By the time I made it home, Decy and I were both pretty tired.  We chatted a while.  Cuddled on the couch while Wiwik prepared some soup for me.  After eating the soup, we got ready for bed … crawled in … cuddled for about 10 minutes and then were fast asleep.  By that time it was already 1115 or 1130pm.  Just having Decy close to me has incredible “healing” powers … I mean that sincerely and with no hidden words.  My life is in balance when she is with me.  We HONESTLY … only cuddled … I was fast asleep … and slept like a baby.  Woke up on my own at 300am … cuddled a bit more and then got up when the alarm went off at 315am.  I feel great this morning.

Today will be an incredibly busy day … our presentation for 10 VPs is closing in.  We do the final flip thru of the draft today.  And go to press with the 50-60 page presentation and ~100 pages of backup today.  It must be done by end-Thursday to allow the presenters time to ponder, make notes, and prepare for the big meeting.

After the meeting, things get really stressful (as if they aren’t already) when we have to make a number of adjustments to our plan … do quite a bit of additional work … and make the final submission by 20 August.  At the same time … we will be in Ramadan (fasting month), there will be a holiday, there will be some business visitors that want meetings with us, AND (if that wasn’t enough) we have to prepare a super condensed version of the presentation … for review with our company Executive VP and President …. due by end August.

*** I will be glad when this plan is over (still have clean up work to do in October).

On Thursday Decy and the girls will go to Bandung – seems Decy has a couple of scenes she will need to shoot for the telenovela.  All going well she will be back on Friday.

Regrettably, I’ll be working this weekend … and the next … and until the Plan is finished.

Other than the above, there really isn’t much to blog about … unless folks want me to opine on the weather, Obama, the BP oil spill, the stock market, etc., …. but I don’t think folks really care about my opinion on this stuff.  So … I will close for.

*** Oh, yes Tony …. sisters are a wonderful gift from God.

Ciao Ciao.  GBU.

Hope to get some sleep and blog some over the weekend.

Chely leaves the US for Indonesia on 3 July.  She arrives our Monday morning (Sunday night USA time).  We are VERY EXCITED to see her.

If you haven’t seen it already, go to Facebook and read my mom’s post on the dog & turtle.  An absolutely amazing story.  Talk about biting off more than you can chew !!!!

BTW – Decy surprised me last night and came home early.  I think it was around 11pm …. about the time I was getting ready for bed (I came home “early” …. 9pm).  Regrettably, I think I fell asleep before she made it to the bed …. but we did get a few hugs in.

Gotta go. Ciao ciao. GBU.

Speaking of spring break, our plans are all churning. Decy was finally able to talk to one of the chaparones for Nathasya’s spring break – which was someone she’s also met before. That’s helped a bit. Also, it appears that Obama is now shifting his travel. And although still overlapping in Bali … it looks like his arrival to Bali is no longer over the crucial / sensitive weekend.

Decy and I have made a change in plans and she will be traveling to Bali to help chaparone Nathasya and her friends. I’m still no where near 100% comfortable with this arrangement, but can accept it. What that means, however, is that Decy and I won’t be going to Bogor together …. and, I will pretty much spend the entire week off at home, alone. Its not what I want, but its “a solution”. I’ll take the time to get some extra (much needed sleep), to putz around the house – do some computer clean up work; maybe organize the (home) office; clean up my files; excercise.

Weekend was a bit of a blur – it started off on Friday with my getting a new crown for a tooth. Afterwards, Decy and I went a church dinner/service – didn’t get home until 11pm. Then, we had two of Decy’s high school friends staying with us (Desy and Dini) … and the four of us stayed up and did karaoke until 2am. Got up Saturday morning – too late for running, so worked on some emails and then went to the airport to collect Tom Rapson. By the time I got him to the hotel, checked in, and to our house it was already 8pm …. we had dinner and then the 5 of us (Decy, Desy, Dini, Tom, me) did karaoke again until 2am.

Tom and I crashed on the floor of the living room for several hours- crawling into bed around 5am. We were up at 9am for our two hour massages; then a quick shower and lunch. Tom and I then went for a drive so he could see some of the city – Then we went to Ciputat. I showed Tom the properties and houses and then we went to Decy’s salon. There we had the usual manicure, pedicure, facial, foot massage. Tom also had ear therapy and a cream bath. Tom had never been to a salon before, so this was all very new to him. By then, it was already almost 8pm. So, I took Tom back to his hotel – we didn’t even have a chance to eat dinner – and I arrived home about 930pm. I went straight to bed after eating only a tiny amount of soup.

