Lucky to get a rare break for lunch, my girlfriend and I take the opportunity to eat out of the office. We make light conversation as we head out to the local restaurant complex across the street and we try to decide where to eat. She wanted to go to some place different because she was trying to eat lighter and watch her weight.

I suggest a fast food Mexican restaurant as we pass by and she agrees. After we get our food we seat ourselves and start to catch up. It’s been awhile since we’ve been out to lunch so there was general conversation around work and the kids and husbands and then the conversation takes a turn. She looks more serious and cautiously asks if she can share an observation she’s had about me. Honestly, at this point, I have NO IDEA what is coming. You know how your mind begins to race, I’m thinking as she’s still talking, “What is this going to be about…my recent marriage, my attitude at work?” I know it must be bad because she keeps saying that if I feel it’s too personal or if she’s stepping over a line I can tell her to stop. I resolve myself to the fact that whatever it is I’ll accept the feedback and consider it seriously since I know she’s genuinely concerned for my welfare. As I finish this thought I notice she’s still hedging so I encourage her to just share what she’s thinking.

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Hello Mark and Lisa,

I absolutely love your bios! It has inspired me to write to you in hopes that my dream of owning a piece of Maui will someday come true.

I have been drawn to the Hawaiian Islands since I was 13 years old. It was a tough time in my life because my father who had immigrated to the United States in 1968 when the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia decided in 1975 that it was time to go back home. I wasn’t sure where home really was.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 10:43 PM, CST

Wow. First off, never in a million years did I ever think THIS is where we would be. That being said, we are and we are here for the duration.

Gregory is currently 3 1/2 years old and not yet in school. He is the last of our brood. His brother Curtis is 10 and sister AnnMarie is 7.

About two weeks ago Gregory came down with a croupy cough. Which developed into a deep moist cough. It refused to get better. On Monday February 23rd, he started dry heaving and looking like he was dehydrated. He went to the doctor's office, where he was swabbed for Influenza and RSV. Both were negative. At this point we went over to the SHMC ER to receive IV fluids. I guess once kids receive IV fluids, they should perk back up and start to act 'normal' again. Gregory was still lethargic. The ER Doc then ordered some blood tests. To make a long story short, there were indicators in his blood work that he might have a viral blood infection or Leukemia. We were admitted that evening with more tests being ordered.

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11/26/2008

To Me,

This year has been so crazy! I was in Texas for a year and 3 months whitch just made my relationship with Chris way worse then I think it was before. I felt my love for him end after the over dose whitch was bound to happen and both of us new it. He even said so his self! When you almost dye and then wake up it's like holly crap what happen to me and who I used to be and the good life I used to live, it's like you look at your life and say well it's cleaning time for me and everything changes. I've always wanted Chris and I to work out I love him and I always saw him as the guy of my dreams that I could spend the rest of my life with. Some relationships seem perfect but are far from that! In my situation My lover was a drug addicted and ever since I got together with him it was all about drugs, dreams and plans for the future, things we both wanted we talked about all the time but most of the time we talked and dreamed that's all it was, just a dream! Whishful thinking, like a fairy tale of some sort.

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One day I began to think what I would become if I had my own house,kids,working,husband etc... I used to imagine myself as a simple, down to earth person will come in my life oneday. I used to hate thinking about the arranged marriages. I prefer to have someone known instead. And the right day came when I was working with a new firm. My sister called and told me that there is a proposal and whether I would be interested in seeing the boy. I said, Why not?. So she said that the boy happens to be New Zealander and a cousin of someone known to us. So I agreed to meet up with him. When everything was through the marriage date was set. We got married and soon his departure date came and he left. I came to New Zealand in March 2000. We started our journey from stratford and just few years back we landed in South Auckland.

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