RAK #40: Brenda Lee Marquez McCool

Anna Blankenheim Random Acts of Kindness, Tragedies , , , , ,

This is the fortieth of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

This RAK was a really easy one – I shop a lot at Safeway and they have a rewards program. You can use those rewards for a lot of things – gas, free food, etc. They had an option to take those rewards and apply them towards relief for the Paradise wildfires. I couldn’t click yes fast enough!

This RAK is in honor of Brenda Lee Marquez McCool. Brenda was 49 years old and had battled (and beat!) cancer twice. She had six children, one of which was with her at the club that night. Rest in peace, Brenda.

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RAK #39: Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala

Anna Blankenheim Uncategorized , , , , ,

This is the thirty-ninth of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

My college roommate is doing something very cool – for the 3rd year in a row. In her own words:

The season to give is right around the corner and I’m ready to continue our tradition with my kids! Every year, I put together Blessing Bags to donate to the NICU at UCSD. Please consider a $35 donation to sponsor a woman. (As an employee at UCSD in lab who works closely with the NICU, I would like to donate to the Moms who have babies in the NICU this holiday season to help bring a smile to their face). The bags would include M3Z spray and Soul (to help with anxiety and sleep), manicure items to help cheer them up, a card with their sponsor’s name and well wishes, and some other fun things to help them through their most trying days. Please let me know if you would like to sponsor a NICU Mom this holiday season.

If you’re interested in helping out, please let me know and I’ll connect you!

This RAK is in honor of Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala who was 33 and a native of Puerto Rico. He was known for his spirit around the office – always dancing and making everyone around him happy. Rest in peace Rodolfo.

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The Puppies Turn One!

Anna Blankenheim Critters , , , , , , ,

I absolutely can’t believe it’s been a year since our sweet puppies arrived! I’m happy to report that all of the puppies are doing amazingly well – they’re (mostly) well behaved, sweet little dogs! I am beyond happy with the homes they went to – we have a Facebook messenger chain going that everyone shares their latest updates on. It’s so cool to watch them grow and see all of their little personalities! There are definitely some Jenny traits in that run across all of the pups (the ability to jump insanely high, a mischievous streak, and the need to ALWAYS be with their people).

First up (I’m doing this by birth order, by the way), we have little Tritip. I think he’s actually the runt, coming in at 49.5 pounds! He gave us a bit of a scare the last few weeks with some sort of digestive issue, but is back to his normal, rambunctious self! He loves to play with Brady and Jenny as well as go on outings!

Next is Ike, the biggest of the bunch. A couple months ago, he was already pushing 70 pounds! He is a big softie who loves to snuggle – he hangs out with mom and dad on the sofa, as well as “big” sister Roxie!

Next is Ryder. He loves playing with his kids and is terrified of tin foil. He still has those absolutely beautiful light eyes! He loves to snuggle too – he has to be wherever his people are!

Next is Blitz. He went home with my sister-in-law and we’ve had the chance to reunite him and Tippy on several occasions. Blitz is actually the top of his canine good citizen class!

Next is Zeva, the lone girl. As with all of the pups, Zeva is also a snuggle bug. She will fiercely defend the family from the dreaded vacuum cleaner.

Next is Toby. He absolutely loves his two little boys and hanging out with his family!

Last, but not least, we have Harrie! He’s a blanket sucker (doesn’t eat them, just sucks on the corners) and likes to go where he shouldn’t (ie over gates, on tables, etc). Seems to be a common (mischievous) trait that I’m pretty sure they get from Jenny!

RAK #38: Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez

Anna Blankenheim Death, Music, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , , , ,

This is the thirty-eighth of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

This one is near and dear to my heart and not at all random. My high school band teacher, Mr. Hodge, is retiring this year. With the exception of my parents, I would say he’s the second most influential person in my musical life. Several alumni have started a scholarship in his name, so I donated to that for this RAK. If you’re interested in supporting a young musician, click on the following link: Ritchey Hodge Music Scholarship

This RAK is in honor of Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, who was 27 years old at the time of the shooting. He had just purchased his first home who was known for his work ethic. Rest in peace, Jean.

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RAK #37: Tevin Eugene Crosby

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , ,

This is the thirty-seventh of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

For this RAK, I donated to a coworker’s GoFundMe. Her pup, Fielder, has been diagnosed with Protein Losing Enteropathy Syndrome, a condition that causes protein to leak from his intestinal tract. He’s lost 15 pounds in the last few weeks and is pretty sick. Feel free to send some love her way: Funds for Fielder . He reminds me of my Tritip!

This RAK is in honor of Tevin Eugene Crosby. Tevin was a hard working business owner who owned his own marketing firm. He was known by all as a wonderful boss and great with his family. Rest in peace, Tevin.

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RAK #36: Leroy Valentin Fernandez

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , ,

This is the thirty-six of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

For this RAK, I chose to donate to a friend who is an elementary school teacher. She’s working on a literacy and phonics program for her classroom. If you’re interested in helping out, here’s the link: Click Here

This RAK is in honor of Leroy Valentin Fernandez, described by many as a natural performer who loved and took care of his mother. He loved singing and dancing and worked as a leasing agent. Rest in peace, Leroy.

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RAK #35: Jerald Arthur Wright

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , , ,

This is the thirty-fifth of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

I donated to Endometriosis UK in honor of my friend Natalie, who just underwent a second surgery for her own endometriosis. Natalie will be running a half marathon in a few months and is fundraising. If this cause touches you, feel free to donate at the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/natalie-wathan1.

This RAK is in honor of Jerald Arthur Wright. He was a quiet man who worked at Disney World, but always had a smile on his face. One particular quote from his mother struck me: “He wasn’t the life of the party, but he was the person who would make sure you were having a good time at the party”. What a wonderful man he was! Rest in peace, Jerald.

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RAK #34: Juan Chevez-Martinez

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , ,

This is the thirty-fourth of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

This one is really cool… I am travelling for business and stopped into the restroom at the office. A large chunk of the wall is plastered with sticky notes, all written by women who had been there before me. They were all sweet, uplifting messages. It was so much fun to read them all and I decided to leave one of my own!

This RAK is in honor of Juan Chevez-Martinez, who was a housekeeping supervisor for a hotel. He was known as a dedicated, hard worker who was well loved by his co-workers, friends, and family. Rest in peace, Juan.

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RAK #33: Shane Evan Tomlinson

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , , , ,

This is the thirty-third of 49 random acts of kindness (RAKs) that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

My friend and hairdresser is doing something really cool this year. She is going to ride her bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 7 days! The AIDS/LifeCycle ride raises money and awareness to help provide critical services to those HIV/AIDS medical care, testing, and prevention services through the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

If this cause is close to your heart, I encourage you to support Cindy on her journey: Pledge for Cindy

This RAK is in honor of Shane Evan Tomlinson. He was a gifted singer who performed at local nightclubs and weddings with his band Frequency. Rest in peace, Shane.

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RAK #31: Luis Daniel Conde

Anna Blankenheim Death, Random Acts of Kindness , , , , ,

This one was another three birds with one stone (sort of) RAK. This is the thirty-first of 49 random acts of kindness that I’m doing to honor the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Hopefully each small act puts a little bit of happiness back out in the world!

I had a set of three Erin Condren compliment cards that I taped to my RAK cards. I then walked around the office and left them on random desks when people were away! Hopefully they helped put a little smile on someone’s face!

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This RAK is in honor of Luis Daniel Conde, who ran a beauty salon along with longtime partner Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez, who also died. He specialized in doing makeup and offered makeup classes. Rest in peace, Luis.