That in a nutshell is how the weekend went. I need to close the blog to work on some other things – have a VERY busy day today.

Ciao Ciao. GBU.

There are times, however, when a parent has to take a decision, do something, or say something, that is grossly unpopular. Sometimes we do this in error (our own poor judgement, jump to conclusions, in a moment of anger). Other times, our thinking/reasoning is clear, crisp, complete – but GROSSLY unpopular. A small child, when candy is taken away may jump up and down, scream, cry, pout … but in due course (usually minutes or hours, depending on age) gets over the event. As children mature, however, responses may be stronger (or more subtle) and strong feelings of negativity may last longer …. days, weeks, months … in some cases, children NEVER get over an event.

As a parent, we must continually weigh “risk factors.” Every moment of every hour, of every day, we are faced with risk. We risk choking when we eat ….. so we eat carefully, selectively. We risk slipping …. so we don’t run in the house and we walk carefully, or go around a slippery surface. We risk getting hurt when we are playing …. so we are selective in what we play with and where we play. It is impossible to eliminate all risk factors – so we carry on with our life as best as possible, some people taking on more risk than others. Further, even when risk factors are present – that doesn’t mean something “bad” will happen. An actual unexpected/unpleasant event, accident, injury is always driven by a convergence of risk factors, situations, and probabilities. As a parent, these must always be weighed.

Case in point – For the last 6 weeks Nathasya has wanted to go to Bali with some high school girlfriends for Spring Break. I can understand her wanting to do this … hey, I was once a teenager too. But, Bali is a very unique place with unique “risk factors.” It is a known popular place for vacations, partying, drinking, drugs … and lots of foreigners. It is also the location of several bombings – not unlike Jakarta – all targeting foreigners.

Now – because of the risk factors does that mean that Nathasya cannot go? No, not necessarily, it really depends on what activities she will participate in, where she will be, what type of adult supervision will be available. For the past month Decy and I have been in a bit of a turmoil over this event – we were uncomfortable with the location itself. We were uncomfortable with the timing (although we understood it, peak party time / Spring Break). We were uncomfortable with one of the two hotels that were selected – what were they thinking? We were uncomfortable that there was a plan to go clubbing (hey, the girl is only 16)? And finally, we weren’t very comfortable with the chaparone situation. From our perspective, the chaparones seemed aloof and not very focused on the risk factors as well as limited dedication to supervising the girls (note comments like: Well, I can’t watch 7 girls. They will do what they want anyway). Nevertheless, and with considerable discomfort, we agreed to let Nathasya go to Bali.

Over the last couple of weeks, it has become known that US President Obama will be visiting Indonesia 20-22 March (first weekend of Spring Break). And, he will be (absent last minute security issues) travelling to Bali. This change in circumstances has just added a new layer / level of complexity and risk to Spring Break. There will be additional security in the area (good) – but will they be focused on Obama or securing popular tourist areas … I suspect the former. Will others, antagonists, try to take advantage of the situation? Perhaps, but one never knows.

Yesterday, Decy began trying to make contact again with parents just to touch base about their views on the situation. Turns out, the parents of the kids seemed unconcerned …. and hadn’t even thought thru the implications of the Obama visit. This, when coupled with earlier feedback on the chaparones’ philosophy on supervising Nathasya and her friends …. was just too much. Too many risk factors. Too little paying attention to details. Too few mitigation measures. We did the hugely unpopular thing – we told Nathasya she can NOT go to Bali for Spring Break.

Nathasya took the news better than I expected – although stronger reactions may have come out in the privacy of her room … to others … or at a later date. Decy and I love Nathasya and heaven forbid, if anything ever happened to her … because of our decision to let her go …. well, we would hate ourselves for the rest of our lives. In the meantime, if everything is safe in Bali, and Nathasya missed a wonderful opportunity – she will resent our decision for quite some time. Nevertheless, in this particular case, we simply must error on the side of conservatism and safety.

Please keep Nathasya in your thoughts and prayers. Please pray for understanding on her part. This was a very hard decision. It was a very unpopular decision. I hope and pray nothing bad happens in Bali. I hope and pray that somehow Nathasya can have some fun over Spring Break. This will be a tough time for her …. but, I’d rather work through this … than to get an security alert … and have the unthinkable happen.

Ciao ciao. GBU.

