Julianne Marie Huerta, born January 21, 1969 at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, passed from this life in the early morning hours of December 6, 2008.

As a child, Julianne traveled with her family to Turkey and Texas, where she graduated from high school in Austin and still has several friends there. Julianne decided that she wanted to live in California after graduation and moved there in 1987.

She served as a trusted advisor to Members of the California State Legislature. Her role as Principal Consultant to the California State Assembly Republican Caucus for both the Budget and Appropriations Committees included the annual deliberations on the Governor's Budget for all issues related to Human Services. She was highly respected by both Republicans and Democrats, staff at all levels within the Legislature and state agencies, local governments, lobbyists, and community agencies and programs. As a confident advocate for vulnerable women and children, she fought tirelessly for those who did not have a voice, and drafted key legislation to protect children in the foster care system.

Besides her efforts to fight for causes within the Legislature, she was actively involved in the many causes that were so dear to her heart, including WEAVE, the search for a cure for breast cancer, and the Cup of Love Project, and support for Latino women in their effort to achieve success. She also served on numerous boards, such as Latino Sports Outreach.

As a sports junky, she could be found rooting on the Sacramento Kings, the Sacramento Rivercats, the Dallas Cowboys (and the San Francisco 49ers when no one was looking), the San Francisco Giants and Texas A&M. She always enjoyed attending the Sacramento Film Festival. Her favorite music included that of Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Beatles.

Julianne put up a valiant fight against cancer for five years. Even through treatment and sickness, she was always graceful and dignified and continued to fight for those less fortunate, putting their needs before her own. She could always be found wearing some form of pink, her favorite color. Her friends see her as one of the most courageous people in the world.

Julianne was the second child of parents Raymond and Elizabethanne Huerta. Julianne is also survived by her sister, Teresa, and brother, Raymond; her nephews, Michael Christopher and Shawn Patrick McManus; and several aunts and uncles on her father's side: Katie Fierro, Margaret Romero, Lupe Valdez, Joe Huerta, Frank Huerta, Esther Vasquez, Vickie Rodriguez, Juan Huerta and Toni Chavez and their families. Family members on her mother's side include one aunt, Mary K. Beicher, and one uncle, William C. Hoadley.

Julianne's family and friends will miss her very much and are sure she will be watching over them. Arrangements are pending.

On Tuesday afternoon, I put in an offer on a condo. It was accepted yesterday afternoon. If all goes well, I will be moving in the second week of May. I am stunned that I am going to be a homeowner at this age!

Earlier this evening, I accidentally dropped my iPod mini in the parking garage as I was leaving work. No big deal . . . that is until it did not turn on.

So, I figured maybe it just needs to be charged. Nope. Still not turning on.

Went to the Apple website to do a reset of the iPod. Behold, the apple icon appears followed by the sad iPod face. My first thought - I now know how Carrie felt when her laptop died.

Apple offers a repair service, but apparently, for this issue, it will cost TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.

Guess I am getting myself an early Christmas gift - probably the 80 gig iPod which costs 250 dollars. Darn.

This past week, the California Legislature passed the prison reform deal. Talk about incredibly stressful and insane for us. At least we have a couple of weeks until the Governor announces May Revise (budget thing, don't ask).

Then early this morning, a bridge collapsed in the Bay Area which caused me to spend most of the day working.

So what does a girl do after an incredibly stressful week? She spends 200 dollars at Target and gets hot pink shoes in the process . . .

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits:

The Launch, DJ Jean

Waking Up:

30 Minutes, T.A.T.U.

First Day of School:

A complete Sasha and Digweed mix (1 hour long)

Falling in Love:

Razorblade Kiss, H.I.M.

Fight Song:

Blue Planet (Trance)

Breaking Up:

Club Nowhere, Blue Man Group

Prom:

Sex and the City theme song

Life:

Don’t You Forget About Me, Simple Minds

Mental Breakdown:

Nowhere to Hide, Antiloop

Driving:

Until the End of the World, U2

Flashback:

Smile Like You Mean It, The Killers

Getting Back Together:

I Will Be Here, Clay Aiken

Wedding:

American Dream, Jakatta (trance)

Birth of Child:

Disco Science, Snatch soundtrack

Final Battle:

Fighter, Christina Aguilera

Death Scene:

Mandelgroove, Blue Man Group

Bloopers at the end:

No Sex in Violence, Bush

The Crocodile Hunter is dead . . .

Death by stingray. How incredibly sad.

With all the commentary surrounding Brokeback Mountain, most other movies were hardly discussed. I was pleasantly surprised to see Crash was nominated for Best Picture. However, Brokeback Mountain seemed to have it all wrapped up.

Brokeback Mountain openly discusses gay culture with a cowboy theme, nonetheless. While this movie broke many barriers, it just seemed that it would receive the Oscar for just breaking social norms.

Crash, though, is a fantastically done movie about racial tendencies in Los Angeles. Not only is racial tendencies revealed, it follows a group of random people who literally "crash" into each other though various beliefs and such. Someone recommended I rent it, which I did, then promptly passed the movie all around the office convincing people that this is THE picture to see this year.

Crash just received the award for Best Picture, and rightly so.

Want to question your beliefs and everything you know? Watch Crash. Be prepared to have your eyes open.

