PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

It's always nice to realize that July and August in Phoenix are behind us and that we have turned the corner to cooler weather…although we still may suffer a bit more. I hope that a few of you were able to get away and relax in cooler climates. My wife, Jo Ann, and I were able to visit Vancouver and the mountains of British Columbia in June as well as Victoria and Butchart Gardens. It was lovely, but surprisingly warm.

We have been planning a number of new programs and events for the upcoming year. Virginia Clagett has volunteered to lead this effort this year with help from Shirley Krieger and Lorri Jordan . Please see inside. First up is a Diamondbacks baseball game with the LA Dodgers on Sept 20th. We are planning to add some additional sporting events in the future.

Last year in thinking about possible new events, I proposed skydiving as a possibility, which was met with much skepticism and questions about my sanity by the Board. Well, I thought I'd preview it for the club…I figured if George Bush the First could do it, well why not?? It was an unforgettable experience. Although starting way up at 13,000 feet, those fields over Eloy, AZ sure came up fast. How do you spell adrenalin?? Should any of you like to share this experience, please let me know.

Several of your Board members have expressed an interest in sponsoring some volunteerism activities. As most of you know, the Honeywell Volunteers Association has gone inactive although some people who were originally members are continuing on. We would not be inclined to replace this group but rather to consider adding a few volunteer activities during the year. Your ideas and inputs are welcome in this regard.

We also learned last month that Nancy Boyle, for personal reasons, reluctantly resigned as HRC Secretary. We thank her for her service over the last year and wish her well. Should anyone be interested in helping us in this key position on the Board, please contact me at ecfrick@aol.com.

I look forward to serving our membership this year

Ed Frick

THE HRC BOARD VOTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE KATRINA RELIEF FUND. WE HOPE YOU HAVE DONE LIKEWISE.

NEXT BLOOD DRIVE AT HONEYWELL , UNION HILLS FACILITY ON OCTOBER 27, 2005

Member comment on The Bridge for May and Identity Theft

I just received my copy of The Bridge and read it over lunch. This is the best issue I've received since I joined, probably two years ago. I particularly liked the following articles: Attorney's Advice, How to Stay Young, and Credit Union News. I found the Attorney's Advice article particularly interesting, probably because I have been a victim of identity theft. All of the advice is appropriate. I would only add that you can also have your bank or credit union place an alert on your account(s) and require that any transactions taking place at the bank or credit union facilities will require that you show a picture ID. The other piece of advice is to get a paper shredder (cross cut is best) and religiously shred any papers with your name, address, account numbers, etc. Then put the shredded remnants into a plastic or paper bag and recycle them .

Roger

POINTS TO PONDER

HEALTH CORNER

News from Nurse Nance

Doctors Urge Brain Exercise As Best Advice for Warding off Alzheimer's Disease.

Exercise your brain and nourish it well, and the earlier you start the better. That's the best advice doctors can offer to ward off Alzheimer's. Even if the disease strikes, people who follow this advice tend to do better—their brains withstand the attack longer before symptoms become obvious. The goal is to build up “cognitive reserve”

It is not something you are born with but it's something that changes and can be modified over time. Your brain is like a muscle – use it or lose it. Brain scans show that when people use their brains in unusual ways, more blood flows into different neural regions and new connections form. Try to challenge your brain daily.

Social stimulation is crucial too. People who are part of a group, whether it's a church or a book club, age healthier. Cognitive function is also adversely affected by stress and anxiety.

Contributed by
Judy Nance, RN

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Paramedics will turn to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's identity. You can make their job much easier with a simple idea that they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell phone under ICE, with the name and phone number of the person that the emergency services should call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. It only takes a few moments of your time to do. Paramedics know what ICE means and they look for it immediately. ICE your cell phone NOW!  For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc.

A couple in their nineties is having problems remembering things, so they decide to the go the doctor for a checkup. The doctor tells them that they're physically OK, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember. Later that night while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. His wife asks, "Where are you going?" "To the kitchen," he replies. She asks, "Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?" The husband says, "Sure." She gently reminds him, "Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" He says, "No, I can remember that!" She then says, "Well, I'd like some strawberries on top. You'd better write it down 'cause I know you'll forget it." He says, "I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries." She adds, "I'd also like whipped cream. Now I'm certain you'll forget that, so you'd better write it down. Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down! I can remember that! Ice cream with strawberries! And whipped cream!" He then grumbles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and says, "Where's my toast?"

