I would like to say thank you to those in the Hobby blogosphere who left comments in the post about my Grandmother. I don't know any of you personally, but I will the more involved I am here. But your words and prayers were truly appreciated by me and my family. My mom was even touched by the outpouring of support left by you. So again, thank you very much.
Gloria Y. Nichols passed away on Monday, August 25, at 5:05 pm CST. She left knowing that we loved her very much, and that we will always remember the kindness and generosity she displayed, and for the lessons that she taught.
She was also an avid diarist. She was known to write down in journals (each with the year emblazoned on the front) everything that she did on a particular day. She wrote in detail where she went, who she was with, what she spent (on the top right corner of every page, if she spent any money, she wrote it there), and her thoughts about the people in her lives.
After reading a few entries from two of her books (1985 and 2003 for contrast), I realized that I had asked about the possibility of transcribing her diaries to preserve her memories, possibly in a blog format. My mom said that it would be a great idea to do that. It's going to be a lot of work, only because there are so many diaries (there must be at least 70 or more of these books), and that the handwriting at times could be hard to read. So even if one was to type a week's worth of entries in a day, we're looking at more than 520 days of work (a year plus). The good news is that the entries were only a page long, and some may have been one sentence long (one entry in 2003 just had the words, "Nothing sensational." written on the page. So it can be done.
With my mother's permission, and the blessing that names of individuals could be mentioned, the task of entering my grandmothers journals will begin soon (after I get all of her books).
My collection and I will be back after this weekend. And I vow to post with more reckless abandon than before. There is a lot of my collection that I have not shared here yet, so come back soon for that. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye...
Gloria Y. Nichols. My "Lola" (grandmother).
I know that this is a baseball card blog, and so far, I've done a good job keeping my personal life separated from my Hobby life on this blog. And while I have not been posting much recently about my collection, something has come up the last couple of days that it's hard to even think about baseball cards and baseball in general.
You see, back on Mother's Day, I created a post honoring my grandmother, Gloria Y. Nichols. She was the lady that introduced me to the game of baseball, and even took me to see my first baseball game in 1989. She also took me to see the movie Bull Durham at the movie theater when it came out, but that's another story. She was also a big boxing fan. She was there when Muhammad Ali came to town for the "Thrilla in Manila," and presented him with a necklace of sampaguita flowers (similar to the leis that Hawaiians give welcoming travelers).
Outside of all that, she led a very full life. As owner of one of the most famous bakeries in the Philippines, her cakes and pastries were very well known throughout the islands. She made wedding cakes for presidents, and even Dwight D. Eisenhower sent her a letter of thanks when he came to Manila for a cake she made for him (we have that letter framed somewhere). She also was head of the HRAP (Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines), and was instrumental in creating the Chefs on Parade. She held the largest New Year's Day parties for the kids in the neighborhood for many years, and continued that tradition even after her children and grandchildren settled in the United States.
Fast forward to 2008, her health has been failing, her memories fading, and has been living in a nursing home since her sister, my great aunt Portia, left for Manila back in September (or October, can't remember when exactly...my own fault for not remembering dates). Her health had progressively worsened and this past Saturday, she was rushed to the local hospital because she came down with pneumonia, which in elderly people (she's 91), apparently is a really bad thing to have.
My family and I spent the whole day on Saturday, and a few hours on Sunday, at the hospital, to be there with my parents, and siblings, and nephews and nieces, to help comfort my "Lola" (that's Tagalog/Filipino for grandmother) as she lays at the hospital. Her x-rays showed that her lungs are failing, and on Sunday, as it was my turn to sit with her, she began speaking in Pampangan (which is a dialect spoken in the Philippines), which I could not understand, (I have trouble understanding Tagalog/Filipino anyway so that's not surprising), but when she did speak in English, she mentioned seeing her mother and later her sister. This scared me a lot because it meant that she was preparing herself to go...