Yesterday, Decy was baptized at her church. As a child she was “sprinkled” but had never had a “full imersion”. Thus, yesterday (Sunday) was a special day for her. Even though the services (actually 2) were in Bahasa Indonesia, I joined Decy for both. Thus, we were up bright and early at 630am …. and at church by 9am. Went to the 1st service. Then, we went to batismal service. Finished up around 230pm and went straight to the salon. Got home around 930pm. Ate dinner. Went to sleep. That was Sunday – a bit of a blur.

Saturday wasn’t a whole lot different. Got up. Skipped my massage. Didn’t exercise. Spent a few minutes with Decy before she went to the salon. Then sat down at my desk at home and worked until she came back – around 9pm.

Friday was a normal workday …. and had its normal work challenges.

Decy did not get the impression for her retainer last Friday. Seems the dentist was in Australia for a conference and forgot to tell the staff. Thus, all of Decy final dental work got pushed back another week. She is very disappointed. However, she’s still excited the end of the braces era is near.

I need to close. I am running way behind this morning – poor internet access isn’t helping.

Ciao ciao. GBU.

Georgie continues to come back fighting … stronger than ever. Yes, he still is fighting Rotavirus. Yes, he still has some diarrhea. But, he has been moved from ICU to a regular room and many of the tubes and gizmos have been removed. He still has a feeding tube in his nose … and it is our prayer that today or tomorrow he will be back to a bottle. There is still some signs of the virus in him and some diarrhea so the doctors don’t want to move too fast. Nevertheless, they are now talking seriously about moving on to his surgery very soon (this week?).

Yesterday while visiting Georgie, Decy took some pics and video (don’t know what you call it on a digital camera) of Georgie. As I understand it, his parents often play Christian music in his bedroom and that helps him relax and sleep. So, yesterday at the hospital, they turned on a handphone that had music on it …. Georgie took it in his hand and was looking at the phone. It was amazing watching the little video. Here’s this baby that has been thru so much …. with a tube in his nose … and other gizmos still attached … holding a handphone and intently listening to the music. The funniest part was …. you could see his eyes shift from the handphone to the Decy (camera) repeatedly back and forth. It was almost as if he was saying “hey lady, are you catching this on the camera? I can hold this phone all day. This music is really good stuff.”

With regards to other things going on in our lives, what can I say? Everything pales in comparison to what God is doing for Georgie. The salon moves forward – but has not not been our focus lately. My work – well, its work. Thasya is doing good …. I don’t get to see her often, but last night we all had dinner together at 9pm …. she is soooooo tall now … and very strong from all the dancing she does at JIS. It is funny watching her when Decy jumps on her back and Thasya is carrying Decy around …. he he he ……

Gotta go. I’m running behind …. ciao ciao. GBU. Please keep praying for Georgie …. surgery is just around the corner …..

The doctors have confirmed that he went into shock / convulsions, due to severe dehydration associated with the diarrhea (sadly, a VERY common cause of death in children in Indonesia). Had Georgie not already been at the hospital when he went into convulsions we would have lost him. Had there not been the power of prayer and loving, competent doctors and strong friends and family ….. we would have lost him.

The cause of the diarrhea was confirmed to be a virus. Specifically, Rotavirus, which infects about 3 million kids annually and causes about 0.5 million deaths annually … primarily in places like Africa, Asia, and of course, Indonesia. Folks can blog on Rotavirus, but it is basic a very virulent virus associated with fecal-oral transmission. In Georgie’s case, and I know his living conditions, this was likely contracted when his bag was being changed … he is an incredibly active child and it would have taken only a split second with a fast moving hand to accidentally touch himself during a bag change (recall his temporary “anus” is on his belly) and then put his hand in his mouth. We have talked to Dolly about this and they are committed to having 2-3 folks help with the bag change to avoid a re-occurence.

Back to Georgie.

Throughout the day Monday he regained strength and activeness. They began feeding him formula through the tube. All going well (and I have very high expectations of that) they should begin removing the various gizmos from his body today (Tuesday). They are being cautious and are taking blood on a regular basis. Basically, they only want to “unhook him” as it becomes clear he is overcoming the virus. If they move too quickly (regardless of how uncomfortable he is right now) then the virus with overpower him. Self immunity over the virus builds up over time … plus antibiotics help.

As a demonstration as to just how much of a fighter he is, the doctors are starting to talk about the “next steps” … that is, begin the surgery process of putting his intestine back in place and closing the hole in his tummy. They are saying that if he continues to rebuild strength rapidly (like he is currently doing) they may go right into the surgery without releasing him from the hospital.