HRC MEMBERS IN ACTION AS VOLUNTEERS

“ Roxie Lyons of Phoenix knows her way around. She has helped out at Phoenix Children's Hospital once a week for 21 years, becoming as much a part of this place as the colorful walls and the little red wagons used to tote recovering children. Her official title is bedside volunteer, but that seems a bit formal. Volunteer Grandma is what her nametag reads, but Hugger is what they used to call her. Lyons says holding babies feels natural. It's hard for her to describe, but she sits here and all her problems, all the world's problems, melt away. She looks at them and thinks, ‘Gosh, if they can handle being here, then I can handle about anything. Her dedication isn't surprising. Carl Lyons calls his wife compassionate and gentle. ‘She loves what she's doing. I think it makes her feel good."

Excerpted from the August 21, 2005 Arizona Republic

 

THE YEAR 1905

One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905:

  • The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
  • Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
  • Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
  • A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
  • There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
  • The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
  • Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.
  • With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
  • The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
  • The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
  • The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
  • A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
  • More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
  • Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.
  • Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
  • Sugar cost four cents a pound.
  • Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
  • Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
  • Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
  • Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
  • Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza, 2. Tuberculosis, 3. Diarrhea, 4. Heart disease, 5. Stroke.
  • The American flag had 45 stars.
  • Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
  • The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
  • Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
  • There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
  • Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
  • Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
  • Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
  • Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."
  • Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
  • There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
Just try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Ever stop to think... and forget to start again?

Weird Facts We Should All Know

  • Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.
  • The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
  • The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle".
  • A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
  • Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.
  • 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.
  • 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
  • The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.
  • On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.
  • Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.
  • Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.
  • Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
  • Most lipstick contains fish scales.
  • Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
  • Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.
  • Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.
  • Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time …hence, multi-tasking was invented.
  • Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
  • There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
  • The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!
  • There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!
  • Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.
  • A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
  • The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
  • -If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
  • By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.
  • The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
  • The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.
  • Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples.
  • Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!
  • The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
  • Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
  • Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it (families taking long car trips should adopt this same rule).
 
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

September 20, 2005 - Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball

Coordinator: Ed Skutecki
Contact: 623-572-9004 or edmundrsku@cox.net
Game: Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Starting Time: 6:40 PM
Seat pricing: $16/seat (group rate at ½ normal rate minimum group size = 30)

With the interest expressed in the Annual Meeting Questionnaire, we decided to sponsor a group event attending a Diamondbacks game at Bank One Ballpark. Seating will be along the first base or third base lines. As this newsletter is being published close to the date for the game, those who are interested need to call Ed Skutecki as soon as possible and arrange for ticket payment and pickup.

HONEYWELL RETIREES CLUB PRESENTS

OCTOBERFEST 2005

At North Mountain Park
Havasupai Ramada
Peoria Avenue and Seventh Street

North Mountain Park is just south of the Pointe Hilton at 7 th St. and Peoria.
Turn west into the park. The Havasupai Ramada is the second turnoff on your left.
Ample and convenient parking is available.

Wednesday October 26
From 4 pm to 7 pm

(Meal will be served about 5 pm)

The KrugnKraut Band will be playing some live Octoberfest music (traditional German music featuring Polkas, Waltzes and of course, the chicken dance) for your listening and dancing pleasure.

The cost is $5.00 for each member and $5.00 for first guest. Additional guests are welcome at $7.00 per person. The food will be cooked for you by the HRC Board of Directors and will feature bratwurst and hamburgers with all the fixins and accompaniments. Water and coffee will be provided. You may bring your own beer or soft drinks if you would like, but no glass containers are allowed in the park.

Door Prizes………………..Yes

Make your check payable to the Treasurer, HRC and note Octoberfest on it.
Send it to our newest address:

Honeywell Retirees Club of Arizona
Honeywell, Mail Drop XO
2500 W. Union Hills Dr.
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Special entertainment will be on hand!!

