all of the bus stops in the county. Not an easy task since they're doing several major modification. First, because of ADA (Americans with Diabilities) requirements, all of the signs have been in the process of being replaced. Now the District is changing all of the routes, so the numbering has to be changed. Kathie is learning all about the computer program used to deal with all of this.

Marilyn is getting to hire some people so she won't be as crazed at work, trying to work with all sorts of development teams to design new products. She'll have a couple of new assistants now. She just got a very nice bonus (one of the two she gets each year) so they must think she's doing a good job!

We've been continually doing things to the house. The last of the windows are on order - we will have replaced all of them by the time we're finished with this set. We just got new carpet for the front room, a new futon chair, and a new cover for the futon couch, and rearranged the furniture (again).

Grandma Adrien is still down south with John. The bad news is that John's cancer is pretty bad, but the good news is that the tumor shrunk 25% in the last 3 months!

January 1999
We're settling into the new year after doing lots of traveling last year. In the last two months of the year we went to New York (counsin Mark's wedding to Dawnne), Atlantic City, Orange County (to visit step-brother Jeff and family - Rosemary and Hannah, and Grandma Frances), Palm Springs (to visit Dad and Reggie), and to Yosemite over New Year's with Susan, Glynis, and Judy. Whew!

Last year was good and bad for us. The good is that we're strong as a family, Katelyn is doing great, and Marilyn and Kathie are both doing well in their jobs. The bad is that we lost two friends to cancer. Marilyn's friend Lynn Yaeger, who she ran the Palo Alto Lesbian Rap Group with for years, died of kidney cancer. Then Kathie's good friend Carla silva died of lung cancer in September. Kathie has had a hard time, having to deal with the memorial arrangements in two cities, cleaning out Carla's things at work, and just driving by her house every day.

We also found out Marilyn's stepfather John has terminal lung cancer. So Marilyn's mom Adrien went back to live with him for the duration. We all miss her!

Last year was also difficult as we tried to add child#2 to our family. Unfortunately Marilyn doesn't seem to be as fertile as with the first try, so no luck after trying all year on and off. Now Marilyn is on fertility drugs. So far things look promising, but no luck as of yet. But we're being careful - no septuplets for us!!!

Katelyn is in the Toddler room at Hoover Children's Center in San Bruno, where she's been since she was 8 weeks old. She seems to genuinely like it there, and is thriving. Hoover is great - they have fun activities, the caregivers are sweet and reallly care about the kids, and Katelyn has learned a LOT being there.

Some of Katelyn's favorites include: teletubbies, Barney, her new slide, legos, her doll house, Pooh and friends (especially Piglet and christopher Robin), trains, and Sidney!

Katelyn can say her ABCs, count to 12, knows virtually every nursery rhyme, knows lots of Christmas songs, and is starting to identify and type letters on the computer keyboard. She talks ALL THE TIME, and in complete sentences usually. Her latest fun accomplishment is singing the theme music from the Addams Family, and "We will, we will, ROCK YOU". She's our little miracle!

At work: Kathie is still at SamTrans, since July of 1976!! She just got her yearly review - all OUTSTANDING. She's looking forward to a new and challenging assignment being responsible for all of the bus stops, starting later this year.

Marilyn is still leading the effort to make Oracle's products more usable. She's been there just over 5 years, doing this job for the last two. She continues to get good reviews, good salary increases, great bonuses, and stock options. And the work environment is a country club, so who wouldn't be happy?

EVENTS

Here are the things we've been doing lately (most recent first)...

July 2000

Oracle Picnic 7/15/00

April 2000

Trip 4/27 - 5/13

Washington DC for the Millenium March for Lesbian/Gay Rights 4/30/00
New York for cousin Jenny's Bat Mitzvah and also attended cousin Elyssa's First Communion.
Portland, OR and Longview, WA to visit cousins Louise and Monica and others

March 2000