Selfishly, I did not want to be the last person to see her alive. I don't think I could handle that for the rest of my life. My heart started racing faster than hers did (and she was at 106 beats per minute). I was later told that I should look at it as an honor, but I don't think I am deserving of that. All I could do is hold her hand, start praying really loud so she could hear me, and just be her to calm herself down. Just hold on a bit longer until my mom could come in. I started recalling out loud to her some of the memories I had of her. Going backwards, from her birthday party last year, to the day my daughter was born. From that baseball game in 1989, to bringing me and my sisters to the US. From the time her house flooded in Manila, and we were just trying to gather our things so that they didn't get wet (there's a picture of that somewhere, I have to find it...), to the time that my school let out early because of a potential storm, and she couldn't find me (and I went to a school very far from home...she and her driver drove back and forth about four times until they found me late in the evening). From stopping my brother and I from fighting by asking if we wanted boxing gloves or knives, to watching her play mah johng with her friends. From going to the bakery she owned, to the memories of living in her home. Anything, just to try and jog her memory (and to try and calm me down).
I was just told no more than an hour ago from my mom, that they have decided to pull the plug, and let her go, and requested that we (my siblings, my family) go and say our "final goodbyes." To me, and I'm sure to many people who've gone through this, to "let somebody go" is the hardest decision to make. I'm sure it has taken a toll on both my mom and my aunt (her sister) to make this decision. It's a decision I hope and pray I never have to make. When the time comes, I'll be taking a bit of leave from work. I'll be taking a bit of leave from the blog. I'll be taking a bit of leave from everything until all arrangements have been finalized.
It's hard for me to think right now. All I know is that I wanted to air my thoughts here. So to the ten or so readers that come here to read about Topps cards and what I think of them, I apologize for going off topic.
I leave here with the videos of two songs that have just been rattling in my head since the phone call.
Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh
Outweigh the bad.
I thought we'd get to see forever
But forever's gone away
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
I don't know where this road
Is going to lead
All I know is where we've been
And what we've been through.
If we get to see tomorrow
I hope it's worth all the wait
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
And Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven"
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way
Through night and day,
'Cause I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven.
Time can bring you down,
Time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart,
Have you begging please, begging please.
Beyond the door,
There's peace I'm sure,
And I know there'll be no more
Tears in heaven.
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong
And carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
Goodbye Lola. God Bless You. I Love You. And I Always Will. On behalf of Zebeda, Lynn, and Taylor, Thank You for Everything. Say hello to Mr. Nichols for us. You have a lot of catching up to do.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Friday, August 22, 2008
Did a Bit of Recalculating...41,589 is the Updated Number
It's been awhile since I updated my eBay About Me page. Quite frankly, I'm a little disturbed by the recent events regarding eBay's fees and policies. While I do quite a bit of buying, and a bit of selling, to tell me that I can't accept paper payments (check, money order) after a certain date is ridiculous. I don't have Paypal, and I don't plan on signing up for it, even though there are many out there who sing the praises about Paypal louder than Metallica when they played heavy metal.
When I buy my cards and sets on eBay, I prefer checks and money orders. Because I don't have any credit cards that would allow me the benefit to spend my money immediately. And I don't mind waiting. Besides, in my seven years of buying online, I've only had one person stiff me, and sadly, she's still on eBay selling her wares.
When I sell, I ask for checks, money orders, etc. I use the mail system to help me organize who sent what and when. It also allows me a schedule of when to mail cards. But to hear that I need to have an average of 4.3 stars (which I have not even gotten yet, it's been that long since I sold regularly on the Bay), it's beginning to look like that I won't be able to after a certain point. And frankly, that's not right either. I am hoping that they do a grandfather clause for those of us who've been around a long time and will let us continue selling even if we haven't done so on a regular basis. But somehow, I worry that it will come to that.
Anyway, back to the point (eBay rants over).