2005 FALL GOLF OUTING

When:

Monday, November 21, 2005

 
Where: ARROWHEAD COUNTRY CLUB
19888 N. 73 rd Ave., Glendale, AZ
(Just SE of 75 th Ave. and 101 Freeway)
623-561-9625
Cost: $45 for green fees, carts , prize money and lunch.

Guests are welcome ! Prizes to be awarded !

Logistics: Shotgun start at 8:00 AM with lunch to follow. Check-in will be at 7:30 AM for cart assignment. Proper golf attire required: soft spike shoes, shirts with collars and no Levis. We will use established handicaps [AGA] and CALLOWAY only for those that do not have handicaps. As in the past, we will play team scores using selected holes to determine the aggregate team score. WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY, PLEASE INCLUDE AGA HANDICAP NUMBER NEXT TO THE PERSON'S NAME. If you do not do this, we will have to use CALLOWAY to determine handicap.

Payment must be in by Nov. 11 . If you do not have a foursome, send in the players' names and handicaps, and foursomes will be randomly filled in. Make checks (non-refundable) payable to the “Honeywell Retiree Club”. Please respond ASAP as we are committed for 100 players.

Mail to: Dale Wendt
7540 E. Becker Lane
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Questions? Call Dale at 480-922-1402

December 2, 2005 - HOLIDAY PARTY

Where: The Elks Club (same place as last year)
Coordinator: Lorri Jordan 480-473-1335
Cost: $35 pp for member and spouse. $38 pp for other guests.

This is the night to put on your best dress and dancing shoes – and for your guy a red vest – and come join us for the second annual HRC Holiday Dinner Dance. We had a great time last year and are planning more for this year – PLUS lots of great door prizes. The buffet they serve is really a tasty treat – plenty for seconds, too, and a dessert table to die for! Talk to your friends and reserve a full table for a fun evening of dining, dancing and conversation.

Mark your calendars for this festive party on Dec. 2 and watch future issues of The Bridge for additional details.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising ... I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. By the time I got my leotards on, class was over.

Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life...
Morris, an 82-year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days later the doctor spoke to Morris and said, "You're really doing great, aren't you?" Morris replied, "Just doing what you said, Doc. 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'" The doctor said, "I didn't say that. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur. Be careful.'"

Another Identity Theft Tip

You know how when you check out of a hotel that uses the credit-card-type room key, the clerk often will ask if you have your key(s) to turn in or there is a box or slot on the Reception counter in which to put them? It's good for the hotel because they save money by reusing those cards. But, it's not good for you, as revealed below.

From the Colorado Bureau of Investigation:

Southern California law enforcement professionals assigned to detect new threats to personal security issues recently discovered what type of information is embedded in the credit card type hotel room keys used throughout the industry. Although room keys differ from hotel to hotel, a key obtained from a major chain that was being used for a regional Identity Theft Presentation was found to contain the following information:

  • Customer's (your) name

  • Customer's partial home address

  • Hotel room number

  • Check in date and check out date

  • Customer's credit card number and expiration date!

 

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to gain access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a handful of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense. Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process. But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader. For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!

DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE BURMA SHAVE SIGNS?

Don't Lose Your Head - To Gain A Minute -You Need Your Head - Your Brains Are In It - Burma Shave
Drove Too Long - Driver Snoozing - What Happened Next - Is Not Amusing - Burma Shave
Brother Speeder - Let's Rehearse - All Together - Good Morning Nurse - Burma Shave
Speed Was High - Weather Was Not - Tires Were Thin - X Marks The Spot - Burma Shave
Around The Curve - Lickety-Split - Its A Beautiful Car - Wasn't It? - Burma Shave
No Matter The Price - No Matter How New - The Best Safety Device - In The Car Is You - Burma Shave
At Intersections - Look Each Way - A Harp Sounds Nice - But Its Hard To Play - Burma Shave
Both Hands On The Wheel - Eyes On The Road - That's The Skillful - Driver's Code - Burma Shave
The One Who Drives - When He's Been Drinking - Depends On The Car - To Do His Thinking - Burma Shave
Car In Ditch - Driver In Tree - The Moon Was Full - And So Was He - Burma Shave
Passing School Zone - Take It Slow - Let Our Little - Shavers Grow - Burma Shave
Deadly Thoughts - About Lights That Shine - If He Won't Dim His - Then I Won't Dim Mine - Burma Shave
Don't Stick Your Arm - Out The Window Too Far - It Might Go Home - In Another Car - Burma Shave