Please continue praying for Baby George. We believe that God has a special plan for him …. and through these trials and traumas Georgie will be strengthened, Danny and Dolly’s faith will grow, others will be touched, and God’s / Jesus’s mercy, power, and love will be revealed – to Christians and non-Christians.

Thank you so much for the love and prayers. GBU. Ciao ciao.

Decy and were already on the way to the hospital to visit him (in the base case) and were the first to get there and help Dolly – she was hysterical. Baby George was not responding to any of the treatment … his breathing was shallow, his heart rate racing and erratic, his blood pressure dropping. Alarm going off everywhere. But he was fighting …. fighting for his life. Doctors kept pumping him full of drugs.

His breathing became unreliable so the Dr was using a hand operated breathing pump until they could get a ventilator ready for him (45 minutes). He turned ashen gray …. and Dolly, Decy and I were asked to move back away from Baby George. The Drs closed the curtain …. and we couldn’t see what was going on.

The next 30-45 minutes was incredibly stressful and heartbreaking. Decy’s consoling Dolly who is hysterical. I’m SMS’g anybody who I could to help pray. I’m sending emails via blackberry to the US to pray. I try calling my mom but only got her handphone answering machine. Danny, Dolly’s husband, arrived during this phase. He just quietly watched from a crack in the curtain. I went up behind him and prayed for him as best as I could.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Drs opened the curtain. They took an x-ray of Baby George (don’t know why), put a heat lamp on him to keep his body temperature up, then put socks on his hands so he wouldn’t pull out any of the many tubes and wires they had in/on him …. breathing, stomach, IV, heart rate, blood pressure …. etc.

About that time more of Decy’s family arrived (her mom, Debbie, Dino) and two of Decy’s close friends (Samantha and Lavergne). We all gathered around Baby George and prayed for him …. by that time, his color was returning and he was stable. We were told “visiting hours” were over, which I thought was odd for being in ICU. But, anyway, a bunch of us left. Decy, Sam, Lavergne, and I went to our house …. Decy changed closed, packed food, water, blankets and then after a short break to help bring down the stress – she went to the hospital to be with Baby George and Dolly for the night.

Decy and I exchanged some messages up until about 1130pm. Baby George was resting. However, she did say that right before she arrived he had another event. I’m wondering if what happened is that he went into some type of Anaphylatic Shock. But, I am no Dr …. but I will try to learn what were the events (meds, feeding, etc) just moments before his first event …..

Anyway, please keep praying for for Baby George. Gotta go. I’m running late.

Ciao ciao. GBU

We are all very nervous about the next surgery and just want to get to that phase. There’s no guarantee the 1st part of step 2 will work … and if not, then we have to go to another step which is much more complicated.

What isn’t helping is that Dolly and Danny (George’s mom/dad, Decy’s sister and bro-in-law) is getting pressure from outside … comments like “maybe BG has this problem because somebody use majic on him” …. “maybe BG has this problem as punishment”. URGH. A baby may come into a world a sin … but they have not sinned. He is much loved and wanted. I believe that God will hear our prayers if we lift Georgie up to him.

Need to close now ….. need to eat then go to Decy’s salon. This afternoon we are going to the hospital to see Baby George.

GBU – ciao ciao.

It was an interesting service to say the least. I was a bit surprised by the formality in that virtually everything (except the prayer and a the scripture) was written down on a handout for everybody to read. Nevertheless, a good experience.

Afterwards, Decy and I rushed home. She changed and went to the salon while I jumped on the treadmill. Somewhere in all that Thasya returned from her school trip to Bangkok. And, at approx 3pm Thasya and I headed to the salon.

The first part was a bit awkward for me. Basically, it was a rehash of the morning’s service and baptism … intro, prayer, song, prayer, song, etc., with most of it again being read. I guess the fact that I had been through that in the morning made it seem redundant – coupled with the fact that it was all in Bahasa Indonesia again. But, presumably it was for the benefit of the guests (a public declaration of CGH’s baptism). Splattered in there was the inclusion of the dedication of Decy’s salon.

After the prayers/service, then the food came out, other music was played, and the fun began. Indonesians like parties and they like to get together. Last night was no different. There were about 70 folks at the salon, including children – all having a good time. Most of the activities wound down around 8pm – at which time, I took Thasya home.

Decy stayed with her staff for clean up and chit-chat with Samantha and Laverne and made it home around 1130pm. No doubt she will be exhausted today … hopefully, she rests today.

God Bless You Decy …. I wish and pray for the best success for you in your business.

Ciao ciao. GBU – all my family, friends, who read this.