Have happy cows left California? According to a Nevada agency, California's politics have driven both the happy cows and the bear from our flag from the state.

Of course, I am conflicted about which side to take though I am secretly giddy that Nevada did this.

I just want to send Merry Christmas greetings to all my LJ friends. I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and get what you what you want . . . :)

Life has been crazy lately. While still not feeling one hundred percent from my recent illness, I have been pushing myself at one hundred ten percent to get shopping completed, finish school with As (which I did!), finish my work research which took up till the last possible moment to complete and trying to visit friends during the holiday season. ( Read more... )

Work has been busy. School has been busy. I hardly have had time for me since September (isn't the fall supposed to be quiet at the Capitol?). However, it turned into a crazy time. Research, upon more research, along with 9 credits of school (originally 12, but I realized that I was in over my head).

I submitted all my research to work today. I also found out that I got As in all my classes.

I did not realize how much stress I was under (I should have realized that when Keith mentioned I have been very withdrawn) until this afternoon when I just sat at my desk counting down the time to 5pm and felt incredibly drained. I ended up taking a 2 hour nap when I got home and would have probably just stayed in bed, however, I needed to finish my Amazon shopping this evening (darn shipping!).

Tomorrow is the fun Christmas gathering at Jon and Yvette's place in Reno. I love my Reno friends and miss them dearly (I really do!). Who knows - I could be moving back to work for soon-to-be Governor Gibbons.

Now begins the stress of finding a Masters program. U of Denver is looking better by the moment. I really want to do environmental science / policy. Figures.

With that, time to relax.

Dance Dance Revolution. A game that I spent many hours playing in college.

It now has a new purpose in my life. I have heard that many people have lost much weight playing this game without substantial changes to their diet.

So, now it begins. One hour of DDR daily (minus my Oregon trip which will have much hiking).

My assumption is I will lose 4 to 5 pounds by the end of January.

I will also be getting a gym membership in January as well, which will help.

Being sick sucks. :( It came on quickly at work yesterday afternoon, with a sore throat, weakness, and chills. Last night, it escalated even further. I then started to puke. Double-whammy.

The big plan of the day is go back to bed and stay there until tomorrow morning.

My parents were visiting me in Sacramento when the ATM theft happened. At dinner the following night, my dad commented on that I am a "tragedy attractor." Other people have commented on this as well.

I waved that thought off.

Then yesterday, I went to the doctor to have my routine back checkup from the car accident. I commented to the doctor, who is in a residency program, that this specific spot on my left side has been aching. She pressed down and OUCH. My doctor says, "Let me get Dr. Gambrill." Crap. That is the head doctor of the residency program. You know something is really wrong to have the head doctor brought in. He presses down and OUCH. Turns out that my spleen is now enlarged without any real explanation (routine blood work was completed a couple of weeks ago and everything is perfect). My ultrasound is scheduled for next Tuesday. (This is the fourth ultrasound this year for unrelated things).

My mom's best friend informed me that our lives go through 7-year cycles and apparently I am in a bad cycle. That means I still have another 3 years of this, if I believe in this stuff. *sigh*

I don't know if I have some special magnetic force that attracts drama / tragedy / whatever. Frankly, I have had enough. I just want to be able to proclaim that today is a good day, nothing wrong. It never seems to happen though.

Maybe I just need to shift my thought-process. *pondering*

It finally happened to me.

After a weekend of clearance shopping galore, I decided that maybe I should check my account to verify how much money is available for Thanksgiving weekend.

14 dollars?!?! 14 dollars?!?! I only have 14 dollars in my account? I thought there was much more.

There was. Some kind person in Illinois withdrew most of the contents of my checking account today.

And no, I was not in Illinois today.

(Note: My checking account is also connected to all my other accounts. Oh, what fun.)

If I needed one word to describe this week, it would be awkward. Almost every situation, every interaction has presented me with a new feeling of awkwardness.

While I am sure you want me to divulge everything, that is for me to know and deal with.

This evening, I had the opportunity to hang out with Jaclyn, her roommate Rachel and close friends for a night a "food party" (like a tupperware party, but packaged, yummy food instead). Almost everyone there appears to have known Jaclyn and Rachel for many, many years. They also all knew each other. For 1 hour, when not having food to focus on, I stared intently at the Audrey Hepburn picture on the other wall. I had brief conversations with some people, but it felt like most had no interest in me.

I realized on my drive home that I hardly know people in Sacramento. My circle of friends is no circle. I have my individual friends, but no group of friends to hang out with.

*Sigh*

(Jaclyn - I am happy I went to see you!)

It is finally over. Tuesday came and went, while Democrats are happily celebrating and proclaiming some not so nice words, others are depressed.

All the propositions failed. I am sure that is known by everyone now, but in case someone failed to hear, there it is.

Why there were some propositions I was not devastated about, Propositions 75 and 77 would have helped reform California. Californians only give the Legislature a 22% approval rating (much worse than Schwarzenegger), but yet, some of the reforms that would have helped change the makeup of the Legislature failed.

The voters failed to look 20 years down the road. If you think that the California Legislature will reform itself, you are sadly mistaken. The status quo will remain. Candidates are groomed for seats. While legislators might leave office, the ideology that continues to deadlock the Legislature will remain.

Arnold did not lose on Tuesday, but rather the people of California.