Recent Events

The Honeywell and Sperry Retirees left Seattle on June 19  under a beautiful sunset and a musical farewell.  Our thanks to Barbara Rippstein  for all of her effort s in making our cruise memorable and very successful.   We cruised at sea on June 20, which gave all of us many opportunities to eat a variety of excellent food and renew old friendships. Arriving in Ketchikan at 6:30 am. on June 21, we all had an opportunity to watch our huge ship dock. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north.  It has a very rich Indian Heritage, shown through the world's oldest collection of totem poles. 

We again sailed at 4:00 p.m. up the Tracy Arm where we were able to see lots of wildlife. We then cruised to Juneau, where we docked on June 22 at 2:00 pm.  The history of Juneau dates back to 1880 and is one of the largest cities in the U.S. in terms of acreage.  Many of the retirees toured the Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Hatchery. Some attended the Salmon Bake, which had delicious salmon cooked on wooden planks.

Again, we sailed  from Juneau toward Skagway , arriving on Thursday, June 23.  Skagway has a population of approximately 900 until the cruise ships arrive.  We had 4 ships in at once so the population increased that day to 10,000 to 12,000.  The stores depend on the cruise ships for their economy.  Skagway is where the fortune seekers during the Alaska Gold Rush sought rest and relaxation on their grueling route to the Yukon.  Many locals still dress in costumes of the 1890's. 

After touring each day we were docked, we gathered in the dining rooms to enjoy wonderful food and friendship.  After dinner , retirees had several opportunities for different types of night life.  One evening , Barbara and our travel agency set up a very nice cocktail party with great hor'dourves. Approximately 25-30 couples attended. 

After leaving Skagway we cruised again arriving in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on June 25 at 5:00 p.m.  Many departed the ship to visit the Butchart Gardens, or to take a tour of the city.  We departed Victoria that evening and arrived back in Seattle on June 26 with wonderful memories of a terrific week visiting Alaska, making new friends and renewing old friendships.  Express Disembarkation was handled very professionally  and no long lines. Again, we thank Barbara for making our Cruise  wonderful for both Retiree Groups.

Contributed by Shirley Kreiger

Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you always know they are there .

 

FIX IT GUYS

This group will help those who need repairs that they cannot do themselves, including minor electrical, carpentry and plumbing problems. You will have the security of having someone you can trust in your house. The cost of material is not covered. The Fix It Guys are Bob, Matt, Dick, John, Mike, Perry, Sam, Paul , Ed, Clint and Gene. Call 602-870-0813.

THE ELECTRONIC BRIDGE

The Phase II evaluation of The Bridge distribution via e-mail is continuing with additional participants each month. Feedback has been very positive and all known problems experienced by participants thus far have been resolved. Many participants have indicated they no longer need the “paper copy” via post mail. If you are interested in joining the group to receive The Electronic Bridge, please send your name and e-mail address , along with a note indicating your interest in The Electronic Bridge Phase II, to hotline@hrcaz.org. Your e-mail address will be kept private if you wish.

Honeywell Retiree Club Web Site: WWW.HRCAZ.ORG

Members are encouraged to become familiar with our website: www.hrcaz.org. We are adding more and more interesting information you may find very useful. Have you checked out the following:

Photo Galley has new pictures from the Annual Meeting and Golf Outing, plus lots from other past events.

Phoenix Area Attractions section of the website lists local area attractions, museums, performing arts, sporting attractions and other interesting information, including phone numbers and web addresses. These are a great reference for planning family or visitor activities.

Misplace your copy of The Bridge? Did you want to mark your calendar for a Fall event you want to attend? Although The Bridge will not be published again until September, you can get all this information from our website anytime.

Help Needed From Membership

Occasionally we get The Bridge returned because of having an incorrect mailing address for our members. If you are aware of any member that should be receiving The Bridge and who is not receiving it, please call us at 602 313 5050, or e-mail us at hotline@hrcaz.orgusing the information from page 12 of The Bridge.