Death

RAK #3: Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo

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

This is the 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!

This was a fun one… your standard “pay for the person behind me” but with a twist. I went through the drive through at Starbucks and bought a gift card. When I got to the window, I handed the barista my note card. I then asked her to hang on to it until she came across someone having a tough day and to give it to them. This RAK was in honor of Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo (known as Omar) who was one of the youngest victims at 20 years old. He was a dancer and a barista, remembered as a ray of sunshine. Rest in peace, Omar.

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RAK #2: Stanley Almodovar III

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

This is the second 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’m sending some planning supplies anonymously to someone in one of my planning groups. Stanley Almodovar III died a true hero – shielding others from the gunfire. He was 23 at the time of his death and known for his spunk and his love for others. He was a pharmacy technician who was known to bring a smile to the faces of those around him. Rest in peace, Stanley.

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RAK #1: Edward Sotomayor, Jr.

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

This is the first 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 first RAK was for Edward Sotomayor Jr. I paid for the lady behind me at the In-N-Out drive through. Eddie was 34 years old at the time of his death and was known to his friends as “Top Hat Eddie”, because he wore top hats when out at events. From all online accounts, he was super friendly, beloved among the LGBTQ community as a promoter and event organizer. He leaves behind a partner (who was at the club that night but stayed outside once the shooting started in part due to a text message from Eddie) and a large family. Rest in peace, Eddie.

This Is What It Sounds Like When Doves Cry

Anna Blankenheim Death, Music

I had planned on posting a little blog tonight ahead of tomorrow’s ACL reconstruction surgery. I probably would have talked a bit about my anxiety going into it and how great my friends and family have been this week in supporting me.

Then, this morning, universe slapped me in the face. The news broke this morning that music legend Prince had died at the age of 57.

“Dearly beloved / we are gathered here today / 2 get through this thing called life”

I was super lucky to have the chance to see Prince live in Vegas back in 2004. Not only do I love his music, but I was supremely impressed by what a stunningly amazing musician he was. In the few hours we were at the show, he literally played every instrument on stage – no joke, drums, guitar, horns, he did it all. And did it all better than most professionals. He had complete control of the audience at all times. His show was flawless. Even those who didn’t know his songs well couldn’t help but be drawn in. It was literally the best concert I’ve ever been at to this very day.

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Prince In Las Vegas, 2004

The details surrounding his death are still mysterious and are no doubt tragic. Regardless of the cause, the music world mourns the loss of one of the best tonight – another angel in that heavenly choir that seems to have added quite a few members this year. Rest in peace, Prince.

 

In Memorium: Glenn Frey

Anna Blankenheim Death, Music

It’s taken me a couple of days to pull my thoughts together on this one. On January 18, 2016, Eagles member Glenn Frey passed away at the relatively young age of 67. The Eagles have always been one of my very favorite bands, and there’s not many snapshots from my childhood that don’t play in my head to their music. I learned to sing harmonies to their songs and learned to appreciate amazing musical talent. Glenn co-wrote many of my Eagles favorites, including “After the Thrill is Gone”, “Desperado”, “Doolin’ Dalton”, and, of course, “Hotel California”. In addition to singing lead vocals on some of my favorites (“Tequila Sunrise” and “Take It Easy”) with the band, he also held his own as a solo artist (“The Heat Is On”).

In college, I was lucky enough to get to see the Eagles live in San Diego with my family. I must admit, Don Henley had my attention (I love his voice), but the band really wouldn’t be what it was without Glenn as well. The show was amazing and his voice and musicianship will be missed.

I’ll leave you with a link to one of my favorite songs the Eagles performed once they reunited, “Hole in the World”. Rest in peace, Glenn.

 

The Chicken Chronicles: Rest in Peace Stretch

Anna Blankenheim Chicken Chronicles, Critters, Death ,

Well, I was planning on posting a review of my Apple watch, but sadly, I have some bad news to share. Today we lost our first chicken, Stretch. I’m not sure exactly what got her, but something made it into the orchard and killed her. I’m sad because she was one of my favorites from the start – named Stretch because as a chick she was always craning her neck to check out her surroundings and loved to be held.

I went to put the chickens to bed this evening and noticed Bruce (the rooster) was sitting in the doorway of the hen house making a lot of noise – he wouldn’t let the rest of the girls out.

I decided to bury her – even with pets it just seems like the right thing to do. Our ground is ridiculously hard right now, but it felt good to take out some of the sad on the dirt. She’s in a nice little spot near some rosemary.

Rest in peace, Stretch.

Stretch
Stretch

In Memorium: James Horner

Anna Blankenheim Death, Music

The world lost an amazing musician and composer yesterday… in fact, my second favorite, next to Beethoven. I grew up playing French horn, and James Horner was known for some absolutely breathtaking French horn parts.

If you think you haven’t heard James Horner’s music, think again… if you’ve watched Field of Dreams, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Titanic, Avatar, The Mask of Zorro, Willow, Legends of the Fall, and a whole host of other amazing movies, you’ve heard his music. Often, the music in a movie is not focused on, yet Horner’s fantastic compositions brought life, magic, sadness, and beauty to the screen. They bring the scene to life.

Music has the ability to move us in ways that words cannot. It transcends words, language, race, and time. Below are a few of my James Horner favorites. Rest in peace.

One of my favorite “angry french horn” songs called “Master Alarm” from Apollo 13:

Braveheart Main Title Song:

“Somewhere Out There” from American Tail, which was sung by Linda Ronstadt:

“Rogue Wave” from the movie A Perfect Storm:

“Death of Titanic” from, well, you guessed it… Titanic:

I also think “A Hymn To The Sea” from Titanic totally makes the movie:

In Memoriam: Stuart Scott

Anna Blankenheim Death ,

This morning the sports world woke up to the sad news that Stuart Scott lost his seven year battle with cancer at the very, very young age of 49.

I was able to meet Stuart back in 2004 at Tiger Jam in Las Vegas. He was a really cool guy and my heart goes out to his wife and two little girls.

If you haven’t seen it, watch the video below… one of the most moving speeches I’ve heard in a long, long time.

Requiescat in pace, Stuart.

In Memoriam: Tevye Ditter

Anna Blankenheim Death, Music ,

I have a whole slew of posts that I need to catch up on (the Easter train with my nieces and nephew, washing Sue, some book reviews), but came across a terribly sad Facebook post today. The group I sang with, the Sacramento Choral Society, posted that last December’s soloist, Tevye Ditter, had passed away. The world has lost a ridiculously talented man. Rest in peace, Tevye.

In Memoriam: Nelson Mandela

Anna Blankenheim Death ,

Today the world lost a wonderful man. Today the world lost Nelson Mandela. In college I took a South African Literature class and learned a lot about South Africa and apartheid. Not only was he a man who showed extreme courage and stood up for what he believed was right, he also had a remarkable lack of anger over the injustice done to him (hello, 27 years of incarceration?!). He was a man who actually practiced what he preached.

More than anything, to me, Nelson Mandela embodied peace. And he’s credited with some amazingly inspiring quotes:

  • “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – seriously, this is how I feel about my marathon!
  • “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”
  • “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
  • “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
  • “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
  • “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

What is amazing is how the South African people are reacting. While, as expected, there are tears, the South African people celebrating Mandela’s life by singing, dancing, and sharing his message of love and peace. I truly hope his legacy continues and that his message of peace and love continues to get propagated around the world. While the world lost a wonderful man today, God gained a very special soul. Rest in peace, Nelson Mandela.