Because I have not updated my About Me page on the Bay, I have been lazy and have not kept up to the number of cards I have in my collection. I am proud to say that I have finally done that, and the final, up-to-the minute number of cards I have in my official collection is: 41,589 cards!!!
This total includes every card from 1976 Topps to 2008 Topps Series II, with a lot of sets and insert sets and cards included. While I have 41,589 cards in sheets and binders, I must have an estimated 18,000 cards laying around in boxes. These are the ones I need to get rid off so I can buy more stuff.
Quite frankly, that's a lot of cards. What should I do with them? Add more. And share with the rest of the blogosphere. After all, that's why I started this humble little blog in the first place...right???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
When I buy my cards and sets on eBay, I prefer checks and money orders. Because I don't have any credit cards that would allow me the benefit to spend my money immediately. And I don't mind waiting. Besides, in my seven years of buying online, I've only had one person stiff me, and sadly, she's still on eBay selling her wares.
When I sell, I ask for checks, money orders, etc. I use the mail system to help me organize who sent what and when. It also allows me a schedule of when to mail cards. But to hear that I need to have an average of 4.3 stars (which I have not even gotten yet, it's been that long since I sold regularly on the Bay), it's beginning to look like that I won't be able to after a certain point. And frankly, that's not right either. I am hoping that they do a grandfather clause for those of us who've been around a long time and will let us continue selling even if we haven't done so on a regular basis. But somehow, I worry that it will come to that.
Anyway, back to the point (eBay rants over).
Because I have not updated my About Me page on the Bay, I have been lazy and have not kept up to the number of cards I have in my collection. I am proud to say that I have finally done that, and the final, up-to-the minute number of cards I have in my official collection is: 41,589 cards!!!
This total includes every card from 1976 Topps to 2008 Topps Series II, with a lot of sets and insert sets and cards included. While I have 41,589 cards in sheets and binders, I must have an estimated 18,000 cards laying around in boxes. These are the ones I need to get rid off so I can buy more stuff.
Quite frankly, that's a lot of cards. What should I do with them? Add more. And share with the rest of the blogosphere. After all, that's why I started this humble little blog in the first place...right???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Irish are Not too Happy with the Topps Company Right Now...
Replacing the wildly popular Flags of All Nations insert set that graced the 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter set is another 50 card insert set called 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter World Leaders. The concept is simple. Pick fifty Presidents, Kings, Prime Ministers, Popes, etc., and put their image on a card with a map of the country they govern. Simple concept. And for government buffs, political science majors, and so on, this is a set worth completing. I may eventually try for a complete set if the price is right, but I'll wait until later when prices settle down even more.
Count me in as ignorant. I may be a closet geographer, but I don't know that much about, nor have I taken the time to study, each country's political structure. So I don't know who is the leader of each country. Apparently, neither does Topps.
Please take a look at the card above. It is of Bertie Ahern, who is the Taoiseach (or Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland (Éire). Now for most of us, at first glance there is nothing wrong with the card. Tell that to the Irish.
It seems that Ahern is no longer is the Taoiseach, having resigned four months ago (Brian Cowen, previously Ireland's finance minister is now the Taoiseach...in case you're wondering). That's not necessarily the problem here as the card was designed and printed long before he resigned his position. But it seems that the picture enclosed is not even of Ahern, but of a gentleman by the name of Hans-Gert Pöttering, who is the President of the European Parliament.
Topps, which has a presence in Ireland in County Cork, has apologized for the error and is looking into how this got past the editors.
For more information, please click here. This will lead you to the Irish Independent News website where this story written by Senan Molony, the paper's Deputy Political Editor.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
The Ginter Code Has Been Cracked!!!
I'm not going to have a card in next year's Allen & Ginter set. Not that I didn't try, but I figured from the start that my chances of cracking the Ginter Code and winning were slim and none.
Now somebody has gone out and shared the secrets on how he "Cracked the Code." He doesn't know if he won, but he was willing to share his answers to the message board that showed the most interest. I know that before the conversion that the boys and girls on the Beckett Message Boards were trying to solve it as a group, but some of their theories were so far fetched that it became hard to watch the hysterics. I will credit them though for at least getting to the point on how to determine the order of the cards and what, if any, role the Team Orange cards could play.
I am not going to post how this individual, who mailed their answers and received confirmation that Topps got it, solved the mystery. I figure I'd let you click here to find out for yourselves. Thanks to Hand Collated for the tip.
The only thing I will say though is that I wish I bought those darn Team Orange cards at the National when I had the chance!!!
I'm going to lie down now.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Now somebody has gone out and shared the secrets on how he "Cracked the Code." He doesn't know if he won, but he was willing to share his answers to the message board that showed the most interest. I know that before the conversion that the boys and girls on the Beckett Message Boards were trying to solve it as a group, but some of their theories were so far fetched that it became hard to watch the hysterics. I will credit them though for at least getting to the point on how to determine the order of the cards and what, if any, role the Team Orange cards could play.
I am not going to post how this individual, who mailed their answers and received confirmation that Topps got it, solved the mystery. I figure I'd let you click here to find out for yourselves. Thanks to Hand Collated for the tip.
The only thing I will say though is that I wish I bought those darn Team Orange cards at the National when I had the chance!!!
I'm going to lie down now.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
And the 2008 Topps Red Hot Rookie # 12 Card Goes To...
Those holding those Red Hot Rookie Redemption cards better get them logged in to Topps quickly as it has just been announced that card #12 is of Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets.
Since his Major League Debut on August 2 against the Astros, the Mets outfielder has a .429 batting average, two home runs, and nine runs batted in (as of August 14, 2008).
It is not an autographed card. Mets fans will want to add this card to their collections. So for those of you with Redemption card #12, START REDEEMING!!!
P.S. We're getting closer to card #19...that's what I'm holding. jba
Since his Major League Debut on August 2 against the Astros, the Mets outfielder has a .429 batting average, two home runs, and nine runs batted in (as of August 14, 2008).
It is not an autographed card. Mets fans will want to add this card to their collections. So for those of you with Redemption card #12, START REDEEMING!!!
The updated checklist now includes:
- #1 Jay Bruce
- #2 Justin Masterson
- #3 John Bowker
- #4 Kosuke Fukudome
- #5 Mike Aviles
- #6 Chris Davis
- #7 Chris Volstad
- #8 Jeff Samardzija
- #9 Brad Ziegler
- #10 Gio Gonzalez
- #11 Clayton Kershaw
- #12 Daniel Murphy
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
And the 2008 Topps Red Hot Rookie #'s 10 and 11 Cards Go To...
Those holding those Red Hot Rookie Redemption cards better get them logged in to Topps quickly as it has just been announced that card #10 is of Gio Gonzalez of the Oakland Athletics and #11 is of Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gonzalez made his Major League Debut on August 6 against the Blue Jays, and currently sports a 1-2 record in three games, an ERA of 7.53 in 14.1 innings of work.
Since his Major League Debut on May 25 against the Cardinals, Kershaw has a 2-3 record in fourteen games, with an ERA of 3.59 in 72.2 innings pitched (as of August 19, 2008).
Neither card is autographed. For both fans of the Athletics and Dodgers, you will certainly want to add either of these cards to your collections. So for those of you with Redemption card #'s 10 & 11, START REDEEMING!!!
The updated checklist now includes:
- #1 Jay Bruce
- #2 Justin Masterson
- #3 John Bowker
- #4 Kosuke Fukudome
- #5 Mike Aviles
- #6 Chris Davis
- #7 Chris Volstad
- #8 Jeff Samardzija
- #9 Brad Ziegler
- #10 Gio Gonzalez
- #11 Clayton Kershaw
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
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